Seeing Xiao Xitian sitting in the carriage, Jin Xiaolou's face lit up with joy. He ran and skipped towards her, "Sister Xitian!~"
Although Jin Xiaolou was dark and thin, his features were very delicate, especially his golden curly hair, which attracted a lot of attention…
Xiao Xitian quickly jumped off the carriage and took out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat from his brow. "Brother Xiaolou, why did you come all the way here? You're not familiar with this place. What if you get lost!~"
Jin Xiaolou grinned foolishly, "I, I came to pick up Sister Xitian…"
Yun Daman: "???"
Does your sister need you to pick her up? httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
Fortunately, Young Master Xiao didn't see this scene, otherwise, that boy would have been so angry he'd pass out…
"I'm fine, no need to pick me up!" Xiao Xitian sighed helplessly. "Hurry up and get in the carriage, your shoes are already worn out!~"
She pushed Jin Xiaolou into the carriage and tidied up the wooden barrels for milk inside, making space for him to sit.
"Sister Xitian, I'll help you deliver milk tomorrow!" Jin Xiaolou suddenly said.
Xiao Xitian was stunned for a moment. She casually took out a pair of old Beijing cloth shoes from her space. "You change into these shoes first and see if they fit. I can deliver the milk myself, so don't trouble yourself. If you're free at home, help my father with some chores, like fetching water, chopping wood, or cleaning the pigsty. There's a lot of miscellaneous work. Here, stretch out your foot…"
Xiao Xitian slipped one cloth shoe onto his foot and asked, "How is it, is it tight?"
Jin Xiaolou was deeply moved, feeling as if Xiao Xitian was radiating light, like the Bodhisattva Guanyin…
"They, they fit perfectly!~" Jin Xiaolou lowered his head, his cheeks faintly flushed.
Xiao Xitian then helped him put on the other shoe and sat down next to him. "Also, when it snows heavily in winter, my father is old and cannot climb up and down to clear the snow, so you'll have to help him. In summer, when we plant wheat and corn, there's even more work in the fields. You have to go to the fields before dawn. If you can endure this hardship, your parents won't mistreat you…"
Jin Xiaolou understood Sister Xitian's meaning. Besides, Aunt Gu had already told him that since he chose to stay with the Yun family, he couldn't be idle. He had to help with chores both inside and outside the house.
"Mhm, mhm, I know!~" Jin Xiaolou nodded, a tear flashing in his eyes.
Yun Daman, holding his dry pipe, glanced back at them. Did he feel like Young Master Xiao had a competitor?
And judging by how clingy Jin Xiaolou was, it was likely to make Young Master Xiao feel threatened…
As expected, when Xiao Xitian returned home, Xiao Jinheng dragged her to the backyard. His little face was so dark it was about to drip ink.
"You stinky brat, what are you doing?" Xiao Xitian asked.
Xiao Jinheng sniffled and glanced towards the latrine. Why did the backyard smell so bad today?
"Little village child, did that Jin Xiaolou boy go to the county town with you?" Xiao Jinheng said with a stern face.
He had taken Kong Xingzhuo, Xiao Ying, and Xiao Jun to buy a carriage that morning and didn't know what had happened at home…
Xiao Xitian blinked her big eyes. "We picked him up on the way!~"
"Picked him up?" Xiao Jinheng narrowed his eyes. "And then you bought him a pair of shoes, right?"
Hmph, he had seen it. The shoes Jin Xiaolou was wearing when he ran into the courtyard were clearly new…
That boy didn't have a single copper coin on him, so he couldn't afford shoes.
Xiao Xitian: "……"
Why was this brat acting so passive-aggressive? Was he jealous?
"I gave them to Brother Xiaolou!~" Xiao Xitian curled her lips.
When Xiao Jinheng heard this, his hair almost stood on end with anger. "What do you call him? Brother Xiaolou?"
This girl's heart was getting more and more wicked.
When she called him, it was always "stinky brat," but she called Jin Xiaolou "brother." She, she was clearly doing it on purpose…
"Stinky brat, you're not that petty, are you?" Xiao Xitian glanced at him sideways. "Brother Xiaolou's shoes were already in tatters. What's wrong with me giving him a pair? The weather is getting colder, what if his feet get frostbitten?~"
Since he was a child living in their house, Xiao Xitian couldn't just ignore him.
Even if she didn't give Jin Xiaolou shoes, her mother and Sister Shanshan would have made him a pair…
"Then, then why didn't you give this young master shoes?" Xiao Jinheng asked in a muffled voice.
When Xiao Xitian heard this, she pointed at Xiao Jinheng's little feet and chuckled, "Stinky brat, these little boots of yours with gold trim are worth at least twenty pairs of cloth shoes. Why are you arguing with him about this?"
Even though Xiao Jinheng lived in the countryside, his food, clothing, and daily expenses were all the best, no less than that of a young master from a noble family in the capital…
Xiao Jinheng stomped his foot. "This young master wants cloth shoes. Are you giving them to me or not?"
He was so angry.
Xiao Xitian: "……"
Why was this child so stubborn?
A pair of cloth shoes wouldn't match your brocade robe, it would look too strange.
"Alright, alright!~" Xiao Xitian said with a mix of amusement and exasperation. "Since that's the case, I'll give you a pair. Turn around…"
Xiao Jinheng's face lit up with joy. He quickly turned around and rubbed his little hands.
A moment later, the dignified prince returned to the west wing, shuffling in a pair of cloth shoes. His little boots with gold trim were perfectly thrown into the dung pit.
Xiao Xitian rolled her eyes. This stinky brat, was he really that concerned about a pair of shoes?
If she had known, she would have given him a pair of ten-centimeter high heels and seen if the old emperor would beat him…
At the same time, Xiao Xinling dragged Yun Siman to the west end of the village.
"Siman, Siman, look quickly, I'm dying of laughter, hahaha, my cheeks are sore from laughing, oh my!~" Xiao Xinling pointed ahead, giggling non-stop.
Yun Siman took a closer look and was speechless.
He saw a donkey and a village dog fighting…
The little donkey was in its playful prime, while the village dog was old and grumpy. Thus, the donkey and the dog were locked in a fierce battle.
"Aow, aow!~"
"Woof woof woof!"
The little donkey's leg was bitten, and it kicked its hind legs, sending the village dog flying.
Seeing this, Xiao Xinling almost choked with laughter. "Hahaha, oh my, I can't take it anymore, haha!~"
Yun Siman: "……"
What was so funny about this?
Your sense of humor is too low!
"Si, Siman, I'm laughing so hard, why aren't you laughing?" She pinched him lightly.
Yun Siman: "……"
He really wanted to know if this princess was like this in the palace.
That night, Dashui Village was pitch black. A group of people rode from outside the village, led by the young general Gu Zhenshan.
"Young General, we should have arrived, right?" Steward Cao asked.
The village didn't even have a marker, so they didn't know where they were.
Just then, Du Lao San, who was staggering drunk, walked by. Gu Zhenshan stopped him. "Let me ask, is this Dashui Village?"
Du Lao San looked at Gu Zhenshan with dull eyes and let out a drunken hiccup. "No, no, Dashui Village is far away. Just follow this road straight ahead for ten days to eight days, and you'll get there…"
So, Gu Zhenshan led his subordinates, passed by the old Yun family's house, and galloped towards the next village.