Madam Zhou initially had no intention of paying attention, but her gaze involuntarily drifted towards the object called a wheelchair.
Mingda used to be a hunter and loved to roam the mountains. However, ever since his leg was broken, he had been confined to his bed and had never left his room.
She knew that if she hadn't been staring, Mingda would have long since given up.
Li Yue Shu saw the longing in her eyes and pushed the wheelchair forward. "I specifically asked a carpenter to make this for you."
Madam Zhou frowned, about to refuse, when Li Yue Shu spoke first, "I'm doing this not out of pity, but out of gratitude, and as a matter of basic human decency."
"I've raised so many children, and if I'm to teach them the principles of being a good person, I must lead by example."
"Brother Sun's leg was broken because of Shen Wei, but even if you say we are even, I couldn't possibly act as if nothing happened if I had any conscience."
Every word she spoke blocked off everything Madam Zhou wanted to say.
Li Yue Shu had been watching her expression closely and, seeing this, released her grip on the wheelchair.
"I've seen many patients with leg injuries. Some have been injured for over a decade, yet they can still stand up after treatment and training. Others have lost an entire leg but can still stand with prosthetics. As long as there is hope and the determination to stand up again, the rest can be left to miracles."
Li Yue Shu's voice was calm, but her words struck Madam Zhou and Shen Wei like a heavy hammer.
The former was shocked by what she said, while the latter was confused.
When had she seen so many patients with leg injuries? And what were prosthetics?
Shen Wei had many questions.
He and Li Yue Shu were practically inseparable, yet why did she always have experiences he was unaware of?
As he was pondering, Li Yue Shu didn't say any more and turned to leave.
Shen Wei glanced at Madam Zhou's conflicted expression, then followed Li Yue Shu.
He looked up at Li Yue Shu like a well-behaved puppy, his eyes filled with pleading. "A Shu, why did you give them that wheelchair?"
Li Yue Shu glanced at him, her brows softened. "This is a debt we owe them, and we must repay it."
Shen Wei blinked in confusion. "But didn't that woman just say we were even?"
Li Yue Shu suddenly stopped, her thoughts drifting to something, and turned to look at Shen Wei.
"When they say we're even, it's because the Sun family is kind-hearted, but the debt of gratitude we owe cannot be erased." She smiled warmly at Shen Wei, as if teaching her four children.
She stood on her tiptoes and patted Shen Wei's head. "Gratitude is the hardest thing to repay in this world. You must remember, when we owe someone a favor, no matter what they say, we must first remember that favor and then find a way to repay it."
Whether it was the four children, Shen Tan and the others, or Shen Wei, she had an obligation to educate them.
Even if Shen Wei could never regain his full senses, he should still be taught the principles of life.
Shen Wei, suddenly being patted on the head, stiffened slightly, but quickly covered it up. "Is A Shu giving them the wheelchair a way of repaying the favor?"
Li Yue Shu nodded.
Then, as if remembering something, she added, "The way we repay favors differs depending on the person. The wheelchair is what they need most right now, but it's only a temporary fix."
To resolve the grievances between the two families fundamentally, one would have to see if Sun Mingda's leg could be healed.
Shen Wei, being intelligent, instantly understood her meaning, but naturally, he couldn't show it.
He pouted. "I don't understand..."
Li Yue Shu chuckled softly. "It's okay, there's still plenty of time, and I'll teach you slowly."
"Boom boom!"
Shen Wei's heart skipped a beat uncontrollably, and for a moment, he forgot his pretense.
Fortunately, Li Yue Shu didn't notice and took him straight home.
...
Upon returning home, Shen Wei naturally stopped trailing Li Yue Shu.
After finishing her chores, Li Yue Shu realized she couldn't find Shen Tingwen and Shen Tingyi.
She searched around and found the two children in Shen Tan's room.
With their backs to the door, they were hunched over a piece of white cloth, working intently, and she didn't know what they were doing.
Li Yue Shu slowed her steps and walked over cautiously. She saw the two children holding needles and thread they had found somewhere, clumsily sewing and mending.
"What are you doing?"
Li Yue Shu's sudden question startled the two children, making them jump and almost cry out.
Seeing that it was Li Yue Shu, they very cooperatively hid what they were holding behind their backs, their expressions flustered.
Li Yue Shu had already seen clearly what it was. Seeing their panic, she couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. "What are you sewing this for?"
Shen Tingyi instinctively looked at her brother beside her, clearly unsure how to answer.
Shen Tingwen's face was also a little pale, but he quickly put on a smiling face. "Third sister wanted to learn needlework, so I'm practicing with her! In the past, when we didn't have clothes, we'd alter Grandma Liu's or Eldest Brother's clothes to fit us and sew them ourselves."
As he spoke, his expression dimmed, as if recalling past days, and he became inexplicably melancholic.
Seeing this, Li Yue Shu's heart ached.
These children were all smart, except for A Yu, and they were all old enough to remember.
No matter how well she treated them, their past dark history was a reality.
Li Yue Shu's heart softened, and she instinctively wanted to pull the two little ones into her arms to comfort them.
But as soon as she bent her knees, before her arms were fully extended, she suddenly realized.
Something was wrong. If they were really learning needlework, why would they be sneaking around?
This little brat was indeed a smiling fox!
Li Yue Shu retracted her hand and looked at the two of them with a stern expression. "I'll ask again, why are you sewing this?"
She had a general idea of what these two little ones were up to, but she still wanted them to admit it themselves.
Since she had decided to raise the children well, even if their nature was inherently wicked, she had to teach them to discern right from wrong.
Shen Tingwen wanted to stick to his story, but meeting Li Yue Shu's gaze, he couldn't utter a single word.
Perhaps Li Yue Shu's expression was too serious, which made the two little ones panic.
Shen Tingyi suddenly dropped what she was holding and ran over to grab her sleeve. "Mother, I'll tell you the truth, please don't be angry. We... my second brother and I... we want to pretend to be ghosts to scare Grandma Zhao..."
Shen Tingyi's voice grew softer and softer, until it was barely audible.
Li Yue Shu wore an expression of "as expected."
Seeing their nervous and flustered looks, she sighed with a hint of helplessness. "It's a good idea, but..."
Her words made the two little ones instinctively look up, their eyes wide with shock, as if they thought they were hallucinating.
Li Yue Shu crouched down, meeting their gaze. "You're only five years old. Neither your height nor your strength would allow you to complete a flawless plan without anyone noticing. What would you do if you were discovered?"