Liu Family

Lin Xiao gestured for Jiang Youfu to place the roasted wheat on a clean wooden board, then said to Little Luan,

"This is what Daoist Jiang brought for your dinner tonight. Tomorrow morning, we will bring you more food. Do not run around tonight. As long as you do not leave this thatched shed, no danger outside can hurt you."

Seeing the roasted wheat on the wooden board, Little Luan first agreed to Lin Xiao in a very perfunctory manner, and then very happily thanked Jiang Youfu.

However, Jiang Youfu, who did not yet understand the beast language, only heard Little Luan clucking at him.

But without needing Lin Xiao to translate, he intuitively felt that Little Luan was thanking him, so he smiled at Little Luan somewhat shyly,

"You are welcome, I will bring you more food tomorrow."

Little Luan could not understand what he was saying either, but it felt valued and was very happy, so it kept clucking.

Watching the completely incomprehensible communication between a chicken and a person, Lin Xiao smiled lightly and did not help them translate anymore.

After bidding farewell to Little Luan, everyone went down the mountain together.

Upon reaching the bottom of the mountain, they said their goodbyes and parted ways at the foot of the hill, each returning to their own home.

Liu Yunan's home was not on the way for anyone else, so he walked back alone.

The sky turned dark very quickly today.

Just a cup of tea's time ago, one could still see the outlines and colors of objects, but now it had reached the point where one could barely see their own fingers stretched out in front of them.

Liu Yunan had no choice but to stumble his way home in the dark.

After walking for a long time, he could finally see his own courtyard.

However, their home, which usually could not even bear to light an oil lamp, was now brightly lit in the courtyard.

Looking from afar, Liu Yunan saw several torches piercing the night in his small courtyard, illuminating the dilapidated space as bright as day.

Several figures were moving about under the light of the torches.

In the night, he could occasionally hear his mother's crying and shouting, as well as some whispers hidden under the cover of the dark.

His heart suddenly tightened, and his pace involuntarily quickened. After a few large strides, he broke into a run.

He quickly arrived outside his small courtyard.

The courtyard gate was wide open. At a glance, Liu Yunan saw his mother surrounded by several people, and his little sister, who was barely eight years old, tightly held in his mother's arms. Both of them had red eyes and were filled with grief and indignation.

The other people were not in his eyes at all.

Liu Yunan pressed his lips tightly and clenched his teeth. He walked in step by step, forcefully pushed the crowd apart with his hands, and used his thin, pole-like body to block in front of his mother and little sister.

He separated Widow Liu and Liu Shengsheng from the sight of the other people in the courtyard.

He turned around and looked up, his face tense as he looked at the people in the courtyard.

It was his grandmother, his eldest aunt, and his third aunt.

Seeing Liu Yunan appear, before he could speak, Granny Liu complained to him first,

"Little Nan, quickly look at your mother! Oh my, she is making it look like we are trying to harm the two of them, ah? We are just sending Little Sheng to a wealthy family to do some chores. Even as a servant girl in a wealthy family, she would be eating well, drinking well, and dressing decently all day long. But her mother insists on acting like we are pushing Little Sheng into a fire pit! Just look at this!"

The eldest aunt on the side also quickly chimed in,

"That is right, Little Nan, let me tell you, the business your eldest brother's friend introduced is very profitable! If you miss this village, there won't be this shop anymore! You only need to invest ten taels of silver as capital, and you can double it to make twenty taels next month!

Originally, our family couldn't come up with so much silver for the time being, so your eldest brother didn't have that thought. But isn't it a coincidence? Today your eldest brother went to town to find work, and it just so happened that he saw a wealthy family in the county recruiting servant girls, ten taels of silver for one! Tell me, such a perfect opportunity, isn't it heaven helping your eldest brother complete this big money-making business?"

Immediately after, the third aunt on the side also echoed,

"Exactly! This is twenty taels! Think about it, if our family has twenty taels, then wouldn't you and your mother be able to follow us to eat well and drink well together?"

With these sentences one after another, Liu Yunan immediately understood everything.

Behind him, Liu Shengsheng grabbed his trouser leg and cried,

"Brother, I do not want to leave you and mother, I do not want to be someone's servant girl, woo woo woo..."

"Bah bah bah, what do you know, you little brat? Those wealthy families, even the servant girls live very good lives. Once you go, you might not even want to come back! Besides, by going to be someone else's servant girl, you can bring back ten taels of silver for the family! Only then can it be said that our family did not raise you, a money-losing good-for-nothing, in vain!"

Liu Yunan turned his head and gave his mother and sister a reassuring look.

He looked at the three people in front of him talking one after another, chuckled lightly, and said,

"Where is Eldest Cousin?"

The eldest aunt waved her hand and said,

"Sigh, it is just taking your sister to sign a contract, why would we need your eldest brother for that? Your eldest brother is someone who does big things."

Liu Yunan nodded with a look of understanding, and then turned to ask his third aunt,

"Where is Eldest Cousin Sister?"

Although Liu Yunan did not say why he suddenly asked about his eldest cousin sister at this time, Third Aunt Liu seemed to know what he was asking. Her eyes flickered slightly as she said,

"Your eldest sister is getting older and has already started discussing marriage, how could she go be a servant girl for others?"

Hearing this, Liu Yunan nodded again.

He softly said a sentence,

"Which wealthy family is so generous, willing to pay ten taels of silver to hire a servant girl... heh."

No one heard him.

Immediately after, he took a deep breath, sank his qi to his dantian, concentrated his mind, and took a horse stance.

The three women of the Liu family looked at him, not understanding why.

They could not see that at this moment, the airflow around Liu Yunan seemed to begin swirling around him.

Before they could open their mouths to ask him what he was doing, they saw Liu Yunan grab his eldest aunt's arm, support her back, and with a forceful heave, actually lifted his eldest aunt up!

Eldest Aunt Liu was suddenly lifted off the ground by her own nephew, and she was so frightened that a scream tore from her throat!

Who would have thought that just as she let out a sound, she found herself flying through the night sky, flying over the small courtyard wall of Widow Liu's house, and then with a heavy thud, crashed down outside the Liu family courtyard!

The moment she landed, her mind buzzed and went completely blank. She was so terrified that she could not even feel the dense pain all over her body.

This nephew was only twelve years old!

And Old Mrs. Liu and Third Aunt Liu, who were still in the courtyard, were also shocked by the unbelievable scene before them.

Not only them, but even the widow Liu and her daughter behind Liu Yunan were extremely surprised.

However, after her surprise, Liu Shengsheng's eyes were filled with pleasant surprise and admiration as she cheered,

"Brother is so amazing!"

Awakened by Liu Shengsheng's words, Old Mrs. Liu and Third Aunt Liu screamed as if they had seen a ghost,

"Murder!"

Liu Yunan looked at the two of them, his voice icy cold,

"Are Old Mrs. Liu and Third Aunt Liu going to leave on your own, or should I see you out?"