Chapter 146 Xiao Jiu's Suspicion

They set off before dawn and walked for two or three hours before finally arriving at Xihe Village.

From afar, I could see Grandma holding Xiaojiu's hand, strolling and chatting at the village entrance, glancing towards the village entrance every now and then.

Upon spotting them, Xiao Jiu immediately took off running towards them with a smile on her short legs.

"Sister Cuihua, Sister Cuiju, Sister Cuilian!"

He called out to someone she knew first, and as he approached, he grabbed Cui Mei's hand, whose face was still wrapped in gauze.

"Hello, Sister Cuimei, I'm Xiaojiu."

Then his gaze fell on the dark-skinned girl walking at the back; she looked like the kind of girl who could endure hardship.

When Xiao Jiu tilted her head to look at her, she was looking around at her surroundings, her eyes filled with childlike curiosity.

"Oh my, our little wine looks so beautiful today!"

Upon hearing her older sister praise her, the little girl pouted and happily tugged at her two braids to show off.

"Sister, look, this is the hair accessory that Mom bought for me. Grandma said that wearing this hair accessory makes me look as pretty as the chubby baby in the New Year's picture."

"And this red cotton-padded jacket was made for me by my mother, and these red cotton-padded shoes were secretly made for me by my grandmother. Aren't they pretty?"

With bright eyes, white teeth, and a radiant smile, who wouldn't adore such a lively and adorable little girl?

Especially when she was twirling around among her sisters while holding her floral cotton-padded jacket, for some reason, Cuihua felt a lump in her throat.

"Beautiful, so beautiful. Our Xiao Jiu is so good-looking, she looks good in anything."

Looking up, I saw the old lady walking towards me, so I quickly went over and took her hand.

"Grandma, why aren't you resting at home in this freezing weather?"

"Hey, nothing much. This girl is quite timid and wanted to run out and play, so I brought her to the village entrance to wait for you."

The sisters greeted the old lady one after another. When it was Cuihong's turn, she scratched her head, hesitated for a moment, but still obediently tried to pronounce it: "Grandma? Grandma!"

"?" Grandma Tao looked at the slightly dark-skinned girl in surprise.

"Huh, five? You guys... found another one?"

Xiao Jiu also looked at the girl in surprise. Judging from her pronunciation just now, this was probably the deaf fourth sister.

"Grandma, let's go home and talk, it's really cold standing here."

Xiao Jiu tugged at her grandmother's hand, and the old lady finally came to her senses.

"Yes, yes, Xiao Jiu is right. Come on, let's go home. Come on, Grandma will hold your hand. Come home with Grandma and let's get acquainted with the place!"

The old lady looked at Cuihong with pity, who seemed a little lost. Cuihong didn't seem to like being held by the hand so enthusiastically.

Several times she tried to break free, but the old lady clapped her hands to calm her down: "Don't be nervous, Grandma is good and won't bully you."

Cuihong didn't quite understand, but seeing Cuihua nod at her, she gradually calmed down and silently followed the old lady home.

Compared to their homes in Taoyuan Village, the Tao family's house was significantly larger and looked much better.

Although they were all mud-brick houses, their house looked pitted and uneven, clearly indicating that it had been in disrepair for many years.

If the doors and windows hadn't been newly replaced, it would probably look like a dilapidated building.

Looking at the Tao family's mud-brick house, the exterior was smooth and neat, the interior was painted white, the furniture and home furnishings were clean and tidy, and even the floor inside was very level. It was clear that the house had been built with care.

But whether it's broken or good, it's a thousand times better than the houses they build there with stone, caves, and wood.

At least theirs can provide shelter from the wind and rain and keep them warm, while those over there are truly homeless.

When Cuihua was studying the Tao family's house, she wasn't comparing it to others; she was simply making a comparison.

After all, she doesn't go out often and doesn't have a high level of familiarity with her surroundings, so she learns about the environment quietly through her eyes and observation.

Unbeknownst to her, Xiao Jiu had been observing her. Seeing that she was captivated by the Tao family's house, Jiu simply took her hand and led her around to see this room and that room. Meanwhile, Cuihua was already talking to Zhao Lingli and Tao Changyi, who were busy in the kitchen.

The Tao family's kitchen was large, and it didn't feel crowded when the old lady and Cuihua went in. Cuiju and the others stood outside and talked to them.

Since they were all family, there was no need for such formalities. Seeing how much stuff they were carrying, the old lady naturally complained a few times.

He understood what the girls meant, so he didn't say much. He simply told them that lunch had been prepared and that the Zhou family boy would also be coming today.

This has become the norm in their family.

The boys ran off to play at the Zhou family's house early in the morning. After Xiao Jiu led Cui Hong around the house, Cui Ju smiled and gestured to Cui Hong.

"How about it? Isn't our little sister enthusiastic?"

With a smile in her eyes, Cuihong patted Xiaojiu's head, while Xiaojiu didn't ignore Cuimei standing to the side.

When will my sister's face get better?

"It's only been a few days. We'll see when we change the dressing on the fifth day of the new year, but there's a high chance it will leave a scar."

"Won't my sister be very sad?"

"Yes, but it's alright. After all, there are too many pretty faces, but not many interesting souls, don't you think, Little Peach?"

Hearing this, Xiao Jiu looked at Cui Mei with great surprise: "Sister, what you're saying is so profound, I don't quite understand."

But a huge wave was surging in her heart. She had unintentionally uttered a profound quote from Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Was this unconscious or subconscious?

"Well, you don't understand now, but you will when you grow up. Simply put, people shouldn't just care about their appearance, but should pay more attention to their inner qualities. After all, there are so many beautiful people, but how many are truly cultured and refined? If a person is excellent enough, people will instinctively overlook their other shortcomings. So I want to be a person with depth and refinement. As for this face, if it's ruined, so be it."

They're all time travelers; what rare things haven't they seen? No matter how good-looking someone is, it's not as good as inner strength and experience.

Seeing that Xiao Jiu seemed to understand but not quite, Cui Mei gently ruffled her hair, and then wanted to go into the kitchen to help.

Xiao Jiu watched her back thoughtfully, feeling that this older sister was completely different from the previous Daya.

Given Da Ya's upbringing, it's absolutely impossible for her to say such a thing. Therefore, she is now certain that this older sister has had her soul replaced.

The original older sister was indeed beaten to death by that family.

Or perhaps the fire itself was motivated by a desire for revenge?

Xiao Jiu, who felt there was a possibility the more she thought about it, decided to find another opportunity to test her.

Over there, the eldest sister was already explaining how she found the fourth son, but after listening to her story, the Tao family still felt it was a bit hasty.

Cuihua was naturally embarrassed to say that Cuimei knew Cuihong had a mark on her body and that she had become deaf at the age of ten. Therefore, she felt that recognizing her as a sister in this way was too arbitrary. In fact, Cuihong was indeed Cuihua's biological sister, and it couldn't be more true.