"Daughter, quickly let Mother have a look!" Gu Shi immediately scooped up her daughter and wiped the tears from her face.
"Mother, I'm fine!" Little Xi Tian hooked her arms around Gu Shi's neck and gave her mother a soft kiss.
Old Man Yun, with his hands behind his back, stretched his head over. "Come, daughter, give your father a kiss too..."
Little Xi Tian blinked her teary eyes, giggled, and also kissed her father.
"Oh, how fragrant!" Old Man Yun's eyes disappeared with joy.
Their little daughter was like the little sun of the family; as soon as she returned, all the great disasters and minor misfortunes of the Old Yun family vanished...
Blessed with good fortune, she was utterly adorable.
Xiao Jin Heng also alighted from the carriage and came over to bow to Gu Shi and Old Man Yun, "Aunt Gu, Uncle Yun, I apologize for making you worry!"
Gu Shi put her daughter down and reached out to rub Xiao Jin Heng's head. "Thank you for taking care of Sweet Baby on the journey, Young Master Xiao. You've worked hard!"
Xiao Jin Heng: "..."
Aunt Gu's words seemed to be reversed.
On this journey, it was clearly the little village child who had taken care of him, roasting lamb legs and eating catfish.
If the little village child hadn't used her mystical powers, they would have starved to death on the mountain...
Granny Jin, along with Ru Yue and Ru Hua, walked over, heads bowed, not daring to speak.
The disappearance of the little prince for so long was also their responsibility.
"Let's go inside, I need to change my clothes!" Xiao Jin Heng glanced at Granny Jin and said lightly.
"Yes, yes..."
With so many guests arriving, the Old Yun family didn't know how to entertain them properly.
Prefect Chen and Magistrate Qin did not enter the courtyard but sat down in front of the viewing stand at the main entrance.
The Er Ren Zhuan performers were ready, with a small band of erhu players, bamboo clappers, sanxian players, suona players, and drummers all in position...
They were just waiting for Yun Da Man to give the order for them to begin their performance.
When Yun Er Man walked through the crowd with Du Tie Shan, everyone was taken aback.
"Who is this woman?"
"I don't know, she looks so refined, with a face full of good fortune!"
"Is she here to perform Er Ren Zhuan?"
"What Er Ren Zhuan? Didn't you see her following Er Man, looking like a dutiful wife?"
"Oh dear, that's bad news, Liu Cui Rong will surely come back and cause trouble..."
Amidst the murmurs, Yun Er Man brought Du Tie Shan to his parents. "Dad, Mom, this is Tie Shan, she... she'll be living with us from now on!"
"What? Tie Bu Shan?" Fu Da Qiang exclaimed.
The crowd burst into laughter.
Du Tie Shan was so embarrassed she fiddled with her fingers.
Gu Shi was quick to react. She took Du Tie Shan's hand and examined her from head to toe. "You must be tired from the journey, come inside first. We have too many guests right now..."
Du Tie Shan nodded and walked into the Yun family courtyard.
The kitchen was already busy, with the sounds of 'crackling' stir-frying.
Zhao Gui Hua stood by the stove, stir-frying garlic sprouts and eggs.
This meal would be eaten below the viewing stand, allowing everyone to listen to Er Ren Zhuan while eating, without any conflict...
"Xi Er, have you trimmed the beans?" Zhao Gui Hua asked.
Hu Xi Er, holding a cucumber, lifted the lid of the bean paste jar, dipped the cucumber in, and took a bite. "Not yet!"
"And have you scooped out the pulp from the gourds?" Zhao Gui Hua looked back at her, planning to steam the gourds later.
"Not yet!" Hu Xi Er continued eating her cucumber.
Zhao Gui Hua: "..."
This girl was becoming more and more unruly. She couldn't boss her around at all anymore.
Zhao Gui Hua was about to retort when Du Tie Shan walked in. She looked at Zhao Gui Hua, then at Jin Huai Hua and Hu Xi Er.
She didn't know which one was Da Man's wife.
So she smiled and said, "I can cook, is there anything I can help with?"
Zhao Gui Hua casually served the stir-fried garlic sprouts and eggs and asked, "You... whose daughter-in-law are you?"
She didn't seem like a village girl!
She had a face like a peach blossom and bright, clear eyes, very beautiful.
"Er Man and I met on the road!" Du Tie Shan said with a smile.
Zhao Gui Hua understood instantly...
So Er Man had brought back a wife from his trip.
Hu Xi Er eyed Du Tie Shan slyly, picked up a large gourd, and handed it to her. "Here, scoop out the pulp cleanly!"
"Xi Er!" Zhao Gui Hua frowned and scolded, "How can you let a guest work? Hurry up and trim the beans, don't be lazy!"
Mother had said that once Sweet Baby returned and things settled down, she would deal with Hu Xi Er...
This little girl was still getting away with her antics, and she'd have to face the consequences later.
"I'll do it!" Du Tie Shan rolled up her sleeves, took the beans and gourds to the slop bucket, and squatted on the ground, working very efficiently.
Zhao Gui Hua looked at her back, a complex expression flashing in her eyes...
The Er Ren Zhuan had already begun, and the Yangge dance troupe had stopped dancing, all sitting down to listen to the performance and eat.
Magistrate Qin took out the roast goose he had bought on the way and handed it to Old Man Yun. "Brother Yun, save this roast goose for drinking!"
"Oh my, your wife has already sent several. We can't possibly eat so many roast geese!" Old Man Yun's face was beaming.
Magistrate Qin smiled faintly. "If you can't eat them all, break them apart and share with the guests..."
"Alright, Magistrate, don't leave. After we're done with the midday rush, we'll have a good drink tonight!"
Magistrate Qin hadn't planned to leave anyway. Since he had finally come to Dashui Village, he definitely had to go fishing, buy some medicinal roots, and have a good stroll.
He would also visit other villages to see if anyone had complained about him to Prefect Chen in the surrounding areas...
After Madam Huang took her seat, her eyes darted around the crowd, searching for Yun Jin Shan's figure.
"Mother, what are you looking at?" Chen Xiao Ran asked.
"Don't talk!" Madam Huang stuffed a meatball into her mouth.
Where had Jin Shan gone?
Madam Xue also watched Madam Huang warily. She knew exactly how much substance this prefect's wife had...
Jin Shan clearly liked her Yi Yi, and this prefect's wife was trying to snatch him away!
In Little Xi Tian's room, bursts of laughter could be heard.
The village boys were all crowded in, looking at Little Xi Tian.
Jin Shan and Jin He also looked at their little aunt, occasionally peeling a candy for her, and occasionally helping her wipe her mouth, doting on her to the heavens.
Qin Yi Yi followed behind Yun Jin Shan, her small hand clutching his clothes. "Brother Jin Shan, I brought you a gift from the prefectural city..."
Yun Jin Shan turned his head. "What gift did you bring?"
As soon as he said this, everyone looked at Qin Yi Yi.
Qin Feng Lan pursed her lips and giggled. Sister was shy!
Qin Yi Yi took out a carved wooden eagle from her small bag. It was somewhat crudely made, not like something bought from a shop.
"I made this myself, it symbolizes the roc spreading its wings, I'm giving it to you!" Qin Yi Yi said shyly.
Yun Jin Shan was flattered, his face turning as red as a big apple.
This was the first time he had received a gift from a girl since he was born...
"Th-thank you, Yi Yi sister. Wait for me, I have a gift for you too!" After saying that, Yun Jin Shan bolted out.
A moment later, he ran back with many exquisite small stones in his clothes. "They're all for you!"
He had originally intended to give them to his little aunt, but he really had nothing presentable to give, so he used the stones he had picked up as a substitute.
Little Xi Tian crunched on the candy.
How come she felt like she hadn't eaten, yet her stomach was already full?
Just then, a shout was heard from outside the Yun family's gate.