It happened that Yun Daman, after buying coarse grains and sundries, was planning to hire a carriage to return to the village.
Unexpectedly, he ran into his third brother, Yun Sanman.
"Third brother? What are you doing in Heyang County?" Yun Daman asked, both happy and excited.
Yun Sanman pursed his lips and smiled, "Isn't this place close to Dashui Village! I was thinking of bringing Fengjuan and the others here to do some small business!"
He didn't want to be too far from his parents.
During their last chance encounter, Yun Sanman had learned that their parents had gone to Dashui Village to seek refuge with their second uncle.
As soon as the Yun family left, he followed.
Yun Daman scratched his head with a simple smile, "It's getting late, why don't you come to my place for a bit, third brother?"
"Sure, I was planning to visit tomorrow anyway," Yun Sanman readily agreed.
However, thinking that he would have to explain to his wife and in-laws upon returning, he suppressed the thought.
He looked around and saw a small tavern. "Big brother, why don't we find a place for a few drinks?"
"No, it's not suitable with all these bags I'm carrying!"
"What are you afraid of? I'll have someone keep an eye on them!"
Yun Sanman pulled his brother into the tavern, gave the waiter ten copper coins, and instructed him to watch their luggage.
It was inevitable that brothers would have a few drinks when they met.
When Yun Daman walked out of the tavern, it was already pitch dark.
The sky was filled with starlight, and the moonlight was dim and melancholic.
Yun Sanman helped him hail a horse-drawn cart for goods. After settling him in, he went back to sleep.
"Hiccup!~" Yun Daman's face was flushed, and he dozed off, leaning against the grain sacks.
Unexpectedly, as the carriage turned a corner, the driver suddenly pulled on the reins.
The fine horse neighed, and the carriage stopped abruptly.
"Ouch!" Yun Daman rolled over, narrowly avoiding falling out of the carriage.
"What's wrong?" he asked, sitting up.
The driver pointed ahead, "There are two beggars blocking the way!"
Yun Daman frowned and looked forward.
He saw two women, dressed in rags and with disheveled hair, kneeling in the middle of the street.
Their heads were bowed, and their faces were unclear.
Their emaciated and frail bodies, like withered leaves in autumn, made Yun Daman unable to bear looking.
"Hey, don't block the road, I'm in a hurry to get home," Yun Daman shouted.
The two remained motionless.
One of the older women raised her head, tears streaming down her face, "Good Samaritan, please help us. My daughter and I haven't eaten for three days."
Yun Daman's heart skipped a beat.
This old woman looked very familiar.
He jumped off the carriage and walked over unsteadily.
Upon seeing the old woman's face clearly, Yun Daman was startled, "Wow, Aunt Lu!"
And then he saw the girl beside her – it was Aunt Lu's daughter, Liu Cuijin!
Aunt Lu was the mother of Yun Erman's wife, Liu Cuirong.
Liu Cuijin was Liu Cuirong's younger sister.
Why had this mother and daughter come here?
Lu Shi wiped away her tears and looked closely at Yun Daman, "Daman?"
"Aunt Lu, what are you doing in Heyang County?" Yun Daman helped the mother and daughter up.
Aunt Lu murmured, "I... I came to find my daughter!"
To find Liu Cuirong?
Oh, if these mother and daughter found Liu Cuirong, then the family would be 'lively'.
Liu Cuijin was crying with blurry eyes, looking very pitiful.
She wasn't ugly.
She was tall and had a charming face.
Although she was undernourished and her complexion was sallow, it still couldn't hide her delicate and beautiful features.
"Brother-in-law!" Liu Cuijin stepped forward and grabbed Yun Daman's arm, asking pitifully, "You know where my sister is, right?"
Yun Daman pulled his arm away with disgust, "I don't know!"
"Daman, how can you lie with your eyes open?"
Aunt Lu frowned, "When we were fleeing the famine, Cuirong left with your whole family. Don't try to fool me!"
Yun Daman let out a burp and blew out a breath.
"Hiccup! Puff!~"
The mother and daughter took two steps back, looking disgusted.
That smell!
It almost made them vomit.
Yun Daman chuckled foolishly, "I don't know, I really don't know. Besides, when we left Feiyan Village, there wasn't a soul to be seen. How did you know we were fleeing?"
Aunt Lu tightened her sleeves and mumbled, "I... I just know!"
Yun Daman didn't have the time to chat with her. He waved his hand and climbed back onto the carriage.
"I still have to travel. See you if fate allows!"
"Brother-in-law!" Liu Cuijin stomped her foot, "Are you really going to stand by and do nothing?"
Yun Daman spread his hands, "I can't help it!"
The Yun family had just settled in Dashui Village; they didn't have spare money to help outsiders!
Back then, Lu Shi had asked for a sky-high bride price of three taels of silver when marrying Liu Cuirong to the second son.
Because of this, Old Man Yun had often complained about the Liu family.
Liu Cuijin turned her clear, bright eyes and whispered a few words into Aunt Lu's ear.
After hearing this, Aunt Lu's expression became somewhat complicated, "This... will this work?"
"Mother, just listen to me, it will definitely work!" Liu Cuijin grinned charmingly and winked at her mother.
Aunt Lu hesitated for a moment, then looked at Yun Daman, "Fine, you can go. My daughter and I won't bother you!"
Yun Daman took out four copper coins from his sleeve and threw them to Zhao Cuijin, "Go buy some steamed buns to eat!"
He didn't want them to starve to death here, otherwise, he wouldn't be able to explain it to his second sister-in-law when he got back.
If that woman made a fuss, no one in the family would have peace.
The carriage drove towards Dashui Village. The mother and daughter stood at the street corner and smiled at each other.
"Mother, this road leads to Dashui Village. He can run away from the monk but not from the temple. We'll find sister sooner or later!"
"Mm!" Aunt Lu nodded, then took her daughter to buy steamed buns.
Yun Family.
"Why are you back so late? I left food for you in the kitchen, I'll heat it up!"
Zhao Guihua threw on an outer coat, boiling water and heating food.
"Wife, guess who I met in the county town?" Yun Daman asked with a smile.
"Who?"
"Cuirong's mother, and her sister Cuijin!"
"Liu Cuijin?" Zhao Guihua's hand paused as she poured water, and her expression changed.
Back then, Lu Shi had wanted to marry her second daughter, Liu Cuijin, to Yun Daman.
It was she who had gotten there first and married into the Yun family.
She hadn't expected that vixen to still be unmarried.
Could she still have illusions about Daman?
"What's wrong, wife?" Yun Daman asked curiously.
Zhao Guihua glanced at him, "Have you been drinking?"
"Yes, I was drinking with third brother."
Zhao Guihua breathed a sigh of relief.
You met quite a few people on your trip to the county town.
The next morning, Old Man Yun got up early.
He didn't even eat breakfast before taking Yun Erman to the city to sell monkeys.
Little Xitian also woke up, patting her mother's face with her little hands, babbling incessantly.
Gu Shi smiled faintly, "Tianbao wants to go out and see the excitement?"
"Ah ah!"
Mm-hmm!
She really wanted to go out and bask in the sun; the room was too stuffy!
Today was Little Tianbao's full moon banquet, and people from all over the village had come.
According to the tradition of Dashui Village, they only held full moon feasts for boys and had never seen one for a girl.
This showed how much the Old Yun family valued their youngest daughter.
As the saying goes, some families rejoice, while others grieve.
The Yun family held a grand banquet, with many guests, laughter, and cheerful chatter.
The Yun Wangcai family, on the other hand, was filled with a somber atmosphere.