Shuangshuang and Siwang, their faces etched with displeasure, said in unison:

"Brother, you're so old-fashioned."

The three children in the middle had never been to school and didn't understand what "pedantic" meant.

I heard the villagers say this about my father, so I just used it as they said.

Ye Wenxue wiped Yuanyuan's mouth and then looked up at Dazhuang.

In the dim candlelight, his expression was somewhat downcast.

It seems he genuinely believed that this action was inappropriate.

She also felt wronged because of her family's lack of understanding.

Ye Wenxue felt a pang of sadness.

This child was taught to have principles and a bottom line, but I don't know what he went through later that made him change his principles and lose his bottom line, turning him into a cold, ruthless villain.

She thought for a moment and said, "Your eldest brother is right."

Da Zhuang's eyes lit up.

Shuangshuang and Siwang stared intently at the copper coins on the table.

Sanyuan silently shoveled food into his mouth.

“But…” Ye Wenxue’s tone changed, “we can’t be too rigid in our actions.”

They were starving to death, so why did they care that taking things without asking was stealing?

"Besides, this family had already taken all their valuables with them when they fled the famine; what they left behind were things they had abandoned and didn't want."

"Even if we take it, it's just picking up unclaimed items to survive, not stealing."

Da Zhuang seemed to be deep in thought.

Ye Wenxue put Yuanyuan on the bed and let her crawl around and play by herself, then went back to the table and drank the wild vegetable rice soup in a few gulps.

Wild vegetables are coarse and hard to eat, and Ye Wenxue doesn't really like them.

The children were so hungry that they almost buried their heads in the bowl.

After finishing his meal at Sanyuan, he stacked several empty bowls without saying a word and went outside to get the water he had collected at noon to rinse them.

Shuangshuang and Siwang's eyes lit up, and they followed.

Ye Wenxue gave them a few instructions and then allowed the children to roam freely after they were no longer allowed to leave the yard.

She rolled up her sleeves, intending to search the room for usable supplies, but when she turned around, she saw Dazhuang buried in the bed, fast asleep.

Even when Yuanyuan climbed onto his head, riding him like a horse and making incessant noises, he didn't wake up.

Pushing a cart for more than ten miles under the scorching sun is difficult even for adults, let alone a child under ten years old.

Ye Wenxue stepped forward to take off Dazhuang's worn-out cloth shoes, straightened his body, and then picked up Yuanyuan so that she wouldn't disturb Dazhuang's rest.

Just then, Sanwa ran in, looking panicked.

"Mom, there is someone at the end of the village!"

Ye Wenxue instinctively took a few quick steps outside: "Where are your sister and brother?"

Sanwa kept his head down, stammered for a moment, and finally managed to squeeze out a sentence:

"They...they went next door and wouldn't let me tell you."

That line, "You wouldn't want to see your mother faint from hunger again, would you?" was too heartbreaking.

He was distracted for a moment, and the two of them jumped over the wall and ran away.

They couldn't stop them no matter what.

Ye Wenxue: "..."

She can't take praise.

I praised her for being sensible this morning, and she sneaked over the wall in the dark tonight.

But kids are kids, so it's normal for them to be lively and active.

Ye Wenxue carried Yuanyuan on her back, placed a kitchen knife on the table, then had Sanyuan carry the goose, and gave her a few instructions:

"You stay here and watch over your older brother. Don't wander off! If anything happens, just wake him up. Don't open the door for anyone, no matter who knocks, until I come back."

Shuixi Village only has eight or nine households, and it's right next door, so it's not a big problem. She can come and help in time.

Sanyuan nodded while holding the goose, and watched Ye Wenxue quickly leave after carrying Yuanyuan on her back, feeling somewhat guilty.

"I shouldn't have been distracted just now."

Without losing focus, he was able to catch Shuangshuang and Siwang in time, preventing them from climbing over the wall to leave.

Mother no longer needs to go out late at night to look for people.

The goose still remembered Sanyuan, its former owner, and quacked twice in agreement.

Sanyuan patted the goose's head, chatted with it for a few minutes, then sat down at the table, staring intently at the door.

Ye Wenxue carefully peeked out of the courtyard and finally understood how Sanyuan knew there were people at the end of the village.

In the silent darkness, the candlelight in the courtyard at the end of the village was exceptionally bright.

Even the two large red lanterns hanging at the entrance were lit up, shining brightly.

Shuixi Village is not very big to begin with, so this kind of light shines almost throughout the entire village, how could it not be dazzling?

After observing for a few moments, Ye Wenxue guessed that the people living at the end of the village were either strong and had many followers, or they were simply stupid.

Even when she rashly arrived in an unfamiliar village, she didn't dare to be so arrogant late at night.

The fire on the candlestick went out after dinner and before nightfall.

Seeing that no one was around, Ye Wenxue tightened her grip on Yuanyuan on her back and took a few steps to the neighboring courtyard.

She searched in the dark, calling out softly twice, but received no response, and a sense of unease crept into her heart.

Did those two little brats go to the house with the big lights on?

That's incredibly audacious.

Ye Wenxue searched the entire neighboring yard but couldn't find them. She decided that once she found Shuangshuang and Siwang, she would give them a good scolding.

Before she could leave the next house and continue her search, a person suddenly climbed up the low courtyard wall.

Shuangshuang didn't notice Ye Wenxue in the corner. She squatted on the courtyard wall, turned around, and whispered instructions to Siwang:

"Yes, that's right... push off with your feet and keep climbing. Give me your hand, I'll give you a handy."

Although Siwang is strong, he is young and lacks experience in climbing over walls, and his movements are not nimble enough.

Fortunately, the courtyard walls in Shuixi Village are not high, and there are mostly miscellaneous items piled up along the walls, making it easy to climb up and down.

Siwang quickly climbed over the courtyard wall under Shuangshuang's guidance and landed on his feet.

He glanced back at the end of the village and whispered:

"Sister, should we talk to Mother? I...I'm scared."

Shuangshuang was climbing over the second wall, intending to climb back into the courtyard where they had settled.

Hearing this, she hesitated for a moment:

"If I tell her, Mother will definitely guess that we've been disobedient and running around. I'll think about it some more."

In her mother's eyes, she used to be an extremely obedient and good child.

There were already many troubles along the way, and she didn't want her mother to worry or get too tired.

Siwang thought it made sense, and was about to follow when he suddenly noticed Ye Wenxue in the shadows in the corner.

Siwang quickly covered his mouth to stop himself from shouting.

He stared wide-eyed as Ye Wenxue slowly approached, then suddenly turned to look at Shuangshuang.

But Shuangshuang had already climbed over the courtyard wall and was urging him from the other side to be quick so as not to disturb their mother.

Siwang struggled to turn his head as if unwilling to accept reality, his voice now tinged with a hint of ingratiation:

"Mother, what are you doing here?"

Ye Wenxue looked at Siwang, who was barely waist-high, and placed her hand on his head:

"What can't you tell me?"

Siwang held onto her legs, not daring to make a sound.

On the other side of the wall, they both noticed something was wrong and quickly peeked over.

After seeing clearly the people around Si Wang in the dim moonlight, his wary expression changed.

She quickly rolled back, hugging Ye Wenxue's other leg tightly, her voice sweet, trying to get away with it:

"Mother, it's late, let's go back inside quickly."

Ye Wenxue glared at Shuangshuang, but because she was worried about Dazhuang and Sanyuan in the courtyard, she had to postpone disciplining them for the time being.

Back in the courtyard, Sanyuan opened the door, frowning as he looked at Shuangshuang and Siwang, who were hanging their heads.