Chapter 129: 131: Second Aunt

Both Tang brothers are good men. Once Zhang Xiangcao marries into their family, she won’t suffer, not even Sisi, whom Tang Zhijun won’t disdain.

What she didn’t expect was that Tang Zhinian was planning to build a house for his younger brother in the village. He claimed that he had reserved this land for a long time, intending it for Tang Zhijun. But Zhijun had yet to find a suitable partner, so the land remained vacant. Now that he is about to marry, naturally, the house must be built.

Upon hearing that the Tang Family intended to build a house for Tang Zhijun, Yao’s aunt slapped her thigh and rushed to tell Zhang Xiangcao.

“Caocao, look, the match I arranged for you isn’t bad, right? The Tang Family is building a house, so you’ll get to live in a new one.”

Zhang Xiangcao cradled Sisi and lowered her head, gingerly stroking Sisi’s small face. Whether she gets a new house or not didn’t really matter to her. All she wanted was for someone to treat Sisi a bit better.

Someone who would allow Sisi to call him ‘daddy’. Someone that could forestall the village children from bullying Sisi, calling her an illegitimate child with no father.

“Knock knock…” There was a knock on the door.

Zhang Xiangcao got up to open the door, only to find a small child of about eight or nine years old. Although his skin tone was as dark as the other village children, there was something different about him.

The child seemed calm, with beautiful eyebrows and eyes, and tender, suspended red lips. If only his skin wasn’t so dark, his facial features might have been more attractive.

“Are you Tang Yuxin?”

Zhang Xiangcao could recognize Tang Yuxin. Even though they didn’t see each other often, she could identify who was who among the village children.

“Yes, Auntie.”

Tang Yuxin stood in the doorway, not entering.

Her address of ‘Auntie’ made Zhang Xiangcao’s face flush. Thinking about the man with the upright posture, strong body, and handsome, smiling face made her heart race.

“Come inside, it’s cold outside.”

Zhang Xiangcao quickly came to her senses and invited Tang Yuxin in.

When Tang Yuxin entered, she saw a little girl hiding under a blanket. Seeing a stranger, she quickly buried her face.

“Sisi, this is your sister,” Zhang Xiangcao hastily pulled her daughter out from under the blanket. The nearly three-year-old girl could barely walk.

“Sister…”

Sisi called out in a silent whisper, soft as cotton, like a kitten’s meow.

“Sisi, good girl,” Tang Yuxin rummaged in her pocket and pulled out a piece of candy, placing it in front of Sisi. “This is a present from your sister.”

Sisi looked at her mom. Seeing her encouraging smile, she cautiously extended her little hand to grab the piece of candy.

“Thank you, sister.”

Even though the child was small and didn’t understand much, she had been taught well.

Tang Yuxin stroked Sisi’s small head and held her tiny hand, her fingers pressed on her pulse.

There was no illness, just severe malnutrition. Zhang Xiangcao, looking gaunt with thin, brittle hair falling out, made Tang Yuxin struggle to imagine how beautiful Zhang Xiangcao had been in her prime, or what she looked like with two big braids.

The current Zhang Xiangcao no longer had the scent of fragrance. It was rather metaphorical to compare her to a withered plant or a wilted flower.

Tang Yuxin held Sisi’s small hand tightly once again, meeting Sisi’s innocent, transparent pair of eyes.