CHAPTER 38: 38: SICK SEEDLING, BOTTOMLESS PIT (PART 2)_1

Dong Huiying had been wandering outside for the better part of the day, not heading back home until it was nearly dark. Fortunately, she remembered the way; otherwise, it would have been truly embarrassing if she had taken a stroll only to get lost and be unable to find her way back.

When she returned, she bought some wheat bran, thinking that the food outside was both expensive and unpalatable, and that it would be more economical to cook on her own. She really wanted to eat meat, but meat was too expensive, and she was reluctant to spend the money.

Entering a narrow alley, she walked straight ahead towards the end, where Third Brother Shujun rented a house in town. Suddenly, she heard the sound of a cat and when she looked up, she saw a scarred man at the end of the alley, holding a filthy little cat.

The little cat wasn’t a precious breed but a home-raised domestic cat. Its fur was very dirty, which seemed to indicate it was an unwanted stray.

It nestled in the arms of the scarred man, constantly burrowing its dirty little head into his chest.

The man’s face was expressionless, but he kept gently stroking the cat’s body and occasionally scratching under its chin.

The interaction between the man and the cat was affectionate, warm, and harmonious.

Dong Huiying couldn’t help but give the man a few more glances. His face was an expressionless ’coffin face,’ but somehow, she thought she could see a hint of gentleness?

The scarred man seemed to notice Dong Huiying’s gaze and turned his head, their eyes meeting squarely.

He seemed to freeze for a moment before, with an expressionless face and a bend of the waist, he set the little cat down on the ground.

"Hmm," she blinked, appearing contemplative.

Scarred?

The scar on the left cheek was from a fire burn. There was one person in the Liang family with a scar, Fourth Brother Liang, Liang Haoming. Yue Ning had mentioned before that last autumn, during the harvest, Dong Dabao had set a fire that almost killed Yue Ning.

Yue Ning’s short hair was a result of that incident; Fourth Brother Liang had rushed into the blaze to save Yue Ning, but ended up with half his face burned, along with extensive burns on his body.

This person, could he be Fourth Brother Liang, Liang Haoming from the Liang family?

She looked at him in silence, mainly because she feared recognizing the wrong person. She had taken over Dong Dabao’s body but hadn’t inherited his memories, which was rather inconvenient.

She felt like groping stones to cross the river; every person, every event, she had to guess on her own.

Liang Haoming looked at her expressionlessly. She had been unconscious when he carried her down the mountain, so she probably had no memory of it.

He glanced again at the way she was looking at him, sensing a trace of wariness and caution. He wondered why that was.

The two gazed at each other intently, and Haoming subtly shifted to block the filthy little cat with his body.

Dong Huiying: "..."

Why was he acting like a thief on guard? Was she labeled a cat thief?

No, perhaps he was afraid she would harm the little kitten, which was why he was blocking her view?

Dong Huiying was somewhat speechless.

She uncomfortably tugged at the hem of her garment while Haoming took the opportunity, while she was distracted, to nudge the kitten with the tip of his foot, gesturing for it to leave quickly.

The kitten was quite perceptive; it looked at Dong Huiying with a tilted head and then meowed at Haoming before quickly scurrying up a wall and away.

"Ahem," Dong Huiying glanced at him, then made an effort to look straightforward.

She opened the courtyard door and walked into the rented house in town where Shujun lived; Haoming followed her in.

Her eyes brightened; it seemed she hadn’t guessed wrong, this man was indeed Fourth Brother Liang.

"That, I bought some wheat bran?"

She raised the bag towards Haoming, but Haoming played dumb, completely silent.