The little girl glanced at Bai Sheng, but still hid in her mother's arms.
Bai Sheng smiled, "No need. Don't scare the child. This child might have been frightened too badly before, so she's a bit timid. Lu Hao, don't rush. We'll take it slow."
"Yes, thank you, Master," Lu Hao wiped her eyes. Although Lu Man hid in her mother's embrace, her eyes were secretly watching Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng gave her a gentle smile, and she immediately buried her face in her mother's arms again, not daring to look at Bai Sheng anymore.
Bai Sheng smiled again.
Lu Man was fortunate, after all, to have a mother who loved her dearly, much better than her modern self.
As the carriage reached the half-repaired road in Hongshu Village, Bai Jing and Lu Hao saw the village scenery through the windows and door, both of them were shocked.
Lu Hao, in particular, was dumbfounded. In her memory, Hongshu Slope had always been a desolate sand dune with nothing. Why, after six years, had Hongshu Slope not only become Hongshu Village but also developed into such a good village!
Despite two consecutive years of drought, Hongshu Village had managed to grow so many trees! This was simply incredible! They had also built a flat and clean village road.
Over the short distance of a few hundred meters, the two were filled with continuous astonishment.
Upon returning home, Bai Sheng introduced the three newly purchased individuals to her family and then introduced her family members to the three.
Just as Bai Sheng was about to ask Tian Guihua to prepare bathing water with rice and flour for them, Lu Ye returned.
Bai Sheng then introduced Lu Ye to the three.
Lu Hao was directly stunned upon seeing Lu Ye. She excitedly stepped forward, grabbed Lu Ye's arm, and exclaimed, "Xiao Ye! Is that you, is it really you! You've... grown so much?" But why are you wearing such good clothes, and... so rich? In her memory, the exceptionally handsome younger cousin Xiao Ye from her uncle's family had always worn tattered clothes and was very thin.
Everyone in the room was shocked. How could the newly bought Lu Hao know the elder uncle?
Lu Ye and Bai Sheng were also surprised. Lu Ye sized up the woman, and after a while, he vaguely recognized who she was, but he couldn't be sure, as the woman before him was vastly different from his memory! However, Lu Ye still tentatively called out, "Youdi sister?"
Lu Hao's eyes welled up with tears, she pouted, and nodded continuously, "It's me, I am your... Youdi sister."
Bai Sheng knew who she was. This thin and withered woman before her was Lu Family's eldest daughter, Lu Youdi, who had been sold by Granny Chen and the eldest wife Xu Shi to a farming family in another town six years ago.
This was... too much of a coincidence!
Bai Sheng was somewhat impressed with her luck.
Although Lu Ye didn't like the Lu family's eldest branch, he still had a deep affection for his cousin Youdi.
From childhood, Lu Youdi had always doted on her younger cousin Lu Ye, treating him like her own brother. Especially during the seven years when Lu Ye was foolish, it was Youdi sister who mostly looked after him when their parents went out to work.
When the village children bullied him, Youdi sister would fight with them, forbidding them from calling him "little fool."
"Youdi sister, why... have you become like this?" Lu Ye choked up a bit. Youdi sister used to be a beauty in the village, with a delicate and lovely appearance. Now, how had she aged so much? She was only 20 years old!
Lu Hao wiped away her tears and smiled, "Xiao Ye, my name is Lu Hao now. It's the younger sister-in-law who gave me a new name. Lu Youdi is no longer my name."
Lu Ye glanced at Bai Sheng, dipped his finger in the corner of his eye, and smiled, "Okay, from now on, I'll call you Haohao sister."
"Mmm!" Lu Hao smiled tearfully.
Bai Sheng took out Lu Hao's deed of sale from her sleeve, feeling a bit embarrassed, "Haohao sister, I'm very sorry. I didn't know you back then, so this is your deed of sale, I'm returning it to you."
Lu Hao quickly waved her hands, resolutely refusing, "No, no, no, younger sister-in-law. Me being Xiao Ye's cousin is one thing, and being sold to your family is another.
You absolutely must not return this deed of sale to me! If you return it to me, I will leave immediately. No matter how down on my luck I, Lu Hao, am, I have my pride. I cannot live in your and Xiao Ye's home for nothing. I am not someone who likes to take advantage of others.
Moreover, in case my maternal family causes trouble, you can show them the deed of sale to fend them off."
Seeing that Lu Hao absolutely refused to take back the deed of sale, and thinking that her words made a lot of sense, Bai Sheng looked at Lu Ye.
Lu Ye said gently, "My dear, then please keep Haohao sister's deed of sale."
"Mmm, okay," Bai Sheng nodded and put the deed of sale back into her sleeve.
Lu Ye looked at Lu Hao and asked in a low voice, "Haohao sister, are you... going back to your maternal family?" He remembered that after Haohao sister was sold, she had never returned to her maternal family in six years.
Lu Hao's gaze turned cold, "They are no longer my maternal family. I don't have such parents. Since the moment they sold me without regard for my feelings, I have had nothing to do with them.
From now on, if my mother, Xu Shi, comes to cause trouble, Xiao Ye, you and younger sister-in-law, show her my deed of sale!"
Lu Ye nodded heavily and comforted her, "Haohao sister, you and Manman can live here with peace of mind. My wife needs your help with many things. If you are determined not to associate with your elder uncle and the others, I will help you. If Xu Shi causes you trouble in the future, you must tell me."
"Okay," Lu Hao nodded firmly. She hesitated for a moment and then asked, "Xiao Ye, are Xingxing and Xiao Si... okay?" The only ones she cared about in that family were Lu Xing and Lu Xiao Si.
Lu Ye said softly, "They are fine, they are all fine. You can rest assured."
Lu Hao nodded and smiled with relief.
Today was truly her lucky day to be bought back by Xiao Ye's wife. Not only was Xiao Ye's wife beautiful, but she also had a kind heart and was very capable. Xiao Ye was indeed a very fortunate person.
Although she didn't know how Xiao Ye had gotten rich and become so wealthy, she was genuinely happy for him.
Seeing that Bai Jing and Lu Hao were covered in dirt and felt a bit embarrassed being surrounded by everyone, Bai Sheng quickly said to them, "Haohao sister, Jing sister, Guihua sister has already prepared bathing water for you. Hurry and take a good bath, change into clean clothes, and you'll feel more comfortable."
Tian Guihua immediately walked over and placed clean towels and clothes in their hands.
There were no clothes for little girls in the house, but Xiao Manman could make do with Tian Dou's clothes.
Tian Guihua led Lu Hao and her daughter, and Bai Jing to the bathhouse by the septic tank.
Each bathhouse was equipped with a large water storage tank and a simple stove for heating water. Dedicated personnel brought water from the well daily to fill the storage tanks.
"Two younger sisters, pour the bathwater into this trough, and it will flow into the septic tank," Tian Guihua instructed, then handed them several pieces of soapwort.
When the two heard "flow into the septic tank," they blushed a little. After all, they were really dirty, and the water washed off would definitely fertilize two mu of land.
However, it was probably like this for everyone in the family, and this Guihua sister did not dislike them.
The two quickly dispelled their embarrassment and went into separate bathrooms.
For a long time, they had even struggled to get drinking water, and now they had been bought here and could bathe daily.
The great changes that occurred within this single day were somewhat unbelievable to them.