By the banks of Gougou Lake, a large group of children had gathered.
Laughter and cheers carried a considerable distance, drawing the attention of many villagers who stopped to watch.
Yun Jinshan, along with a few mischievous boys, plunged into the water, sending splashes of waves into the air.
They were having a swimming race, with Little Xi Tian serving as the referee.
A few villagers who had been fishing by the bank muttered complaints and headed home with their buckets.
With all this noise, what fish could possibly be caught?
"Are you ready?" Little Xi Tian looked at the mischievous boys with a serious expression.
The rules were simple: whoever swam to the west bank of the lake first would be the champion...
"Little Aunt, hurry up and call start, your nephew promises to make you proud!~"
Yun Jinshan, shirtless, patted his dry chest.
Du Jinqiang's bottom was still sore from his father's spanking, so he didn't dare to enter the water.
He stood on the bank and taunted Yun Jinshan, "Jinshan, don't run out of steam halfway and start crying for your mommy!~"
Upon hearing this, Little Xi Tian glared at him, "My nephew can swim backward faster than your doggy paddle, don't show off!"
As soon as Little Sweet Treasure spoke, Du Jinqiang immediately shut his mouth.
The Qin sisters sat in a wooden boat by the bank, watching the excitement. Chen Xiaoran stood behind Little Xi Tian, acting as the assistant referee.
Fu Xiaoqiang and the others rippled the lake water, preparing for the sprint.
Little Xi Tian raised her small hand and shouted in her tender voice, "Ready, go!~"
At the signal, four "dogs" leaped into the water with a splash and began swimming in a chaotic manner.
The mischievous boys ignored the presence of the dogs and paddled forward with all their might...
Most of them swam with a doggy paddle.
Only Yun Jinshan's posture was a bit more standard.
He chose the breaststroke.
This was something his little aunt had secretly taught him.
The bank erupted with cheers and encouragement.
Qin Yiyi waved her handkerchief and shouted with a flushed face, "Jinshan is the best, Jinshan is the best, go, go, go!~"
Little Xi Tian: "......"
She silently glanced at Qin Yiyi.
With so many children in the water, why was she cheering specifically for her second nephew?
Could it be... she had taken a liking to Jinshan?
Little Xi Tian twitched her lips, feeling like things were starting to go in the wrong direction.
Qin Fenglan listlessly propped her chin, her clear, watery eyes gazing towards the opposite bank of the lake, lost in thought.
Her foot had already stopped swelling, but she couldn't exert too much effort.
For the past few days, she had been following Little Xi Tian around.
"Wow, Brother Jinshan is so amazing, he's already almost to the shore!~"
Qin Yiyi waved her small hands, overjoyed.
Little Xi Tian rolled her big eyes, looking thoughtful.
Yun Jinshan indeed did not disappoint his aunt; he was the first to reach the west bank and became the champion.
As he swam back, the other mischievous boys were still splashing in the water.
When Qin Yiyi had cheered for him earlier, she had been incredibly enthusiastic.
But when Yun Jinshan got out of the water, she became shy.
Little Xi Tian, who saw through it all but didn't say it, chuckled mischievously.
Heh heh, second nephew, you're probably in for some romance...
At this moment, Liu Cuirong and Gao Fengjuan hurried over.
As soon as he saw his mother, Yun Jinshan's fighting spirit instantly vanished.
"Son, have you seen anyone selling fish?" Liu Cuirong asked.
Yun Jinshan shook his head and remained silent.
"You child, why are you suddenly mute!" Liu Cuirong hit him on the back of his head.
Then, she trotted over to the Qin sisters.
Gao Fengjuan, annoyed, fumbled in her embrace and pulled out four osmanthus cakes, following suit.
"Hungry? Here, have some snacks. These were just bought from the county town, they taste very good!~"
Gao Fengjuan's face was gentle, like a kind and benevolent old mother.
The four osmanthus cakes were given to the Qin sisters and Chen Xiaoran, respectively.
Little Xi Tian's share was not forgotten; hers was the largest osmanthus cake.
Liu Cuirong's face darkened; her plan had failed.
She had left in too much of a hurry and forgotten to bring any snacks.
"Thank you, Third Sister-in-law!~" The little girls thanked her politely.
Gao Fengjuan smiled broadly, "You're welcome, you're welcome, there's still plenty at home!"
Liu Cuirong: "......"
Flatterer.
You have a silk shop now, why are you still flattering people?
She felt unbalanced and decided to teach her a lesson.
Liu Cuirong glanced at the lake and saw the group of boys swimming happily. A plan suddenly formed in her mind.
"Hey, Gao Fengjuan, do you dare to compete with me?" Liu Cuirong straightened her back and raised her chin.
She exuded an aura of "I am the fiercest."
Gao Fengjuan glanced at her and sneered, "What does Second Sister-in-law want to compete in?"
Although she was the daughter of a merchant, her physical fitness was no worse than Liu Cuirong's.
The children blinked their eyes and looked at Liu Cuirong.
They all wondered what she was going to compete in.
It wouldn't be jump rope, would it?
That game was only popular among the village girls; boys weren't too fond of it.
Liu Cuirong pointed to a dirt road ahead, "See that half-dead poplar tree over there?"
"Whoever runs there first wins!~"
Hmph, flatterer, you're still too young to compete with her.
Gao Fengjuan gazed over and smiled, "Piece of cake!"
She thought it wasn't that far; it was only about a hundred zhang at most.
Little Xi Tian chuckled softly. She looked at her second sister-in-law, then at her third sister-in-law.
Who would win?
"Mom, can you please go home now?" Yun Jinshan said with a helpless expression.
They were having fun, and his mother had to come and cause trouble.
It made it difficult for him to show off in front of the young ladies.
"Go home for what? Mom is not only going to run, but she's going to win against her!"
Liu Cuirong rolled up her sleeves, full of energy.
Gao Fengjuan gave a wry smile, "Second Sister-in-law, just running like this is boring. Do you dare to make a bet with me?"
"Bet what?" Liu Cuirong was a little confused.
Gao Fengjuan glanced at the Qin sisters and Chen Xiaoran, then lowered her voice, "Whoever wins can get close to them, and whoever loses must stay away!~"
Liu Cuirong: "......"
What kind of bet was this?
Little Xi Tian put her hand to her forehead and sighed.
Alas, having one troublesome sister-in-law at home was already enough.
Now there was a third sister-in-law.
Liu Cuirong pondered for a moment, then gritted her teeth and stomped her foot, "Fine, let's compete!~"
The three sisters, who didn't understand what was happening: "......"
And so, a short-distance sprint began.
Little Xi Tian was still the referee.
With the command of "Go," the two sisters-in-law dashed off.
The villagers gathered around, cheering and laughing heartily.
Oh my, this was a rare and peculiar sight!
Two women were actually competing in a race.
"Hahaha, Village Chief, look at Er Man's wife, she runs like a big duck."
"Hmph! Don't speak nonsense, or the Tiger-Slaying Hero will beat you!~"
The village chief glared at Fu Daqiang, but he himself couldn't help but chuckle.
Liu Cuirong used all her might, her legs churning so fast they were almost tripping, yet she still couldn't outrun Gao Fengjuan...
She had neglected her health over the years, and her physical condition was clearly not as good as Gao Fengjuan's.
She collapsed under the poplar tree, panting heavily, her front and back soaked with sweat.
Gao Fengjuan said triumphantly, "Second Sister-in-law, do you admit defeat?"
If not, she was willing to race again.
Liu Cuirong was extremely dejected and ignored her.
At this moment, a horse-drawn carriage approached with a clatter.
A moment later, Madam Huang lifted the curtain and jumped down.
"Oh, quite lively!"