The傻子叔 approached Bai Sheng, tilting his head to look at her, chuckling foolishly.
The瘸子叔 found his傻弟弟’s foolish demeanor unbearable. He shuffled his crippled leg and “walked” over, pulling the傻子叔 behind him. Lowering his head, he mumbled, “Forgive us, my brother is a fool.”
Bai Sheng smiled, "It's alright, he's just curious about me."
She then subtly observed the two uncles. Both their beards covered their entire faces. The lame one had many scars on his face, appearing to be deliberately inflicted. The foolish one had a good facial structure and build; if his beard and hair were properly groomed, his appearance wouldn't be too bad.
However, the familiar feeling in their eyes had been lingering in Bai Sheng's heart, making her feel vaguely unsettled.
After a few cups of tea, the sound of footsteps echoed from outside the courtyard gate. Judging by the sound, there were quite a few people approaching.
Bai Sheng guessed that everyone in the residence had come, except for Xiao Gu, as they had heard that the secluded courtyard was harboring two men kept secretly by the five children, and everyone wanted to witness the excitement.
The courtyard gate opened, and the crowd surged in like a flood. As Bai Sheng had predicted, everyone in the residence had arrived, except for Xiao Gu.
Aunt Ding held a cleaver, Oil and Flour, with an apron tied around them, held spatulas, while Su Jinfeng and A Dong still clutched needles and thread.
Qing Feng held a brush.
Lu Yun squeezed to the front, looking at Bai Sheng with an expression of having made a mistake.
Lu Ye walked to Bai Sheng's side.
Uncle Ding, with his mobility issues, sat on a wooden cart pulled by Tong and Tie.
He had been organizing account books at home when he heard Tian Dou shouting loudly. He immediately dropped his ledger and rushed over.
Because of his limp, he couldn't run fast, so Tong and Tie caught up to him midway and pulled him onto the wooden cart.
He had planned to kneel and apologize to his madam as soon as he got off the cart, after all, their home was harboring two strange men! And as the steward, he had been completely unaware, which was a grave dereliction of duty.
If these two men had ill intentions, the people in the residence would be in danger. Uncle Ding felt immense self-reproach.
To his surprise, the moment Tong and Tie helped him off the cart, he turned and saw the two men, and was immediately stunned.
It was them!
His two old acquaintances who had disappeared for a long time!
For the past six months, he had asked Ding Lei to search for them extensively, but they had never been found.
He had thought they had met with some accident and had grieved for a while. He never expected them to be taken in by Lu Yun and the children, and to have coincidentally returned to their former residence!
Thinking of the purple jade pendant his madam had worn earlier, and then looking at the coincidental and layered scene before him, Uncle Ding felt it must be fate, that Heaven was finally taking pity on the Baili family? And was about to mend the broken Baili family back together?
Uncle Ding’s emotions were exceptionally complex.
On the other side, the瘸子叔 was also deeply shocked to see Lu Ye, Lu Hua, and Lu Yun standing together.
The young man with exquisite beauty before him bore such a striking resemblance to his elder sister. Previously, he had thought Lu Yun resembled his elder sister, but now seeing this man, he looked even more like his elder sister than Lu Yun.
He felt his heart momentarily stop, and then a surge of immense surprise and joy welled up within him.
He quickly scanned the faces of the children, who resembled his elder sister. They were still siblings. Perhaps… perhaps his elder sister was not dead. These children must be related to his elder sister, they definitely must be!
Just as the瘸子叔 was in utter shock, Uncle Ding suddenly stepped forward, grabbed his arm, and exclaimed emotionally, "Master— I… I finally found you!"
"Brother Ding, how… how are you here!" the瘸子叔 asked in surprise. At this moment, a series of coincidences and unexpected events collided, leaving him overwhelmed.
Brother Ding looked much more energetic than before; for a moment, he hadn’t recognized him.
Uncle Ding wiped away a tear and smiled, "I sold myself to Young Master Lu’s family and became the steward."
The瘸子叔 glanced at Lu Ye again and nodded thoughtfully.
This young man resembled his elder sister too much; he wondered if Uncle Ding had noticed.
Lu Ye asked, "Uncle Ding, do you know them?"
Uncle Ding nodded, "They are… they are two old acquaintances of mine. They had been wandering the streets, and I never expected Second Master and the others to pick them up. This is truly too coincidental!"
"Elder Sister, Elder Sister!" Perhaps it was Lu Ye's sudden speaking that drew the傻子叔's attention. The傻子叔 ran to Lu Ye's side, linked his arm, and affectionately called him Elder Sister.
Tong and Tie, seeing this scene, couldn't help but laugh.
Lu Yun was also a little confused. The傻子叔 had always called him Elder Sister, but after seeing his elder brother, he suddenly called his elder brother Elder Sister. How could his elder brother, who was so masculine, be mistaken for a woman?
Lu Ye looked at the傻大个 before him, who was slightly shorter than himself. He couldn't muster any dislike in his heart. Even though he was a grown man, a pure man, being called Elder Sister by him, he couldn't bring himself to feel annoyed.
The瘸子叔 and Uncle Ding unconsciously exchanged a glance. Uncle Ding nodded slightly towards the瘸子叔.
Uncle Ding turned to Lu Ye and Bai Sheng and said, "Master, Madam, later, this old servant has very important matters to discuss with you both. Could you please bring my two acquaintances to the front courtyard first, let them have a comfortable hot bath, change into clean clothes, and groom their beards and hair?"
Bai Sheng and Lu Ye exchanged a look and nodded. "Uncle Ding, that's exactly what I intended. They are also Tianya's saviors. I will definitely make proper arrangements for them."
Uncle Ding gratefully said, "Thank you, Madam."
Watching Tong and Tie lift the瘸子叔 onto the cart, Bai Sheng suddenly understood the source of the strange familiarity in her heart. The eyes of the瘸子叔 and the傻子叔 bore some resemblance to Lu Ye!
This was too strange!
They were originally people from completely different walks of life, so why did she feel a sense of resemblance?
Also, Uncle Ding and the瘸子叔; she felt their relationship was not simple either.
Uncle Ding said he had important matters to tell them; what could it be?
Seeing her frowning, Lu Ye gently asked, "What are you thinking about?"
"Husband, what do you think Uncle Ding has important matters to tell us?"
Lu Ye smiled, "We'll know later. Perhaps he wants us to take in those two."
Before long, the courtyard was cleared. Bai Sheng instructed Jin, Mu, Shui, and Tu to pave the courtyard with stone bricks, clean the roofs and walls, and then bring in several large wooden tables and stools. From now on, this would serve as the clothing workshop.
Jin, Mu, Shui, and Tu immediately got busy.
Tong and Tie pulled the瘸子叔 to a courtyard with one entrance. This location was closest to the dining hall in the front, making it most convenient for the瘸子叔 and the傻子叔 to stay in the courtyard with one entrance.
With many servants in the household, they quickly prepared rooms for the two men, directly opposite Lu Yun and the children.
Furthermore, there were many side rooms in the courtyard with one entrance. Uncle Ding chose one to serve as a workspace for Lu Yun and the children, with bamboo and other materials neatly stacked inside.