Chapter 172 The injuries on his body were indeed inflicted by his stepmother.

Liu Xiulan sighed helplessly when the topic of the stone came up.

“This child is pitiful. His biological mother passed away before the New Year, and Stone’s father remarried. That woman was a widow in the village and happened to have no children. That’s how they ended up as a family.”

Zhang Hongxia glanced around, moved her stool closer to Shu Ying, and lowered her voice.

"That widow's name is Lü Jie. She originally lived in the countryside. Now she's remarried and moved to the military compound with the army. But this child isn't her own. People say that having a stepmother means having a stepfather. Besides, Shi Tou's father, Xiao Xueyi, goes out from time to time. How can two people with no blood relation be put together?"

After she finished speaking, she glanced at the little stone on the playground that hadn't left yet, and shook her head with heartache.

"It's just that we can't say these things too clearly. We feel sorry for the child, but we can't say too much. You can't bring the child to your own home. If you rashly stand up for him, he will be the one who gets hurt in the end."

Ultimately, this child still has to make a living under Lü Jie's care. Every family has its own troubles, but this child has been forced to learn so much at such a young age, which is heartbreaking to think about.

Shu Ying felt a mix of emotions. No wonder that child acted like a little adult at such a young age. He clearly wanted to come and play, but he had to hold back.

"What about Stone's father? Does he know about the child's situation? If she didn't want to in the first place, she could have refused to marry him, but since they're married, she should treat his child well."

Liu Xiulan carefully put away the prescription Shu Ying gave her and took out the pancakes she had made at noon.

"Not everyone has a conscience. Some people say that being a stepmother is difficult. If it were you or me, we might not do any better than her. We can only watch and not say anything more."

Although she was saying something insignificant, she still waved towards the playground.

"Stone, come here quickly."

Hearing someone call him, Shi Tou dropped the branch he was holding and ran over.

Liu Xiulan smiled gently and said, "Go and wash your hands. Auntie has something delicious for you."

Stone looked at the pie in her hand, swallowed hard, but quickly shook his head.

"Thank you, Auntie. I've already eaten at home, I'm not hungry."

Liu Xiulan felt even more distressed: "Auntie made too much at noon and shared it with the neighbors. This is the only one left. It has some minced meat in it. These things don't keep well in the summer. If we don't eat it now, it will go bad. Everyone has some of this stuff. It's not like Auntie gave it to you alone. If you don't believe me, go ask her."

Shi Tou swallowed hard and glanced in the direction of his home. He knew he would be scolded by his stepmother, but he was just too hungry.

He hadn't had a proper meal in three days, let alone a pancake with meat inside, thin and crispy, that smelled delicious.

The little boy couldn't resist the temptation of the meat pie after all, and he nodded, "Thank you, Auntie."

Liu Xiulan led him into the courtyard, and Shu Ying got up to help him wash his hands, taking the opportunity to see the scars on the little guy's arm.

There were no obvious scars, only hive-like marks from being hit with a vine.

There were already several spots on his arms alone, not to mention other places. Shu Ying could also see some through his collar.

Considering the child's self-esteem, Shu Ying didn't ask too many questions, but simply prepared an excuse for him in advance.

"Oh dear, did you get hurt while helping Yangyang? Yangyang's hand is also scraped. Auntie will rinse it with some medicine for you, okay?"

Shi Tou was about to pull his hand back, but seeing that Shu Ying didn't think much of it, he felt relieved.

Upon hearing this, Liu Xiulan and Zhang Hongxia exchanged a glance and simply shook their heads helplessly.

These are the visible scars on the child's body, but what about the unseen ones?

The child's father was away from home most of the year, so he had to live under Lü Jie's roof. Even though it was his own home, he had to be extremely careful in everything he did, as if he were a stranger.

Shu Ying took her cup, which contained pre-filled spiritual spring water, and carefully rolled up the child's sleeves.

"Auntie, please be gentle. If you hurt her, you can tell me."

Little Stone nodded and saw Shu Ying wash him with "medicine".

The water had no taste or color, unlike any medicine he usually saw. The child was skeptical, but he was very obedient.

Shu Ying felt a pang of sadness. What had this child, who was only a few years old, done wrong?

"Stone, you can come to Aunt Liu's house to play often after school. Aunt Liu has lots of delicious food here."

Liu Xiulan held the meat pie in her hand and looked at the child with a smile.

Perhaps because she didn't have children of her own, she couldn't bear to see children suffer.

The little ones are so adorably mischievous, how could adults really bring themselves to discipline them?

Zhang Hongxia gritted her teeth inwardly: "This Lü Jie is simply too much. She doesn't even have a child herself, yet she can't tolerate Shi Tou. What will happen if a child actually pops out of her belly one day?"

She spoke softly, and Liu Xiulan quickly stopped her: "Don't let the child hear what you're saying."

After washing the wound with the spiritual spring water, Shi Tou's pain was indeed greatly reduced. He stared at Shu Ying with bright eyes, feeling that it was very magical.

These were all whipped by my stepmother with a very thin rattan cane last night.

Shu Ying moved very gently, and after rinsing the stone, she carefully applied medicine.

"The wound may itch a bit when it heals tomorrow, so you must resist the urge to scratch it."

Shu Ying squatted down and patted his head, her face full of tenderness: "Auntie wants to thank you for your justice and courage today, for protecting little brother Yangyang and little sister Yueyue. You are the bravest child I have ever met."

Shi Tou was a little embarrassed by the praise. He touched his head with one hand, and his little face turned a little red: "It's nothing. They were the ones who were wrong first. Yueyue and Yangyang did nothing wrong."

Shu Ying took his hand and sat him down, saying earnestly, "It may be a small thing for you, but it is a very important thing for your aunt."

Her expression was serious, and Little Stone felt a sense of accomplishment in being needed. His little heart felt nourished, and his eyes gained a bit more confidence.

Shu Ying continued, "Your younger brother and sister haven't been here for very long, and Auntie has been worried about whether they can adapt to the new environment. Now you are the first to accept them, and in the future, more children will be willing to play with them. So you have helped Auntie a lot."