The two sisters chatted endlessly about hunting, speaking with such excitement, while those listening were left longing for more.
After a year apart, not only did they not grow distant, but they had even more topics to discuss after being apart for so long.
In the end, it was Wei Ziang who came to the scene, catching a chicken and a fish, and asked Little Grass’s mother-in-law and the others to help prepare them for lunch.
It was as if a special pardon had been granted. Little Grass’s mother-in-law, along with the other two daughters-in-law, hurried off to the kitchen to prepare.
Two sons washed their hands and poured cool tea into clean bowls for them; Wei Ziang smiled and told them not to worry and just to go about their business.
Little Grass called over a few nephews and handed out the candies that Xiao Mi brought, giving one to each child, and then put the rest in her room.
Expensive items like hairpins and bracelets were also stored in her room.
As for the other things, there’s no rush; it’s cool under the eaves.
In just a brief moment, people had already passed by the front and back of their house, sneaking glances towards them.
Some people, with large baskets of sweet potato vines on their backs, made a point of taking a big detour just to have a look.
Xiao Mi didn’t notice, but Little Grass saw through it immediately.
"You’re making such a big scene that probably the whole village knows the Fourth Miss from the Marquis’ residence is at my house now."
Only now did Xiao Mi notice, though she simply shrugged.
"I didn’t even know you got married last year. I wanted to ask if anyone said anything unpleasant about it."
Since she didn’t know, she hadn’t sent a wedding gift, which in others’ eyes, could easily be a topic for idle gossip.
Little Grass scoffed: "Who cares what they say? It’s not like I can be hurt by gossip. Fu Tao and I have agreed to stay at home for another two years. When the child is older, we’ll go to town."
Going by her reaction, it’s likely there was quite a bit of gossip.
And Xiao Mi could easily guess what they were saying—it was probably something like, "What good is having a friend from the Marquis’ residence when you got married and they didn’t even acknowledge it?"
Plus, she had returned a month ago and hadn’t come to see Little Grass, so those gossiping probably became even more arrogant.
Perhaps that was why she came over today, making it known to all, to slap those gossipers in the face.
Nonetheless, upon hearing Little Grass mention moving to town, Xiao Mi was curious: "Really? Going to town is good; it’s convenient for the kids to study. Are you guys all moving to town later?"
Wei Ziang greeted Xiao Mi and then went for a walk nearby, occasionally talking with the children who came to see the excitement.
Kids aren’t as calculating as adults; they’re just curious. Wei Ziang would occasionally take some snacks from his pouch and give a little bit to each child.
Soon after, a large group of kids gathered around him, chattering away.
Meanwhile, Little Grass was talking to Xiao Mi about her plans with her husband.
Originally, her husband, Fu Tao, wanted to take her to town, knowing full well the family’s temperament and fearing his pregnant wife might be bullied at home.
But Little Grass felt that solving small problems with a bit of money was no big deal.
When her husband returns, he buys meat every few days, says a few nice words, and thanks the mom and sisters-in-law for taking care of Little Grass.
She herself occasionally gives out small amounts of money when others look after her; it’s not much, just a few copper coins are enough to make her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law happy for quite a while.
Moreover, she would occasionally create expectations, saying that once she’s given birth and rested for two months, she can go hunting, and then there will be plenty of meat at home every day.
It wasn’t just her mother-in-law and two sisters-in-law, even her nephews and nieces respected her and looked forward to her giving birth to a little brother or sister, so she could go hunting.
The kitchen was a bit farther away, and while they were chatting here under the eaves, Little Grass’s voice was not loud, so there was no worry about being overheard.
After hearing Little Grass’s plan, Xiao Mi gave her a thumbs up.
"Impressive! But honestly, having money really makes one confident. You’ve saved up so much from hunting over the years; a little goodwill here and there doesn’t hurt you and can win them over."
Little Grass lifted her chin: "That’s right. Once I’ve had the baby, I’ll make a few more trips up the mountain and earn it all back."
Xiao Mi nodded in agreement and then asked about how Fu Tao treated her and how they became fond of each other.
Being her close friend, Little Grass blushed but still shared some details with Xiao Mi, things even her parents didn’t know.
It turned out that when Xiao Mi had just left Xiangmu Village less than a month, Little Grass was delivering goods to town when she happened to encounter Fu Tao in trouble on her way.
She saved Fu Tao and took him to a pharmacy in town.
Previously, one was a delivery person, and the other received goods, with virtually no extra interaction.
It was because of this incident that they became acquainted quickly.
Saving a man and carrying him to a pharmacy indeed had its impact on a girl’s reputation, so both Fu Tao and Little Grass told no one.
Of course, Fu Tao didn’t ignore this life-saving kindness; he recommended rare game to prominent town households where it could be sold for a high price.
It went on until he learned Little Grass was getting older, and her family started worrying about her marriage. But because she hunted and saw blood often, talks of marriage weren’t going smoothly.
Fu Tao, during his interactions with Little Grass, grew fond of this confident and cheerful girl.
Learning that Zhang Yuan and his wife were concerned about Little Grass’s marriage, the master sought out a matchmaker, prepared a humble gift, and personally came to propose marriage.
It’s said that even Little Grass’s mother-in-law only learned her son had proposed after hearing from villagers discussing the matter.
Little Grass blushed red as she spoke, while Xiao Mi found the story fascinating.
No wonder others say Little Grass’s mother-in-law and sisters-in-law are difficult, yet Little Grass wasn’t bullied at Fu’s house and is living decently.
With Fu Tao’s earlier decisiveness to abandon exams and instead earn his living,
followed by proactively arranging for his wife regardless of others’ opinions,
even if Little Grass wanted to be bullied, it wouldn’t be easy.
Xiao Mi felt relieved: "Hearing you say it like this, I’m relieved. I’ve been worrying about you getting bullied these past few days, but it looks like I worried for nothing."
Little Grass laughed: "Am I someone who can be easily bullied? If I don’t bully others, that’s already good enough."
These years spent with Xiao Mi, not much was learned in terms of skills, but it was more than enough for livelihood.
However, that’s not what matters. What matters is that Xiao Mi’s character had a significant influence on her over time.
Such as not caring about others’ opinions, considering minor sacrifices for peace, and still wanting to pursue personal aspirations despite being worry-free in terms of daily needs.