Bab 492: Foreseeing A Prosperous Future

Over time, a peculiar tradition developed in the town. Whenever a child misbehaved, people would point towards the home of Yuan Yuan and frighten the child with a cautionary tale. "See there? Do you hear the crying? That little one was locked up by his mother for being naughty. If you continue to misbehave, I'll do the same to you." This threat was usually enough to keep the children in line for a while.

Mrs. Wang, Yuan Yuan's mother, typically returned home late at night. Before leaving, she would prepare a large bowl of noodles or a few buns for her son, leaving them on the table for him to eat when he was hungry. Thus, the child spent his days locked inside the house.

Aunt Yang, the boy's grandmother, was heartbroken. She recalled how she had once praised her grandson for being so independent, able to clean himself and wash his face. She now realized that these skills were born out of necessity, a result of his harsh living conditions.