"Heh! Tsk, tsk, tsk!" Xiao Jinfeng tossed the pear core away, then tucked his hands back into his sleeves, a peculiar expression on his face.
Old Man Yun: "......"
This darned fellow, why wasn't he staying in his room? What was he doing out here again?
"Young Master Xiao, what are you being so sarcastic about?" Old Man Yun asked.
Little Xi Tian glared at Xiao Jinfeng, her little face puffed out in anger, her eyes practically rolling to the heavens...
Xiao Jinfeng curled his lips and said, "Magistrate Chen, as the saying goes, when marrying off a daughter, one hopes for wealth, not poverty. Yet, you're pushing your daughter towards the old Yun family. It's utterly baffling. If I'm not mistaken, you have ulterior motives, don't you? Heh heh!~"
Magistrate Chen: "......"
Did this person have a screw loose?
What did his daughter's marriage have to do with him?
"Young man, watch your words!" Magistrate Chen's eyes instantly blazed, and he clenched his fists. "Tell me, what could we possibly want from the old Yun family?"
Looking around, the most valuable things the old Yun family possessed were this house and that patch of black soil...
Other than that, what else did they have?
Xiao Jinfeng shrugged, smiling as he stared at Little Xi Tian. After a moment, he withdrew his gaze. "Magistrate Chen, if you had a son, you'd surely be eager to marry Miss Yun into your family. Alas, you only have one daughter. What to do? No recourse, you can only think of marrying your daughter to any of the young men in the old Yun family. That way, you'd still be related by marriage, wouldn't you?"
Hmph, such a clumsy idea, he saw through it at a glance...
Madam Gu sighed helplessly. While the truth was indeed as he said, stating it so bluntly made it sound less pleasant.
Furthermore, Magistrate Chen was a good person with a decent family background, and he had raised Xiao Ran with great refinement.
Marrying their daughter into the old Yun family was a disadvantageous move for them. While the Yun family didn't need to be overly grateful, they should still acknowledge Magistrate Chen's kindness...
However, Xiao Jinfeng's direct exposure of Magistrate Chen's 'motives' completely soured the matter.
"No, if you have nothing better to do, go scratch the wall! If you dare to blabber anymore, I'll stuff you into the stove pit!~" Magistrate Chen shouted gruffly.
Little Xi Tian was also very annoyed. "Yes, Young Master Xiao, we've been treating you to good food and drink these past few days. What more are you dissatisfied about? Besides, Xiao Ran Jie's engagement to Jing De is our family's business. It doesn't concern you much, does it?"
It's like a cat chasing a mouse, meddling in other people's affairs. With that time, why not think about how to deal with that brat...
Xiao Jinfeng heard this, 'tsk'ed, then shook his head and ambled back to the guest room.
The matter was left hanging, with no immediate decision made. Everything had to wait until Yun San Man returned.
Little Xi Tian's mood was not affected by Xiao Jinfeng. After returning to the main hall, she voiced her idea of 'buying' a dairy cow. "Daddy, Mommy, I want to go out tomorrow!~"
Old Man Yun immediately shook his head upon hearing this. "No, my daughter, there's snow everywhere outside. What are you going out for?"
"Oh, Daddy, I'm going to 'buy' a dairy cow! Our family has money now, and the cowshed is built. It's time to 'buy' a dairy cow..." Little Xi Tian said with a smile.
Madam Gu pondered for a moment and said calmly, "Then does daughter want to buy a cow at the county's livestock market, or collect cows from the neighboring village?"
As far as she knew, in the Heyang County area, there weren't any farming families raising dairy cows. If she wanted to buy one, she wouldn't be able to.
Her daughter's outing this time would probably involve 'magically transforming into a cow'...
"Neither!~" Little Xi Tian's big eyes curved into little crescent moons. "Tomorrow, just let Daddy and Big Brother accompany me out for a casual stroll. I guarantee I'll have the dairy cow back before lunch!"
She had to let the villagers see that the dairy cow was driven back to Dashui Village, so as to dispel their suspicions.
If she directly conjured a dozen cows at home, wouldn't that scare people half to death...
Madam Gu heard this, walked over, and hugged Little Xi Tian, her face filled with affection and concern. "Daughter, you don't need to work so hard. We are better off than many and not worse off than some. Life isn't that difficult anymore. Although Jin Shan and Jin He's studies will cost money, your father and your brother can both earn money. If necessary, we can let your elder brother find some odd jobs in the county. As the New Year approaches, he can earn quite a bit of silver!~"
Her main concern was not wanting her daughter to be too tired. Such a young child had to earn money to support the family and help them escape poverty. Not only was it worrying, but she also had to be meticulous with their finances...
If her daughter were sixteen or seventeen, an adult, and then considered these matters, Madam Gu wouldn't feel so heartbroken.
But Xi Tian, at an age where she should be doted on by her parents and spoiled by her brothers and sisters-in-law, was already planning for her future.
"Mommy, I like doing these things!~" a crisp little voice rang out, melting the hearts of the elders.
Old Man Yun walked over and ruffled Little Xi Tian's hair. "Alright, Daddy will accompany you out to buy a cow tomorrow..."
"Okay!" Little Xi Tian's smile was sweet, and a dimple appeared on her round, chubby face.
In the guest room.
Xiao Jinfeng sat cross-legged before the kang table, practicing calligraphy with his brush. Er Long Zi suddenly pushed the door open and entered.
"Whoa, it's so cold out here! Even the imperial palace wasn't this cold in winter!~" Er Long Zi said, rubbing his hands and stomping his feet as he walked towards the kang table.
Xiao Jinfeng frowned and gave him a cold glance. "Did you find them?"
A few days ago, Xiao Jinfeng had asked Er Long Zi to send people out to find a famous doctor to treat Shangguan Fang'er's madness...
He wasn't doing this because he had developed feelings for Shangguan Fang'er, but rather to do something for the old Yun family.
After all, everyone in the Yun family looked down on him now, and his interpersonal relationships were a mess. He felt too embarrassed to stay any longer.
Er Long Zi rubbed his ear and said with a mysterious smile, "Your Highness, guess if your subordinate found a doctor?"
As soon as the words fell, with a 'whoosh,' Xiao Jinfeng directly threw the brush in his hand, which landed squarely on Er Long Zi's face...
That delicate face instantly turned mottled black and white, with black ink dripping down to his lips, making him look like he had eaten black grapes, his expression quite comical.
Xiao Jinfeng narrowed his eyes. "If you dare to play coy with me again, I'll strip you naked and throw you outside to freeze for a night!~"
Er Long Zi: "......"
Why did His Highness have no sense of humor? It was just a joke, why was he so angry?
Er Long Zi wiped his face, lowered his head, and said, "Your, Your Highness, the doctor has been found, and is currently on their way to Dashui Village!~"
"Are you sure they can cure Princess Fang'er's madness?" Xiao Jinfeng asked in a deep voice.
Er Long Zi: "......"
How could there be certainty in such a matter? Madness was inherently unpredictable. If the wrong medicine was used, it was not impossible for the patient to become even more insane or foolish.
"Subordinate, subordinate is also not clear, anyway, that old doctor said they could cure it!~" Er Long Zi mumbled.
Xiao Jinfeng heard this, glanced at the calligraphy on the kang table, and was about to say something when the sound of footsteps crunching on snow suddenly came from outside the door...