After dinner, Caleb Liew walked the four siblings back home and stopped by to check on Lester's condition.
Seeing that his younger brother was now tucked under a fresh cotton quilt and had just eaten a thick bowl of white rice porridge, Caleb felt his earlier concern had been completely unnecessary.
What kind of blessing did this third brother earn in his past life? Even lying around useless like this, he still had someone pampering him with good food and warm bedding.
Watching Lester moaning and groaning pitifully, Caleb ground his teeth in frustration.
Comparing people just makes you angry!
Before leaving, he politely told Clara that if she needed any help, she could always come by the old house. Then he headed home.
The four children carried back a full bowl of dishes, half of which was meat.
After putting the food down, Adam peeked into the house to check on their father. Seeing he was still breathing, he came back out.
The four little ones squatted around Clara, eyes wide with curiosity, asking what animals she had hunted, where she had gone, and whether the meat was delicious.
Seeing a grain of rice stuck to Clara's lips, Deb immediately reached out with her soft little hand to wipe it off. Her sparkling eyes were filled with affection—her whole world was just "Mom."
Inside the house, Lester waited and waited, and waited some more, but not one of his younger children came in to see him.
Instead, he heard them outside, chatting cheerfully and intimately with Clara. His eyes widened in disbelief. In just a few short days, Clara had won them all over.
Maybe it was the injury, or maybe it was the anger—his chest felt tight, his breath short, and his head dizzy. Eventually, he drifted off into a dazed sleep.
When he woke up again, daylight had already flooded the sky, and his bladder felt like it was going to burst.
Lester weakly called out, "Adam... Adam..."
With a creak, the door opened from the outside, and four tiny figures walked in one after another like a string of candied hawthorn.
Sunlight poured into the dim room, lighting it up.
Lester almost didn't recognize the four kids. They were dressed neatly and looked completely refreshed.
The night before, Clara had boiled several large pots of hot water and scrubbed each child from head to toe before changing them into the secondhand clothes she had bought.
Though the clothes and shoes were old, they had been washed clean before being sold. A faint scent of soap lingered on them.
Clara had even given each child a hair tie, bundling their hair neatly. For Deb, she went a step further and braided two little pigtails that hung on either side of her head, making her look adorably playful.
Lester could tell the clothes and shoes were a bit big on them, but made of thick cotton fabric—so much better than their previous tattered hemp outfits.
Adam stepped forward and picked up the chamber pot hidden under the bed. "Dad, you need to pee?"
Suppressing his envy, Lester nodded.
Adam asked Deb to step outside, then helped Lester out of bed to relieve himself.
Once done, Lester lay back down comfortably.
Adam took the chamber pot to the slope behind the house to dump it, then scooped some water to wash his hands and rinse the pot. After drying it off, he placed it neatly back under the bed.
Lester couldn't believe his eyes.
These kids used to have snot running down to their lips, licking it away without a care. Now they were washing their hands after dumping a chamber pot?
"Where's your stepmother?" Lester asked cautiously. He hadn't heard a peep from that wicked woman since waking up and had no clue where she'd gone.
Adam opened the door wide, letting fresh air and sunlight pour in. "She went to Riverbend Village."
"What for? How long's she been gone?"
"Not sure." Adam shook his head. "She left early in the morning. It's probably been about an hour."
Lester looked around the familiar yet unfamiliar room.
It had been too dark yesterday for him to notice, but now he saw that the whole house had changed.
Six sacks of grain were stacked neatly against the wall by the head of the bed. A low table now stood at the foot of the bed, dishes stacked neatly on top. Though still a dilapidated thatched hut, everything was clean and orderly. Even the usual musty smell had vanished, replaced by the fragrant scent of rice.
His stomach growled. Adam immediately asked, "Dad, are you hungry?"
Lester nodded furiously, swallowing at the memory of last night's white rice porridge.
Adam told him to wait, went outside to the stove, and ladled out a bowl of still-warm meat porridge, which he brought to Lester.
Last night's sweet rice porridge had already felt like a rare luxury. He hadn't expected today's to have bits of meat in it too.
"Heavens! What kind of life are you lot living now? That Clara, such a wasteful woman—got a little money and just started splurging like mad. Doesn't even know how to save," Lester grumbled while shifting himself up against the wall, happily reaching for the bowl.
But when he looked up, he froze.
The four kids were standing by the bed, all staring at him quietly.
Deb pouted and huffed, "Dad, I'm going to tell Mom that you said bad things about her!"
Chad, always echoing his sister, chimed in, "Tell Mom!"
Lester immediately pictured Clara pressing a blade to Billy Lin's throat—that cold, sharp look in her eyes. He shuddered and quickly said:
"No, no, no! Daddy's just joking! Chad, Deb, be good now, don't tell your stepmom. Or Daddy might not make it."
Chad and Deb, scared that he might really not make it, gave solemn nods.
Ben, not so easily fooled, shot a glance at their father. Always scaring the little ones. He licked his lips, still craving more of that delicious porridge, and tugged at Adam's sleeve.
Adam looked at his younger siblings eyeing the bowl with greedy eyes. His heart softened. "Okay, each of you can have one more sip. Just one! Auntie said eating too much will make your tummy hurt. Don't be greedy."
And just like that, Lester stared in disbelief as his three "filial" children took turns sipping from his bowl of meat porridge—one mouthful each—until only half remained before finally handing it to him.
Adam even handed it over respectfully, saying, "Dad, drink slowly."
Lester's lips trembled with rage. He couldn't even speak for a moment.
But then his eyes flicked, and a new idea came to mind.
He took the bowl and scarfed down the rest, licking the bottom clean before handing the empty bowl back to Adam. He beckoned the four kids closer, putting on a pained, fatherly expression and asked gently:
"While Daddy's been gone, you all must've suffered, right? If there's anything upsetting you, tell Daddy. When I get better, I'll make it right."
Ben shook his head. He didn't really understand subtlety and blurted out, "Nope."
Chad, holding his sister's hand, echoed loudly and sincerely, "We get to eat meat with Mom!"
Adam glanced at his father's stunned expression and turned his head away, a smile tugging at his lips. But he quickly composed himself and turned back, all seriousness, waving his siblings out.
"Dad, time to change your medicine," he reminded.
Lester clutched his aching heart, looking gratefully at Adam, who was mixing the herbal powder with water to form a paste and climbed onto the bed to replace the ointment on his father's face.
Once done, Adam took a small stool and sat at the doorway, watching his siblings play with stones.
Lester couldn't hold back his curiosity. "Adam, why are you sitting by the door? Come talk with Daddy."
"No thanks. Auntie said to watch the house."
Watch the house?
Lester scoffed. What was there to guard in this dump?
Oh right—now that wicked woman had hauled in so much grain and valuable stuff, it did need guarding. Wouldn't want any thieves sneaking in.
And besides, they were all one family. He had a rightful share of all those things too.
"Yes, good, good! We should guard it well," Lester nodded in approval.
Adam gave his father a quick look. Seeing that he was behaving for now, he turned his gaze back toward the road by the riverside—watching the house, waiting for his stepmother to return.
(End of Chapter)