"Don't worry, uncle, I've thought it through. It's just that I didn't bring any tools to put the chicks in. Would you sell this basket?"
The uncle considered for a moment, then said:
“These chicks and ducklings would die if I took them back; the survival rate is very low. Since you want them, young lady, I'll give you one coin each. But we have an agreement: no returns or exchanges. Once you buy, you're done. There are more than sixty chicks in these two baskets. I'll give you sixty coins. I wove these two baskets myself; they're a gift.”
"Thank you, uncle."
Even so, Shen Danru still gave the uncle seventy coins as payment for the basket.
Back home, Qingtan took out food from the kitchen to feed the little creatures, but they were too lazy to move. She pushed all the little things in front of the food, and they just opened their eyes briefly before closing them again.
"Miss, look at them, they won't eat, what should we do?"
Shen Danru went into the kitchen, but actually took out some spiritual spring water from the system, put it in two bowls, and brought it to these little things.
Gradually, these little creatures all rushed to drink the water, and after drinking it, they seemed much more alive.
Before long, the water was finished, but there were still some little lives that hadn't had a drink. Qingtan picked up the bowl and said, "Miss, I'll go to the kitchen to get some more water."
Just as Shen Danru was about to call her, she saw Qingtan running very fast, disappearing into the kitchen in a flash.
The little creature saw the bowl she had placed there, opened its eyes briefly, then closed them again, as if it were disgusted.
"Miss, I brought you water, why aren't these little rascals drinking it? They're really not giving me any face."
Qingtan nodded.
It's clear she really likes these little lives.
Shen Danru touched the bowl and actually poured spiritual spring water into it. The little creatures then rushed over to drink it.
"Look, aren't they drinking it?"
Seeing them all running over, Qingtan immediately became happy.
Shen Danru went to the kitchen, took a bucket, filled it to the brim with water, and handed it to Qingtan: "From now on, you'll be in charge of feeding these little creatures. Use the water in this bucket to feed them."
Qingtan immediately agreed.
The two women were playing with the chicks and ducklings when a voice came from behind them: "Ladies, may I ask if Shen Cheng lives here?"
Shen Danru and Qingtan immediately turned around and saw an elderly couple, in their sixties, with graying temples, tired faces full of wrinkles, and eyes full of kindness and tenderness.
Behind them was a middle-aged man in his early forties, who appeared to be their son.
While Shen Danru was sizing them up, the three of them were also sizing up Shen Danru and Qingtan.
Presumably, one of these two girls is their newly adopted granddaughter.
"May I ask who you are?"
The middle-aged man reacted the fastest, and as soon as Shen Danru responded, he immediately asked:
"You must be Ru'er. I'm your second uncle. These two are your maternal grandparents. Look! This child is so beautiful."
After a slight hesitation, Shen Danru quickly stepped forward to greet the three people and invited them into the house.
When the grandmother, Madam Tan, saw that the girl was indeed her granddaughter, she was also surprised. The child was really beautiful, unlike Shen Cheng or her daughter Qiao Feng.
"Ru'er, let Grandma take a look." Madam Tan said, and tried to take Chen Danru's hand.
The more Tan looked at her, the happier she became. She held Shen Danru's hand and didn't want to let go. Her calloused hand held Shen Danru's delicate little hand. The rough touch warmed Shen Danru's heart.
Shen Danru felt a moment of discomfort, but seeing the tenderness in Tan's eyes, he quickly smiled and welcomed them into the house.
"Dad, Mom, Grandpa, Grandma, and Second Uncle have arrived."
After the three of them returned from Xijiang Village, it was almost noon. Shen Cheng did not go to the new house, but wanted to wait until after lunch to go and take a look.
Upon hearing Shen Danru's voice, Shen Cheng quickly ran out of the house.
Zhou, who had just entered the kitchen, also came out. When she saw that it really was her parents and second brother, her eyes reddened, and she called out, "Father, Mother, what brings you here?"
The three were welcomed into the house, and Zhou hugged Tan and wept together.
Knowing that her parents and second brother had walked all the way from Ningzhou to save on travel expenses, she felt even more sorry for them.
The Zhou family lives in a village outside Ningzhou City. It takes a whole day to walk from there to Shangqing Village. Did Dad and Mom set off yesterday?
Thinking about how she had disregarded her family's objections and resolutely married someone from so far away, she felt truly unfilial.
After a moment, Madam Tan said, "If I hadn't come here, how long did you plan to keep this from your mother? So many things have happened at home, and you didn't even send a message to your mother."
Zhou lowered her head and remained silent, listening to Tan's reprimand.
Shen Danru and Shen Yuyan stood aside listening, while Shen Cheng poured water for his father-in-law and brother-in-law. Qing Tan and Shen Xiaohua tactfully went out to play with her chicks and ducks.
Tan rummaged in her bosom and pulled out a tattered piece of cloth. She unfolded the cloth and found a few pieces of silver inside, which looked to be about five taels.
"This is for you, to help with household expenses. The child just got back, and you're already making the child suffer. Don't let him go up the mountain to dig up that stuff to eat again."
Shen Danru then realized that her maternal grandparents and eldest uncle had come to give them money.
When Zhou heard her mother say this, she knew that she was still stuck a month ago, when she was indeed digging up devil's tongue on the mountain.
"Mother, we have money at home, please take this money back."
"Aren't you going to tell your mother the truth? Don't worry, this money was saved by your father and mother themselves. It wasn't from your three older brothers. You should take it now."
The Zhou family had only recently heard from someone that something had happened in Shangqing Village. A family surnamed Shen had switched daughters with the Marquis's family. The fake daughter was sent back by the Marquis's family, but her grandparents did not recognize her and went to the mountain to dig up devil's taro to eat.
This reminded Tan of what happened fifteen years ago when her daughter Qiaofeng gave birth in a dilapidated temple in Ningzhou City. At that time, Qiaofeng had told her that she suspected her baby had been switched at birth.
Her daughter said that when the baby was born, she glanced at it; it was born with snow-white skin and bright, darting eyes. After a moment, she burst into tears.
When she woke up again, the child was still chubby, but his skin was wrinkled and his face was red; he was no longer the fair and tender child he had been before.
Madam Tan also advised her that she must be overthinking it; how could that noble lady, accompanied by maids and servants, possibly have switched the babies with her?
Since it is not customary for a married daughter to stay at her parents' home for postpartum confinement, Shen Cheng took Zhou away that very day, and the two never discussed the matter again.
Today, she overheard people talking about this matter, so she hurriedly went up to ask what the family's name was. The person couldn't say their name, but only said that they were the second son in the family, and that they had been kicked out by their parents and were living alone.
In a moment of panic, Tan called her husband and son, and they rushed to Shangqing Village overnight.
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