Now it was Song Yi'an's turn to be displeased. She tilted her little head and said, "I don't want to trade with you. Trading a jar of honey for a stone is not worth it at all."
Li San was choked. This little girl was just teasing him; he had even wanted to add a few more stones.
However, Song Yi'an changed the subject and pointed her little hand at the stones in Li San's arms: "I want all the stones this uncle has. Do you want to trade with me?"
Li San was stunned. These were all waste materials, and as Song Yi'an had said before, these scraps were not even as good as stones used for weighing down pickles.
But if he had this jar of honey, he could at least explain it to his wife when he got home.
Li San hesitated and didn't speak, which made Song Yi'an anxious. Her arms holding the pottery jar were getting sore. She was worried inside but couldn't say it explicitly; if Li San sensed something was wrong, the duck that was already in her mouth would fly away.
"Little girl, have you thought it through? These are all useless scraps." Li San's Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice sounded dry.
Hearing this, Song Yi'an felt a surge of joy: "I have thought it through."
After trading for the stones she wanted, Song Yi'an's eyes crinkled with a smile. Seeing his younger sister so happy, Song Yili, who was holding the puppy, also felt happy.
However, it worried Madam Gu, who was on the side. She helplessly glared at her little daughter. They had gone out for a trip and brought back five stones for weighing down pickle jars, plus a stray dog.
……
Back in Luo Town, her eldest son was fine. The next morning, before dawn, Madam Gu went out to set up her stall as usual.
Song Yi'an thought about going to the back mountain again to pick some fruits to make snacks to sell and earn some money.
After all, she couldn't keep using honey mixed with spiritual liquid for barter. It worked once, and she could fool people by saying it was wild honey from the mountain with medicinal properties, but if she did it too often, others would suspect that only the honey passing through her hands had miraculous effects.
As for that piece of imperial green jade, she had placed it in her Space. The situation was too sensitive right now, so she couldn't cut it out immediately. She would wait for a while, then find a skilled craftsman to make it into an accessory and sell it for a good price.
After Madam Gu left, while Song Yili was still asleep, Song Yi'an put on her small basket and was just about to leave when she heard a faint whimpering sound behind her heels. She looked back and saw a little coal-like ball trying hard to move its short legs to follow her.
Song Yi'an bent down to pick up Xiao Bai and looked at those eyes the size of black beans: "You stay at home and watch over your brother."
"Woof woof!" Xiao Bai's tail wagged frantically.
Song Yi'an blinked. Was it an illusion? Could this one-month-old puppy understand human speech?
Xiao Bai was not white; it was a puppy that was pitch black all over.
After settling Xiao Bai, she went for a stroll up the mountain. There were no more peaches, but she picked some early-ripening red fruits. She took a bite, and her whole face puckered from the sourness. This sourness would be perfect for making candied haws.
Walking and searching along the way, there weren't many fruits to pick, and the small basket was soon half full. As the sun rose higher, she weighed the load on her back and decided to head down the mountain.
Song Yi'an took a shortcut, thinking it would be faster to go home through the end of the town. Just as she reached a nearby alley entrance, she saw from afar that a carriage was parked in front of her house.
There were also two guards with swords standing at the entrance keeping watch.
The carriage looked very spacious and grand, estimated to seat five people. The carriage body was dark cyan, and a flag with the character "Song" hung above it. In Luo Town, no one could afford such a carriage.
Who could it be?
Chun Hua's family was still peeking and looking around next door. Seeing Song Yi'an pass by, Chun Hua's mother was quick-eyed and grabbed her.
Song Yi'an was pulled so hard she stumbled, almost spilling the fruits in her basket. A wave of displeasure suddenly surged in her heart. She pursed her lips but didn't say anything.
Seeing Song Yi'an's little face tense up, Chun Hua's mother smiled awkwardly, then lowered her voice and nudged her chin toward the carriage: "Er Ya, is the owner of this carriage a relative of yours? Looking at this style, it's not an ordinary family."
Song Yi'an didn't know either and answered bluntly: "I don't recognize them."
In her memory, their family had no relatives in Luo Town.
Chun Hua's mother clearly didn't believe her and smacked her lips, wanting to ask more, but she saw Song Yi'an unobtrusively pull her hand away.
"Auntie, my brother is waiting for me at home."
After saying this, Song Yi'an twisted her body and slipped away like a slippery loach, her little legs running fast.
Behind her, she could vaguely hear Chun Hua's mother muttering, unable to suppress it: "This girl..."
The Song Family.
The light inside the room was a bit dim.
Song Yili sat with his back straight, his fingers curled slightly due to nervousness, feeling uneasy in his heart.
Sitting opposite him was a woman, about forty years old, wearing a simple dress made of fine cotton cloth. Her hair was combed meticulously, and her gaze was sharp when she looked at people.
The woman looked at Song Yili for a long time without saying a word.
Only when she first entered the door did she say simply: "I am Nanny Zhou, from the Song Manor in the Capital City."
Her mother had not returned, and her sister's whereabouts were unknown, so Song Yili could only pretend to be calm while facing the woman's unceremonious scrutiny, not letting himself show any fear.
At this moment, the room was so quiet that one could hear a silver needle drop to the floor.
Nanny Zhou's gaze fell on his thin, somewhat sickly face, then swept over the simple furnishings in the room, her brows furrowing imperceptibly.
Living in such a dilapidated place, yet the child's features were like a mold cast from Second Master when he was young, though his temperament was a bit timid.
She really didn't know what Second Master was thinking at that time, cutting off ties with the Prime Minister's Estate for a commoner.
Facing Nanny Zhou's gaze, Song Yili felt cold sweat beginning to seep from his back.
After a long while, Nanny Zhou finally spoke, her voice neither high nor low, with no discernible emotion: "Where is your mother?"
Song Yili licked his dry lips and answered cautiously: "Mother went to set up her stall and won't be back until evening."
After finishing his sentence, he suddenly remembered his manners. A guest had arrived, and he hadn't even offered a bowl of water. He hurriedly stood up, ran to the woodshed, scooped a bowl of clear water from the water vat, and held it with both hands, preparing to serve it to Nanny Zhou.
"Stop!"
Just as Nanny Zhou was about to tell him not to bother and to sit down and talk, the guards' reprimand came from outside the courtyard. Immediately after, a little girl ran in in a flurry, followed closely by two guards and a little black ball.
Xiao Bai bared its teeth and bit the guard's trouser leg, attempting to protect its little master with its small body.
The guard looked embarrassed: "Nanny, this girl, she..."
Nanny Zhou's expression darkened slightly, a trace of displeasure flashing in her eyes: "I told you to keep watch at the door, how did you let a little girl run in?"
The guards stammered, not knowing how to explain for a moment. The little girl Nanny Zhou spoke of was very cunning and slippery; if they weren't careful, she would find a way to slip through.
Song Yi'an didn't care about any of that; this was her home.
She picked up Xiao Bai and hid it behind Song Yili, not forgetting to snatch the bowl of clear water from his hand and gulp it down in a few mouthfuls.
This water was mixed with spiritual liquid and couldn't be drunk by outsiders.
"Er, Er Ya, this was for..."
Song Yili was at a loss, fearing that Er Ya's action would lead to a reprimand from Nanny Zhou.
Song Yi'an wiped the corners of her mouth and gave her brother a heartless smile: "Brother, how did you know I was thirsty?"
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