The next day, after breakfast.
Jin Shanyao led the two children onto an oxcart towards Little River Village. Six or seven years had passed, and the road to Little River Village was still full of potholes. Dahuang and Xiaoli walked in front of the oxcart, glancing back every now and then.
As soon as the oxcart entered the village, it aroused whispers among the villagers.
"Whose relative is this? I've never seen him before."
"You don't know? Look at that cow... its fur is so shiny and smooth, there aren't even any saddle marks on its back. It must eat a lot of good food."
In the crowd, a woman in a dark brown jacket stood on tiptoe, peering at the oxcart. After looking for a while, she suddenly slapped her thigh, "Oh my... isn't that Meng Household's sister-in-law?"
The person next to him was taken aback. "Which Meng Household?"
"Which other Meng Household? Diao Siniang's younger brother-in-law!" The woman in the soy-coated jacket had a voice loud enough to be heard half the village. "Aren't those two children next to her from Third Old Meng's family?"
The crowd erupted in uproar.
Some people didn't believe it, "Really? Didn't those two kids go to the prefectural city? I heard they're doing quite well; the Meng Household boy even passed the imperial examination and became a scholar."
"So what if you pass the imperial examination? Can passing it put food on the table?" a sarcastic voice came from behind.
Everyone turned around; it was Matchmaker Gao.
She stood with her hands on her hips at her doorstep. Before she could finish speaking, someone chimed in, "Don't talk nonsense. My second uncle's cousin just passed the imperial examination last year, and the county magistrate personally came to deliver gifts. If a successful candidate becomes a servant, who in the world would dare to study?"
The Matchmaker Gao's face flushed red and then turned pale as she retorted, stubbornly saying, "I... I was just saying it offhand..."
The man ignored her and turned to look at the oxcart.
The Matchmaker Gao stood there awkwardly, opening her mouth but unable to say anything. Following the gazes of those around her, she saw a young man getting off the oxcart.
The young man, dressed in a dark green robe, stood there with his back straight. Sunlight shone on his face, revealing his handsome features and composed demeanor.
Looking at the girl beside him, she wore a pink jacket and a light blue pleated skirt, with a light yellow velvet flower in her hair.
Her skin, under the sunlight, was as white and delicate as a peeled egg... She was clearly a pampered young lady.
The Matchmaker Gao even doubted her own eyes. Were these still the same brother and sister who used to forage for wild vegetables all over the village? The change was too drastic. She swallowed hard.
With a smirk, she called out, "Oh my... let your auntie see who's back!"
Hearing her exclamation, everyone was taken aback at first, then rushed forward. "Is that Aunt Meng Household...? Why didn't you say you were coming back?"
"My God... this is Meng..." The person who came up to greet them suddenly stopped, wondering what the two children's names were again. After thinking for a while, he blurted out, " Meng Household boy, how come you've changed so much?"
"That's right... we almost didn't recognize you! We heard you passed the imperial examination? Congratulations!"
The matchmaker Matchmaker Gao, was forced out of the front row. She wanted to say a few words, but there wasn't a single spot available... The entrance to the Meng Household family's courtyard was completely surrounded by villagers.
Just then, an aged voice rang out, "Get out of the way, get out of the way..."
Old Woman Li quickly pushed everyone aside with the key in hand. She opened the courtyard gate, told her grandson to fetch the cow rope, and then pushed the Jin Shanyao and the others into the courtyard.
Then he slammed the courtyard gate shut.
Everyone exclaimed, " Old Woman Li, what are you doing?"
Old Woman Li stood in the yard with her hands on her hips, yelling, "Get out, get out... stop chattering around here!"
For the past few years, she has been guarding the house for the Meng Household, earning five taels of silver a year, and has been bullied by the villagers quite a bit.
Later, when they saw that her family had built a house and acquired land, the villagers became even more envious and made sarcastic remarks.
They were implying that she was a dog kept by Third Old Meng's family.
Old Woman Li's earnings weren't from looking after houses; they were clearly from military pay earned at the risk of her life.
Jin Shanyao in surprise, " Auntie Li... how come you've aged so much?"
Old Woman Li smiled, her face crinkling with wrinkles. "I'm so old... my grandson is older Anzhi, how can I not be old?" She opened the door. "Have you eaten?... I'll have my daughter-in-law make you something."
She kept the Meng Household's courtyard spotless, with everything neatly arranged, even the woodshed was full. Jin Shanyao smiled and glanced at the neighbor next door before moving closer to Old Woman Li.
He asked in a low voice, "Is your daughter-in-law listening to you now?"
"She dares to disobey me... I earn five taels of silver a year, and she gives me attitude. I won't give her a single penny..." Old Woman Li wanted to help Jin Shanyao and the others get their things.
Finding that the other party had nothing, she sighed inwardly... It seemed they wouldn't be staying in the village. Well... Aunt Meng Household hadn't stayed in the village for very long; she spent all her time arguing with people.
At first, she was clumsy at retorting and couldn't say a few tough words. But by the time she left, she was able to argue with Diao Siniang for a full quarter of an hour.
Of course, they didn't stop because they couldn't keep up with the insults; they just started hitting each other while they were insulting each other.
Old Woman Li handed the key to Jin Shanyao, rubbing her wrinkled hands with a smile, "Then you two rest first... I'll go cook for you, chicken stew with mushrooms..."
"Auntie... don't bother, we came over after we finished eating."
Old Woman Li glared at her, "So what if we finish eating? We still have lunch after breakfast. It takes me some time to kill and pluck the chicken. Listen to your aunt, we'll eat lunch at home."
As she walked out, she saw Dahuang standing in the yard. She exclaimed, "Oh dear!"... Turning to ask Jin Shanyao, "Does your dog mate?"
But then he remembered that the others had just returned, so he swallowed back the words he was about to say. He just gave Dahuang a satisfied look, which made the dog feel uncomfortable all over.
Dahuang's gaze followed Old Woman Li to the next room, where she saw her untie her big black dog's leash and shove it around in the rear.
"Let's go next door... and play with Dahuang."
"Holy crap... "Dahuang stiffened. What did this old woman mean??? She wanted this black girl to find it?? Why???
The big black dog was already frozen with fear. It desperately tried to crawl into its kennel, while Old Woman Li grabbed its leg and pulled it out with all her might.
"You useless thing, I've raised you for so long just for this day! Get over here, and don't come back until you get pregnant..."
The big black dog was so frightened that it collapsed to the ground with a thud. Whose puppies was it going to get pregnant with...? The big black dog howled in its heart, "Master, you have a heart, but I don't have the guts!"
In that instant when it went limp, Old Woman Li forcibly pulled the dog's entire body out of its kennel.
"Go... get it..." The words had barely left his mouth when the big black dog darted back into its kennel.
No matter how much Old Woman Li pulled, it wouldn't come out... Its body was trembling so badly that dirt was falling from its kennel. Good heavens... couldn't you sense the murderous aura?
Old Woman Li was exhausted and covered in sweat. Furious, she straightened up and kicked the dog's rear end. "Useless thing... I gave you a chance, but you failed miserably!"
He then turned around and went to catch a chicken.
Xiaoli's gaze swept over the two dogs, a lewd smile creeping across her face...
Meng Anzhi and Meng Anci stood inside the house, carefully looking around. Everything in the house was unchanged, exactly the same as when they left, even the little shoes hanging on the wall were not dusty.
Meng Anci's voice tightened, "Auntie... look, this is what I wore when I was four years old, and it even shows my toes!"
He looked at the fine stitches, his eyes instantly reddening, and he quickly turned his face away so as not to show any abnormality.
Holding her sewing basket, Meng Anzhi smiled slightly and murmured to herself, " Grandma Li manages the house so well; even the thread my mother used to wrap around the wooden stick hasn't changed."
Jin Shanyao remained silent, simply watching the siblings. Without the protection of Spiritual Power... these things would have long since weathered and faded.