While Xu Mumu and the others were talking, voices came from outside, sounding very lively.
"It's Uncle Xu coming back with Dongbao and the others." Xu Tao said with surprise. Uncle Xu lives in the city, and every time he comes back, he brings lots of delicious food, although all this good food ends up being put away by Grandma.
"Alright, that's it for today." Xu Mumu put away the book, as the younger ones had completely lost interest in studying at this point.
Xu Mumu was quite curious about this Uncle of theirs, although she had memories of him.
Xu Mumu and Xu Minghui packed up their things and prepared to go have a look.
As Xu Mumu was heading out, she glanced in the direction of the second house, and caught a glimpse of Xu Xue looking towards the entrance with an undisguised sneer and sarcasm on her face.
Xu Mumu's heart skipped a beat slightly; the return of their Uncle Xu was probably not so simple, and Xu Mumu became more vigilant.
"Sister, what are you looking at them for?" Xu Minghui glanced at the timid looks of the two from the second house, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
"Nothing, let's go out." Xu Mumu quickly withdrew her gaze.
The siblings walked outside, while Xu Mumu was pondering about the events in the book. Could something big be about to happen?
According to the situation in the book, the family should have been split up by now, but her intervention had changed a lot of things, and therefore the family hadn't split yet.
While thinking about the book, Xu Mumu arrived before Xu Laosan and Xu He. This time it was the whole Xu Laosan family who had returned. Lin Juan was chatting with a few sisters-in-law; it seemed very lively.
Xu Mumu squinted her eyes slightly—something was off. In her memory, this third aunt always came back acting high and mighty, feeling superior for being a city dweller, looking down on these sisters-in-law, and not respecting Grandma either.
But now, Lin Juan's demeanor was much more humble.
"Uncle Xu, Aunt Xu." Xu Mumu greeted them with a smile.
"Mumu is getting prettier and prettier." Lin Juan walked over with a smile to hold Xu Mumu's hand, a flash of surprise passing through her eyes. In just a few months, Xu Mumu had grown more beautiful.
Previously, this little girl still looked like a child, but now she was starting to blossom.
Looking at Xu Mumu's face, Lin Juan's gaze wavered.
"Aunt Xu is the beautiful one," Xu Mumu replied with a gentle smile, discreetly withdrawing her hand. Her habits from the post-apocalyptic world made her not fond of physical contact.
"This child is becoming more and more articulate. No wonder your Grandma likes you so much. I also find you adorable." Lin Juan smiled lightly, covering her mouth. Lin Juan herself was just in her twenties, only about ten years older than Xu Mumu, and being the sole daughter living in the city, she had been pampered since childhood, naturally looking decent.
Xu Mumu looked at Lin Juan but didn't say much more.
The family of Uncle Xu was taken into a room, and Xu Mumu didn't join them. She couldn't recall a lot of details from the book; she only read the novel because it shared her name, skipping through Xu Mumu's family drama. Having read it so long ago, she'd forgotten much of it.
If it weren't for Xu Xue's expression earlier, she might not have felt anything, but Xu Xue's expression told her something was definitely going to happen, and she needed to be cautious.
Recalling Xu Xue's expression, it wasn't just a sneer—it was also a look of excitement deep in her eyes.
What could make Xu Xue so excited now? Either a family split, or misfortune befalling the main house.
Either way, she had to be prepared in advance.
"Sister, what's up? Do you have something on your mind?" Xu Minghui leaned against the door frame of Xu Mumu's room, looking at her with concern.
"Brother, I feel like Uncle Xu's return isn't that simple. They usually don't come back at this time; it's not a festival or anything, there must be a reason." Xu Mumu said seriously.
"Tsk, tsk, I couldn't tell, my sister is getting insightful. Don't worry, Mom is very savvy. With Mom around, it won't be easy for them to get anything good." Xu Minghui said confidently, smiling. He had great faith in their mother's strength.
"No, it's not that simple. The issue must be significant. Brother, I have a bad feeling." Xu Mumu insisted, hoping her family would be more careful.
"Alright, I got it. I'll go keep an eye on them." Seeing Xu Mumu's anxious expression, Xu Minghui took it more seriously. To be honest, he was curious about the sudden return of Uncle Xu's family too.
"Big sister, Aunt Xu wants you to come over; she says she brought a gift just for you." Xu Wan ran over from outside, cautiously watching Xu Mumu. Although Xu Mumu had become much gentler lately, Xu Wan had always been a bit afraid of her, due to Xu Mumu's past domineering behavior at home.
Moreover, being young, she could see that Xu Mumu treated her and her sister differently from the younger siblings in the fourth house. To them, Xu Mumu was completely indifferent, but she was as caring as a real sister to Xu Tao and Xu Jiaojiao. Xu Wan had envied Xu Jiaojiao and the others before.
"I see." Xu Mumu nodded, walking out of the room, remembering to close the door behind her.
"Mumu, hurry over. Look, Aunt Xu bought you a dress, it's made of Dacron fabric, apparently from Hai City." Lin Juan beckoned Xu Mumu with a smile.
Xu Mumu looked over to Lin Juan's hand. It was a pale yellow dress, its color quite vibrant unlike most fabrics at the time which tended to be darker and more stain-resistant.
"Mumu, quickly try it on. Your Aunt Xu spent a lot on it; you shouldn't waste her kind thought." Li Caixia said excitedly. Of all the things Lin Juan brought, Xu Mumu's dress was the most precious.
Because of this dress, Li Caixia was overly satisfied with the third house.
"Why did Aunt Xu suddenly think of buying me a dress?" Xu Mumu didn't take the dress. The friendlier Lin Juan's smile became, the more Xu Mumu felt she had ulterior motives.
"When I saw this dress, I knew it would look good on you. Go try it on." Lin Juan's eyes flickered, her smile exceedingly gentle.
"This dress is too expensive, Aunt Xu should return it, or you can wear it yourself." Xu Mumu didn't take the dress from Lin Juan.