Chapter 338: The Peasant Girl’s Splendid Manor
Chapter 338: Xiao Ruiyuan's Anger and Unexpected News (3)
In the dead of winter, once this little creature was cleaned up, it served as a natural heater, making it quite pleasant to hold. Zhen'er had envied this for a long time, but the creature refused to sleep with him.
After a good night's sleep, the next morning, the sun was already high in the sky. Mo Yan, not having checked on the clearing of the fields for a few days, decided to go see it today. She let Tie Tou drive Xiao Hui to the shop by himself.
After breakfast, Mo Yan mixed a large amount of spring water and delivered it to the livestock room, also preparing a small basin of undiluted spring water specifically for Dahong Zao.
Smelling the spring water, Dahong Zao hurried over, rubbing its head affectionately against Mo Yan in thanks before drinking deeply.
Mo Yan felt very gratified as she stroked its increasingly smooth coat.
Compared to the frail appearance it had when bought half a month ago, Dahong Zao had regained its vitality. All its wounds had healed, and the scars had faded significantly. It had put on some weight, looking much healthier, no longer resembling an old horse on the brink of death.
After the animals drank their water, Mo Yan took some fresh fruits and vegetables from her space and distributed them.
These treats were irresistible delicacies to Dahong Zao and the others, who ate with great enjoyment.
Today’s wind was stronger, making it colder than yesterday. Mo Yan went back inside, put on a fur coat, wrapped a wool scarf around her neck, and donned a fur hat. Just as she was about to leave, Li Yan came running to tell her that Wu Shi was here, warming herself in the small room by the kitchen.
The small room, adjacent to the kitchen, was warmer than the spacious hall. With a fire basin burning, it was even cozier. When there was nothing to do, the family liked to sit there, chatting and roasting potatoes and sweet potatoes to eat, or popping corn and rice into popcorn, enjoying the crackling sounds.
Mo Yan walked briskly to the small room where Wu Shi was chatting and laughing with Xin'er and the others. Despite the deep lines on her face, her previous worries had been smoothed out, and she looked much more spirited, clearly having had a comfortable time recently.
"Aunt," Mo Yan greeted warmly, pulling up a chair to sit next to Wu Shi, "I haven't seen you in half a month, you look much better. Has something good happened?"
Wu Shi's crow’s feet deepened as she smiled, "No big event, just that I’ve come to terms with some things, and I feel more at ease."
Mo Yan knew what she was referring to and was genuinely happy for her. "It’s good that you’ve come to terms with things. Life is short; we should live for ourselves."
Wu Shi had been pushed to the limit. If it weren't for Hong Shi’s relentless oppression and refusal to treat her daughters-in-law as human beings, Wu Shi wouldn’t have clashed with her mother-in-law, demanded a separation, and taken control of her household's finances.
With both daughters-in-law out of her control, Hong Shi could no longer act like an overbearing mother-in-law, and naturally, her days became less pleasant. It was said that she had fallen ill recently, but Mo Yan hadn't sent anything to visit her this time.
Wu Shi nodded with a smile, though her eyes grew misty. "It's just a shame that I realized it too late, otherwise Si Ni'er wouldn’t have... wouldn’t have..."
"Aunt, please don’t think that way!" Mo Yan held her hand, unsure how to comfort her. Si Ni'er’s loss was clearly a wound that would never heal.
Seeing Wu Shi’s distress, Xin'er and the others quickly gathered to comfort her.
With the younger generation consoling her, Wu Shi couldn’t stay sad for long. She tightly held Mo Yan’s hand, grateful, "I have to thank you, for helping Tie Tou! He’s such a simple-minded boy. Without you, he’d be stuck working the fields forever. Seeing him now able to write his name and do some arithmetic made me so happy last night. It’s all thanks to you."
Mo Yan shook her head and smiled, "It's all thanks to Grandpa Li's teaching and Tie Tou’s hard work. He'll keep getting better, and maybe soon, he’ll bring you a good daughter-in-law to take care of you."
Even though she knew Mo Yan was just comforting her, Wu Shi couldn’t help but feel excited. "I’ll take your blessing to heart. If he does find a good wife, I’ll give you a big red envelope."
Mo Yan laughed, agreeing wholeheartedly.
Xin'er and Zhen'er chimed in, pretending to be upset that Wu Shi was being partial and had forgotten about them, pouting in a way that made everyone laugh.
After the laughter died down, Wu Shi remembered her reason for coming and spoke to Mo Yan with some concern, "Yesterday, Er Ni'er sent a message saying she had been sold to a big household to be a maid. It’s a very powerful family, and there’s a saying that even the lowest-ranking officials in a Prime Minister’s household hold considerable power. If Er Ni'er gains favor, could she become a threat to your family?"
Her worry wasn’t unfounded. Er Ni'er had a deep grudge against Mo Yan’s family. If she rose in power, she might seek revenge.
Mo Yan understood Wu Shi’s concern. Er Ni'er had a rather extreme personality. A person with such low self-esteem yet high ambition, if given power, would likely seek to avenge perceived wrongs.
Mo Yan assured her, "Thank you for the warning, Aunt. I’ll be careful. Do you know which powerful family she entered?"
Wu Shi thought for a moment, unsure, "The person who delivered the message mentioned a bit, saying that the family’s surname is Xue."
Surname Xue?
Mo Yan was taken aback. Could it be the Xue family that wanted to acquire her shop...
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