A simple and warm chicken coop is now complete.
Squatting on the ground, Yu Tang said to the little fool who was holding the chick box and staring at him with bright eyes, "Come on, put the chick in."
"Are we really going to put it in?" Mu Nancheng squatted down beside him, somewhat hesitant. "Will the chicks like this nest?"
Yu Tang thought for a moment, smiled at the boy, pointed to the chicks in the box, and said, "Then ask them. If they like it, let them in."
To get along with a fool, you have to think like a fool.
Sure enough, Mu Nancheng was stunned for a moment, then said to the chicks in a serious tone, "Chicks, I'm leaving you at the door. If you like, you can go in by yourselves."
As he spoke, he placed the box on the ground, flipped it over, and five chicks, looking half-asleep, stumbled out. Mu Nancheng pointed in front of them and made a "cheep cheep cheep" sound.
Before long, the chicks actually went into the nest that Yu Tang had made, as if they had understood Mu Nancheng's words.
"Wow! They love this nest!" Mu Nancheng clapped his hands with joy when he saw the chicks go inside.
He clapped his hands a few times, then hugged Yu Tang's neck tightly, laughing happily, "Thank you, Tang Tang! Thank you for giving them a home!"
Yu Tang was caught off guard when the boy suddenly hugged him. He lost his balance and fell to the ground with a thud, leaving him with nothing but helplessness.
"No need to thank me for such a small thing." He patted Mu Nancheng on the shoulder, closed the door of the chicken coop, and was about to push away the person in his arms.
But then he heard the boy say to him, as if in a dream, "Thank you for giving me a home."
Yu Tang's fingers stiffened slightly. Just as she was about to look at Mu Nancheng's expression, she heard a long gurgling sound.
Mu Nancheng immediately climbed off Yu Tang, rubbing his rumbling stomach with one hand, and looked at Yu Tang with a pitiful expression: "Tangtang, I'm hungry, I want to eat steamed buns."
Yu Tang was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
He helped Mu Nancheng up from the ground, brushed the dirt off them, and went inside to wash their hands and cook.
In order to prevent Mu Nancheng from developing a habit of being lazy and gluttonous.
While cooking, Yu Tang also gave Mu Nancheng some simple tasks.
As it turns out, Mu Nancheng has strong learning and practical abilities; he can immediately master anything he has been taught once.
And she always seemed to be full of energy, curious about everything, following Yu Tang like a little tail, asking questions about everything, never quiet.
When steaming buns in the big pot, Yu Tang asked Mu Nancheng to tend the fire next to the stove.
At first, Mu Nancheng was very afraid of fire. But Yu Tang patiently encouraged him, and he gradually relaxed and soon mastered the essentials of starting a fire.
“Nancheng…” Yu Tang put the steamed buns into the pot, put the lid on, moved a small stool and sat down next to the boy, asking him, “Do you still remember your family?”
This world offers even fewer informational clues than the previous world.
Yu Tang only knew the general outline of the story.
For example, Mu Nancheng will regain his memories later on, return to the Mu family, and he himself will be kidnapped and unfortunately die.
The rest is unclear.
Therefore, he wanted to learn as much as possible about Mu Nancheng's past experiences and what kind of people the Mu family members were.
“Family…” Mu Nancheng played with the firewood in his hand and said, “Mom…”
"My mother is dead."
"Many people were chasing me. My brother pushed me off the mountain. He said I should go and be with Mom..."
Halfway through his sentence, Mu Nancheng clutched his head, clenching his teeth in pain and whimpering.
"I don't want to think about it anymore." Seeing his pained expression, Yu Tang quickly went over to gently rub his head and told him, "If you can't remember, then don't think about it. None of that matters anymore."
In just a few words, Yu Tang understood the ruthlessness of the Mu family.
It seems that before Mu Nancheng regains his memory, he absolutely cannot reveal to Mu's "brother" that Mu Nancheng is "locked up" in his house.
The steamed buns, pork stew with vermicelli, and cabbage were cooked together, and the aroma filled the entire yard.
Mu Nancheng's mouth was watering with envy.
Yu Tang grabbed his collar and forcefully led him to the washbasin. He took the man's dirty hands, which had become filthy from burning firewood, and slowly washed them clean.
"Wash your hands before meals and after using the toilet; be a clean and good child."
The soap bubbles turned gray. Yu Tang carefully washed Mu Nancheng's fingers, not even missing the crevices under his fingernails, saying, "Otherwise, the ghost will take you away, understand?"
Ever since he discovered that the word "ghost" had a great deterrent effect on Mu Nancheng, he has been using it frequently.
Sure enough, as soon as he finished speaking, Mu Nancheng nodded hurriedly: "Understood! I will definitely be clean! I won't let ghosts come and get me!"
After washing his hands and eating, Mu Nancheng was once again taught by Yu Tang to eat slowly and chew slowly, and not to wolf down his food.
At first, Mu Nancheng protested and refused to comply, but after Yu Tang hit his hand with chopsticks a few times, he consciously learned to slow down and was no longer eating like a starving ghost as he had yesterday.
While I was clearing away the dishes, a visitor arrived at the door.
A woman wearing a dark blue padded jacket strode in, her face beaming with joy. As soon as she entered the room, she said to Yu Tang, "Tangzi, I've finally found you a good marriage!"
Startled by the woman's loud voice, Mu Nancheng hurriedly hid behind Yu Tang, peeking out from behind to curiously examine the woman.
"Huh? Who is he?" The woman also noticed Mu Nancheng, looking surprised. "I've never seen him in the village before."
The woman was the matchmaker of Sanyu Village. She knew the situation of the villagers in the surrounding villages like the back of her hand. She remembered which families had men and women of marriageable age. She was very shrewd.
Seeing a fair-skinned young man now, and still not having made a dent in her mind, it's hard not to be shocked.
Yu Tang quickly explained, "He said he was the son of one of my dad's friends. Because of a family emergency, he came all the way from a faraway place to seek refuge with me."
The original owner's father was a grain peddler who was robbed and killed. Not long after the news reached him, the original owner's mother died in childbirth.
It was the villagers who couldn't bear to see Yutang suffer that led them to contribute their efforts to raise him.
So, at this point, Yu Tang said that Mu Nancheng was the son of his father's friend. Although it's a bit far-fetched, it's not impossible.
In addition, the villagers trusted Yu Tang's character, so the matchmaker only hesitated for a moment before believing him.
But his brows furrowed, and avoiding Mu Nancheng, he pulled Yu Tang aside and asked in a low voice, "Tangzi, you're not really planning to take him in, are you?"
Chapter 6
Died for the villain for the eighth time (06)
As she entered, the woman smelled the aroma of pork.
She knew that Yu Tang was used to being frugal and very economical in terms of food, clothing, and daily necessities. He would only improve his meals during the Chinese New Year.
And he listens to her very much, saving up money to find a good wife in the future.
But now that she's here, she's discovered that Yu Tang treats Mu Nancheng very well, providing him with delicious food and drinks.
Moreover, this Mu Nancheng seems a bit foolish. If he says he's seeking refuge with Yu Tang, and he really ends up clinging to her, then she won't be able to arrange a marriage for Yu Tang in the future.
After all, what girl would want to marry an older man who has no parents and has a large child to support?
“Hmm…” Yu Tang admitted directly, “Aunt Li, I do intend to take him in.”
"Oh dear! How can that be?" Hearing Yu Tang's words, Aunt Li's eyes widened. She couldn't help but advise, "Tangzi, the girl I told you about is in a similar situation to you. Her parents died early."
However, she was very capable and made a lot of money by grinding tofu.
And she's beautiful, a year younger than you. Yesterday I was shopping, and she approached me to ask about you. It's obvious she's interested in you!
"Such a good thing is something even God couldn't ask for."
She suggested to Yu Tang: "I think you should give this kid some money and send him away quickly!"
Then hurry up and pack your things. Tomorrow, come with me to Zhangjia Village to meet that girl. Let's get this important life event done first!
Mu Nancheng has good hearing, and since the house is only so big and Aunt Li has a loud voice, all of these words reached his ears.
Even with a brain damaged by a fall, one can still distinguish between good and bad words.
He thought to himself that he seemed to have caused Tangtang some trouble...
Mu Nancheng stood rooted to the spot, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the hem of his clothes, not daring to approach, his face full of helplessness.
"I'm sorry, Aunt Li." Yu Tang shook his head firmly and replied sincerely to the woman, "I'm here to thank you for taking care of this matter for me before."
"But I'm not really interested in finding a wife anymore. I've lost the desire for it."
"Besides, this child has come all this way and has some intellectual disabilities. If I don't take care of him, he might starve to death outside."
"As you know, I grew up on the charity of many families. Without everyone's help, I definitely wouldn't be alive today."
Therefore, putting myself in their shoes, I couldn't bear to see this child go hungry.
These words resonated deeply with Aunt Li. She hesitated several times before finally sighing, "Auntie understands."
Even after she said she understood, she couldn't help but add, "You're just too kind. You always take on everything yourself, helping others with chores without asking for money. You've worked yourself to the bone for so long to save up that little bit of savings, and then you end up with this burden. If you were a little more ruthless, you would have sent him away..."
As the woman spoke, she couldn't help but point at Mu Nancheng. Her reproachful gaze made the young man even more reserved, and he lowered his head, not daring to meet her eyes.
"Aunt Li, stop talking." Yu Tang gently pulled down the woman's pointing hand, saw her out, and blocked her and Mu Nancheng's view: "This matter is not entirely his fault. It's just that I don't want to find a wife anymore. I think it's fine to live alone."
After saying that, Yu Tang packed another bag of vegetables for Aunt Li. When she refused, he forced it on her.
He thanked the other party again for being so busy with his affairs before turning around and going back into the house.
Upon entering the room, they found Mu Nancheng still standing there, his fingers twisted together, his clothes crumpled into a mess.
Hearing Yu Tang's footsteps as she returned, he looked up, his voice softening, and asked, "Tangtang, have I caused you any trouble?"
Yu Tang knew that although Mu Nancheng was simple-minded, he had an extremely keen eye for observation.
He can trust himself very quickly;
He was also willing to befriend the woman who sold chickens;
He would hide behind the thugs who gathered together smoking on the street.
The words Aunt Li said and the other person's expression must have made Mu Nancheng realize something.
So the kid started to get uneasy.
“You’re not a problem.” Yu Tang ruffled the boy’s hair. “I came here because of you.”
"I like you so much, how could I possibly find you a nuisance?"
Since the other party was an idiot and wouldn't understand the meaning of such words, Yu Tang simply said it directly.
Mu Nancheng stared into Yu Tang's eyes for a while, then laughed.