Upon seeing her enter, Jiang Youchen immediately protected the bowl in her hands, her face expressionless.
Knowing his younger sister as he did, he knew she would throw a tantrum and smash the medicine bowl after only a few words.
Jiang Youran ran in, rushed to the bedside, and excitedly cried out, "Mother!"
Madam Su's face turned ashen. Seeing her daughter enter, she smiled and said, "Little Ranran, why are you running so fast?"
Upon hearing the address "Little Ranran," Jiang Youran felt a lump in her throat, tightly gripped her mother's large hand, and called out several times, "Mother! Mother!"
This was a call she longed to relive in the first few years after her death.
At that time, she always thought that if she died, her soul could go down to see her mother.
So for the first few years of her wandering, she was always searching for her mother.
Unfortunately, she couldn't find the so-called path of reincarnation no matter what she tried.
Mrs. Su comforted her daughter, "Why are you in such a hurry? Although your cousin's family has had an accident, we..."
As she spoke, tears welled up in her eyes again.
She was just a distant aunt who was staying at the Yun family mansion, and a weak woman with children. What could she possibly do?
Aside from accepting Lady Yun's arrangement to return home, she couldn't think of anything else.
Madam Su had always waited to be dealt with by fate, but at this moment, she heard her daughter say, "Mother, we can't go back to Dingzhou."
Her tears stopped abruptly, and she asked in astonishment, "What?"
Jiang Youran said seriously, "Mother, we cannot return to Dingzhou at this time."
Jiang Youchen, standing beside her, was also shocked and furious. "What nonsense are you spouting? If we don't go back to Dingzhou, are we going to be taken away like them?"
Jiang Youran turned to look at him, her eyes full of determination, "Yes, and no."
Su's face was full of disbelief. "Little Ranran, what did you say?!"
Jiang Youran thought for a moment before saying softly, "Mother, brother, we can't take care of our uncles, but what about our great-aunt? And what about our cousins... They'll go hungry, they'll have nowhere to stay. We have money, we can't leave right away, but if we can settle them down temporarily, we won't be accused of being heartless."
This is also why, in her previous life, after successfully marrying into the Marquis's family after her mother entrusted her with the care of her orphan on her deathbed, she was repeatedly treated with disdain for ten years.
She pressed down on her wildly beating heart; in this life, she was determined to change something!
Her words were concise and to the point, and they should be consistent with the persona she had when she was four years old, right?
Su was stunned.
Jiang Youchen's expression changed, but her eyes immediately brightened. After a moment's thought, she organized her thoughts and said calmly, "Mother, she's right. Our eldest cousin fought on the front lines for twenty years. We certainly don't believe she's a traitor. But the court's verdict has been handed down. Our second and third cousins, along with several other cousins, have been exiled. We, as orphans and widows, can't help them much. But our great-aunt, several cousins' wives, and cousins have had their property confiscated and been reduced to commoners. They've certainly lost all their gold, silver, and valuables. They've been driven out of the Marquis's mansion. What will they eat and drink? Where will they live? Have you thought about that?"
The in-laws of both maternal aunts are in the capital. Perhaps they dare not get involved because of this matter, or perhaps they will secretly lend a helping hand. We don't know. But the difficulties they face right now are very real. We are relatives of the Marquis's family, and we've stayed there for a month. If we leave now, they might only see us as heartless and ungrateful.
Jiang Youran nodded vigorously, "Yes, brother is right!"
Jiang Youchen glanced at her, her eyes softening slightly, and continued, "Mother, if we leave now, we can naturally take our own things with us."
He emphasized the word "ourselves" and continued, "The gold and silver we have might be a lifeline for our great-aunts and the others. We might not be able to support them for a year or two, but it would be enough to get them through a month or two. Everything is difficult at the beginning, but once they find a way to survive, their survival will not be a problem."
Now is the time when they need us most, and it's also the time for us to lend a helping hand. If we don't, what do you think our great-aunt will think? What will our eldest cousin, who is suffering an injustice far away in the north, think?
After saying that, he glanced at his sister again, his expression strange.
This usually unruly younger sister suddenly became so understanding and righteous... somewhat... beyond his expectations.
Jiang Youran nodded vigorously and clapped her chubby little hands, "Yes, yes, brother is right!"
Su's expression froze, deeply moved.
Jiang Youchen rolled her eyes at her younger sister again, but her tone was firm, "Mother, this time we can really listen to...my sister."
Jiang Youran looked at him in surprise.
She knew that her brother didn't like her very much; in fact, ever since she could remember, he almost never called her "little sister," always addressing her by her first name.
In her previous life, she didn't know why this brother was always cold to her.
After witnessing the myriad aspects of life over a thousand years, she returned to this life and suddenly understood.
Madam Su was also taken aback. "Achen, do you really agree with... what your sister said?"
Jiang Youchen nodded, his voice sounding somewhat immature. "Right now, we're the only ones who can offer immediate help to our great-aunt and the others. Even if we have to return to Dingzhou, we'll wait until they're settled before we leave."
Looking at this overly mature seven-year-old boy, Jiang Youran couldn't help but reach out to pinch his cheek. She then realized she was actually a head shorter than him.
Never mind, it seems... there are still a few little brats in the other courtyards!
Without hesitation, Su asked Jiang Youchen and his sister, "If we're not leaving, what should we do now?"
Jiang Youran interrupted, saying in her childish voice, "Mother, you're not feeling well, you should rest in bed. I'll go and tell your great-aunt that your great-aunt might be over there too."
Su nodded in agreement.
But then, remembering her daughter's usual behavior, she quickly pulled her aside and instructed her, "You must speak carefully, don't turn into a powder keg after just a few words."
Jiang Youran hummed twice and ran out with her short legs.
Jiang Youchen shoved the medicine bowl in her hand into her mother's hands, saying, "I'll go watch over her."
Mrs. Su was both amused and exasperated. "Are you only remembering now that you're the older brother?"
...
The Marquis of Pingyuan's residence, the Yun family.
At this time, there was chaos and turmoil. There were soldiers patrolling everywhere, officials taking inventory in booklets, and servants running around.
The once meticulously maintained garden paths are now a mess. The precious peonies, which were once pampered so much that even a slight approach to smell them was risked damaging, have been knocked over, trampled, and crushed into mud by hurried and chaotic footsteps.
A servant, quick as a flash, ran to the door with a bundle, only to be blocked by two large swords.
"My lord, I am merely a servant, not a member of the Yun family!"
The officer in the uniform of the Five Cities Garrison said expressionlessly, "Servants must show their indentures. They may only bring one set of clothes! After checking that they have not concealed a single penny from their belongings, they may leave!"
The servant was taken aback. "Sir, I only signed a contract for living expenses, not a contract of servitude!"
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