“Your body is still a bit weak. I’ll prescribe three doses of medicine for you. Go to my master’s place to get them and take them. After you finish taking them, try to keep a cheerful mood, and your body will gradually get better,” Li Mai said.
"Alright, then I'll trouble you. Actually, thinking about it carefully, why should I make myself suffer by getting angry over something so trivial?" Madam Qi sighed.
Li Mai smiled and said, "If you had thought of this earlier, you wouldn't have needed to drink this herbal soup."
Madam Qi leaned back in her chair and smiled helplessly, "I really am not as insightful as you, a young person."
Li Mai smiled and said, "I'm just an outsider with a clearer perspective."
“Speaking of which, your situation is somewhat similar to that of another friend of mine, except he is a man and you are a woman.” Li Mai recalled Mr. Yang’s situation.
"He divorced his wife because of his health problems and because they hadn't had children after five years of marriage, and his wife's family pressured him to do so." Li Mai shook her head helplessly.
"Oh? Is that so? It's really bad luck for someone to encounter something like this. Does that mean he really can't have children?" Hearing other people's gossip, Madam Qi immediately forgot her own suffering and leaned closer to ask in a low voice.
Li Mai nodded, "Yes, but I prescribed the medicine. I took it for six months and then stopped. It should be fine!"
Madam Qi looked her over carefully and said, "You really are a woman who surprises people all the time."
Li Mai chuckled. How did it become this woman?
“Speaking of which, you two are both refined people. He is good at painting, and you are good at playing the zither,” Li Mai said with a smile.
"Ah, Mr. Yang?" Mrs. Qi asked, surprised.
This time it was Li Mai's turn to be surprised. How could she have guessed it?
Madam Qi chuckled, "Isn't the person you know who is good at painting Mr. Yang? I know you two have a lot of contact, so aren't you friends? Besides, you used to have several of his paintings and calligraphy hanging in your place."
Li Mai gave her a thumbs up and exclaimed in feigned fear, "You're a really scary person if you're not emotionally involved!"
"Get lost, you're making fun of me too!" Madam Qi said, then chuckled, her eyes sparkling as she looked at Li Mai.
This girl is really shrewd; in less than an hour, her mood had improved remarkably.
"Thank you. Hearing that such a refined person like him is actually worse off than me has suddenly cheered me up," Madam Qi chuckled.
Li Mai chuckled. "I was thinking of introducing you two so you could compare how miserable you are, but since you already know each other, I won't interfere anymore."
After Li Mai left, Madam Qi sat there lost in thought.
The old woman and maidservant who were serving her came in and said softly, "Miss, don't be sad, it will pass."
Madam Qi smiled at them. "Don't worry, it's all in the past. I won't be sad anymore. I'll write an invitation in a bit. I'm planning to visit an old friend tomorrow. Could you please deliver the invitation for me?"
Seeing her happy smile, the maids and servants were relieved and agreed.
When Li Mai left, Madam Qi brought her a lot of local specialties from the south, including red chili peppers, as well as other foods such as persimmon cakes, dried plums, dried vegetables and meat, and even seaweed.
Li Mai loves chili peppers the most and is thinking about what spicy dishes she can make for Zhou Quan when she gets back.
When she went outside, she saw Zhou Quan leaning against the carriage, waiting for her.
She smiled. "What brings you here?"
"I went to my eldest sister's house. When I came out, I saw our carriage, so I guessed you were here," Zhou Quan greeted with a smile.
The people arranged by Madam Qi came over with several boxes to help put them on the carriage, and then went back.
Zhou Quan glanced at it and asked, "What is that?"
"These are some southern specialties that Madam Qi gave me. By the way, what kind of dish would you like to eat? She gave me some chili peppers, so I'll make you a spicy dish."
"Boiled fish?" Zhou Quan's eyes lit up as he asked.
“Okay, let’s do it tomorrow. Let’s see if we can buy fish in the kitchen tomorrow morning,” Li Mai said.
"We'll eat tonight. I'll take you home in a bit and then I'll go get some fish." Zhou Quan helped her up, and the couple got into the carriage. He held her hand the whole time, feeling happy. Xiaomai said she would cook his favorite dishes.
“Okay!” Li Mai agreed.
That evening, Zhou Quan got to eat the boiled fish made by Li Mai, and Xu Changhuan and Fu Bao were also invited to eat together. However, the children couldn't eat spicy food, so Li Mai made them a chicken wing and shrimp hot pot with a savory sauce. The kids ate it very happily.
Chu Yan doesn't really like spicy food, so she didn't fight with Zhou Quan for food. Instead, she sat at a table with the kids and ate shrimp and chicken wings.
The family was eating when Zhou Heng, Pei Jingyue, and Xiu came to talk to Li Mai. Seeing the bright red boiled fish, they all wanted to try it. After taking a bite, they found it delicious and sat down next to Zhou Quan without any hesitation to eat.
It's spicy, but it smells delicious!
Zhou Quan's face turned sour. Why did he have to bring this up while they were eating?
Under the table, Li Mai quietly kicked his foot. Seeing that he was still unhappy, she could only send him a telepathic message: "I'll make you twice-cooked pork tomorrow."
Zhou Quan was immediately delighted. He was content that his wife would make it for him again tomorrow.
"Aheng, come and eat more. Ajing and Axiu, don't be shy when you come to your master's house. Eat more. You must have been very busy these past few days." Zhou Quan happily served fish to everyone.
Li Mai glanced at him silently, having learned something new!
...
In the blink of an eye, the Mid-Autumn Festival has arrived. This year's fashion show is being held in the courtyard of the Li Family Trading Company, which is located in the courtyard between the inn and several workshops.
This time, Zhou Heng and his team went even further, designing a circular walkway with a ring of tables in the center, behind which were seats.
Outside, a row of tables is placed around the entire runway, with stools behind them. This is the design this year. Anyway, the master said to let them do whatever they want, and that's how they came up with this design.
When Li Mai reviewed the proposal, she was a little surprised. Young people have a lot of ideas, which is good. Let them try it out. We'll know if there are any drawbacks after they try it.
This year, invitations were still sent to various government offices, but this time the guests were no longer in family groups. Instead, they could sit wherever they wanted, with whomever they preferred to talk.
There were sunflower seeds and dried fruit on the table.
Pei Jing is still hosting this year, and I must say, among the three of them, Pei Jing's eloquence is truly outstanding. He seems to have been born for this job.
The host spoke while walking around the inner circle, introducing the items in the same way as last year, except that this year, a new sponsor, the Lin family, had been added.
The Lin family is the family of Pei Jing's fiancée and a prominent family in the town. Their jewelry business ranks after Jin Yu Ge and the Lu family. They mainly sell silver jewelry and are a true people's shop.
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