Chapter 146: Tying Hair

"Let me count, too."

Yun Xiaowu and the others crowded around, their eyes shining as they stared at the money.

A thousand yuan, such a thick stack.

The kids huddled together to count the money, their eyes crinkling with smiles.

"Hehehe... It’s so much money."

Yun Chenxi walked past his younger brothers. "What are you so happy about? It’s not yours."

Yun Xiaowu and the others were speechless.

’Our second brother is so annoying.’

Yun Xiaowu put his hands on his hips. "I’ll definitely earn even more money than this in the future. For now, I’m just enjoying the thrill."

Yun Xiaojiu nodded, too. "Earn money. Lots and lots of money to spend on our little sister."

Yun Xiaowu looked shocked.

’You little brat! I can’t believe you’re so scheming!’

Today’s events had been too shocking, so Granny Yun and the others decided to take a break. They wouldn’t go to Da Yun Restaurant to sell fish tomorrow.

Yun Jiao was still thinking about the fish she had left with the sea turtle.

"Let’s go pry open some oysters tomorrow. That island is full of oysters, sea snails, and things like that."

"I want to go too."

"Dad, please, take us with you! We want to go out to sea and help on the island, too. We’ve never been out to sea or to an island before."

This time, Yun Xiaowu and the others didn’t throw a tantrum. They’d learned from experience that it wouldn’t work, so they decided to act pitiful instead.

Yun Linhai thought for a moment, then suddenly said, "Why don’t we all go foraging on the island tomorrow as a family?"

Everyone’s eyes immediately fell on Yun Linhai.

Yun Linhai thought about it and decided it was a feasible idea.

"That island is pretty big. Besides oysters, there should be other things. We can’t find much good stuff foraging on the nearby beaches anymore, so we might as well go to the island."

"Dad, Mom, you can come too. Just treat it as a day out."

Yun Jiao’s eyes sparkled as she nodded like a chick pecking at rice. "Yes, yes! Grandpa and Grandma should come too."

Yun Linhe also thought it was a great idea. "Right, let’s just go out and have fun for a day."

"I remember there are coconut trees on that island, and I think there’s a Red Forest, too."

Hearing their two sons say this, Granny Yun and Mr. Yun were genuinely tempted.

Yun Xiaowu and the others were already cheering.

"Our family only has one wooden boat. Can it fit so many people?"

Yun Linhe said, "That’s easy. We’re not the only family in the village with a wooden boat. I remember Yangwa’s family boat is just sitting idle. We can go borrow it from them."

But even so, there were still too many people.

In the end, they decided to borrow two boats.

Of course, they wouldn’t borrow them for free. They’d give them some money and treat it as a one-day rental.

There were several people in the family who knew how to row a boat. Mr. Yun could row too, but he was older now and hadn’t touched an oar in a long time.

As for the workers’ lunch tomorrow, that was simple too. They would find an auntie they were on good terms with and pay her with some food to help cook.

Their family would still provide the grain and vegetables.

"Third Grandpa, are you home?"

Ah Wang’s voice came from outside. Yun Linhai went to open the door.

Yun Wang asked, "Brother Lin Hai, are you guys okay?"

Clearly, he had heard about Yun Linhai’s family getting their money stolen.

Outside the door stood not just Ah Wang, but also relatives from the families of Mr. Yun’s brothers.

All the relatives who were on good terms with Yun Linhai’s family had come over to comfort them.

Yun Linhai sighed with feigned sadness. "The money’s been stolen. What can we do?"

Everyone sighed in sympathy. After sitting down in the house, they started chatting, their voices occasionally rising with words of comfort or curses aimed at the thief.

When they heard Yun Linhe say that the thief had deliberately spread the news to attract a crowd to Da Yun Restaurant, specifically choosing the busiest time to strike, they cursed the thief and lamented.

"These thieves are just too damn cunning."

"I know, right? Lin Hai, how did you let that thief find where you hid the money?"

Yun Linhai put on a frustrated expression. "I hid the money in the innermost pocket of my clothes, but who knows how those thieves found it. That son of a bitch deliberately slammed into my stomach, and he did it with force. It hurt so much I almost lost my footing. By the time I realized what was happening, my clothes had been slashed open with a big gash and the money was gone."

He even showed everyone his slashed clothes.

"If it had been any deeper, I would’ve been cut, too."

Looking at Yun Linhai’s clothes, the crowd sighed in sympathy again.

"Looks like from now on, you can’t keep all your money in one place when you go out. Those thieves have eyes like hawks."

"Don’t be too upset. You can always earn the money back. As long as everyone’s safe, that’s what matters."

"That’s right. I heard Jiaojiao almost got lost."

Yun Linhe nodded. "Exactly. Jiaojiao got separated from us in the crowd. Thankfully, she knew to go to the police station. It was a police officer from there who brought people to find us."

"Jiaojiao is so smart."

Yun Jiao once again had her head ruffled and her little cheeks pinched by the elders.

Her skin was tender and fair, and a single pinch left a faint red mark.

Seeing this, Yun Jiao’s brothers felt a pang of protectiveness and quickly scooped their sister up, moving her away from the elders.

"Your hair is all messy."

"Jiaojiao, let me tie your hair for you."

Yun Xiaojiu volunteered eagerly.

"Can you even do it?"

His brothers were skeptical.

Yun Xiaojiu said, "It’s really simple! I saw Mom do it for our sister, and it looked so easy. If Eldest Brother can do it, I definitely can, too."

Yun Chendong, who had overheard with his sharp ears, was speechless.

’What do you mean, if I can do it, you definitely can, too? Do you have any idea how long I secretly practiced?!’

「A few minutes later...」

"Uh..."

Yun Xiaowu and the others stroked their chins, gathered around Yun Jiao, and stared at her head with furrowed brows.

Yun Xiaowu asked, "Are you sure this is... done?"

Yun Xiaojiu took the comb and walked in front of Yun Jiao.

Seeing the two pigtails, one high and one low, both loose and sloppy, he felt a headache coming on.

"It’s really hard to get them even."

Only after trying did he realize how soft Yun Jiao’s hair was. He was terrified of hurting his sister’s scalp, so he had to be extra careful, which was why they looked so loose.

Apparently, his eyes had learned the trick, but his hands had not.

"Let me try!"

Yun Xiaowu took the comb and stood behind Yun Jiao.

And then... his attempt was even worse than Yun Xiaojiu’s.

The other brothers also took turns, while Yun Jiao sat obediently on a low stool, nibbling on a small cookie.

She even yawned, feeling sleepy.

"It’s finally done!"

At long last, they managed to wrestle her hair into a passable pair of pigtails.

Yun Jiao said, "Brothers, I want to take a nap."

"Okay, go ahead. The fan is in the room. Turn it on first."

Their bed was covered with a large cooling mat, the very one Grandpa Shen had given Yun Jiao.

There was also an electric fan.

Afraid she would catch a cold, they only turned the fan to its lowest setting, and it was oscillating from side to side.

Yun Jiao climbed onto the bed, reached up, and yanked at her hair, pulling out the freshly tied pigtails.

The brothers were speechless.

’Oh, right. It’s uncomfortable to sleep with your hair tied up.’

’If we’d known, we shouldn’t have bothered tying it in the first place.’

The children lay on the cooling mat, with Yun Jiao in the very middle. Listening to the voices of the adults outside and the incessant buzzing of the cicadas, she soon fell into a deep sleep.