Su Miaomiao passed through the bustling crowd and walked straight towards the oilcloth shed. As she approached, she heard Cai Shi quietly advising, "You can barely protect yourself now, why blame yourself? I'm sure your parents would understand if they knew..."
Under Cai Shi's persistent efforts, Xi Shi finally relented and was willing to pour out her heart, "But those are the parents who gave birth to me, the homeland that raised me, and my brothers and sisters, my uncles and aunts..."
As she spoke, tears had already streamed down her face, "What's worse is that I still have three children. If I weren't worried that their unreliable father would sell them if I were gone, I would have gone back myself. Why would I have to beg them to go?"
Cai Shi could deeply understand this feeling of powerlessness. Married into her husband's family, she still had no right to make her own decisions. Whether she could return to her maiden home depended on his mood, let alone in such life-threatening times, he would never agree.
"Sister, I only envy you. Those who can make you worry so much must be very dear relatives. As for me, ha, I've long been unburdened."
Cai Shi said this, her bitter smile carrying a hint of self-deprecation.
Xi Shi could naturally understand. Cai Shi must not have had a good time at her maiden home, but she envied her, "If only I could be as unburdened as you..."
As she spoke, she thought of her own relatives and her homeland that she could not return to, and her tears flowed even more freely.
The two women felt a sense of mutual understanding.
Su Miaomiao arrived in a straightforward manner. Seeing that they were crying heavily, but were talking, she didn't intend to interrupt. After all, if they could resolve their issues themselves, they wouldn't need her help. However, seeing that Cai Shi was also becoming dispirited, she had to step in.
She cleared her throat.
Su Miaomiao said crisply, "Hello, two aunts! What are we having for lunch?"
The continuously sinking sad emotions were immediately interrupted by her.
The two women jolted, turned their heads, and saw a bright-eyed young girl looking at them with clear, luminous eyes. They were so taken aback they couldn't even speak.
Her gaze was so powerful, carrying the vibrant energy of the midday sun.
Both of them couldn't help but feel a tremor in their chests. After being interrupted, they forgot their sadness and stammered, wanting to greet her but not knowing what to call her.
Niece-in-law?
That seemed a bit too intimate. Neither of them were considered close relatives of the Cheng family.
Calling her too affectionately made them blush, feeling as though they were presuming too much.
But it was the truth.
Su Miaomiao was straightforward and friendly. Seeing a place to sit, she pulled over a stool and sat down, laughing heartily and saying, "Aunts can just call me Miaomiao! That's my childhood name! All the elders in my family call me that."
This immediately solved a big problem for Cai Shi and Xi Shi, who breathed a sigh of relief. They nodded and smiled awkwardly, and called her Miaomiao.
Su Miaomiao nodded obediently, which made them blush. They uncomfortably wiped their reddened tear-stained eyes with the backs of their hands.
"I originally wanted to come over and say hello to you aunts. I really didn't mean to eavesdrop, but I happened to overhear a few words. Please don't blame me for being nosy, aunts. I just saw you two looking so sad and couldn't help but say a few words."
Su Miaomiao's ability with her words was no less than Cheng Hao's. She was very good at making friends. Addressing them as "aunt" here and "aunt" there, she instantly closed the distance. Because her mouth was busy, there was no awkwardness.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi immediately responded, "How could you think that? How could we possibly blame you? It wasn't anything that couldn't be heard." "Good child, don't overthink it. You even came over personally to greet us. You're so thoughtful. We should have gone to see you."
Seeing the young girl was beautiful and well-behaved, and so polite, both of them were reluctant to say a harsh word. Moreover, given their current status of relying on the Cheng family to escape, how could they speak harshly to the eldest daughter-in-law of the Cheng family?
Cai Shi and Xi Shi had both personally seen Cheng Hao protecting Su Miaomiao last night. They naturally knew that this young lady, though still in the process of completing all the proper courtesies, was already a legitimate eldest daughter-in-law. They just didn't expect her to be so polite.
Su Miaomiao smiled brightly, her eyes curving in a way that touched the heart, "That's good. But as a junior, I can't help but speak my mind. I hope you aunts can overcome this soon. Our current danger is not because you want to abandon your homeland and relatives, but out of necessity."
What a fitting phrase, "out of necessity."
The logic was so simple, yet it was ignored due to self-blame.
Su Miaomiao said, "It is the enemy soldiers, the enemy country, that are evil. What does it have to do with us?"
She continued, "We are now choosing the path of self-preservation only because we have no other choice. As Aunt Cai said, if our families knew, they would respect our decision. Precisely because we hope they are safe, they will surely hope we are safe too. Therefore, to live well is to be worthy of our relatives." httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Holding onto each other and dying together was one option, but not the only one. Their families would also hope that at least one person could escape.
Su Miaomiao also said, "Your existence is their greatest legacy. Homes can be rebuilt. If you are safe, there will always be a day for reunion."
If not, then the bloodline flowing through you is the greatest proof of their existence. Legacy, legacy, isn't that its meaning?
Cai Shi and Xi Shi were profoundly moved by her words, feeling as though they had been enlightened. The heavy guilt they felt had significantly lessened.
What surprised them even more was that
This was just a young girl of about ten years old, a newlywed. Even when times were peaceful, marrying into an unfamiliar family would cause anxiety, and it would take at least some time to slowly adapt.
Yet this child, newly married and not even through all the rituals, had encountered such a catastrophic disaster and was directly fleeing with her husband's family.
Looking at her pampered appearance, she must have been a pampered young lady from a noble family, yet now, they were not as clear-headed as a child.
Cai Shi and Xi Shi both felt their faces burn with shame. Looking at her again, their eyes held a bit more pity. At such a young age, she, like them, had left her homeland and relatives.
They also felt heartache for her, but seeing her carefree demeanor, they didn't know how to approach her. They only asked if she was hungry since she had come to ask what was for lunch. They immediately promised to speed up their cooking.
They also said they would secretly make a bit extra for her so she could eat her fill and not go hungry.
The two women had now completely opened up and were no longer dwelling on these matters. Fleeing was the priority. It was indeed as this child said, survival was paramount.
For their relatives, for their own bloodline, they had to live!
Seeing the renewed determination in their eyes, Su Miaomiao was relieved. With them around, the issue of food for the caravan would not be a concern.