Little Miss Fortune: I Will Bring Prosperity to My Tang Family!-Chapter 85: Little Sister is Here

Chapter 79

Little Sister is Here

The next morning, Xiaolin woke up feeling refreshed. She had a hearty breakfast of braised pork leg and then went out to weed the vegetable patch with her grandfather. Wearing a large hat that almost covered her entire body, her small hands diligently pulled out the weeds from her precious vegetable garden.

Today, Tianchen was finally able to enjoy his long-awaited braised pork leg for breakfast, but he was still instructed by his older brother to rest at home for a few more days before joining Huan Tan at the shop.

Although Tianchen actually wanted to help his niece with the weeding, the little girl dragged him to sit in her temporary shelter made of coarse fabric, which Hui Song had constructed for her.

"Uncle, don’t be stubborn. If you’re stubborn, you won’t get better quickly," the chubby girl said while pulling weeds and instructing her young uncle, who was sitting idly.

"Understood, my little miss," Tianchen replied lazily, making Xiaolin giggle.

Tianchen lay down on the mat, watching his chubby niece working diligently. Having worked since childhood, lying idle for a whole day was quite boring for him. But his niece wouldn’t let him help with the work, so he could only lie there with his hand on his forehead.

"Little Xiaolin!" Ching Long called from afar. He ran over, stopping to watch his little sister pulling weeds with great enthusiasm.

"Are you tired of playing with Xiao Zhong?" Xiaolin asked, looking up as he approached. After breakfast, Ching Long went to play with Xiao Zhong, the playful cow.

"Xiao Zhong ran for a while and then lay down to eat grass and wouldn’t get up. Maybe now that he’s older, he doesn’t like to run and play," Ching Long said, puzzled.

"He’s probably like humans, not wanting to run around as much when they get older," Xiaolin said, although she herself still enjoyed playing like a child.

"Maybe so. Are you weeding? Let me help," Ching Long said, rolling up his sleeves to his elbows and sitting down beside his chubby sister, starting to pull weeds as if he did it regularly.

Xiaolin blinked in surprise. Why would he wear fine cotton clothes to pull weeds? How strange.

"Shouldn’t you change into something more suitable?" She suggested. Ching Long looked at her in confusion but then glanced down at his clothes and laughed.

"You’re right, these clothes aren’t fit for this kind of work. I’ll go change," he said, getting up to leave.

Xiaolin resumed weeding. After squatting for a while, her legs and knees began to ache, so she went to fetch a small wooden plank left over from building the house. She placed it on the ground and sat on it comfortably.

"Xiaolin, I want to help," Tianchen said softly, only to receive a stern look from his chubby niece, like an angry cat.

"If you don’t behave, I won’t share my snacks,"

"SIGH”

Ching Long returned in simple linen clothes, looking neat and unpatched. Behind him was Ching Lang, also in a fresh set of clothes, having learned from his brother that they were going to help their little sister weed the vegetable patch.

Ching Lang chose to sit beside the chubby figure, while Ching Long went to an area with more weeds. He enjoyed the feeling of pulling weeds from the soil, determined to clear the vegetable patch of these useless plants.

‘Go away, useless weeds,’ Ching Long thought to himself.

"Xiaolin, why don’t you sit in the shade? This is work for men," Ching Lang broke the silence. Xiaolin tilted her head slightly before responding.

"Is there a rule that says weeding is men’s work?" The chubby-cheeked girl asked, continuing to pull weeds.

"Most girls learn to sew or do household chores, don’t they?"

"But I don’t like sweeping the house or sewing. I like working in the vegetable garden, selling things, and going into the forest," Xiaolin said.

"And what else do you like to do?" Ching Lang asked, intrigued.

"Hmm, almost everything except housework and handicrafts," she replied with a sheepish laugh.

Ching Lang sat quietly, realizing that the little girl beside him didn’t enjoy typical women’s work but preferred outdoor tasks like men. The only household chore she seemed to enjoy was cooking delicious food.

As Ching Lang pondered this, Xiaolin remained focused on the various weeds crowding her vegetable patch. They seemed to thrive on Xiao Zhong’s manure, growing thick and strong.

Tianchen, lying nearby and listening, squinted at the back of the smelly-faced boy. He hadn’t interacted much with the twins before, being preoccupied with other tasks. But now, observing them, he sensed something odd.

He resolved to stick close to his chubby niece during his recovery. His thoughts were interrupted by loud shouting from the front of the house. Everyone turned to the source of the noise, puzzled.

"Who’s shouting?" Even Hui Song, who was cutting grass a bit farther away, heard the commotion.

"It sounds like Brother Hai. Could it be that Auntie is about to give birth?" Xiaolin dropped the weeds in her hands and ran towards the front of the house, her belly wobbling.

"Wait for me, Xiaolin," Tianchen called, quickly getting up to follow his niece.

The uncle and niece duo reached the front, where they saw Zhang Ruo hurrying out of the house. Ling Hai stood panting, his face full of panic. Seeing him so agitated, Xiaolin grabbed his hand to calm him down. Ling Hai looked down at her wide, innocent eyes and felt slightly reassured.

"Chen, go fetch the midwife to Ling’s house quickly. I’ll go check on Mi Hua first. Ling Hai, you go back and boil some hot water. Understood?"

"Yes, Grandma Zhang."

"Alright, let’s move quickly. Chen, I’m counting on you."

"Understood," Tianchen finally had a task and ran off swiftly.

"Xiaolin, go tell your grandpa to fetch Ling Heng. He’ll want to be there for the birth. Grandpa can watch the shop for him in the meantime."

"Yes, Grandma," the chubby girl replied, running back the way she came.

Ling Hai rushed back to his little house, where his mother was laboring alone.

Hearing her cries of pain, he had been at a loss until she instructed him to fetch Grandma Zhang Ruo from the Tang house, prompting him to run out quickly.

"I’ll help too, Auntie," Huan Qingqing ran out, her skirt billowing. If her husband saw, he would scold her for days.

Zhang Ruo nodded in agreement, and they hurried after Ling Hai as fast as they could. Since Mi Hua was the only woman in the Ling household, they needed to prepare the birthing room and supplies while waiting for the midwife.

Upon hearing from his granddaughter, Hui Song dropped his hoe and prepared the cart. He headed straight for Jiangnan City. Once there, he informed Ling Heng, who quickly drove the cart back home. His heart raced with a mix of worry for his wife and excitement for the imminent arrival of their child.

Their family’s financial situation had improved, making it a good time for the new baby. Ling Heng hoped for a daughter, like his chubby niece Xiaolin, and his sons shared this wish.

"AHHH!"

Ling Heng heard Mi Hua’s pained cry as he reached home, running inside without bothering to unhitch the cart. The door to the room was shut, and Mi Hua’s cries continued. Outside, several children stood anxiously, including the twins who had followed Xiaolin.

"Ahh!"

"Wah! Waaah!"

The baby’s cries finally pierced the air, causing everyone waiting outside to sigh in relief. Xiaolin, having experienced this only three months ago, was still excited and tense.

"It’s a girl!"

The shout from inside the room made the Ling brothers jump and hug each other, cheering with joy. Ling Heng beamed widely as well.

"Yay! Xiaolin has a little sister now! It’s all brothers around here," the chubby girl said, wrinkling her nose as she looked around at the crowd of boys. Not just any boys,

but very greedy boys!!

Xiaolin got a quick glimpse of the red-faced baby girl before deciding to leave, not wanting to intrude on the family’s time. Her grandmother stayed behind to help with the newborn since Auntie Mi Hua was exhausted and had fallen asleep.

The chubby girl hopped and skipped back home, singing all the way. As usual, the twins followed her, stopping when they saw a large, luxurious carriage—much fancier than those of ordinary villagers or merchants.

"Xiaolin!"

Zhou Mingwang, hearing her singing from afar, quickly approached. Zhou Minglu followed his younger brother, smiling at the chubby girl. Xiaolin raised an eyebrow, feeling that today would be especially tiring.

"We arrived just in time. May we get in the house with you?" Zhou Minglu asked, unable to take his eyes off her round, white cheeks.

Xiaolin covered her cheeks with both hands, feeling like they were being threatened. She pouted, making the Zhou brothers laugh.

"Who are they, Xiaolin?"

Ching Lang hurried to stand beside his little sister, pulling her behind him while Ching Long stepped forward to shield her. The four boys stared each other down, assessing the situation.

Zhou Minglu noticed the boys, who looked identical to each other, causing him to frown slightly. He had heard of twins being born with similar appearances, but these two were almost indistinguishable except for a tiny mole on their faces.

"These are Young Masters Zhou Minglu and Zhou Mingwang, the sons of the governor of Jiangnan City. And these two are my brothers, Huan Chinglang and Huan Chinglong,"

Xiaolin introduced, using formal titles that made the Zhou brothers feel slightly disappointed. They regretted not getting closer to the chubby girl yesterday because they had been too preoccupied with the long-haired cow and delicious food. Now, it seemed someone else had already formed a bond with her.

"Um, let’s go inside,"

Xiaolin suggested, glancing between the twins and the Zhou brothers, who were glaring at each other like fighting fish. She wondered if staring any longer would make them fall in love instead.

Well, she used to read gay romance books in her previous life...hehe.

Giggling, she led the way back into the house, not bothering to look back at the boys who were nearly ready to jump at each other. The twins, worried that the newcomers might take their chubby little sister away, quickly ran after her. The Zhou brothers also hurried along, trying to maintain their composure despite their eagerness.

"You’re back. How did it go, dear?" Hui Ning asked her daughter excitedly. She had wanted to go to the Ling house but couldn’t leave because her son was still fast asleep. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"I have a new little sister, Mother! She’s as red as Xiaoyu was when he was just born, but she’s much smaller," Xiaolin giggled.

"So you’re saying Xiaoyu was chubby," Hui Ning teased, pinching her daughter’s cheek affectionately.

"Greetings, Miss Hui," the Zhou brothers said as they entered the main hall.

"Oh, the young masters! What brings you here?" Hui Ning asked, surprised.

"We’ve been in the city for a while and, after visiting the Tang house, we found we quite like it here. We were wondering if we might visit more often," Zhou Minglu said politely.

His voice, which was beginning to deepen, sounded a bit odd but added a certain charm that caught the attention of young girls both in the capital and in Jiangnan City.

"Of course, you can come to visit anytime. Xiaolin and her uncle could even take you for a walk on the beach," Hui Ning suggested.

Xiaolin whipped her head around so quickly that her cheeks jiggled. She didn’t like the idea of her mother volunteering her for such an esteemed task. Seeing the looks the Zhou brothers were giving her, she felt a chill run down her spine.

The chubby girl pouted and glanced up at the rafters. Ching Lang and Ching Long, noticing her reaction, struggled to contain their laughter.

"In that case, Xiaolin, could you take us for a walk?" Zhou Mingwang asked, smiling in a way that made Xiaolin think he was quite sly.

"Perfect timing! I was just thinking about making salted eggs," Xiaolin said, a mischievous plan forming in her head.

"How can you take the young masters into the forest, dear?" Hui Ning frowned slightly.

"The forest, you say? We’ve never been to the forest before," Zhou Mingwang said, excited by the prospect.

              

"Yes, I’m going to collect eggs in the forest. Would you like to join me?" Xiaolin asked, her eyes crinkling into a wide smile. The Zhou brothers paused for a moment before nodding.

"Sure, let’s go."

"Will you wait for your uncle to return first?" Hui Ning asked.

Xiaolin looked around, blinking. She thought her uncle had followed her back to the house.

"I’ll ask Uncle Wen to come with us, Mother. I also want to gather lotus roots to make lotus root starch."

"Alright, but don’t go into deep water," Hui Ning cautioned.

"Okay!" Xiaolin replied cheekily.

Once they were ready, everyone set off towards the forest, with Wen Shui leading the group of children.

The twins flanked Xiaolin on either side, as if providing security, making it impossible for the Zhou brothers to get close to her. They could only admire her chubby cheeks from a distance, which jiggled adorably with each step.

’I’d really love to pinch those round cheeks,’ the Zhou brothers thought to themselves.

When they reached the lotus pond, Wen Shui turned to warn the children not to go into deep water before he stepped into the pond with his basket.

Xiaolin rolled up her pants and sleeves, wading into the shallow water to look for duck eggs, which were fewer than before because the villagers had been collecting them regularly. The twins, used to wading through paddy fields to catch red shrimp, navigated the water with ease, unlike the governor’s sons, who stood on the bank looking puzzled.

"Come on in," Xiaolin called, seeing the Zhou brothers still standing on the shore. Beneath her cheerful face, she was concocting a plan to prank them.

"Alright, let’s give it a try," Zhou Minglu said to his brother, taking off his shoes and socks before rolling up his pants.

"Are you sure about this, big brother?" Zhou Mingwang asked, eyeing the underwater plants that swayed with the small waves. They looked eerie, and he couldn’t help but wonder if any monsters were hiding beneath them.

"Hehe, you’re in for it now," Xiaolin thought to herself, narrowing her eyes at the Zhou brothers and smirking mischievously.

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