Chapter 4: Prevention

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Jiankang is their hometown, where most of their relatives live, and both children are aware of that.

Hearing his mother say this, Gu Hai had no objections. He knew his mother was too tired to support the family alone. Returning to their relatives, there would be many relatives to take care of them, and his mother wouldn't have to work so hard.

"Great, I can see my second uncle and Huqing brother...," he cheered, seeming eager to see those relatives.

In fact, he had only seen those relatives two or three times since he could remember. He was afraid he couldn't even remember what they looked like.

Cao naturally understood the children's thoughts. She was pleased that the children were so understanding, but felt guilty that the family's decline forced the children to be fostered elsewhere.

"Your brother Huqing has already passed the imperial examination. Studying with him will surely be beneficial. And you, Eighteen...," Cao caressed her son's head and then turned to her daughter, "You can also accompany the sisters there. Is that good?"

"Not good," Gu Shiba Niang shook her head.

This child often said good things, and it was the first time she had said "not good." Cao and Gu Hai were somewhat surprised.

"Why?" Gu Hai immediately asked, while trying to persuade her, "Sister, Jiankang is so much fun, and there are... so many delicious things... Have you forgotten about the spicy duck heads that father mentioned...?"

Gu Shiba Niang shook her head, clutching Cao's clothes, "No, I want to stay here. Here is where father's presence is."

Since birth, they had been living here. The three of them couldn't help but look around the courtyard, where every blade of grass, every brick, and every tile bore the traces of their lives.

"...Father liked to teach me here...," Gu Shiba Niang pointed to the pomegranate tree in the courtyard, "...Father liked to practice calligraphy there..."

As she spoke, she hugged Cao's arm, "Mother, I don't want to leave here. I don't want to leave father alone here."

Seeing the deep reluctance in her daughter's eyes, Cao couldn't help but feel a pang in her heart. She reached out and hugged her daughter, "Okay, we won't leave."

Gu Hai couldn't help but furrow his brow, feeling that his sister was being a bit unreasonable. He needed to find an opportunity to talk to her.

He didn't have to wait long for an opportunity. The next day, Cao went to sell the needlework she had made, and Gu Hai grabbed a cake and prepared to go to school. As he reached the door, he hesitated and then turned back to pick up the axe behind the door.

"Brother," Gu Shiba Niang walked out of the house.

Gu Hai quickly hid the axe behind his back and grinned, "Eighteen, are you up? Hurry and go eat. I'm going to school."

As he spoke, he was about to leave, but was caught by Gu Shiba Niang, who ran up to him.

"Eighteen, be careful..." Gu Hai was startled and quickly helped her.

In his impression, his sister was fragile, like a flickering candle that could be blown out by the wind. With their mother working day and night, his sister had been alone at home during the day. He had taken her to chop wood to cheer her up, but he hadn't expected her to fall even while walking. He hated himself for it, without needing his mother to blame him.

"Brother, I know our family is going through hard times. How about this," Gu Shiba Niang thought for a moment and said, "You go and study with peace of mind. After class, I will chop wood with you so that it won't delay your studies, and we won't have a shortage of firewood..."

She didn't finish her sentence before Gu Hai waved his hand.

"I would never dare to take you up the mountain... Good sister, you rest at home, keep yourself healthy, that's better than anything else..." he said, shaking his head.

"Brother," Gu Shiba Niang interrupted him in a serious tone, "Just because I stumbled while walking, does that mean I should never walk again? If that's the case, won't all the toddlers in the world be unable to learn to walk?"

Gu Hai was taken aback. It was the first time he had seen his sister look so serious.

"In that case, if the teacher scolds me, should I stop studying?" Gu Shiba Niang's voice trembled slightly, and she took a step forward.

In his previous life, Gu Hai was impulsive and sensitive. He was repeatedly mocked and scolded by his teachers, which led him to give up his studies and his life.

Her brother was actually very talented. Gu Shiba Niang's eyes were slightly red. He was just too young and had been thrown off balance by the sudden hardships of life. This time, she wanted to do everything she could to share his burden.

Seeing her sister speak so seriously, Gu Hai couldn't help but smile and said, "Sister, what kind of reasoning is this!" He raised his chin slightly, "The Master said, 'To know shame is close to courage.' If the teacher scolds me, I can reflect on myself and strive to improve. How can I be ashamed and not study?"

"Okay, brother, remember this. In the future, if anyone mocks you, you must not give up," Gu Shiba Niang said, her voice choking up.

"Of course," Gu Hai said, looking somewhat puzzled. He didn't understand why his sister suddenly brought this up. Weren't they just talking about chopping wood on the mountain?

Since the topic had strayed, he also remembered something.

"Sister, listen to me. Let's go back to Jiankang," he said, trying to be considerate, fearing that he had spoken too harshly and upset his sister, he carefully checked Gu Shiba Niang's expression.

With her pointed face and bright almond eyes, she looked calm, without the anxious look she had had due to the family's drastic changes.

Sister... she really is different from before. She must have been really scared before, maybe because she couldn't accept the illness of our father who loves her the most. But now, she's finally better.

Gu Haixin let out a long sigh of relief and expressed his thoughts, "…This way, mother won't have to work so hard, and our relatives will take care of us."

"Brother." Gu Shiba Niang, who had been quietly listening, suddenly interrupted him and looked at him seriously, "Do you think our relatives can really take care of us?"

Gu Haixin's face stiffened slightly, and he stammered, "Of course... we are family..."

In fact, he vaguely felt that the future might not be as good as he had imagined, but no matter what, it would still be better than them being alone now, right?

"...When we were young, father and mother took us back for the New Year. Do you think our relatives were really kind to us?..."

"Who said that our clothes were tattered like beggars, and that we were treated like dirt by throwing mud and stones at us?..."

"Every time we went back, why did mother always hide in the house and cry secretly?..."

"Who broke the offering plate and blamed it on you, even when mother knelt down and begged, it was of no use and you were publicly punished?..."

"Who threw a piece of dry food at you and made you act as a horse for them to ride? Who treated us like servants and slaves?..."

Gu Shiba Niang murmured, as if talking to herself, and tears slowly flowed down her cheeks.

The humiliation of the past life, the fear and helplessness of watching loved ones pass away, the loneliness of being manipulated and helpless, were deeply engraved in her heart, something she couldn't forget or touch again.

Gu Haixin's expression slowly became serious, and his hands clenched into fists.

The humiliations of childhood, although they had faded with age, had left deep imprints on the minds of children, ready to jump out and stimulate their nerves at any time.

"When father was still alive and had official titles, we could live independently, yet they still treated us like this. Now..." Gu Shiba Niang took a deep breath, suppressed the surging emotions in her heart, and held onto Gu Haixin's arm tightly, "Brother, do you really think our life will be better if we go back?"

"No!" Gu Haixin's eyes turned red, and he clenched his fists without hesitation, shouting out the two words.