Chapter 19: The Pain Nearly Brought Me to Tears

"Then, then I'll earn money to buy Brother Tiancheng a wheelchair!" Huanya gripped her chopsticks tightly, her eyes resolute. "Auntie, rest assured, I definitely can do it!"

When Father was ill before, she was the one who earned money for the family! Now, she could do it again!

Seeing her so earnest, Song’s mother felt a rare warmth in her heart.

She gently ruffled Huanya’s fuzzy hair and, not taking her words too seriously, smiled and said, "Alright, eat well and then tidy up. I’m going out to husk some corn."

Huanya nodded and quickly cleaned the kitchen, then pulled a few sticks of firewood from the stove, leaving only a small pile of embers to keep the water in the pot hot.

"Auntie," Huanya squatted down in front of Song’s mother and said, "I’ve heated some water. Brother Tiancheng has been lying on the kang for a long time; I’m worried he might get warts. Should I wipe him down?"

Song’s mother was surprised by the suggestion, suddenly recalling the murmuring Huanya had done earlier. She asked, "Is that what you were talking about just now?"

Huanya nodded shyly. "You came in so suddenly, Auntie, you scared me."

"Scared by that? You’re too timid," Song’s mother laughed.

Huanya smiled, pursing her lips. "Then will you wipe him? I’ll husk the corn."

The corn had to be husked quickly, so it could be ground into flour.

One hand held the special tool for husking corn, the other clutched an ear of corn, pressing down on the metal spike of the tool with force.

Swish!

A smooth strip of husk was peeled away.

One ear of corn was husked in two or three strokes, making it easier on the hands and less painful.

Huanya set the husked corn aside and continued.

When Song’s mother came out, she saw a pile of corn stacked like a small mountain.

"Oh my, girl, you’re too fast," she exclaimed.

"Ah, when I came back, I saw there are only two mills in the village. Let’s work quickly and grind a bag first to store!" Huanya replied.

Seeing Huanya so industrious, Song’s mother didn’t slack off either. While Huanya husked, she ground.

With one hand holding a cleaned corn cob and the other holding husked corn, she alternated between the two, stripping kernels off with the cob.

In just a few strokes, an ear of corn was finished.

The kernels were yellow tinged with white, looking like little ingots—beautiful to behold.

The sun dipped lower, casting a red glow along the horizon, and before them lay a large heap of corn kernels.

"Take a break, girl, rest a moment," Song’s mother said, rubbing her aching waist and grasping Huanya’s hand.

Huanya shook her head lightly. "No, we can’t just keep working like this. Come on, let’s get up and move around."

As she stood, Song’s mother heard a series of creaks from her body and exclaimed, then quickly sat back down.

Huanya hurried behind her and dusted her hands off. "Auntie, are you okay?"

"No, my waist... after a long time, it aches," Song’s mother sighed with helplessness. "When I was young, I could work all day without resting."

Worried, Huanya looked at her thoughtfully, then her eyes lit up. "Auntie, let me massage it for you! I’m really good at it!"

Song’s mother no longer doubted her and nodded. "Alright, go ahead."

"Okay!" Huanya smiled and found the sore spot, pressing along the acupressure points a few times.

"Ouch, ouch! No, no, it hurts!" Song’s mother exclaimed.

Huanya didn’t stop. "Don’t be afraid, Auntie. Just a few more presses and it’ll feel better soon."

Thus, the courtyard echoed with Song’s mother’s stifled cries.

She never imagined that one day she would be brought to tears from a simple waist massage.