Fu Xin Ci walked forward again. The peach blossoms here were blooming beautifully, and a gentle breeze caused the petals to fall like rain.
To leave such a poetic and picturesque scene to a commoner like her felt like a waste.
Alas, she shook her head and turned back, no longer dwelling on it.
Meanwhile, the two young brothers in the hot spring were having a joyous time, splashing water at each other.
They never got such treatment at home. Their bathtub at home was quite large for them, but it was incomparable to the stream formed by the hot spring.
From afar, she watched her two younger brothers frolicking like little ducklings, completely forgetting that they had to travel soon.
Honestly, as an elder sister, she couldn't bear to interrupt them.
She glanced up at the sky. It was getting late, so she called out to them to come out quickly and get dressed.
The brothers were having so much fun that at first, they were a little reluctant to hear their sister's words. But when they remembered they were going to Longcheng with their sister, they no longer hesitated and readily got out of the water to dress.
“Sister, can you bring us to soak here again in the future, and bring Grandpa and Daddy too?”
Ning’er said quickly as he dressed himself.
“Of course.”
Prompted by her younger brother, Fu Xin Ci pondered whether to build a small courtyard here. In winter, her grandfather could live here, saving him from being confined indoors when the weather turned cold back home.
“Sister, we can set off now.”
“Alright.”
Fu Xin Ci turned around and saw the two little boys with rosy cheeks and white teeth smiling at her, completely forgetting that their hair was still dripping.
She didn’t say much, but reached into her backpack and took out two handkerchiefs, tying them around her brothers' heads.
They actually looked quite good, with a hint of a little pirate charm.
The brothers, unaware of their sister's thoughts, cheerfully set off with her.
This time, Fu Xin Ci did not rush them. After all, they were in the mountains, and the mountain wind could easily cause chills. She didn't want her two brothers to catch a cold.
However, they hadn't walked far when Ning’er’s eyelids drooped. "Sister, I'm sleepy."
"Okay." Afraid that he would collapse, Fu Xin Ci quickly crouched down, moved her backpack to the front, and said, "Here, let me carry you."
"Sister, I'll carry Ning’er."
"It's alright, I'll carry him first. When I get tired, I'll switch with Yu'er."
After speaking, Fu Xin Ci handed a piece of clothing to Yu’er and told him to cover his younger brother with it, emphasizing to his elder brother that he must cover the younger brother’s head well.
Then, holding the younger brother's bottom with one hand and the elder brother's hand with the other, she moved forward quickly.
However, the speed this time was even faster than before. Yu’er felt his two eyes weren't enough to see, and he could hear the whistling wind beside his ears.
But she couldn't speak to her sister. He had tried to speak earlier and ended up with a mouthful of wind.
It was only when Fu Xin Ci saw the familiar valley again that she slowed down with her two brothers.
"Sister, is this it?"
"Yes."
"The terrain here is so good, it's like a secluded paradise where a sage would live."
"Our Yu’er is so knowledgeable. As soon as he speaks, it's a place where a sage would live."
"Sister, I'm not wrong. I just feel like this is like paradise."
"Our Yu'er's description is absolutely correct. This is the paradise many people dream of."
As the siblings chatted, they quickly descended the hillside with light steps.
Xiang Tong, just returning from the farm, was humming a popular old song as he walked forward with great spirits.
He spotted people descending the slope at a glance. Without needing to look closely, he recognized that one of them was Fu Xiao Niu.
Seeing the young boy she was holding and the child on her back, he guessed they were her two younger brothers. He hurried over to greet them: "Fu Xiao Niu, you're here."
"Yes, Mayor Xiang. Aren't you busy today?"
"Not busy. Are these your two younger brothers?"
"Yes, I want to bring them here to stay for a few days." After speaking, Fu Xin Ci introduced her two brothers. "Yu’er, Ning’er, this is Xiang Tong, the mayor of Longcheng Town."
"Hello, Mayor Xiang."
"Hello."
Ning’er had just opened his eyes and wriggled out from under the clothing. Although he was still a little dazed, he didn't forget to greet the person.
"Good, good."
Xiang Tong quite liked the two little fellows. After greeting them, he prepared to leave.
"Mayor Xiang, wait."
"...?"
Fu Xin Ci didn't dawdle and told Xiang Tong about killing a Japanese pirate on their way.
"You're saying there might be stragglers of Japanese pirates in the mountains?"
"It's possible. After all, I encountered one today, so you should tell everyone to be careful."
After speaking, Fu Xin Ci started to worry about home. She decided that after dropping her two brothers off with their friends, she would go back and send a letter to Uncle Qi and the others.
She would have them search around carefully and guard against any scattered Japanese pirates hiding in the dark to harm people.
Indeed, after receiving Fu Xin Ci's reminder, Qi Yuanshan led his men to search the mountains and found several Japanese pirates who had been scattered and were hiding.
Some had even changed into Ming Dynasty attire. After seeing these cunning pirates, Qi Yuanshan felt a chill of fear.
If it weren't for Xin Ci's reminder upon her return, these cunning and ferocious pirates would have truly infiltrated and become an endless source of trouble.
...
When the three siblings returned from Longcheng, the Qi family's courtyard had already reached the rooftop.
Fu Xin Ci stood by the north window of the small building and could see the two-courtyard small house with its blue bricks and gray tiles at a glance.
The courtyard was a typical northern-style building, not overly ornate, exuding a sense of simplicity and sturdiness.
Mama Yang had been following her young lady and, seeing that she had been silent for a long time, assumed she didn't like the courtyard. She carefully prepared to offer some comfort.
"Young lady, that courtyard..."
"That courtyard is very good."
Mama Yang realized she had guessed wrong and quickly lowered her head.
Fu Xin Ci, however, turned and went downstairs. She wanted to talk to her grandfather about taking him to the hot springs one of these days.
As expected, when the elder heard his granddaughter mention such a pleasant place nearby, he readily agreed to visit in a few days.
These days, Qi He went to the foot of the mountain every day, hoping that his Sister Fu would descend from the hillside at any moment.
However, after going for five or six consecutive days, he did not see Sister Fu.
Today, as he rode his horse back from the seaside, he saw Ning’er playing with Qingmei at the entrance from a distance. His mood immediately changed.
He had longed for Sister Fu’s return, and now that she was back, his spirits soared.
Ning’er heard the sound of the horse and looked up. Seeing that it was his brother-in-law, he immediately opened his small arms and ran to meet him.
"Brother-in-law, brother-in-law, we're back! Did you miss me?"
"Yes," Qi He said, lifting Ning’er onto the horse.
"I knew brother-in-law would miss me," the little fellow said to himself contentedly.
Qingmei's envious eyes narrowed into slits, but she was afraid and dared not ride a horse.