Xiao Xitian was leading the naughty boys towards the main courtyard, with the four dogs bouncing along happily.
"Heavens, there's a garden in this mansion! It's much bigger than my vegetable patch."
"Look at the wall, it's painted with clouds and pigeons, so beautiful!~"
"What pigeons? Those are cranes!"
"......"
Xiao Xitian giggled secretly.
It felt like Grandma Liu visiting the Grand View Garden.
"Sweetie, my young master wants you to come eat fish!~" Kong Xingzhuo walked over with a smile.
Xiao Xitian blinked her big eyes, "Did you add chili?"
The Yun family, regardless of age or gender, loved spicy food.
Only Jin Huaihua and Hu Xier had a delicate palate.
Kong Xingzhuo nodded with a smile, "Yes, Sweetie, hurry over!~"
Otherwise, his young master would get impatient waiting.
"Thank you, Brother Kong!"
Xiao Xitian's eyes curved, and she walked towards the main hall of the main courtyard.
The naughty boys were about to follow when Kong Xingzhuo stopped them, "Young masters, I'm sorry, but my master only invited Sweetie alone!"
Bringing so many children for a meal would be too noisy, and Xiao Jincheng would surely scold him...
"Little Aunt." Yun Jinshan looked a bit disappointed.
It seemed he wouldn't get to drink sweet tea today.
Fu Xiaoqiang and Du Jinqiang also looked dejected.
Without Little Sweetie in their group, the soul was missing.
What was the point of them touring this grand mansion?
Xiao Xitian pursed her lips and looked at Kong Xingzhuo, "Brother Kong, can I bring them along?"
This wasn't her home, after all, so she had to respect the owner's wishes.
Before Kong Xingzhuo could answer, Xiao Jincheng stood at the entrance of the main hall and said indifferently, "Come in, everyone!~"
That little girl, why was she so late?
"Granny Jin, tell the kitchen to bring the fish!~"
"Yes!"
Inside the main hall, two dining tables were set.
Xiao Jincheng and Xiao Xitian shared one table, while Yun Jinshan and the naughty boys shared another.
One fish wasn't enough, so Granny Jin asked the kitchen to stir-fry a few more delicious side dishes.
Steamed buns, flower rolls, and fried dough twists were served generously, and fresh, flavorful egg drop soup was sprinkled with chopped scallions.
The naughty boys could drink three bowls in one go.
"Little village brat, this big fish is all yours. You must eat it all, no wasting."
Xiao Jincheng said arrogantly.
The fish was freshly killed, and the soup was freshly brewed.
Dried chilies and Sichuan peppercorns poured over with hot oil glowed red on the opened fish.
Xiao Xitian took a bite, and her little face instantly turned red.
"It's so spicy!~"
"Cough cough!"
Even though they could eat spicy food, it didn't have to be to this extent.
"Drink some water!" Xiao Jincheng handed her the cooled sweet tea.
Xiao Xitian took a sip, and two beads of sweat trickled down her forehead.
Xiao Jincheng took out a handkerchief and complained, "So useless, can't even handle this much spice."
He reached out to wipe away the sweat drops for Xiao Xitian.
This scene was precisely what the naughty boys saw.
They were collectively furious.
"Look, that kid is taking advantage of Sweetie."
"Yeah, Little Sweetie has hands and feet, why should he wipe her sweat?"
"So shameless, he just wants to marry Sweetie!"
"That won't do, my parents said Little Sweetie is going to be my wife."
"I'm so angry, I'm not eating anymore!~"
The naughty boys quickly finished a few steamed buns and then pulled Xiao Xitian to go see the big black dog.
Old Yun's Family.
Yun Erman went to the county yamen for duty, leaving no one to do the farm work.
Yun Laotou and Yun Daman alone were not enough.
Seeing the weeds almost drowning the crops, Gu Shi was getting anxious.
Daman had sent Erman to the county town, and Yun Laotou was toiling in the fields.
Zhao Guihua was pregnant, so Gu Shi didn't let her do heavy work.
Now, the only ones who could contribute were Huaihua's sisters-in-law and Liu Cuirong...
"Second daughter-in-law, you take Huaihua and Xi'er to the fields and relieve your father."
Gu Shi ordered.
The entire Dashui Village was as hot as a large steamer, and she was worried about her old man suffering from heatstroke.
Liu Cuirong poured a bowl of sugar water and gulped it down.
She wrinkled her nose and said, "Mother, Erman is an official now, why are you still ordering me around?"
Huaihua and Xi'er were young and strong, so why not let them do it?
Mother just didn't like her and found an excuse to send her to the fields.
Gu Shi frowned and reprimanded, "What does Erman being an official have to do with you?"
"As long as you are still the daughter-in-law of the Yun family, you have to work in the fields. We don't support idlers!~"
After speaking, Gu Shi thrust a hoe into Liu Cuirong's arms, "If you don't work, you don't eat. Think about it yourself!~"
Huaihua and Xi'er exchanged glances and covered their mouths, stifling their laughter.
Serves her right!
Liu Cuirong reluctantly took the hoe, her eyes almost rolling to the sky.
"What are you two laughing at? Take this!~"
Liu Cuirong threw the hoe at Hu Xi'er, took out a handful of melon seeds from her pocket, and walked out, cracking them open.
Hu Xi'er snorted coldly, muttering a few curses in her heart.
Yun Laotou finished hoeing a row of weeds, exhausted and sweating profusely.
He took out his tobacco pouch, refilled it with tobacco, and sat in the shade, puffing away...
"Alas! The weather is so hot, and it's not raining. These crops are almost dying of drought!"
Yun Laotou sighed.
Carrying water from the village to irrigate fifty mu of land was as difficult as the Foolish Old Man moving mountains.
The stream at the foot of the mountain had already dried up.
If all the crops in Dashui Village were to survive until autumn harvest, they would need to introduce water from Gougou Lake.
But it was easier said than done.
"Father, what are you doing squatting here?"
Liu Cuirong walked over, her face flushed from the sun, "Mother wants you to go back."
"I'll take Huaihua and Xi'er to clear the remaining weeds!~"
She put on a responsible and capable appearance.
In reality, she had already planned to find a cool spot to sleep once Yun Laotou left.
"Second daughter-in-law, be careful not to pull out the roots of the wheat."
After all the effort to grow so tall, Yun Laotou was quite worried about his impulsive second daughter-in-law.
Liu Cuirong frowned, "Oh, Father, your daughter-in-law also comes from a farming family. If I can't even do this simple task, then I've lived in vain."
Yun Laotou: "......"
You were indeed born into a farming family, but you grew up with a mouth that picks and chooses and a body that is lazy and loves to eat.
Yun Laotou took a couple of puffs of his dry tobacco and gave a few more instructions before heading home.
Liu Cuirong put her hands on her hips and ordered Huaihua and her sister-in-law, "You two go work, I'm a bit tired and want to rest for a while!~"
It was so hot today that she was feeling dizzy.
Hu Xi'er was displeased and retorted, "The old madam asked us to work together, why should you rest?"
A pampered body, a humble fate.
The Yun family wasn't rich yet, and you're already acting like a golden phoenix?
"Hey, you little vixen, you're not even listening to me now?"
Liu Cuirong frowned and said sarcastically, "You were originally a maid in our Yun family. If you have the ability, why don't you buy your freedom!~"
Then you wouldn't have to do hard labor.
"Ah! Ah!" Jin Huaihua cried out twice, signaling them to stop arguing.
Liu Cuirong glared at them, sat down on the ground, and began to doze off...
ps: The author is here!
Hello, dear readers. My family member has been ill recently, and I have to stay by their side and write every day, making updates extremely difficult.
Therefore, I implore readers to be lenient and leave more comments and positive reviews. Every bit of your support is my motivation to write.
Love you all~