Chapter 81: She'll Definitely Take Me In!
One of the jade pieces was the one she was considering gifting to An Jiuyue. However, everything on the table was gone overnight.
Panicked, she rushed up to a worker in the inn and learned that Xue Ling had checked out and left on her own!
In other words, Xue Ling had come to her room, taken away the things on her table, bought a carriage, and left her alone!
"Xue Ling, you're really ruthless!"
Xue Ling had thought that Qian Yiyun had already gifted the jade pendant to An Jiuyue.
Xue Ling saw the things on the table and was probably very pleased by the thought that I would be penniless! She wanted to see me in trouble, right?
There is a saying that a woman's heart is the most vicious. Xue Ling is such a spiteful woman! She has always said that she wants to treat me as her younger sister and marry my brother in the future.
Yet, this is how she treats me?
Isn't she afraid that my brother will never want to see her again when he finds out about this?
Marry my brother? Is someone like Xue Ling worthy?
"I have to think of a solution. I can't stay here forever."
Her room had also been checked out, and the two jade pendants she had were of superior quality. She was reluctant to sell them.
She had already planned to give a jade pendant to Sister Jiuyue. She wanted to wait for her brother to settle his matters first before preparing a proper gift together to thank An Jiuyue for saving their lives.
The two jade pendants were a fixed pair. She would keep one and give the other to An Jiuyue. It was a great plan!
"Right! I can go back and find Sister Jiuyue. She'll definitely take me in!"
She could not return to look for her brother because she was penniless.
It was also not a good idea to wait for her brother here. There would be all kinds of riots and violence after the flood.
Xue Ling had left her with no way out. How could she return home if she could not even afford a carriage? She also could not wait for her brother to fetch her. It would usually take more than three days to return, but it would require more time given her difficult situation.
Was she supposed to starve for the next few days?
Hence, she decided to return to An Jiuyue's house and wait for her brother to pick her up.
She believed that he would definitely know where she went. He knew her best.
…
Carrying a pickaxe, An Jiuyue returned home after a busy morning in the forest.
She almost dropped the pickaxe on her foot when she heard a familiar voice coming from the treehouse.
Wei Na also noticed it and reminded, "Master, your sister-in-law is back."
It won't be easy to get rid of this person! Now that she's back, Master's husband will be back too!
"Why is she back?"
An Jiuyue was also puzzled and wondered if Qian Jiyun was here too.
She placed the pickaxed in the straw shed and hurried upstairs. She was relieved to see Qian Yiyun alone.
"Why did you come back on your own?" she asked.
"Sister Jiuyue, we were going to rush back as quickly as possible, but Xue Ling insisted on staying in town for a day. I was afraid of delaying Big Brother, so I told him to leave first.
Chapter 82: A Pitiful Look
"I stayed behind to accompany Xue Ling. I only rested in an inn in town for a night, but Xue Ling took everything from me while I slept and ran away alone. She even checked out my room," Qian Yiyun explained with reddened eyes.
She had to look a bit more pitiful to convince An Jiuyue to let her stay.
2
"Sister Jiuyue, I don't have anything now. I haven't eaten anything today either. I'm so hungry! Sister Jiuyue, can I stay at your house?"
An Jiuyue was silent.
Is Xue Ling crazy? I thought she likes Qian Jiyun? How can she treat his younger sister like that?
"Why did she do that? She must have some reason, right?"
Qian Yiyun replied, "I think she wanted Big Brother to stay last night to do something shameful. I said some things to her and told Big Brother to leave first."
She had thought about many things on the way. The more she thought about it, the more she believed that Xue Ling was vicious for trying to kill her.
She was penniless! How was she supposed to survive in that place after the flood? She could be knocked out and trafficked.
In that case, Xue Ling could say whatever she wanted to her brother. There would be no evidence to prove otherwise.
"Sister Jiuyue, my brother has left. I don't have anything, and I don't know when he'll send someone to fetch me. I've thought about it again and again. I can only come to your house. Sister Jiuyue, you won't chase me out, right?" She pouted, looking pitiful.
An Jiuyue raised her hand and facepalmed, speechless.
What is going on? I don't want to live under the same roof as Qian Yiyun.
She was still rejoicing that she had finally gotten rid of the Qian family. However, Xue Ling messed around and sent Qian Yiyun back to her.
She could not chase her away now. She was a kind person and could not allow a young, penniless lady to wander alone.
"I'll boil a pot of warm water for you. Take a shower first. Let's talk about the rest later," she said.
Qian Yiyun's eyes lit up.
She means that I can stay, right?
…
After a while, Qian Yiyun was chased to the shower.
"Mother, is that auntie staying with us?" Rong'er asked softly.
"Yes," An Jiuyue replied helplessly, "She'll stay here for a few days. She'll leave when Uncle Qian comes to pick her up."
"Will she help us take care of Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing?" Zheng'er asked.
The boys and their mother had named the two babies Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing.
Qian Yiyun had told him that she would help to take care of Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing while staying here as payment for her meals.
An Jiuyue nodded and replied, "She will."
Besides taking care of the two children, Qian Yiyun could not do anything else.
"Watch over your brothers. I will cook now."
She rose to her feet and headed to the kitchen.
Since Qian Yiyun was here, she could not retrieve all the food from her space. She had to store some food in the kitchen to prevent any suspicion.
However, it seemed like she had made the right decision previously.
Chapter 83: You Went to Catch Fish?
It was right to not tell Qian Jiyun about herself and the two little ones. If Qian Jiyun took the two children back with him, how would they live with a stepmother like Xue Ling?
That woman could be ruthless to Qian Yiyun—let alone the two children!
…
After asking Qian Yiyun to stay home with the four children, An Jiuyue went into the mountains to reclaim land again in the afternoon. When she returned home at night, she saw Qian Yiyun gutting a fish under the tree.
"Where did the fish come from?" she asked, approaching her.
"I caught it," Qian Yiyun looked up at her and replied.
1
"An auntie from the village came by today to ask you to catch some fish in the fields at the foot of the mountain. You weren't around, so I went. I caught several fish! I placed them all in the vat. Sister Jiuyue, can you rear fishes in that vat?"
An Jiuyue looked in the direction she was pointing at. It was the water vat that she used to collect rainwater.
"Yes. Thank you for your hard work."
"Wait, you went to catch fish? Are all the villagers catching fish?" she asked Qian Yiyun.
"Yeah, they were all catching fishes." Qian Yiyun nodded.
There were not many live animals in the village now, and the villagers did not dare to touch the corpses of the poultry. However, the fishes were still alive.
"I only caught 23 fishes. I wanted to catch more, but I was a little embarrassed. I heard that the fields at the foot of the mountain belong to other families. However, the aunties told me to go again tomorrow. Sister Jiuyue, I'll catch more tomorrow."
Catching fish was her forte! She was not afraid of shallow waters and was only caught in the flood this time because it occurred so quickly and swept everyone away.
An Jiuyue was silent.
You caught 23 fishes, and that's still not enough? You want to catch even more?
I reckon you can't do much besides eating. These many fishes are considered little to you?
"There's enough fishes. Gut the fish well, and I'll cook braised fish for you."
"Okay!" Qian Yiyun nodded.
"Sister Jiuyue, Aunt Ju asks you to catch some fish tomorrow. There's nothing else in the fields, but there's plenty of fish everywhere. Everyone was saying that eating the fish could sustain us for many days.
"But Aunt Ju told me secretly to ask you if the fishes are edible? But we have no choice either, right?"
There was no more food after the flood, so it was good that they could catch some fish to eat. They could also harvest some wild vegetables in the mountains to survive.
However, no one knew how many days they could survive like that. After all, they would not be able to grow and harvest grain anytime soon.
"Let's talk about this tomorrow. I'll descend the mountain tomorrow and talk to them myself," An Jiuyue replied and went upstairs.
She definitely had enough food here. She had no intentions of snatching food from the villagers initially, but she wanted to remind them that they should only catch live fish.
"Master, are you going to catch fish?"
An Jiuyue heard Wei Na's soft voice in her head after she returned to her room.
"Can't I?" An Jiuyue retorted.
What's wrong with catching fish? I can rear them in my space.
"You can, but… Master, we don't have many points left, right?" Wei Na reminded with a trembling voice.
Does Master want to exchange the wild boars for points in the Points Mall again? If she does that, we won't be able to survive anymore. It's very difficult to make ends meet here.
Chapter 84: Backache
An Jiuyue pursed her lips and replied, "I'm only exchanging the points for the token. It doesn't cost much."
Wei Na was speechless.
Master, don't you feel guilty saying that? The tokens for reclaiming land and excavating ponds are different. Did I misread? Aren't 1000 points required for the first pond?
Wei Na muttered, "Master, we only have 1250 points. If you exchange it for a pond excavating token, we'll be left with 250 points."
An Jiuyue was surprised.
250 points? Can't you make that sound a little nicer?
"I can earn one point every month for every fish in the space. I can also grow lotus plants and water chestnuts in the pond, forming a water cycle. I can earn many points every month without much effort. Isn't that good?"
Wei Na thought that it sounded pretty good too.
Alright then. Let's just say I was remarking casually, and Master didn't hear anything.
"Shall we begin now?" it asked.
If she excavates the pond now, she'll be able to put all the small fish she catches tomorrow into the pond directly. Wonderful!
"Master, didn't we see some lotus plants and water chestnut leaves at the foot of the mountain? We can gather all of them. There are no seasonal changes in the space, so we can grow them anytime."
"Okay, we'll settle that tonight." An Jiuyue nodded.
…
An Jiuyue dug up and re-planted lotus plants throughout the night. She also brought back a lot of water chestnut leaves. She purchased the water she needed from the Points Mall in her space.
Wei Na was speechless. Water, which could be found everywhere, cost 50 points! It was too expensive!
By the time An Jiuyue was done, it was dawn. She prepared breakfast before descending the mountain to catch more fish.
The villagers catching fish at the foot of the mountain were excited to see An Jiuyue.
After all, she was the one who saved everyone's lives.
However, some people looked at An Jiuyue with intense hatred in their eyes. One of them was Aunt Kang, who was scolded by the Chief, her sons, and her daughters-in-law when she returned home.
If she had not cried so much and pretended to be pitiful, the Chief would have chased her back to her parents' home.
1
Her daughters-in-law, who were initially afraid to breathe loudly in front of her, dared to glare at her openly and even instructed her to do chores.
Her back had been aching every day from the hard work, and no one came to take pity on her.
She felt that it was An Jiuyue's fault. If An Jiuyue had not come to her house and gotten involved, she would not have been despised so much.
1
She hated An Jiuyue thoroughly.
Of course, Aunt Wang was also one of those who detested An Jiuyue. Many villagers now treated An Jiuyue as their savior. Meanwhile, she, who had tried to sell An Jiuyue's son, had become the most wicked person in the village.
She felt that she had done nothing wrong. She did it for An Jiuyue's sake—she wanted to help her earn a few taels of survival to make ends meet.
She did not expect An Jiuyue to be so ungrateful and force her into a corner. She had been so afraid to leave the house. If not for the sake of survival, she would have been too embarrassed to be seen catching fish in the fields!
Chapter 85: Really Capable
Hence, she was quick to glare at An Jiuyue as she watched her descend the mountain. She hated her so much she wished she could cut off a few pieces of her flesh!
"Jiuyue, Jiuyue! Quick, come here! We're catching fish. They are so fat. We've been discussing what to do with them. We don't think we can rear all of them."
Aunt Ju and the other women were worried about what they should do with the fish.
There was nowhere to rear these fishes. Even if they wanted to, they were also afraid of accidentally killing them. After all, a fish would die quickly in a water vat.
If the fish died under their care, they would be too afraid to eat it that it would not matter if it had died naturally or of illness.
An Jiuyue was also a little perplexed as she looked at the fish. "It's difficult to preserve these fishes."
In the past, she would have salted the fishes and left them under the sun for a few days.
However, in an era where salt was several times more expensive than meat, there were very few salted fish, pork, and pickled vegetables. It would be troublesome to preserve fish.
After thinking for a moment, she said, "Aunt Ju, I noticed the roads in the village have been cleaned, and the sun is shining. How about killing the fishes and drying them? Everyone should have firewood, right?
"We can soak the fish in water for a while when we want to eat it. It might not be as tasty, but it's still a dish. It can fill your stomach when you're hungry."
Although the sun was shining, she reckoned it would not dry the fish adequately. Fishes stink very easily. It would be best to dry them with firewood.
It would be enough for them to eat for a long time. Moreover, every family had a water vat, so they could raise a couple of live fish too.
"Well… we can only give it a try." Aunt Ju nodded.
She had no alternative ideas. She used to rear a fish in a vat, but it died a few days later. It was even a breed that swam actively.
Since there were so many fishes, it was impossible to rear all of them. They might as well dry them with firewood. It was not expensive to use firewood too.
1
They would only eat the fish if they were still edible. After all, they should not be risking their lives for food.
"Jiuyue, let's not talk about this anymore. Come, let's catch some fish. You should catch more and bring them back to dry today," Aunt Ju called out to An Jiuyue.
An Jiuyue smiled and joined them. She only caught the small ones that could be reared in her space and left the rest to the villagers.
"Tsk!"
On the other side, Aunt Kang watched An Jiuyue mingle harmoniously with Aunt Ju and the others. She was so livid she almost could not straighten her back.
"That little b*tch is really capable."
"Right? Sister Kang, An Jiuyue is getting worse and worse. You're standing here, but she didn't even greet us when she passed by. She's such a b*stard!" Aunt Wang noticed Aunt Kang's expression and quickly chimed in.
1
"Just you wait and see! We'll deal with you one day!" Aunt Kang cursed angrily.
Once I coax my family's old fart, I'll be able to deal with this little b*tch who doesn't know her place and seduces the men in my family!
2
"That's right, that's right! Don't be angry, Sister Kang. We'll deal with that little girl soon! This is An Clan Village. How can she rebel in the palm of your hands?"
Chapter 86: Let Her Perish
Aunt Wang knew that she could not win against An Jiuyue. Instead, she encouraged Aunt Kang to fight with An Jiuyue and take advantage of that.
"Master, Master, this is amazing!"
Wei Na was amused as it listened to those people plot against its master.
"That Kang and Wang are discussing how to deal with you. They really think they're so smart. Why don't we teach them a lesson first?"
1
An Jiuyue smiled helplessly.
Catching more fish and putting them into her space was the most important thing on her mind now. As for Aunt Kang and Aunt Wang…
The Chief would deal with Aunt Kang. Besides, her eldest son and daughter-in-law were not to be trifled with. They would not allow her to be arrogant at home again.
Moreover, if she remembered correctly, her second son had feelings for the Host, right?
He would not be happy with his mother if he found out that she harmed the entire village because she wanted to give her attitude.
Hence, Aunt Kang would face many hardships from now on.
Needless to say, Aunt Wang would be in a similar situation. Now that she had become the village's savior, the villagers would be hostile towards Aunt Wang, who had previously bullied her and tried to sell her son.
She reckoned that Aunt Wang's family would be shunned in the village in the future. There was no need for her to deal with them.
"I think I should conserve my energy and catch fish."
…
Four days later, in the military camp…
"Where's Yan Yan? Why didn't she come back with you?" Qian Jiyun looked at the miserably crying Xue Ling and felt no sympathy.
1
"Brother Yun, I stayed at that inn in town for a night. The next morning, I realised Yiyun had disappeared. I heard from a worker that she had already checked out and left.
"I thought she was angry with me, wanted to ignore me and rush to catch up with you, so she left me behind.
"I didn't think much about it and set off on my own. I was afraid that it would be dangerous for her to travel alone and wanted to catch up to her quickly. I met the people you sent before I even caught up with her."
Xue Ling exchanged her situation with Qian Yiyun's. She wanted Qian Jiyun to think that his sister had disappeared because she willfully bullied her.
1
She had already thought it through: Four days had passed. Since she took everything Qian Yiyun had, she would not have enough money to buy food. Even if she did not starve to death, her small face would make her a target of the local hooligans.
She might have already been sold off somewhere. Even if Qian Jiyun returned to look for her, he probably would not be able to find her!
"You…" Qian Jiyun was so angry that he almost raised his hand to slap her.
1
He knew his younger sister well. Yan Yan would never do something so irrational.
The only possibility was that Xue Ling had left Yan Yan in the town to perish while she returned alone.
He took a deep breath and said to Xue Ling, "Get some rest first. I'll send someone to look for Yan Yan."
Xue Ling looked at Qian Jiyun and nodded. "Okay."
"Brother Yun, you have to send someone to look for Yiyun quickly. We don't even know where she is now."
It would take at least three days to return to that town. Many things could happen within three days. Nobody knew if Qian Yiyun was dead or alive.
Chapter 87: Who Does She Know There?
She was delighted by the thought of Qian Yiyun's disappearance.
No one would stop her from getting close to Brother Yun anymore. She could peacefully think of a good way to make him her man.
1
"Get some rest." Qian Jiyun did not wish to waste his time and gestured for her to leave.
After watching Xue Ling leave, Yan Nuo walked over and looked at Qian Jiyun. "General."
"Send someone to follow her," Qian Jiyun instructed.
"I've already sent someone to do that. We will receive news soon," Yan Nuo replied.
Why would they believe Xue Ling so easily? They had to send someone to follow her.
In fact, she did not seem worried about Qian Yiyun at all. She immediately left when she heard that she could rest. In his opinion, Xue Ling was probably hoping that Qian Yiyun would never appear again.
"General, as for Miss…"
Qian Jiyun thought for a moment, then said, "Yan Yan is more capable than Xue Ling. Since she didn't catch up with us, she must have been sabotaged and didn't have any money left."
That town was the only place that was not affected by the disaster. Yan Yan knew how to ride a horse. She would have bought a horse and hurried back if she had the money. She would not be slower than Xue Ling, who returned in a carriage.
"Then what should we do? It's been four days," Yan Nuo asked anxiously.
Qian Jiyun replied calmly, "Let her be."
"Huh?" Yan Nuo listened, mouth agape and at a loss for words.
The General said that knowing she is penniless now? Is he trying to make her a beggar?
Qian Jiyun noted his surprise and reminded, "Who does she know there?"
There was a look of realization on Yan Nuo's face.
The only person Miss knows there is Miss An, who saved us! The town is not far from Miss An's house. Since Miss does not have any money now, she would probably look for her to protect herself.
So, Xue Ling's attempt to kill Miss is a wrong move, isn't it?
1
"Then, General, what about Xue Ling?" he asked.
They had tolerated her to see what other tricks she had up her sleeves. But how could they spare her now that she had sabotaged Qian Yiyun?
"Let her gloat for a few more days," Qian Jiyun instructed.
He thought for a moment, then added, "Yan Yan's belongings are with her. Go and get them back."
"Yes, I understand," Yan Nuo replied and left the tent.
…
Another nine days passed.
The roads in the village were cleared and the fields were reclaimed under the supervision and urging of the Chief and the Junior Officer.
Some families distributed the grain that was soaked in the floodwaters. They planted the grain quickly and saved everyone the cost of buying seeds.
Although all their poultry were gone, their money remained because they were hidden well.
They were muddied now, but they could still be found. The villagers could buy some food and wild vegetables to get by.
The village was renewed. Everyone listened to An Jiuyue's suggestion and went to the spring on the mountain to fetch water. They had temporarily abandoned the well.
Although the villagers were tired, they still cleaned their houses thoroughly. They built new straw roofs and also washed and dried the clothes that had been soaked in water. The clothes were now warm to wear.
Chapter 88: I Think I've Met Her Before
Some villagers had initially picked up many dead chickens and seen dead pigs.
However, An Jiuyue had warned them not to pick up dead animals that had been soaked in water to prevent contracting diseases. Hence, nobody dared to pick them up.
Compared to precious lives, such a small gain was insignificant.
The people in the An Clan Village were the only ones who could protect themselves. No one tried to take advantage of the situation because the Chief patrolled every house daily, ensuring nobody picked up dead animals.
If the Chief found those dead animals, the villagers would drag the animals away to be burned.
Back on the mountain, An Jiuyue was amused by Qian Yiyun, who could now almost juggle a pickaxe when she had previously struggled to even carry it.
"Stay at home today, Xiao Yiyun1. I'll go for a walk in the mountain. I'll come back in the afternoon to grill fish for you."
An Jiuyue instructed Qian Yiyun in the morning before leaving with her basket on her back.
Behind her, Qian Yiyun could not help but frown when she heard her words. She had a strange feeling.
She had never felt this way when they were interacting amongst a large group of people. However, ever since she started living in the treehouse with An Jiuyue, the strange feeling in her heart grew.
"Why did she call me 'Xiao Yiyun'?"
If she remembered correctly, there was only one person who would call her 'Xiao Yiyun'. That was her sister-in-law, whom her brother had never met.
She was young then and had a vicious stepmother, who would bully her and refuse to give her food and water whenever her brother was not around.
Later, her sister-in-law arrived. Although she was too afraid to protect her, she would secretly prepare food for her and kept her from growing hungry.
Back then, her sister-in-law called her 'Xiao Yiyun'.
After four years, she did not expect anyone to say 'Xiao Yiyun' again. Moreover, this was coming from her favorite, Sister Jiuyue.
But she was not young anymore. She was already 14 years old and would have her coming-of-age ceremony next year. How was she little?
"I think I've met Sister Jiuyue somewhere before?"
She tilted her head and tried hard to recall where she had seen An Jiuyue.
Although her face is quite familiar, I've never heard her name before. I've never met her before, right?
She did not want to think about this anymore and turned to the two little ones. "Zheng'er, Rong'er, your younger brothers are sleeping. You don't have to keep an eye on them all day. Come, let's play together."
Sister Jiuyue's two children are really sensible! Unlike other children, they stay at home every day and never cause trouble for Sister Jiuyue!
"Aunt Yiyun, we have to watch over Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing. They will cry if we aren't around," Rong'er explained seriously.
"That's right, Aunt Yiyun! Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing are still young. We won't play, we have to take care of them," Zheng'er added.
Qian Yiyun was speechless.
I take my hats off to these two kids! They're acting like the babies' biological fathers! Even a biological father will not take care of his children like that.
"Zheng'er, has your mother named them yet? What are their names?" she asked.
Chapter 89: I Found My Sister-In-Law!
'Xiao Zhou' and 'Xiao Xing' were nicknames. They had to have formal names, which would be necessary when they grew older.
"Yes, Mother has named them." Zheng'er nodded.
"Xiao Zhou is named An Yizhou1, and Xiao Xing is named An Yixing2. Since they were picked up from the waters, Mother hopes they will be safe wherever they go and never encounter any trouble."
Qian Yiyun nodded. "I see."
Their names sounded pretty good.
"What about you? I know that you are Zheng'er and Rong'er, but I don't know your formal names!"
She was suddenly curious if their names sounded as nice as An Yizhou and An Yixing's. However, she was more curious if their surnames were also An.
"My name is Qian Yizheng, and Rong'er's name is Qian Yirong," said Zheng'er.
1
"Uh—Ahem, ahem, ahem, ahem!"
Qian Yiyun instantly choked on her own saliva, her face turning red.
'Qian'? That's the same surname as mine… No, that's the same surname as my brother! I knew I'd seen An Jiuyue somewhere, but I couldn't remember it!
So that's where I met her!
An Jiuyue is the one who was chased out back then—Lan Zhitong!
If I'm not wrong, these two must be the twin boys my stepmother had sent away to the deep mountains secretly.
1
They are rescued by Lan Zhitong—no, An Jiuyue!
"Aunt Yiyun, what happened to you? You didn't even drink water. Why did you choke?"
Rong'er crawled across the bed and asked in confusion as he patted Qian Yiyun's back gently to calm her down.
Qian Yiyun was speechless.
I did not choke! I am surprised!
I unexpectedly found my sister-in-law!
Fate is really strange. Before I realize it, I found my sister-in-law! Let's see how my brother will thank me for my elite assistance!
She was ready to reunite with her sister-in-law later and share how she and her brother had been.
"Zheng'er, Rong'er, did you know that I am your—"
She swallowed the words 'biological aunt' before she could say it.
Although my sister-in-law took them in as her sons, they are not my brother's biological sons. I am not their biological aunt either. Of course, if my sister-in-law is sure about adopting these two, I will definitely be their aunt!
Wait, not two, but four!
She picked up another two! She has so many sons!
1
However, now was not the time to think about that. She had to figure out why her sister-in-law pretended not to know them after knowing their names.
This is such a big matter, but she didn't acknowledge us!
Why?
Does she despise Big Brother for not caring about her during the past few years?
However, it was not true that he did not care about her. He had been searching for her all these years. He would send people to look for her and searched personally whenever he was free.
He had suffered a lot all these years in his attempt to find her. He even sent people to wait by his mother-in-law's grave to see if she would appear.
Chapter 90: Dying Keeping This a Secret!
He never found her all these years.
Who would have thought that a young lady from a wealthy family would live on a mountain, become a hunter and even change her name!
What happened? What made her abandon her name?
"Aunt Yiyun, what did you say?" Zheng'er asked.
"It's nothing. I was saying that the flowers on the mountain will bloom soon. I'll pick a lot of flowers for you then, okay?" she asked, smiling at the two little ones.
"Okay!" Zheng'er and Rong'er answered in unison.
…
Over the past few days, An Jiuyue noticed something strange about Qian Yiyun.
She would stare at her blankly whenever she had nothing to do. In fact, she would be in a trance. An Jiuyue had no idea what she was thinking.
Wei Na also found it strange and muttered, "Master, does she think her brother forgot about her because he hasn't returned to pick her up?"
"Maybe," An Jiuyue replied seriously, thinking that it was true.
She interpreted Qian Yiyun's recent strange behavior as worry that her brother could not find her because he did not know where she was.
"Don't be sad, Xiao Yiyun. Your brother must have been held back by something important. He'll come and fetch you soon. Didn't you say that the military camp is very busy?" she comforted her.
"I… I'm fine."
Qian Yiyun wanted to ask her sister-in-law why she was unwilling to acknowledge them on multiple occasions.
However, she felt that it was better to keep this a secret.
If she really did not want to see her brother, she might leave with the four children at once and change their names. They might go to a place her brother would never find even if he cried!
However, she was also worried. She wondered why her brother was not here yet. She had been dying keeping this a secret!
"Sister-in… Sister Jiuyue, are you going to town tomorrow?" she asked.
"Yes. I've picked a lot of mushrooms, so I'm going to sell them in town." An Jiuyue nodded.
In reality, the mushrooms in her space had piled up into a small mountain. Although she could exchange them for points in the Points Mall, she still wanted to check out the market price in town.
She also wanted to sell a wild boar for money. There were so many wild boars in her space, and Wei Na kept harping on how it was not worth exchanging them for points.
She decided to sell them one by one.
"Do you want to come with me?" she asked.
Qian Yiyun immediately shook her head like a rattle drum.
"I'll pass. I'll stay at home and watch over Xiao Zhou and Xiao Xing. They shouldn't be left alone."
To be honest, she was worried that her sister-in-law would send her away in town after selling the mushrooms and earning some money.
I have to stay here and wait for Big Brother to arrive. I'm going to make sure my sister-in-law has no chance to escape!
"Okay then. You stay home."
On the other hand, An Jiuyue did not really want her to come along. She was only being polite. After all, she had to take the mushrooms and wild boar out of her space.
"It's getting late. Go wash up and sleep. I want to get up early tomorrow."
"Okay." Qian Yiyun replied and returned to the room An Jiuyue had arranged for her.