Uncle Feng shielded Jiang Youchen with an umbrella, while Su Yue protected Xiao Youran as they quickly stepped across the muddy road and into the threshold of the Yun family's ancestral home.
As soon as Su entered the room, she heard sobbing coming from inside.
After seeing their three masters through the gate, Zhao Mama and her two companions rushed back to the carriage to unload everything inside, especially the food they had bought.
When the three members of the Su family found that the main hall was completely empty and there wasn't even a lamp, they walked towards the direction from which the crying was coming, using the extremely faint daylight.
As they approached the sound, they listened closely and realized it was a boy's voice, "Mommy, I'm so hungry... Is there anything to eat..."
Su was puzzled. They should have plenty of money, so why would they let their child go hungry?
In a side room next door, three-year-old Yun Jiao was crying sadly.
Mrs. Yu held her son, at a loss. She had already gone up the mountain to pick wild vegetables during the day and had just eaten wild vegetable porridge in the evening, but the porridge was not very filling. Her son had a poor appetite and hadn't eaten much, and now he was hungry again.
She gently coaxed her son, "It's getting dark, go to sleep. Tomorrow morning, your mother will go up the mountain again. Maybe we can catch a wild rabbit."
Yun Jiao asked, puzzled, "Mother, why did we come to this place to starve?"
Hearing this from outside the door, Madam Su sensed something was amiss. Even if the house was a bit old and her eldest cousin-in-law couldn't be too extravagant, surely she wouldn't let her nephews go hungry?
She coughed lightly, then asked softly, "Excuse me, are you Fourth Cousin-in-law?"
Ms. Yu suddenly jumped out of bed. "Who is it?"
Jiang Youchen also spoke up, "Fourth cousin's wife, that's us."
Yu hurriedly got out of bed, not even having time to put on her shoes, and quickly opened the door, staring in shock at Su and her two children.
Xiao Youran stepped forward cheerfully and asked, "Fourth Aunt, it's still early, are you all asleep so early?"
It took Yu a while to come to her senses, and she asked in surprise, "How did you all get here?"
Madam Su smiled and asked, "Where is my aunt? Is my eldest cousin's wife here? Why don't we meet them all at once and tell them all at once, so we don't have to tell them to each of them separately?"
Ms. Yu nodded in delight, "That's great!"
Little Youran had already run into the house from her feet, taking out a few candies from her sleeve. "Fifth brother, sixth brother, do you want some candy?"
Xiao Yuntianjiao immediately got up, her eyes shining as she stared at Xiao Youran, "Cousin, I want some. I'm hungry, I want to eat."
Six-year-old Yun Tianzhi also climbed out of bed, quickly grabbed two candies from Xiao Youran's hand, eagerly tore open the outer wrapper, and stuffed them into his mouth.
Fortunately, he still had another piece of candy in his hand, so no one ate it all by themselves. He climbed onto another bed and stuffed it into the mouth of the third sister, Yun Manying, who was lying on it, saying, "Sister, have some candy."
Ms. Yu turned her head to look at him, but did not stop him, her eyes slightly moist.
She went back inside, put on her shoes and coat, and then said to Madam Su, "Cousin, come with me."
Jiang Youchen was torn. He didn't know whether he should stay here to watch over his sister or go with his mother to see his great-aunt and cousin's wife.
Xiao Youran noticed his hesitation, walked over, took his hand, and said sweetly, "Let's go see our great-aunt with Mom first, and then we can play with our cousins when we get back."
Jiang Youchen nodded and followed behind her fourth aunt and mother, walking in another direction.
In the main room, Zhou was lying on the bed with a look of despair. She had been fighting wits with the Yun family members and suffered repeated setbacks. She was also worried about her future livelihood. In addition, she had not eaten a full meal for several days due to lack of food, so she fell ill and lay in bed in a daze.
The young woman had long since cried herself out and was filled with despair.
In just two months, her future has been turned upside down, and now she faces the predicament of starving to death. All her previous resentment and bitterness have long been forgotten.
Her only thought now is to have a full meal and to stay alive.
Just then, the sound of rustling footsteps came from outside.
Then came Yu's excited voice, "Sister-in-law, sister-in-law, get up quickly!"
Knowing that her sister-in-law had fallen ill, she didn't care about anything else at the moment and raised her voice, "Sister-in-law, get up quickly, my cousin Su and her two children are here!"
Zhou immediately sat up in bed.
The eldest daughter, Yun Manwan, also sat up from the bed.
How could they not know the significance of the Su family's arrival?
This Su family is backed by the Su family, the richest family in Dingzhou.
If she could just peek through her fingers, the Yun family would be saved. At least they wouldn't have to suffer from hunger, cold, and lack of basic necessities.
Suddenly, Zhou felt that her illness had improved by about 70-80%. She put on her shoes and coat and went out to greet them.
Hongyu excitedly helped the lady tidy her clothes and hair.
When Su met Zhou, she was quite surprised.
The lady of the Marquis's mansion, who I remembered as always being dignified, elegant, and graceful, now looked haggard, her hair was disheveled, and she was dressed in the coarse cloth clothes of an ordinary peasant woman. She had completely lost her former composure and nobility.
Moreover, she had heard about Yu's recent situation on her way here, and felt very sympathetic towards her.
Who could have imagined that the once illustrious Pingyuan Marquis's mansion would fall into such a state?
In just two months, they couldn't even afford to eat?
If it weren't for the Yu clan being able to go up the mountain to hunt some game and dig up some wild vegetables, and the clan chief and others providing occasional relief, some people would probably have already starved to death by now.
When Zhou saw Su and her two children descend like gods, she was overjoyed.
This cousin was willing to risk deceiving the emperor to take their gifts out of the Yun residence and then return them. Just for this kind of character, she felt that this cousin was a person of loyalty and righteousness. Therefore, she also believed that if Madam Su knew their current situation, she would definitely not stand idly by.
The second wife, Madam Li, also received the news and rushed over.
At this moment, in their eyes, the Su mother and her two children were their lifeline.
The well-informed Granny Li had already prepared Old Madam Yun and was waiting for her in the main hall of the backyard.
So when the three Zhou sisters-in-law escorted Su and her two children to the main hall of Madam Yun's house, Madam Yun was already sitting at the head of the table.
Madam Su hurriedly stepped forward to greet her, "Aunt, Ya Rong is late."
Jiang Youran and Jiang Youchen also stepped forward to pay their respects to their elders, saying, "Greetings to my great-aunt and my cousins."
On their way here, Li had already briefly explained the Yun family's current situation.
Xiao Youran glanced around and saw that the eyes of her several cousins' wives, plus Granny Li who served her great-aunt, were like those of hungry wolves eyeing fat meat, their eyes gleaming with greed.
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