The Lucky Farmgirl
Chapter 1018 - 997: Making Amends (August Monthly Ticket Bonus Part 4)

Chapter 1018: Chapter 997: Making Amends (August Monthly Ticket Bonus Part 4)

Bai Erlang knew that he couldn’t outtalk them, so he plunked himself down on the threshold and said, "There’s nothing left, my capital is in that two hundred taels as well. If you want the money, you’ll have to step over me."

Bai Shan and Manbao pretended they were going to step over him, but Bai Erlang started bawling, flailing his arms, "May no evil invade, divine spirits protect me..."

With a snort, Manbao and Bai Shan hugged the silver and left.

After they placed the silver in their own room, Yin Huo, full of curiosity, stayed behind to watch Bai Erlang.

Seeing that he had finally gotten rid of the two, Bai Erlang heaved a deep sigh of relief. Meeting Yin Huo’s gaze, he said, "Yin Huo, you’ll have to be careful in the future. My Senior Sister and Senior Brother are especially shrewd. I’ve never seen them come out on the losing end from when we were little to now. They seem nice to you now, but eventually, they’ll find a way to recover their losses from you."

Yin Huo watched him ramble on like he used to complain to his grandmother about his sisters getting to eat cakes while he couldn’t and asked with a chuckle, "Like this time, standing up for you when you’re wronged, and then making up for it from you later?"

Bai Erlang choked for a moment, looked up at Yin Huo, and said, "You weren’t like this before. You didn’t use to talk much before. Can’t you just not talk now?"

Hearing this, Changshou shot Bai Erlang a stealthy glare, but Yin Huo just smiled, unconcerned, and sat down on the threshold to space out, imitating Bai Erlang.

In truth, his sisters had initially stood up for him simply because he had been bullied outside.

He seldom went out—only during feasts or the New Year’s would he go out or greet guests at home.

Greeting guests meant sitting and talking to people, but kids his age didn’t like talking to him. They preferred playing in the garden.

Of course, he couldn’t run; at most, he could only watch from the side. He loved watching them play, but they didn’t like him tagging along, so they always drove him away with harsh words.

He didn’t want to leave, feeling wronged in his heart. He didn’t really want to cry; it was just that his eyes were sore, and he couldn’t hold back the tears, then they would push him, mock him as he fell to the ground, showing they didn’t want to play with him at all...

Back then, his older and second sisters always protected him like a mother bear protects her cubs, two young ladies who dared to roll up their sleeves and fight a group of boys.

Although they didn’t like to include him in their games, he was still very happy every time they took his side.

But he didn’t know when it changed—perhaps it was after they got married or maybe three years ago when the family decided to change his herbal medicine.

All the children in the capital knew of his frail health and would avoid him, but would still greet him from a distance. However, he found it increasingly difficult to control his emotions, and his sisters no longer listened to his explanations like they did when they were young. To everyone who came into contact with him, if they felt he had been wronged, they would confront them.

Then people stopped talking to him, and he lost the desire to speak.

He didn’t like it when his sisters pulled his hand upon returning home, telling him who had bullied him and that they had avenged him.

It seemed they had his best interests at heart, without asking for anything in return.

But he would rather they be like Bai Shan and Zhou Man, who, after defending Bai Cheng, simply stretched out a hand for silver.

Bai Erlang kept muttering endlessly. After a long while without a word from Yin Huo, he turned to ask, "I’m talking to you, why don’t you answer... What’s wrong, why are your eyes red?"

Yin Huo looked up, and his tears uncontrollably fell. Bai Erlang was startled, guiltily looked around, and found that Bai Shan and Manbao had not yet come out. He immediately fumbled to pull out a handkerchief, clumsily trying to wipe Yin Huo’s tears, and coaxed in a low voice, "Don’t cry, I’m not scolding you, I always talk like this..."

Yin Huo’s tears flowed more fiercely.

Bai Erlang stamped his feet in frustration and said, "I apologize, okay? Or, or should I give you one ingot of silver too?"

Yin Huo couldn’t help but laugh out loud.

Bai Erlang saw him crying and laughing, silent for a long moment, "Do you actually want to cry or laugh?"

"Would you like to cry, or would you rather laugh?" Manbao’s dangerous voice sounded from behind.

Bai Erlang, without turning his head, dashed off like a calf, with Manbao chasing after him, hitting him as she ran, "You are actually bullying the guests!"

"I did not!" Bai Erlang ran around the yard, defending himself: "I, I only said one sentence at most, and it wasn’t even harsh."

Yin Huo wiped away his tears and hurriedly vouched for him, "It has nothing to do with him, it’s my own issue."

Manbao was skeptical, "It’s impossible. Even if your qi is deficient, but you..."

But you’ve become so much more cheerful, how could you still be so easily moved by your emotions?

Yin Huo smiled lightly, "I was absorbed in my own thoughts, it’s unrelated to him."

Bai Erlang sprang out from the side, "You see, you see, I wasn’t lying, right? How could I ever bully him?"

That’s when Manbao finally stopped, "Alright then."

Bai Shan stood in the corridor and, seeing they had called a truce, said, "Let’s go eat. Aunt Rong stewed some soup today."

"Yes, you need to drink more soup," Manbao added, "It replenishes vital energy. You talked way too much today."

Yin Huo nodded with a smile.

The meal Aunt Rong had prepared was especially lavish, and everyone started with a bowl of soup before beginning their meal.

Yin Huo ate sparingly, chewing slowly and carefully. Watching him eat was like observing a battle to the three others; for some reason, they subconsciously slowed down their pace as well.

Mr. Zhuang looked up at them and nodded in satisfaction.

By the time they had finished eating, half an hour had passed. Mr. Zhuang, hands clasped behind his back, went for a stroll in the small garden, while the four young people sat on the porch, dozing and basking in the sun.

After eating, Yin Huo also had the habit of walking a little, but now sitting with them, feeling the slanted rays of the mid-autumn sun, he too started to feel drowsy.

The four sat in a row on the porch, with the sun shining through the eaves, touching them either on their bodies or feet. Manbao let out a contented sigh, "I wonder if there’s sun here in the winter. Yizhou always seems to lack sunshine."

Yin Huo replied, "There is."

"That’s good. After eating, basking in the sun sounds delightful."

Bai Erlang was so befuddled by the sunlight that he interjected, "It would be better if there were no deep-seated hatreds."

Yin Huo asked curiously, "What deep-seated hatreds?"

Manbao opened her mouth wide, staring at Bai Erlang.

Bai Shan yawned and said, "Reading, of course. Books are his deep-seated enemy."

Startled into alertness, Bai Erlang guiltily nodded and sneakily glanced at Manbao.

Manbao glanced at him and lightly huffed, ignoring him.

Bai Erlang let out a sigh of relief.