"Hey, Da Man, stop stomping so hard, you're crushing the seeds!" Old Man Yun scolded Yun Da Man, seeing he was clumsy at filling the holes.
Yun Da Man chuckled sheepishly, "Dad, if I don't pack it down, the seeds will be washed out when we water..."
"Washed out, my foot! I've been farming my whole life, don't I know how to bury seeds?" Old Man Yun shot him a look, then sat down on the ridge. He glanced towards the village, "Young Master Xiao is truly daring. With his noble status, he wants to live in the countryside. That's truly commendable..."
Yun Er Man smiled, "Dad, I heard from my sister that Young Master Xiao was a prince before, living in the palace since childhood, with fine clothes and plenty to eat and drink. He suddenly came to Dashui Village. Could it be a whim? When he gets tired of this life, will he kick Huai Hua aside and return to the capital to enjoy himself?"
Xiao Jinfeng was, after all, a royal second-generation. How could he spend the rest of his life in the countryside...
"You ask me, who am I going to ask?" Old Man Yun lit his pipe and took a few puffs. "I don't think Young Master Xiao is that kind of person. He didn't even want to be the crown prince. He must be tired of the scheming in the palace. Besides, what's so bad about the countryside? In summer, we can catch fish in the ponds. In autumn, we can pick wild pears and eat dates. In winter, we can squat in the mountains for half a day, and we're sure to catch some game. Isn't that more carefree than the capital..."
Old Man Yun decided that he would never live in the capital unless absolutely necessary... Visiting relatives was fine, but he absolutely couldn't live there permanently.
Jin Xiaolou led the horse-drawn cart over, laden with sacks of seeds. After the cart stopped, he picked up a shovel and diverted the stream from the waterwheel into the furrows.
Old Man Yun smiled and waved to Jin Xiaolou, "Xiaolou, come here, come to your Uncle's spot!" This child is so honest with his work, he doesn't complain even when covered in sweat.
Jin Xiaolou walked over with his shovel, then took off his shoes and scraped the mud off the soles onto the shovel.
"Xiaolou, what do you want to eat tonight? I'll have your sister Huai Hua make it for you!" Old Man Yun ruffled Jin Xiaolou's hair.
Jin Xiaolou grinned, "Whatever Uncle Yun eats, I'll eat too!" Actually, he had been distracted for days, wanting to find an opportunity to bid farewell to his uncle and aunt, but he couldn't bear to leave. He was conflicted...
"What a good young man!" Old Man Yun was extremely fond of him.
"Unc... Uncle!" Jin Xiaolou lowered his head and rubbed the dirt balls on his palms. "I want... I want to help you finish planting, and then I'll leave!" He couldn't rely on his subordinates to find him; that would take too long.
Old Man Yun was slightly taken aback. "You're leaving already? How about we wait until summer when it's not so busy, and Uncle can go with you to find your family?" It wasn't just because Jin Xiaolou was capable and diligent that Old Man Yun was reluctant to see him go, but because the child was thoughtful, observant, and polite at home, so everyone in the family liked him...
"No need, Uncle. I want to go alone!" Jin Xiaolou's voice was a little choked.
Upon hearing this, Da Man immediately became restless and urged him, "Xiaolou, it's chaotic out there. If you go out alone, even if you don't get lost, you'll be snatched by human traffickers. I don't agree with you traveling alone..."
Er Man also strongly objected and chimed in, "If you must go, someone should accompany you. How about this, if I'm not busy after planting, I'll take you out for a bit!"
Just as he finished speaking, a shout came from a dirt road by the ridge, "Second Master, Second Master, something's wrong! Hurry back and take a look! Oh, I'm exhausted..."
Yun Er Man was startled and turned to see a young shop assistant from Yun Gui Workshop running towards them, his clothes soaked with sweat.
"Isn't that Xiao Liu? Why is he here?" Yun Da Man craned his neck.
Seeing this, Old Man Yun patted Er Man, "What are you standing there for? Go ask him what's going on!" This dullard always messes up at critical moments...
Yun Er Man said "Oh," dropped his hoe, and ran over.
"Xiao Liu, why didn't you drive the carriage? Rest for a bit, we'll talk about urgent matters later!" Yun Er Man helped Xiao Liu to the furrow.
Xiao Liu panted, "The carriage was driven by another shop assistant to pick up goods. I ran all the way from the county town..."
"What exactly happened?" Old Man Yun was anxious.
After catching his breath, Xiao Liu looked at Old Man Yun and said, "Old Master, this morning, Shopkeeper Shan Shan was working upstairs and suddenly... suddenly fainted! Oh, she hit her head and started bleeding. She still hasn't woken up..."
As soon as he said this, Yun Er Man's heart suddenly lurched. He rushed to the chestnut horse and unloaded the cart. Old Man Yun was also full of surprise and asked Xiao Liu, "How did she faint? What did Shan Shan eat this morning?"
"She only had a bowl of millet porridge. She didn't eat anything unusual..." Xiao Liu wiped his sweat.
"Did you call a doctor?"
"Yes, the doctor is at the shop now, checking Shopkeeper Shan Shan's pulse!"
Hearing this, Yun Er Man mounted the horse, kicked its belly, and galloped towards the county town...
In front of the Yun family's granary.
Zhuang Lao Er and Yan Dajun, along with two workers, were dismantling the roof. Various wooden materials had been brought in, and the courtyard was filled with all sorts ofๆ็ฉ. The Yun family's extensive construction work was bustling and lively, attracting many onlookers from neighboring villages.
"Look, what is the Yun family up to again?"
"Don't you see? They're building a new large house next door. Perhaps they've made money and the two branches of the family want to split off and live separately!"
"Impossible. I heard that the shops in the county town were all opened with money from their youngest daughter. In the end, those two branches are just working for that little girl."
"Tsk, having money makes you so arrogant. The richer they get, the stingier they become. Selfish and self-serving. They don't even help other villagers!"
"......"
These words were overheard by Sun Lao Han, who happened to be passing by. He poked his walking stick and angrily berated, "What are you gossiping about in front of my house? Go on, go further away, don't be an eyesore!" What nerve, coming to the Yun family's doorstep to get scolded... The onlookers dispersed and returned to their villages. Sun Lao Han snorted and went into the courtyard.
Little Xi Tian and Xiao Jin Heng were also busy. To make the windmills, the two little ones ran around, preparing materials and revising drawings, working with great enthusiasm.