Jiaren was teased by his two friends, so he called out to Cat Brother, "Let Brother Jia and Brother Lu have a taste too!"

Cat immediately grabbed two pieces of sticky rice cake and ran over, feeding each of them one piece each.

So, in the twilight of late winter, five or six children, big and small, without exception, puffed out their cheeks and began to struggle with the sticky rice cake.

Grandma Li, Zhao Yuru, and the others couldn't stop laughing, pleased that the children got along so well.

Tao Hongying came in from outside, not knowing why, and instructed, "Eat less sticky rice cake, it's hard to digest. We'll be grilling meat skewers around the stove at home tonight, so save some room."

Cat Brother and Li Brother immediately cheered with joy.

Jiayin quickly asked her father and second uncle, and heard that they had gone to the valley and would be back soon, so they would definitely not be left behind.

She then thought of sending a letter to Mr. Wen, and it would be best to also send some grilled meat skewers to her godfather.

As it turned out, at this time, Mr. Wen and Lord Hou returned from the city together.

Jiayin was overjoyed and immediately went to the courtyard gate, but was eventually carried inside by the Marquis on his shoulder.

Lu Zong and Jia Xu both knew that the Marquis treated Princess Kangle like his own daughter, but seeing it with their own eyes still left them astonished.

This is hardly a biological daughter!

That's clearly an eyeball!

In the winter twilight, the chubby girl sat on her godfather's shoulders, smiling brightly, like a flower of happiness.

Lu Zong felt envious, and for some reason, he gently touched his own shoulder...

Grandma Li laughed and scolded her beloved granddaughter, "Your godfather is so tired, and you're still sitting on his shoulders? Get down right now! Do you think you're your own father, all that brute strength on your shoulders!"

Jiayin slid down her godfather's arm with a smile, took his hand and sat down, then ran to get fruit and snacks, busy like a little bee in a flower garden.

The war god in the mouths of outsiders, the demon in the mouths of barbarians, is now protecting his most beloved chubby girl, just an ordinary father.

The Marquis peeled the orange, removed the pith, and fed the orange segments to his daughter with practiced ease.

Jia Xu and Lu Zong were so shocked they were numb.

Li Lao Er exchanged a few pleasantries with them and then introduced them to the Marquis.

The Marquis glanced at Lu Zong and asked, "Is Lu Qianjun your father or your uncle?"

“Yes, my lord, it is indeed my father,” Lu Zong quickly replied.

The Marquis nodded and said, "If you have the chance, please convey my regards to your father. It's fortunate that he was there to guard the southwest of Tianwu; otherwise, we wouldn't even have the chance to recuperate in this remote corner."

Lu Zong was very excited and quickly bowed to express his gratitude.

Their Lu family were kings of different surnames, and for many years they had guarded the southwest.

The Lu family considered themselves very loyal, but after all, they held considerable military power and feared that the emperor might become suspicious and wary, causing unnecessary trouble.

Therefore, this time, he, the only legitimate son of the Lu family—the heir of the Prince of Zhennan—took the initiative to come to Xindu to study, which also meant that he wanted to serve as a hostage, to show the Emperor the Lu family's openness and loyalty.

The fact that the Emperor's most trusted Marquis of Xinting so highly praises his father almost represents the Emperor's opinion of the Lu family.

This made him extremely happy!

Jia Xu's aunt was married in the southwest. When he went to visit her while traveling for his studies, he encountered bandits on his way back.

At the critical moment of life and death, Lu Zong and his entourage saw injustice and rescued him. The two then traveled together to Xindu, where they found common interests and became friends.

Now, Lu Zong's biggest worry is half resolved, and Jia Xu is happy as well...

In front of the Li family's young men, the Marquis always regarded himself as an uncle and elder, and never showed a cold face or put on airs.

While the food was still unprepared, he chatted with the boys.

"Jiaren, have classes started at the academy? You suddenly asked for leave to come back. Did your teacher give you any trouble?"

"No, Lord Marquis." Jia Ren smiled with a hint of mischief and said, "Tomorrow is the flower viewing day that the Hundred Flowers Garden and the Academy have agreed upon. I told my teacher that I would go back to ask my father to borrow a few more pots of good flowers."

"My husband immediately granted me leave and even told me to bring two more pots of orchids with me."

Li Ge'er and Mao Ge'er were also grinning. Mao Ge'er said, "Yeah, we used the excuse of helping our older brother move flower pots to skip class and come out with him."

The Marquis patted them on the shoulder and said, "Spring will be here soon, and we won't need to take the carriage anymore."

"There are a few horses in the camp that were injured on the battlefield. I had them nursed for a winter and they have recovered a lot. Although they can no longer go to the battlefield, they can still be ridden to travel without any problem."

"When Li Yong comes back in a few days, have him deliver it to you. Practice more often, and when you come back, you can ride a horse; it's fast and convenient."

"It's too quiet at home most of the time. Come back and spend more time with Grandma and your sister when you have free time."

"Yes, Lord Marquis!" the three boys replied in unison.

Li Ge'er and Mao Ge'er were overjoyed, and even Jia Ren showed eight teeth.

No matter how old you are or how much you've studied, having elders who love you is a joyful thing.

Lu Zong and Jia Xu had no shortage of horses, but they didn't have any warhorses that the Marquis of Xinting had personally arranged to give them!

Unfortunately, this is something I can't envy!

Who told them not to have the surname Li anymore...

Soon, the barbecue grill, various meat skewers, vegetable skewers, shrimp and seafood, and seasonings were all laid out.

Having eaten it a few times, the Li family members skillfully took off their outer robes and began grilling.

Although Lu Zong and Jia Xu had never eaten it before, they could't go wrong by imitating it.

So, the cold wind of late winter wandered around the courtyards of each house, and when it finally reached the Li family's house, a group of old and young men wearing undergarments were seen around the oven, their faces glowing as they turned the meat skewers in their hands.

Occasionally, a sprinkle of seasoning powder would release an aroma that exploded throughout the room like a mini mushroom cloud.

The grease from the meat skewers dripped onto the charcoal fire, sizzling and releasing wisps of smoke...

Li Laosi ate with a ruddy complexion, then picked up the wine jar and filled a bowl for Lord Hou, Mr. Wen, and the others.

Jiaren, Lu Zong, and Jia Xu also got a bowl, while Li Ge'er got half a bowl.

Only Cat Bro, after begging and pleading for a long time, managed to get a bite from Fourth Uncle.

As a result, he screamed and ran inside to ask his sister for a fruit drink to rinse his mouth.

Everyone laughed heartily, grilling skewers in one hand and holding a wine bowl in the other, relaxed and lively.

Lu Zong and Jia Xu quickly became half-drunk, their faces flushed and their eyes glazed over, but they still kept putting the meat skewers in their hands to their mouths.

Jiaren slowly grilled two skewers of chicken wings.

This is something my family specially saved when we slaughtered a chicken for the Lunar New Year.

Once it was roasted to a golden brown and sizzling with oil, he shouted out.

Sure enough, the chubby little girl with a big smile came over, sat obediently next to him, and happily ate the chicken wings.

Cat Bro, being greedy, leaned over and took one too. He stuffed it directly into his mouth, munched on it for a while, and finally spat out two bones. Then, he proudly shouted, "Little sister, look how good I am!"

"Awesome! Awesome! My brother is the best!"

Jia Yin's praise was casual and half-hearted, which made Jia Ren, Jia Xu, and Lu Zong laugh.

Li Lao Er, recalling the rumors circulating in the city, asked, "My lord, is there any news about the Yaochi matter?"

The Marquis nodded. "This matter will be discussed at tomorrow's court assembly. Three days later, the Princess's family and all the stewards of Yaochi will be beheaded at the execution ground."

"Most of the other servants and slaves were forced to work by their families and would be sentenced to several years of hard labor."

"As for those who ingest Hibiscus Ointment, regardless of the severity of their actions, they shall all be executed. This is to prevent anyone from using Hibiscus Ointment to lure them again in the future, which would be detrimental to Tianwu."

"The smoking paraphernalia and hibiscus ointment seized from Yaochi should also be burned at Caishikou."