Luo Anping didn't come back until after seven in the evening, which made the whole family anxious. Usually, he returned at around five, so he was more than two hours late, and Mrs. Qin almost went to Director Xu's house for help to look for him!
When Luo Anping returned, he naturally received a scolding and beating, but he just hung his head, not saying a word nor defending himself.
Mrs. Qin hit and scolded him, then went to the east room to cool off. Luo Anping's eyes darted around, and he turned to run to the west room.
"Sis, look, I found something for you!" Luo Anping took out a cloth bag from his bosom, untied the strap, and pulled herbs one by one out of it. They were all herbs Beisitian had drawn on letter paper for him.
"Although I didn't find everything, there are only two missing. I'll go look for them again tomorrow!"
Luo Anping had taken out all the herbs but didn't hear the anticipated praise from Beisitian. He looked up and saw her with a stern face, watching him with a gloomy expression.
Luo Anping's smile vanished, and he hesitantly said, "Sis, why aren't you happy? Is it because I didn't find all of them?"
Beisitian almost laughed in exasperation, she heavily exhaled, "Do you know what time it is now!"
In the village, there really is no sense of time, mostly they rely on the position of the sun. Beisitian was accustomed to doing things according to specific times, and not long after arriving here, she got the time straight.
She remembered precisely the conversion of time here to hours and minutes, so she knew approximately that Luo Anping was late by one hour, which is about two hours!
Luo Anping, a child not even six years old, went to graze sheep on the mountain. Coming back late would always worry the adults.
Luo Anping hung his head, not feeling he had done anything wrong.
"I won't need your help again in the future." Beisitian rubbed her temples in frustration.
Luo Anping was shocked, his thin little face full of bewilderment and innocence. What did he do wrong? He was just a little late coming back. First, his mother scolded him, and now even his sister was not happy because of it!
He had gone to great lengths to find so many herbs, and during the search, he had to watch the sheep, almost venturing deep into the mountains. Coming back, he didn't get a single word of praise but instead was blamed!
Luo Anping was full of grievances, pursed his lips, looked up at Beisitian, and seeing her face clouded, tears fell out of his eyes, especially since she said he won't be needed anymore, which made him feel sad.
"Sis, I hate you!" Seeing Beisitian not inclined to change her mind, Luo Anping ran out of the west room in tears.
Beisitian sighed; the kid didn't understand that everyone was worried about him. She needed to find a way to make him understand!
However, the task of picking herbs couldn't be given to him anymore; Luo Anping was still too young, doing things without consideration, if he truly ventured into the deep mountains, he wouldn't easily come out, she heard there were bears in these mountains!
Just thinking about it made Beisitian feel terrified. She hadn't considered it careful enough earlier!
Luo Anping had dinner alone by the stove, gnawing on corn bread and drinking thin porridge, his face full of unhappiness, with two dried tear tracks on his dirty little face.
Ever since Mrs. Qin became blind, the whole family relied on Beisitian to manage things. When Beisitian was healthy, the duty of looking after Luo Anping naturally fell on her shoulders, but ever since she was bedridden, Luo Anping essentially took care of himself.
However, the child was sensible, and in this month, he took the initiative to take on grazing sheep, not going far, just outside the village, so Mrs. Qin was at ease.
Just because he knows how to graze sheep doesn't mean he knows how to take care of himself. Luo Anping often didn't wash his face for days, his little hands were black, and he just grabbed the corn bread directly.
When Beisitian got up to stretch, saw this scene, she frowned.
There's a saying that illness enters through the mouth; Luo Anping's hands are so black, who knows what they've touched, eating like that is bound to lead to illness!
"Ping'an, how come you don't wash your hands before eating!" Beisitian, angry, spoke with her former habit.
Luo Anping's nickname is Ping'an.
"What's washing hands?" Luo Anping asked instinctively, only remembering after asking that he decided not to interact with her anymore, thought for a moment and turned his head to the side, acting as if he didn't want to be bothered.
Beisitian chuckled, walked over to him, took the corn bread from his hand, grabbed his wrist with the other, and said, "Look at your hands, they are so dirty. If you don't wash them clean before eating, you'll get sick!"
Luo Anping looked at his hands, they were indeed dirty, but he's been living like this for a month, and hasn't gotten sick!
"You always washed them for me before!" Luo Anping snorted, turning his head to the side again, but his eyes kept glancing over, indicating he still wanted Beisitian to wash for him.
Beisitian sighed, "I thought Ping'an was already a big boy, hadn't thought even washing hands required help, it seems truly in the future, I can't let you help again!"
Again, he won't be needed!
Luo Anping's face instantly turned red, glaring at Beisitian, "Who said you should help me wash! I'm just too hungry, haven't had time to wash yet!"
After he said that, he angrily walked to the basin, leftover from last hand washing, not very dirty, he washed with it, and the water in the basin turned black immediately.
Beisitian frowned, but there was no other solution, the conditions here weren't good, water was precious, coming twice a month, each time the brigade would announce through loudspeakers, pressure water when it arrives, filling up half a person's height large water cylinder, this would be half a month's water supply, if not used sparingly, surely not enough!
So the washing water is just a small basin, with the water basin tilted on the stand, re-using several times before discarding.
Luo Anping washed his hands clean, poured the basin water into the yard, with a small frown said, "Is this okay now?"
Beisitian then handed the corn bread back to him, "You must wash your hands before eating from now on, remember?"
Luo Anping took a bite of the corn bread, puffed his cheeks, looked at her, seeing her gaze fixed on him, pressured him to nod.
Beisitian smiled, gently rubbed Luo Anping's head, "That's a good boy, Ping'an is a little man, someday you'll support a family, can't always rely on others!"
Seeing Beisitian smile, Luo Anping's anger dispelled somewhat, Mrs. Qin went blind early, as long as he remembered, Beisitian took care of him, to him, Beisitian was like a mother!
"Then will I still help you in the future?" Luo Anping was fixated on this, seeing her smiling, took the chance to ask.
Beisitian nodded, "But wait until you grow up!"
Just before Luo Anping could smile, he heard this sentence, immediately shouted, "I'm already grown up!"
"You can't call it grown up if you can't wash your own hands!"
"I'll wash them myself from now on!"
The couple in the east room, Mrs. Qin and Luo Anguo, listening, exchanged a glance, seeing surprise in each other's eyes.