Dressed as a farmer's widow, she brought her daughter to stock up on food and reached the top

"Don't cry, kids." Yang Qingfeng walked towards the children and asked softly, "Where are your parents?"

The black dog's eyes dimmed instantly, and he said in a low voice, "Dead."

The other little kids also started sobbing and said, "We stole the silver because we were hungry and had no other choice."

Hearing this, Afan's originally cold eyes softened instantly. It turned out that these children had lost their parents and became orphans without anyone to rely on.

"Then you shouldn't steal things." Ah Fan looked at these half-grown children and was about to scold them, but suddenly he was speechless. He knew in his heart that at their age, they really couldn't do much. Apart from stealing, they could only go out to beg for food.

"Take this silver." Yang Qingfeng handed the purse to Hei Gou with a gentle smile on his face. "We are from out of town and plan to open a shop in Jizhou. If the shop opens successfully, we will hire you and give you a proper job. But before that, you can't go out on the street to steal things anymore, understand?"

The purse contained a full thirty taels of silver, along with some scattered copper coins. This amount was enough for the children to live a comfortable life for the better part of six months.

"You...thank you." Hei Gou carefully took the heavy purse, his lips trembling slightly. He wanted to say something, but when the words came to his lips, he swallowed them back.

Yang Qingfeng turned his head to look at Afan, who was still a little dazed, and said softly, "Okay, let's go and take a look around."

"Yeah." Afan responded softly, glanced at the black dog half lying on the ground, and then followed Yang Qingfeng out of the ruined temple.

At this moment, he felt a mixture of emotions. Perhaps he had been too impulsive just now, but... but they were stealing. Thinking of this, Afan felt a little better. Yes, Aunt Xiuying had always taught them this way. They must never steal money. This was the foundation of life.

At this moment, Xiuying, who was thousands of miles away, sneezed several times in succession.

"A-choo... A-choo..." Xiuying pinched her nose lightly.

Wang Daya, who was standing by, quickly poured a glass of warm water, handed it to her with concern, and said with a smile, "Madam, someone must be thinking about you."

Xiuying took the water cup and took a sip, her mind unconsciously floating in the image of her children. The children had been away for more than half a month, Qingfeng's house was halfway built, and all village affairs seemed to be proceeding in an orderly manner. But for some reason, she always felt a little uneasy.

"Has nothing happened in the village recently?" Xiuying asked.

The weather was getting colder, and it was the off-season in the village. Strength lies in numbers, and the men in the village worked together and built the adobe house in just ten days.

Xiuying had bought the school tables and chairs in the city with her own money, and the maids in her family were all going to school smoothly. Everything seemed to be on the right track, but she felt uneasy.

Wang Daya thought carefully and replied respectfully, "Madam, the village has been generally peaceful lately. However, there is one thing. The Zhao family boys are all eagerly clamoring to go to school. But Tian Guilan only sent her youngest son, Dagui, last time, and Dagui's brothers are very unhappy about it."

Zhaojia

"Mom, we have to go to school too!"

"That's right, why should Dagui be the only one allowed to go to school?"

"Mother, aren't we your biological sons?"

The two boys from Tian Guilan's family were surrounding her, talking and arguing with each other, and both of their faces were full of grievance and unwillingness.

Tian Guilan was so upset by the noise that she raised her hands and hit her sons, cursing as she did so: "I think you guys are becoming more and more lawless! You actually dared to yell at your mother! You all want to go to school, but how can our family afford that? Besides, with your character, don't you even consider whether you are cut out for education?"

The sons were not willing to give up and continued to pester Tian Guilan.

"Mom, why do you insist that we are not cut out for studying?" The second son Yaozu blushed and asked angrily.

"That's right, Mom. You didn't even let us go to school to try, so how can you conclude that we are not suitable for the job?" The eldest brother Sanfu was not to be outdone.

"Mom, you are biased! You only like Dagui and don't like us at all!" Yaozu complained loudly.

The two sons looked at Dagui, who was standing nearby and had just returned from school. Their eyes were full of envy, and they were so jealous that their teeth were itching.

When I went to school, I didn't have to work in the fields or feed the chickens and pigs. It was so cold, and it was so nice to be able to take a comfortable nap in the school.

I heard that the school would give out new clothes for spring and winter. But when I looked at what I was wearing, I found that they were not only worn out but also had patches all over them. The comparison made me feel even more disappointed.

Zhao Cunliang was so annoyed by the noise that he suddenly yelled, "Stop it! Don't think I don't know what you two are up to! Since you're both so unconvinced, I'm going to test you!"

When they heard that their father was going to test them, the two boys instantly became excited and puffed out their chests. They were the older brothers and thought they were much smarter than Dagui. How could they be outdone by their younger brother?

"Dad, just ask!" the second son said confidently.

"Yes, Dad, just ask any questions you want, we are not afraid!" The third brother also said.

"Dagui, don't hide there! Come here too, and let's see who of us brothers has the right answer!" The second brother shouted at Dagui on the side, his eyes full of provocation.

Zhao Cunliang frowned and pondered for a long time before suddenly saying, "What do flies taste like?"

When the sons heard this, they were as if struck by thunder. They had fully expected their father to ask them about recognizing words, counting or reciting poems. They had planned everything, but they never expected their father to ask such a confusing question.

Yaozu was stunned for a moment, then his mind raced and he said loudly, "Dad, I know... it's sour." He actually had no idea and was just guessing the answer. He didn't believe that anyone in this world had ever eaten a fly. It was dirty and disgusting.

Dafu blushed and shouted, "Dad, flies and mulberries taste the same! Don't worry about why, I'm sure flies and mulberries taste the same."

He recalled one year when he was picking mulberries on the edge of a field. He saw a large, plump "mulberry" in the distance. Without a second thought, he grabbed it and threw it into his mouth. It turned out to be a large fly. That's why he was so sure that flies and mulberries tasted the same.