Chapter 8: Cousins Treating Their Cousin and Nephew Differently (In the Creation of a New World, Eminent Figures Are Cordially Invited to Share)

It was rare to see the usually strong-willed Fourth Sister-in-law soften, and Guoxiang Liu pressed her lips together before replying, “How could I not recognize a kind heart?”

“You were the one who spoke to my younger sister that way first; that’s why I snapped back at you.”

She understood well that at this moment, it was truly rare for someone to offer their precious rice as a gift.

So when the sisters-in-law brought their nieces over to visit, she reluctantly took out the pumpkin seeds—treats her own household seldom allowed themselves to eat—to serve everyone.

“All right, all right, both of you, ease up a bit,” Auntie Fan Yadi quickly tried to smooth things over. “As for the Fourth Family, don’t bring Rongqun back home with you.”

Second Sister, Xingfang Xie, smiled and said, “On a rainy day like this, there’s nothing else to do if you go home, so why not stay? We sisters-in-law can have a nice chat.”

“That’s right. When the team brings back the peanuts later, we can shell them together and earn some credit points,” Guoxiang Liu reminded.

It was this remark that made Guiying Ou tighten her expression as she held her little daughter and returned to sit down.

Yongkun Yi, along with her two nieces and nephews, had no idea what the adults were talking about.

Meanwhile, Shichun and Shitian, the siblings, scampered around the room. Taking advantage of the adults’ distraction, they even ventured to the edge of the gutter, reaching out their tiny hands to play with the water, their little feet twitching restlessly.

“Shichun, Shitian, if you dare stick your feet out there again, Grandma will spank you,” Guoxiang Liu shouted sternly, startling the children into stillness.

Yongkun Yi, who was in the midst of mentally communicating with her system, was snapped back to reality by her mother’s shout. Looking at where her nieces and nephews stood, she felt a twinge of temptation herself.

But facing her mother’s warning gaze, she obediently smiled and remained quiet.

Lost in thought again, she spoke to the system: “Tongtong, you still haven’t explained what a ‘host’ is.”

“Host means… oh wait, no, it’s the ‘host’,” the system had been led astray by the children, but quickly corrected itself. “The host I mean is you.”

“I’m the little sister, not the host,” Yongkun Yi earnestly corrected. “Everyone at home calls me ‘little sister.’”

She was proud of that; everyone in her family addressed her that way.

No, her nieces and nephews called her ‘little aunt’ or ‘young lady,’ but in any case, it was all forms of addressing her, which wasn’t important.

In the village, everyone without exception called her ‘little sister’—or ‘little aunt,’ or ‘young lady.’

She was used to it.

Now that Tongtong called her ‘host,’ she didn’t like it; ‘little sister’ sounded better.

The system replied, “...Alright, alright, from now on, I’ll call you little sister too.”

“No, you can’t call me that,” Yongkun Yi objected again. “Those who call me ‘little sister’ are all older than me... but wait, Shiping, Shikai, Shixue, my nephews, are older than me, yet they still call me ‘little aunt.’”

“Ah, I don’t understand either. Anyway, Tongtong can’t call me ‘little sister’ or ‘little aunt.’”

At just a few years old, the children didn’t understand the hierarchy of family titles; they only distinguished by age, which left them confused about why everyone in the entire village addressed her that way.

The system was equally perplexed and didn’t know how to answer.

On the Stardust Network:

[What’s the little ancestor doing? It’s been half an hour since breakfast and she’s still sitting there, motionless.]

[Maybe that’s just the little ancestor’s usual habit.]

[Didn’t you see the other two little ancestors already running around the house? Why is the streamer little ancestor so quiet?]

[Could it be that the system is talking to the little ancestor?]

The online viewers: …

“Time to pick peanuts.”

Just then, someone digging up peanuts in the field despite the drizzle called out as they approached the door.

“Oh, it’s Rongxiu. Bring the peanuts inside; we’ll shell them here.”

“Alright, Auntie, Mom, Fourth Sister, you’re all at Youngest Aunt’s place.”

Yirongxiu Yi carefully carried two large bundles of peanuts inside and wiped the sweat from his brow before greeting everyone politely.

Then he looked toward Yongkun Yi, who was sitting nearby, and quickly stepped forward to hand her a handful of dried sweet potatoes. “Little sister, this is for you.”

“Thank you, Fourth Brother Xiu.”

“You’re a good little sister.”

Turning around, Yirongxiu took out another handful and shared it with Shichun and Shitian.

The two children politely thanked him, “Thank you, Fourth Uncle Xiu.”

“Oh, very good.”

He greeted his mother and several aunts and then turned to leave. “You all keep busy; I have to go pick more.”

Guoxiang Liu called out, “There’s boiling water in the kitchen. If you’re thirsty, help yourself.”

“Don’t worry, Youngest Aunt, I know,” Yirongxiu replied. “I’m not thirsty yet; I’ll drink when I am.”

Xingfang Xie urged her fourth son, “Alright, go on and work. If you stay out in the rain too long, the peanuts will start to sprout.”

Guiying Ou chimed in, “Exactly. If those peanuts sprout, there’s no way to turn them in as tribute grain.”

“Even selling them won’t fetch a price.”

The sisters-in-law chatted back and forth as Yirongxiu nodded in agreement and stepped out of Yongkun Yi’s house.

[Wow, are these the legendary peanuts? They still have dirt on them, right?]

[Those yellowish bits must be stems and leaves.]

[Look, the elder ladies have put down their sewing and taken little stools to sit by the peanuts.]

[Wow, they’re so fast.]

[Those small, dirt-covered pods are the peanuts.]

[I really want to try picking peanuts myself. It must be a wonderful experience.]

Not long after Yirongxiu left, another person carrying peanuts came back, and several women hurried to help take the bundles.

This time it was Yirongshun Yi.

Seeing the people at Youngest Aunt’s house, he didn’t forget to greet them. “Auntie, Second Aunt, Mom, you’re here too.”

“It’s a good thing I ran into Xiu while picking peanuts. Otherwise, I would have brought them home for Mom and Youngest Sister to shell,” Rongqun Yi laughed.

“Hmm,” Yirongshun nodded at his sister and then looked toward Guoxiang Liu. “Youngest Aunt, are you feeling well?”

“No, I’m fine. Thank you for asking, Rongshun,” Guoxiang Liu replied cheerfully. “Which field did you dig peanuts from today?”

“From that big plot at Beiyaowan,” Yirongshun wiped his sweat and answered. “Also from the steep soil there. If all goes well, we should finish digging today.”

The women nodded in satisfaction. “That’s good.”

While chatting with the elders, Yirongshun also approached Yongkun Yi and pulled out a handful of roasted soybeans, handing them to her.

He put them directly into her little pocket. “Little sister, this is for you.”

“Thank you, big brother Rongshun.”

Yongkun Yi glanced at the dried sweet potatoes in her hand and reluctantly offered them to him. “Brother, please have some.”

“I won’t eat it. You keep it for yourself,” Yirongshun said, ruffling her hair. Then he took out another handful and shared them with the playing Shichun and Shitian.

The two children likewise thanked him politely.

From the interstellar livestream room:

[Did you notice? These two brothers give snacks to the three kids in different amounts.]

[Yes, I noticed. The Fourth Brother gave the streamer little ancestor one handful and the other two siblings one handful to share.]

[And now this big brother is doing the same. Seems like they both prefer the streamer little ancestor.]