Manbao squatted there, searching for a shorter vine. Datou and Daya had also come over. Seeing Fifth Uncle and Sixth Uncle quarreling, Datou and Second Son joined in, while Daya squatted beside Manbao, asking her what she was looking for.
Upon learning that she wanted to dig up a small roseleaf bramble, they all enthusiastically helped her search. They quickly found a roseleaf bramble that hadn't been growing for long, dug around it with sticks, and soon pulled it out, although the root was too lengthy and snapped off a section.
But no one really minded.
Manbao held it in her hand. Since it was young and had not grown thorns yet, everyone was comfortable letting her hold it.
This kind of thing was a common activity for them.
Daya somehow acquired a bunch of wildflowers to wear in her hair and asked her younger aunt, "Do I look pretty?"
Manbao stared blankly at her, finding it difficult to say it looked pretty, but not wanting to hurt her grandniece's feelings, she nodded and said, "The flowers are pretty."
Daya was delighted and joyfully hopped off with Erya.
At the foot of the mountain, Manbao slid off Wulang's back and prised a snake berry from his hand. She didn't eat it but handed everything to Keke as she walked along.
More than a year had passed, and with Keke's reminders, Manbao had long learned how to sneak things away to hide for him.
The group of youngsters never noticed this little action, and the wildflowers on Daya's head were also gone without anyone knowing when she discarded them.
As everyone walked on, Wulang exclaimed, looking around curiously, "How come we don't see Silang? Wasn't that the place little sister pointed at up the mountain?"
Everyone looked all around, and Datou shouted in surprise, "Fourth Uncle has disappeared!"
"Wait, listen ..." Daya hushed everyone, urging them to be quiet, and that's when they heard faint snoring sounds.
Right next to Manbao, she was the first to push through the bushes and saw Zhou SiLang lying on the grass, sleeping soundly.
Manbao was quite angry, charging over and stomping on his chest, but Zhou SiLang still didn't wake up.
Just as Manbao was about to stomp harder, Datou had already picked a blade of wild grass and squatted beside Zhou SiLang, tickling his nose with it.
Manbao, curious, stopped stomping on her brother and squatted next to Datou to ask, "Does that work?"
Datou ran the wild grass across Manbao's face, asking, "Little aunt, does it tickle?"
Unable to resist scratching her face, Manbao exclaimed eagerly, "It tickles, let me do it!"
Taking the blade of grass from Datou, she tried it out on Zhou SiLang's face. The others gathered around, each pulling a blade of wild grass to join in on Zhou SiLang's face. Then, he just waved a hand and turned over to continue sleeping.
This lack of reaction made Manbao unhappy, so she threw the grass away and stopped playing. Directing her voice into Zhou SiLang's ear, she yelled, "Snake~~~"
"Ah—" Zhou SiLang sat up in an instant, hopping and spinning on the spot, "Where's the snake, where's the snake?"
Manbao glared at him, "Silang, father asked you to clear the land, but you are here sleeping. I'm going to tell father to thrash you."
Zhou SiLang, seeing his chubby little sister, couldn't resist the itch in his hands, squeezed her cheek, and said, "What can you do besides tattling?"
Wulang immediately knocked his hand away, "Silang, you're bullying little sister."
Manbao, feeling her cheek pinch painfully and tears welling up, stepped on Zhou SiLang's foot, grinding her heel in, "I can do more than tattle; I can hit you. Do you dare to hit back?"
Zhou SiLang, indeed, did not dare!
Zhou SiLang was so angry his nose was about to twitch, and seeing Manbao get the upper hand, she snorted coldly, "Go and do your work clearing the weeds, Silang. Do you know I'm helping you?"
Manbao, having learned a lot of words and language from Keke, started giving a lecture,"Mother said our family has saved money for three years and doesn't even have fifteen taels. That money was supposed to be for yours and Wulang's marriage, but you squandered all of it and now owe money to Second Sister-in-law, Third Sister-in-law, and the village chief's older brother. You need to pay all of it back!"
"You might not be getting married, but Wulang definitely needs a wife. And what about Second Sister-in-law and Third Sister-in-law? Was it easy for them to save any money? You have no other skills; apart from farming to repay the debt, what else can you do?"
Zhou WuLang's face turned slightly red, but he still puffed up his chest, "Silang, I'm fourteen now, and I'll be discussing marriage in two years. How much money can you repay to the family?"
Zhou SiLang was dumbfounded, "All that money, I have to pay it back?"
"Of course, who else lost it gambling?" Remembering the neighbor's niece who had been sold off, anger welled up in Manbao, her gaze turned cold as she waited for Zhou SiLang to respond, "A person who doesn't stop gambling should have their hands and feet chopped off and be thrown into the mountains to feed wolves. That way, they won't bring disaster to others."