Chapter 847 In the end, we could never be family.
Brother Li didn't get home until almost evening, but he arrived just in time for dinner. Or rather, the Li family deliberately waited for Brother Li to get home before starting their meal.
Brother Li washed his hands and sat down, then saw the roast goose chopped into pieces on the table. He looked at Sister-in-law Li and asked, "Did Third Aunt come to our house today?"
Sister-in-law Li met Brother Li's eyes and followed his gaze to the plate of roast goose on the table. She smiled and replied, "Yes, Third Sister brought Dewdrop and the others to our house for lunch."
This plate of roast goose isn't leftover; it's half of a roast goose that was cut off beforehand and specially reserved for you.
Li's mother continued, "Even when you're not home, Third Sister hasn't forgotten you."
She said then, "I have to save the breast meat for you, I know you love it."
Brother Li grinned and said, "I love Third Sister, and Third Sister loves me, her older brother, too."
The meal passed smoothly, and Mr. and Mrs. Li didn't let everyone gather together to chat. They simply waved their hands and sent everyone back to their rooms to rest.
Brother Li carried a bucket of hot water back to his yard. He poured the water into a wooden basin and threw in a medicine packet.
In no time, the boiling water soaked through the medicine packet, and a strong medicinal smell filled the room.
Brother Li reached out to test the temperature and, finding it to be about right, called to Sister-in-law Li, who was sitting by the bed mending clothes: "Mei Niang, shall I bring it over to you?"
Sister-in-law Li nodded and put down her needle and thread.
Even though Xiao Liulang has already turned six, the birth damage that Li Dasao suffered when she gave birth to him has not completely healed.
Or you could say that the damage can't be removed, you can only control it and make it less painful.
When Li's mother gave birth to her son, Xiao Liulang, she made sure Li's mother stayed in confinement for two whole months.
For the next year, Li's mother never let Li's eldest sister-in-law touch cold water. Most of the washing and cleaning chores at home were taken care of by Wu Qiaolan and Li's second sister-in-law.
Afterwards, Li's father also prescribed herbal medicine for Li's sister-in-law. Even so, every early winter, if Li's sister-in-law caught a chill, her lower abdomen would still cramp, and her limbs would become icy cold.
Thus, for the past few years, every seven days, Sister-in-law Li has had to soak in a herbal bath to relieve her discomfort once winter arrives.
She put her feet into the basin of boiling water with the herbal packets, and within a few breaths, Sister-in-law Li shivered, and then slowly felt warm and cozy from her feet to her whole body.
"But it's too hot? Should we add some cold water?"
Sister-in-law Li shook her head and beckoned Brother Li to sit with her by the bedside for a while.
The couple chatted back and forth, talking about nothing more than everyday family matters.
As she was talking, Sister-in-law Li remembered what Jiang Shengnan had talked to her about in the middle of the afternoon.
"...That's how it is. Even Shengnan noticed something was wrong. Who in our family wouldn't see that she was unhappy?"
Thankfully, her mother didn't give in to her last tantrum, otherwise who knows what might have happened now.
Third Sister's situation has indeed affected us, but Third Sister is originally one of our family members, a close relative, and we are bound by a shared destiny.
We also benefited from Third Sister's official position; otherwise, how could Lan Niang and I have earned such respect when we traveled outside?
"Isn't it only because of Third Sister that those officials' wives look up to us?"
Brother Li couldn't recall what Sister-in-law Li had mentioned about last time, so he asked, "What happened last time? Which time are you referring to?"
Sister-in-law Li reached out and gently patted Brother Li's large hand, then glared at him reproachfully before slowly explaining, "It's about investing money in the Xing family's merchant caravan, have you forgotten?"
Last year's dividends were collected by Third Aunt on behalf of our branch of the family, as well as our parents. Second Brother got his share from the Xing family himself.
Lan Niang insisted that we invest together to reduce the risk.
She only wants to take advantage and doesn't want to take any risks, which is why my parents had to separate the family property from ours ahead of schedule.
After listening to Sister-in-law Li's explanation, Brother Li finally understood. He got up, found a stool, sat down in front of Sister-in-law Li's foot bath, wet his hands in the water, and then reached out to massage the soles of Sister-in-law Li's feet.
As he pressed the button, he said, "Your mother understands everything. As long as you stay at home with her, you won't suffer any losses."
After saying that, Brother Li thought for a moment and added, "Hu Tou is away from home, and Sheng Nan has come all this way to marry him. It wasn't easy for her. You should take good care of her and make sure no one bullies her. We'll do our duty to Hu Tou."
Whenever Li Dalang was mentioned, Li Dasao's thoughts turned to him, and she began to chatter on and on about Li Dalang's safety while he was away.
While the eldest brother and his wife were talking in their room, the second brother's room was completely silent.
Kogoro stopped sleeping in the same room with Li Er and Li Er's wife a long time ago; now only Li Er and Li Er's wife live in this room.
Brother Li rubbed his feet in Sister-in-law Li's foot bath water, feeling somewhat uncomfortable at that moment.
To be honest, what made Li Erxiong feel uneasy was just his own inner turmoil.
Ever since Li Ersao said in front of Li Sanniang that she wanted to give Xiao Wulang to Li Sanniang, Li Sanniang got tired of having to face such a situation every day after returning home from her duty. Looking at Li Ersao's calculating eyes, and having to consider Li Erxiong's face, as well as Li Sanlang and Li Silang, she had the idea of moving out of the Li family with Luzhu'er.
Later, because Lu Zhu'er was getting older and needed to go to the academy every day, Li San Niang moved out of the Li family home.
From then on, Li San Niang would only return to the Li family once a year during festivals or on her two-week holidays.
Every time she went back to the Li family, she would buy some of the Li family's favorite foods, such as roast goose, which everyone loved, a small pot of pear blossom wine, and some new snacks from Xiang Gui Ji. She would stay for a meal and have a chat with everyone.
Usually, Li San Niang would pick out the things that could be discussed in the court and chat with everyone. At first, Li San Niang would ask for everyone's opinion, but over the years, apart from Li Da Xiong still serving in the Jinwu Guard and Li Er Lang working in the Ministry of War, no one else in the Li family was an official in the court.
As a result, it was usually Li San Niang and Li Er Lang who could talk to each other.
This situation is understandable. Li Erxiong also understands that Li Sanniang has become different from them ever since she became an official.
While it's understandable, it's actually not easy to accept.
After all, in the past, Li Erxiong was the one who took care of the most children in the family, and Li Erlang grew up in front of Li Erxiong;
Even though Li San Niang was exceptionally gifted and skilled in medicine, she still got married because of her status as a woman.
But ever since Li San Niang divorced her husband and brought her daughter home, she has gradually obtained her medical qualifications, joined the Chang'an Medical Alliance, entered the Bad People's Association, established the Women's Assistance Association, and created a new-style midwifery school. Now she has become an official and entered the Imperial Medical Bureau.
Li San Niang is truly different now.
This disparity always left Li Erxiong feeling somewhat uneasy.
Not to mention, because Li Ersao wanted to give Xiao Wulang to Li Sanniang and eat Li Sanniang's ill-gotten gains, even though Li Sanniang respected Li Erxiong, she eventually became somewhat cold towards the second branch of the Li family.
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