Chapter 116: Dragon Boat Festival (Part 2)

  Zhen'er followed Lu Yuan, carrying a basket, and followed Ye Baiji into the house. Old Man Ye happened to be at the door flipping through medical books and saw them with excitement, calling out: "Lu Yuan, Zhen'er, Hu Zi you're all here!"

  "Grandpa," the three of them chorused in response. Hu Zi ran into Ye Lao's arms and sweetly said, "Grandpa, my sister made delicious zongzi, I love eating red dates the most, I brought a lot for you."

  "Good, good, good," said the old man, stroking Tiger's head and saying, "Hasn't Tiger grown taller?"

  Hutou raised his head and asked with shining eyes: "Really? Really?" He looked at Zhen'er as if waiting for her confirmation.

  Zhen'er looked left and right, but really couldn't see anything. Maybe she's always been with Hu Zi, so she can't tell the difference in such a small thing.

  "It seems to be a bit high." Ye Luyuan looked at it and said.

  The little tiger jumped up excitedly and got out of Old Man Ye's arms, saying: "Grandpa, I've grown up and gotten heavy, don't let Grandpa carry me, or Grandpa will get tired."

  Ye Lao Ye Zi hugged Hu Zi into his arms again and said with excitement: "Grandpa is not tired, even if Hu Zi grows bigger, Grandpa can still hold him."

  Several people burst out laughing. Mrs. Mao and Mr. Sun, who were in the kitchen, heard the noise and came out to see Old Ye embracing Hu Zi with a big smile on his face, while Hu Zi was also looking at Old Ye with adoration, forming a beautiful picture of rural grandfather-grandson joy.

  Mr. Mao thought for a moment, since Su Mu grew up, the old man hadn't laughed so happily in over a decade.

  Yeshu Mu supported Duyu, who was walking out of the east wing with a big belly, and saw them laughing happily. He opened his mouth and said: "Today is a festival, but the zongzi hasn't been eaten yet. How come everyone's mouth has a layer of honey on it? It's so sweet."

  Ye Lao Yezi saw Ye Su Mu, beckoned him over with a wave of his hand and said: "Su Mu, do you remember when you were young, how no matter how much you ate, you just couldn't grow taller? Every time we went out, people would say you were short and you'd cry. Later on during festivals, we'd tell you that you'd grown taller and you'd be so happy, showing off to everyone you met. Look at you now, haven't you finally grown tall?" Zhen Er looked at Ye Lao Yezi, realizing that Hu Zi really hadn't grown much after all, it wasn't just her being careless not noticing, the old man was truly kind-hearted.

  The Mao and Sun families still had some impression of this, and Mr. Mao continued: "Su Mu was not very tall when he was young. At the age of six or seven, he was only a little taller than Tiger now, and people said that he didn't look like me and his father at all. Later, they joked that he was a picked-up child, and when he heard it, he cried. Our house door was flooded with water for several times." A speech made Ye Su Mu blush, but the people around him laughed one after another. It's really unexpected that the now somewhat dull Su Mu brother was so cute when he was young.

  "What can little kids see?" Mr. Sun smiled and said, "When Su Mu was a kid, he was so small that everyone said he would be a dwarf when he grew up. Look at him now, isn't he tall? It's just that some people grow fast and some grow slow. Zhen Er, don't worry, Hu Zi might be one of those who grows slowly."

  Zhen'er looked down at Huzi, rubbed his head and said: "Auntie, I'm not in a hurry. Huzi will definitely grow taller later on. From now on, I'll make sure to cook more food that's good for growing taller."

  Ye Lao Yezi nodded and said, "From now on, when you get up in the morning, let Hu Zi drink a cup of water first. Then let him come with me to practice some boxing. I learned a set of boxing techniques from Wu You Dashi at Songshan Temple, he said it's good for physical and mental well-being, I think it's great, if you're worried just let Hu Zi follow me to learn."

  Zhen Er nodded happily. Ye Luoyan had said that the first abbot of Songshan Temple was from the famous Shaolin Temple on Mount Song. It seemed that more than 50 years ago, Shaolin Temple suffered a disaster and the monks were pursued and killed, forcing them to flee in all directions. The abbot escaped to a mountain near Wulipu, where there was an old temple with broken Buddhas inside. The abbot took refuge in the temple for over a month without being pursued, feeling that the temple had spiritual energy, so he settled down and rebuilt it. He didn't dare use the name Shaolin Temple, so he named it Songshan Temple instead. The abbot knew some medical skills, and after the temple was built, he would go down the mountain every month to collect alms and help people with their illnesses. Gradually, he gained a reputation in the surrounding villages, and more and more people came to worship at the temple. After a year or two, the mastermind behind the persecution of Shaolin Temple had been executed, and the temple had calmed down. It was time for reconstruction, so the abbot decided to hand over Songshan Temple to his disciple to manage, while he returned to Shaolin Temple to help with the rebuilding. On the day he left, someone leaked the news, and people from nearby who had received his kindness came to see him off. What was supposed to be a simple farewell turned out to be a deeply moving occasion. The abbot returned to Shaolin Temple, and after several years, when the temple had been largely rebuilt, he resigned as abbot and returned to Songshan Temple. The abbot of Shaolin Temple appreciated his dedication and incorporated Songshan Temple into the Shaolin Temple system, treating it as a branch temple. Every few years, they would send people to Songshan Temple to spread Buddhist teachings, which was also why Songshan Temple had gained its reputation.

  Songshan Temple, as a branch of Shaolin Temple on Mount Song, practices the internal skills and mental methods of Shaolin Temple. Its fist and footwork are also famous, and it's great that the tiger can follow and learn from them.

  Jiang heard the laughter in the main house and curled her lip in disdain, saying to Ye Baihe who was packing things beside her: "I really don't know how they can be so carefree, they're already this poor but still dare to laugh and joke all day, aren't they ashamed of being so miserable?"

  She thought that from today on, she could return to the county town and resume her life as a young lady, and her heart was filled with joy. The unpleasant things that had happened between her and Ye Baiqi before seemed insignificant now. Her grandfather had said that even if their family couldn't be considered a medical family, they still couldn't lower themselves in treating others, and should always have a compassionate and grateful heart towards all living things. Now that she was doing well, of course, she should treat Ye Baiqi and Qi Zhen'er with compassion too.

  Ye Baihe thought carefully in her heart, comparing and re-comparing, before realizing that she had indeed done wrong in the past. How could she have treated them like that? Not to mention Ye Baiju was her sister, but even if we don't consider that, her second uncle wasn't a responsible person. From the time she understood things, he never took care of Baiju's mother and daughter. In the past, Baiju's family could still rely on their father, but after they returned to the countryside, there was no one to rely on, even someone like Dabu who was considered useless had become a reliance. It was truly pitiful! She had always compared herself to Baiju, never giving her a good face, and it was really too much!

  There's also Qi Zhen and her siblings, they're orphans, got sick and poisoned, if not for their grandfather's kindness to save them, they would have died without even a broken mat. Later they lived with them, she should treat them like how she treats Bai Guo and Su Qi, why did she let them leave and start their own family? The days of these siblings must be so difficult, she didn't think it through.

  Ye Baihe thought to herself, looking at Ye Baiki with a mixture of pity and compassion as she envied her old clothes. Forget it, those two are beyond salvation, their hearts are too cruel and poisonous. Even if I gave them my flesh and blood to eat, they still wouldn't be satisfied. But since Baiki is somewhat kind-hearted, I'll help her out.

  Ye Baihe rummaged through the bottom of the trunk and pulled out a silver-red dark flower plum blossom hundred-fold skirt that Jiang had made for her two years ago at the Mount Song Temple Buddhist Grand Assembly. He handed it to Ye Baihe, smiling: "Baihe sister, I've always said you have a great figure, this hundred-fold skirt will definitely look good on you, try it on."

  Ye Baiji couldn't believe it as she took over the clothes, her eyes shining brightly as she looked at the hundred-pleated skirt. Her hands touched the clothes but didn't dare to use force, afraid that a slight carelessness would cause the silk threads to be pulled out and ruin the clothes.

  "Bai Shu sister, you really gave it to me?" This was Bai Shu's favorite dress, the one she fell in love with the first time she wore it. She treasured it so much that she wouldn't even let anyone touch it, and only wore it on special occasions like holidays. Yet, she had given it to her.

  Ye Baihe glared at Ye Baixi, "Sister, what are you talking about? We sisters aren't we closer than real sisters? What hasn't sister given to you? Giving you some good fortune is only right. Today's a holiday, this is sister's gift to you, even if you don't like it, you can't return it to me."

  "Not leaving, not leaving," Ye Baiji said repeatedly, and after finishing, she looked at the playful expressions on Jiang's and Ye Baizhen's faces, realizing that she had been too hasty. She lowered her head and said in a low voice: "I know that Sister Baizhen truly loves me, I'm grateful and haven't even had time to thank her properly, how could I possibly be dissatisfied?"

  Ye Baihe's face lit up with a bright smile, and she raised her head to give Jiangshi a triumphant smile. Jiangshi looked at her with a full face of smiles, thinking that his daughter was indeed well-behaved. For such a naive girl, you just need to hit her once and then give her a date, and she will follow you devotedly.

  Zhen'er and Ye Baiji were in Ye Baiwei's house, just finishing up the silk flower hairpin, when they heard a commotion coming from the entrance. Ye Baiji quickly ran to the door, quietly lifted the curtain a bit, took a peek outside, and excitedly came back to whisper to Ye Baiwei: "It's my brother-in-law who has arrived, I saw him bring many gifts."

  Ye Baiwei's face suddenly turned bright red, and she stretched out her hand to hit Ye Baiju once, saying, "Nonsense, if you talk like that again, I'll tell Second Aunt about it."

  Ye Baiji stuck out her tongue, seeing Zhen'er quietly watching them with a smile, not even slightly curious about Lin Xiucan. Her whole person was elegant and refined like a cotton flower, quietly blooming. Thinking of what her grandfather and aunt said, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed, she was too impatient. Hurriedly gathering herself, she smoothed out her clothes, sat up straight on the stool.

  Zhen Er and Ye Baiwei were each lost in their own thoughts, neither of them noticing Ye Baizhi's abnormal behavior.

  I'm going to visit relatives, it's embarrassing to say it out loud, my nephew is getting married and I'm going with my mom to help out. Hmm, my nephew is only two years younger than me, so don't think of me as being too old. Time is limited, so there will be one update each for today and tomorrow.

  Vote for me~~~ (。