"Xi'er, wait up!" Zhao Guihua called out to her.
Hu Xi'er paused and turned back, "What is it, sister-in-law?"
She used to call Zhao Guihua "Young Madam."
Later, Madam Gu felt that such a title was not suitable for use within the family, so she had her and Huaihua change their address...
The old Yun family was just a farming household, not a family of wealthy gentry or officials in the city.
Calling each other "Young Madam" sounded too awkward.
Zhao Guihua pointed at the hoe and basket by the well, "You're not taking anything, what are you going to the fields for?"
It wasn't that her second sister-in-law always suspected Hu Xi'er...
After the last incident, this girl had indeed been more honest for a while.
But recently, she had been absent-minded at work, always thinking of running out.
Even Zhao Guihua, who didn't like to meddle, couldn't help but have some suspicions...
Was Hu Xi'er doing something bad behind the Yun family's back again?
Her mother-in-law also had her letter of guarantee.
If Hu Xi'er did not mend her ways, her sister-in-law Huaihua would also be kicked out of the house.
"Oh, look, I was so anxious I forgot!" Hu Xi'er gave a dry laugh, bent down, and picked up the basket and hoe.
Zhao Guihua frowned, "Remember, come back early. Father and Mother will be back soon..."
She knew her mother-in-law had taken her younger sister-in-law and second sister-in-law to buy loaches.
But those few fish wouldn't be enough for the whole family to eat. She planned to stew pumpkin with sweet potatoes; the sticky mush would be very appetizing.
However, pumpkins were reluctant to cook. Those crisp, large green pumpkins would take at least half an hour to soften.
"Got it, sister-in-law!" Hu Xi'er smiled sweetly and trotted out.
Jin Huaihua glanced at Zhao Guihua with a worried expression...
"Ah! Ah!~"
She gestured with her hands: Sister-in-law, what's wrong with you?
Why is your forehead covered in sweat, and your complexion isn't quite right?
Zhao Guihua smiled and said, "It's nothing, maybe I'm suffering from heatstroke!"
"Go to the kitchen and boil some water, then make a pot of tea to send to Father and the others!"
On such a hot day, working on the mountainside was really unbearable...
It was fortunate that Daman and Erman had good health and no ailments. If they collapsed, relying on old man Yun alone would not suffice.
"Ah!" Jin Huaihua responded and went to the kitchen to boil water.
A moment later, she came out with a pot of hot tea, and then took the washed cool cucumbers and persimmons that Zhao Guihua had prepared, to send to old man Yun and the others.
Xue Ling and the four cubs were lying in the doghouse, panting with their tongues out from the heat.
This doghouse was built by Little Xi Tian, and it wasn't very large. The five dogs crammed inside were a bit tight...
So Zhao Guihua could occasionally hear dissatisfied barks.
She took out the cornmeal, poured water into it, and began to knead the dough.
The family did not lack grain at the moment, but it was almost all coarse grain. The fine grain was saved for later.
Just then, a piercing pain shot through Zhao Guihua's abdomen.
She gasped, and the water ladle in her hand fell to the ground. She straightened up and fell backward...
Fortunately, there was a mud wall behind her. Her back of the head hit it, and she lost consciousness, falling to the ground and fainting.
The freshly mixed cornmeal was left on the chopping board. A ladle of water spilled out, soaking Zhao Guihua's clothes.
There was no one at home. Fu Daqiang and his wife were busy grinding soybeans and didn't know Zhao Guihua had fainted.
Xue Ling's senses were much sharper than humans.
It heard a dull thud from the kitchen, so it got up and quickly ran in...
Seeing Zhao Guihua lying on the ground, unconscious, it went forward and licked her face, barking twice.
Zhao Guihua was unconscious and could not respond.
Xue Ling became anxious and suddenly rushed out, ran into the tofu workshop, and barked wildly at Fu Daqiang and his wife.
"Woof woof woof, woof..."
Fu Daqiang wiped his sweat and curiously said, "What's wrong with this dog today? Why is it barking so wildly?"
Everyone in the village knew that Xue Ling was the most obedient, it didn't steal chicks or catch geese.
Sometimes, if someone was going out, they would ask Xue Ling to help them guard the house.
In short, it was very intelligent.
Wang Suzhen held the rope of the blindfolded donkey and blinked, "Husband, something bad might have happened, right?"
Her heart was pounding, and she had a bad premonition...
"What could have happened? That mountain hasn't collapsed, and no one was crushed!" Fu Daqiang pushed Wang Suzhen aside and continued to drive the donkey.
The biggest issue facing the Yun family now was moving out the bricks and tiles.
They worked every day with trepidation, fearing that a landslide would bury them.
Wang Suzhen fanned herself with her hand and exhaled, "This cursed weather, it's too hot!"
The couple ignored Xue Ling and continued to grind soybeans.
"Woof woof, woof woof..." Xue Ling's fur was almost standing on end, but they just ignored it.
Helpless, Xue Ling had to run out of the yard and gallop towards the mountainside.
"Dad, Daqiang's family's persimmons are really delicious, sweet and thirst-quenching!"
Yun Daman sat on the ground with his legs crossed, took off his gloves, and ate the persimmons in two bites.
Old Man Yun said lightly, "There's no secret to growing these things, just keep an eye on the water. Our garden cucumbers and radishes before were too dry, they grew crooked and weren't tasty..."
During the drought, almost all the small gardens in Dashui Village had withered from drought.
Even the chives that Madam Gu loved the most were not available, let alone persimmons.
Yun Erman took off his straw hat and fanned himself, picked up his teacup, and took a big gulp.
If it had rained a few days ago, it would have been cooler. But they feared hot weather without wind and a scorching sun.
The crops in Dashui Village were not a problem, as water was being sent to the fields from Gou Gou Lake by a waterwheel.
But their own small garden was not so lucky...
After pouring two buckets of water, it was dried by the sun within half an hour.
At this moment, Yun Erman heard a dog bark, it sounded like their Xue Ling.
"Woof woof woof!~"
Xue Ling ran to Old Man Yun, panting so hard that drool dripped from its mouth.
"Why are you here? Go back and guard the house!" Old Man Yun patted Xue Ling's head.
Everyone in the family knew that this big white dog was attracted by Little Sweet Treasure, so no one dared to hit or scold it...
"Woof woof woof, woof!" Seeing that Old Man Yun was indifferent, Xue Ling ran to Yun Daman and barked at him.
Oh, if only it could talk.
Yun Daman was stunned for a moment, then casually broke off a piece of cucumber and offered it to Xue Ling, "Want some?"
Xue Ling: "......"
Did this dog run all this way just to eat a cucumber?
Besides, it was a carnivore, not a cucumber eater.
It was Yun Erman who saw something amiss. He frowned slightly, "Dad, Big Brother, Xue Ling doesn't usually bark like this, has something happened at home?"
He remembered that when Jinshan fell into the ice hole that year, it was Xue Ling who went home to report it...
Old Man Yun stood up, patted his buttocks, and glanced at Fu Daqiang.
"Erman, why don't you go home and take a look!~"
Logically, it shouldn't be. Xi'er and Huaihua were both at home now, what could have happened?
Yun Erman put down his straw hat, "Okay. I'll go take a look."
So, Yun Erman followed Xue Ling and ran towards Fu Daqiang's house...