She didn't want Ye Jian'an and Ye Xia to talk about these things. It was obvious that Ye Xia's current mental state was not suitable for her to accept such things.

Mu Jingsheng realized something was wrong, and stammered, covering his nose, "Big brother, Uncle, he..."

Ye Jian'an got angry as soon as he saw Mu Jingsheng, and glared at him, "What's it to you?"

Mu Jingsheng choked for a moment.

Knowing that Ye Jianan disliked him, he could only wisely keep quiet.

Ye Xia's lips trembled slightly, perhaps she had thought of something. She looked at Ye Jian'an with a hint of fear, gripping Ye Yun's hand so tightly that her fingertips turned white.

Seeing her like this, Ye Jian'an sighed helplessly.

"Don't be nervous. Your father fell from the roof back then. You know he was old and couldn't take a fall. His death had nothing to do with you; it just happened to be after you left."

"Is...is that so?" Ye Xia's tone was tinged with uncertainty.

Ye Jianan nodded.

Ye Yun breathed a sigh of relief and held Ye Xia's hand, saying, "Don't be too nervous. Birth, aging, sickness, and death are all normal."

As she spoke, she couldn't help but glance at Ye Jian'an a few more times. In her memory, her grandfather had never fallen. His death was due to long-standing resentment, which, to put it bluntly, was the reason for her mother's disappearance.

Ye Xia lowered her eyes dejectedly and remained silent.

After a long pause, she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence: "It's my fault..."

Ye Jian'an glanced at her twice but didn't offer any further explanation, lest he make things more complicated later.

After the heavy rain stopped, Ye Jian'an, accompanied by Qin Zheng, went to the supply and marketing cooperative to buy some incense.

The mountains were damp after the rain. Straw sandals waded through the grass and onto the bluestone slabs, without getting wet with dew.

Be careful.

Qin Zheng held Ye Yun's hand with one hand and put his other arm around her waist, afraid that she would fall.

The mountain roads were difficult to travel, and she was pregnant. If Ye Yun hadn't insisted on coming with Ye Xia to see this, he really wouldn't have wanted Ye Yun to take this risk.

The old man's grave is on the mountain, just like many others in the village, located halfway up the mountain.

It had just rained, so there was no fear that the lit incense would burn down the mountain.

Ye Xia numbly tossed incense and paper money into the brazier, her eyes red from crying. She mumbled incoherently in a very soft voice, so that no one could hear what she was saying, but they could tell that she looked very sad.

In the afternoon, Ye Jian'an took Ye Xia home and looked at the old courtyard.

Ye Yun naturally followed.

Liu Meilan sat blankly in the courtyard. Ever since Ye Xue disappeared, half of her spirit had been drained away, and she no longer had the same unreasonable and argumentative energy as before.

When she saw Ye Xia appear, a hint of fear flashed across her face.

"Sister-in-law?" Ye Xia looked at Liu Meilan and called out softly.

Liu Meilan stared at Ye Xia in astonishment for several seconds, then suddenly, as if she had seen a ghost, she grabbed a stool and fled the house.

"Ignore her!"

Ye Jianan was angry when he saw Liu Meilan's spineless appearance. What didn't he understand by now?

Liu Meilan was clearly guilty!

That means Liu Meilan did indeed hit Ye Xia back then!

Ye Jian'an glared angrily at Liu Meilan's fleeing figure, then pushed open the door of the main room and told Ye Xia and the others to come inside and sit down first.

Seeing that he was entertaining Ye Xia, Ye Yun went with Qin Zheng to the room where she had stayed before.

Unexpectedly, Ye Xia followed them.

Ye Xia asked her, "Xiao Yun, did you live here before?"

Ye Yun nodded.

Ye Xia looked around the room with curiosity, but found that none of the items belonged to her daughter, and she couldn't help but let out a soft sigh.

She didn't say anything, just patted Ye Yun's shoulder and went out again.

Outside, Ye Jian'an was waving his hand and shouting to Mu Jingsheng, "I'm not leaving! I'll stay here and guard my hometown. If you want to leave, then leave, but don't drag me out!"

Ye Yun followed her out.

Mu Jingsheng kindly advised, "Brother, there's no future in the mountains. Everything outside is in need of development, and every industry needs people. You're a pragmatic person, so you'll find a good job soon."

"No, no!"

Ye Jian'an waved his hand impatiently, "Even if the Heavenly King himself came, he wouldn't be able to get me out of here."

He has his own small courtyard in the mountains, with a small plot of land. Although he is not rich, he has food to eat every day. Why would he go out?

No matter what Mu Jingsheng said, Ye Jian'an stubbornly refused to leave.

Mu Jingsheng scratched the back of his head, unsure how to persuade Ye Jian'an any further.

He genuinely wanted Ye Jian'an to go out and see the world, and wanted to help his brother-in-law.

Of course, he was also thinking that if Ye Jian'an went with him, then the chances of Ye Yun going with him would be even greater.

"If he doesn't want to go out, he doesn't have to. Why are you forcing him to go out?" Ye Yun said coolly.

The slightly cool voice made Mu Jingsheng shut his mouth instantly. Seeing Ye Yun's displeased expression, he didn't dare to utter another word.

Ye Xia patted Mu Jingsheng's shoulder with a smile, comforting him not to be too sad.

Having visited the graves and the house, and with time running out, Mu Jingsheng took Ye Xia to the town to rest for the night before setting off back to the county seat the next day.

Ye Yun watched them embark on the official road.

Only then did she go back with Qin Zheng.

"Honey, wait a minute, I'm going to the field to gather some wheat ears," Qin Zheng said, getting up and jumping down from the farmland.

Before long, he had a handful of lush wheat in his hand.

"Come on, I'll roast some wheat grains for you when we get back!" Qin Zheng jumped onto the main road and said to her with a simple and honest smile.

"good!"

Ye Yun also became interested and took his arm as they walked home.

Not far away, Li Xiuying, who had come out to dig for wild vegetables, quietly watched this scene and followed after her.

After dinner, before it got dark, Ye Yun took her clothes and went to the stream.

Summer clothes are easy to wash; a single rinse is enough to remove the smell of sweat, and they're ready to wear the next morning after just one night.

Ye Yun had just soaked her clothes in water.

Suddenly, the little black dog at my feet started barking.

"Get lost, you little beast! You can't tell right from wrong, what are you yelling at your grandma for?" Li Xiuying stepped out of the bushes and kicked away the little black dog that was whimpering and biting her trouser leg.

Then she looked at Ye Yun and said with a smile, "Zhengzi's wife, are you doing the laundry?"