Old Mrs. Li said, "They're upset! They were originally going to dig irrigation ditches in the spring, but now someone's already doing the work!"
"Serves them right. Let them suffer a bit so they won't be full of bad ideas and waste their time being disgusting!" Wenjuan couldn't help but curse.
She was still angry when she recalled the fear and worry she felt with Madam Wen when they hid in the courtyard that day.
Jiayin smiled and picked up a fish ball for her sister-in-law, saying, "Sister-in-law, don't be angry. My little nephew might not be pretty when he's born! Eat fish balls, and your little nephew will be smart!"
Wenjuan blushed and bit off half a fish ball. "Alright, when your little nephew grows up, we'll let him learn martial arts. If anyone dares to cause trouble at home again, we'll beat them to a pulp!"
"That's hard to say, it depends on the child's nature," said Grandma Li, who was open-minded. "If the child takes after his father and cooks well, that would be great too, at least he'll never lack food or drink for the rest of his life!"
Tao Hongying took over the conversation and said, "Mother, the restaurant has been too busy lately, and Jia Huan hasn't been back for several days. I'll go stay at the restaurant for a few days tomorrow so Jia Huan can have a rest."
"But back home, we need to prepare for the New Year, so I'll have to trouble you!"
"Sure, it would be good for you to help Jia Huan." Old Mrs. Li was very happy and instructed, "There are only small things at home, I can take care of them. You and Jia Huan don't work too hard, there's always money to be made."
"Okay, Mom," Tao Hongying replied with a smile, then added more food to her daughter's plate while whispering a "threatening" message.
"While I'm not home, you're not allowed to cause trouble. Listen to Grandma properly, okay? If I find out what kind of mischief you've gotten yourself into, I'll..."
Tao Hongying thought for a long time, and it seemed that her daughter really had nothing to hide, so she hardened her heart and said, "I will intercept your dividends from all places, so that you won't get a single silver ingot!"
Jiayin had a fish ball in her mouth, her cheeks bulging, which was really embarrassing.
She'll be another year older soon, and she almost buried a hundred people alive in a fit of rage before. How come in my mother's eyes, she's still an immature child?!
But there's nothing she can do; she was born from someone else's womb, so in their eyes she'll never grow up.
She could only obediently agree, "Mom, don't worry, I will definitely be a good girl and help Grandma prepare for the New Year."
"That's more like it!" Tao Hongying was finally satisfied and rewarded her daughter with another piece of wood ear fungus.
Jiayin didn't like eating wood ear mushrooms, and fearing her mother would continue nagging, she grabbed her small bowl and slipped into the main room.
She sat down between her godfather and father, and sure enough, the wood ear mushrooms in her small bowl were taken away and replaced with fragrant mutton and shrimp balls.
Jiayin smiled broadly, her eyes barely visible, and buried her head in her food, eating until she was completely full.
Lord Hou, Li Lao Er, and Li Lao Si saw the chubby girl's appearance and laughed.
Children are always the best in their own family.
These past few days, the rumors in Kyoto have been rampant, with people practically portraying the girl as a monstrous demon with a blue face and fangs.
But they knew best that this child was a spoiled brat who loved to eat and play!
My only Achilles' heel is my family!
However, they didn't want to correct other people's opinions.
It's much better to be feared than to be bullied.
The Marquis peeled a shrimp himself and put it in the chubby girl's bowl. He then said to Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si, "The secret guards have found out a lot of things. Chen He's hibiscus cream was sent to the military camp by Chen Lao Er."
"Old Mrs. Chen was also poisoned by someone instructed by Chen Lao Er. This poison has a slightly bitter taste and kills without leaving a trace."
"The only drawback is that three days later, the person who was poisoned will have snake-skin-like markings on their calves, and their toes will turn black."
"In Old Madam Chen's courtyard, the old women he bribed, as well as his trusted personal servant, all confessed, and it is beyond doubt."
“If you want to tell Chen Chuan, you can bring people to testify at any time.”
Li Lao Er thought for a moment, looked at his younger brother, and said, "Fourth brother, you'll have to endure this for a few more days. This hibiscus ointment is too big a deal; we'll probably have to investigate who's behind Chen Lao Er."
“If we tell Chen Chuan now, it will easily alert the enemy.”
Li Laosi nodded and replied, "Alright, now that the investigation is complete, a few more days won't make a difference. I'll stay home a few more days and have a proper New Year."
The Marquis poured them wine and said, "This matter is indeed unexpectedly serious. This time, the Dingzi Battalion was given a three-day leave, and when the soldiers returned to their units, it was discovered that more than a dozen of them had brought hibiscus ointment with them."
"Fortunately, the holiday was short, and they were only taken to Yaochi once. Now I have them confined to the cooks' camp, and the hibiscus cream has been confiscated."
"The person behind Yaochi is hiding too well; we need to investigate for a while longer."
"The Dingzi Camp has imprisoned almost half of the scions of noble families. Since Yaochi cannot open up new sources, they must be more anxious than us. Anxiety leads to mistakes, and it is easier to catch them red-handed."
Li Lao Er nodded, "I won't have anyone investigate this matter anymore, lest I make things worse."
"But I haven't withdrawn any of the people from the Princess's residence and the Wang family. Just in case, it's better to keep an eye on them."
“Alright, both of these families are like venomous snakes in the shadows. They might suddenly bite you at any time, so it’s always good to be on guard.” The Marquis instructed, “When you go out, besides Zheng Feng and Zheng He, take Zheng Sanjiang with you as well. He’s the most capable. Safety first at all times.”
These words reminded Jiayin, and she interjected with a question.
"Father, besides those who obey you, are there any other people in Zheng Family Village who can be commanded?"
The Marquis's eyes flashed, and he understood the implied meaning in her words. So he smiled and said, "Don't worry, Zheng Family Village is just an old servant of my maternal clan. No one else knows their background."
“Xindu is my mother’s hometown, and the people of Zhengjiazhuang have lived here for generations. All the staff were personally arranged and trained by me.”
"You can rest assured to give them any orders. They only recognized me as their master before, but from now on they will only have you as their master."
Jiayin was relieved and happily put a piece of meat on her godfather's plate. "Thank you, godfather. I was worried before, but I won't be anymore."
The Marquis ruffled her hair and said, "You did the right thing. You should never open your heart to anyone."
"Leave yourself some leeway; in critical moments, it's a chance to survive."
Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si nodded in agreement, and started talking about some small things they encountered in their daily lives, taking this opportunity to give the chubby girl a "mini-lesson".
The night outside grew deeper, but the hot pot on the table boiled even more vigorously...
The next morning, Tao Hongying quickly arranged things at home and then took a car into the city.
When Hui Niang and Sister Liu heard that the Li family was steaming bean buns, they brought their children to join in the fun.
Granny Tian and Granny He were in charge of looking after the three naughty children, while Old Lady Li led Hui Niang, Sister Liu, Dong Mei, and Sister Qiong to make bean buns.
Wenjuan and Mrs. Wen wanted to lend a hand, but the old lady chased them away to sew up the bag.
Nowadays, the Li family has many relatives and friends visiting, and they inevitably give tips during the Lunar New Year, so these little things need to be prepared.
Jiayin took a medical book and sat down next to her grandmother, reading and listening to gossip at the same time.
Actually, it was to secretly stuff red bean paste balls into his mouth.
These red bean paste balls are made by boiling red beans in a pot, adding sugar and mashing them into a paste, then shaping them into balls. They taste very sweet when eaten hot.
Grandma Li made five steamed buns with red bean filling, but her granddaughter stole more than a dozen of them. Just as she was about to scold her granddaughter, a carriage arrived outside the door...
Served at midnight~~~
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