Sometime during the day, a boy lay down there, his hands behind his head, a blade of grass dangling from his mouth, looking quite relaxed.
Unfortunately, he underestimated the power of winter; his face turned blue from the cold, and his nose looked like a red radish—he was quite a sorry sight…
Dongmei brought out a bowl of bean sprouts from the kitchen. Seeing Mu Xu sneezing as he came in, she smiled and said, "Little Mu, where have you been? Why aren't you wearing a coat?"
Mu Xu smiled and replied, "There were vicious dogs in the village, so I went to check on them. Thank you for your concern, Aunt Mei. I'll go back and put on my coat now."
Aunt Mei nodded and instructed, "Go warm up on the kang for a while, have some fruit to fill your stomach, I'll go next door to bring a bowl of bean sprouts, and we'll eat when I get the food back."
"Okay!" Mu Xu replied and went into the house...
In the kitchen of the Li family next door, soup was bubbling away in a large iron pot.
I got up early to make bone broth, poured in half a basin of chopped pickled cabbage, and simmered it for more than an hour.
Now, add frozen tofu, the meat close to the bone removed from the pork bone, and thinly sliced cooked pork belly, and you have a high-end version of "pig-killing feast".
It's a pity they didn't slaughter a pig, otherwise, adding freshly made blood sausage would have made it the perfect meal.
Serve a large bowl of hot food, then crush some of the half-burnt chili peppers from the stove and sprinkle them in.
That aroma, that spiciness, that sourness—it can make your internal organs, even your very bones, feel hot and burning!
If you don't like chili peppers, you can also mash garlic and add some soy sauce for a different kind of deliciousness.
Shuiyun, having nothing else to do, came over to help and was scooping pork stew out of the big pot.
We sent a potted plant to Uncle Zhao and several other old men, and also sent one to Hui Niang and her two children who were having dinner at the village chief's house.
Liu Yangyuan has returned from a long journey and is home today, so I'm also bringing him a potted plant.
The Wen and Ye families next door...
A big pot of stewed pork looks like a lot, but after it's divided up, there's only about half left, but that's enough for the family.
Dongmei went into the main room to talk to Tao Hongying. When she mentioned going to the city the next day, Tao Hongying said, "The Marquis will be back soon. Is there anything you need to buy for your courtyard?"
"Just tell me, and I'll get it all for you."
Dongmei quickly shook her head and smiled, "The Marquis's residence sent word that the head steward has prepared everything. If it's convenient for Fourth Madam, you can bring it back from the Marquis's residence for me."
"I reckon they're all newly made bedding, clothes, shoes, socks, and other personal items!"
It was a small matter, so Tao Hongying agreed.
Just then, Jiayin came over from behind, helping her grandmother. Upon hearing this, she said, "Mother, take me with you tomorrow."
"Perfect timing! I'll go check out Baiyunjian and the new shop. I also want to go to the restaurant to cook a couple of dishes to send to Third Brother!"
Tao Hongying was about to refuse, but then she remembered that the Wu family had already been arrested, so she said, "You can go with them, but take Shui Ling and Shui Yun with you and keep them by your side at all times."
"Besides, Madam Jia is also going to the banquet with me tomorrow, and she might bring Baozhu with her. Why don't you go and sit with Baozhu for a while?"
“Great! She asked me to trade some small pearls last time, so I’ll get her a box.” Jiayin was so frustrated, she couldn’t help but be excited whenever she could go out.
Everyone laughed at the sight...
That evening, Li Zhensheng and Li Lao Er both returned home for dinner, bringing back the Emperor's edict.
Hearing that after General Tang went to the capital, Jia Yi's merits and demerits would be offset, and he would be released from prison, the Li family was overjoyed.
Although it was expected, everyone felt relieved to receive confirmation.
As for those officials who submitted memorials and secretly took advantage of the situation, Li Lao Er and his brothers Jia Ren naturally planned a counterattack, with Mr. Wen assisting them.
Consider this a practice session for the younger generation...
The next morning, after breakfast, Tao Hongying took Jiayin out.
Tao Hongying brought Lin Mama, and Jiayin brought Shuiling and Shuiyun, which made up a carriage.
Ye Shan drove the carriage, and Mu Xu jumped onto the other side of the carriage shaft, smiling at Ye Shan.
Ye Shan didn't chase after him, but instead cracked his whip and set off.
Today is the full moon celebration for the eldest grandson of the Gou family, the maternal family of Madam Jia. Tao Hongying usually visits the Jia family and gets along quite well with Madam Jia. Moreover, the Gou family also has a young man in the Northern Expeditionary Army.
Therefore, the Gou family sent an invitation to Tao Hongying through Madam Jia's connections.
Tao Hongying brought a set of silver jewelry. It wasn't expensive, but the workmanship was exquisite, making it especially suitable for children.
The mother and daughter met up with Madam Jia and Baozhu in front of the Gou family's gate and then walked into the Gou family's courtyard.
Baozhu was overjoyed to see Jiayin and whispered a complaint in Jiayin's ear, "Last time I went home, my cousin complained to my mother about me."
"My mother made me kneel for an hour as punishment, and I have to copy the 'Precepts for Women' every day. Waaah, and she doesn't even give me any snacks! It's killing me!"
Jiayin found it amusing and couldn't help but gloat, "Who told you to sneak out? Luckily there were many of us that day, otherwise if something had really happened, your mother would probably have broken your legs."
"Oh dear, I know I was wrong." Baozhu said with great shame, "I haven't seen you in a long time, and I called out to you in a moment of joy. I won't do it again next time."
"I always envied you for being a princess, but looking at it this way, your position as a princess is far too dangerous."
"I don't want to be that anymore. I'd rather be my mother's daughter. I just want to be able to eat snacks and go out to play."
Jiayin rolled her eyes and secretly pinched her, "Don't talk like you're so disgusted, as if you can just become one whenever you want!"
Baozhu was tickled and couldn't help but laugh while dodging.
The two little girls, their faces beaming with smiles, walked in from outside, inevitably attracting the attention of many people.
A woman who didn't recognize it asked someone she knew, and after receiving the answer, her expression became somewhat complicated...
The addition of a new member to the Gou family was a joyous occasion. Everyone presented gifts, chatted with the old lady of the Gou family, and looked at the little baby in the swaddling clothes, all beaming with happiness.
My child, the new hope of life always makes people's hearts soften and they are more generous with their blessings.
Soon, the child was taken away. The banquet wouldn't start for a while, so everyone went for a stroll in the garden.
The old master of the Gou family loved unusual stones. He spent a lot of time and money searching all over the world and selected about a hundred of his favorite stones to place in the garden.
Every customer who comes to the store will want to see something new and interesting.
It must be said that Mr. Gou had an excellent eye. The strange stones in the garden were either oddly shaped or of rare quality. Some stood upright, and some lay down, turning the garden into a stone forest.
Baozhu and Jiayin walked ahead, looking around here and there, while Shuiling and Shuiyun followed behind, gradually falling a distance from the others.
When Jiayin couldn't find her mother, she took Baozhu and found a sheltered, sunny spot to rest and wait.
Shui Ling stood guard to one side, while Shui Yun went to get hot tea to warm the masters' hands.
Coincidentally, at that moment, some people also walked nearby and started gossiping.
A woman with a shrill voice said, "Did you see Princess Kang Le, the one wearing the brocade pipa skirt, and her mother, Madam Li Si?"
Another woman with a deep voice replied, "I saw it. What's wrong? The Gou family and the Jia family are related by marriage, and the Li family has always been close to the Jia family. There's nothing wrong with them coming to offer their congratulations."
"Oh dear, that's not what I meant!" the woman with the shrill voice scolded. "I meant that the Li family has such a thick skin."
"Their son just killed someone and is still in jail, yet they don't seem to care and even came out to attend a wedding!"
"That makes sense, he's from the second wife's family, not the fourth wife's, so of course they don't care."
"People say the Li brothers are harmonious, but I think they're not all that great!"
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