"Huh? Sister, why are you here? It's hot outside, don't get heatstroke!~" Yun Daman walked over and reached out to wipe the sweat from his sister's face.
Little Xi smiled sweetly and said, "We're here to help Dad and brother cut cabbage..."
"Oh, no, no, there are big green caterpillars in the vegetable patch, and the knives are sharp. Hurry back!"
Alas, his sister was only five years old and already helping with chores.
Old Man Yun smiled and said, "There's sweet cane in the field over there, go dig up some sweet cane to eat!~"
What right did he have to order around the daughters of Prefect Chen and Magistrate Qin...
Little Xi pouted, "Okay, Xiaoran, Fenglan, Yiyi, let's go break off some sweet cane to eat!"
So, the four little dumplings and five dogs went into the cornfield.
Old Man Yun shook his head with a chuckle.
With both sons and daughters in the family, his life was complete...
"Second brother, when are you planning to get married to Sister Shanshan?" Yun Siman asked casually.
It was indeed a bit improper to stay at the Old Yun family's house like this.
If Yun Erman truly liked her, he should at least give her a proper status.
"This matter, this matter still depends on Mom and Dad's opinion!~" Yun Erman glanced at his father and mumbled.
He was already married once, so he didn't want a big ceremony...
Just have a few tables of food and invite the villagers for a drink, unlike his first marriage, which had gongs and drums and a sedan chair.
Old Man Yun sighed, picked up a stone, and scraped the mud off the cleaver. "I think that girl Shanshan is very good. She's quick with her work and speaks well. The meal this morning was so thoughtful, with millet porridge and egg cake. Cui Rong couldn't even lift the slop bucket with both hands before, but Shanshan lifted it with one hand. She works harder than the men..."
Old Man Yun put down the cleaver, took out his tobacco pouch, and took a couple of puffs. "I have no objections. It's hard to find such a good daughter-in-law even with a lantern. Your mother shouldn't have any complaints either!~"
Yun Sanman heard this, stood up, and patted the head of the big white horse. "Then what are you waiting for, second brother? Hurry up and set a date, so I can start preparing. This time, let's find those yangge dancers again and have them dance for two days and two nights, haha..."
After the family got the big white horse, the jujube-red horse could rest.
These two big horses had a very good relationship, one male and one female. As long as the big white horse went out to work, the jujube-red horse would trot over.
Yun Erman scratched his head. "I'll go back and ask Mom first!~"
"Second brother, let me tell you, Shanshan is a good person, much better than Liu Cuirong. You must treat her well in the future, don't be so noisy and shout all the time, understand..." Yun Daman reminded him.
Yun Erman couldn't help but laugh and cry. "Oh, elder brother, I know!"
Actually, he wasn't bad to Liu Cuirong before, but that dead woman wasn't worth doting on. No matter how well he treated her, it was all in vain...
In the Yun family courtyard, Du Tieshan found the dirty clothes in the house and threw them into a large basin.
She also took down the curtains, quilts, and pillowcases, planning to wash them thoroughly.
Zhao Guihua stood at the door and glanced at her, then turned back into the house...
"If she wants to do it, let her. Can't stop her!~" Zhao Guihua picked up Yun Xiaozhu, unbuttoned her clothes, and breastfed him.
The name Xiaozhu was given by the village chief, hoping he would become the pillar of the Old Yun family in the future.
Yun Xiaobao ran to the door with his short legs. Seeing his aunt breastfeeding, he turned and ran into the courtyard...
"Are you my stepmother?" Yun Xiaobao stood behind Du Tieshan and asked in a milky voice.
Du Tieshan was startled and looked back. She saw a doll-like child blinking his bright eyes at her.
Du Tieshan smiled slightly, rubbed her wet hands on her clothes, then bent down and picked up Yun Xiaobao. "Do you like me?"
Yun Xiaobao was a little confused and pouted, "I don't know. Will my stepmother be lazy and eat, and constantly crack melon seeds like my mother?"
When Liu Cuirong was mentioned, Yun Xiaobao felt no sadness or longing...
He felt that the beautiful stepmother in front of him looked more pleasing to the eye.
Du Tieshan couldn't help but laugh and kissed his chubby little face. "I don't like cracking melon seeds!~"
"Oh!" Yun Xiaobao scratched his face. "Then what can my stepmother do?"
"Me? I can shoot arrows, and I can make small toys. Do you want to learn?" Du Tieshan winked at him.
"Wow, really!~" Yun Xiaobao was overjoyed.
His stepmother could actually shoot arrows...
This was too cool.
"I want to learn, I want to learn!" Yun Xiaobao had completely become a little fan.
Du Tieshan looked around and saw a hunting bow and arrow hanging in the storage room. Although the exterior was old, the bowstring was very sturdy.
"See that wooden stake over there?" Du Tieshan nocked an arrow onto the bowstring.
Yun Xiaobao jumped up and down happily. "Uh-huh, I see it!~"
Then, with a 'whoosh,' the sharp arrowhead broke through the air and accurately lodged itself in the wooden stake...
Seeing this, Yun Xiaobao's eyes sparkled with little stars.
His mother Liu Cuirong never knew how to do these things. Let alone drawing a bow and shooting arrows, she couldn't even lift a slop bucket.
"Xiaobao is too young. I'll make you a smaller bow and arrow another day, okay?" Du Tieshan rubbed his head.
"Okay!~"
Zhao Guihua stood by the window with Xiaozhu in her arms and watched for a while. After coaxing the child to sleep, she went to the main house...
Madam Gu was chatting with Madam Xue and Madam Huang. The conversation eventually turned to the General of Jingbei's mansion.
Madam Xue lived in the prefectural city and often heard gossip from the capital.
Since it was just casual chat, she added a few more words. "I heard that after the old General of Jingbei died, his wives and concubines all dispersed. In the vast General's mansion, only his youngest son remained. Now, the Young General has married six wives, but none of them can conceive. The Young General is over forty, yet he has no sons or daughters. Oh, his life is so miserable..."
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's expression changed slightly, and she didn't reply.
She busied herself pouring herself a cup of tea and took a gentle sip.
Madam Huang asked, "Is there something wrong? I heard that if women have gynecological problems, they can't have children!~"
"So, all six wives and concubines of the Young General have gynecological problems?" Madam Xue retorted.
Madam Huang looked puzzled. "Then what's going on? Is their family cursed with something?"
Madam Xue shook her head. "We don't know. It's said that after the concubines drove the Young Miss out of the house, the General's mansion has been repeatedly unlucky. I suspect they are cursed..."
Madam Xue glanced at Madam Gu, then withdrew her gaze. "It's said that the Young General is now searching the world for his sister. I don't know where that Young Miss ran off to back then. Was she sold by human traffickers, or did she starve to death on the street? No one knows!~"
"Oh, such a young girl, driven out of the house, could she have a good ending? It's truly wicked!~" Madam Huang sighed.
Hearing this, Madam Gu looked out the window, then silently lowered her head...