The night had completely fallen, and the air outside was frigid. Though there was no wind, the silent, cold night felt more piercing than a gale...
The steam escaping the kitchen had condensed into frost, coating the entire windowpane with a beautiful, crystalline layer of ice, like a sand painting.
Old Man Yun put down his wine bowl and glanced towards the door. "Who could it be at this late hour?"
It wasn't even the usual time for visiting. Most villagers preferred to stroll from house to house after dinner when they had nothing else to do...
"Uncle Yun, I'll go see!" Jin Xiaolou said, then got up and ran out.
Madam Gu sat beside Gao Jingde, ladling him a bowl of chicken soup. "Jingde, drink some soup to warm up. After dinner, I'll ask Huaihua to brew you some medicinal soup. Then, you can go back to bed, cover yourself with the quilt, and sweat it out..."
Alas, without his little daughter at home, there were no white-powder medicine tablets for him to take.
Normally, if anyone in the family had a headache, a fever, or suffered any injury, their little daughter could produce all sorts of medicine that would cure them overnight.
"Grandma, I'm fine!" Gao Jingde sniffled, looking at the feast on the table with no appetite.
Shangguan Fang'er also had little appetite. Seeing Gao Jingde looking so gaunt made her heart ache immensely...
But she didn't know how to take care of anyone. She could only hold Gao Jingde's small hand and shed tears silently.
In short, the atmosphere in the house was heavy and oppressive.
One could only hope for no more bad news.
Jin Xiaolou ran to the main gate and pushed it open. There, Xi Tiantian stood smiling sweetly outside. Dressed in so many layers, she looked like a walking steamed bun...
"Sister Xi Tiantian, you're back!" Jin Xiaolou shouted and rushed over to hug her.
Xi Tiantian stumbled from the impact, almost falling into a snowdrift.
She patted Jin Xiaolou's back, a mix of laughter and tears in her voice. "I'm back, I'm back! I'll continue delivering milk tomorrow, okay!~"
Starting tomorrow, she would begin earning money in earnest...
Jin Xiaolou nodded repeatedly. "Okay, I love helping Sister Xi Tiantian deliver milk the most!~"
Du Tieshan led the horse-drawn carriage over. Seeing Jin Xiaolou, she asked with a smile, "Xiaolou, is everyone at home?"
She had only learned after returning to the village with Sweet Baby that Dashui Village had experienced such heavy snowfall, with some houses' main beams collapsing under the weight.
Jin Xiaolou grunted and walked over to take the reins of the carriage. "Everyone's here. Sister-in-law and Sister Xi Tiantian, hurry inside. It's just time for dinner. I'll unload the carriage..."
There were also various luggage items inside the carriage that needed to be brought into the house. Moreover, the big white horse had traveled such a long distance; it needed to be fed some concentrated feed.
In the main hall of the house.
The family hadn't even had a chance to rejoice over Sweet Baby's return before they started worrying about Yun Erman being conscripted by the rogue soldiers...
It was as if their fears had come true. The whole family had been praying for no more trouble. Sanman's manslaughter case was already enough to cause them grief, but who would have thought Erman would be taken away again.
"Dad, Mom, Shan Shan sister and I went to the capital. Uncle Huang... Uncle Huang promised to rescue second brother!~" Little Xi Tiantian comforted her parents.
Although she trusted her family not to blab, she couldn't directly reveal the identities of Uncle Huang and Xiao Jinheng, fearing eavesdroppers and those with ill intentions.
Old Man Yun had served in the army in his youth and knew the environment and conditions of military camps.
As soon as he heard that Erman had been captured, his heart ached as if being carved by a knife.
Madam Gu felt even worse and lost her appetite for food.
Yun Xiaobao blinked his big, grape-like eyes, looking at his little aunt and then at Du Tieshan. He asked blankly, "Mom, where did Daddy go? Why isn't he coming home..."
Du Tieshan, who had been strong outside, couldn't help but burst into tears upon seeing Yun Xiaobao's innocent, pitiful look.
"Don't worry, Xiaobao. Your father is fine. He'll be back in a few days!" Du Tieshan hugged Yun Xiaobao, her voice choked with sobs.
Seeing his parents silent, Yun Daman threw down his chopsticks and stood up directly. "I'll go find the second one..."
If the second one had any more trouble, their family would truly be unable to carry on.
"Sit down!" Old Man Yun roared angrily. "What can you do if you go out? It's chaotic outside. What if you get captured by the soldiers? Do you want me and your mother to go rescue you?"
Yun Daman pursed his lips and sat back down dejectedly, saying nothing more.
Little Xi Tiantian looked around and suddenly asked, "Huh? Why don't I see third brother?"
Since Sister Fang'er and eldest brother were back, where had third brother gone...
Madam Gu rubbed her daughter's head and sighed, explaining the situation.
After hearing it, Little Xi Tiantian's eyes widened. "Ah? How could something like this happen?"
"That's what I'm saying!" Zhao Guihua peeled an egg for Little Xi Tiantian. "If you ask me, in this freezing cold weather, everyone should just stay home and not go anywhere. Take Erman, for example. If he's sent to the northern frontier battlefield, even if he's not killed by the barbarians, he'll freeze to death..."
The weather in the northern frontier was even colder than in Dashui Village. It was said that during blizzards, the herders' yurts were often buried, and they had to dig themselves out slowly in the morning.
Yun Daman heard this and nudged Zhao Guihua hard. "What are you saying? Can't you wish our second one well?"
His parents were already upset, and she was saying such things to provoke them.
"Alright, alright, stop arguing!" Old Man Yun was in a state of turmoil. He picked up his wine bowl and gulped down two large mouthfuls. "Nothing we say now will help. We just have to wait for news from the capital. Old Master Huang and Young Master Xiao have a good relationship with our family. They won't ignore such a big incident..."
After speaking, Old Man Yun looked at Du Tieshan. "Shanshan, don't worry too much. Erman was clever since he was a child. Perhaps he'll run back on his own one day!~"
Du Tieshan nodded. "I understand, Father!"
"Old woman!" Old Man Yun took Madam Gu's hand again, forcing a dry smile. "You should eat and drink as usual. Don't be sad all day. Look, our little daughter is back. Good luck and fortune will surely return with her..."
"Yes, Little Aunt is the great lucky treasure!" Yun Xiaobao shouted.
Madam Gu's somber face finally eased a little upon hearing this. "Okay, let's eat. Huaihua, this chicken soup has gone cold. Go heat it up. Is there still a bowl of rabbit meat in the bowl rack? Heat that up too, so Shanshan and Xi Tiantian can have a hot meal!~"
"Ah, ah!" Jin Huaihua responded and quickly walked out.
Just as they thought the family could have a peaceful dinner, before Old Man Yun could even finish his bowl of wine, the door was knocked on again.
"Dong dong dong..."