Chapter 756 A conversation between men.

As the sun set, Li San Niang, stepping into the last rays of sunlight, led Lu Zhu'er, who was holding a piece of fruit, back to the Li family home.

Li San Niang and her companions had only been seated for less than a quarter of an hour, and hadn't even finished their tea, when Li Da Lang, along with Wang Da Dan, Gao Hai Ping, and the Guo brothers, returned to the Li family home.

"I was wondering why you guys haven't gone home yet?"

Li's mother stepped forward and took the oil paper bag handed to her by Li Dalang. Smelling a meaty aroma, she asked, "Is it roast goose?"

"Hey, I took Sanlang and the others to the West Market for a stroll. By sheer coincidence, they were freshly baked and smelled so good that we bought one."

Li's mother said, "That's perfect, cutting it up will just add another dish."

Tonight's dinner wasn't as formal as last night's, but Li's mother and sister-in-law weren't stingy. There were two meat dishes on each table, and the staple food was still the baked flatbread they bought from the street. The meat-filled flatbread was fresh out of the oven and smelled delicious.

After dinner, Li San Niang proudly showed everyone the portrait she had drawn with Lu Zhu'er at the library that day.

"Thank you for asking around for me, Second Brother. When I went there, the painter was very easy to talk to, and the price was fair."

I had two small portraits of Dewdrop painted, and then paid extra to have the artist paint another portrait of me holding Dewdrop.

Li San Niang presented the painting to her parents' small table as if it were a treasure, saying, "Although it's a bit expensive, it's colored, and even the pom-pom on Dewdrop's head is painted on."

Li San Niang's words aroused everyone's curiosity, and they all stood up to look at the small table between Li's father and mother.

On a two-foot square piece of paper was a drawing of a little girl wearing a pale yellow dress and with a light yellow pom-pom in her hair. The little girl was looking at people with a lively smile.

Today, Lu Zhu'er wore a bright yellow ruqun (a type of traditional Chinese dress) specially chosen by Li San Niang. The hair ties for her two little buns were also specially chosen by Li San Niang, with light yellow pom-poms, which made Lu Zhu'er, who was already fair-skinned, even more adorable.

Li Silang was short but quickest to jump. He stood in front of the square table, looked at the dewdrops nearby, then at the painting on the table, and exclaimed in amazement, "It's just like it! It looks so real! The dewdrops have been painted on the paper!"

"There's another one. I told the artist to make it realistic and to capture the movement of the figures."

Turning around, Li San Niang took another scroll from Qiu Xiang and opened it for everyone to see. It depicted a small dewdrop standing under a tree watching birds.

Although this picture doesn't show her face directly, it still exudes a lively, childlike energy that makes people happy just by looking at it.

"Didn't you say you also drew you and Dewdrop?"

Li's mother wanted to see a painting with Li San Niang in it, so she looked up and asked.

"The artist here is really skilled. He drew two portraits of Dewdrop and then became very proficient. This one is of me holding Dewdrop and playing cat's cradle. He finished it in half an hour and even added color."

This painting of Li San Niang and Lu Zhu Er playing cat's cradle is also two feet square, but the figures occupy a larger proportion of the picture and are more eye-catching.

Everyone passed the three paintings around with great curiosity, since at this time, apart from the wealthy and noble, very few ordinary people would bother to find an artist to paint a picture for them.

However, after hearing the price of the painting quoted by Li San Niang, everyone felt that it was really too expensive.

Holding Xiao Wulang, Li Ersao, sitting next to Li Erxiong, lowered her head and secretly pursed her lips. Her expression clearly showed that she thought Li Sanniang was a fool for spending dozens of taels of silver to paint just a few pictures.

However, ever since Li Erxiong sent her back to her parents' home in Wujia Village, Li Ersao has learned to never speak much in front of others.

Especially when faced with Li San Niang's extravagant spending, Li Er Sao didn't dare to utter a single word.

Seeing that everyone had lost interest in the three paintings, Li San Niang quickly and carefully put them away one by one.

“I will take Luzhu to have a painting done every year from now on. When Luzhu grows up, she will be very happy to see it.”

After saying this, Li San Niang looked at her father and mother sitting at the head of the table and said, "Father and Mother, I was thinking of inviting that painter to our house later, and while Hu Tou is home, let's paint a family portrait for us."

Tiger will likely be traveling more often in the future, so while there's still time, I'll draw a family portrait. When I miss someone, I can take out the drawing and look at it; that would be nice.

Li San Niang's suggestion truly resonated with Li's mother and sister-in-law.

After a few moments, Li's mother nodded and said, "Your idea is good. Then let your second brother contact the painter and see how much silver it costs to paint a family portrait."

"Your father and I will pay for this silver."

After chatting for a few more minutes, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.

Li Dalang and Li Erlang, carrying lanterns, escorted Li Dasao, who was holding Xiao Liulang, back into the house. Seeing that Li Daxiong was about to follow Li Dasao inside, Li Dalang quickly called out, "Father!"

Brother Li turned around and looked at Brother Li who had called him, but didn't speak. Instead, he gestured with his eyes: "What is it?"

"I have something I'd like to say to you alone, Father. Could you come back to our room and sit down so we can talk?"

Before Brother Li could reply, Sister-in-law Li, who had already entered the house, turned around with a teasing smile and asked, "Oh my, you're talking to me alone?"

Is this a secret between you and your father?

"You can't possibly keep this from your mother, can you?"

Li Dalang, carrying a lantern, bowed respectfully but did not answer his sister-in-law's question. He simply remained bowed, waiting for his brother's reply.

Brother Li and Sister-in-law Li exchanged a glance. They both felt strange, but seeing Brother Li's behavior, they understood that something was really wrong.

“Come on, let’s have a good talk, father and sons.”

Looking at Li Dalang and Li Erlang, who were walking on either side of Li Daxiong carrying lanterns, Sister-in-law Li couldn't help but shake her head. She thought to herself that "sons are no longer under their mother's control when they grow up," and that her children had truly grown up.

After sitting down in the house where Li Dalang and Li Erlang lived, they started by chatting about everyday things. As Li Dalang spoke about how hard Li Dalang's wife had worked to give birth and how difficult her pregnancy was, Li Dalang began to have some guesses in his mind.

Therefore, after listening to what Li Dalang had to say, Brother Li immediately asked, "Just say what you have to say. Aren't you two tired of hesitating?"

Brother Li's one sentence completely shattered the nearly fifteen-minute argument between Brother Li and Brother Li Erlang, especially since Brother Li said it in a tone that implied "I just don't like you," which only fueled their anger.

Therefore, after hearing this, Li Dalang remained silent for two breaths, and then, as if he had made up his mind, he looked up at Li Erlang. After receiving an encouraging look from Li Erlang, he said directly to Li Dalang, "Father, Erlang and I are thinking that in order to prevent Mother from suffering the pain of childbirth again, Father should drink the male contraceptive soup."

Mother's health is no longer suitable for drinking these herbal decoctions. Father's health is good, so for Mother's sake, it's better for Father to take the medicine.