Lord Li and his wife were already waiting in the front hall. When they heard their grandson call out that their youngest daughter and son-in-law had returned, they naturally got up and went to the main gate to greet them.
When Li Yuexi saw her parents, her eyes reddened. When Mrs. Li saw this, she held her daughter's hand and said, "Look at you, today is such a joyous day, why are you shedding tears? Quickly wipe them away."
The Li family is small and doesn't have many formalities. In addition, the eldest son and his wife have watched Xu Di grow up and have a good relationship with him. So the whole family just sits in the hall in the front yard to talk.
Madam Li was simply asking about the Xu family's relatives. Xu Di smiled and said, "Yuexi and I will be setting off for Tai'an in a few days. My grandmother wants to invite my father-in-law, his mother, and his brother-in-law's family to our residence for a farewell gathering before he leaves.
Upon hearing this, Lord Li said, "That is only right. In a couple of days, I will bring my people to the mansion to kowtow to the old lady."
After lunch, Lord Li and Xu Di talked in the study in the front yard, while Madam Li took Li Yuexi to her room in the back yard and asked her in detail about everything from the wedding ceremony to yesterday's family reunion. Li Yuexi knew that her mother was worried about her, so she told her in detail. Madam Li was relieved to hear that the Xu family was very protective of Li Yuexi.
Madam Li said, "My son-in-law just said he wanted to take you with him to Tai'an. You're a newlywed, and instead of staying home and taking good care of your parents-in-law, you're going to such a far place with your son-in-law. Your in-laws didn't say anything, did they?"
Li Yuexi said, "Mother, don't worry. This was all arranged by the old lady and the Marquis a long time ago. Not only will my husband be with me, but also Bai-ge'er and several cousins from the Zhang family."
Madam Li naturally knew all the young masters of the Zhang family. Upon hearing that so many people were going to Tai'an to study, she instructed Li Yuexi, "When you go with them, you must take good care of your son-in-law's daily life. Also, since you and your son-in-law are taking so many people with you, you must take good care of them. Studying at the academy is not the same as staying at home. Don't refuse to take care of them when necessary, or people will laugh at you."
Li Yuexi agreed repeatedly, and seeing that it was getting late, she said goodbye to Xu Di and took a car back to the Xu family home.
When Li Yuexi returned from her homecoming visit, the old lady instructed that the Li family be invited to the mansion for a gathering. Ning Shi received the old lady's order and felt rather troubled.
The headache was how to arrange the banquet. If the dishes were too expensive, the Li family might think she was showing off; if they were too ordinary, the Li family might think she was being slighted. After much deliberation, Ning finally went to Zhang Zhaoci's courtyard.
Zhang Zhaoci was instructing people to check their belongings. Ning Shi looked at the bright smile on Zhang Zhaoci's face and felt very envious. Although the young master had told her that he would definitely take her to Liaodong, Ning Shi did not dare to take it to heart. Ning Shi knew that she and the young master, one serving the Marquis in the outer courtyard and the other managing the affairs of the inner courtyard, appeared to be a glamorous couple in public. But only they knew how much they had sacrificed to do their jobs well. The more glamorous they were, the more effort they needed to put in.
Zhang Zhaoci had someone serve Ning a health-preserving tea he had prepared himself, saying, "Sister-in-law, try it and see how it is. If you like it, I'll have someone send you a packet later. At our age, drinking this is good for our health."
Common medicinal herbs such as red dates, longan, burdock, and malt are combined and simmered in a small red clay stove. The resulting soup is a deep red color, with a fragrant aroma of red dates. One sip reveals a refreshing sweet and sour taste that is very delicious.
Ning smiled and nodded, saying, "It tastes very good. Then I'll trouble you, Third Sister-in-law."
Zhang Zhaoci said with a smile, "It's nothing, just something I did on the spur of the moment. I also prepared some flower and fruit tea, with some flower petals that I dried myself. It's good for your complexion. I'll give one packet to my sister-in-law too. She can just brew it with boiling water and drink it."
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Ning told Zhang Zhaoci about her troubles. Zhang Zhaoci laughed and said, "Sister-in-law, Nia, you're really overthinking it. Lord Li and Madam Li are both very easygoing people. They wouldn't care about such things. If you want to prepare expensive dishes, they'll just consider it a novelty for them. If you want to prepare some home-style dishes, they'll appreciate your hospitality. But I still want to thank you, sister-in-law, for being so considerate of Yuexi's family."
Ning waved her hand and said, "Third sister-in-law, please don't praise me like that. I've been struggling with this for a long time. The kitchen staff is about to come and ask me for the menu, but I haven't been able to come up with a good one. I'm afraid of neglecting our in-laws. After hearing what you said, I know how to prepare. I heard that the Li family is from the south, so I'll ask the kitchen to prepare a few famous southern dishes."
Zhang Zhaoci said, "Then I thank you in advance, sister-in-law."
After Ning left, Li Yuexi happened to come over, and Zhang Zhaoci told Li Yuexi the reason for Ning's visit. Li Yuexi felt quite grateful to Ning for coming as a guest and for making Ning, the head of the household, think so much about what dishes to prepare. It was as if Ning was treating her own family as honored guests.
Although Madam Li was from the south, she had lived in Hexi for nearly twenty years and had even fought to the death against the Northern Di on the city walls to defend the city. She had a straightforward and cheerful personality. After exchanging a few words with the old lady, the two got along very well and chatted about the local customs and culture of Hexi.
Madam Li, along with her daughter-in-law and her grandson, ate in the side hall of the old lady's courtyard, while Lord Li and his son dined in the front courtyard, where the Marquis, along with his son and Xu Rao, also ate. The meal was a pleasant one for all.
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