Carefree Farmwife: Training the Husband, Raising the Bun - Chapter 110

His eyes were very much like Shen Cuihua’s phoenix-shaped, peach-blossom eyes. It seemed Shen Changyun must have inherited his peach-blossom eyes from his father. Perhaps it was the pull of blood ties, but when she looked at Father Shen, Ying Su felt an inexplicable closeness, an urge to cry.

Shen Hefu stared at the young woman before him, stunned at first, then overcome with excitement. His eyes widened, his lips trembled as he lifted a hand, disbelief written on his face. It took him a long while before he managed to stammer out, “Cui… Cui… Cuihua… is it Cuihua?”

Though he was beside himself with emotion, he still deliberately kept his voice down, not daring to shout.

Ying Su’s nose stung. This time, tears really welled up in her eyes. All this time she had resisted anything to do with Shen Cuihua, because she hadn’t wanted to become her, only herself. But suddenly, she didn’t feel so resistant anymore. Even if she now occupied Shen Cuihua’s body, she was still herself. Whatever she did, as long as she followed her own heart, that was enough.

She nodded. Her lips moved, but her throat seemed unable to make a sound.

When Shen Hefu saw her nod, he couldn’t hold back anymore. Earlier, he had been afraid of being mistaken, afraid his wife would hear and be crushed by false hope. But now that Ying Su had nodded, all scruples vanished. The daughter he had searched for over four or five years was finally back, how could he possibly stay calm?

Overjoyed, he reached out, wanting to pull her into the courtyard, but then he noticed her clean, tidy clothes. He hastily withdrew his hand, rubbing his palms nervously, his lips splitting into a wide smile. “It really is Cuihua! Quick, quick, come inside!”

Ying Su stepped through the gate into a desolate, run-down courtyard. From inside the house came the sound of a harsh cough, followed by the weak voice of a middle-aged woman. “Hefu, did I hear right? Has Cuihua come back?”

Shen Hefu quietly brushed away his tears, then called out loudly with a smile, “Wife, Cuihua’s come back!”

A fit of coughing broke out inside the room, broken by a woman’s trembling voice, “Cui… Cuihua… my daughter…”

Following behind Father Shen, Ying Su entered the house. The moment she stepped inside, a musty smell hit her nose. The room was dark, its walls sprouting white mildew, everything shabby and worn.

Shen Hefu hurried into the side room off the main hall, rushing to the bedside to help his wife catch her breath.

Mother Shen stared unblinkingly at Ying Su, coughing violently, her face flushed red. Reaching out her hand, her gaze remained fixed, as though terrified that Ying Su would disappear in the blink of an eye.

Seeing her struggle to get out of bed, Ying Su quickly stepped forward, clasping her hand. “Mother, I’m back.” Her voice was softer than it had ever been, even when speaking to little bun, she had never sounded so tender.

Calling her “mother” wasn’t nearly as hard as she had imagined. Her throat moved, and the word just slipped out, as if she had said it thousands of times before.

Looking at Mother Shen, her sallow face, her body frail and sickly, Ying Su’s nose burned and tears spilled uncontrollably down her cheeks.

Mother Shen traced along Ying Su’s face with her withered hand, feeling her nose, her eyes, her lips. After confirming every feature, her face lit up with joy. She sat up in bed, overjoyed. “It’s my Cuihua! No mistake, it’s our Cuihua!”

Ying Su quickly wiped her tears and waved a hand in front of Mother Shen’s eyes. Mother Shen immediately reached out and grasped her hand again. Only then did Ying Su let out a breath of relief, she had feared her mother had gone blind.

Shen Hefu added from the side, “Your mother can still see, just not clearly.” Coming down from the high of recognition, he finally noticed the middle-aged man who had followed behind Ying Su. Could this be Cuihua’s husband?

“Cuihua, and this… this is?”

Ying Su collected herself and said, “Before I came, I heard mother’s health wasn’t good, so I brought a doctor from town.” She turned to the man. “Doctor, please examine my mother.”

“There’s no need for a doctor. Cuihua, come here, tell your mother how you’ve lived these years?” Mother Shen stretched out her hand again, unwilling to let Ying Su out of her sight.

Placing her hand in her mother’s, Ying Su stood by the bed and spoke gently, “Mother, let the doctor see you first. If you want to hear about these years, I’ll tell you slowly afterward.”

Mother Shen gave a soft “En” in reply, but then murmured, “But hiring a doctor must have cost a lot of money. Truly, there’s nothing seriously wrong with me. Now that you’re back, my illness is cured.”

Ying Su’s nose prickled again. She gently patted her mother’s hand. “Mother, just let the doctor take a look. I’ve already paid the fee. If you refuse, then your daughter will have wasted her money.”

Hearing that, Mother Shen no longer objected. Ying Su stepped aside to give the doctor room, while Shen Hefu stood by with a furrowed brow, worry written all over his face.

The doctor first took Mother Shen’s pulse, then checked her eyes. At last, stroking his beard, he said, “It’s nothing serious. These years of grief have left her heart heavy, making her ill. With peace of mind and gradual care, her health will recover.”

Hearing this, Shen Hefu’s face filled with joy. He hurriedly grabbed the doctor’s hand. “Doctor, is that true?” Not long ago, the village’s crude barefoot doctor had said his wife wouldn’t live through the winter, leaving the whole family in despair.

But now this doctor was saying she would be fine, how could he not be delighted?

The doctor took paper and brush from his medicine box and sat down at the worn table to write a prescription. As he wrote, he said, “I never speak falsely. I am a doctor from Lin’an Hall, one of the best medical halls in Shili Town. You may rest assured.”

“That’s wonderful!” Shen Hefu exclaimed, unable to contain his joy. He turned to his wife lying on the bed. “Wife, did you hear? You’re fine! I knew that barefoot doctor wasn’t reliable! Today’s a blessed day, not only has our daughter come back, but your health is sound too. Truly, Heaven has opened its eyes to us!”

The sound of joy and laughter from inside the house carried far outside.

When Ying Su escorted the doctor to the door, the smile on his face faded. He told her quietly, “To be honest, your mother’s condition is not good. If nothing is done, she may indeed not survive this winter, just as that barefoot doctor said.”

Though Ying Su had braced herself, her heart still sank. She had instructed the doctor beforehand to say nothing alarming in front of her parents, no matter what he found.

Still, there was hope. She asked him, “Please, use whatever medicine is needed. No matter how much silver it costs, as long as you can nurse my mother back to health, it doesn’t matter.”