CHAPTER 599: CHAPTER 598 XIAO XIAO

The old house was dimly lit and cluttered with miscellaneous items, making it quite messy.

Dou Dou looked around, somewhat disappointed, and said, "It’s a bit dirty."

Granny, hearing this, didn’t get angry but chuckled and said, "When I was alive, I would still tidy up. After I passed away, the old man didn’t clean much, and over time, it just became chaotic."

"Old man?" Dou Dou was a bit puzzled.

"That’s... that’s my husband," Granny explained with a smile.

"Oh, it’s Grandpa."

Dou Dou suddenly understood; she knew what a husband meant.

Grandmother and grandfather, that’s husband and wife.

Granny regretted inviting Dou Dou home, for she had only politely extended the invitation without expecting Dou Dou to be so straightforward.

The house was low, dark, and cramped. Besides a large table in the living room, the corners were filled with clutter, with clothes, cardboard boxes, and various waste items like old books and plastic bottles.

Dou Dou scanned the room, immediately losing interest. Just as she was about to leave, she suddenly noticed some colorful drawings on the wall.

There were people, a house, a little dog, trees, and flowers, besides many other inexplicable things.

"Wow, who drew these?" Dou Dou became interested.

"These were drawn by Xiao Xiao," Granny said with a smile.

"Who’s Xiao Xiao?"

"Xiao Xiao is my granddaughter," Granny said.

"You have a granddaughter?" Dou Dou was very surprised.

This question was a bit rude, but Granny didn’t mind, just nodded and said, "Yes, Xiao Xiao has always lived with us. I and her grandpa raised her from a young age."

"How old is she?" Dou Dou asked again.

"She’s six years old this year, about to start first grade," Granny said with a smile.

"Oh."

Dou Dou felt a bit disappointed. Another big sister, why couldn’t it be a little sister? She had always wanted to be an older sister.

As for Tang Tang, forget it, she never called Dou Dou her sister, very difficult to deal with.

"Do you want to see Xiao Xiao?" Granny asked again.

"Can I?" Dou Dou became interested again.

"Of course, you can." Granny said this and led her to the room next door.

"By the way, I still don’t know your name," Granny asked.

"My name is Dou Dou," Dou Dou said.

"Oh, that’s similar to our Xiao Xiao’s name," Granny remarked.

"When Xiao Xiao was born, she was all wrinkled and small like a little mouse, so we named her Xiao Xiao," Granny explained proactively.

Dou Dou frowned upon hearing this, thought for a moment, and said, "Could it be that when I was born, I looked like a bean, so my parents named me Dou Dou?"

Granny laughed.

Dou Dou looked at her and suddenly asked, "And you?"

"What?"

"What’s your name?"

Granny was stunned because no one had asked her name in a long time.

She thought and said, "My surname is Cui; you can call me Granny Cui. As for my name, it’s been so long, I’ve forgotten."

Dou Dou widened her eyes, staring in shock at her.

She never expected that someone in the world would forget their own name. She had forgotten her full name before too.

"Then you’re not very smart," Dou Dou said.

Granny laughed and said, "Old age affects memory."

"Okay, Granny Cui, let’s go see if Xiao Xiao is as cute as me."

"She certainly is. My Xiao Xiao is both obedient and sensible," Granny said, her face seemingly glowing as she spoke of her granddaughter.

While talking, the two had arrived in the room, which was also narrow and cramped.

There were two beds inside, both almost filling the room.

On one bed lay an emaciated old man, snoring loudly, sleeping soundly.

On the other bed lay a little girl who occasionally frowned, sleeping rather restlessly.

"Grandpa’s snoring is too loud and keeps the big sister awake," Dou Dou said with some discontent.

She carefully observed the big sister in front of her: dark-skinned, red-cheeked, dirty, not very cute.

However, she was polite enough not to say it in front of Granny Cui.

"That’s probably not the reason. Xiao Xiao has long been used to her grandpa’s snoring."

Granny Cui, looking around, quickly found a mosquito circling the little girl, making her sleep uneasy.

Granny Cui instinctively reached out to shoo it away, but the mosquito was undisturbed, still buzzing around the little girl.

"Alas, I’m useless; I can’t even shoo a mosquito away," Granny Cui said very dejectedly, seeming to become even more translucent.

"Let me do it," Dou Dou volunteered.

Then she stretched out her little hand and smacked the mosquito with a loud "pat" between her palms.

The noise didn’t wake the sleeping two; one reason was that they were deeply asleep, the other was the sound was not loud.

But to Granny Cui’s ears, it was like thunder.

She widened her eyes and looked at Dou Dou, "How... how did you kill the mosquito?"

She asked excitedly and joyfully.

"Just like this." Dou Dou demonstrated with her tiny hand again.

Granny Cui: ...

-----------------

"So, the Potato you mentioned, is he an immortal?" Granny Cui asked.

The moonlight was tranquil, and the evening breeze gently blew as the two chatted idly in front of Granny Cui’s door.

"I don’t know, but that’s what they all say. Maybe Potato is," Dou Dou said.

"How did you die then?"

"I drowned while playing on the beach," Dou Dou said.

Then she asked, "And you, Granny Cui?"

"I was old, got sick, couldn’t make it through, and then I died."

"You’re worried about the big sister, aren’t you?" Dou Dou asked.

Having spent a long time with Shen Siyuan, she gradually understood some things.

"Yes, the old man can’t even take care of himself, let alone look after Xiao Xiao properly. During my absence, Xiao Xiao has become so unkempt..." Granny Cui’s face was full of worry as she spoke.

"What about her parents?" Dou Dou asked curiously.

Granny Cui was silent for a while before saying, "Her parents divorced and... and neither wants her..."

After speaking, she turned to look at Dou Dou, only to see her already in tears.

"Oh dear, what’s wrong?" Granny Cui said, flustered.

Dou Dou didn’t answer but asked in return, "Why don’t they want her? Is she not good?"

"Of course not, Xiao Xiao is a very good child... Alas, you’re too young. You wouldn’t understand even if I explained..."

"If you don’t say it, how would you know I don’t understand?" Dou Dou said, somewhat angrily.

"Alright, alright..." Granny Cui said helplessly, continuing to speak.

"Because Xiao Xiao’s parents’ relationship broke down, after the divorce, they both saw Xiao Xiao as a burden and didn’t want her, so only her grandpa and I took care of her."

"What’s a burden?" Dou Dou asked again.

Granny Cui, hearing this, patted her head and said, "It means they think Xiao Xiao is unnecessary and troublesome."

"Well, they are truly bad. How can they not take care of children?" Dou Dou said sadly.

"Yes, those two... Alas..."

Granny Cui sighed deeply, her voice full of helplessness and confusion.

Initially, when she was alive, she could still care for Xiao Xiao with her grandpa. Her death was an even heavier blow to the family.

At this moment, Dou Dou suddenly stood up.

"I... I’ll go back to find my parents and have them take care of the big sister..."

After saying this, she didn’t wait for Granny Cui’s reply and turned into a gust of Yin wind, soaring into the sky.

Only Granny Cui was left, mouth agape, staring in shock at the sky.

"Is this... Have I really met an immortal?"