Xiao Xi Tian waved at Xue Ling Ling, "Xue, Xue Ling Ling! Ga ga~"
Her small body swayed precariously on the horse, threatening to fall off at any moment.
She had learned to ride a horse at the base.
However, this body was too small, and her short legs couldn't grip the horse's back, nor could she reach the saddle.
Yun Jin He, holding the reins, also wobbled, unable to sit steadily.
"Auntie, what did you just call that big white dog? Xue Ling Ling?" Yun Jin He asked curiously.
That name... was too cruel!
Xiao Xi Tian rolled her eyes and shouted in her tender, childish voice, "It's Xue Ling Ling!~"
Yun Jin He frowned.
It still sounded like "blood, blood"!
"Go, go over there!" Xiao Xi Tian pointed in a direction, saying in her milky voice.
Yun Jin He turned his head and saw that the direction she pointed was the construction site next door.
He pulled back on the reins, slowed down, and walked over with a 'dada dada' sound.
Many villagers had gathered here.
They were all speculating about who the owner of the courtyard would be.
"Who do you think would come to our poor mountain village to build a house?"
"I don't know, if this big courtyard is built, it'll probably be more imposing than Old Yun's family!"
"I heard these people are all from the capital, their master must be very rich, right?"
"Why don't you go ask and find out!"
"Why don't you go? That Master Kong, you can't get a word out of him with a stick, asking him is useless!"
Indeed, Kong Xing Zhuo kept his master's identity very well hidden.
Even Old Yun and Madam Gu couldn't get any information.
The weather was hot, and the workers were shirtless.
Cartloads of square-shaped blue bricks were transported over and piled up on the open ground, forming a wall.
The sound of 'ding ding dang dang' hammering echoed through Da Shui Village.
Next to the Yun family's house, construction was in full swing.
This made the villagers even more curious about the courtyard owner who refused to show himself.
"Oh dear, Little Sweet Treasure, you're too young to ride a horse, get down quickly!"
Aunt Zhang suddenly noticed the aunt and nephew riding the big horse and was so anxious she wiped a bead of sweat.
"Jin He, you too, you have no sense of propriety."
"How old is your aunt? If she gets hurt, your parents will skin you!"
Just as Aunt Zhang was about to reach out and lift Xiao Xi Tian down, she heard a 'ding' sound.
A worker accidentally dropped a nail, sending it flying.
It flew directly towards Xiao Xi Tian.
The chestnut horse was startled and reared up, neighing loudly.
The aunt and nephew clung to each other, almost falling off.
Although they dodged the nail, the chestnut horse tensed up and suddenly charged forward.
A startled horse is a terrifying thing.
It could easily crash into a tree or fall into a ditch.
Minor injuries could include fractures and abrasions, while severe cases could result in death on the spot.
"Ahhh! Woo woo woo, help!" Yun Jin He burst into tears.
Despite his fear, he tightly held onto his little aunt, afraid she would fall off the horse.
Xiao Xi Tian was the apple of her entire family's eye.
If anything happened to her, before his grandparents could deal with him, his parents would flay him alive.
Xiao Xi Tian remained very calm, not crying or fussing.
She instinctively reached for the reins, but her little hands were too short to reach.
"Big... Big nephew, don't cry!~" she comforted Yun Jin He.
"Woo woo woo, you're not crying yet, we're about to be run over and killed!"
Yun Jin He cried heartbrokenly, his face filled with despair.
Xiao Xi Tian: "..."
When you cry, I want to cry too.
But as soon as she pouted her lips, she actually started laughing with a 'ge ge ge' sound.
Yun Jin He: "..."
No, little auntie, you can still laugh at this moment?
What kind of mindset is that!
The horse galloped, fast as the wind.
Its four strong hooves pounded the ground, making a 'puteng puteng' sound.
At this moment, Kong Xing Zhuo, riding a stronger horse, quickly caught up.
The two horses ran side by side, very close to each other.
Kong Xing Zhuo reached out and pulled the aunt and nephew into his embrace.
Then, he leaned over, grabbed the chestnut horse's reins, and yanked hard.
The chestnut horse snorted and slowly stopped.
Yun Jin He immediately stopped crying, his eyes towards Kong Xing Zhuo filled with little stars.
"Are you two trying to die?" Kong Xing Zhuo scolded angrily.
Xiao Xi Tian gripped his collar and called out with a smile, "Brother Kong!~"
She knew she was in the wrong and had done something she shouldn't have.
But what was wrong with being cute!
What ill intentions could a baby who had just turned one year old have!
Kong Xing Zhuo: "..."
The anger in his heart instantly extinguished.
He vowed that when he got married and had a wife, he would have a cute baby like Little Sweet Treasure.
"Brother Kong, go, go home!~" She was thirsty.
Kong Xing Zhuo nodded, "Okay, let's go home!"
He moved back on the saddle, making it more comfortable for the aunt and nephew to sit.
Yun Jin He looked a bit dejected and said guiltily, "Master Kong, after you go back, can you... can you not tell my parents!"
Kong Xing Zhuo agreed without thinking, "Okay, I won't tell them!"
Yun Jin He's face lit up, and he thanked him repeatedly, "Thank you, Master Kong!"
Kong Xing Zhuo smiled slyly and leaned into Yun Jin He's ear, "I'll tell your Grandma and Grandpa!"
Yun Jin He: "???"
So, love disappears, right?
With such a commotion, even if Kong Xing Zhuo hadn't said anything, the Yun family already knew.
That evening, Yun Jin He's backside was spanked until it was swollen, and he cried.
Xiao Xi Tian, clutching a pile of toys, pretended to be asleep behind the pile of quilts, making the whole family laugh and cry.
This year, there was ample rainfall, and the crops in Da Shui Village were growing well.
In just over a month, they would be able to harvest the wheat.
The large courtyard next door also rose from the ground under the villagers' watchful eyes.
It was a three-courtyard mansion, luxurious and imposing, magnificent and grand.
To match the style of the Old Yun family's residence, this courtyard also had blue bricks and white tiles, with a red lacquered gate.
However, there were several gate towers around the high walls.
It was unclear if they were for watchmen or for preventing thieves.
In the past few days, Kong Xing Zhuo had been instructing the servants to make furniture and purchase pots and pans.
A whole set of red-glazed porcelain was moved in, making the grand courtyard even more opulent.
At the broken temple at the east end of the village.
Liu Cui Rong, holding her younger son, sneaked in.
This place used to be the public latrine of Da Shui Village.
It had been tidied up by Lu Shi and Liu Cui Jin, but the smell was still pungent.
The window paper had been pasted on, and a door had been installed.
Fire kilns had been built in both the front and back small rooms.
If one didn't mind the smell, it was quite comfortable to live in.
As soon as Liu Cui Rong walked in, she gagged from the smell.
"Why are you only coming now? Did you bring the money?" Liu Cui Jin glanced at her.
She sat cross-legged in front of the kang table, cracking chestnuts she had somehow obtained, making 'ka ka' sounds as she shelled them.
Liu Cui Rong frowned, pulled out a handkerchief to cover her son's nose, and asked, "Where did Mother go?"
"I don't know!" Liu Cui Jin replied casually.
At this moment, Lu Shi walked in from outside with a bundle of dry firewood.
Seeing Liu Cui Rong, she smiled faintly, "Cui Rong is here, please sit!"
Although she spoke politely, her eyes, which glowed green, were fixed on the child in Liu Cui Rong's arms.
"Mother, I've brought you the money!"
Liu Cui Rong said, taking out a few pieces of broken silver and a large handful of copper coins from her embrace.
"This is more than an ounce of silver, you and Cui Jin be frugal with it!"
"No... no need!"
Lu Shi curled her lips and looked at the child again.