Uncle Cripple and Uncle Fool, after bathing and changing into clean clothes, looked much more comfortable.
Actually, when they lived in the backyard, they occasionally bathed, but since Wu Wa was just a child, his care for them couldn't be that meticulous. Uncle Cripple had no legs, and Uncle Fool was simple-minded, so their requirements for personal hygiene were lower.
However, compared to when they were beggars, they were already much cleaner.
Uncle Ding had Lu Ye's entire family go to the study in the main courtyard, and Uncle Cripple and Uncle Fool were also waiting in the study.
No one else in the family was allowed to approach the main courtyard.
For the sake of caution, Uncle Ding also had Bai Sheng place Baoyu and Shandian around the main courtyard to guard against anyone approaching.
Bai Sheng and Lu Ye didn't understand why Uncle Ding was so cautious and meticulous, but they trusted Uncle Ding to be a very reliable person. If he did this, he must have his reasons. Therefore, Bai Sheng followed his instructions.
In the study, Lu Ye, Bai Sheng, Lu Hua, Lu Yun, and Lu Yu sat on one side, while Uncle Cripple and Uncle Fool sat in the center of the study. Uncle Ding held a comb and a razor.
He walked up to Lu Ye and Bai Sheng and respectfully said, "Master, Madam, please wait a moment. The matter I need to discuss can only be explained after tidying up the beards and hair of these two old friends."
Lu Ye smiled and said, "No matter, Uncle Ding, please proceed."
"Alright," Uncle Ding replied and went to Uncle Cripple's side to shave his beard.
Uncle Cripple cooperatively raised his face. He didn't seem uncomfortable with someone serving him; his movements were as natural as if he had done it countless times before.
It seemed he already knew what Uncle Ding intended to do. It appeared Uncle Ding had been suspicious of this matter for a long time. The fact that Uncle Ding was willing to sell himself to this family as a servant was probably because he had discovered their background. Otherwise, given Uncle Ding's stubborn and resolute nature, it would be difficult for him to switch masters.
Uncle Cripple narrowed his eyes slightly and glanced at Lu Ye and his siblings with his peripheral vision.
The more the boys looked, the more they resembled Da Mei. The girls, however, seemed to resemble their father more.
If only one of them resembled Da Mei, it might be a coincidence. But if the entire family resembled Da Mei, then it was a certainty.
Uncle Cripple was almost certain that these were Da Mei's children, and their ages also matched.
The eldest was nineteen this year. When the family incident occurred, Da Mei was thirteen. If Da Mei were still alive, she would be thirty-five this year.
However, Uncle Cripple didn't understand how Da Mei had escaped, because according to the people who collected bodies at the time, no one from the Baili family had survived.
Actually, there was also that child named Tian Ya, who also resembled Xiao Mei very much. But Xiao Mei was clearly dead as well. Moreover, that child was a beggar, whom Lu Ye had picked up. So, perhaps all of this was just a coincidence.
Lu Hua, Lu Yun, and Lu Yu were all very confused. They didn't understand why Uncle Ding was so cautiously calling their entire family to the study, and why they had to wait for Uncle Cripple and Uncle Fool to finish shaving their beards. It felt a bit strange.
However, since their eldest brother and sister-in-law followed instructions, they naturally did as well.
Lu Hua needed to hurry and write the promotional flyers for the opening of "Hong Fen Jia Ren" (Red Powder Beauties), as they were to be distributed in two days.
She sat by the large desk, setting out her brushes, ink, paper, and inkstone.
Lu Yun and Lu Yun were weaving small trinkets with bamboo strips.
Since opening the archery toy shop, they had learned many skills from street artisans. After practicing them at home, they taught them to the children from the street gangs, allowing the children to weave toys, which also contributed to the shop's income.
After Uncle Ding shaved Uncle Cripple's beard clean, Uncle Cripple's entire face was revealed. His jawline was clear, and his facial contours were strong and handsome, appearing to be around thirty-six or thirty-seven years old.
Bai Sheng felt that his eyebrows and eyes resembled Lu Ye's even more, but the numerous knife scars on his face looked somewhat shocking, ruining his originally handsome appearance.
Bai Sheng had scar removal medicine and could apply it to Uncle Cripple later. As long as the scars on Uncle Cripple's face were removed, he would definitely be a handsome uncle.
Lu Ye looked at Uncle Cripple's face with slight surprise, as he also found Uncle Cripple's eyebrows and eyes somewhat familiar.
Lu Yu ran to Uncle Cripple's front, squatted down, rested his chin on his hand, and looked at his face, asking curiously, "Uncle Cripple, what happened to your face? If it weren't for these scars, you'd surely be exceptionally handsome."
Uncle Cripple smiled and said, "I'll tell you later."
Lu Yun also came closer, "I think Uncle Cripple is handsome even with the scars. Look, he's so manly!"
Everyone laughed.
Uncle Ding began to tie Uncle Cripple's hair into a bun.
Uncle Ding's hands were very nimble, seeming accustomed to such tasks.
After Uncle Cripple was tidied up, he looked much more energetic. Lu Yun was right; even with the knife scars on his face, Uncle Cripple didn't look unattractive.
Uncle Ding glanced meaningfully at Lu Ye and began to shave Uncle Fool's beard.
Uncle Fool couldn't sit still, giggling and constantly trying to snatch the razor from Uncle Ding's hand. Fearing he might get hurt, Uncle Ding asked Lu Ye to acupressure Uncle Fool.
After being acupressured, Uncle Fool's body couldn't move, but his eyeballs darted around restlessly, looking rather comical.
Soon, Uncle Fool's beard was shaved clean.
When Lu Ye and Bai Sheng looked at his face, they were stunned. The two of them were instantly dumbfounded.
Uncle Fool, with his beard shaved clean, actually looked very much like Lu Ye!
"Uncle Ding, this… what's going on?" Lu Ye finally realized what Uncle Ding was trying to do. These two were Uncle Ding's old friends, and Uncle Ding must have discovered a long time ago that he looked very much like them.
Uncle Cripple stared intently at Lu Ye. This kid was his eldest nephew! Their Baili family hadn't died out! The blind heavens had finally opened their dog eyes!
Uncle Ding breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "Master, please wait a moment. I'll tie my old friend's hair into a bun."
After Uncle Fool was tidied up, it was truly evident at a glance that he had a familial resemblance to Lu Ye, Lu Yun, and the others.
Lu Yun also noticed this. The toy he was weaving dropped to the ground with a thud, and he stood up abruptly, walked up to Uncle Fool, pointed at him, and said, "Brother, Uncle Fool looks so much like you!"
Lu Yu also exclaimed in surprise, "Second Brother, he looks like you too!"
Lu Hua also put down her brush and walked over. She looked at Uncle Fool, then at her brothers, and murmured, "He looks a lot like all of you…"
Why would this be?
The vagrants their brothers had picked up from the streets were actually their own relatives?
Could things be this coincidental? Lu Hua twisted her fingers together, her gaze blank.
"You guys look a lot like my Da Mei, especially you," Uncle Cripple said, pointing at Lu Ye and smiling. "That's why my simple-minded brother called you Da Jie Jie (Elder Sister)."
"Uncle Fool also always called me Da Jie Jie. So that's why!" Lu Yun exclaimed in surprise.
Lu Ye also held his breath, his mind in a state of confusion at this moment.
Lu Yun and Tian Ya had picked up two vagrants from the street, and these two vagrants also looked very much like their brothers and might have blood relations. Such a bizarre coincidence was rarely seen even in storybooks.