Chapter 122 Hundred-Day Banquet
Luo Haoran had been listening intently ever since Zhao Xiheng ran away, waiting for someone to rescue him. But all he got to see was his accomplice being thrown into the dungeon.
The dungeon in the manor is deserted year-round. Wei Li is so stingy that even the military prison only serves tofu and cabbage, so naturally the food here is not much better. It consists of nothing but cornbread and pickled vegetables. Even drinking hot water is considered a waste of firewood.
Luo Haoran never expected this; Wei Li, that little brat, could be so stingy when it came to raising a child.
The food delivery person arrived unusually early today. When I opened the lunchbox, I was surprised to find it contained pork and cabbage stew with glass noodles and white rice.
The dish was covered with a layer of glistening oil, steaming hot.
Luo Haoran swallowed hard, his eyes shining. "What day is it today? The food is so good."
"Today is the young lady's 100-day celebration. Madam said she would improve everyone's meals, including those in prison."
The food in Luo Haoran's mouth suddenly lost its flavor.
This is completely different from what he expected.
For Zhizhi's 100-day celebration, everyone well-known in Pingzhou came, and the once quiet house was bustling with activity.
Zhizhi is almost three and a half months old. Her hair is already thick and black, though still a bit short, and lies smoothly on her head. Her eyebrows and eyes are distinct, and her eyes are big and round, as black as her hair, with a slight upward curve at the corners. Her nose is quite straight, and her chin is pointed, giving her the beginnings of an oval face.
Individually, they don't really resemble Wei Li, but when put together, they look like they were made from the same mold.
Zhao Xiheng rummaged through the clothes in the closet, then spread them out in front of Wei Li. "Look, should I dress her in this tiger outfit, or this rabbit outfit? There are also outfits with calves, lambs, and pigs."
They're all fluffy and have a milky, milky feel, which makes Zhizhi look even more delicate and adorable.
"Is this all?" Wei Li, holding the child, looked up at Zhao Xiheng with sincere eyes, full of questions.
Zhao Xiheng slapped her forehead.
Four outfits a year...
She still clearly remembers the promise Wei Li made to her with such conviction, and it's about to be proven wrong...
He probably doesn't care; he's used to being slapped in the face.
"Don't make any more oaths when you have nothing to do," Zhao Xiheng earnestly advised, to avoid embarrassing herself.
"Huh?" Wei Li was picking out clothes for her daughter to wear today when she suddenly heard her say that, and looked up in surprise.
Did he make any oaths?
No.
The 100-day celebration includes a naming ceremony and a ceremony to recognize the maternal uncle, making it a memorable day.
We should bring it out for everyone to see, but it's too cold outside, and even if Zhizhi is healthy, we shouldn't joke around like this.
She was simply dressed in a little tiger costume, all wrapped up and round, and was being carried by Wei Li as they invited everyone to come in and see her in the warm pavilion.
Zhizhi was held upright, her fair and tender little face pressed against Wei Li's shoulder. Her soft, chubby cheeks were squeezed together, making her look extremely cute and docile. Paired with a fluffy yellow tiger hat, it was enough to melt anyone's heart.
Some people want to pinch Zhizhi's face because she's cute; others want to pinch her face simply because Wei Li is hated and Zhizhi looks like him.
Wei Li's palm strike wasn't too serious. Chen Ruojiang coughed up blood, but after two or three days of rest, he was back to his usual energetic self.
He leaned closer, opened his arms to Zhizhi, and asked, "Can I have a hug?"
The obedient Zhizhi lay there and gave him two cute but fierce "ah ah" sounds, then hugged Wei Li's neck tightly.
This means you can't be hugged.
Chen Ruonan laughed mercilessly twice, making Chen Ruojiang's face turn red and white in turns.
He has a low social status, so he has no dignity.
The young lady's father was mean to him, and the young lady was mean to him too?
"Give Auntie a hug!" Chen Ruonan opened her arms to Zhizhi in order to further provoke Chen Ruojiang.
Zhizhi glanced at her twice, then let out two fierce "ah ah" sounds.
But she's so young and tender, even her fierceness is incredibly cute, and Chen Ruonan's heart has already melted.
Okay, fine, I won't hold you then. I'll do whatever my little one says.
Throughout the entire event, Zhizhi wouldn't let anyone hug her, and would even be fierce if anyone got too close.
Some people whispered among themselves, "She's so young and already acts just like her father. Who knows how domineering she'll be when she grows up."
Chen Ruonan went to find Zhao Xiheng. A while ago, Gou Dan'er brought back a little female cat that was pregnant and had given birth to kittens. Chen Ruonan asked Zhao Xiheng for one of the kittens and planned to come and take it away when it was two months old. Now it has been two months.
Looking at Chen Ruonan, whose eyes were shining, Zhao Xiheng suddenly felt a little afraid of discouraging her. "Come with me."
The kitten can run and jump.
Chen Ruonan looked at the two little figures in the room, who looked like glutinous rice balls, and her legs went weak.
The kitten heard the noise and turned around.
Chen Ruonan couldn't smile.
Honestly, Gou Dan'er is quite handsome, and the little white cat it brought back looks like a little fairy cat. She never imagined that Zai Zai could be this ugly.
It's ugly in a unique way.
Two cubs, one white all over and black on the face, looking like it had just come back from digging coal.
It was black all over with a white head, and from a distance it looked like a bald cat.
...
“I…” Chen Ruonan licked her lips.
"You choose one." Zhao Xiheng threatened her with her eyes, signaling her not to abandon him after starting something.
With tears in her eyes, Chen Ruonan chose the one with a white body and a black face.
So what if it's ugly? Maybe it'll become beautiful after some care.
Wei Li asked Zhao Xiheng for the sixth time, "Why hasn't my brother arrived yet? He said he would come today."
"..." Zhao Xiheng glanced at him with a sly look, "Don't think I don't know what you're up to."
Wei Li said confidently, "Today is a big day, the child has to meet her uncle."
Xie Qingyu rushed as fast as she could and finally arrived before the banquet at noon. The roads were slippery due to the snow, making it difficult for the car to travel, which caused some delay.
As soon as they arrived at the gate, the guards shouted with great enthusiasm, "Uncle has arrived!"
One sound after another, set against the backdrop of bright red silk and lanterns, made the occasion even more festive.
Then, several people surrounded him and Li Qinglong and led them inside, saying enthusiastically as they greeted them, "Uncle, you didn't know that our lord has been talking about you since early this morning, and has been asking people why you haven't arrived yet."
Xie Qingyu remained expressionless and her eyes were lifeless as they chattered on.
What good thing is it that Wei Li is talking about?
He only came today because of A-Dan and the child; who cares about that gossipy Wei Li?
He never stops talking, and even late into the night when we have long talks with him by candlelight, he still can't say anything nice.
Xie Qingyu was welcomed into the warm pavilion where the banquet was being held.
Upon seeing him, Wei Li carried the child and moved towards Xie Qingyu. Xie Qingyu, thinking of this wonderful day, smiled and greeted him politely.
"Brother, look at your niece." Wei Li didn't say much, but pushed Zhi Zhi's face in front of Xie Qingyu.
Xie Qingyu could barely contain her smile. "Okay, so cute."
He looked at Zhizhi's innocent face. Anyone could tell at a glance that she was Wei Li's daughter. No wonder this guy had been waiting for him day and night with ill intentions.
Wei Li was satisfied, his heart almost swelled with pride. He had achieved his goal for today, but he still mischievously pointed at Xie Qingyu and said to Zhizhi, "Does your uncle know this? Uncle, Zhizhi's mother's brother."
Xie Qingyu has never wanted to roll her eyes at the sky in her entire life.
He lied through his teeth, saying, "Zhizhi looks just like Adan when she was little."
We can't let Wei Li get too cocky.
Li Qinglong fidgeted and stared at Zhizhi from behind Xie Qingyu.
Ah! This is Emperor Huiwu's granddaughter. She has such big, bright eyes.
Wei Li handed Zhizhi to Xie Qingyu, "Brother, would you like a hug?"
He was calculating his options, but he didn't really want Xie Qingyu to hold his daughter. Fortunately, Zhizhi was attached to her and didn't like strangers. In the end, Zhizhi wouldn't let him hold her, and it was Xie Qingyu who felt awkward.
Xie Qingyu had never held a child before, and her whole body stiffened, unsure of what to do with her hands.
Zhizhi's behavior was unexpected. She was willing to let Xie Qingyu hold her and naturally opened her arms to him. Wei Li had no intention of letting Xie Qingyu hold the child at all, so he couldn't really put her in his arms. He quickly took her back and said, "Brother has never held a child before, so let's skip it this time."
He was so angry he wanted to spank Zhizhi. The little rascal was a traitor, not on his side at all.
So it's not that they don't want strangers to hug them, it's that Chen Ruojiang and the others aren't good-looking enough?
Wei Li's daughter took her mother's surname and was named Zhao Tulin. Everyone already knew this. At first, everyone was so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths, but then they were relieved.
It's none of their business what other people call their children.
However, this shows that Wei Li's feelings for Zhao Xiheng are very sincere. He even gave his first child her surname. What kind of relationship must they have to be to do that?
Hua Shangle also came. Wei Li hadn't held the spy incident against him, but he was still feeling uneasy about it. Since things were going well and Wei Li was in a good mood, he wanted to have a few more drinks with him to apologize and make him let go of his resentment.
He usually drank a lot, which Zhao Xiheng couldn't control, but she had things to do tonight, so she secretly pinched his waist and said, "Drink less."
He gets nauseous when he drinks too much and can't do anything.
Wei Li always kept this in mind: when he tried to persuade someone to drink, he would only drink one cup after being persuaded to drink five. Even after the banquet ended and night fell, he was still sober.
The guests were all settled in the west courtyard. He changed his clothes, which still smelled of alcohol, rinsed his mouth, and quietly asked, "Where's Zhizhi?"
"Just woke up."
The two lit lamps, and Wei Li carried a jar of wine from under the eaves outside the door.
Zhao Xiheng sat to one side watching him and Huang Ni.
The candlelight was dim and had a warm orange glow. The family of three sat around the table, creating a very warm scene. Wei Li was stunned for a moment. He hadn't dared to imagine such a scene when he was rescued from the cave; nor had he dared to imagine such a scene when he intercepted Zhao Xiheng in Dandong.
The best moment of his life was this moment. Everything he had never dared to hope for had come true.
Zhao Xiheng never imagined that after her mother and father left her one by one, she would one day have the warm scene of her family sitting around the candle.
but……
She kicked Wei Li, who was standing there in a daze, and said, "What are you doing! The mud will dry soon!"
Wei Li realized what was happening and quickly pasted the silk cloth onto the wine jar, then sealed the jar with yellow mud.
When the yellow mud was half dry, Zhao Xiheng held Zhizhi in her arms, while Wei Li supported Zhizhi's slender legs, pressing a small footprint into the mud seal.
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