The street was pitch black, with only a few scattered pedestrians passing by occasionally.
The woman dismounted and stopped a passerby. "Excuse me, sir, do you know of a family surnamed Yun in this vicinity? Someone in their household works at the county yamen..."
The passerby sized up the woman's attire.
She had a pretty face, though her clothes were a bit tattered. Her hair was simply tied back, and her face was travel-worn.
He figured she must have come from out of town.
The passerby replied, "My surname is Yun, but I've never worked at the county yamen!"
The woman: "..."
What a useless thing to say. How could he compare to the person she was looking for?
That person was tall and handsome, with sculpted features like an ancient carving, incredibly good-looking.
And then there was this guy, looking like a giant toad...
The woman snorted coldly and walked away, leading her horse.
The passerby scratched his head, utterly bewildered.
That damned woman, who was she glaring at?
The woman wandered around the street for another loop. It was too late, so she directly found an inn to rest for the night...
Since she had found her way here, she was determined to find the person.
If all else failed, she would inquire at the county yamen.
Meanwhile, the guests at the Yun family's house were nearly all gone.
Ever since the landslide and their move to Fu Daqiang's house, the villagers had helped their family quite a bit.
Therefore, this meal should have been hosted much earlier...
A few women from the village stayed behind to help clear the dishes and clean the courtyard.
After eating her fill, Liu Cuirong hugged Yun Xiaobao and went back to sleep.
In the main room, Xiao Jinheng, holding a jar of jam, watched as Xiao Xitian drew.
Aunt Gu had just said that she wanted him to stay a bit longer, likely to say something.
"Xi'er, quickly pour some tea for Young Master Xiao!" Gu Shi said with a smile.
Xiao Jinheng waved his hand. "No need to trouble yourself. Aunt Gu, please just say what you need to say!"
He was too young to drink too much tea.
This was what the little village boy had told him...
Old Man Yun, having had a bit too much to drink, sat groggily before the kang table and let out a burp. "That... Young Master Xiao, *burp*, I wanted to ask, how should we, we divide the property deeds for our two families?"
The two families lived in the same large courtyard and were no longer strangers, but the property deeds still needed to be clearly separated.
Xiao Jinheng raised an eyebrow, a flicker of complexity in his eyes.
Seeing this, Gu Shi quickly explained, "Young Master Xiao, you don't need to overthink it. Apart from this large tiled house, our family doesn't want anything else..."
This was also why Old Man Yun had insisted on moving bricks and using his own materials back then.
If they had to rely on Xiao Jinheng for everything ready-made, they wouldn't have the nerve to ask him for anything.
Xiao Xitian raised her little head, glanced at Xiao Jinheng, and then continued to draw.
She knew that the brat would eventually leave Dashui Village.
This large house was just a temporary residence.
There was no point in staying here.
As for the property deeds, they were worthless to him.
But since her parents had made their intentions clear, it would prevent future criticism from the villagers...
It wouldn't be good if they were labeled as greedy and materialistic later on.
Xiao Jinheng touched the jar in his hand and smiled faintly. "Why should Aunt Gu and Uncle Yun be so meticulous about it?"
"It was I who strongly advocated for our two families to live together. In the future, living together in this courtyard, eating together, and drinking water from the same well will be more convenient, won't it?"
"As for the property deeds and land deeds, I don't need such things. Just put all the names under Yun Xitian..."
He intended to give this entire large house to Xiao Xitian.
Upon hearing this, Old Man Yun and Gu Shi were stunned.
Had they heard correctly? Such a large house, complete with a backyard, was really being given to their youngest daughter by Young Master Xiao?
"Young... Young Master Xiao, this, this isn't quite right!" Old Man Yun mumbled, looking troubled.
This was taking advantage of him.
Xiao Jinheng pursed his lips and smiled. "I like doing this, and I'm willing to give it to her. For now, consider me a guest staying at your home. Please take good care of me in the future!"
Xiao Xitian: "..."
With the brat's actions, she didn't know how to respond.
"I don't want it!" Xiao Xitian put down her charcoal pencil and protested.
What good would such a large house be to her?
Didn't Father and her brothers work so hard carrying bricks and logs back then precisely to avoid gossip...
The brat, on the other hand, was directly giving away the entire residence. She dared not accept it.
Xiao Jinheng patted her head. "Take it if I give it to you!"
Xiao Xitian: "..."
I don't want it!
Her little face was puffed out, as cute as a pufferfish.
Xiao Jinheng couldn't help but laugh. "Tomorrow, I'll have people go to the county yamen to process the land deed, and then we'll hang up the 'Yao Men Zhi Jia' plaque. I'll be honored as well!"
Gu Shi was about to say something else when Xiao Jinheng stood up, yawned, and said, "I'm sleepy. Aunt Gu and Uncle Yun, you should also rest early..."
After Xiao Jinheng left, a long silence fell upon the room.
Finally, Gu Shi carried her daughter to the kang and sighed. "From now on, our daughter is the head of the family. Your mother and I are truly fortunate to follow you!"
"Mother!" Xiao Xitian's lips pouted high. "I'm not the head of the family!"
She was still a baby...
"Let's go to sleep early. We still have to go up the mountain to gather wild goods tomorrow!" Old Man Yun pushed the kang table to the head of the kang, patted the quilt, and lay down at the head of the kang.
This was their first time sleeping in the new house.
As soon as she heard they were going into the mountains to gather wild goods tomorrow, Xiao Xitian instantly became less sleepy.
There were many ripe mushrooms, wood ear fungus, and monkey head mushrooms in her space, and they would rot if not taken out soon...
"Mother, can I also go up the mountain?" Xiao Xitian asked.
"Of course, you can. Go to sleep early. Xiao Ran is already fast asleep!"
Chen Xiaoran slept in the same room as Xiao Xitian. After dinner, she had fallen into a deep sleep like a little pig.
Huang Shi had sent a letter yesterday, intending to pick up Chen Xiaoran.
This girl was sleeping early and waking early, conserving her energy, and was planning to have a good cry...
The next morning, Jin Huaihua prepared breakfast, and the family gathered around the table to eat.
There was plenty of leftover lamb from last night. Jin Huaihua washed a head of cabbage and stewed it with the lamb, making a delicious and savory dish.
She also mixed in some stir-fried dishes and stir-fried them together. Unexpectedly, they turned out to be surprisingly tasty...
Some dishes didn't have much flavor the first time they were eaten, but after reheating, they became more flavorful.
Take the pork and sauerkraut stew, for example. It contained sauerkraut, blood sausage, frozen tofu, pork belly, and large bones.
The sauerkraut, stewed for the first time, was crisp and a bit sour. The second time it was eaten, it softened, and the texture was completely different...
"Da Man, Er Man, get the sacks and everything. Also, bring scissors and a sickle. If we don't find any wild goods, we'll dig up some dandelions and make dumplings!" Old Man Yun said.
The dandelions at this season were a bit old. Eaten with dipping sauce, they were dry and tough. They were most suitable for chopping up and making dumplings...
"Dad, everything is ready. We'll leave after breakfast!" Yun Da Man said with a smile.
So, after breakfast, Old Man Yun and Gu Shi took Xiao Xitian, Da Man, Er Man, Jin Shan, Jin He, and Chen Xiaoran up the mountain.