A rumble of thunder was followed by a drizzle of rain.
Old Man Yun lamented, looking up at the sky, "Oh dear, why is it raining all of a sudden?"
The rain itself was not an issue; it would bring some coolness.
However, the loose stones and mud on the mountain were about to come crashing down...
Even with the slope protection in place, it couldn't withstand such an impact.
Little Xi Tian also glanced at the sky with a dejected expression.
It seemed heaven itself was against her!
"Everyone, let's go back inside to take shelter from the rain!" suggested Mrs. Gu.
Yun Da Man smiled and said, "Mother, this little rain is nothing, it won't delay our work..."
"Yes, it was so sunny earlier, I was just hoping for some coolness!" Yun Er Man, while gnawing on a chicken leg, continued his work.
Yun San Man was also one who could endure hardship.
He didn't mind the dirt or the fatigue. Like his elder brothers, he took off his outer shirt and worked bare-chested.
Granny Jin instructed Ru Yue and Ru Hua to boil water for tea for the Yun family...
Little Xi Tian silently chanted: Retreat, great rain, retreat.
If she, with her koi-like physique, couldn't even deal with a single dark cloud, how embarrassing would that be!
Heaven seemed to have heard Little Xi Tian's prayer.
After a brief drizzle, the sky indeed cleared up...
Yun Xiao Bao burst into laughter, "Haha, little aunt is amazing, she chased away that dark cloud!"
"Yes, it's truly uncanny!" Liu Cui Rong said with a wry smile.
Since her little sister-in-law was so capable, why didn't she just move the mountain away?
Perhaps her cultivation was still too shallow.
As the dark clouds dispersed, the scorching sun reappeared, radiating suffocating heat...
"Mother, I'm too hot, I need to go back and lie down for a bit!"
Liu Cui Rong, without waiting for Mrs. Gu's consent, picked up Yun Xiao Bao and headed down the mountain.
Mrs. Gu hadn't expected her to work anyway; she just loitered around, not helping with anything.
"Second daughter-in-law, go back and light the stove, boil some hot water!"
The weather was so hot, and the family had worked all day; a hot bath upon returning would relieve their fatigue...
Liu Cui Rong rolled her eyes, "Mother, ask eldest sister-in-law to boil the water. I think I'm suffering from heatstroke, *cough*!"
After saying that, she deliberately feigned nausea.
Mrs. Gu: "..."
This blockhead was becoming lazier by the day.
Now that the eldest daughter-in-law was pregnant, she couldn't do any heavy work.
Liu Cui Rong, however, refused to share any of the household chores.
"Mother, you're so lazy!" Yun Xiao Bao said disdainfully.
"Mother, aren't you afraid Grandma will kick you out?"
"Shut up!" Liu Cui Rong nudged him. "I am your mother, you are not allowed to say such things in the future!"
This little brat, calling her lazy.
What was so good about working?
Your back and legs would ache, and who would care for you?
The slope protection work proceeded smoothly. By dusk, the Yun family had completed the dredging and piling...
A large net now covered the mountainside, catching the sliding debris.
Old Man Yun wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled, "This should be enough, right?"
Little Xi Tian nodded, "It's not dangerous for now!"
They could start demolishing the old house tomorrow.
Old Man Yun pinched Little Xi Tian's nose, "Your idea is the best, daughter. We saved a lot of money this time..."
They weren't a wealthy family, so they didn't need to buy all new materials for building the house.
Old bricks and tiles were perfectly fine.
The sky was ablaze with the setting sun, with light red clouds floating in the distance.
Tomorrow would be another fine day.
The Yun family didn't need to prepare dinner; Xiao Jin Heng had already instructed Granny Jin to send some over.
The donkey meat steamed dumplings from lunch were completely devoured by the entire family.
This time, Xiao Jin Heng had asked the kitchen to make lamb pies...
Three to five wouldn't be enough, as the Yun family was large and had big appetites.
Xiao Jin Heng had the cook make fifty lamb pies in one go.
They were thin-skinned with generous fillings, and they also sent many tea eggs and sticky rice cakes...
"My heavens, this is too much!" Yun Er Man's cheeks were bulging, having already eaten three pies.
They tasted so good!
The flavor was simply exquisite.
Better than what Sister Gui Hua made.
Little did they know, those who served Xiao Jin Heng were imperial chefs from the palace...
Let alone pies, he could even prepare a Manchu-Han Imperial Feast.
If only there were ingredients.
Yun San Man also ate until his mouth was greasy, at a loss for words of praise.
He just kept repeating, "Delicious, delicious, so delicious."
Old Man Yun sat at the dining table, sipping his wine with a tea egg.
Despite being tired, he felt content.
True feelings were revealed in times of hardship.
His family should be like this from now on...
A carriage arrived outside the gate, and a moment later, Gao Feng Juan alighted with her son, Gao Jing De.
She had come to find Yun San Man to return to the county town.
"Feng Juan, you haven't eaten yet, have you? Come, have a lamb pie and a tea egg!" Mrs. Gu said calmly.
Gao Feng Juan couldn't eat lamb; it was too gamey.
Just the smell of it made her want to vomit.
"No, no. San Man, come out with me for a moment!"
Gao Feng Juan tugged at Yun San Man, who was busy eating...
"What for? Can't you say whatever it is in front of your parents?" Yun San Man pushed her away impatiently.
Gao Feng Juan was furious, hands on her hips, she said, "I'm telling you to come home, did you hear me?"
He was Gao family's live-in son-in-law; what was he doing working at the Yun family's place?
Yun San Man frowned, "I'll go back after the house is demolished. You can leave!"
So annoying.
Gao Feng Juan had been looking at the shop all afternoon and had a fire brewing in her heart...
Seeing Yun San Man treat her like this, Gao Feng Juan let out a furious yell, "Yun Lao San, you're not human!"
"You can just abandon our family's shop and tell me to watch it? What makes you so special?"
"The Yun family is your home, but mine isn't?"
"Are you just going to watch the shop go to ruin?"
Yun San Man: "..."
This shrew, why was she acting like a shrew?
He had helped the Gao family with their business for so many years, couldn't he help his own family for a couple of days?
"Hmph, I see clearly now. The Gao family would starve without me!"
Yun San Man poured himself a cup of wine and drank it in one gulp.
"What did you say?" Gao Feng Juan was struck by lightning, "Yun Lao San, you think too highly of yourself!"
"My father has been running the silk shop for so many years, have you seen anyone starve to death?"
"Don't think you're superior just because you can read and write. Our Gao family can live comfortably without you..."
Gao Feng Juan really wanted to slap him twice.
Now that he had grown wings, with Little Tian Bao's blessing on the Yun family, he felt he was capable.
When he first became a live-in son-in-law, how humble and obsequious was he?
Yun San Man, too lazy to bother with her, said, "In a few days, the family will be building a new house. I plan to allocate three hundred taels of silver from the shop!"
"What did you say?"
Gao Feng Juan's eyes widened, and she grabbed Yun San Man by the collar, "What are you spending money on? To build a house for them?"
He's gone mad, this damn man must be insane...
Yun San Man frowned and shoved her away, "I'm not discussing this with you. This is decided!"
"Yun Lao San, may you die a terrible death!"
Gao Feng Juan roared and lunged at him...