Cui Hua stepped forward to help Xiu Mei up. "Mother, what should we do?"
What to do? Xiu Mei was also at a loss for ideas. Their house in Hetou Village had been given away, and their land too. They were cut off completely.
Did she still have the face to go back?
But then again, if they didn't go back, where else could they go?
There was no longer any place for them to stay in Qing Niu County town.
Thinking of this, Xiu Mei hardened her heart and gritted her teeth. "Where else can we go? Pack up our things and go back to Hetou Village."
Fortunately, there was still a donkey in the backyard. This donkey was only worth five taels of silver, and Chen Dachun didn't think much of it, so it was luckily left with them. If it had been worth a lot of money, it would have been sold long ago.
The two women packed their belongings while crying and cursing.
They first packed their bedding, pots, bowls, and other immediate necessities. Fortunately, these were all brought from Hetou Village, so they hadn't bought much new stuff.
As for the furniture, they took what they could and left the rest.
They loaded a donkey cart until it was full.
Mother and daughter stood at the courtyard gate, looking back at their home with lingering reluctance.
Their brief life as members of a wealthy family had come to an end, and they had to return to the impoverished Hetou Village.
As they walked towards the village, Xiu Mei and Cui Hua discussed how they would ask to have the house back. It was truly humiliating to approach Chen Xiaobei again.
Since the strong village patrol members had gone into the mountains carrying iron chains, the weak Chen Xiaowen was left behind.
Seeing Xiu Mei and Cui Hua returning with the donkey cart, he was surprised and walked up with a smile. "Second Aunt, Sister-in-law, why have you two returned?"
Cui Hua was too embarrassed to speak, so Xiu Mei stammered a few times, her face feeling a little hot. "Ah, we're used to living in the village. We really couldn't stand city life, so we've moved back to stay for a few days."
Chen Xiaowen didn't ask any further questions. After all, they were free to come and go. Su Dan Novel Network
However, when they arrived at their own doorstep, Xiu Mei still hesitated. Cui Hongyu and Qiao Er were sitting at the stone table. Qiao Er was drawing characters on the ground, and Cui Hongyu was embroidering. It was such a warm scene.
This had once been their home.
Xiu Mei gritted her teeth, stepped forward, and coughed softly.
Cui Hongyu heard the sound and looked up. Seeing Xiu Mei and Cui Hua, she looked surprised. She quickly put down her needlework. "Second Aunt, Sister-in-law, why have you come?"
"Come in and sit down."
Chen Qiao Er quickly ran to pour two bowls of water for them and brought them over.
Xiu Mei took a sip of water, and before she could speak, tears started to fall.
She could lie to others, but facing Cui Hongyu, she began to pour out her grievances.
Listening to Xiu Mei's tearful account, Cui Hongyu shook her head and sighed. To have squandered a thousand taels of silver in such a short time, Chen Dachun's extravagance was truly immense.
Just then, they heard hurried footsteps outside.
Chen Dachun burst in from the doorway. Seeing the situation, he stamped his feet and shouted, "What are you doing back here? I gave the house to Brother Xiaobei. It has nothing to do with us anymore."
Looking at the frantically agitated Chen Dachun, Cui Hongyu felt a moment of unfamiliarity.
Chen Qiao Er was so scared that she hid behind Cui Hongyu.
Fortunately, Chen Xiaowen arrived with two village patrol members at this moment. Their arrival stabilized the situation. Cui Hongyu gently patted Chen Qiao Er's shoulder, reassuring her not to be afraid, and then stood up and walked forward a couple of steps.
"Brother Dachun, don't make noise. Let's talk slowly."
"Xiaobei told me from the beginning that this house was just for us to stay in temporarily. When you returned, we would move out."
Chen Dachun wanted to say more, but Xiu Mei acted as if she had found a life-saving straw.
She picked up a wooden stick nearby again and chased Chen Dachun, beating him. "For not listening, for being a spendthrift!"
In front of outsiders, Xiu Mei was still mindful of appearances and did not reveal his gambling habit.
But just because she didn't say it didn't mean others wouldn't. Especially Dachun, after dodging a few times, he grabbed the stick and snatched it from Xiu Mei's hand.
"Take the cart apart. I need the donkey."
Cui Hua looked vigilant and quickly grabbed the reins. "What do you need the donkey for?"
Chen Dachun chuckled. "The donkey is worth five taels of silver. Tonight, the stake will be even higher. Don't worry, I'll definitely buy a bigger house tomorrow."
Hearing his words, Chen Xiaowen instantly understood. "Brother Dachun, you're going to gamble."
Chen Dachun turned to look at him. "What do you know? That's not called gambling. That's a way to get rich."
Chen Xiaowen said nothing more. After all, gambling was a personal matter and had nothing to do with others.
He remained silent, but Cui Hongyu could not stand by and watch. A donkey was extremely important to a family.
If even the donkey was lost, what would Chen Dachun have left?
Thinking of this, Cui Hongyu said to Chen Xiaowen, "Second Aunt Xiu Mei has already sold me this donkey. You must keep a close eye on it and not let the donkey leave the village."
"You!" Chen Dachun glared at her angrily. But despite his glare, he didn't dare to do anything to Cui Hongyu, because he knew that Chen Xiaobei was now the village head. He would likely have to return to the village in the future, so he certainly couldn't offend Cui Hongyu.
After much thought, Chen Dachun knew that he wouldn't be able to take the donkey away today. He stomped his foot angrily and left.
Seeing him leave, Xiu Mei and Cui Hua exchanged glances. What else could they do but weep and cry?
Alas, gambling harms people, Cui Hongyu sighed helplessly.
But how to make Chen Dachun turn over a new leaf? Cui Hongyu had no idea. Chen Xiaobei had gone into the mountains today and wouldn't be back until late at night or dawn. By then, Chen Dachun's two hundred taels of silver would likely be lost completely.
At this time, Chen Xiaobei and Li Dong were leading the group towards the canyon.
In the morning, everyone's spirits were high, and they walked quickly. However, after lunch and a rest, the pace of the group clearly slowed down, which was within Chen Xiaobei's expectations. He and Li Dong silently stayed at the back of the team.
They dared not urge or speak. After all, this was hard work. They only dared to run ahead at the fork in the road to determine the direction and then silently fall back into the team. It didn't matter if they walked faster or slower, as long as no one fell behind.
Chen Dayong was walking at the front. He was young, tall, strong, and had good stamina. Carrying this load wasn't much of a difficulty for him.
He could even look around and enjoy the scenery while walking.
As they walked, Chen Dayong suddenly stopped and shouted, pointing into the distance, "Look there! It's so beautiful."
Following the direction of his finger, they saw a small hill about four or five miles away, its peak visible at a glance.
At the very top of the hill, a rainbow had inexplicably appeared.