An eight-year-old kid emptied his scumbag father's warehouse and followed his grandparents into

"Xiao Man, take out the food and go back after eating." Xu Zize took the lead in finding a stone and motioned Jing Chunxi to sit on it as well. They sat on one side, not far away from each other.

He opened his water bag and gulped down the water. His voice was calm and firm, leaving no room for negotiation.

"Ah! I didn't go back." Ah Kuan's heart sank when he heard this, and he felt a strong resistance. Besides wanting to go up the mountain because he felt sorry for his father, he also wanted to go up the mountain for fun.

Playing in the water in summer is better than climbing trees. Now that he has come this far, he doesn't want to go back just like that.

"Yes! We won't bother you. We'll wait for you to finish your business." Da Niu also agreed, feeling a little dissatisfied.

He thought that they must be disliked because they were young and in the way. He thought that as long as they did not hinder the young master and young lady from doing their work, they should not be driven away.

Xiao Man opened her bundle and gave everyone a steamed bun and a steamed bun. Then she walked towards the stone where the young lady and the prince were.

The middle of the stone was hollow, but Xiaoman didn't sit on it. She just leaned against the stone, then took a big bite of the bun with her lower teeth and chewed it with resounding pleasure.

As he ate, he muttered sullenly, "I'll send them down and come right back up." He felt the young lady wouldn't despise him. After following the prince for so many days, the prince wouldn't send him down the mountain. So he took it for granted.

Along the way, she was not idle either, and was still silently memorizing the way up the mountain! After all, she couldn't ask these two little brats to lead the way every time she went up the mountain. It was okay once, but it would be too embarrassing for them if it happened a second time.

As soon as she finished speaking, Ah Kuan and Da Niu glared at her fiercely. In their eyes, Xiao Man was just a little brat, only a few years older than them. Now that the young lady and the young master hadn't said anything, who was he to decide whether they stayed or went?

So, glare at him!

"Eat quickly! Go back immediately after eating." Xu Zize took two bites of the meat bun and saw that A Kuan and Daniu were still sulking and hadn't eaten a single bite. He couldn't help but feel that he was in trouble.

He stared at A Kuan, and asked angrily, "What did Uncle Daliang tell your father when he came to your house last night?" He paused for a moment, and seeing that A Kuan didn't dare to say anything, he added, "He said he would send you back and head back down the mountain. Is that true or not?"

Ah Kuan lowered his head guiltily and took a bite of the steamed bun. The young master was right and he had no way to refute it.

But looking at the pool of water below, he seemed unwilling to give up, and said sullenly: "Daddy has an important mission to go back." He looked up at Xu Zize, still a little scared, and quickly lowered his head to take a bite of the steamed bun, "We are fine."

What he meant was that since they were free when they returned and no one would assign them any tasks, they could just have fun to their heart's content.

Xiao Man originally wanted to stay, but now seeing the serious expression on the prince's face, with no room for negotiation, she naturally understood that there was a reason for this.

If they insisted on staying, there would definitely be some obstacles. Otherwise, under normal circumstances, the young lady would definitely speak up for A Kuan and Daniu.

Xiao Man took the last bite of the bun and swallowed it after only two chews. He urged her: "Hurry up, you two! Or you can eat while you go down the mountain." As he said that, he left the stone and pretended to leave immediately.

A Kuan sat on the grass without moving. Da Niu looked at him timidly, moved his butt, and then did not move either.

They were all trying hard to resist in their hearts and were very thick-skinned. It was no big deal for them to be disobedient and be punished.

But we had just agreed on the way here: the young master would take them to burn tree sap. Wouldn't that ruin the fun? Also, wouldn't they be allowed to participate in such activities in the future? Was he going to exclude them forever?

The two men looked up suddenly, remembering that the general had promised to make them the best balls, but he hadn't fulfilled his promise yet. If they didn't obey, the adults might also break their promises. Wouldn't that be more trouble than it was worth?

It’s not like water is only found in the mountains. You can go back and splash around in the ditches in the fields to feel refreshed.

"Let's go back!" After saying that, the two of them stood up immediately. They didn't even eat the buns in their hands. They thought that if they were not hungry, they would take them back to their younger brothers and sisters at home. They would definitely like them.

A Kuan and Da Niu were frightened and really walked back the way they came. Xiao Man hesitated for a moment before catching up with them. He was really unwilling to not be able to stay to protect the young lady.

Unexpectedly, the young lady's voice drifted to his ears from behind: "If anyone doesn't come down the mountain immediately, or dares to turn back, Xiaoman, you will go back to where you came from."

Hearing the young lady's threatening words, Xiao Man dared not turn back. She was afraid the prince was about to lead his men to attack again. Could it be that the assassins and guards had already arrived? Was he going to deploy his troops here?

Just thinking about it makes me feel that this kind of secret is not something he can ask about or know.

How could he dare to stay! Not only did he not dare to stay, he also had to guard against those two little brats to prevent them from coming back, so as not to ruin the master's business.

When the two of them walked down the winding mountain road to the pool, the sun was already above their heads.

Jing Chunxi crouched down, her fingers gently running through the icy stream water, her brows furrowed unconsciously. She looked up at the other side of the stream a few feet away, then back at the way they had come, suddenly realizing that their original estimate might not be enough time.

"I might not be able to go back tonight." Jing Chunxi's voice was filled with worry. The stream shimmered in the setting sun, a scene that should have been refreshing, but now it became a problem.

Xu Zize was squatting with her, splashing his sweaty face with cool stream water. He looked up at her words, and the loose hair on his forehead swayed slightly in the mountain breeze.

"What's wrong?" He patted the water droplets on his hands, stood up and walked to Jing Chunxi's side. "According to the general's estimate, the distance to the Muding Mountains should be about the same as here."

Because the distance between the two places is almost the same, they estimated that the time to unload the ore would be about the same. That is to say, if they start unloading now, they should be almost finished after midnight tonight, and they should be able to return home when the sun is rising.

Jing Chunxi sighed and pointed to the banks of the stream. "Here's the problem." Her fingertips traced the direction of the stream. "You see, when gold was mined in Damuding Canyon, the ore was piled up freely throughout the canyon, leaving no gaps. But here..." She paused, bent down, picked up a stone, and weighed it in her hand. "This stream is a key source of water for gold mining. It must be kept unobstructed."

Jing Chunxi threw the stone in her hand to the other side of the stream. Xu Zize's eyes gradually became clear as she explained. He looked around and suddenly understood the seriousness of the problem.

The ore needs to be piled separately on both banks, which means it can't be done all at once because the distance is too great to reach. Furthermore, even if some sections of the river are narrow and reachable, if it's piled haphazardly, some ore will be too close to the shore, potentially causing a landslide and blocking the riverbed.