"Alright, alright, I know." Xia Zhi patted the little tree's head and said to Xiao Hei Yu, "Uncle, you can rest assured now."

  The little black fish still wasn't quite at ease, but there was nothing else to be done.

  At this time, Xiaqiao had returned with the hired car. The Tian family was going to Kao Shan Tun, and they still hired Lao Guai's car. The car stopped at the back door of the front yard. Xiaqiao called Xia Zhi and Xiao Shu'er over, saying that it was getting late and everyone should pack up and set off.

  At this time, Xia Xiuzai and Tian Shi walked out of the house one after another. Tian Shi had a bulging package under her arm, while Xia Xiuzai was holding a basket of eggs. Xia Xiuzai still wore the same long gown she had worn when she returned from the prefectural city, but Tian Shi wore a brand new set of clothes and had applied makeup to her face, including painted eyebrows.

  Tian's family has always been very particular about their appearance. At home, they are a bit more relaxed, but once they go out, they must dress up neatly and tidily. Especially when returning to the natal home in Kao-liang-shan village, this is even more so.

  Mrs. Tian walked out of the door and took a look around. Her eyes fell on Xia Zhi and Xiao Shu. Seeing the two children standing with Xiao Hei Yu, Mrs. Tian was somewhat displeased. However, she didn't scold Xia Zhi, but instead pointed at Xiao Shu and began to reprimand her.

  "The clothes I just changed for you, where did you go and roll around in the mud again? You've become a muddy monkey. Stay home by yourself today, don't go to your grandma's house. I'm ashamed of this child!"

  "Mother, I haven't thrown away my clothes!" Xiaoshu felt wronged and quickly explained to Tian Shi.

  Tian just found an excuse to scold Xiaoshu a couple of sentences, actually it was for the benefit of Xiao Heiyu.

  Xiao Hei's face sank. He and Xia Zhi walked to the front of the car, not speaking to Tian Shi, only asking Xia Xiucai: "Big brother, when are you coming back? Are you staying in Kao Shan Tun?"

  Xia Xiuzai hesitated for a moment and didn't dare to answer, but instead looked at Tian Shi.

  "It's not easy to go on a trip, but you can't stay overnight and come back." Mrs. Tian said this without looking at Xia Xiuzai or Xiao Heiyu, her face stern, then got into the car with Xia Qiao's support. After that, she urged Xia Xiuzai again, "Hurry up, it will be noon when we get home."

  Xia Xiuzai nodded in agreement and turned back to tell Xiao Heiyu that they would be back tomorrow.

  "We'll have to stay overnight." Xiao Hei Yu seemed dissatisfied with this answer. He didn't want to part with Xia Zhi. "Sixteen, or else you won't go."

  Xia Zhi didn't want to go to Kao Shan Tun either, but she had already promised Old Man Xia, and it was also for the future of her family, so she had to go to Kao Shan Tun.

  "Uncle, I'll be back tomorrow. Don't worry, uncle, everything's fine." Xia Zhi comforted Little Black Fish.

  Xiao Hei Yu also had no choice, so he said to Xia Zhi: "Sixteen, you go and come back early. If the accommodation is not good, you can find a car back by yourself."

  "Ah." Xia Zhi responded with a single word and also got on the carriage.

  The old man had set up a simple canopy on the horse cart, which could block out the sun in summer and allow for good ventilation. In rural areas, such a vehicle was considered high-end. On the summer solstice, Xia Zhi's family of five wanted to all sit under the canopy, but it was a bit cramped. Xia Qiao sat with Lao Guai on the cart shaft.

  Xia Xiuzai and Tian Shi brought Xia Zhi and Xiao Hei Yu'er to sit in the shed just right.

  The whole family sat down, and Lao Guai was about to drive the cart away. Xiao Hei Yu was stopped by him, and he stood in front of the cart with his hands on his hips, talking to Tian Shi. "You all take good care of sixteen for me. When I come back, if sixteen is missing a single hair, I'll never let you off."

  He made everyone take good care of Xia Zhi, but if Xia Zhi had any problems, he would specifically find Tian Shi to settle the account.

  Tian's face turned black, she hummed and simply turned her body away from looking at the little black fish.

  Xia Qiao hurriedly got off the bus and accompanied Xiao Hei to comfort him. He kept reassuring Xiao Hei, "Don't worry, Uncle, I'll take good care of Sixteen."

  The little black fish hummed a sound, holding his hands and standing at the door, until the carriage went out of the village and could no longer be seen, he walked back with a limp.

  As soon as they left the village, Tian Shi turned around and scolded Xia Xiuzai. "Xia Zhi is not my child. Those who don't know think she's your younger brother's kid. He's still missing a strand of hair, but he's done with me. Who is he? He's done with me. If I didn't see that he was an ignorant kid, I... Hmph..."

  Xia Xiuzai could only use kind words to comfort Tian Shi. "Little Dragon is still a child, you are his elder sister-in-law. An adult should not hold grudges against a child, it's enough that you don't lower yourself to his level."

  This sentence did reduce some of Tian's anger, and she was also a bit used to being scolded by Xiao Hei Yu. But after being bullied by Xiao Hei Yu, she looked at Xia Zhi with even more dislike.

  "You can find someone to back you up now, and who knows what they'll say about me treating you harshly behind my back. This isn't my daughter, this is my ancestor!"

  That's a pretty terrible thing to say.

  Lao Guai was driving the cart in front, and this family said a lot of words that he all pretended not to hear, but Tian Shi's sentence, even Lao Guai, such a taciturn person, felt unbearable and had to say two sentences.

  "Xiucai's daughter, don't be so angry. Your little girl is so good, everyone in the village praises her. You're just talking angrily, but if someone who doesn't understand hears it, who knows what they'll think."

  Tian's family let out a cold hum, she glanced at Xia Zhi with dissatisfaction, but didn't say anything wrong about Xia Zhi again.

  The horse carriage soon arrived at Linshui Town, and Tian Shi asked Lao Wa to slow down the speed. Today is not a market day, but the busiest commercial street in the town was still bustling with people coming and going, and all kinds of shops were open.

  Tian's family got off the horse cart and took Xia Qiao into the shop to buy things.

  Xia Zhi sat in the carriage, feeling bored, and got out of the carriage with Xiao Shu. They followed behind Tian Shi. Tian Shi took money from her purse, first buying five catties of meat from the butcher's stall, then went to the pastry shop to buy two catties of fine pastries, after which she also bought two catties of wine from the wine shop.

  Having bought these things was still not enough, Tian also spent two bolts of cloth at the fabric store.

  After buying everything, Tian spent a considerable amount of money. Xia Zhi suddenly felt that the money Tian took out looked somewhat familiar.

  Tian was counting out money from her purse when she noticed Xia Zhi's gaze, and her body instinctively shifted to block his line of sight.

  Xiatill didn't care, and didn't go to see how much money was left in Tian's purse. When they entered the grocery store again, Xiatill didn't follow them in, but instead stood at the door chatting with Xiaoshu.

  The little tree leaned in close to Xia Zhi and whispered in a low voice, "Sister, the money in Mother's hands is what you gave her last time. You've been living in the city for these days, but Mother hasn't spent a single penny of it."

  These days, let alone meat, Tian's family can't even spare eggs for Xiaoshu to eat. Now that she's back at her mother's house, it seems like she's a rich person, buying and buying everything.

  Xiao Shu'er was not like Xia Qiao, he had an opinion on this. In the past, Tian Shi doted on him a bit and used some small favors to tie him up. But since Xia Zhi was no longer the former Xia Zhi, Xiao Shu'er understood the truth, Tian Shi could no longer deceive him.

  Tian bought some needles and threads at the grocery store. When Xia Zhi looked into the basket she was carrying to Xiachang, she found that Tian had almost all the necessities for daily life, including even the expensive perfume that Xia herself didn't dare to use often.

  The Tian family is very considerate of their daughter's family. Just because the Tian family thought so thoroughly for their daughter's family and bought everything they needed, she is a rare filial daughter.

  If it weren't for the adults at home eating coarse food, they would have praised Tian's family by now.

  Tian's family bought a lot of things and immediately felt refreshed. The whole family got back on the carriage, Tian was checking the things they bought on the carriage and said that they didn't buy enough.

  "The money is not enough, otherwise we should buy more. The whole family is eagerly waiting for us to return. We'd better bring back just a few things. If others say that the scholar's master is worthless, it would be too cheap."

  Because of the old trick earlier, Xia Xiuzai's face was somewhat embarrassed by Tian Shi. He awkwardly coughed twice. "It's my fault, I'm not good at making money."

  The Tian family just got a bit carried away, and at this time also realized that they had misspoken. In front of their own family members, it's easy to say anything, but in front of an outsider like Lao Gui, they should still give Xia Xiuzai some face.

  "You're not that you can't make money, it's just that you don't put our family in your heart." Tian said this and then stopped talking.

  Lao Huai cracked his whip in front. Actually, fellow villagers all know each other's business. Especially Tian Shi often hired his horse carriage, so he heard and saw things that he shouldn't have. Lao Huai knew more about Xia Xiucan's family than others did.

  However, he is doing this business and is relatively quiet and taciturn, unwilling to speak ill of others. Lao Huai's rickshaw business is very good, not only because his driving skills are good, but also related to his temperament.

  Tian's family hired Lao Guai's carriage, and they liked his quiet nature.

  Tian said that Xia Xiuzai didn't take the Tian family's old and young into consideration, Xia Xiuzai just smiled along without making any excuses. After Tian finished speaking, he also didn't mention Xia Xiuzai again.

  The weather in May was already very hot. However, the horse carriage moving forward had a cool breeze, and Xia Zhi sitting in the carriage didn't feel uncomfortable at all. On the contrary, forgetting their destination, Xia Zhi still enjoyed this journey very much.

  Sitting in the car, both sides of the road are tall trees, and going further away is a large area of farmland, scattered houses, winding streams, and looking further away, there are high and low mountains, and villages can be seen in the mountain valleys. Occasionally, you can also meet cowboys and sheep herders grazing cattle and sheep.

  Such a lively and vibrant rural scenery is truly breathtaking.

  The little tree is a child, even if he has worries, he can't help but feel heavy. He soon began to point and gesture outside, seemingly enjoying the journey as well.

  It seems that the closer they got to Lao Shan Tun, the better Tian Shi's mood became. Occasionally, Xia Zhi would turn his head and see Tian Shi's eyes shining brightly as he looked ahead.

  As it was approaching noon, Xia Zhi and others were already far away from the mountain village. Tian Shi cleared his throat and sat up straight in the carriage.

  Kaoshan Village is just as its name suggests, a small village nestled at the foot of a continuous range of green hills. The horse carriage left the official road and walked for a good distance on the rugged dirt road before arriving at the entrance of Kaoshan Village.

  There is a solitary house at the entrance of Kuai Shan Tun Village, with large courtyards in front and back. The courtyard in front has iron frames and iron chains. As the horse carriage approaches, Xia Zhi sees a big green mule tied to the iron chain.

  Next to him, the blacksmith was heating horseshoes in his forge until they were red hot, then picked them up with tongs and handed them over to a worker who nailed them onto the hooves of the big sorrel mule.

  It was originally an ironwork shop and also specialized in shoeing horses.

  Lao Huai seems to know the people here, he slowed down the carriage and even greeted the blacksmith who was forging iron. He is in the business of driving horses, his family raises large livestock, and also needs to change horseshoes, presumably having dealings with the blacksmith on this side.

  The carriage slowly passed by the courtyard, and Xia Zhi opened her eyes wide to watch the craftsman nail the horseshoe for the big green mule. She originally thought it would be very painful, but the big green mule didn't struggle at all. On the contrary, it stood there very obediently, even though one hoof was hung up, and it didn't show any discomfort. During the process of nailing the horseshoe, the big green mule also didn't show any signs of pain.

  It's really quite amazing. Xia Zhi doesn't know if Da Qing Lu is really not painful, or if he's just gotten used to this kind of pain.

  This brief interlude soon passed, and the carriage entered the village of Kao-shan-t'un. Old Wang gave another flick to the whip, which emitted a clear, crisp sound. There were already people sitting in the shade on both sides of the street; hearing the whip crack, more people came out from their houses, looking over from a distance.

  Xia Zhi sat in the carriage and heard someone shouting, "Old Tian's wife, the xiucai's mother is back!" Xia Zhi didn't look at who shouted this sentence, she just turned her head to look at Tian Shi.

  Tian sat in the car with a proud smile on his face.

  Kaoshan Village is a remote mountain village, where it's hard to find someone who has even attended private school, let alone produced a scholar in 800 years. Perhaps in the eyes of Kaoshan villagers, Tian's marriage to a scholar and becoming a scholar's wife was a very impressive and glorious thing.

  It's actually true. Tian Shi is indeed the best daughter-in-law that the Shan Tun family has married in all these years.

  In the village of Kao Shan, half of the villagers were surnamed Tian and they were all related to each other. As soon as Tian's carriage entered the village, news that she and Xia Xiuzai had returned to her hometown spread quickly.

  Everyone gathered around Tian Shi and Xia Xiuzai, their faces all bearing cautious and fawning smiles. There were even more people standing not far away, peering into the car, seemingly wanting to get closer but not daring to approach.

  Tian's smile on her face became more and more dignified. For those who came to talk to her, she didn't show much enthusiasm, just nodding or shaking her head, or saying a few words. But no one showed dissatisfaction with this, everyone was very happy, with a proud look on their faces.

  The Tian family is quite enjoyable, but Xia Zhi is a bit Spartan.

  (。)