Chapter 193 - A Hole in the Heart

Yet, the truth had abruptly and brutally unfolded before him without any warning.

Seven-year-old Shen Yin was utterly stunned. The colors and scents from those chaotic memories he had thought were mere illusions of his starvation suddenly drowned him once more.

Shen Yin was utterly terrified.

Wang Chunniang was also paralyzed with fear, both by Shen Jin's words and the sight of so many people rushing into the valley.

Liu Dalang trembled uncontrollably as he glared at Wang Chunniang. If looks could kill, she would have been flayed alive at this moment.

Chen Ma and Madam Xu were the quickest to react. One went to pull Shen Yin while the other went for Shen Jin, coaxing them both out.

Old Man Lu and Old Lady Lu were deafened by the commotion. They watched as Madam Xu half-supported, half-carried the weeping Shen Jin outside, wanting to say something to her but unable to utter a single word.

Their age and experiences in tumultuous times allowed them to understand the burden behind Shen Jin's desperate questioning during her breakdown.

No, who can truly empathize with another's experiences unless they've lived them firsthand?

Recalling the state of their three sons when they first entered the valley, the Lu couple were rendered speechless. When Shen Jin had been helped out of the cave, Lu Caihu turned to the younger Wei Qinghe and said, "Qinghe, please make your way to the entrance and deliver a message to Village Chief Zhou. Ask him to summon Shen Lie, A Luo, Dashi, my second and third sons back here tonight."

At these words, Lu Dachang's legs went weak, almost giving out beneath him.

Trembling, he stammered, "Mother? Mother!"

Lu Caihu didn't look at him, but instead focused on Zhuangzhu and Doudou, as well as Tiezhu and Huizi who had rushed over upon hearing the news.

The thought of her five grandchildren made Lu Caihu genuinely want to cry. But even in her despair, she couldn't afford to soften. For the sake of these five children, she had already shown leniency twice.

Lu Caihu felt all her strength drain from her body. Reaching behind her, she found the bedpost and leaned against it, needing something to prop herself up. She then gazed at her five grandchildren for a long moment before her eyes fell on the eldest, Zhuangzhu.

"Zhuangzhu, you saw everything that happened today. Your mother was given many chances."

"She's not just ungrateful now; she's turned her benefactor into an enemy to despise. She believes everyone in this valley has wronged her, treated her poorly."

Although Lu Caihu hadn't heard what Wang Chunniang had said earlier, she had caught most of Shen Jin's crucial points. The child's emotions had been unchecked, and her voice carried.

From all that had been said, it wasn't difficult to piece together the situation, especially with Lu Shuzhu's question about whether his elder brother and sister-in-law had saved them only to create more enmity.

Lu Shuzhu was already aware of the gravity of the matter. Tears rolled down his cheeks, which he hastily wiped away.

Hu Zi was somewhat bewildered. Seeing the expressions on his family members' faces, he instinctively felt afraid. He tugged on Lu Daniu's sleeve and whispered, "Sis, what did Mother do?"

Lu Daniu didn't dare to speak, only sobbing softly.

Wei Qinghe observed the scene and, recalling the words he had just heard, knew he could no longer remain. He nodded respectfully to Mother Lu before hastily departing. The others in the valley, seeing this, also offered their condolences before leaving one by one.

When Lu Dalang saw Wei Qinghe leave, he knew there was no turning back. His knees buckled, and he nearly collapsed, barely managing to hold himself up by gripping the bedpost nearby.

At that moment, a single thought consumed him: He would be implicated by Wang Chunniang and left to fend for himself—this much was certain.

His teeth chattered uncontrollably.

This fear surpassed the previous two incidents.

During the first mishap, he had only feared his parents' reproach. In the second, he had experienced the dangers of the deep mountains and realized the chaos outside the valley. Back then, he had been afraid of being cast out of Yun Valley, but his quick response and consideration for his siblings had spared him from his mother's wrath.

This time, Lu Dalang's fear originated from his understanding of his parents' nature.

He now knew what it meant to have one's liver and gallbladder tremble with fear.

...

On the other side, when Shen An, Shen Ning, and Shen Tie, who were assigned tasks farther away, rushed over after sensing something amiss, they only saw Shen Jin and Shen Yin weeping uncontrollably. Shen Tie, who was oblivious to the situation, was also frightened and ran to Shen Jin's side, asking what had happened. When he didn't get an answer, he ran to Shen Yin's side and asked her.

However, no one told him anything.

How could Wei Lingzhen dare to let the youngest child know? She held onto Shen Tie and coaxed, "It's alright. Your brothers are fine. They had a small argument, and it'll be over soon."

These words couldn't even soothe Shen Tie, much less Shen An?

Shen An knitted his brows and turned his head to look at the Lu family's residence where the crowd had gathered earlier. He didn't pursue the matter further but asked Shen Ning to take care of Little Jin and Little Yin. Then, he dashed towards the Lu family's cave without waiting for Qin Fangniang's call.

...

The atmosphere in the Lu family was clearly off. Shen An scanned everyone's expressions before his gaze settled on the ashen-faced Lu Dalang and Wang Chunniang. Eventually, his focus fell on Wang Chunniang's face.

The Lu couple, being the elders of the household, as well as Eldest Master Lu, all held a position of seniority. With this in mind, Shen An's gaze settled upon Uncle Lu's face as he queried, "Uncle Lu, what is the matter with Xiao Jin and Xiao Yin? Has something happened?"

Lu Shuanzhu was still choking, utterly unable to respond.

Old Man Lu glanced at Shen An and had to take the initiative to speak. "An, don't ask about this for now. First, go back and take care of Little Jin and Little Yin. Your Grandma Lu has already asked Uncle Qinghe to inform Village Chief Zhou that she'll be going out at night to invite your eldest brother and sister-in-law back. Your Second Uncle and Third Uncle will also return. They will give an explanation to your family."

"Explain?"

Then it's no trivial matter.

Shen An looked at Wang Chunniang steadily, not wanting to make things difficult for the Lu family elders. He knew he would find out when his older brother and sister-in-law returned. Nodding in agreement, he turned and hastened back, paying no mind to walking properly as he directly cut across the half-harvested field.

Back at home, Jin and Yin had already ascended to the upper cave. Both brothers appeared deeply distressed, and Tiel, unaware of the situation, found himself weeping in sync with them, merely sensing their distress.

Harvesting was already behind schedule, and agricultural tasks couldn't afford to be delayed. After Qin Fangniang and the others returned the villagers, they went back to the fields. However, they temporarily avoided the area adjacent to the Lu family's land, giving the Lu family space to deal with the situation. They started cutting rice in another part of the field instead.

At this moment, in Shen Jin's cave residence, Xu Wenbo and Xu Wenying were accompanying him on the sidelines.

Shen An didn't dare to probe further. He bent down and found Chen Po in his own kitchen, together with Shen Ning, tending to a fire as they boiled something.

"Granny Chen, what on earth happened? Did something occur involving Tiger's mother?"

Granny Chen sighed. She was amazed that trouble could still arise even with the door closed. She didn't deny it and only whispered, "I didn't hear what was said in front. It must have been some hurtful words. Little Jin is in for a rough time now, and Little Yin must be frightened too. Remember not to ask about it. I had Ah Ning search for a calming and soothing medicine from your family's remedies and had her brew it. You should take it up to them and make sure they drink it."

...

By the time the herbal soup was ready, Shen Jin had obviously regained some composure. At least, he no longer looked as terrifying as before. His eyes were swollen, but he had sent away the Xu siblings to work in the fields.

When Shen An and Shen Ning brought the soup, Shen Jin looked at the two steaming bowls before him. A fresh wave of tears welled up in his eyes, and his throat tightened. After a long while, he said, "I'm fine. I just need some more time. You both go help in the fields first."

There weren't many sunny days in the valley. If they missed this good weather, the rice might not dry properly.

Seeing that Shen Jin seemed to be doing better, Shen An instructed him and Shen Yin to take the calming medicine before leaving with Shen Ning, glancing back every few steps.

Shen Jin's fingers trembled as he looked at the two hot bowls of soup on the table. He dared not touch them. After a long while, he pushed one bowl towards Shen Yin. "This is the calming medicine. Drink it. We can't afford to fall sick. Don't cause any more trouble for Big Brother's family."

Shen Yin's lips were still quivering. He wanted to ask about Sweet Girl, but when he saw Shen Tie beside him, he didn't dare to inquire. Wiping away his tears, he picked up the bowl and started drinking. After a few sips, seeing Shen Jin still sitting there in a daze, Shen Yin asked, "Third Brother, why aren't you drinking?"

That simple question seemed to strike a nerve in Shen Jin. His nostrils involuntarily flared, and his brows furrowed. Two more tears slid down his cheeks, which he hastily wiped away. Mumbling, he said, "Drink yours."

Yin Shen assumed he was just having trouble swallowing, so he nudged the bowl of herbal soup towards Jin Shen and said, "Brother, don't get sick."

In those words, "don't get sick," Jin Shen sensed Yin Shen's fear. His hand trembled, but he finally reached for the bowl, lifting it with unsteady hands. Before taking a sip, his tears fell one by one into the brownish broth. He stared at them for a moment, then, holding the bowl, tilted his head back and gulped down the medicine, tears mixing with the bitter liquid.

Tears continued to fall as he swallowed.

Tie Shen watched from the side and turned to fetch two pieces of hawthorn candy and two slices of banana from a shelf.

They were gifts from Sang Luo. Tie Shen, still haunted by the incident in the county, always feared running out of food and couldn't shake off his habit of eating hastily. Jin Shen and Yin Shen had tasted a few pieces, but then left the rest for the youngest, Tie Shen, to enjoy slowly.

Now, Tie Shen retrieved the treats and handed a portion to each of his brothers. "Brother, don't cry anymore. If the medicine is bitter, eat something sweet."

Unbeknownst to Tie Shen, the sight of the hawthorn candy and banana slices only made Jin Shen's tears flow more fiercely.

As Jin Shen's empty bowl was taken by Tie Shen, who stuffed the snacks into his brother's hands, Jin Shen gazed at his palm for a long while, simply observing, before finally clutching them tightly. These were familiar snacks he had eaten before, yet now, he didn't dare put any in his mouth.

Confused, Tie Shen called out to his brother, asking, "Why are you really crying? You're drinking medicine, isn't that only for when you have a serious illness?"

A serious illness?

Jin thought back to those nights when he first entered the valley – he had indeed shed tears then.

He looked at his two younger brothers, no longer avoiding their gaze. He carefully concealed what shouldn't be said before stating, "I wept after hearing some malicious gossip that pierced the heart."

"Little Silver and Little Iron, remember this: our survival is thanks to Shopkeeper Xu and Uncle Xu's kindness, as well as the benevolence of Aunt Xu and the others. Our elder brother and sister-in-law overlooked past grievances and still took us three in amidst such harsh times. All the help we received from the families in the valley was repaid by our elder brother and sister-in-law."

"Remember, if anyone speaks ill of our elder brother and sister-in-law in front of you, refute it firmly. They owe us nothing." He paused, then added, "It's our family who owes them, along with Little An and Ah Ning."

Jin Iron was young and clueless about the situation; he simply nodded obediently. Jin Silver also nodded, but uncertainty flickered in his eyes.

Aunt Wang's tactful suggestion was indeed piercing to the heart. A seven-year-old child might indeed follow her line of thought. If Elder Brother and Sister-in-law had taken their family along at that time, would Mother and Sweet Girl still be alive?

This thought is beyond human control; it is an instinct. Just as Shen Tie, who happened to turn around upon entering the valley, would subconsciously say, "If only Tian Ya and my parents were still here, it would be perfect," upon witnessing the beauty within the valley.

Just like him, whenever he saw the children in the valley playing, reading, and learning to write, Shiqiao, Xiaoya, and Awi would often become absorbed in thought. At night, when he went to sleep, he sometimes dreamed that among those people sat a sweet Xiaoya.

Intellectually, I grasped it all, yet emotionally, an abyss with an open maw seemed to cleave my being in two, leaving me torn when I awoke—uncertain whether to rejoice at seeing my sister or dread the underlying implications of such dreams.

He dared not confide in anyone, instead dedicating himself to repairing the damage, only to have someone rip away the makeshift patches, tearing flesh with the wounds they covered.

Now, not just him, but Little Silver's heart had also been torn open by Wang Chunniang's venomous words.

With a tight grip, Jin's hand on the tabletop curled into a fist. He looked at Yin and then at Tie, who was clueless about the situation. All those thoughts he had previously kept to himself, shielding his younger brothers from the harsh realities, he knew in that moment that he could no longer bear them alone. He couldn't let Little Yin and Little Tie end up like this, nor could he guarantee that they wouldn't be corrupted by this, turning into someone akin to Mother Huizi.

He stared at Shen Yin and said, "Do you think Hu Zi Niang's words made sense? Do you think that if our eldest brother and sister-in-law had taken our family with them from the beginning, Tian Ya and our mother wouldn't have died?"

With a slight tremor in her hands, Yinsen hesitated for a moment, while Tieshen was left utterly stunned.

Shen Jin was not surprised. He knew that feeling all too well. The moment Wang Chunniang uttered those piercing words, he knew it was inevitable.

He didn't elaborate on the hypothesis but instead asked Shen Yin, "If we hadn't separated households, if Elder Brother hadn't returned, do you have any idea what situation An and Ah Ning, and we, would be in right now?"

While Shen Tie was perplexed, Shen Yin was jolted out of her thoughts by Shen Jin's words. She lifted her gaze to look at him.