In the early morning, Hong Xiaoduo woke up naturally and looked at the bright sky. She couldn't understand why she could sleep so soundly, even if no child had a nightmare and woken her up last night.
She didn't even have a dream? How big must her heart be?
I glanced at the neatly folded bedding on my bunk. Sigh? Am I even worse off than a bunch of kids now? So sleepy?
"Mother, you're awake?" Hong Xiaoduo had just sat up when she saw Yaoguang sitting on a small stool and called out to her happily.
Before Hong Xiaoduo could respond, she saw Yao Guang stand up and run towards the door. She immediately imagined what would happen next.
"Brother, Mother is awake," Yao Guang reported to the person outside as she opened the door.
Immediately afterward, just like the day before, Tianxuan brought in water for washing up, and Yuheng also brought over the wooden comb that Hong Xiaoduo had just bought the previous afternoon.
As soon as Hong Xiaoduo put her legs down, Kaiyang quickly came over and put the shoes on the ground next to her feet. Tianquan immediately took off his shoes, climbed onto the bunk, and tidied her bedding.
The group of little guys seemed to have been trained, with a clear division of labor.
For some reason, Hong Xiaoduo realized that the reason they were acting this way was probably because, besides... another less-than-ideal reason, it was likely due to the way they had served that villain before.
Feeling a little upset, she bent down and insisted on putting on her shoes herself, while forcing a smile on her face, otherwise they would probably start speculating that she had done something wrong to upset her.
Realizing I had overslept and the children must be hungry, I quickly washed up.
"Mom, we've checked everything, nothing was left behind, it's all loaded onto our cart," Tianquan said hurriedly when he saw Hong Xiaoduo looking at the shop.
Hong Xiaoduo nodded and led them out of the room to the counter to pay the room fee.
"If you're not in a hurry to get going, you can stay here for a few more days. I won't charge you for the room. Anyway, we don't have many guests, so it's just sitting empty." Granny Lanhua knew they were leaving this morning and said this with great reluctance.
Although they had only known each other for two days, Grandma Orchid genuinely liked all seven tenants, both adults and children.
She's good-looking, has a sweet tongue, is sensible, and hardworking. She gets up early every day and helps clean the inn.
"Grandma, we might meet again sometime in the future." After saying that, she put away the change the shopkeeper gave her, thanked the shopkeeper, and wished him good business.
When I got to the door, I didn’t see Tian Shu. Then I remembered something and went to the stable. Sure enough, there he was, feeding the donkeys hay.
"Tian Shu, let's go have breakfast first." Hong Xiaoduo called out, watching Tian Shu respond while glancing back at the donkey cart with obvious concern.
She took her seven children to a noodle shop next to the inn and ate braised noodles. When they came out, she bought some sesame cakes and a stack of meat pies from a roadside stall to eat on the way.
The little ones happily held the horses and followed Tian Shu as he trotted back to the inn's stables.
Standing in front of the donkey cart, Hong Xiaoduo looked into the carriage and was filled with emotion. She was clearly an adult and should be taking care of these seven children, but in reality, it seemed that they were doing most of the work and she didn't have to worry about anything.
Look inside the carriage. The odds and ends they bought the day before, along with their new cotton-padded coats, are neatly arranged without looking cluttered. They don't affect their seating and can even be used as backrests.
The tent I bought yesterday was tied to the back of the train carriage, and it was tied very securely, so I don't have to worry about it falling off on the road.
"Alright, let's get in the car." After Hong Xiaoduo finished speaking, she first carried Yao Guang up, while the other children climbed up on their own using the stools.
"Mother, why aren't you getting on?" Tian Shu asked, puzzled, seeing that she didn't get on the carriage. Then he said, "Mother, you can get on and sit down. It's alright. I'll walk to catch the carriage. I'm not getting on."
See, whenever she hesitates even slightly, they immediately start wondering why.
“It’s not that I’m worried it can’t pull the cart. Didn’t the owner of the carriage shop say that the weight we have together is still far from its load-bearing capacity? It’s just that we just bought it, so I’ll walk alongside it first, just to be on the safe side.” Tian Shu immediately understood. His mother was worried that he wasn’t skilled at driving, and he didn’t know what the donkey’s temperament was like. If his mother walked alongside it, she could help stop it if it got out of control or disobeyed.
"Did you fill it with water?" Hong Xiaoduo couldn't help but ask.
I bought three water bags the day before so I could carry water with me, since it's not easy to find a water source on the road.
Tian Shu immediately nodded and said, "They're all full."
"Let's go then." Hong Xiaoduo closed the carriage door and smiled to signal. Tian Shu also smiled and nodded. He excitedly shook the reins, and the donkey, as if it understood human nature, lifted its hoof and walked forward. The donkey carriage did not look as grand as the horse-drawn carriage, but it was quite stable.
Grandma Lan Hua and her son stood by the roadside, wishing each other a safe journey, and waved to each other.
“Mother, actually, you should buy a horse to ride,” Tian Shu said as they walked.
Hong Xiaoduo glanced at him and said, "You're still insisting on buying the cheapest cotton coat, but buying a horse? A horse costs more than ten taels of silver. However, I'll buy one when my wallet is a bit fuller."
Yes, she would never say that she wasn't sure if she could ride a horse, which is why she didn't dare to buy one.
She doesn't particularly enjoy walking or find it tiring, but this is a newly bought donkey cart, so she's still a little worried. She'll walk another mile or two before getting on the cart.
We were almost out of town when we heard someone call out from behind, "Young Lady Hong, wait a moment."
Tian Shu grabbed the reins and looked back with Hong Xiaoduo. There was a servant dressed as a young man, whom they didn't recognize.
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