But she pushed back the shock she felt in her heart, her face not showing the slightest abnormality but instead put on a smile to say: “We were just passing by and the sky was starting to darken. Seeing that someone was staying here, we thought to come ask to stay a night. Would that be convenient?”
The woman was silent as she looked at Feng Jiu and Leng Shuang with a measuring gaze outside the door before turning to see their steeds, seemingly hesitant.
“Mother, Mother, let the pretty big brother and big sister stay! Sunny likes pretty Big Brother.”
The little fella that looked to be about four or five tugged at his mother’s sleeve and shook it lightly, his childish voice soft and gushing, his clear and beautiful eyes hopeful and pleading, making it unbearable for people to refuse him.
Seeing that, the woman revealed a doting expression on her face and she rubbed the boy’s head as she said to Feng Jiu and Leng Shuang: “Will the two of you then please come in? My humble home is very simple and if there is anything lacking in anyway, please do not take offense.”
She opened the door and turned sideways to extend a hand inside in invitation. As because the door was opened, Feng Jiu and Leng Shuang were able to see that there was only a single oil lamp on the table that was providing the house with light.
“In that case, don’t mind if we intrude.”
Feng Jiu clasped her hand over her fist in greeting, and got Leng Shuang to hitch Old White and the horse securely outside before striding into the house.
Although the interior of the house was simple, it was kept very clean and neat. But it might be because the sun seldom shone inside, the inside of the house was a little chilly, which was felt especially distinctly in the night.
“Big Brother, do you want a drink of water?”
The little boy climbed onto a chair to look at Feng Jiu, as he pointed at the water flask on the table and said: “There’s water in there, and Sunny drinks it when thirsty.”
Feng Jiu’s gaze then fell upon the woman to see her shuffling towards the back of the house with light steps, her posture graceful and soft, her steps a light patter. Her actions revealed that she had received good upbringing and it could be imagined that she was not just any average village woman.
But, in a place like this, why would there be a person like that living here?
She retracted her gaze and steadied her mind as she looked at the little boy who although was lively, had quite a bit of dark rings under his eyes. She sighed inwardly and the opened her mouth to ask: “Is your name Sunny? How old are you this year?”
“Yup! I’m called Sunny! And Big Brother, today is Sunny’s fourth birthday! Mother is behind cooking some red eggs for Sunny to eat.”
The little boy leaned forward on the table and looked smilingly at the handsome Feng Jiu dressed in a suit of red clothes as he went on to say in a crisp voice: “Big Brother is so good looking. Sunny has never seen anyone who is more good looking than Big Brother.”
“Oh, so today is your birthday!”
She stared in surprise at the excited little boy with his sparkling eyes. She thought about it a moment and then pulled out a luminous pearl about the size of a grape to give to him as she said with a laugh: “Nah, this is a birthday present for you.”
“Wah! This bead is so pretty, it actually glows.”
The little fella stared at the pearl in delight and reached his hand out to take it happily before he slipped himself off the chair to run into the back of the house as he cried out excitedly: “Father! Mother! Mother, look. Big Brother gave me a bead that glows as a present.”
At that moment, Leng Shuang came to Feng Jiu’s side and glanced towards the back of the house before she suppressed her voice to say softly: “Mistress, this place doesn’t feel right. Are we really going to stay here?”
There were only two houses in this place. On that side, the door was shut with a light on inside but there was no sign of anyone. In this house, only the little child was a little more normal. One could tell that something was not right with the woman at a glance and there was a male owner inside this house as well. They had not seen him since the moment they stepped in through the door and logically, all of this shouldn’t be the case.
Feng Jiu’s eyes flashed slightly as she glanced at the curtain at the back before she said: “Something’s amiss alright. But he child is very normal. What’s abnormal is just the adults.”