Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands

Chapter 430 - 411 Late-Night Visitor (2)

"Aunt, Uncle Yuanxiu." Li Jing’s little head peeked in from the kitchen door, "What are you doing?"

Li Yuzhu turned her head and smiled, "Oh, Uncle Yuanxiu caught a cold, I’m writing a prescription, and I’ll need to brew the medicine for him later."

"Uncle Yuanxiu, you’re so pitiful, having to take medicine." Li Jing sighed.

Mu Yuanxiu waved at him, "Come in and play."

"Alright." But Li Jing didn’t enter the room, he waved to the people behind him, "Guoguo, Brother Tianlang, come in, it’s just Aunt and Uncle Yuanxiu here."

The other two children ran into the kitchen huffing and puffing.

Once they entered the room, they started searching for things.

Mu Yuanxiu watched them busily, "What are you looking for?"

"We’re not looking for anything, we’re playing." Li Jing said.

He opened the food cabinet door, moved a few small jars out, and climbed in, then waved to Guoguo and Chai Tianlang.

The food cabinet was about four feet long, with the bottom shelf reserved for large items, so there was a big space, over two feet high.

After the three children climbed into the cabinet, they sat down in a row.

Li Jing whispered to Mu Yuanxiu and Li Yuzhu, "Aunt, Uncle Yuanxiu, don’t tell Grandma we’re hiding here."

Li Yuzhu stopped writing, squinting at him, "Why can’t we tell? Jingjing, what are you doing?"

"Shhh, we’re playing catch the bad guy." Li Jing lowered his voice and said.

Li Yuzhu, "..."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled faintly, "Alright."

The three little ones closed the cabinet door behind them.

After a while, Princess Consort Luling hurriedly walked in, "Yuanxiu, Yuzhu, have you seen the three children?"

Li Yuzhu pointed to the cabinet, "No, Mom."

Mu Yuanxiu also said, "No, Aunt Li." Then, he looked at the cabinet and smiled.

Princess Consort Luling chuckled in exasperation and walked over to open the cabinet door.

"Oh..." Li Jing immediately yelled, "Grandma, how did you find us?"

Chai Tianlang said, "Grandma Li, you’re amazing."

Guoguo shook his head and sighed, "Sigh—"

Princess Consort Luling pointed to a small footprint in front of the cabinet, "It’s not that Grandma is smart, but you’re too careless. Look at this footprint, whose foot left it?"

In front of the cabinet, there was a small white footprint, left by feet dusted with flour.

Next to the cabinet was a tub of flour, with some spilt flour beside it, which Nanny Jiang had just poured into the tub, and hadn’t had time to clean up.

"Ah?" Li Jing suddenly realized and immediately checked his feet, "There’s nothing white on my feet."

Chai Tianlang also checked his feet, "Mine don’t have any either."

"Then it’s Guoguo’s." Li Jing grabbed Guoguo’s little foot to check.

Indeed, Guoguo’s right foot was completely dusted with flour.

"Guoguo, you’re so silly! Hmph!" Li Jing put his hands on his hips, angry.

Chai Tianlang also shook his head and sighed.

But Guoguo smiled happily and jumped into Princess Consort Luling’s arms, "Grandma."

"Alright, stop playing, you’ve hidden in several places and I’ve found you every time. Let’s see where you’ll hide now." Princess Consort Luling laughed.

"Hmm, not playing." Guoguo nodded.

Li Jing sighed, "Alright then, not playing. Every time Guoguo is silly, Grandma finds us right away."

Princess Consort Luling took a wet cloth from the shelf outside the kitchen to wipe the three children’s hands, and pulled out a handkerchief from her pocket.

Inside the handkerchief were three pastries, which she handed to the three children, "Here, eat."

The three little ones cheerfully walked to a long bench in the kitchen, sitting in a row and started eating the pastries.

Princess Consort Luling sat down at the table to watch Li Yuzhu write the prescription.

"Daughter, whose prescription is it?" She asked curiously.

"It’s for Mu Yuanxiu, he caught a bit of cold, so I’m making some warming medicine for him." Li Yuzhu replied.

The prescription was already written, and Li Yuzhu was checking it.

Princess Consort Luling said in surprise, "Caught a cold? Yuanxiu, how did you catch a cold?"

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "It’s fine, I don’t really have a cold, Yu Zhu just insists on making a fuss."

Li Yuzhu glared at him, "It’s so cold today, you got soaked, and you think you wouldn’t get a cold?"

"What happened?" Princess Consort Luling asked in confusion.

"Ah, it’s a long story." Li Yuzhu then told Princess Consort Luling about what happened with Song Jinxiu earlier, "Mom, please keep an eye out, maybe you can find a suitable match for Jinxiu."

Although the Li Family’s bamboo house was still three miles from the nearest village, Taohua River Village, and there were no neighbors around, ever since people knew the Li Family was related to the County Magistrate, women often came by to chat with Princess Consort Luling.

In the village, when hosting a banquet, they would invite the Princess Consort Luling for a feast.

The Princess Consort Luling rarely walked around the village, but she basically knew all the happenings, big or small.

Besides, she had three unmarried daughters and two sons who were yet to wed, and many families wanted to form connections through marriage.

So, the Princess Consort Luling had a good network of people at her disposal.

Upon hearing Song Jinxiu’s plight, she pondered for a while and said, "Alone without parents, what a pitiful child."

Guoguo slowly ate her pancake, continuously watching in their direction, listening attentively.

Li Jing and Chai Tianlang couldn’t understand and continued eating while discussing other interesting topics.

"Mr. Song is almost seventy, and his health isn’t good. If he passes away early, Song Jinxiu could be even more pitiful. Mother, you should be concerned about this matter," Li Yuzhu added.

Even though Song Jinxiu had thoughts of becoming a nun, she believed it was a temporary idea born out of desperation. If a good family was found for Song Jinxiu, she would surely dismiss such thoughts.

"Alright, I’ll keep an eye on it," the Princess Consort Luling replied with a smile.

.

At one hour past dusk, after Mu Yuanxiu had dinner at the Li Family, Li Yuzhu brought a small lantern to escort him home up the mountain. Just as they reached the entrance, Song Jinxiu came running, out of breath.

Li Yuzhu hurriedly asked, "Jinxiu, what’s wrong? What happened?"

"Miss Li, quickly... please come see my grandfather, he’s burning with fever," Song Jinxiu said urgently, catching her breath.

"Alright, I’ll go with you immediately," Li Yuzhu promptly replied.

Earlier in the morning, Mr. Song’s body showed signs of catching a cold. With his weak constitution, it easily worsened.

Mu Yuanxiu offered, "I’ll drive the mule cart to take you both."

He rushed into the Li Family’s house to harness the cart.

The nighttime quiet was disturbed by the voices at the door, alerting others inside the Li Family’s house.

Li Xing’an, near the doorway of the side room, was speaking with Uncle Gui and quickly emerged, frowning as he said, "Third Sister, I’ll go with you; Mu Yuanxiu isn’t feeling well, let him go back and rest early."

Meanwhile, Mu Yuanxiu, untying the mule’s mouth rope, said, "I’m not sick. It’s Yuzhu insisting on me taking medicine, claiming there’s plenty anyway."

"Why so stubborn? Just rest if you’re told to," said Li Xing’an, waving dismissively, reaching for his big black horse, only to find it missing, "Where’s my black horse? Who rode it away?" Li Xing’an shouted to Uncle Gui, "Uncle Gui, have you seen my big black horse?"

Uncle Gui approached with a smile, "Sanlang, Erlang said he had to run an errand to Taohua River Village, and after dinner, he took the horse."

"That damned second brother! Always ruining my plans!" Li Xing’an cursed.

Mu Yuanxiu had the mule cart ready, "Third Brother, make way, the cart is here."

Li Xing’an, crestfallen, said, "Alright, alright, I’ll ride your cart, take me along."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled slightly, "Okay."

He drove the mule cart out past the doorway, where Li Yuzhu helped Song Jinxiu onto the cart.

Li Xing’an also climbed aboard.

Even though the moon was bright overhead, Uncle Gui wouldn’t relax about them traveling at night and brought a torch for them to light the way.

Mu Yuanxiu fixed the torch to the saddle on the mule’s back, lifted the whip, and lightly struck the mule’s back, heading to Qingshui River Village.

After a hurried journey, they finally reached Mr. Song’s house.

Song Jinxiu was the first to rush inside, using a small lantern to light the way for everyone, "Come in quickly."

The torch was nearly burned out, so Mu Yuanxiu threw it to the ground, stomped out the embers, parked the mule cart, and followed Li Yuzhu and Li Xing’an into Mr. Song’s house.

Mr. Song coughed twice in the bedroom, murmuring dazedly, "Jinxiu, pour me some water."

"On my way, Grandpa." Song Jinxiu wiped away her tears, hung the lantern on a wooden frame in a corner of the room, and brought a bowl of water into the bedroom.

Li Yuzhu followed her inside.

Li Xing’an just peeked into the bedroom briefly, then walked out and sat outside waiting. He yawned and pulled Mu Yuanxiu to sit, "Sit together."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled slightly, "Okay."

The night wind was stronger than during the day, rustling the branches outside.

Suddenly, a gust of wind swept inside, knocking the lantern off the corner of the door, extinguishing it.

Mu Yuanxiu went to pick it up, "Third Brother, I’ll go to Mr. Song’s kitchen for candles."

"Go then, go." Li Xing’an yawned again; earlier that day, Li Xingmao had dragged him to the fields to turn the soil, exhausting him.

He really wanted to sleep now.

Mu Yuanxiu felt his way through the darkness, opened the back door, and went to the kitchen.

But a moment later, he quietly cursed, "Who?"

Li Xing’an’s sleepy state was jolted awake, and he immediately ran over, "Mu Yuanxiu, what’s going on?"

"Who... who are you both?" In the dark, a young man stood with his hands on his hips, arrogantly saying, "Oh, could it be new crushes for Song Jinxiu? Two at once?"

"Damn you!" Li Xing’an snapped without hesitation, kicking him.

Mu Yuanxiu was quicker, landing two kicks before him.