Since Shen Yuning had already taken out the money, she no longer held back. She used the silver to buy new clothes and food for the four of them. Although it was still simple and rough, it was much better than before. She also bought an ox - cart so that she and Yuanbao didn't have to walk on aching feet while enduring the long journey.
However, Yuanbao wasn't as happy as expected. These days, she and Xuanzhi just stared at each other all day long and quarreled at the slightest disagreement. Yuanbao said that Xuanzhi was an outsider and shouldn't take advantage of her aunt, while Xuanzhi said that Yuanbao was naughty and a little rascal.
Right then, Yuanbao was sitting on the ox - cart. Seeing Xuanzhi hopping around in the fields, picking wild flowers and fruits and presenting them to Shen Yuning like treasures, she puffed up her cheeks and shouted that she wanted to get off the cart.
Shen Yuning saw that the ridge of the field was very narrow and there was a pond beside it. She was afraid that the five - year - old Yuanbao might accidentally fall into the water.
Meanwhile, Xuanzhi stuck out his tongue and sneered, "With your skinny figure, you still want to get off and run? Hehe, don't run two steps and then complain about being tired and want to get back on the cart."
Yuanbao was不服气 and insisted on getting off. Finally, Shen Fugui, who was driving the cart, said that country kids were used to running in the fields and weren't afraid of wild places or ponds. As long as Xuanzhi kept an eye on her and didn't let her run too far, it would be fine.
Xuanzhi was twelve years old. Although he liked to play around with Yuanbao, he was already sensible and obedient. He carried Yuanbao off the cart and they were like a hen leading a chick, running around merrily. If Yuanbao ran too far, he would quickly coax and chase her back.
The sun at the end of summer and the beginning of autumn was no longer scorching. The occasional gentle breeze was very pleasant. The ox - cart had no canopy. Sitting on it, Shen Yuning looked at the boundless scenery and suddenly thought that if life could always be so carefree, it would be quite comfortable.
Yuanbao ran closer. Imitating Xuanzhi, she held out the stem of a canna flower to Shen Yuning. "Auntie, the juice of this flower is very sweet. Auntie, eat it quickly."
She had short legs and was out of breath from running. While running, she tried hard to stand on tiptoe to put the canna flower into her aunt's mouth.
Shen Yuning didn't really want to eat it at first, but seeing Yuanbao working so hard, she couldn't bear to let her be disappointed and quickly reached out her hand to take it. Before her hand could touch the canna flower, there was a loud "plop". Yuanbao tripped and fell flat on her face.
Shen Yuning let out a cry of surprise. But Shen Fugui just glanced back and then continued driving the cart with a laugh.
Xuanzhi behind had already picked up Yuanbao. He laughed and mocked, "I said you're useless, right? Come on, go back and stay on the cart."
Yuanbao was stubborn. She broke free from Xuanzhi's arms. Paying no attention to the wound on her knee, she continued running forward. While running, she shouted, "Humph! Who said I'm useless? And, she's my aunt, my aunt!"
Xuanzhi snorted back, "She's also my sister. Since you call her aunt, you should call me uncle."
Yuanbao couldn't argue with him, so she got angry and ignored him. Soon, the big and the small disappeared in the green paddy fields.
However, from that day on, Xuanzhi seemed to be deliberately provoking Yuanbao. Whenever he heard Yuanbao call "aunt", he would also shout "aunt" noisily. Yuanbao had just gotten familiar with Shen Yuning these days and was willing to call her "aunt". But after Xuanzhi's interference, she became awkward and refused to call her that again.
Although Shen Yuning felt that being called like this made her seem a bit older, it was just a form of address, so she let them be.
With the ox - cart, their journey became much faster. On the eighth day, the group was almost at Xitian Town in Yun County. In less than an hour, they would reach the small village where Shen Fugui lived. But for some reason, Shen Fugui's hand on the reins got slower and slower. Finally, he stopped completely, and the ox pulling the cart stopped by the roadside to graze.
Shen Yuning was curious and quickly asked, "Second brother, are you worried that your adoptive parents won't accept us?"
Since he couldn't hide it anymore, Shen Fugui told her the whole story. It turned out that his adoptive father was very poor. After his wife died, he only had a daughter and didn't have the money to remarry. Because he had no son, he was always looked down upon by the villagers.
Later, when Shen Fugui came, he originally wanted to be an adopted son. But because he refused to change his surname, the villagers all regarded him as an outsider and not the adoptive father's real child. Finally, as his adoptive father got older, he simply took Shen Fugui in as a son - in - law.
So when he was in Shenjiapo before, he just missed his relatives and wanted to recognize them. He didn't plan to stay in Shenjiapo. Later, seeing that the clan treated Shen Yuning and Yuanbao badly, he was afraid that if he told the truth, the villagers in Shenjiapo would have no scruples and still try to sell Shen Yuning. In a moment of impulse, he felt that he couldn't leave his sister and niece alone, so he brought them back with him.
Now that home was just ahead, he was scared. It didn't make sense for a son - in - law to bring his family back.
It was only then that Shen Yuning learned that when Shen Fugui went to the clan to ask for the fields that day, the clan's intention was still to ask him to sell her. Fortunately, her second brother was a good man. Otherwise, she would have been in trouble with no way to resist.
Shen Fugui took a deep breath. "My father - in - law and your second sister - in - law are good people, but the uncles living next door always think that the fields of my father - in - law's family should be theirs. They've often sneered at me. I'm afraid they'll make things difficult for you."
Shen Yuning felt a bit more at ease. Leaving that hell - hole of Shenjiapo was better than anything. Moreover, since entering Yun County, she had seen all the way that the situation here was much better than in Maohe County. She thought it probably wasn't as poor as Shenjiapo, where people had to sell their children to survive.
She quickly comforted him. "Second brother, don't worry. We've survived such a difficult time in Shenjiapo. If your family accepts us, that's great. If not, I have some silver. I think I can find a job to support Xuanzhi and Yuanbao."
Actually, as a girl without a local household registration and coming to rely on her second brother, it would be a problem if her second brother really didn't care about her. But now that they had come this far, she could only move forward and see what happened.
When Shen Fugui's ox - cart entered the small village, a boy wearing only a pair of pants jumped up like a monkey and shouted, "Sister Rong, brother - in - law is really back! Sister Rong, brother - in - law is back! And he's back in a cart!"
After his shouting, a crowd quickly gathered at the village entrance to watch the excitement.
A somewhat plump woman walked towards them. She looked young, but her face was a bit dark. She wasn't exactly beautiful but had a well - proportioned and comfortable appearance. When she smiled, her white teeth were very eye - catching.
When she saw the people in the cart, the villagers fell silent. The plump woman also stopped in her tracks and stopped smiling. She stared at them in a daze.
An old man in his forties with a hunched back climbed out from inside. He grinned and said, "I said that Fugui wouldn't not come back. Look, here he is."
Shen Fugui quickly got off the cart and shouted to him, "Father, Rong'er."
Zhang Rong then stepped forward and looked at the people in the back of the cart, especially taking a good look at Shen Yuning. Since they were almost there, Shen Yuning had let down her hair and no longer dressed as a boy. It was obvious at a glance that she was a delicate young girl.
Seeing Zhang Rong looking at her, Shen Yuning also jumped off the cart and showed a smile. "Second sister - in - law."
Hearing this call, Zhang Rong immediately knew that this was the family member her husband had been missing day and night. She also smiled and stepped forward to greet her. "Are you Xiaorou?"
Shen Yuning didn't explain. She just replied with a smile, "Second sister - in - law, my name is Shen Yuning now. This is my elder brother's child, Yuanbao. Yuanbao, come and call second aunt."
Yuanbao was a bit shy. She looked at them timidly and didn't say a word. Finally, Xuanzhi carried Yuanbao and called for her, "Second aunt."
However, a man who looked similar to the hunched old man walked by and shouted, "Hey, Fugui has brought all his family members back this time? Did something bad happen in your Shenjiapo? Are you bringing back so many burdens?"
As a son - in - law, Shen Fugui had little say. Hearing this, his face just turned pale. He nervously glanced at his father - in - law.
Shen Yuning laughed loudly. "What are you talking about, uncle? I heard about my second brother's situation and insisted on coming to have a look. Now that I see that my second sister - in - law and father - in - law are good people, I'm relieved."
It turned out that they were just here to visit relatives. The villagers saw that Shen Yuning had an ox - cart and that although their clothes were ordinary, they weren't shabby. Since they weren't coming to rely on Old Man Zhang, there was nothing interesting to watch. So after greeting them, they all went back to their own business.
After they got back home, Shen Fugui lowered his head in front of his father - in - law and told him the whole story, omitting the part about his sister being replaced and then returned. He only said that his elder brother had committed a crime and been exiled.
"Now that my elder brother is gone, if my sister and niece stay in Shenjiapo, they'll be swallowed alive by those people. After all, I'm her brother. I can't just stand by and do nothing... At most, it won't be more than two years. When my elder brother comes back, they'll go back..."
Old Man Zhang squinted his eyes and sneered. "You make it sound so easy. Your elder brother has committed a crime. We don't know what the situation will be when he comes back. At most two years? Fugui, don't you know the situation of our family? There will be three more mouths to feed... No, soon there will be one more mouth."
Before Shen Fugui could react, Shen Yuning was overjoyed. She looked at Zhang Rong's belly and asked, "Second sister - in - law, are you pregnant?"
A blush appeared on Zhang Rong's dark face. She nodded. "A few days after your brother left, I felt unwell. I asked someone to check and found out... I'm already three months pregnant."
Shen Fugui had completely forgotten about how to arrange for his sister. He just wanted to pick up his wife and spin her around.
Shen Yuning watched coldly. This sister - in - law was capable, and although the old man's words were a bit sharp, he was probably a soft - hearted person. Seeing his son - in - law's excited look, there was more satisfaction on his face.
After thinking for a while, Shen Yuning stepped forward and bowed to Old Man Zhang. "Uncle, I'm good at embroidery. I can embroider some things and sell them in the town. I can always support one or two people."
Xuanzhi quickly followed. "Grandpa, don't worry. I can do anything. I can transplant rice seedlings in the fields, harvest the rice, grow vegetables. Don't look at me being thin and small. I'm actually very strong. Auntie is pregnant. I can do all the housework, like making a fire and chopping firewood. There's nothing I can't do."
Hearing them swear like this, Old Man Zhang thought that the people were already here and he didn't have the heart to drive them out. Thinking that Fugui really regarded them as family to dare bring his sister and niece here, he couldn't bear to say harsh words anymore. He just rolled his eyes, snorted, and then started to arrange rooms for the children.
The Zhang family didn't have much space. There were only three rooms. Before, each of the three people had one room. After Shen Fugui became a son - in - law, one room was left empty. It was just right for Shen Yuning and Yuanbao to live in. As for Xuanzhi, he could only live in the firewood shed behind the kitchen.
Fortunately, Xuanzhi wasn't picky. Instead, he happily shouted that he had been wandering since childhood and now he finally had his own little nest. His words made Old Man Zhang laugh so hard that he leaned forward and backward. He thought that these new - coming children were all treasures.
However, compared with Shen Yuning and Xuanzhi's optimism, little Yuanbao wasn't very happy. She always hid behind Shen Yuning full of hostility and looked coldly at Zhang Rong. Even when Zhang Rong tried to get close to her, she would run far away.