Chapter 6 - Shulin

 

It is true that money stumbles a hero, Li Hehua is now stumped by money.

She wanted to set up a food stall to sell some food, but she didn't have the capital. She couldn't do it for a while. She had to figure out a way to make some money before setting up a stall.

She has no valuable things on her body, so she can't exchange anything for money. It's unrealistic to go and pick up some herbs, ginseng, and other precious things in the mountain like in some time travel novels. If these things can really be found there, others would have already picked them long ago. It's not like people are waiting for her to pick it up. Aborigines are not fools.

(T/N: Aborigines are people that inhabit the place from the very beginning.)

It's impossible to earn money at once. She still need to earn it by her own craftsmanship.

She couldn't think of any way for a while. Seeing that it's already late, Li Hehua found a stall selling steamed buns on the street. She spent 3 cents to buy two mantou* and a bao zi**, planning to eat them for lunch and dinner. She really doesn't want to eat brown rice porridge anymore.

(T/N: *Mantou- steamed buns **Bao zi - steamed buns with stuffings)

Following the way before, Li Hehua took an hour again to return. It's already noon when she got home and no one's around. She didn't know where they went and she's not interested in knowing. She wen't straight to the woodshed and fell limply on the bed. She was too tired to get up.

Walking for too long is already tiring for normal people. It's even more tiring with her current body weight. She just felt that everything will fall apart. She wants to stop moving forever.

However, the feeling of hunger is much stronger than fatigue. Li Hehua sit up reluctantly. She took out the mantou and bao zi that she bought and eat them.

After eating half a mantou, Li Hehua  felt very thirsty. She got up and went to the kitchen to find some water to drink.

There's boiled cold water in the kitchen already. She didn't bother heating it up and directly scooped a bowl, drank it, and scooped another one. After drinking two bowls in a row, Li Hehua's thirst is quenched. She just put her bowl down and planned to go out when she heard a rustling sound. She listened carefully but the sound already disappeared. Still, Li Hehua know that the sound just now was not her illusion.

Li Hehua put down the bowl on hand and looked around. Her gaze settled behind the stove.

She slowly walked over and saw the little boy nestled by the pile of firewoods. He was the one that Zhang Tieshan brought back.

　　
The little guys was sitting in the corner, with his hands on his knees. He didn't move or speak. He's cuddled up so quietly that no one would take notice of him if not looking carefully.

Li Hehua didn't know the relationship between this little guy and the original owner. It must be an extraordinary one since he was brought back by Zhang Tieshan. However, the little guy ignored her when they met yesterday, looking like he didn't saw her. She's not sure about their relationship.

Li Hehua tentatively took another step closer. She called out softly, "Little guy? Little baby?"

In the end, the little guy didn't move. It was as if he didn't heard anything. He didn't even raised his head.

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Li Hehua's heart skipped a beat. She thought, this little guy can hear her, right? No way!These small ears can hear her, right?

Not wanting to believe that such a little child was deaf, she slowly squatted down. She tentatively shook her hand in front of him, "Little guy, did you hear me?"

In the end, the child still didn't respond. It's like his whole person is immersed with his own world, isolating himself.

Li Hehua pursed her lips and slowly reached out to hold the little guy's little hand. She was about to pull him when she saw that the sculptural boy suddenly moved, silently and frantically resisting her approach.

Li Hehua was taken aback by his behavior and the sternness on his face. She quickly took a few steps back, "Okay, baby, don't get excited, I won't touch you. See? I didn't touch you, don't be angry ."

The little guy struggled for a while before gradually calming down, and then returned to his previous motionless appearance.

Li Hehua gradually frowned.

Did this little one heard her or not? Why does his behavior so strange? It felt like something's not right.

However, it seems that this little guys rejects her so much. She shouldn't force him to communicate. If she accidentally hurt him, it will be bad. She should just go out.

Li Hehua walked back to the woodshed. She sat down and ate the rest of the steamed bun. After taking two bites, Li Hehua gazed at the meat bun (bao zi) on her hand and back to the kitchen. After a while, she got up and enter the kitchen again. The meat bun wrapped in paper bag was placed in front of the little guy. "Baby, this is a meat bun. It's for you to eat."
　　
"I'll go out. Eat it yourself." Li Hehua said as she hurriedly walked out, afraid that the little guy won't eat it if she's around.

Li Hehua didn't know if the little guy would eat it. However, for some reason, she couldn't calm down when she saw his appearance.

That little guy was only about four or five years old, but he was so skinny that it made people feel distressed. His clothes looks empty. Seeing him sitting without a word was inexplicably uncomfortable.

She also saw his arms just now. It is covered with scars, old and new. It seems like they were caused by long-term beatings. Li Hehua couldn't imagine who could do such a thing to a small child. However, there's a vague guess in her heart that she didn't dare to admit. This guess made her unwilling to believe it.

No, no, no. She shouldn't think about it anymore.

Li Hehua force herself to remove such speculation in mind and focused on eating the steamed buns on her hand.

***
I've seen the comments in novelupdates and it made me re-read my translation. I'm quite embarrassed with the structure of each paragraphs. It suddenly felt difficult to read. I'll be re-writing and re-translate them later. I'm hoping to receive any correction or suggestions for the betterment of my translation. This will also bring a better reading experience.

Also, I've seen my translation in another website. It's a bit uncomfortable looking at it. Although I saw the website referring that the the translation came from wattpad, it still made me uneasy. I just hope that readers will choose to read it here in watty, everyone will be updated if there are changes in the translation. Thank you for support.

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