Heng Tong carried Old Wu onto the horse. Old Wu's bones were stiff all over, and now he looked like a bloodied man.
Granny Wu made a few muffled noises.
Heng Tong pointed from a distance, and Granny Wu's trembling hand quickly fell down, and she immediately removed her belt from her mouth.
"I want to go to the government office too!"
Her response was two horses that had run off into the distance.
Sun took a broom and covered the bloodstains at the door with dust.
The villagers didn't disperse; they immediately erupted in a commotion right in front of the Ye family's house.
Matchmaker Li clapped her hands, "What kind of mess is this? The father is not acting like a father, and the son is not acting like a son. What a disaster!"
Tian replied, "That's because the father committed many sins. Children grow up from a young age. What did he do wrong when he was so young? Why beat him to death?"
Ye Dayi waved his hand, "Alright, everyone from our village, let's all have less to do with the Wu family. Let's all go home today!"
Tian wanted to chat a little longer, but Ye Sanchao pulled her towards home, lowering his voice to whisper in her ear, "Alright, Cuihua's child is in the carriage. If we don't leave, how will Cuihua take the child home?"
Madam Tian glanced back and sighed, "Thank goodness that Cuihua made it through."
After enduring the ordeal, Ye Cuihua watched the crowd disperse and went to the carriage, releasing Liu Shi's hand that was covering Wu Hao's eyes.
Liu stopped covering Nannan's eyes.
Ye Panjiu walked to the carriage and said, "Sister-in-law, Cuihua, it's alright now, let's go home."
"They're here!" Ye Cuihua responded, carrying Wu Hao off the carriage, with Liu Shi following behind carrying Nannan.
The eyes can be barely covered, but the sound is difficult to make.
Both children remained quiet and did not say a word.
Sun and Ye Erniu had already cleaned up the area in front of their house, making it look like nothing had happened.
The family returned home with somber expressions and closed the door.
The little girl hugged Liu's neck and looked up at her, asking, "Grandma, will you send my brother and me back to the Wu family?"
Hearing this, Liu felt sorry for her and hugged her even tighter. "No, from now on, the Ye family will be your home. You will have no relation to the Wu family anymore."
Nannan glanced at Wu Hao and said, "Grandma, Mom, I don't want to have the surname Wu. Can you change it for me?"
Wu Hao pursed his lips. "I don't want to have the surname Wu either."
Liu looked at Ye Panjiu, and Ye Panjiu nodded.
Old Man Ye beckoned, "Come here, let your grandfather think of a nice name for you."
The two children walked toward Old Man Ye with their short legs.
"I think Ye Hao sounds pretty good."
Nannan frowned.
Old Man Ye patted Wu Hao's head and said, "Hao'er is right. From now on, you will be called Ye Hao. Nannan will be called Ye Younan."
Ye Cuihua looked at Ye Panjiu with a face full of resistance and pleading.
Ye Panjiu went over and picked up the little girl, "Does our little girl want her aunt to give her a name?"
The little girl nodded obediently.
"Is Ye Yingnan a nice name? Ying means pure and flawless."
Nannan asked cautiously, "Auntie, I don't recognize the character 'Ying'."
Ye Cuihua couldn't read either, but the character sounded auspicious. "I think it's good."
Old Ye laughed, "Those who are educated can come up with better names than an old man like me."
He said that he already felt something was wrong when the word "囡" (nán, meaning daughter/girl) was used.
But I couldn't think of a suitable name right away.
My daughter is definitely quick-witted.
When Nannan heard everyone say that, she laughed and said, "I think it sounds good too!"
Ye Panjiu patted her little head and held her little hand as she wrote the character "Ying" for her.
The little girl felt ticklish and laughed happily.
The laughter broke the somber atmosphere in the Ye family.
Ye Hao broke free from Old Man Ye and went to tickle Nannan's ticklish spot.
The little girl couldn't stand it and kept snuggling into Ye Panjiu's arms.
Ye Panjiu quickly picked her up.
After spending half a month at the Ye family's house, Nannan wasn't as thin anymore; her little face had become a bit chubby, and she smelled wonderful.
"Nannan, you should go down and scratch him too."
Nannan hugged her neck tightly, "No, I'm the older sister, I can't bully my younger brother."
Ye Panjiu was both amused and exasperated.
The next day, when Jiujiu Lu opened its shop.
Chu Guan found Ye Panjiu in the backyard. "Sister Panjiu, you've really given me a big problem this time."
Ye Panjiu smiled and poured him a cup of tea. "This can't be considered something I threw away. It was a problem in itself."
Chu Guan sighed, "It's really too hard to discover things that happen between family members behind closed doors. Alas, how could such a tragedy occur?"
Ye Panjiu shook her head. "There are plenty of people in hell, you just haven't had the chance to see them, so you can't imagine it. Let's not talk about that. How did you sentence the Wu family father and son?"
Chu Guan buried his head on the table, his body limp. "Wu Weiyi is unfilial, publicly beating his father. He should be executed according to the law. Wu Menquan beat his son. He should be given one hundred strokes of the cane."
Ye Panjiu sighed.
Chu Guan raised his head. "Wu Weiyi kept smiling, even before he was beheaded. Old Mrs. Wu was watching from below, and she went mad, grabbed a knife, and committed suicide. I didn't execute Wu Menquan; he won't live much longer either."
Ye Panjiu paused for a moment, "Let him have a good end. For Hao'er and Nannan's sake, give the three of them a proper burial."
She's not a saint, and she doesn't think she caused this outcome.
Even if the Wu family father and son hadn't come to the Ye family to cause trouble, Wu Weiyi would have completely collapsed sooner or later.
Chu Guan nodded. "Let's not talk about that. The New Year is coming soon, Sister Panjiu, can I come to your house for New Year's Eve dinner?"
His face looked pitiful.
This was the first time he couldn't spend the Lunar New Year with his family, all alone.
Ye Panjiu felt a little reluctant, but still shook her head. "Sigh, your Brother Su asked us to go to Shuzhou. I also want to go out and see the world. Why don't you come to Shuzhou?"
Chu Guan slumped weakly onto the table again, "The magistrate can't leave the county without being summoned. What a miserable life I have!"
Ye Panjiu comforted him, "I'll bring you some delicious food after the New Year."
Chu Guan looked up at her. "You're not lying to me?"
“You’re so young, I don’t lie to little kids.”
It's uncertain when she will return to Qingshui County.
Chu Guan laughed, "Then I'll remember that, and I'll be waiting!"
Ye Panjiu smiled and continued pouring tea.
A withered leaf falls.
It was already the 27th of the twelfth lunar month. Jiu Jiu Lu kept the door closed, with a piece of paper pasted on it.
"Opening for business on the tenth day of the first lunar month next year, a new year begins, bringing blessings and good health."
The Ye family members were loading their luggage onto the carriage at home.
Madam Sun, hands on her hips, exclaimed, "That child Ming'er isn't even taking a break for the New Year! This won't do! I'm going to drag him back from Bailu Academy!"
Heavens have mercy, the last time she saw Ming'er was on the eighth day of the eleventh lunar month, almost two months have passed in the blink of an eye!
Ye Panjiu pulled her back, "Forget it, Second Sister-in-law, when we pass by Bailu Academy on the way, let's stop by and take a look at Ming'er, and bring him some clothes and food. He wants to study, so let's not delay him."
Sun felt a pang of bitterness in her heart, "I'm really afraid I'll ruin my health tomorrow."
Ye Panjiu patted her hand, "Ming'er will understand, nothing will happen."
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