"Auntie, if I remember correctly, Xiao Ning was taken away by the people you brought, right?" Madam Jin didn't have anything to gain from Sun Miao'er; what she was worried about was Xiao Ning, who was still being sold into slavery in the wealthy man's household.
In the original owner's memory, Xiao Ning's personality was much more introverted than Xiao Man's. Perhaps it was because she lost her father at a young age and was very timid, which is why she was sold by Jin to work. If she had any ability to resist, she would not have ended up like this.
Jin hesitated, unwilling to give a direct answer, "So what if I took it? It was to exchange for money to treat my wife's illness! And Xiao Ning herself agreed to it!"
Sun Miao'er had anticipated that she would try to pull this stunt on her. "Of course I know that Auntie has signed a contract with someone, and if she wants Xiao Ning to come back, she has to pay money to redeem her."
"I have no money!"
Jin shouted anxiously, her face pale. She herself was in dire straits, unable to even save herself, and she didn't manage the household well. Her husband was heavily in debt, so how could she possibly have any money left to redeem Sun Xiaoning? Getting her to come up with that money was just as difficult as paying off Sun Yuanhu's debts.
"I don't want you to redeem Xiao Ning from his servitude. This family is almost broke. Even if we redeem him, he won't have a peaceful life. Working for the landlord at least provides him with some food and clothing. I just want you to ask for a leave of absence for Xiao Ning so he can come back. I haven't seen him in so long."
Sun Miao'er knew that redeeming Xiao Ning from her servitude at this time was too much of a wish, but she couldn't let Xiao Ning feel like she was the one who had been abandoned.
"It's that simple?" Jin looked up in disbelief.
Sun Miao'er nodded, "That's right. I need Xiao Ning to be home before noon tomorrow. Once I see her, I won't let those people come knocking on my door."
"That's easy. I'll get up tomorrow morning and go to the city to bring Xiao Ning back to you. My dear niece, can you give me that portrait now?" Madam Jin had thought Sun Miao'er would make some unreasonable demands, but now that she heard it was such a simple matter, she showered her with compliments, fearing that Sun Miao'er might change her mind.
Sun Miao'er raised an eyebrow. "Auntie, you make it sound so easy. If I lose the portrait, how will those people believe me tomorrow? They'll probably think I sold them out. I have my own uses for keeping the portrait. Auntie, just do what you promised me."
The next day, Jin got up early and took an oxcart from the village entrance to the county town.
"Sister, is Mother going to pick up little Ning and bring him back?"
Xiaoman was overjoyed upon hearing this, after all, he and Xiaoning were about the same age and had been close since childhood, but they hadn't seen each other for more than a year since Xiaoning went to work in the county town.
"Yes, Xiao Ning will be back today."
As Xiao Ning was about to return home, Sun Miao'er felt a little uneasy. How could she comfort Xiao Ning and make him believe that she would be able to redeem him one day?
There wasn't much food stored at home. There was still some flour left from the last mill. Sun Miao'er dug up some tender green vegetables, mixed them with dough, and rolled out some thin noodles. If she remembered correctly, Xiao Ning's birthday was also in this month.
Let's celebrate Xiao Ning's birthday today, because no one remembers the exact year and day of Xiao Ning's birthday. The only person who knew the date, Song Shi, has long since disappeared.
Just after 9:00 AM, Sun Miao'er led Xiaoman to stand at the village entrance and waited. In the distance, an oxcart slowly approached. When the oxcart got closer, they could see the little people behind it.
Sun Xiaoning was dressed in linen clothes, which should have been uniformly distributed to the servants in the mansion. Her hair was neatly combed, and she looked a bit fatter than before when she was at home. The moment she saw Sun Miao'er, a hint of joy flashed across her face.
Sun Miao'er could tell that the child was trying her best to hide her emotions.
"elder sister."
Sun Xiaoning called out in a low voice, appearing very reserved, and her movements as she got off the oxcart were somewhat hesitant.
Sun Miao'er grasped her younger brother's hand and noticed that he had grown taller and fatter. She felt she could finally give the original owner an explanation. "Are you hot or thirsty after the journey? I'll prepare some noodles for you. This month is your birthday."
Perhaps it was because they hadn't seen each other for so long that they were a little estranged, but the moment her sister grabbed her arm, Sun Xiaoning's expression relaxed considerably. "Thank you, sister."
He stood in stark contrast to the lively Xiaoman beside him. Upon seeing Xiaoning, Xiaoman instantly became very talkative, as if she had endless things to say.
"Xiao Ning, you've grown so much taller! You're almost as tall as me now! You know, my sister has been doing a lot of chores at home with me, and she even raised the piglets. Next year we'll have pork to eat! And she's planted so much corn, so we'll have more corn than we can eat!"
Xiao Ning nodded as if he was listening but not really. Sun Miao'er stroked the little boy's palm and felt that it was unusually rough. His hands, which should have been tender, had developed a thick layer of calluses, as if it were the result of years of hard work, but he was only seven or eight years old.
Sun Miao'er felt a pang of pain in her heart, while Xiao Ning noticed that her sister seemed to have sensed something and her expression became awkward again, creating a subtle sense of embarrassment in the atmosphere.
When Grandma Sun heard that her grandson was coming back, she brought a stool and sat at the entrance of the Sun family home early in the morning. When she saw her grandson, she went up to him with her cane and hugged Xiao Ning into her arms. "Oh my, my Xiao Ning is back. Let Grandma take a good look at him."
Patting Xiao Ning's head, Grandma Sun's smile deepened. "You've grown quite a bit taller than last year, but why haven't you gained any weight? Your face doesn't look as round as Xiao Man's."
"Grandma, I'm fine. How are you feeling?"
Compared to himself, Xiao Ning was more worried about Grandma Sun's health. His sister and grandmother were the only people he was close to left in the world. At that time, his aunt brought people back and told him that if he was willing to draw his handprint on that piece of paper, his aunt would sell his sister to someone else, and his grandmother would not have money to treat her illness.
So he took it upon himself to leave without saying goodbye, and was gone for more than half a year.
"Come on, Xiao Ning, try the longevity noodles your sister made for you."
A steaming bowl of longevity noodles is ready, emitting a fragrant aroma. The bright green vegetables covering the grayish-white noodles add a touch of color, since the wheat used is not of high quality, and the noodles themselves have some impurities.
Xiao Ning held the bowl, hesitant to pick up her chopsticks. Her long, curled eyelashes bore a striking resemblance to Sun Miao'er's face, though Xiao Ning possessed a maturity beyond her years.
"What are you waiting for, Xiao Ning? You have to finish eating before I can eat. I'm starving!"
Under Xiaoman's repeated urging, Xiaoning picked up her chopsticks, but she was still not as at ease as Xiaoman. She just lowered her head and focused on eating her noodles.
Sun Miao'er knew that these were all the rules of the manor, and that following a rule for a long time would become a habit.
Every detail that Xiao Ning revealed pierced Sun Miao'er's heart.
"Are you full? Would you like another bowl?"
The bowl of noodles was empty. Xiao Ning's expression was expressionless. She carefully arranged the bowl and chopsticks, then sat there silently with her head bowed.
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