After my stepmother was shot, I took my brothers to the countryside

Chapter 132: The Past of Goudan's Mother

Goudan suddenly looked at Shen Nian with expectant eyes, and there was a hint of pleading in his voice: "Sister Nian, can you come to my house and talk to my mother?"

"Huh? What's wrong with your mother? Is there something wrong?" Shen Nian asked softly.

Goudan lowered his head, his voice choking. "I don't know what's wrong with my mother lately. She keeps mentioning names I don't know, and she often talks about my sister. She even calls my sister's name in her dreams. After waking up, she always sits on the kang and cries silently. These past two days, my mother has suddenly started making all kinds of delicious food for me. I don't know why, but that kindness makes me feel very uneasy."

When Shen Nian heard this, his heart tightened and an ominous premonition arose.

Why does this situation seem a bit like the situation in my previous life when my grandmother knew she didn’t have much time left?

He recalled the people and events of the past, and then was especially nice to the people around him, as if he wanted to leave as much as possible behind in the last moments.

Shen Nian looked at Goudan deeply, then patted his head gently and said comfortingly: "Goudan, don't worry, I'll go with you to see your mother later."

Shen Nian happened to be curious about Goudan's mother. Where was she from? How did she come up with the snacks from Jiangsu, Zhejiang, and Shanghai?

Goudan looked up, tears of gratitude gleaming in his eyes, and nodded quickly: "Thank you, Sister Nian."

Shen Nian took two bottles of canned food he made, and brought the Shen Nian'an brothers and followed Goudan to his house.

Pushing open the half-closed wooden door, Goudan shouted inside, "Mom! Sister Nian is here!"

There was a sound of footsteps in the house, and then Goudan's mother appeared at the door.

She was wearing a cotton jacket that had been washed white and was full of patches, but her face was filled with a warm smile and it was impossible to tell that she was worried.

Seeing Shen Nian and her two siblings, she quickly called out, "Xiao Nian, Xiao An, Xiao Le are here, come in and get on the kang."

Shen Nian walked forward and handed the canned food to Goudan's mother: "Auntie, this is the canned food I made. Let me give you a try."

"Hey! You're here, kid. Why are you bringing something with you? Come on, come in and sit down."

After Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle politely greeted Goudan's mother, they went into the house and sat down.

Shen Nian looked around. Although the house was a bit simple, every corner was tidy and there was firewood neatly stacked in the corner.

Goudan took out a plate of fried snacks from the kang cabinet and pushed them in front of Shen Nian and the other two, his face full of pride.

"Sister Nian, Xiao An and Xiao Le, look, this is all made by my mother herself, come and try it."

Shen Nian picked up a piece and tasted it. She found it crispy and sweet but not greasy. She gave it a thumbs up and praised, "It's delicious! Auntie's cooking skills are amazing."

When Goudan's mother heard Shen Nian's praise, a happy smile appeared on her face. She waved her hands and said, "No, no, it's just some home-cooked snacks. If you like it, eat more."

Shen Nian's heart moved, and she took the opportunity to ask, "Auntie, this is a specialty snack in Hangzhou, right? I've seen it in the newspaper before. Are you from Hangzhou?"

When Goudan's mother heard this, a barely perceptible fluctuation flashed in her eyes, as if a taut string in her heart was touched.

She sighed softly, as if opening up long-forgotten memories.

He sighed again and then said slowly: "Yes, this is a specialty snack in Hangzhou."

Goudan's mother looked at Shen Nian's curious eyes, then turned to look at Goudan, as if she was making some kind of decision for herself. She was silent for a while before she slowly spoke again.

"I am indeed from Hangzhou." Goudan's mother's voice was a bit desolate and nostalgic.

"Back then, due to some family misfortunes, my parents were planning to move our entire family to Hong Kong. However, something unexpected happened on the way, and my sister and I got separated from them in the chaos. I took my sister and I to look for them everywhere, but we couldn't find them. What's worse, I ended up losing my sister."

At this point, Goudan's mother's eyes were moist, tears welling up in them. She took a deep breath, tried to calm herself, and continued to recount the painful past.

Shen Nian quickly handed her a handkerchief. Goudan's mother waved her hand, wiped it with her sleeves roughly before continuing.

"Later, I couldn't find my family or my sister. In the despair of losing my loved ones, I met a woman about my mother's age who said she could take me to Gangcheng. But I had lost my sister, so how could I have the face to go to Gangcheng to find my parents? I refused the woman's proposal, but when she saw my refusal, she revealed a ferocious face and arrested me. It was only after I was arrested that I found out that the woman was a human trafficker. There were several girls locked up with me. She specialized in defrauding young girls and then selling them to remote mountainous areas."

"At first, I was disobedient and even thought about running away. They beat me severely, didn't give me food, and kept me hungry for days. Later, a girl in the same room with me failed to escape, and they caught her and beat her half to death. In the end, the girl died that night. So I temporarily gave up the idea of escaping. I knew that I only had one chance to escape, and if I didn't get caught, I might be dead. To survive, I stopped making noise and pretended to accept my fate. Over time, they gradually became less wary of me, and I finally found an opportunity to escape."

"When I escaped the clutches of the traffickers, I found myself in the far north. I had no money or proof of my identity, so I could only wander wherever I wanted. It was around this time that Goudan's father, who had returned home to visit his family, encountered me surrounded by some homeless people and saved me from persecution. Goudan's father treated me very well, and I felt the warmth I had long missed. So I followed him back here, and I was the one who initiated the marriage, and we got married."

In just a few sentences, Goudan's mother expressed all the grievances she had experienced in her life.

"mother!"

Goudan cried and hugged his mother. He had never thought that his mother had experienced such a thrilling past.

The mother and son hugged each other and cried inconsolably.

Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle were deeply moved by Goudan's mother's story, and they hugged each other and cried bitterly.

Shen Nian looked at Goudan and his mother hugging each other, and her heart was moved. She had never thought that Goudan's mother had such a sad and strong past.

As for Xiao An and Xiao Le, if she hadn't come here, these two little guys would have been trapped by the human traffickers.

She has such cute brothers!

The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. Sitting aside, Shen Nian couldn't help but curse, "All the human traffickers in the world deserve to die! They should be shot! God bless them! Even in death, they can't rest in peace! Three thunders will strike them to death!"

Shen Nian's anger infected everyone present. The crying of several people gradually subsided. They raised their heads, their eyes full of recognition of Shen Nian's words.

"Oh, right, Mom! You just said I have a grandma and a grandpa? And an aunt?"

Goudan opened his eyes wide with tears. His mother had never told him these things, and he had never thought that he had relatives besides his mother.

Those on his father's side don't count, they only come to beat and scold his mother and him, so they are not!

Goudan's mother hugged Goudan and couldn't help laughing: "Silly child, you were born by me, you have a father and a mother, and I must have my own father and mother. Not only do you have grandma and grandpa, you also have an uncle and an aunt."

"Then why have I never heard you say that?" Goudan asked in confusion.

Goudan's mother gently stroked his head. "First, I feel guilty towards them. Second, your grandparents went to Hong Kong in a special way. Your father is a soldier, and I was afraid that mentioning it would cause him trouble. We couldn't mention it before, but now there's no need to. As long as they can live well, that's all that matters."

After hearing this, Goudan was silent for a while and stopped asking: "Mom, if you don't want to tell me in the future, then don't tell me. Look, you have me now! And you have Sister Xiaonian and Xiaoan and Xiaole! Don't give up on me."

When Goudan's mother heard this, tears fell again and she hugged Goudan tightly.

"Recently, I've been dreaming about your sister Chun Ya a lot. I miss her so much. She was so young when she left. She called me in her dreams, saying she was cold and hungry. After I woke up, I couldn't help myself and wanted to make some clothes for her. I know I scared you, but I just couldn't control myself."

"Mom, I know! I know everything. I just want to tell you, don't give up on me."

Goudan and his mother hugged each other and cried again, as if they wanted to vent all the emotions in their hearts.

Shen Nian waved his hand and took Shen Nian'an and Shen Nianle away from Goudan's house, closing the door at the end.

"Sister, can you carry me home?"

On the way back, Shen Nianle hugged Shen Nian and acted coquettishly.

"Of course, there's nothing wrong with that. Jump on my back, but I can only carry you part of the way and you part of the way."

Shen Nian smiled, bent down and carried Shen Nianle on his back. After standing up, he reached out and held Shen Nian'an's hand.

"Sister, thank you." Shen Nianle lay on Shen Nian's back.

"Thank me for what?"

"Well! Thank you for coming to us." Shen Nianle buried his head in the back of Shen Nian's neck.

Shen Nian'an held Shen Nian's hand without saying a word. He and Xiaole had heard that Li Cui and her daughter were plotting to sell them out.

At the time, the two of them just thought that selling it was fine, and that they were relieved! They just couldn't let go of their sister lying on the bed, not knowing whether she was alive or dead.

Fortunately, my sister is back.