Xu Lao'er had grown considerably more weathered. As a middle-aged man supporting a household, he was exhausted every day.
"I wonder how that unfilial brat managed to keep going back then."
Only after working at the mine for two years had he understood how terrifying it was. It was not just exhausting; there was also the risk of being buried in a tunnel at any moment.
That was the most frightening part.
He had witnessed several mining disasters, and his legs had gone weak with terror. He had fled several times, only to grit his teeth and return because he had no money.
Only now did he remember how difficult things had been for his son Xu Yang at such a young age. Not only had the boy needed to support his younger sister, but Xu Lao'er had occasionally sponged off him and stripped him of his earnings, too. After collecting his wages for the month, he dragged his exhausted body into the courtyard.
Zhang Cuiting sat in the courtyard cracking melon seeds. When she saw Xu Lao'er return, she hurried over. "How much did you get paid?"
Xu Lao'er had grown considerably more weathered, but with him supporting her, she had no need to work. She had barely aged over the past two years, though her complexion had become much more sallow. She had long since moved on from her son Yang Jun's death, too.
"I'm hungry. Is dinner ready?"
Seeing that Zhang Cuiting's first concern was how much he had been paid rather than whether he was tired, Xu Lao'er felt a chill of sorrow in his heart.
"I asked how much you got paid!" Zhang Cuiting snapped impatiently. "These hands of mine aren't meant for cooking."
She had spent every last coin her late husband had left