I Got Rich in Period Fiction-Chapter 582 - 576 Dawa’s Decision

Fortunately, the buns were still warm, and so was the millet porridge.

Dawa ate all the millet porridge in the jar along with the eggs in it.

He only had two buns and put the rest in a plastic bag, looking up at He Xiuwen, He Xiuwen nodded, "If you can’t eat it all, take it back with you."

Dawa stood up, "Thank you for buying buns for me and my brother."

Then he bowed deeply to He Xiuwen.

He Xiuwen didn’t stop him, children who knew gratitude and manners—if they could keep it up—would not harm society in the future, even if they couldn’t become successful.

Only then did he ask Dawa, "What do you need from me?" Then, pausing briefly, he continued, "Call me Uncle He."

Dawa’s tears suddenly started falling.

That night, after parting with his dad in the mountain hollow, he had held his brother and couldn’t sleep all night. By morning, someone was standing at the village entrance, crying and cursing loudly.

He and his brother were too scared to leave the house.

In the kitchen, there were only two leftover steamed cornbreads, which he had mostly let his brother eat. He had learned to boil water and start a fire. He wanted to learn from the villagers how to steam cornbread, but he was afraid to ask because the villagers no longer looked at him with kindness. Their eyes were filled with resentment and anger, as if they wanted to devour him and his brother. novelbuddy.cσ๓

Yet even so, he couldn’t leave Shuiwa Village.

That’s what he told He Xiuwen.

"Uncle He, my brother and I are not going to see our mom," Dawa said.

He Xiuwen, raising his eyebrows in surprise, hadn’t expected that. He was still contemplating how to bring the kids to see Liang Xiaocui.

Of course, that depended on whether Liang Xiaocui wanted to see the children. If not, he would take Dawa back to Shuiwa Village.

He couldn’t help but ask, "Why?"

Dawa was silent for a long while before saying, "Dad said that he killed my grandma and grandpa with rat poison, and that he did a lot of bad things. He wronged my mom, and I don’t know if what he said about the rat poison is true, but he was really bad to my mom. We were bad too. When my dad beat my mom, my brother and I never intervened... My brother and I also wronged my mom. We don’t have the face to go with her, and we can’t go with her... Seeing us will only remind her of everything that’s happened in this village..."

As the child spoke, he became somewhat incoherent, but He Xiuwen managed to understand the gist of it. He hadn’t expected Dawa to think this way.

He didn’t speak, just stood quietly to the side and listened.

Dawa wiped away tears, his voice choked, "Just let my mom go back to her hometown alone. I’ll take care of my brother here in Shuiwa Village. I’m not young anymore, I’m twelve this year. I’m sure I can raise my brother. When we grow up and can make money, if my mom wants to see us, we’ll go to her. If she doesn’t, I will send her money to show our filial respect."

He Xiuwen couldn’t help but ask, "Did someone else tell you these things, or did you think of them yourself?"

"Half of it I thought of on my own, and the other half I heard from people in the village when they cursed at my brother and me outside our door... They weren’t wrong," Dawa said.

"Uncle He, please, I’m sorry to trouble you, but could you tell my mom these words? My brother and I won’t be a burden on her. Tell her not to think about anything, to forget... everything here, and to go back to her hometown," Dawa pleaded, breaking into tears as he spoke, crying and wiping away his tears, yet the more he wiped, the more they flowed. He Xiuwen sighed, handed the boy a handkerchief.

Dawa didn’t take it; the handkerchief was too clean. He had run out from Shuiwa Village with a face covered in dust and mud, his hands all muddy. He rubbed his hands on his pants and, with a nasally voice, said, "Thank you, Uncle He."

He Xiuwen didn’t offer any comforting words.

As for him, deep down he supported Dawa’s decision, but he was quite surprised by the child’s resolve. He Xiuwen had indeed come to view Dawa with newfound respect.

He asked slowly and deliberately, "You said your name is Dawa; that’s your nickname, right? What’s your full name?"

"Uncle He, my full name is Zhao Xiangyang, and my younger brother’s name is Zhao Xianghong."

"So you really aren’t going to see your mother now?"

"No, I’m not. If she sees us, she might become soft-hearted, but seeing us will definitely remind her of the things my father did, and she’ll feel even worse. I’m leaving now."

As the child spoke, he lifted his foot and headed towards the door. He Xiuwen called out to him, "Wait a minute." Then, he tied up the plastic bag on the table and handed it to Dawa, "You can eat this when you get hungry on the road."

Dawa took the plastic bag, thanked He Xiuwen again, and then pushed the door open and walked out.

Still, He Xiuwen felt uneasy about this twelve-year-old child.

Even though he was the son of a villain.

He couldn’t just ignore it and finally said, "There happens to be a car going to your township for business, it can drop you off on the way. You should take the car back to Shuiwa Village."

Dawa hesitated for a moment but ultimately nodded.

When the two were halfway there, Dawa suddenly grabbed hold of He Xiuwen’s arm.

He Xiuwen looked at him questioningly, and Dawa, ensuring no one else was around, lowered his voice and said, "Uncle He, the night my father sneaked back, he told me there’s something valuable hidden under a large rock."

This was news to He Xiuwen.

"Uncle He, I don’t know if these things were stolen or robbed, but my brother and I can’t take them. Maybe you can send someone to haul it all away; that way, my brother and I will be safe too."

He Xiuwen reached out and patted Dawa’s head.

This child would have had a bright future if he had grown up in a normal family.

"You’re a smart kid. Since you want to live in Shuiwa Village, let it be then. Besides, Pingliang Dam won’t stay like this forever. Your village head has come back; he’s been removed from office, and a new village head has been appointed, an experienced official from the township. If you have any problems, you can go to him."

Rarely so caring, He Xiuwen gave the child some earnest advice and then saw him onto the jeep that was heading to the township. After watching the vehicle drive away, he went to meet Liang Xiaocui and conveyed to her exactly what Dawa had said.

Naturally, Liang Xiaocui couldn’t harden her heart completely but also knew she really couldn’t take them both back to her hometown.

Her health wasn’t good, and Grandma was also struggling, so they had to put it off for later.

He Xiuwen took out a small package wrapped in cloth from his pocket and handed it to Liang Xiaocui. He said, "This is from Dawa; he said it’s all your stuff, hidden away by his Grandma..."

Inside were a pair of silver earrings, a silver bracelet, an introduction letter, and a wooden comb.

These indeed were her belongings. After she had been trafficked to Shuiwa Village, Zhao Cheng had taken them, and she had not seen them since.

He Xiuwen had seen too much of the world’s sadness and pain.

Despite the oppressive and painful atmosphere in the room, he still calmly discussed with Liang Xiaocui how to send her back to her hometown.

As for Dawa and Erwa, he did not mention a word.