Seeing her mother’s troubled expression, Xiao Xi Tian nuzzled closer, her small hands patting Gu Shi’s face.
She had actually intended to caress her face, but her ‘little paws’ weren't very cooperative, so it ended up being more like scratching.
“Ah! Eya! Aaa!” Xiao Xi Tian babbled in baby talk.
But no one could understand her.
Xiao Xi Tian sighed inwardly.
She wanted to say that the family could feel free to host the banquet.
As for the ingredients, she would take care of them!
“Little Aunt is so cute. Grandma, can I take my little aunt fishing?” Yun Jin Shan asked.
When they had first arrived at Da Shui Village, they had seen a vast lake nestled in a mountain hollow not far from the neighboring village.
The place was picturesque, surrounded by lush forests.
“No!” Gu Shi refused outright. “Your aunt is too young to be exposed to the wind!”
“Then I’ll go fishing with brother!” Yun Jin Shan said excitedly.
The thought of his little aunt being able to drink delicious fish soup filled him with joy.
Yun Jin He also looked at Gu Shi with anticipation.
Old Man Yun tapped their heads with his pipe. “You two go with me to the fields. No running around!”
Liu Cui Rong, having eaten her fill, went back to her room for a nap.
They had just moved in last night, and the house was a mess, covered in dust.
Some places were impassable.
Gu Shi, along with Zhao Gui Hua, had been busy cleaning and washing, working tirelessly.
This residence occupied a large area, with two storehouses alone, filled with broken tables, chairs, benches, and various odds and ends.
There were four rooms on each side, a woodshed, two rooms at the back, and a hand-cranked ancient well in the center of the courtyard.
“Mother, for fifty taels of silver, we managed to buy such a large house. We’ve really struck gold.”
Zhao Gui Hua, with a scarf tied around her head and a water bucket in her hand, was so happy her eyes had disappeared.
Old Man Yun and Yun Er Man took their two sons to the fields.
Only three women and Xiao Xi Tian were left at home.
It would take more than a day to clean such a large house thoroughly.
Gu Shi smiled slightly, bouncing the sweet treasure in her arms, her face filled with doting affection.
“Mother, Tian Bao is sleepy. Shall we take her to the room to sleep?”
“En!”
Xiao Xi Tian lay sprawled on the kang, feeling warm and cozy, and soon fell asleep.
Suddenly, a strange sound echoed from outside the house.
Xiao Xi Tian scratched her ear and opened her eyes.
“Zhi zhi, ji ji…”
Xiao Xi Tian’s eyebrows slightly rose.
This facial expression was something she had learned in the past few days.
What was that sound?
It was sharp and thin, as if…
She seemed to have heard this cry somewhere before.
But not in this world.
“Zhi zhi, ji ji ji…”
The strange cry came again, and Xiao Xi Tian felt a little uneasy.
She was too small. If anything bad approached, she would be snatched away!
Just then, Liu Cui Rong tiptoed in.
“Oh, it’s just you!” Liu Cui Rong said with a smile, taking off her shoes and climbing onto the kang.
Xiao Xi Tian: “……”
Please don’t come any closer!
Unexpectedly, Liu Cui Rong took out a paper windmill from her embrace and waved it in front of Xiao Xi Tian.
She had made it herself.
Colored paper was cut into squares, folded in half, and fastened to a chopstick with a nail, making a rather exquisite toy.
“Tian Bao, do you like it?” Liu Cui Rong blew on the paper windmill.
Xiao Xi Tian turned her head away, not wanting to acknowledge her.
But Liu Cui Rong picked her up and gave her a big kiss. “May your blessings continue, may your blessings continue.”
Xiao Xi Tian kicked her legs and arms around.
Second sister-in-law, you’re so annoying!
Where are Mother and Eldest sister-in-law? Hurry back!
“Tian Bao, you must bless Second sister-in-law with good health and beauty. From now on, I’ll bring you all the delicious food I find!”
Saying this, she placed the paper windmill into Xiao Xi Tian’s hand and took out two pieces of candy from her embrace. “Look, Second sister-in-law brought you candy!”
Xiao Xi Tian wrinkled her little nose and reached out to grab the candy.
Liu Cui Rong didn’t give them to her, smiling. “You’ll choke if you eat them like this. Wait, Second sister-in-law will make sugar water for you.”
Liu Cui Rong carried her into the kitchen, where a pot of hot water was already warming on the stove.
She found a large bowl and dissolved the candy.
Xiao Xi Tian blinked her big eyes, suddenly looking at her second sister-in-law with new respect.
Liu Cui Rong carried her little sister-in-law back to the kang, and when the sugar water was no longer hot, she spoon-fed it to her.
So sweet!
Xiao Xi Tian closed her eyes in comfort.
At this moment, footsteps could be heard from outside the door.
“Where did I put the soapwort?” Zhao Gui Hua pushed the door open and walked in.
She happened to see Liu Cui Rong sitting on the kang, holding Little Tian Bao and feeding her something.
“What are you feeding her?”
Zhao Gui Hua’s face instantly turned furious. She rushed over, grabbed the large bowl, and smashed it on the ground.
Then, she snatched Little Tian Bao away and slapped Liu Cui Rong across the face.
With a crisp ‘啪’ sound, Liu Cui Rong’s head turned, and her hair bun came undone.
Zhao Gui Hua had always had a good temper.
She never got angry without reason.
But Little Tian Bao was the bottom line for the entire family, and she would not allow Liu Cui Rong to lay a finger on her.
“Eldest sister-in-law, why did you hit me?” Liu Cui Rong covered her face, tears streaming down her cheeks.
She felt so wronged.
So wronged.
“Then tell me, what were you feeding Little Tian Bao?” Zhao Gui Hua asked sternly.
“It was sugar water. Would I harm my own sister-in-law?”
Liu Cui Rong argued loudly.
The more she thought about it, the more upset she felt.
It was also her fault for being lazy and gluttonous, and for having a cunning mind.
She had left a bad impression on the entire family.
Seeing that she didn’t seem to be lying, and looking at the paper windmill in Xiao Xi Tian’s hand, Zhao Gui Hua softened her tone.
“Mother and Father said for you to stay away from the child. And I was too impulsive just now, I shouldn’t have hit Second sister-in-law!”
Liu Cui Rong did not accept her apology, and stomped her feet as she put on her shoes.
As she passed Xiao Xi Tian, she kissed her little forehead and returned to her own room.
“Alas, this person…” Zhao Gui Hua sighed.
Xiao Xi Tian raised her little head and looked at her.
Eldest sister-in-law, you wronged Second sister-in-law!
But now was not the time to worry about this. She had to find that ‘dirty thing’.
“Aya!” Xiao Xi Tian grabbed Zhao Gui Hua’s collar and pointed outside with her little finger.
“Do you want to go sunbathe?”
Xiao Xi Tian nodded.
Upon arriving in the courtyard, Zhao Gui Hua was surprised to find that a large rooster had somehow mixed in among the two hens.
It had a bright red comb and a plump body, weighing at least seven or eight pounds.
Xiao Xi Tian’s eyes scanned the roof, and when she confirmed that the thing was still there, she began to cry out, “Eya eya!”
“What’s wrong, Tian Bao?” Zhao Gui Hua was still lost in the joy of the rooster.
Xiao Xi Tian pointed at the rooster and waved her little hands, giving her eldest sister-in-law a hint.
Zhao Gui Hua looked bewildered. “Does Tian Bao want to touch the rooster?”
Little Tian Bao shook her head.
No!
Seeing Xiao Xi Tian make a scissor gesture, Zhao Gui Hua became even more puzzled. “Scissors?”
She pondered for a moment and suddenly realized. “You want to kill it and eat it, right?”
Xiao Xi Tian let out a long sigh.
Yes.
And so, Zhao Gui Hua took a cleaver and killed the chicken.