Chapter 70: A String of Underlings

Yun Jiao glanced at her mom, who was picking out chicks, then ran off to look at the ducklings and goslings.

After looking around for a bit, she discovered she had a tail.

The ducklings and goslings were trotting behind her in a neat little line.

’How fun!’

Yun Jiao’s eyes lit up, and she led them even farther away.

"QUACK QUACK QUACK..."

"PEEP PEEP PEEP..."

Shen Yunlian and Grandma Shen looked up and didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

Shen Jiankang laughed too. "These geese and ducks were hatched using a special technique I learned. They didn’t have a mother hen or duck to brood them, so they have a tendency to follow people. But I’ve never seen them follow in such a long line before. It seems the little girl is very popular."

Shen Yunlian humbly denied it, but the pride in her eyes was practically overflowing.

Yun Jiao led her long train of ducks and geese over to Shen Yunlian and the others.

"Mom, let’s buy some ducklings and goslings too."

Shen Yunlian asked, "If we buy so many, who’s going to raise them?"

Yun Jiao quickly replied, "I’ll raise them! I will!"

"You’d better remember what you just said, then. No giving up halfway."

Yun Jiao nodded seriously.

’The little ducklings and goslings, so fluffy and cute.’

In the end, Shen Yunlian bought ten chicks, five ducklings, and five goslings.

Yun Jiao picked them out herself.

When it was time to leave, they didn’t even need a cage. Yun Jiao toddled ahead on her short little legs, and the birds followed right behind her.

All ten chicks kept up.

Shen Yunlian and Grandma Shen watched from the back.

Grandma Shen was amazed. "Are they really this well-behaved?"

Even if the little things had a habit of following people, it was incredible that not a single one had fallen behind the entire way.

Yun Jiao led the way like a proper little commander. Suddenly, two dogs appeared up ahead to her right.

At the sound of their barking, the ducklings and goslings were startled.

Yun Jiao stopped and commanded in her childish voice, "Everyone, come to me! Don’t run around."

Her voice seemed to carry some kind of signal. The scattering little ones swarmed to her feet and crouched down, as if seeking protection.

Yun Jiao was very pleased.

Then, she glared at the big yellow dogs that were barking wildly.

"Scram!"

When the soft, pale little dumpling of a girl showed her fierce side, the two dogs tucked their tails and ran away.

Grandma Shen was dumbfounded.

Shen Yunlian, however, was used to it. "The dogs in our village are either terrified of her or they absolutely love her."

Animals have sharper instincts than humans. In her past life, Yun Jiao had been one of the Merfolk and had seen her fair share of deadly battles beneath the sea.

Even though she was just a small child now, just releasing a fraction of the Merfolk’s ferocity and the powerful, murderous aura she had accumulated from her past life’s struggles was more than enough to handle ordinary animals.

After chasing off the dogs, Yun Jiao continued to lead her fluffy followers back to Grandma Shen’s house.

Yun Xiaowu and the others, their faces swollen like pig heads, still couldn’t sit still.

Seeing the little fluffballs waddling in a line behind Yun Jiao, they were suddenly interested and wanted to try it too.

But the result was that none of them—not the chicks, the ducklings, or the goslings—paid them any mind.

Even when they grabbed one or two and forced them to stand behind them, the little creatures would just squawk pitifully and run back to Yun Jiao.

Yun Xiaowu and the boys were frustrated. "Why?"

They were all people, so why were these little things discriminating?

Yun Jiao puffed out her chest. "Because they see me as their leader!"

After she had chased off those two big yellow dogs, the little creatures had clearly grown even more dependent on her.

"Jiaojiao, come eat some watermelon."

The midday sun was scorching, so no one went to the fields for fear of heatstroke.

Everyone sat under the large pear tree while Grandma Shen slowly fanned the children with a cattail-leaf fan.

Yun Jiao sat on a little stool, took a bite of watermelon, and spit the seeds out by her feet.

The flock of fluffballs immediately swarmed over and began to peck at them.

She broke the leftover watermelon rind into pieces, placed them by her feet, and they were quickly devoured as well.

’They were practically little garbage disposals.’

’Perfect. Not a bit of watermelon wasted.’

The chirping of cicadas filled the air, and Yun Jiao yawned.

"Jiaojiao, come over to Grandpa."

Grandpa Shen beckoned to Yun Jiao.

He was sitting in the family’s only lounge chair; it was his favorite spot.

It was very comfortable to lie under the tree and rest on a hot day like this.

Yun Jiao acknowledged him. Feeling sleepy, she walked over and climbed onto the lounge chair.

She was asleep in no time.

The flock of fluffballs followed suit, huddling together to rest one by one under the lounge chair.

Although Grandpa Shen and the others weren’t working in the fields, there were still plenty of chores to do at home, so they weren’t idle.

After finishing the watermelon, Grandma Shen, Aunt Shen, and the other women sat together, a large basin filled with the whole family’s dirty laundry before them.

Aunt Shen grumbled as she washed.

"Perfectly good clothes, torn to shreds like this. Now I have to spend all evening mending them for you!"

Shen Xiuyuan cowered and didn’t dare say a word.

"Get over here and wash it yourself!"

Shen Yunlian shot her own sons a glare. "You too! Get over here and wash your own clothes!"

She took Yun Jiao and Yun Xiaojiu’s clothes to wash them herself.

Yun Xiaojiu was younger and hadn’t gone along to raid the beehive. During the fight, he had only provided clever support.

So while he was a little dirty, his clothes weren’t torn. His only injury was a scraped elbow from tripping on a stone when he wasn’t looking where he was going.

With nothing else to do, he now climbed onto the lounge chair next to his sister and gradually fell asleep.

Grandpa Shen had his son and son-in-law fetch some rush grass from the main hall to weave cooling mats.

Grandpa Shen was an old master craftsman, and the mats he wove were neat and beautiful.

Everyone had their own tasks, chatting as they worked.

After washing clothes for a while, Grandma Shen moved her stool over to the lounge chair and sat down, using her fan to cool the two children and shoo away mosquitoes.

The afternoon sun filtered through the dappled leaves, shining on Yun Jiao and Yun Xiaojiu. The two children looked even more beautiful, with long, curly eyelashes and lovely faces.

Among the Yun family boys, Yun Xiaojiu was the most handsome.

He had inherited all the best features from his parents.

Although Yun Linhai had a simple and honest personality and tanned skin, he was by no means bad-looking. He had strong features, thick brows, large eyes, and stood over six feet tall, which was considered very tall around here.

And when she was young, Shen Yunlian had been the prettiest girl for miles around.

The reason they ended up together was because both of them were a bit obsessed with good looks.

Before they met, both had been on several unsuccessful matchmaking meetings. In the end, an auntie from Shen Family Village who had married into the village next to Bailong Village played matchmaker. When the two met, they were both satisfied with the other’s face at first sight.

And so, a marriage that began with physical attraction was born.

None of the Yun family children were bad-looking, though most of them took after the Yun family’s side.

Only Yun Xiaojiu had perfectly inherited all the best traits from both his parents.

Not only was he the most handsome of all the brothers, but his skin was also the fairest.

Of course, there was still a noticeable difference in shade compared to Yun Jiao.

Seeing these two beautiful children sleeping together now, so quiet and well-behaved, was enough to make anyone’s heart melt.