Zhou Xiao had remembered all the family members after Yang Ruxin introduced them once, obediently calling out "Second Sister" and addressing the younger brothers and sisters, but when it came to Sanni, he couldn’t bring himself to call her "sister," so he called her Mengmeng instead.
"I’m a year older than you, you should call me ’sister,’" Sanni insisted, glaring at Zhou Xiao.
"You’re not taller than me, so you’re not a sister, you’re Mengmeng. Otherwise, I’ll call you Sanni," Zhou Xiao didn’t know why either, but he was just being stubborn, refusing to call her ’sister.’
Sanni was going a bit crazy: "I was too hungry before. I will definitely catch up to you soon, and you must call me ’sister.’
But Zhou Xiao’s face was full of defiance: "Then talk to me about it when you catch up."
"You..." Sanni was completely at a loss for words.
"Mengmeng or Sanni, you choose!" Zhou Xiao said, dead serious.
Sanni stamped her foot: "I can’t be bothered with you anymore."
Zhou Xiao, however, revealed a triumphant smile.
"Third sister got outsmarted..." Xiaosi covered her mouth with glee, snickering.
"Watch out, I’ll beat you up!" Sanni glared.
"Big sister, save me..." Xiaosi immediately scurried behind Yang Ruxin on her little short legs.
"It’s already noon, let’s hurry up and cook," Yang Ruxin drank a bowl of water and was too lazy to even look at the two childish kids. Instead, she called Erni over, "After lunch, you need to hurry up and make the quilts and clothes for everyone..."
"What about you?" Sanni heard Yang Ruxin’s words and forgot about her squabble with Zhou Xiao, unable to help glancing at Yang Ruxin.
"I’m going up the mountain," Yang Ruxin smiled, "I’ll be back soon after picking some herbs."
"Big sister, don’t go," Erni anxiously grabbed Yang Ruxin’s arm and shook her head, "We have silver now, don’t take any risks..."
The rest became anxious as well, even Zhou Xiao frowned.
"Don’t worry, I have good friends in the forest, so I won’t be in danger," Yang Ruxin smiled.
"Big sister, do you really believe that yourself?" Sanni rolled her eyes.
"Then tell me why I’ve always come back unharmed from the mountain?" Yang Ruxin slightly raised an eyebrow, "And even managed to hunt wild chickens and Black Bear?"
Zhou Xiao’s eyes bulged, Ruxin sister could actually hunt Black Bear? She remembered two years ago her father hunted a Black Bear and used its fur to make clothes for her and her sister. But her father is a General, she never thought Ruxin sister was as formidable as her father.
"Then you have to prove it to us," Sanni was persistent.
The other little ones nodded vigorously in agreement.
"I will," Yang Ruxin nodded, "But I won’t go deep into the mountains this afternoon, just gathering some herbs around here, and I’ll be back soon." Saying this, she raised her hand, "No more talking about it. I’ve made up my mind, and I promise I’ll return safely."
Erni still wanted to say something but she also knew this big sister—ever since she woke up from her coma last time, her word was final. So she could only sigh, yet she secretly resolved to do more embroidery work to lighten big sister’s burdens.
Sanni didn’t voice any more objections either.
Yang Ruxin breathed a sigh of relief and quickly changed the subject: "How is the little aunt today?"
Sure enough, that got everyone giggling.
"She didn’t make a fuss again, did she?" Yang Ruxin also became interested.
"Heihei, exactly," Sanni chuckled mischievously, "The little aunt was eyeing outside all the time, wanting to leave, but every time someone tried to go out the door, she would leap on them. And guess what happened?"