Everyone looked over and couldn't help but praise, "The embroidery on these shoes is so beautiful!"
"Mom, quickly try it on to see the size!"
“Fu Niu’er, look, Daddy bought you a writing brush. After the New Year, we’ll slowly learn to walk.”
Grandma Li's shoes had black soles and were embroidered with red plum blossoms. They were so exquisite that even the golden plum blossom stamens were clearly visible.
She really liked it and couldn't put it down. She tried it on to see the size and then quickly took it off, saving it for the first day of the Lunar New Year.
Jiayin also likes her shoes, even though she can't walk yet, it doesn't stop her from being happy.
The little shoes have red soles and no embroidery on the back, but two butterflies are sewn on the toes.
The butterfly's fabric was somehow altered; its wings were raised, and it landed on a small yellow flower, looking incredibly lifelike.
Seeing his daughter and mother so happy, Li Laosi felt that his hard work over the past two weeks had not been in vain.
He then took out his money pouch and stuffed it into his mother's hand. "Mother, Jiayi and I earned a total of two taels of silver. After buying these two pairs of shoes, there's not much left. But we were lucky; some fruit that a wealthy family brought from the south was rotting, and the person in charge was in a hurry."
Upon seeing our fruit, the steward bought it all to fulfill his obligation, paying forty taels. The dates, sold individually, were also worth over eight taels of silver; they're all here.”
Old Mrs. Li wanted to ask more questions, but when she saw Wu Cuihua running from the side room in a cotton-padded coat, she stuffed the money bag into her bosom and stopped talking.
Everyone tacitly got up and went about their own business.
Wu Cuihua missed her target, and she secretly gritted her teeth in anger.
Others are fine, but Jiayi is her son, how could she possibly escape it?
Finally, Jiayi was dragged into the side room and subjected to a thorough interrogation.
Jiayi claimed that he had been helping the security escort agency with their work, and that his fourth uncle was the one who sold the fruit.
He didn't know that all his wages had been used to buy shoes for his grandmother.
Enraged, Wu Cuihua punched him several times, but dared not hit him too hard.
If she upsets the old lady, she, as half a member of the Li family, might be kicked out.
Jiayi is tough and resilient. After running around outside twice, he's become even more resistant to violence. He doesn't care about his mother's punches at all.
He stepped out and led Jiaxi and Jia'an to the river to sled, which made Wu Cuihua even angrier.
These past few days, Wu Ergou secretly returned once more, but he didn't dare to linger in front of the Li family's house. He only stayed at the Liu family's house at the village entrance.
She secretly went to take a look and saw that, in the dead of winter, Er Gou was only wearing a padded jacket and pants, and his nose was running from the cold.
I heard that the casino owes money, and thugs are searching the whole city for him to pay it back.
If caught, their arms and legs will be broken.
She was extremely anxious, but there was nothing she could do to help.
We need to think of a way, otherwise Er Gou might be finished. He's the last lifeline of the Wu family...
Unaware of Wu Cuihua's plans, the Li family members were busy preparing for the New Year every day.
With another large sum of money coming in, the old lady was very generous.
He called his sons to go to town and bought two jars of vegetable oil, fifty catties of rice, and fifty catties of fine flour in one go.
We also cut ten pounds of pork, and even seven or eight pork bones, planning to have a prosperous New Year.
Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru were so busy that their feet barely touched the ground, soaking rice, grinding it into a paste, making rice cakes, and frying oil cakes.
We also need to make steamed date buns, which are made by combining two types of dough.
Tao Hongying is skillful; she even fried thirty twisted dough sticks.
The children reading in the side room were so hungry that their mouths watered, and when they got home, they kept arguing with their parents.
Perhaps because it was during the autumn harvest when grain taxes were paid, each family saved a lot.
At this time, they were unusually generous and went to the Li family to ask Tao Hongying to help them fry dough twists.
But each stall didn't fry many, almost all of them only fried about ten.
Tao Hongying simply asked the women from each household to bring over some fine flour and vegetable oil, and she helped them fry it all up.
Finally, each family received a twisted dough stick and took the used vegetable oil back with them.
The Li family left nothing behind; they simply offered their help.
Feeling bad about it, the families could only send some dried vegetables, peanuts, and melon seeds to the Li family.
Even before the Lunar New Year arrived, the entire Qingshui Village was already filled with the aroma of food and bustling with activity.
Jiayin drools every day, but unfortunately, she can't eat anything. She can only try harder to eat fruit with her grandma at night.
Perhaps because her desire was so strong, little teeth actually started to sprout from her lower gums, making her so happy that she kicked her little feet around.
On the 25th day of the twelfth lunar month, Li Lao Er and Li Lao Si went into the city together.
Li Laosi delivered New Year's gifts to Liu Biaotou's house, while Li Laoer brought Mr. Sun two catties of meat, a basket of fruit, a smoked rabbit, and a box of pastries.
The gifts this year weren't extravagant, but they were certainly not meager either.
Especially among the dozen or so students from farming families at the academy, they were already the best.
Therefore, Mr. Sun spoke a few more words with Li Lao Er.
He praised Jiaren for his hard work and talent, saying that if he continues like this, he will be able to compete in two years.
Even if a scholar's skills are lacking, at least he should pass the preliminary examination to become a student.
Overjoyed, Li Lao Er didn't even wait for Li Lao Si. He carried his son's bedding and ran home like the wind to share the good news.
Grandma Li was beaming with joy, patting her eldest grandson's back with satisfaction.
"Good, good, you'll be a successful person in the future. Our family will be counting on you to support us. But don't overwork yourself. Just do your best in everything, and don't push yourself too hard. Take a good rest during the New Year holiday and read less books."
"Yes, Grandma."
Jiaren smiled gently and got up to go to the east room to check on Jiayin, who was fast asleep.
Just as they entered the house, Jiayi returned from outside, and the two brothers chatted with their sister.
"Brother, do you know that Dad wrote a letter of divorce for Mom?"
Jiayi hesitated for a moment, but still thought of telling his brother.
Jiaren nodded and sighed softly.
"To be honest, it all started because of me. My uncle went to the academy to make a scene and demand money. My classmates at the academy laughed at me behind my back. Fortunately, most of my classmates were reasonable, and the teacher also scolded me a few times, so the matter was over."
Jiayi clenched his fists in anger, "Brother, next time I see Uncle, I'll give him a good beating. I'll make sure he never dares to go to the academy again!"
Jiaren waved his hand, "He is, after all, Mother's younger brother. It's not appropriate for us juniors to take action against him. If there's anything, talk to Grandma and Father. The family will handle it. We are surnamed Li, not Wu."
Jiayi was deflated and irritably tugged at the corner of his clothes.
He glanced at the little girl, then reached out and touched her hair, saying enviously.
"My little sister is so good. She's so young and doesn't know anything. All she does every day is eat, drink, and sleep."
Jiaren found it amusing and touched his sister's cheek as well.
“Who says my sister has no worries? Every time we eat, she drools with envy, but she can’t eat. I’ve seen her staring at the dishes with her eyes shining several times.”
Jiayi was amused and burst into laughter, which made Jiayin, who was pretending to be asleep, roll her eyes.
She rolled over and climbed onto her second brother's lap, then began her spitting attack.
Jiayi had no idea what his sister was thinking. He thought she missed him and was overjoyed.
So he carried his little sister around the room, grinning from ear to ear.
Jiaren was so touched by what he saw that he also took a hug from his younger sister for a while.
These two brothers, one gentle and mild-mannered, the other sunny and handsome, are both rare good young men.
Jiayin perched on their shoulders, bubbling with pride, her little face flushed.
The time-traveling god treated her well; in her previous life, she was all alone, but in this life, she has five brothers—how fortunate she is!
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