Yuan's father sat to the side weaving a basket.
He moved quickly, the bamboo strips flying incessantly in his hands.
It's as if it has a soul.
He glanced at Yun Xiaoxiao and Gou Dan every now and then, a smile on his face.
Thinking to myself: This child is diligent.
Around noon, Yuan's mother returned with a bunch of shepherd's purse.
I was quite surprised to see that everything was so clean and tidy.
Not seeing Yun Xiaoxiao anywhere, he asked Yuan's father, who was standing nearby:
"Where's Xiaoxiao? Did she clean all this?"
The smile on Mr. Yuan's face never faded.
Hearing his wife ask, he looked behind him:
"Xiaoxiao is such a diligent and good child; she has never stopped working."
Upon hearing this, Yuan's mother smiled and asked, "Where is she?"
"Dog Egg needed to poop, so she took him to the back."
Mrs. Yuan smiled and went to make lunch by herself.
Yuan Shitou did not return at noon.
Yuan's mother said: "They went into the mountains together and won't be back until evening."
After lunch, Yun Xiaoxiao took Gou Dan to take a nap.
Dog Egg takes a nap every day at noon; it's become a habit.
Yun Xiaoxiao didn't have much work to do, so she simply stayed home and took care of Gou Dan.
Sure enough, Yuan Shitou and the others returned in the evening.
They brought back two wild rabbits and three pheasants.
He even told Yun Xiaoxiao that he would pluck the feathers from the pheasant's tail and make her a shuttlecock.
Many girls in the village have one, so she can't be left out.
Yun Xiaoxiao thought about the shuttlecock he mentioned and was quite looking forward to it.
However, she was more looking forward to going to the mountains with them.
Yuan Shitou was processing the game they had brought back; they had traveled a long way to hunt these today.
He was exhausted and hungry, but when he got home and saw his little smiling face, he didn't feel tired anymore.
Dinner was braised chicken with potatoes, and still some wild vegetable porridge.
At the dinner table, Yun Xiaoxiao used her uniquely clear voice...
He asked Yuan about the situation in the Stone Mountain in a soft voice.
She also wanted Yuan Shitou to take her there, because she wanted to go in and pick mushrooms.
Picking mushrooms was just a pretext.
She just wanted to see what was in the mountains.
As the saying goes, "Those who live near mountains live off the mountains, and those who live near water live off the water."
She now lives in this remote mountain village, leading a life dependent on the weather.
If I don't work hard, what if there's a drought or hailstorm? I'll starve to death.
It's springtime, a season of growth for all things.
If we don't stockpile food, it will be too late to panic when an accident happens.
She expressed her thoughts and saw what they said.
Mr. Yuan nodded in agreement, while Mrs. Yuan hesitated.
She feared that Yun Xiaoxiao's real intention was to escape, not to find food.
Although she initially wanted to let her leave.
But that was just out of pity for her; there was nothing that could be done.
She still couldn't bear to let her twenty yuan go to waste.
Besides, she really liked Yun Xiaoxiao and didn't want her to leave.
Of course, if Yun Xiaoxiao insists on leaving, she will still let her go.
Thinking that Yun Xiaoxiao had stayed on her own initiative, he felt a little relieved.
Then she thought, what if she was trying to mislead them?
She doesn't look like it.
Mother Yuan was torn between letting Yun Xiaoxiao run around in the mountains or leaving her at home.
For a moment, I was really undecided.
Yun Xiaoxiao had no idea what Yuan's mother was thinking; she even said she would find more dried goods to sell.
So that we can pay back the money owed to the villagers.
She has a bad habit.
That means you can't be in debt.
She can't sleep if she's in debt.
I dream about it all the time.
People say: "Don't keep too many snakes, and don't worry about having too many tents."
But that didn't work with her.
While Yuan was sleeping, Yuan's mother told Yuan's father her thoughts.
Mr. Yuan immediately said, "If she wants to leave, you can't stop her."
If she doesn't want to leave, constantly guarding against her will only create distance between her and you.
Mother Yuan thought about it and agreed, deciding to let nature take its course.
The next day, Yuan Shitou took Yun Xiaoxiao for a walk around the village.
He even introduced her to his best buddies.
When everyone saw that Yun Xiaoxiao was dark-skinned, thin, and very young, they all shook their heads.
An old woman grabbed Yun Xiaoxiao's hand and said, "What a tragedy!"
What kind of family is so heartless as to sell such a young daughter?
Do you have many sisters in your family?
"Or is it that your family favors boys over girls?"
The old lady's words almost made Yun Xiaoxiao cry.
She missed her parents and her brother who was always going against her.
Seeing that things were not going well, Yuan Shitou quickly pulled Yun Xiaoxiao away.
Yun Xiaoxiao remained silent the entire way back.
When Yuan's mother saw this, she thought that Yuan Shitou had bullied her.
Without distinguishing right from wrong, they started beating Yuan Shitou.
Although Yuan Shitou is thick-skinned and not afraid of being hit.
But Yuan's mother was too strong, and he was still beaten so badly that he had to dodge and hide.
It made Yun Xiaoxiao and Gou Dan, who were in a bad mood, laugh.
Dog Egg was clapping his hands and giggling.
Only when she saw Yun Xiaoxiao smile did Yuan's mother stop.
Pulling the still-smiling Gou Dan aside, he said to Yun Xiaoxiao:
"Xiaoxiao, if Shitou bullies you, just tell me."
I'll deal with him.
Yun Xiaoxiao said in a muffled voice, "Mother, Brother Shitou didn't bully me."
I just miss home.
Upon hearing this, Yuan's mother hesitated and said, "If you want to go back, then go back."
We won't force you to stay.
With tears welling up in her eyes, Yun Xiaoxiao said, "I can't find my way home."
Mr. Yuan, Mrs. Yuan, and even Yuan Shitou were all stunned.
Yun Xiaoxiao never mentioned her family situation.
So they didn't feel comfortable asking.
When Yuan's mother saw her crying, she also felt sad.
Yuan Shitou was a rough man who couldn't stand seeing women cry.
Especially since it's someone he cares about.
He was so anxious that he paced around the room, scratching his head incessantly.
Yun Xiaoxiao saw him scratching his ears and cheeks, looking like a monkey, and she did think so.
My mood has improved a lot.
She told everyone how she was tricked into coming here and who else was in her family.
She also explained how she injured her head and what her plans were after arriving at the hospital.
She felt that in her situation, it was better to be open and honest about everything.
To avoid keeping things bottled up inside and causing mutual suspicion.
This is not conducive to harmonious family relationships.
Upon hearing this, Mr. and Mrs. Yuan were also deeply saddened.
Who would have thought that the wife they bought was actually kidnapped?
No wonder she said she had a wound on her head and her face was covered in blood.
The old woman with the dark complexion even lied to her, saying it was an accident.
People who deal with human traffickers are not good people.
Those human traffickers should be arrested and imprisoned for decades.
Yuan Shitou had mixed feelings.
While happy about Yun Xiaoxiao's arrival, they also felt sad for her.
It's truly hard to feel happy when your only family member in the world has to be separated from you.
To comfort Yun Xiaoxiao, he patted his chest and said:
"Don't be sad, we'll pay off our debts once we've done so."
I'll go back with you to find your brother.
Hearing his resolute words, Yun Xiaoxiao's tears fell in large drops.
This contains the original owner's emotions, as well as hers.
If only it were really as Yuan Shitou said.
Now, all she can remember about Changping Town and Huai Shu Village is Changping Town.
Finding one's relatives is incredibly difficult.
However, she kept this wish buried in her heart.
I hope that one day it will really come true.
This is also her mission here.
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