Like fledglings returning home, the children rushed to their mothers or elders.
Fu Niu'er, however, was different. She ran straight to hug Madam Liu's leg and said with a grin, "Auntie, your garden is so big! You can grow so many melons!"
Not only Madam Liu, but all the women who heard this couldn't help but laugh.
A chubby little girl of four or five years old is at the age when she loves to eat and play, and she is cute and innocent no matter how you look at her.
Those mother and daughter were truly blind. Of all people to blame, they had to accuse such a little girl of bullying others. How could that be possible!
Madam Liu picked up Jiayin, pulled out a handkerchief to wipe her sweat, and asked, "Just now a little girl ran back and said that you bullied her. Auntie believes that Fu Niu'er is a good child. Tell Auntie, what exactly happened?"
Jiayin scratched the back of her head and blinked her big eyes as she replied, "That Sister Lanlan wanted Fu Niu to fall down and hit the back of her head on the stone table..."
Before she could finish speaking, Tao Hongying and Old Lady Li became anxious.
They quickly picked up Jiayin and carefully examined the back of her head.
Even the usually taciturn Madam Cui changed her expression and rushed forward to grasp Jiayin's hand.
Everyone was stunned, not understanding why the Li family was so nervous.
Zhimin spoke a few more words to clear up everyone's doubts.
“When Fu Niu was little, she injured the back of her head and still has a scar. If she bumps it again, she'll lose her mind! Just now, when Fu Niu squatted down to pick something up, Lanlan actually stepped on the hem of her skirt, trying to make her fall!”
The other children, especially the girls, also started chattering away.
"Lanlan is so naughty! We just got there and she tried to push Fu Niu down!"
"Yes, we play, but she won't join in, and she even tries to harm Fu Niu'er!"
"She was the one who bullied people, and she ran away crying!"
A small child might lie, but a group of children is less likely to lie.
Besides, everyone's hearts were already on Jiayin's side, so how could they not be angry when they heard their own child making such accusations?
"How could such a young girl be so vicious?"
"Yes, she was crying so pitifully just now. If you didn't know better, you would really think she was being bullied."
"At such a young age, he's incredibly cunning."
Everyone chimed in with their own opinions, their faces filled with disgust.
At this moment, the old lady, Tao Hongying, and Madam Cui also confirmed that the child was not hurt, and they all breathed a long sigh of relief.
The old lady hugged her granddaughter tightly, and even her daughter-in-law didn't believe her anymore. Only when she held her in her arms could she feel at ease.
Perhaps fearing that people would think the Li family was making a fuss, she sighed and said a few words.
"As you all know, our family fled from the famine in the north. The princess was born on the way of fleeing famine and suffered a lot. Just when we were about to reach the Jinsha River dock, we were intercepted and killed by the barbarians."
"In the chaos, the child fell and hit the back of his head, remaining unconscious for a long time before waking up. Therefore, our whole family inevitably dotes on this child a little more, please forgive us for this."
"No, no, you're too kind, Madam." A woman quickly shook her head, comforting the old lady, "Every family has children. Which parent or elder would rather suffer themselves than see their child get hurt?"
The other women chimed in, “Yes, the child is so young, he’s suffering so much.”
"Now that the hardships are over, the princess will have great fortune in the future."
"Of course, the title of Princess was personally bestowed by the Emperor, she has the Emperor's favor."
Grandma Li smiled and nodded, thanking everyone. "Thank you all for your kind words. As long as the child is safe and sound, our family really has no other hope."
Jiayin listened with a smile, occasionally picking up a pastry to nibble on, and sometimes happily shaking her head. She was as well-behaved and adorable as could be.
This made the women present like it even more, and they wished they could have another chubby daughter like that when they got home.
In fact, Jiayin had already thought about it countless times in her mind.
I thought I was going to have another showdown with that green tea bitch, but before she even got to the battlefield, the "war" was over.
Clearly, Little Green Tea has been quickly dealt with by Grandma and Mom!
She was incredibly curious about what had happened, but this wasn't the time to pry. The most important thing was to play the good girl and not let her mother and grandmother down!
Soon, the banquet was prepared.
Unaware of the little disturbance in the backyard, the people in the front yard were already preparing for the banquet.
Unexpectedly, the Marquis arrived at that moment and brought a generous gift.
In fact, he didn't bring any gifts; his mere presence was enough to surprise and envious everyone.
This is the Marquis of Xinting, a renowned military marquis, recognized by both the people and the court as the last line of defense for Tianwu!
The Jinsha River could not stop the barbarian hooves, but the Marquis of Xinting could!
It was at the critical moment that he led his troops into battle, fearless and brave, fighting the enemy and driving back the barbarians who were approaching the Jinsha River for hundreds of miles time and time again, keeping the enemy at bay!
Even the most heartless civil officials in the imperial court wouldn't dare utter a single bad word about Marquis Xinting.
These are some of the few remaining pillars of Tianwu!
They are absolutely not comparable to that coward, Marquis Dingbei! They are truly reliable and trustworthy Heavenly Martial Blade and Shield!
Marquis Xinting rarely attended palace banquets and disliked social occasions the most.
Unexpectedly, he actually came to the Liu family in person!
Some people are deep thinkers and tend to overthink things.
Old Master Liu has just returned to the imperial court, and Liu Zhiheng has been appointed a fourth-rank official. The Marquis is the emperor's cousin and a staunch royalist. Does this mean the Liu family has also sided with the emperor...?
Not only was the front yard bustling with activity, but people in the back yard also started eating.
The Liu family is a century-old family with a rich heritage, so the chef naturally has some outstanding signature dishes.
Everyone enjoyed the food immensely, praising it highly, and then chatted about the local specialties they had eaten elsewhere, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
At this point, when someone mentioned Cyclamen, everyone became very curious about Cyclamen's spicy cuisine.
Tao Hongying then mentioned that the seasonings were also imported from foreign lands, just like the high-quality potatoes and corn. Everyone became even more excited and said they would try them sometime.
When Jiayin saw her mother's face light up when she mentioned seasonings and dishes, she became even more eager to prepare them and started getting ready to cook her mother's special dishes early on.
After the meal, the women and children rested for about half an hour before the banquet in the front yard finally ended.
One by one, everyone said goodbye and went home, including Li's mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, and Madam Cui.
Mrs. Liu was very apologetic and helped Old Mrs. Li up, saying, "Auntie, I'm sorry you had to suffer today. I'll come to your house another day to apologize."
“We’re family, why are you talking like that!” The old lady patted Mrs. Liu’s arm, without a trace of resentment in her expression.
"Every family has a few troublesome relatives! Besides, it's a big celebration today, and they've shamelessly come all this way. Can you really just kick them out? Don't take it to heart. In the end, our kids haven't suffered any loss!"
Madam Liu smiled upon hearing this and became even closer to the old lady. "Alright, Auntie, Jinrou will go to the estate again in a few days, and I'll go with her for a few days. Although home is nice, I still feel more comfortable at our estate."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com