Xia Yu came over holding an oil lamp. The light was as small as a bean, and could only illuminate a very small area. It would sway constantly when the wind blew, and it could go out at any time.
Xia Yu also saw the dark thing in the yard. He trembled, but stood in front of Xia Qianqian and said, "Sister, I'll go and see!"
"Don't, what if it's a wild beast?" Xia Qianqian pulled Xia Yu behind her and said, "Go get a stick."
Xia Yu quickly took the wooden stick, held it vigilantly, and looked at the black thing in the yard.
The brother and sister stared at it for a while, and when they saw that the thing didn't move, they boldly stepped forward.
Xia Qianqian's heart was hanging tight as she took small tentative steps forward. Although she was strong, she might not be able to defeat the beast.
Xia Yu gripped the wooden stick tightly, and was so nervous that he was sweating.
When it got closer, I could see clearly that it was not a beast at all, but just a sack.
"Sister, it's not a beast." Xia Yu breathed a sigh of relief and stepped forward to kick the sack. "Sister, there is something hard inside."
Xia Qianqian walked forward and untied the sack and was stunned.
It was a bag of top-quality silver charcoal, something only the rich and powerful could afford.
"Who sent this?" Xia Yu looked around curiously.
It was pitch black all around, with only a few dim lights decorating the night. There was no one outside the yard or on the road.
Xia Qianqian thought for a moment, held up the lamp, and used her feet to measure the footprints left on the snow. The footprints were two circles larger than her feet, so they must be men's feet. Looking outside the yard, there were two tracks of wheels on the snow.
The charcoal deliverymen drove horse-drawn carriages, and there was one horse-drawn carriage in every village. But the only family that had both horse-drawn carriages and could afford silver charcoal was probably the landlord Gu in the town.
Gu Changsheng
Thinking of him, Xia Qianqian's heart skipped a beat.
"Sister, was it sent by someone you know?" Xia Yu asked.
Xia Qianqian shook her head: "I don't know."
It was too dark at night and it was impossible to tell whose carriage it belonged just by looking at the wheel marks.
"Should we collect the charcoal?" Xia Yu asked. In fact, he really wanted to collect it. His idea was simple. The thatched house was too cold. With Yintan Niang and his sisters, they would not be cold at night.
"Take it." Xia Qianqian said decisively. No matter who sent it, it was hers, and she would waste it if she didn't use it.
She used to envy the winter in the north because of the snow. Now she doesn't envy it anymore! It's too cold! She has only been out for a while, but her hands and feet are already stiff.
The brother and sister dragged the hemp charcoal back to the house. Xia Qianqian found a broken iron basin, put the silver charcoal that had been heated red over the fire in it, and moved it to the side of the bed.
The sudden warmth made Qin feel strange: "Qianqian, what did you put in there?"
"Charcoal basin." said Xia Qianqian.
"Where can we get charcoal at home?" Qin asked curiously.
Xia Qianqian and Xia Yu looked at each other, and Xia Qianqian lied, "I bought it today."
Qin frowned, and Xia Qianqian knew that she was beginning to feel bad about money again, so she smiled and said, "It's not expensive, I bought it cheaply."
"Mom, this way you won't feel cold when you sleep at night." Xia Yu sat next to Qin, "Mom, I'll sleep with you tonight, okay?"
Xia Qianqian burst out laughing: "There is only one bed in the house, we have no choice, the four of us sleep together."
"That's right." Qin hugged Xia Yu lovingly and thought about how to sleep tonight. The bed could be squeezed together, but what about the quilt? They only had a tattered quilt, which was not enough for four people.
Xia Qianqian took out the green cloak and said, "You three can squeeze into the bed. I'll sleep in my clothes and wrap myself in the cloak so I won't be cold."
(End of this chapter)