Qin Luo took a few deep breaths to calm herself down before handing a handful of milk candies to Mu Xiuyu.
"Xiaoyu, this is from Lord Kang. He told me to give it to you. It says it forgives you!"
Mu Xiuyu immediately got down from Mu Xiao's arms, his little hands clutching the milk candy, his eyes crinkling with laughter.
"It's so great to be Lord Kang, sister! Let's eat together!"
Qin Luo ruffled Mu Xiuyu's messy hair.
"Come on, I'll take you to my aunt and have her comb your hair!"
After saying that, she took Mu Xiuyu's hand and went to find Liu Zheng.
Qin Liang sighed, "Lord Kang is as kind as ever!"
Qin Xian chimed in, "Lord Kang is not only kind but also generous!"
He touched the short knife tucked into his waistband.
Qin Ling and Doctor You nodded in agreement, while Mu Xiao looked completely bewildered.
"Father, Uncle Village Chief, what are they talking about? And who is Lord Kang?"
Qin Ling looked at Doctor You, who closed his eyes and nodded, indicating that he had accepted this son.
Qin Ling turned to look at Mu Xiao and said seriously.
"Mu Xiao, now that you've acknowledged Doctor You as your father, I'll tell you the secret of our village, but you must keep it a secret, understand?"
Mu Xiao clasped his hands in a fist salute
"Father, Uncle Village Chief, don't worry! I swear in the name of the Mu family's border guards, I will absolutely not reveal a single word to anyone other than myself!"
Qin Ling was very satisfied with his attitude, so she slowly explained to him...
"This story begins on the day the bandits attacked the village..."
Qin Ling then told Mu Xiao about his encounter with the Mountain King and Dang Kang, leaving Mu Xiao completely bewildered and unable to distinguish between mythology and reality.
When Qin Luo brought Mu Xiuyu to find Liu Zheng, Qin Yunyang and Qin Yundu were already up and packing their things.
Seeing Qin Luo arrive with a dirty child, everyone curiously stepped forward to ask...
"Who is he, little sister (elder sister)?"
Qin Luo, holding Mu Xiuyu's hand, introduced him to everyone: "His name is Xiaoyu, we met him on the road last night!"
Then he introduced Qin Yunyang and others to Mu Xiuyu.
"Xiaoyu, this is my cousin Qin Yunyang, and my three younger cousins, Qin Yundu, Qin Yunhao, and Qin Yunze!"
Mu Xiuyu greeted them politely, "Greetings, brothers! I am Xiaoyu!"
Qin Yunyang and his two companions looked at the dirty but well-behaved child in front of them and responded warmly.
"Hello, Little Yu!"
Mu Xiuyu was overjoyed. He was the only son in his family, and usually he was accompanied by maids or guards.
Although they took good care of him, they were all adults after all. Now that there were so many children to play with, he was so happy!
Mu Xiuyu gave Qin Yunyang, Qin Yundu, and the twins a piece of milk candy each.
He gave Qin Luo another one, then peeled one for himself and put it in his mouth.
The aroma of milk instantly filled his mouth, and the praise in his eyes was impossible to hide.
"Brother and sister, eat up, it's super delicious! It's fragrant and sweet!"
Seeing his exaggerated expression, Qin Luo smiled and put the milk candy in her mouth.
Qin Yunyang and the others also ate the milk candy, and then they heard a bunch of brats praising it together with Mu Xiuyu.
Liu Zheng and Tao Zhi brought over breakfast. Upon seeing Mu Xiuyu, they knew that this was the child named Xiaoyu that Qin Liang had mentioned last night.
She stepped forward and introduced herself.
"Child, your name is Xiaoyu, right? I am Luoluo's aunt, and Yunyang and the others' mother!"
Then, looking at Tao Zhi, he introduced her: "This is Luo Luo's aunt, Yun Du's mother!"
Mu Xiuyu looked at Liu Zheng and Tao Zhi: "Hello, Aunties!"
Then, very generously, he gave Liu Zheng and Tao Zhi each a piece of milk candy.
"Auntie, I'd like to offer you some milk candy. Could you help me tidy up?"
Liu Zheng and Tao Zhi were impressed by Mu Xiuyu's politeness, noting that even such a young boy knew to offer a gift before asking for help.
Looking at his own little rascals happily munching on their milk candies, he was at a loss for words, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.
Liu Zheng took Mu Xiuyu's hand
"Thank you for the candy, Xiaoyu, but Auntie is an adult and adults don't eat candy. Xiaoyu, you can keep it for yourself. How about Auntie fixes your hair first?"
Tao Zhi also raised her hand and said, "Auntie doesn't eat milk candy either, let Auntie wipe your face first!"
After saying that, he picked up the water pouch, poured some water into the broken bowl, and used a small strip of cloth to wipe Mu Xiuyu clean, but the more he wiped, the dirtier it became.
Tao Zhi fell into deep thought: "Sixth Sister-in-law, why does it get dirtier the more you wipe it?"
Liu Zheng looked at Mu Xiuyu's face. Although it was dirty, you could still see a little bit of skin color. After Tao Zhi wiped it, well!
His entire face, except for the whites of his eyes, was stained black!
Qin Luo was watching Qin Yunyang and the others pack their things, noticing that their clothes were wrapped in cloth, but things kept falling out.
Just as I was thinking about whether to get them a few cloth bags like mine, I heard Tao Zhi say that Mu Xiuyu's face was getting dirtier the more he wiped it.
Then it dawned on me—wouldn't wiping it only make it dirtier? That eyeliner gel can only be removed with makeup remover wipes; wiping it with water would just leave a smudge on my face.
She found makeup remover wipes in the space, walked over to Mu Xiuyu and rubbed them on his face, wiping it clean in no time.
His fair and delicate face, paired with his round and full almond-shaped eyes, gives one the urge to pinch his cheeks hard.
Liu Zheng couldn't help but touch Mu Xiuyu's little face.
"Xiaoyu is so handsome, like a little boy beside a Bodhisattva. Let Auntie give you a hairstyle like a little boy's!"
Tao Zhi also lamented how quickly time flies.
"Yun Du was just as soft and cute as he was when he was little, but who knew he would grow up to be so old-fashioned and lose all the cuteness he had when he was three or four years old!"
Liu Zheng also agreed.
"Yeah! Look at those brats, they've grown so fast, like they're blown by the wind. Yunyang is even taller than me now! But they're so impatient, just like they were when they were kids. The two younger ones are even worse. They're so oblivious to all the hardships we're going through, all they do is laugh like idiots all day long!"
After Liu Zheng finished speaking, she let out a long sigh. In times of peace and prosperity, one can live a more innocent and carefree life.
But in this year of drought and famine, innocence and naivety are like sharp blades piercing her own heart; how could she not be worried!
Liu Zheng worked quickly and soon fixed Mu Xiuyu's hairstyle.
With his two adorable little buns and porcelain-doll-like face, he looked even more like a child attendant to a Bodhisattva.
Liu Zheng looked at Mu Xiuyu's clothes; just by looking at the fabric, she knew they weren't something an ordinary person could wear—they were too conspicuous.
Then he discussed it with Mu Xiuyu.
"Xiaoyu, your clothes are dirty. Auntie will change you into something else, though it's a little big. Put it on first, and Auntie will help you gather the sleeves and pant legs. It'll be quick!"
Mu Xiuyu nodded happily and bowed slightly to Liu Zheng.
"Thank you, Auntie. I'm so sorry to have troubled you!"
Liu Zheng helped him up and pinched his little cheek.
"It's no trouble at all, and you don't need to be so polite. Come on, change your clothes first. I'll pack up your old clothes for you; we'll take them back to your uncle later, okay?"
''Know!''
Mu Xiuyu obediently let Liu Zheng help him change his clothes. After he finished changing...
Mu Xiuyu thanked the two of them, then, carrying the small bundle of dirty clothes, followed Qin Luo to Qin Yunyang's place!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
