The woman looked at Chen Lishu staring at her blankly, and asked with some confusion, "Girl, what are you still愣着 doing? Hurry and drink this bowl of chicken soup. By the way, what's your name? It's really awkward to call you 'girl' all the time."
Chen Lishu said in a hoarse voice, "My name is Chen Lishu. What about you, Grandma?"
Seeing that Chen Lishu was not mute, the woman's eyes lit up instantly, and she said with great excitement, "Wang Yuhua."
Chen Lishu nodded, then looked around. She found that the room where she was sleeping was particularly dilapidated, built entirely of thatch.
Kyoto could be considered a relatively prosperous place. Having stayed there for so long, Chen Lishu had never seen such a run-down setup. She wondered where Brother Hu had thrown her.
Chen Lishu pursed her lips and asked with a puzzled expression, "Grandma Wang, may I ask where this is?"
Upon hearing this question, a hint of caution flashed in Wang Yuhua's eyes. She forcefully shoved the bowl of chicken soup into Chen Lishu's hand and asked in a rather rough voice, "Why are you asking me this out of the blue? Since you're here, just settle down. My grandson and I will definitely not mistreat you!"
These words did not sound like something from a respectable family.
The words "human trafficking" flashed in Chen Lishu's mind. She tightly clenched her fists, her mind racing.
After a moment of silence, Chen Lishu's lips curved upward slightly, a harmless smile appearing on her face. She feigned distress and said, "I'm just curious because I find that I don't remember anything, and my head hurts a bit."
"You don't remember anything?" Wang Yuhua remained wary when she heard this.
After a moment of hesitation, she suddenly said, "You are my grandson Xu Teng's wife. You accidentally fell in the fields while working. It seems you not only broke your leg but also injured your head."
The matter of human trafficking was now confirmed!
Chen Lishu met Wang Yuhua's probing gaze, understanding her intention. She suppressed the anger in her heart and nodded as if she understood, "I'm so young and already someone's wife?"
Not seeing any panic in Chen Lishu, Wang Yuhua began to doubt the truth of her words. When she saw Chen Lishu constantly rubbing the back of her head, she suddenly remembered that the girl had injured her head when she was brought home. Perhaps this injury had caused her amnesia!
With this thought, Wang Yuhua's vigilance lessened considerably. "Lishu, you married into our Gui family village from the neighboring village. You and my grandson are deeply in love, and you have a lovely daughter. Everyone envies you.
You take good care of your injuries. Xu Teng is going hunting in the mountains these days to bring back some meat to nourish your body. When he returns, he'll spend time with you. Just lie in bed these few days and don't move around, understand? Otherwise, your leg injury will worsen, and you might not be able to get out of bed for the rest of your life!"
Upon hearing Wang Yuhua's deception, Chen Lishu feigned a look of panic and nodded vigorously, "I don't want to be crippled. Don't worry, Grandma Wang, I will definitely recover these legs!"
Wang Yuhua nodded in satisfaction at her promise. "Well, after you finish the chicken soup, put the bowl on the table beside you. I'm going to do some farm work. I'll cook for you later."
With that, she turned and left the room.
Just as Chen Lishu was about to go out and check the situation, she heard the sound of the door being locked from the outside.
It seemed going out was impossible. Going out now would likely arouse Wang Yuhua's suspicion.
However, it seemed Wang Yuhua was still concerned about her leg injury and wasn't in a hurry to act against her, which was good, as it gave her an opportunity to escape.
Just as Chen Lishu was contemplating how to gather more information, the door opened again. However, this time, it wasn't Wang Yuhua who entered, but a child covered in dirt.
"Are you the new stepmother my dad found to have my younger brother? Stepmother, you're really beautiful!" The girl's eyes sparkled with admiration.
It was impossible to tell the child's gender from her appearance until she spoke, and only then did Chen Lishu confirm she was a girl.
Looking at the girl's soft and gentle demeanor, Chen Lishu couldn't help but think of Xiao Bai, and her expression softened. She patted her bed and said softly, "Child, come here."
The girl nervously clasped her hands together, her face flushed, and said, "No... I can't get on the bed. Tiantian is dirty. Grandma specially changed the quilt for Stepmother. If Tiantian dirties it, Tiantian will be beaten."
Hearing the girl's words, a look of distress appeared on Chen Lishu's face. She said, "It's okay. With me here, Grandma won't hit you. Come over here, I have some questions for you. Let's see how smart our little Tiantian is."
When Tiantian heard that she wouldn't be beaten, she cautiously approached Chen Lishu.
Chen Lishu grabbed her under the armpits and placed her on the bed.
At that moment, Chen Lishu noticed that Tiantian's gaze was fixed on the bedside table. Curious, she followed her gaze. It was the bowl of chicken soup.
So she asked softly, "Is Tiantian hungry? If you're hungry, you can eat it."
Tiantian shook her head in fear, "No! Grandma said this chicken soup is for Stepmother, a nutritious meal for Tiantian to have a younger brother. If Tiantian eats it, Tiantian will definitely be beaten."
Fear of being beaten was mentioned in almost every sentence. Chen Lishu wondered what this girl had gone through. So she leaned over, picked up the bowl of chicken soup from the bedside table, and said to Tiantian, "How about we take turns eating? If I eat, Grandma won't say anything to you."
Tiantian initially wanted to refuse, but when the soup was brought to her lips, her stomach growled, and she couldn't help but take a sip.
She had never tasted anything so delicious before, and she burst into tears. Chen Lishu thought something was wrong with the chicken soup and became flustered.
When she asked for the reason and heard Tiantian's explanation, she sighed helplessly, "You really scared me to death. Can Auntie ask you something? Will you tell Auntie the truth?"
Tiantian blinked her eyes and nodded, "Okay!"
Chen Lishu eagerly asked, "Tell Auntie, what is this place called, and where is it roughly in Kyoto?"
Tiantian scratched her head, looking confused by her question, and said innocently, "Stepmother, I don't understand what you're saying."