"Yes!" Er Longzi responded with a smile, pointing in the direction of the cowshed. "Your Highness didn't see it just now, but that group of animals, all sorts of them, rushed into the yard and then obediently burrowed into the cowshed. If they were all killed, they could fetch quite a bit of silver..."
Xiao Jinfeng pursed his lips, feeling quite perplexed.
He knew very little about the old Yun family, let alone that Xiao Xitian was known as the "Little Lucky General" in all the surrounding villages.
What happened tonight was too strange; he decided to investigate further...
"Come out for a walk with this Prince!" Xiao Jinfeng put on his cloak, pushed open the door, and stepped outside.
Er Longzi sighed, muttering to himself, "Why go out on such a cold night? Aren't you afraid of freezing your ears off!"
Despite his thoughts, he obediently followed.
Inside the main hall of the house.
Old Yun sat leaning against the warm wall, holding a wine bowl in his hand, with a plate of peanuts in front of him, drinking alone...
Yun Daman, having worked hard all day, had already gone back to sleep with Zhao Guihua.
Gu Shi had also urged Xiao Xitian and Shangguan Fang'er to rest early, as the family would be busy tomorrow.
"Uncle Yun, the wine is warmed. Please have a taste!" Jin Xiaolou walked in with a pot of steaming sorghum wine, refilling Old Yun's empty bowl.
Old Yun's face was flushed red with drink, and he was overjoyed. He reached out and ruffled Jin Xiaolou's hair, saying, "Xiaolou, you came to our old Yun family at the right time. From now on, we'll share fortune and face adversity together. We guarantee you won't be treated poorly, haha..."
Since this boy came to their home, he seemed to have grown taller, and his skin wasn't as dark anymore.
Jin Xiaolou chuckled honestly, "Uncle Yun, you're being too formal. If you hadn't taken me in, I would have starved to death outside long ago!"
Actually, he had always wanted to find an opportunity to return to his own country, but Dashui Village was isolated, and with winter setting in, everything would have to wait until spring...
"Uncle Yun, how do you plan to deal with that game meat?" Jin Xiaolou sat down next to Old Yun and asked casually.
Old Yun put down his wine bowl, lit his pipe, and took a couple of puffs. "It's gotten cold now, so the meat can be preserved. Tomorrow, we'll slaughter those animals. Some will be skinned, some will be bled. If any villagers want to buy meat, we'll sell it directly. The rest will be taken to the county town to sell..."
The villagers of Dashui Village had limited purchasing power. Even if every household bought a piece of meat, it wouldn't solve much.
Jin Xiaolou said, "Oh," and was about to say something when he heard a "dong dong" knock at the door from outside.
Old Yun blinked his eyes, "Who is it?"
"Old sir, I hope I'm not disturbing your rest?" Xiao Jinfeng's hoarse voice sounded from outside the door.
Upon hearing this, Old Yun's face instantly darkened. This darn fellow, not sleeping in the middle of the night, what was he wandering around for...
Jin Xiaolou ran over and opened the door, letting Xiao Jinfeng and Er Longzi in.
Seeing Old Yun drinking alone with peanuts, Xiao Jinfeng pursed his lips and smiled, instructing Er Longzi, "There's still a rock sugar pork knuckle left in the guest room, isn't there? Go get it. I'll have a drink with Old Sir Yun!"
"Alright!" Er Longzi responded, trotting away.
Old Yun took a gulp of wine and looked up at Xiao Jinfeng, "Young Master Xiao, why are you not sleeping so late? Do you need something from me?"
Ever since this fellow came to the old Yun family, he had been acting suspiciously and mysteriously. Old Master Yun detested such people the most...
Xiao Jinfeng sat down opposite Old Yun and cupped his fists. "Congratulations, Old Sir Yun, on striking it rich! You know, after the heavy snow sealed the mountains, the wild animals either hibernated or hid. It's not easy to catch so much game in one go! I just wanted to congratulate you!"
Old Yun: "..."
Can't this big man speak without being sarcastic? He found it uncomfortable.
"Finished congratulating? Then please leave!" Old Yun issued a polite dismissal.
Xiao Jinfeng was slightly taken aback, then chuckled, picked up the wine pot, and poured himself a bowl. "Old sir, I've discovered that your old Yun family is truly full of hidden talents!"
As he spoke, he cast a meaningful glance at Jin Xiaolou and smiled faintly, "Take this handsome young man with golden hair and blue eyes, for example. Does the old sir know his background?"
From the moment he arrived at the Yun family, Xiao Jinfeng had been intensely interested in Jin Xiaolou...
It was one thing for his sixth brother to live in Dashui Village, but why was this Hu (foreigner) staying with the old Yun family?
Old Yun snorted, "What is Xiaolou's background? What does it have to do with you?"
"It has no relation, but I still want to tell the old sir something!" Xiao Jinfeng raised his wine bowl, intending to clink it with Old Yun, but the latter ignored him. So, Xiao Jinfeng took a sip by himself and said with a smile, "That somewhat deranged girl Fang'er, her identity and status are not as simple as you think..."
Old Yun narrowed his eyes upon hearing this, "No, Young Master Xiao, can you just say whatever you have to say at once? It's the middle of the night, and I don't have time to play charades with you!"
Jin Xiaolou also looked at Xiao Jinfeng with curiosity, a thought flashing through his mind.
Just then, Er Longzi walked in carrying the rock sugar pork knuckle and two pig trotters, smiling, "Young master, this knuckle and trotters are a bit cold. Do you want them heated?"
"No need, bring the dagger!" Xiao Jinfeng extended his hand.
Hearing that he wanted a dagger, Old Yun immediately tensed up, gripping the wooden stick beside him...
Jin Xiaolou also slowly moved towards the door. If this fellow dared to lay hands on Uncle Yun, he would go and call Brother Daman.
Xiao Jinfeng shook his head helplessly, drew his dagger, sliced off pieces of meat from the pork knuckle, and neatly stacked them on the plate.
"These knuckle and trotters are most chewy when cold. Even at a royal banquet, they are excellent accompanying dishes for wine!" Xiao Jinfeng said.
Old Yun pouted at this and put down the stick he was holding...
After drinking half a bowl of wine, Xiao Jinfeng slowly began to talk about Shangguan Fang'er's past. He added at the end, "Even though the Chen Kingdom has fallen, the blood of the Chen royal family still flows within her. Even if she has been displaced and lived on coarse food, it doesn't change the fact that she is a princess of Chen!"
Speaking of this, Xiao Jinfeng picked up a piece of pork knuckle skin for Old Yun and continued, "Since she has ended up at your old Yun family, you should treat her well. Although she is mad and foolish, and disowns her relatives, but..."
"Shut up!"
Before Xiao Jinfeng could finish speaking, Old Yun interrupted him angrily, "Young Master Xiao, which eye of yours saw our Yun family bullying Fang'er? Don't spout nonsense without evidence, or I'll beat you!"
Xiao Jinfeng shrunk his neck and shut his mouth sullenly, remaining silent.
When this old man got angry, he was even more intimidating than the Emperor.
At this moment, the door of the main hall was pushed open with a "hu la," and a gust of cold air rushed in...