The children had no idea that He Jiuniang had thought so far ahead. Two young men stepped forward and asked them with concern if they were alright. Lianhua shook her head and said, "Luckily, Uncle and Aunt arrived in time. I'm fine!"
Hearing the affirmative answer, the two breathed a sigh of relief. Lu Xiaoyang said with some annoyance, "Lianhua, I'm sorry. I didn't know you had an accident. Otherwise, I would have definitely come back and told Uncle and Aunt. They said you went to take someone's measurements. Youya and I were waiting for you at the door. I didn't expect something like this to happen."
Lu Xiaoyang worked in a food shop and wasn't very familiar with the rules of the clothing shop. As for Youya, she was still young and didn't have much cunning, so she was fooled by the people in the shop.
"It's okay, it's all in the past, you don't need to blame yourself anymore!"
Lotus really didn't blame them. They worked together from the inside out, and if Aunt Jiu hadn't pressed for details, they really wouldn't have gotten the information.
Lei Zi didn't lean in to speak, but his face was full of anxiety. He wanted to comfort her, looking at her red eyes, but he didn't know what to say.
He was never there when Lianhua was in trouble, and he couldn't help her. I should have gone out with my uncle and aunt to look for her.
Having just had a good cry, Lianhua wasn't bothered and instead comforted them. She only said a few words before saying she was going back to her room to change her clothes.
He Jiuniang walked over, looked at the two boys, and said, "Lianhua suffered a big blow this time, but I have already advised her that she will be fine. Don't keep bringing it up and upset her, understand?"
"Yes, yes, we understand, Auntie! So what exactly happened? Who is this boss surnamed Zou? I'm going to avenge Lotus!"
Lei Zi clenched his fists, thinking that Lotus was a pure person who rose from the mud unsullied, how could she be tainted by such a filthy person with ulterior motives? He couldn't swallow this anger!
Lu Xiaoyang quickly exclaimed, "I'll go too!"
He Jiuniang rolled her eyes blatantly and said, "Look at the time! You don't even want to go to Mr. Kang's banquet, do you? Get back here and pack your things quickly. We'll leave as soon as your third uncle comes back! Especially you, Lei Zi, have you finished your homework? You'll regret wasting lamp oil writing by lamplight when you get back tonight!"
She seemed like a completely different person in an instant, which terrified the two boys. They exchanged a glance and hurriedly ran away.
His studies are indeed far behind his younger brothers!
As for revenge, we'll talk about that another time.
He Jiuniang stood with her hands on her hips, beaming with pride, and laughed, "You little punks, I can't handle you!"
Although that man surnamed Zou certainly deserved to be taught a lesson, and that concubine was no good person either, since Lu Baichuan was handling it, there was no need to let the child get involved, so as to avoid causing unnecessary trouble.
Anyway, you learn from your mistakes and will be more careful in the future.
He Jiuniang followed her inside. As soon as Gou'er saw her return, he asked with a smile, "Mother, are we leaving?"
It was almost dark, and everyone was quite hungry. They hadn't eaten anything in order to support Kang Xiucai, and they were starving. So much so that even the usually quick-witted Gou'er didn't notice anything wrong with Lianhua. He thought she was just busy all day and that it was normal for her hair to be messy.
He Jiuniang didn't want the children to worry, so she didn't plan to tell them. She said, "Father has to go to the yamen for something. We'll leave as soon as he gets back!"
Lu Xiaoyang and Leizi are both grown up and know that telling these things to the children is useless, so they remain silent and let He Jiuniang talk.
Without thinking much, Gou'er nodded obediently and said, "Father, you're working so hard, having to go to the yamen so late."
He Jiu Niang nodded seriously: "Who says it isn't true!"
She was determined to hold those people accountable for this, and she would teach them a lesson one by one when she had time tomorrow.
Lotus went back, washed her face, changed into a dress, and looked poised and elegant.
He Jiuniang walked over enthusiastically and said, "That's right, so beautiful and pleasing to the eye, everyone would like you! Lotus, you live up to your name, you look just like a flower!"
The dog was a big fan of Lotus, and upon hearing this, it rushed forward, hugged Lotus's leg, and showered her with compliments. Lotus was amused and her mood improved.
Just then, a servant came in to announce, "Madam, Mr. Kang has arrived!"
He Jiuniang thought that Kang Xiucai had come to urge them in person, so she hurriedly asked, "Is everyone ready? Let's go over first, and your third uncle can go over by himself later."
The children nodded, and He Jiuniang was about to lead everyone away when a servant hurriedly said, "Madam, you misunderstand. Mr. Kang brought a feast with him."
"Oh dear, how could I accept this? Please, please invite Mr. Kang in!"
He Jiuniang found it incredibly frustrating that the servant was so slow to speak; why did he have to pause like that?
She hurriedly led her people out to greet them, and sure enough, she saw that Scholar Kang and the restaurant's waiter had arrived, carrying several food boxes, clearly having packed up all the dishes.
Logically, such banquets should be held at one's own home, as this shows that the host values the occasion. However, Kang Xiucai's family all lived in the county town, and he himself only lived in a shared courtyard. There was no one to help with cooking, so he had to book a table at a restaurant.
Tonight, Kang Xiucai didn't invite anyone else but the Lu family, because he wanted to properly thank them. He felt that without their help and encouragement, he wouldn't have made it this far.
Hearing from the people sent by the Lu family that something had happened and they would be there later, he instructed the restaurant staff to pack up all the prepared dishes so that he could bring them directly to his residence to eat.
Moreover, eating at home is much more comfortable than eating out.
"Mr. Kang!"
As soon as the children saw him, they swarmed around him, while Lianhua remained obediently standing beside He Jiuniang.
He Jiuniang looked at Kang Xiucai and realized that Kang Xiucai had completely changed.
From the sickly young man who would cough every few words when we first met, to the eloquent and healthy man who could talk nonstop, and now to the successful scholar she is today, she has witnessed all of these changes.
Tonight, Kang Xiucai wore a moon-white long gown, which made him appear even more refined and approachable. People felt that if they associated with such a person more, they would also become more cultured.
After calming the group of children down, Kang Xiucai bowed to He Jiuniang and said with a smile, "I thought it was inconvenient for you to come over, so I took the initiative to come and bother you. I hope Doctor He will forgive me for taking the liberty!"
"Sir, you're too kind! It's our own fault; something came up unexpectedly and caused the delay. We're so sorry! Please come in, please!"
As He Jiuniang spoke, she invited people inside. The maids from her household led the waiters from the restaurant to set out the food. Kang Xiucai must have spent a lot of money this time, as it was a very lavish feast.
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