"Si Man?"
Old Man Yun's face was filled with excitement, his eyes brimming with anticipation and eagerness.
He had caught a fleeting glimpse of the young man in the crowd and was certain this was his youngest son, lost for many years.
High nose bridge, square face, thick eyebrows, large eyes, resolute and handsome.
He couldn't be mistaken.
But when the young man turned around, both of them froze.
"How... how is it you?" Old Man Yun frowned, his face etched with deep disappointment. He flung the other's sleeve away.
"Dad!" Yun San Man was taken aback, his eyes sparkling. "How did you end up here?"
The third and fourth sons looked very alike, no wonder Old Man Yun had mistaken him.
After a long absence, Yun San Man had become even more refined.
Despite wearing coarse linen and a simple wooden hairpin in his hair bun, his demeanor still exuded nobility and charm.
Years ago, when he became a live-in son-in-law to the Gao family, he was just a dusty village boy.
Old Man Yun snorted coldly and turned to leave.
"Hey, Dad, where are you going? Where's Mom?" Yun San Man hurried after him.
Old Man Yun ignored him and walked directly towards the carriage.
"Dad, are Eldest Brother and Second Brother doing well?" Yun San Man asked as he walked.
"I am not your father!" Old Man Yun shot him a glance, his face dark. "Ever since you entered the Gao family, I am no longer your father."
Upon hearing this, Yun San Man sighed deeply.
He quickened his steps and blocked Old Man Yun. "Dad, why can't you get over this?
Back then, I became a live-in son-in-law, eagerly trying to please Feng Juan, all for the sake of helping our family!"
Yun San Man was indeed not an ungrateful person.
When he was still in Feiyan Village, he sent money and food home every festival.
Chickens, ducks, fish, meat, white flour, and rice were countless.
However, Old Man Yun was too stubborn and refused to accept a single cent.
"Move aside, don't block the way!" Old Man Yun pushed Yun San Man aside and walked expressionlessly to the carriage.
Yun Jin He was the first to see Yun San Man and waved excitedly. "Third Uncle, Third Uncle!"
"Oh my, my eldest nephew has grown so big!" Yun San Man said with a smile, reaching out to ruffle Yun Jin He's hair.
Madam Gu, sitting in the carriage, said joyfully, "Third child?"
"Mom!" Yun San Man's eyes welled up with tears as soon as he saw his mother.
But when he noticed the little baby in his mother's arms, he held back his tears.
"Mom, whose child is this?"
Madam Gu smiled faintly. "It's your sister, Little Sweet Treasure!"
"Gaga!~" Little Xi Tian waved her little hands, her large, clear eyes incredibly cute, captivating Yun San Man.
"This, this is my sister?" Yun San Man's face lit up with joy. He leaned in to tease Little Xi Tian.
He and Gao Feng Juan had a child after two years of marriage.
Who knew that after birth, it was still a boy.
He never expected his mother, at her age, to give birth to such a sweet and adorable baby sister.
Yun Da Man and Yun Er Man exchanged glances and grinned foolishly.
"Ah ah!" Little Xi Tian grabbed Yun San Man's face twice.
Her soft little hands were smooth and tender, and her small body exuded a milky fragrance.
Yun San Man couldn't resist and picked her up. "Little Sweet Treasure, I'm your Third Uncle. Come, call out to me!"
Little Xi Tian blinked her eyes, her small mouth opening and closing, giggling.
Madam Gu chided, "You have no sense of propriety. Your sister is just over a month old, how can she talk? Give her to me quickly!"
Saying that, Madam Gu took her daughter back.
"Mom, our family has also come to escape the famine. Feng Juan and the others are resting at the inn. Do you want to go see them?" Yun San Man asked with a smile.
Madam Gu glanced at Old Man Yun and shook her head. "No, we're going to find your Second Uncle in Dashui Village. After we settle down..."
"San Man, what are you doing here?"
Madam Gu's words were interrupted by a woman dressed in a satin damask dress.
She was fair-skinned, holding an embroidered handkerchief, and walked gracefully.
"Feng Juan? You, why are you here?" Yun San Man was a little embarrassed.
Gao Feng Juan ignored Yun San Man and glanced at the Yun family.
Finally, her gaze fell on Madam Gu and Old Man Yun, and she nodded slightly. "Dad, Mom!"
Just as Madam Gu was about to speak, Liu Cui Rong jumped down from the carriage and enthusiastically took Gao Feng Juan's hand. "Oh my, Third Sister-in-law, you're getting younger and more beautiful."
Gao Feng Juan twitched the corners of her mouth and pulled her hands away with disdain.
Although she wasn't familiar with Liu Cui Rong, she knew what kind of person she was.
Liu Cui Rong didn't notice her disgust.
She leaned close to Gao Feng Juan's ear and whispered with a sly smile, "Third Brother is strong and energetic, does he 'feed' you very well!"
As the saying goes, no matter how beautiful a woman is, if she is not cherished by a man, she is like a dry flower bud.
Gao Feng Juan's face turned red with shame and anger. She glared fiercely at Liu Cui Rong. "Vulgar, uncouth!"
As expected, she was a crude and low-class village woman.
So poor that even her farts made no sound, and she always talked about matters between men and women.
"Tsk, Third Sister-in-law, why are you getting so worked up? I was just saying!"
"Cui Rong!" Madam Gu shouted angrily, her face as black as a pot.
Liu Cui Rong rolled her eyes.
She had intended to borrow some money from Gao Feng Juan, but her mother-in-law's interruption made her dare not speak.
Yun San Man took out a bank note from his sleeve and handed it to Madam Gu with both hands. "Mom, although this money isn't much, it's enough for the whole family to get by for a while. Please keep it safe!"
Little Xi Tian glanced at the denomination of the bank note, twenty taels, which was quite a lot.
"Take it back, we don't want your money!" Old Man Yun tapped his pipe and turned away, sulking.
Gao Feng Juan furrowed her willow-like eyebrows and reached out to snatch the bank note. "If you don't want it, then fine. As if anyone is willing to give it to you!"
Madam Gu, quick-handed, took the bank note and tucked it into Little Xi Tian's swaddling clothes. "I'll consider this bank note as a loan. When I have more money in the future, I'll return it to you!"
Every extra penny meant an extra way out.
Madam Gu was not like Old Man Yun, stubborn as a mule.
Yun San Man was overjoyed.
As long as his mother accepted the money, he was happy.
Gao Feng Juan, however, had a dark expression. She gritted her teeth and left in a huff.
Yun San Man didn't dare to linger too long. After chatting with his mother and brothers for a while, he went to chase after his wife.
The carriage wheels rumbled over the bluestone road, making creaking sounds.
The family bumped along the road for another half a month, and finally, on the night of the sixteenth, they arrived at Dashui Village.
It was surrounded by mountains and dense forests.
The moonlight poured down like cool water, illuminating a lake on the south side of the mountain range.
Old Man Yun jumped off the carriage and inquired, quickly finding Yun Wang Cai's house.
The coachman unloaded the pots, pans, and large bags of luggage, then hurriedly left.
"Dong dong dong..." Old Man Yun knocked on the courtyard gate.
"Woof woof!"
A dog barked from inside the courtyard.
A moment later, a young man with a sharp mouth and monkey cheeks pushed open the courtyard gate. "Who is it at this late hour?"
He sized up Old Man Yun's attire.
Then he looked at the men, women, and children behind him, and the piles of luggage on the ground. With a 'bang', he slammed the courtyard gate shut.
He went back into the house to sleep.