They have returned to the general's mansion. The house can't always be empty, and with the addition of a little tiger, it's even more lively now.

Shen Xingmian prepared a lot more for dinner, and together she called Xiao Yanyue to go next door to invite her two great-aunts.

They are not actually old ladies, but their seniority makes them seem a bit distant.

But once you get to know them, you'll find that they all have high emotional intelligence and can get along with anyone.

Shen Xingmian really liked this kind of elder, who loved the younger generation, knew a lot of things, and was willing to teach them. At other times, he was also good at maintaining a sense of distance so that people wouldn't feel that he was being inappropriate.

They can offer guidance, but they won't criticize or belittle others.

That evening, Shen Zhiheng and Shen Yunqi returned, and the family had a reunion dinner. There were three round tables, and they were all full.

Shen Zhiheng had always treated the servants in his household very well, and after the exile incident, he treated them all as family members.

When it came to meals, the two round tables were placed side by side, becoming more and more casual.

He also asked Luo Qi'an to solicit everyone's opinions: those who wanted to stay at home could stay and guard the house, and those who wanted to go to the army could go and work there.

The main point is that it does not restrict anyone.

From the perspective of that era, it was completely devoid of rules, but Shen Xingmian liked it very much, and the Shen family also accepted it well.

*

Next comes the process of processing autumn vegetables in large quantities. This involves storing large quantities of frozen vegetables that are still edible, and then pickling several jars of vegetables. This completes the food arrangements for the entire winter.

Shen Xingmian herself doesn't have this kind of trouble, but she likes to join in the fun.

The autumn vegetable market is very crowded, and most of the people are bartering, exchanging their surplus for others' surplus.

Everyone has their own judgment and knows the approximate price of these vegetables, so there's no chance of being cheated or taken advantage of.

It went quite smoothly.

Once all of these are prepared, it's time to prepare for all the arrangements for the New Year, such as New Year's gifts, new clothes for family members, red decorations for the house, and so on.

This is Shen Xingmian's second New Year here. Last year, her family wasn't all here, and she was under a lot of pressure, so she didn't prepare many things for the New Year.

This year is completely different; they have no more worries.

They not only made purchases in Yong'an Town, but also went to the neighboring Fucheng. The soldiers took turns clearing the snow from the roads, and the roads remained clear, making it much easier for them to go out.

Others might worry about the livestock freezing along the way, but Shen Xingmian doesn't have to worry about that; she can go wherever she wants.

So she put the people who wanted to join in the fun into the space, and she and Xiao Yanyue got into the car.

She didn't know why Xiao Yanyue was driving, but she still got into the passenger seat. Once inside, she realized that the child could brake with ease, and his legs even seemed to have grown longer.

That's outrageous.

But having witnessed Jun'er's rapid growth, Shen Xingmian has gradually accepted this, attributing it to the enhancements from his supernatural abilities and spatial abilities.

The atmosphere in the car was a bit heavy, and she didn't know what to say for a moment. The two of them used to communicate effortlessly, but as Xiao Yanyue grew up, the atmosphere gradually became strange.

Shen Xingmian dared not let her imagination run wild, for fear that she was overthinking things and being delusional, which would be too embarrassing.

But she didn't quite believe that Xiao Yanyue didn't mean it that way.

His life consisted of nothing but practicing martial arts and reading.

He is very polite to his elders, but he is not particularly close to them, including his maternal grandmother, and he does not act cute or hug her.

Perhaps his parents' early death accelerated his growth, making him not like a child at all.

Only towards himself, he always wanted to get close, even if he didn't say it, his actions showed it.

It's likely that the adults intentionally arranged for them to be alone together like this today.

Forget it, she simply suppressed all related thoughts and decided to leave this tricky matter to herself in the future.

Anyway, there are still two years until she comes of age, so there's no rush.

To avoid being disturbed by the unusual atmosphere, she specifically found some songs to play. No wonder people play music in their cars; it's a great way to avoid awkward situations.

Upon arriving at the neighboring prefecture, the group boarded carriages and went in to make purchases.

Actually, there aren't many things I need to buy, as I already have most of the items in the space. It's just that there's not much interesting to do in the winter, and after staying home for so long, I just wanted to go out and join in the fun.

In just one year, the children in the family have grown up quite a bit, especially Shen Xingmian and Shen Xingyan, who are no longer just beauties.

With a little dressing up, you can become the center of attention.

Along the way, they attracted a lot of attention, some envious and some jealous, but neither of them cared.

Since it's a rare opportunity to go shopping, of course I want to dress up nicely.

They didn't care, but Shen Zheng and Xiao Yanyue couldn't help but care. They each protected one of them, blocking those malicious gazes.

In Shen Xingmian's opinion, there's really no point in blocking her. She's so beautiful now and has the ability to resist all bad intentions, so it's perfect for fishing.

If there really is a spoiled brat who wants to do something outrageous, it's a good opportunity to teach him a lesson and rid the people of a scourge.

However, no.

The two men guarding outside were tall and long-legged, clearly skilled in martial arts. Standing there like two intimidating figures, no one dared to come and cause trouble.

The two girls freely selected items that caught their eye; they bought whatever they liked and could use.

Some are very practical, while others are purely decorative.

When Shen Xingmian was struggling financially in the past, she never understood why anyone would spend money to buy things like dolls that were only for looking at but had no practical use. Now, she finally understands a little.

When you have enough money, buying decorative items can bring a lot of joy to yourself and your family.

She pulled Shen Xingyan along, and the two of them had a lively discussion all the way, their interest was very high.

By the time they finished their shopping spree, it was already afternoon. The group went into the largest restaurant in the city, ordered some of their signature dishes, and happily began to eat.

This restaurant is much larger and more impressive than the one in Yong'an Town. It's very grand and has a lot of diners, but it's also quite noisy.

There are quite a few people who become very loud after drinking alcohol.

Unlike those people in the capital, who are all very concerned about their image and pay close attention to their appearance when they are out in public, they would never make a loud noise.

Shen Xingmian was focused on finding any juicy gossip, but she found that eating gossip about strangers was a bit boring.

The best way to enjoy melons is to eat them from people you know well.

She didn't know anyone in this city. After listening for a while, she found it a bit boring and decided to eat her meal in peace.