Xiao Youran returned to her room but didn't see her mother. Thinking that her mother should be talking with her great-aunt, and since she had nothing else to do, she ran to her great-aunt's room.
On the way, they ran into her fourth maternal aunt, Madam Yu, who scooped her up in her arms. "Oh my little You Ran, not only have you grown a year older over the New Year, but you've also gained quite a bit of weight!"
The third daughter, Yun Manying, held the fifth child's hand in one hand and the fourth-year-old sixth child's hand in the other.
Xiao Liu complained, "Why doesn't Mommy hold me? I'm even smaller and lighter than my little cousin..."
Little Youran perched on Yu's shoulder and said with a grin, "Little Six needs to eat more so he can grow up chubby and cute, then Fourth Aunt will like to hold him."
Upon hearing this, Yun Manying burst out laughing, "Little cousin, if you keep eating like this, you'll grow up to be a chubby beauty!"
His mother had been encouraging him to spend more time with his little cousin, but during the day he was kept busy with embroidery by his older sister and didn't have much opportunity to play with her. It was only during the two days of the Lunar New Year that he had time to gradually get closer to her.
Xiao Youran's expression immediately turned serious. "Hmm, I can't become a chubby beauty. What a waste of all those pine nut candies and chocolates I bought..."
Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu's eyes lit up immediately upon hearing this, and they stretched out their free hands, "Little cousin/sister, give it to me! I'll eat it for you, I'm not afraid of getting fat!"
Xiao Youran turned her head with a snort, "Have you memorized your multiplication tables yet?"
Xiao Wu looked smug and said, "I memorized it!"
Xiao Liu looked aggrieved, "Xiao Liu hasn't... hasn't..."
Yu asked curiously, "The multiplication table? Is it the thing you've been chanting so mysteriously these past few days?"
"Yes!" Xiao Youran said innocently with a smile, "Multiplication by nine is very powerful, it can make your numerology skills very powerful!"
Yu smiled and said to Xiao Wu, "Zhi-ge'er, why don't you recite it and let me hear it?"
Yun Tianzhi then began to recite with a sense of pride, "One times nine equals nine, two times nine equals eighteen..."
After listening for a while, Ms. Yu felt a headache coming on, but since it was Xiao Fubao who taught him, it must be useful, so she didn't say anything more and just praised him a couple of times.
The group soon arrived at Madam Yun's residence.
When Madam Yun saw Xiao Youran arrive, she immediately beamed with joy. "Oh, Xiao Youran, you're such a lazybones! You had to be carried by your fourth cousin's wife for just a few steps? Don't make her suffer! Come, come..."
Mrs. Yu smiled and put Xiao Youran down. "Xiao Youran is getting heavier and heavier. If I don't pick her up soon, I'm afraid I won't be able to carry her anymore!"
Little Youran rushed into Madam Yun's arms, "Grandma! Fourth Aunt said I'm chubby! I'm not chubby at all. I'm going to grow up to be a stunning beauty, not a fat one!"
Madam Yun laughed heartily, "You even know what 'beauty that could topple cities and kingdoms' means? Tsk tsk—"
She pushed Xiao Youran a little further away, looking her up and down. "You know what, she's got the looks of a real beauty! She could easily be stunning!"
Madam Su smiled gently, "Aunt, please don't praise her. Look how proud she is!"
Xiao Youran glared at her mother, "Mom always said that I was the most beautiful baby, but it turns out it was all a lie?"
"Hahaha—" The group burst into laughter.
Madam Yun pointed at Madam Su and scolded her with a smile, "Don't you know, as her aunt? You, her mother, are the one who praises her the most!"
Xiao Liu saw some pastries on the table and immediately brought them to Xiao Youran, saying, "Little cousin, eat some pastries, you won't get fat!"
Yun Manying quickly went up to take the plate, "Little Liu, eating cakes will make you fat too."
Xiao Liu blinked, "I'll trade chocolate with my older cousin! Chocolate makes you fat!"
Everyone burst into laughter upon hearing this.
They all assumed that the chocolate in Xiao Youran's hand was brought from the capital, and didn't ask any questions about this novel brown sugar treat.
"Oh dear, you actually want to trade my great-aunt's pastries for my chocolate?" Xiao Youran looked at Xiao Liu incredulously. "Aren't my great-aunt's pastries for us to eat? Why would I trade my chocolate for a pastry that I could have eaten anyway?"
Xiao Youran uttered a long string of words in a crisp, clear voice, leaving Xiao Liu staring at her with a bewildered expression.
My cousin is so amazing! She can say such a long string of words.
"Oh my, look at this clever little monkey!"
Everyone burst into laughter again.
After laughing and joking for a while, everyone started chatting.
Su said that the operation of the cloth shop was basically on track.
Li sighed inadvertently, "It's a good thing we have my cousin here, otherwise we don't know how long it would have taken us to take over and get familiar with this fabric shop. It's a pity that once the shop is on the right track, you'll all be leaving again, cousin..."
She suddenly realized she had said the wrong thing, quickly stopped talking, and gave an awkward laugh, "I... well, I really don't want you to leave!"
Little Liu wiped the crumbs from her mouth and quickly cried out, "I don't want my little cousin to leave..."
He ran up to Xiao Youran and asked cutely, "Where are you going, little cousin? Can you take Xiao Liu with you?"
Madam Yu scooped her son up with her arms, yelling, "You little rascal, are you asking for trouble? Don't you even want your mother, brothers, and sisters anymore?"
Xiao Liu asked, bewildered, "If I go with my older cousin, can I not have my mother, older brothers, and older sisters anymore?"
Li teased him, "Yes, if you had to choose, would you want to go with your little cousin, or stay with your mother?"
After hesitating for a long time, Xiao Liu asked tentatively, "Cousin, can I have a chocolate every day?"
Upon hearing this, the adults couldn't help but burst into laughter, instantly dispelling the reluctance and somber mood they had felt when the topic was brought up.
His conflicted expression looked both cute and adorable, and Xiao Youran couldn't help but smile and nod, "No problem, three a day is fine."
Xiao Liu immediately tried to break free from her mother's embrace and lunged towards Xiao Youran.
Enraged, Ms. Yu slapped Xiao Liu on the bottom.
Everyone burst into laughter.
After laughing enough, Xiao Youran patted her belly and said, "Mother, we can't leave Sanyang Village."
Why is that?
"Because I broke my senior brother's leg, I have to wait for him to recover! And Master is here too, I still have to learn skills from him," Xiao Youran said confidently.
Madam Yun smiled broadly and asked, "Little Youran, what skills have you learned?"
Little Youran crawled out of Old Madam Yun's arms and casually took a few steps in the hall. "Grandma, aren't you amazing?"
Madam Yun nodded, "Truly impressive!"
Yu saw through the trick, "Don't underestimate this stride, it can be incredibly fast in a crucial moment."
Little Liu bounced out again, his bottom as tough as steel, "My older cousin is amazing! She can teach us to count, and she even knows the multiplication tables!"
Madam Yun asked curiously, "What is the multiplication table?"
Xiao Liu jumped down and pulled his fifth brother out, saying, "Fifth brother, recite it to Grandma!"
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