Chapter 17

Early the next morning, with the first rooster crowing, Liu Tong woke up. He looked at the sweating man who was sleeping soundly in his arms. He first wiped his sweat, then carefully moved his body, trying not to wake him up. He knew that Ran had been sleeping in a shallow way. And a few days ago, he was still ill. However, he seemed to be well these two days, and Liu Tong felt much relieved.

After getting out of bed, he went to another room to see Tangtang and Guoguo. There on a bed, three children were sleeping soundly on their backs. Lightly, Liu Tong went away.

At the kitchen, Wu Mei had already begun to make a fire and made breakfast.

Upon seeing Liu Qing, Wu Mei asked, “Why did you get up so early? You were tired for a whole day yesterday, and you were injured. Why not sleep more?”

Liu Tong shook his head, “No, I’m used to getting up early. Let me help you cook!”

Seeing that Liu Tong was in high spirit, Wu Mei agreed, “All right. You help me make the fire! I am going to make doughballs this morning. Only when we are full do we have the strength to work. ”

Liu Tong nodded and added firewood into the stove.

It was completely daybreak when several children woke up. Dahu took the three younger children to wash their faces, and then they ran to the kitchen to wait at the door.

Tangtang and Guoguo had never done this kind of thing before. They had to eat only when the Xu Family had leftovers at home, otherwise they would not have breakfast in the morning. They were hungry so often that they became accustomed to it. But today, when Dahu brought them to the kitchen to wait for food, they were both surprised, and even looked forward to when they might be able to do the same.

It made Liu Tong’s heart ache to see the overcautious expressons on the faces of both Tangtang and Guoguo. He could do nothing about it in the Xu Family, but he was sure such things would never happen in the future.

Wu Mei didn’t try to drive the children away after seeing it. He just said, “Tangtang, Guoguo, you are hungry, right? Don’t worry. One more minute, and the meal will be ready.”

Tangtang and Guoguo nodded obediently.

However, Dahu and Yueya’er felt their daddy ignored them, so both of them began to act pettishly, “Daddy, daddy, we are also hungry and we want to eat, too.”

Wu Mei slapped Dahu on the head, “Go outside and wait. I’ll be so happy if you are as obedient as Tangtang and Guoguo.”

Dahu rubbed his head with grievance and left with the other children.

Liu Tong found it interesting, “Wu Mei, Dahu is also very obedient! Why do you often beat him?

“That kid needs a spank. Nothing comes into shape until it is knocked by a hammer. He just behaves in front of you,” replied Wu Mei.

“He’s still young. Don’t be too hard. Tangtang and Guoguo have been restrained for too long, or they should be very naughty at the age,” Liu Tong smiled.

“That’s true. Well, everything will be fine in the future.”

In this way, both of them were chatting while busy working in the kitchen. Soon, breakfast was ready.

Liu Tong asked Tangtang and Guoguo to wake Xu Ran up for breakfast. Xu Ran was still deep at sleep when the two kids went inside.

So the two children were in a bit of a quandary about whether they should wake their dad up or not since he didn’t sleep enough.

But thinking of the hot breakfast outside, the two kids still decided to wake Xu Ran up. They thought it was no big deal that their dad could eat and then come back to sleep again.

“Dad, dad…”

Tangtang and Guoguo called out to Xu Ran over and over again. And Xu Ran finally made a move.

In a daze, Xu Ran sat up from his bed. Looking at the two children standing in front of his bed, he still felt a little trance and could not respond for a moment. He was about to speak when he felt the pain in his mouth.

Only then did Xu Ran realize where he was.

Xu Ran noticed that It was already broad daylight outside, and even the children had got up, while he was still sleeping in bed. Xu Ran suddenly felt embarrassed.

Seeing Xu Ran still sitting in a daze on the bed, Tangtang and Guoguo couldn’t help pushing him, “Dad, get up for breakfast.”

At the same time, they tried to pull him up. Xu Ran followed their ideas. He then dressed himself. At first, as a fool, he could do nothing. It was Liu Tong who had taught him for a long time before he was able to do something like this.

When Xu Ran was led to the eating place, all the bowls and chopsticks had already been arranged on the table. Liu Tong was serving some dishes. Seeing Xu Ran, he wiped his hands and walked over, “Ran, does your mouth still hurt?”

Xu Ran shook his head. Even if it hurt, he couldn’t say it! He was no longer that fool, so he had to endure the pain.

Luckily, the wound on his leg was not painful anymore. Xu Ran felt satisfied about it.

Seeing that he shook his head, Liu Tong thought that he was really not in pain. Liu Tong knew, being a fool, Xu Ran wouldn’t lie to him. He still habitually regarded Xu Ran as the original fool.

It was only when Xu Ran began to eat that he felt really bad. The breakfast was so hot that he felt very painful when the food got into his mouth, but he couldn’t say it. He could only try hard to swallow it. His miserable appearance made Wu Mei think that his cooking skills were too poor and Xu Ran could not get used to the food.

“Xu Ran, is the food not delicious? How about I make something new for you again? “Wu Mei was not someone who liked to beat about the bush, so he asked directly.

Xu Ran shook his head abruptly, “No.”

Liu Tong also noticed that something was wrong with Xu Ran. He guessed that he was scalded by food, because he knew that the injury in Xu Ran’s mouth could not be healed so quickly.

He smiled at Wu Mei, “Wu Mei, don’t think too much. Ran should have been scalded. The injury in his mouth does not recover yet, so he ate with a grievance just now.”

Hearing Liu Tong’s words, Wu Mei remembered that Xu Ran was injured yesterday. He stood up and said, “Then let’s cool the food first. Let me go to get some cold water.”

“No. Thank you. You just sit and eat! Let me do it. I was negligent just now. “Liu Tong stopped Wu Mei and went to the kitchen himself.

At this time, he realized that Ran had completely recovered and was no longer a fool. He was trying to comfort him by saying that he didn’t feel pain. Liu Tong was not used to such a sudden change in their living situation.

After both Wu Mei’s and Liu Tong’s families had breakfast, Wu Lan and Liu Qing came over with axes and machetes, and their children were brought over with them, too. The children would stay at Wu Mei’s house and let Xu Ran watch over them. All the other adults would go up the mountain.