Hongmei nodded in agreement, "That's right!"
Zhou Shuqing pleaded with a smile, "Please, my two aunts, have mercy on me."
Hongmei glared at him, then picked up a piece of rabbit meat with her bare hands and tasted it. The wild rabbit meat was very chewy and flavorful, and the more she chewed it, the more fragrant it became. It was so delicious that she raised her eyebrows.
"Chenyu, the rabbit meat you sent is really good. We are so lucky to have it."
"This is a wild rabbit that Chenyu and Baoyu hunted in the mountains. It's definitely tastier than the ones we raise ourselves," Zhou Shuqing said knowledgeably. He quickly cleaned the plate of rabbit meat, filled it with their homemade stuffed tofu, and presented it to Zhou Chenyu. "Chenyu, here you go."
Zhou Chenyu roughly counted them; there were nearly a dozen stuffed tofu pieces, filling a whole plate. "Brother Shuqing, Sister-in-law Hongmei, you've given us so much. Is it enough for your own family?"
"That's enough, that's enough." Hongmei smiled faintly. "Your family doesn't farm, so naturally you don't have glutinous rice to make this. Our family had a good harvest this year, and we still have plenty left in the pot. You can take it back without worry."
Hongmei is always generous, Zhou Chenyu smiled and said, "Then I won't stand on ceremony, I'm off."
She carried her things out the door, and before she had gone a few steps, she saw Zhou Wanqiu walking towards the front door.
Zhou Chenyu started walking and chased after her. "Wanqiu, what are you doing at our house? I'm going back too, it's on my way."
Zhou Wanqiu turned around in terror, met her gaze, and stammered, "Sister Chenyu, today is the Mid-Autumn Festival, I've come to deliver mooncakes to you..."
Zhou Chenyu glanced at Zhou Wanqiu up and down; she seemed even more timid than when they first met. "Is it what you're carrying?"
Zhou Wanqiu nodded stiffly and lifted the fabric on top.
Zhou Chenyu's gaze shifted downwards, landing on the mooncake box. The dark, shiny box had a dull appearance, but it was engraved with exquisite patterns, making it clear that it was expensive and was specially made for gifting to impress others.
She pursed her lips and asked meaningfully, "Such a nice thing, did your aunt buy it? Or was it someone else?"
Zhou Wanqiu bit her lower lip tightly, her face turning pale, feeling as if a million ants were gnawing at her heart. "Sister Chenyu, I... my mother bought it."
Zhou Chenyu smiled slightly and took the exquisite wooden box from her hand.
"I've received your kind words, Auntie, and you've finished your work. It's a special holiday today, so cheer up and go home now."
Zhou Wanqiu dared not look directly at Zhou Chenyu. She sighed and turned around absentmindedly. She walked to the corner of the alley and paused. There were two shadows peeking out from there.
Zhou Chenyu withdrew his gaze, and now Chen Cuiping's series of strange actions made sense.
No wonder this old woman was so kind as to return the land deed; she was eager to play the role of matchmaker and help Ximen Qing.
She glanced at the box of mooncakes, a sly smile appearing in her eyes. She slowly walked to the edge of the fast-flowing ditch, and with a flick of her fingers, the wooden box and mooncakes fell into the water with a thud.
"Oh no, oh no, the thing fell into the water! It's a mooncake that my aunt gave me!" Zhou Chenyu pretended to be nervous and chased after it for a couple of steps, but when she caught sight of half a head peeking out from the alley entrance, she panicked and hid back inside.
This tactic of luring snakes out of their holes is very effective.
She stopped smiling, watched the mooncakes drift away, and said to Chen Cuiping in a nonchalant tone, "I've wasted such good things. I hope no one saw it."
Zhou Chenyu looked around, then happily hugged the stuffed tofu and left the place where the mooncakes had been thrown away.
Not long after she left, Chen Cuiping chased after her like a praying mantis, and lay down by the ditch, crying out, "What a terrible thing! I never even got to taste such a wonderful thing, how could I just throw it away?"
Zhou Chenyu stood at a distance, quietly watching the actions of this wicked woman. Her clear eyes gradually darkened, and she clearly made a mark against her.
They'll have to pay it all back in the future.
Zhou Chenyu turned around and walked back with a cold face. After a short delay, several delicious-looking dishes were already set on the dining table in the courtyard.
A delicious meal was finally ready. Li Xiuju was tired but happy. "Why did it take so long to deliver just some food? I hope nothing happened."
"It's just delivering some vegetables, what could possibly happen to me? Look, these are the things Brother Shuqing and Sister-in-law Hongmei asked me to bring back." Zhou Chenyu handed over the stuffed tofu in his hand.
Li Xiuju touched the still-warm stuffed tofu, smiled helplessly, and tears welled up in her eyes in no time: "These two children are so good. Whenever they have something good, they always think of our family."
"That's because you're a good person; it's mutual." Zhou Chenyu wiped away her tears. "Hey, where are Brother Tongsheng and Baoyu?"
“We’re here.” Chen Tongsheng came out carrying a large jar, and Baoyu chased after him, shouting, “Mother, Brother Tongsheng and I have already tasted this plum wine. It tastes sweet and sour, and it’s time to drink it.”
Li Xiuju wiped away her tears, her expression turning from sorrow to joy. She hurriedly moved a chair over to place the wine jar on it, saying, "That's perfect. This fruit wine isn't as bitter as rice wine, so we can all drink it."
Chen Tongsheng smoothed the clothes on his chest and smiled, "Godmother, you have excellent skills. This jar of plum wine is the best I've ever tasted. Teach me how to make it another day, so I can learn."
Although there was some exaggeration in his words, Li Xiuju was still overjoyed and couldn't stop smiling. "Okay, godmother will teach you."
Li Xiuju looked at the children and urged them:
"The food is ready. Please wash your hands quickly so we can eat."
Zhou Chenyu, Baoyu, and Chen Tongsheng rushed back after washing their hands. Li Xiuju had already poured the plum wine into a bowl, picked it up, and smiled gently:
"Today, everyone sitting here is family. We don't need to drink that pungent rice wine. Let's have plum wine instead. It'll be a nice little drink to liven things up. Come on, let's have a bowl together."
"Okay." They picked up their teacups and placed them in the center of the table. The teacups, filled with plum wine, clinked together, making a crisp sound.
Zhou Chenyu looked at the pale orange plum wine in the bowl, took a sip, and found it to be sweet and refreshing, not astringent at all, just like the fruit tea she used to drink in the summer.
Li Xiuju put down her bowl, picked up a large chicken leg and put it into Chen Tongsheng's bowl, saying, "I've made a lot of dishes today, don't just drink, eat more of the food."
Chen Tongsheng glanced at Zhou Chenyu and Baoyu's bowls, his rough face turning red. "Godmother, I'm such a grown man, how can I possibly eat this chicken leg? Chenyu, why don't you eat it?"
Zhou Chenyu has never liked eating chicken legs since she was a child. When she saw his chopsticks reaching for her, she was so frightened that she quickly took the bowl away and said angrily, "I don't like eating chicken legs. Thank you for your kindness."
Embarrassed, Chen Tongsheng put more food into Baoyu's bowl, saying, "Baoyu, you're growing up, so if your sister doesn't eat, you should."
"Why are you doing this?" Li Xiuju grabbed him, feigning anger, and said, "You just eat what I tell you to eat, don't you even listen to your godmother?"
Baoyu was enjoying the delicious rabbit meat, his mouth full of oil, when he grinned mischievously and said, "Brother Tongsheng, if Mother tells you to eat, then eat."
Zhou Chenyu, always eager for drama, ordered, "That's right, eat."
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