She had only spoken halfway when Aunt Wu, Hui Niang, and Sister Liu returned with the child and some food.
She then stopped talking and said, "I'll talk to my aunt in detail tomorrow when things have calmed down."
Grandma Li nodded and said, "Okay, we'll talk about it tomorrow. Anyway, now that we're all back, you just need to focus on eating, sleeping, and getting better. Everything else is minor!"
They just got back today, and with so many people coming and going at home, it's not a good time to talk about this.
When Aunt Wu, Hui Niang, and Sister Liu entered the room, they noticed that Madam Cui's eyes were a little red and guessed that something was wrong, but they wisely did not ask.
Hui Niang and Sister Liu took out the needles and thread they had made earlier and handed them to Madam Cui.
Both of them were good at needlework, especially Hui Niang, who was Jia Yin's apprentice; her skills were absolutely top-notch.
Madam Cui touched the embroidered shoes, then looked at the soft undergarment, and a smile appeared on her face.
It feels so good to have your efforts rewarded and to know that someone cares about everything you do.
At this moment, Dongmei also walked in from outside, holding Jiayin's hand, and said, "Madam, some food was sent over from the estate last night. We were originally thinking of sending it to Luo'an, but now that you're back, there's no need to go through all that trouble."
Grandma Li glanced at her smiling granddaughter, and there was nothing she didn't understand.
It must be this little girl again, using the estate's name to add things to the banquet tonight.
Grandma Li hugged her granddaughter, kissed her, and instructed Tao Hongying, "Everything is ready. Now it's up to your cooking skills. Make something delicious for everyone tonight!"
"Don't worry, Mother, I'll get ready right away!" Tao Hongying rolled up her sleeves and smiled happily.
Even a clever housewife can't cook without rice. She has plenty of chicken, fish, meat, and eggs, so what could possibly be difficult for her?!
Moreover, this is a family reunion banquet and a victory celebration banquet. Other families would love to host one, but they don't even have the chance yet!
Hui Niang and Sister Liu put the child on the kang (a heated brick bed), and then followed Tao Yuru to the kitchen to get busy.
Aunt Wu, Old Lady Li, and Madam Cui sat on the kang (a heated brick bed), looking after the children while chatting idly.
Jiayin sat in Madam Cui's lap, holding a large fruit in her hands.
She took a bite, then handed it to her aunt for a bite; the two of them, aunt and niece, didn't mind each other eating happily.
Three chubby babies lay on the kang (a heated brick bed), staring longingly at them, their mouths watering, their little hands outstretched, occasionally reaching out to scratch in the air.
I don't know if they wanted to grab the fruit or the heartless young lady!
But Jiayin was mischievous; she would often hold the fruit up to their noses so they could smell its sweetness, then quickly take the fruit away and take a big bite.
This caused the three chubby babies to dance around excitedly, making "ah ah" noises in protest!
Grandma Li and Aunt Wu laughed so hard. Grandma Li tapped the three chubby children on the forehead and scolded them, "You three little fools! When you grow up, you'll probably be bullied by your older sister too. When you have nothing to do, you three should get together and think of some ways to deal with this!"
Madam Cui also smiled. She put her chubby niece in her arms and kept a close eye on this "bully" for the chubby children!
As dusk fell, the old men and Liu the镖头 (bodyguard) and others were already sitting in the main room chatting and laughing when Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Er returned from the city by carriage.
Today is the grand court assembly. Logically speaking, since Li Lao Er and Mr. Wen come and go together, they should return together!
Old Mrs. Li asked a question, and Li Lao Er waved his hand and said, "Don't mention it. We were all getting on the carriage to come back when someone from the Wen family came and said that Old Madam Wen was ill, so Mr. Wen had to go back with her."
Although the people were not very clear about the Wen family's affairs, they knew that Mr. Wen was not on good terms with his family, since he always ate his New Year's Eve dinner at the Li family's house.
So no one asked any more questions, only Madam Cui's eyes were filled with sorrow once again.
Soon, the food and drinks were served, and everyone sat down at two tables to chat, laugh, eat, and drink, bringing life back to the long-quiet courtyard.
In the sky, a crescent moon was half-hidden in the light clouds, occasionally peeking out to peek at the Li family's courtyard, curiously observing...
Nothing happened that night. The next morning, after breakfast, Li Zhensheng went into town as usual, while Li Lao Er went to wander around the school and the valley.
Old Mrs. Li was thinking of Mrs. Cui, so she put a small straw hat on her granddaughter and planned to invite Mrs. Cui to take a walk in the orchard.
At this time of year, some impatient fruit trees have already blossomed, making it the perfect time to enjoy the scenery and relax.
It was clear that Madam Cui had the same idea, and the two met as soon as they left the courtyard.
Madam Cui pointed to the food box in Sister Qiong's hand and said, "I made some food, thinking of accompanying Aunt and Fu Niu'er to the mountains for a spring outing."
Just as Old Lady Li was about to speak, a horse-drawn carriage turned off at the village entrance.
Grandma Li thought they were guests from the valley and didn't pay any attention, but Madam Cui's face changed and she said angrily, "Auntie, it's Old Madam Wen! She actually followed us all the way here!"
Grandma Li frowned, not understanding what the Wen family was planning.
Even if they disliked Madam Cui's arrival, there was no need to be so relentless, even going so far as to come to Broken Gold Beach!
She pulled Madam Cui behind her and instructed her, "Here, you are the junior. No matter who comes looking for you, you don't need to show your face. Let me see what they're up to before we figure out what to do."
Before Madam Cui could say anything more, the Wen family's carriage arrived.
The large, flat-topped, black carriage, pulled by strong, chestnut-colored horses, was quite impressive.
As soon as the carriage door opened, an old woman jumped down and placed a footstool before helping a middle-aged woman down. The woman then turned around, and the two of them together helped an elderly lady of about sixty years old down.
The middle-aged woman had an ordinary appearance, but her expression was very dignified.
His serious and unsmiling demeanor, which could even be described as stern, is not particularly endearing.
The old lady, on the other hand, had thin eyebrows and eyes, and a pointed face.
Lacking the kindness and gentleness of an elderly person, instead, there was always a hint of melancholy in his eyes, making him seem somewhat out of place no matter how you looked at him.
She immediately spotted Madam Cui behind Old Lady Li, her eyes reddening instantly, and softly called out, "Jinrou..."
Madam Cui shuddered involuntarily, causing Old Madam Li to frown and say, "Who are you? Your carriage stopped in front of my house without any greeting or courtesy, and you came up to talk to my juniors. Are you looking down on the Li family?"
The old lady paused for a moment, her expression becoming somewhat bewildered, and looked at the middle-aged woman beside her.
The middle-aged woman lowered her eyes, making it impossible to discern her expression. She simply stepped forward, bowed to Old Madam Li, and said, "You must be Old Madam Li, right? We are from the Wen family of Xindu. My husband is the eldest son of the Wen family and currently holds the fourth rank in the Court of State Ceremonial."
Having said that, she took a step back, revealing the old woman, and continued, "This is my mother-in-law. She has come into the village today to pay a visit to the Cui family..."
Before she could finish speaking, Old Mrs. Li replied, "Oh my, you must be Mr. Cui's mother and sister-in-law? What a coincidence! I've been wanting to meet you for a long time, and I never expected you to come to my door today."
Madam Wen's lips twitched. She had clearly said she was visiting the Cui family, but this Old Madam Li kept trying to bring it up as her own.
Is this just plain stupid, or is he determined to protect someone else...?
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