Xia Zhi heard Sun Lan'er's voice in her own courtyard, and at first she was startled, thinking that something had happened to Sun Lan'er. However, when she opened the front door and saw Sun Lan'er's smiling face, she immediately felt relieved.

  "Sixteen, I've come to keep you company," said Sun Lan'er with a smile. Sun Lan'er didn't bring any bedding over; the last time she kept Summer Till company, she had used his quilt.

  The Xia family in Daxingzhuang was considered an upper-middle-class family. After Xia Xiuren and Tian Shi got married, although they didn't buy anything else, when they got married, Old Master Xia and Old Mistress Xia had prepared a lot of things for them, including a set of bedding. Later, when they separated from Old Master Xia, he thought of his grandchildren and gave them some bedding as well.

  So at home there are several sets of idle bedding during the summer solstice.

  Xia Zhi heard Sun Lan'er say that she had come to keep her company, and thinking of what they said when they were in Xiaxia, he couldn't help but feel very strange. But since Sun Lan'er was able to come over, Xia Zhi was delighted and didn't rush to ask her about the reason. First, Xia Zhi took Sun Lan'er to the east house and spoke with Xia Xiuzai and Tian Shi.

  Xia Xiuzai was very gentle with Sun Lan'er, and Tian Shi was even more affectionate towards her.

  "These two are my niece from my mother's side, Da Ya and Er Ya." Madame Tian also introduced Da Ya and Er Ya to Sun Lan'er. She had the two sisters call Sun Lan'er "sister", then smiled and instructed Sun Lan'er, "Da Ya and Er Ya will be staying with me for a while, later on you all should spend more time together and help me take care of them."

  Sun Lan'er nodded in agreement, of course.

  These words, Tian didn't instruct Xia Zhi. It seems that Tian is more willing to let Da Ya and Er Ya get close to Sun Lan'er, but not willing to bypass them to get close to Xia Zhi.

  Xia Zhi wouldn't eat this vinegar, but she found it somewhat amusing. Looking at Tian Shi's enthusiastic attitude, she should think that Da Ya, Er Ya and Sun Lan'er would have a lot of common language, and getting along with Sun Lan'er would also be beneficial to Da Ya and Er Ya.

  After saying a couple of words in the east house, Xia Zhi took Sun Lan'er to the west house.

  "Lanzi sister, how did you come? Didn't your mother say anything?" As soon as they sat down in the west room, Xia Zhi asked Sun Lan'er.

  "It was she who made me come, otherwise I wouldn't dare to." Sun Lan'er told Xia Zhi that after finishing her daily chores, Sun Wangshi suddenly called her over and spoke to her, taking the initiative to let her accompany Xia Zhi. "Let me take a good look at Da Ya and Er Ya, and also ask you and your mother about it..."

  Sun Lan'er did not conceal anything from Xia Zhi and told her everything that Sun Wang Shi had instructed her to say.

  Summer suddenly realized: "I said she wasn't so kind-hearted." It turned out that Sun Wangshi was out of curiosity, so he arranged for Sun Lan'er to come over and investigate the news.

  It's worth mentioning that there have been quite a few things happening at home since last summer, and Sun Wangshi has been paying close attention to them in private, but she has never been as proactive and enthusiastic as this time. There must be some reason behind it.

  The Tian family and the Sun Wang family got along well, mainly because the Sun Wang family was very flattering to the Tian family. In their interactions, although the Sun Wang family flattered the Tian family, they did so with restraint. The Sun Wang family knew the difference in status between them and also knew that the Tian family attached great importance to their daughter's identity as a xiucai, so they maintained a distance between each other, getting along well but not being overly close.

  The change in Sun Wang's attitude should be due to the arrival of Da Ya and Er Ya, as well as Tian Shi's plans for the future of her two nieces.

  "At sixteen, I think my mother is not at peace. You should be careful." Sun Lan'er lowered her voice and spoke intimately to Xia Zhi, she also felt that Sun Wang's behavior was not right. "Shouldn't we also tell our elder sister about it and let her be careful too?"

  "It's not necessary." Xia Zhi thought for a moment, then shook his head and said. This "not necessary" naturally referred to not needing to remind Tian Shi. "Whether or not your mother is involved, it doesn't make much of a difference."

  The Tians have made up their minds about what they want to do, and it's really rare for anyone to be able to change that.

  "Alright, I won't say anything to her when I get back." Sun Lan'er stopped reminding Tian Shi and only guaranteed this to Xia Zhi.

  "Lanzi sister, don't say anything. Then she won't let you come next time." Xia Zhi smiled, "Surface things, you tell her and it's nothing. You don't tell her, she can see for herself and figure it out."

  "I see," Sun Lan'er said with a smile after understanding Xia Zhi's meaning.

  When they arrived at the summer house, Sun Lan'er and Duan Yue were very familiar with it. The two of them quickly swept and tidied up the room again, then laid out bedding on the kang.

  The little black fish was still playing with Da Qing, and was urged by Xia Zhi to wash up. Then he climbed onto the kang, took off his clothes, leaving only his small pants and belly wrap, and lay down on the bedding. Xia Zhi quickly grabbed a thin quilt and covered him with it. This was what Old Lady Xia had especially instructed: during this season, you can't cover yourself with a thick quilt, but children's bellies need to be well protected; if they catch a chill, they will get sick.

  It's not just children, but also adults.

  Xiao Hei Yu Er was somewhat displeased: "Sixteen, I'm boiling."

  "That's also a must." Xia Zhi was uncompromising on this matter, "Old uncle, if you catch a cold at my place, from now on my grandfather and grandmother won't let you come to my place again."

  When Xia Zhi said this, Xiao Hei Yu became honest.

  Xia Zhi lit the candles, and Lao Yue and Sun Lan'er worked on their needlework by candlelight.

  Sun Lan'er sewed a big red banana leaf-colored jacket. By the summer solstice, she had gone to Mountain Village for a day, and Sun Lan'er had already cut out jackets for herself and her husband.

  The twelfth lunar month had no sewing compared to the first, she was embroidering a purse stitch by stitch.

  "La Yue, where's your jacket? Is it done?" Xia Zhi asked.

  "Not yet." Lao Yue smiled and replied, "My mother was afraid I'd mess it up, so she took it over and said she'd do it for me. I told her I was in a hurry to wear it, and my mother said she'd rush through it, and I'll be able to wear it in the next day or two."

  Lan Yue spoke with a smile on her face all along.

  Sun Lan'er lifted her head and exchanged a glance with Xia Zhi. One of them had no loving mother, while the other had a mother who didn't love her. La Yue was the only one among the three who had a loving mother.

  Xia San Shu and Xia San Shu were ordinary farmers, the couple had no special talents, and their days were average. However, both of them worked hard and were very loving to their children.

  "In the twelfth lunar month, there is good fortune." Sun Lan'er said a sentence.

  The little girl in the twelfth lunar month was not particularly clever, but she wasn't dull either. She immediately sensed something wrong from Sun Lan's tone of voice.

  "Lanzi sister, let me ask my mother to help you with the comparison too. My mother does it quickly..." Ruan Yue hastily said.

  "No need, I'll finish it myself soon." Sun Lan'er also hastened to say, "Third Aunt is busy, how can I trouble Third Aunt..."

  Lan Yue and Sun Lan'er exchanged words that didn't quite hit the mark, both of them somewhat anxious. Xia Zhi couldn't help but burst out laughing. Lan Yue and Sun Lan'er were both kind-hearted girls.

  "Lanzi sister, if you have anything to do in the future and can't handle it, just tell my mother and my third aunt. Everyone doesn't treat you as an outsider." Xia Zhi said with a smile.

  "That's right, that's what I mean." Lanyue hastily agreed, then she said another sentence, "Lan Zi sister, my mother said you have a good heart, and in the future you will definitely have good fortune."

  "What good fortune can I have?" Sun Lan'er said softly, somewhat sorrowfully. However, she didn't want to reject Yueyue's kind intentions, so she smiled at her instead.

  Xia Zhi felt that the direction of this topic was not quite right, so she interrupted the two people. "We should work harder ourselves, and in the future we will definitely have good days to live, and we will all be blessed."

  "Right, right." Lanyue nodded repeatedly.

  Sun Lan'er thought for a moment and nodded heavily. Although the little girl felt that her fate was bitter and it was unlikely that she would have any good days in this life, she was still young after all, and it was impossible not to have some beautiful expectations for the future. She was willing to believe Xia Zhi's words.

  Sun Lan'er and Jia Yue are both getting better, which makes Xia Zhi feel that this is more like it.

  "La Yue, how many pouches have you made?" Xia Zhi asked La Yue again.

  Lan Yue hurriedly took out all the lotus-leaf bags she had made and showed them to Xia Zhi. Today, she came to accompany Xia Zhi, not only wanting to be with her but also having an important matter to discuss with her - the lotus-leaf bags.

  "Sister, are we going to the market tomorrow? We can sell all these lotus-leaf bags. Our grandma has also saved up several lotus-leaf bags too. And there's also Lanzi..." La Yue looked at Xia Zhi with big, round eyes.

  Sun Lan'er was also looking forward to Xia Zhi.

  Even the little black fish heard the words "hurry up" and swam up, with their big eyes blinking at Xia Zhi.

  "Go!" Xia Zhi simply replied with one word.

  Lan Yue and Sun Lan'er almost cheered out loud, while Xiao Hei Yu's joy was about to overflow from her big eyes.

  The twelfth lunar month is already murmuring, after selling the purse she wants to buy something. Sun Lan'er said that all the money she earned was handed over to Xia Zhi, and Xia Zhi would buy whatever he wanted.

  Xiao Hei Yu was also discussing with Xia Zhi what to buy. Xia Zhi had no time to embroider lotus bags these days, but she brought enough money back from the imperial city.

  "Tomorrow at the market, I'll buy a few cooling mats back." Xia Zhi said, sitting on the mat and also feeling the heat.

  Xiao Hei Yu naturally said well, then leaned into Xia Zhi's ear, and a small voice stated his requirements. Xia Zhi smiled and listened, nodding from time to time.

  The children became more and more excited as they talked, and by the time they finally rested, it was already very late. However, the next morning, they still got up early. On one hand, it was because of their usual habit of getting up early, on the other hand, perhaps it was also because they were eager to go to the market that made them get up early.

  As soon as Sun Lan'er got up, she went to fetch water for Xia Zhi to wash her face. On the way out, she ran into Da Ya and Er Ya, who had also gotten up early. Knowing that Sun Lan'er was fetching water for Xia Zhi, the two sisters exchanged a knowing glance, both thinking they understood something.

  Sun Lan'er didn't have so many thoughts, she gave Xia Zhi a basin of water to wash her face after that, and then she wanted to go home to do chores.

  Xia Zhi stopped Sun Lan'er and instructed her in this way.

  "Sixteen, can this really work?" Sun Lan'er asked hesitantly.

  "Lanzi sister, you must have heard me correctly. At worst, it's just that we can't go to the fair. But if you don't speak up, then there will be absolutely no chance of going to the fair, right? Lanzi sister, do you want to go to the fair?"

  "Think." Sun Lan'er nodded without hesitation, deciding to go back and try the method taught by Xia Zhi. If it really worked and she could go to the fair with Xia Zhi, that would be great.

  Xiao Hei Yu'er and Lai Yue also got up, they didn't eat at Xia Zhi's house, but instead hurriedly went to the backyard. Lai Yue was going to prepare for the market, while Xiao Hei Yu'er was going to tell Xia Lao Ye to arrange something, to see if she could hitch a ride.

  After all, they are not close to Linshui Town, although they can walk there, but it's more convenient and saves time to take a car. They can also use the car to pull things back after shopping.

  Summer arrived on this side, tidied up, came out to the main room, and found that Da Ya and Er Ya had already made breakfast according to Tian Shi's instructions. Seeing Summer arrive, Da Ya and Er Ya both smiled and greeted her with a flattering smile.

  Xia Zhi still couldn't stand their deliberately careful and fawning attitude, but she responded politely nonetheless.

  Tian's family came out of the east house at this time. She first ordered Da Ya and Er Ya to set up tables for dinner, then raised her eyes to look at Xia Zhi. "You can be lazy now." Her gaze was still not kind, but her tone had softened a lot.

  Tian's family no longer dared to argue with Xia Zhi and did not dare to use words to provoke Xia Zhi.

  Xia Zhi smiled slightly: "Mother, my elder sister is quite capable. Mother, what do you have to do? Just order me."

  "Let your elder sisters and second elder sisters handle everything, you're not needed." Tian Shi said just this one sentence, then instructed Xia Zhi, "Dinner is ready."

  Tian's attitude towards Xia Zhi is quite rare and good.

  In the east house kang, Da Ya and Er Ya have already set up the dinner table, and also put bowls, chopsticks and dishes on the table. These two sisters are not to be said, but they are still very efficient in doing things.

  Xia sat on the upper kang beside the dinner table, and she looked at Da Ya and Er Ya again. The two sisters automatically chose to sit on one side of the kang, carefully bringing a flattering smile.

  In fact, the two girls are not ugly. If the Tian family is not greedy for betrothal gifts and Xia Xiuzai and the Tian family help a little, they can marry into a slightly better-off farming household and live a good life that is neither rich nor poor in the future.

  As she thought about it, Xia Zhi couldn't help but secretly sigh. The idea was beautiful, but reality was cruel. The Tian family would definitely squeeze as much silver money as possible from the two sisters, without caring about their future lives.

  The staple food for breakfast was a pancake made from a mixture of wheat flour and corn flour. Yesterday, the chicken at home laid three eggs. Now, eggs can't be hoarded to exchange for money with my mother's family. Tian Shi was very willing to use them up. She beat all three eggs and used them to stir-fry scallions, filling a large plate. Additionally, Tian Shi also bought a piece of tofu and stewed it.

  Seeing the dishes on the dinner table, Xia Zhi immediately looked at Xia Xiuciai: "Father, are you going back to the capital today?" If not, Tian Shi wouldn't have made such a "sumptuous" meal.

  **

  Tian didn't know that bringing her two nieces back home to get married meant anything, but people of the same kind would come over smelling the scent. Then Xia Zhi had to improve his life.

  (。)