"Dinner's ready!"
Madam Yu led the way, bringing in a group of maids carrying dishes. Seeing such a large group of people in the room, she couldn't hide the smile on her face.
Everyone was busy setting out the dishes, and the aroma was so enticing that they couldn't help but swallow their saliva. It smelled so good!
I never expected that Yu's cooking skills would improve so much after such a long time!
"Hello, sister-in-law! It's been a while, you've become even more beautiful!"
He Jiuniang greeted her with a smile. Now that Yu Shi was the boss's wife, she was radiant and more confident than before.
It's often said that confident women are the most beautiful, and that's certainly true.
"Oh, you have such a sweet tongue!"
Being praised in front of so many people made Ms. Yu a little shy, but she couldn't hide the smile on her face. What woman doesn't like to be praised for her beauty?
"Hehe, just telling the truth! I brought you all a better skin cream, I'll give it to you in a bit!"
He Jiuniang winked at her, and Madam Yu didn't hesitate and readily agreed. The skin cream He Jiuniang gave her was really good, and she really couldn't refuse it, nor did she want to.
Everyone sat down to eat. Lu Lao Er first took his wife's postpartum meal to her room to eat before coming out to drink with his brothers.
Although there were maids in the house, he personally took care of his wife during her postpartum period. He couldn't bear the pain of childbirth for her, so he treated her even better and did what he could. This was considered a family rule of the Lu family, so no one said anything. Everyone thought it was a very normal thing.
Lei Zi took a bite of the food and said excitedly, "Mom's cooking is still the best. When I was dealing with those robbers, I was thinking about Mom's meal. I was afraid I would be late and miss it!"
Lei Zi was just making a casual remark, but the rest of the family overheard it and immediately tensed up. Madam Yu asked, "Speak properly! What robbers? Did you encounter robbers on your way here?"
When the family fled, although they didn't encounter bandits or robbers directly, they saw too many people suffering along the way and developed a deep fear of them. Subconsciously, they felt that they should avoid provoking them if possible, because they might be retaliated against at any time.
Now, when Lei Zi tells everyone about teaching the robbers a lesson, everyone is visibly tense.
"Oh, it's nothing, it's all taken care of!"
Old Lu waved his hand casually, appearing indifferent, but in reality, he was incredibly proud.
His children and grandchildren are all outstanding, and he is happier than anyone else.
"Yeah, we drove off that group of robbers. We're pretty tough now!"
Little Tiger patted his chest proudly, startling his parents. Tiger was not even six years old, and he had already gone to fight robbers?
Although they knew their children had been diligently practicing martial arts, the adults in the family never took it too seriously. Moreover, since the children had all gone to study in Jingzhou and they rarely saw them, the parents had no idea that their children were already so outstanding.
"What exactly happened? Are you hurt? Tell us quickly, we're so worried!"
Lu Guilan looked at her son. She was naturally proud of how outstanding he had become, but she could never bear to think that they had actually fought with robbers.
The others were also shocked, waiting for them to reveal the truth.
So, the group of kids started talking all at once, recounting their first battle with the robbers. The expressions on everyone's faces went from shock to indifference to numbness, as if they thought the kids were bragging.
Finally, when Mrs. Sun nodded and said it was true, everyone believed it.
Lei Zi said seriously, "Before, when we were surrounded by the servants of the wealthy Dong family on the road, we could only helplessly hide in the car and watch Auntie protect us. But now it's different. We can protect our families too!"
Lu Xiaoyang also said, "Yes, but we still need to practice martial arts diligently, because the robbers we met today were not very strong. If we encounter stronger robbers, it will be difficult for us to escape unscathed."
The group of kids nodded seriously, deciding that they would work even harder in the future, and no matter how strong the opponent was, they could handle it.
Tears welled up in the eyes of Yu Shi and Lu Guilan. How could their child be so sensible?
The men looked at their children with satisfaction and pride.
He Jiuniang felt a warmth in her heart when she heard Lei Zi mention the past. It was after experiencing what happened with Dong Caizhu that these kids decided to learn martial arts with Gou'er, which led to their great achievements today.
It turns out he didn't want to see her being bullied.
He Jiuniang smiled, these little rascals are becoming more and more endearing.
"Third brother, third sister-in-law, the children are with you in Jingzhou. We can't take care of them much, and it's all thanks to you in raising them. You've raised them so well, I sincerely thank you. This glass is a toast to you!"
Old Master Lu stood up excitedly, his hand holding the wine glass trembling as he spoke. He had never imagined that his son could be so outstanding. Not only did he go to school, but he also learned martial arts. Now he was a well-rounded young man, both academically and physically, which was truly gratifying.
He Jiuniang and Lu Baichuan also stood up and drank the wine in their hands; they were truly worthy of the drink.
Following that, Lu Lao Er and the Zhang brothers took turns trying to get us drunk. Lu Baichuan joked, "Are you guys trying to get us drunk?"
"No way, you two both have a high alcohol tolerance!"
Lu Lao Er immediately started talking. He had already discovered that his third sister-in-law didn't drink easily, but when she did, she was a heavy drinker, even more so than all of them.
In their eyes, their third sister-in-law was a goddess-like figure; there was nothing she couldn't do.
In high spirits tonight, He Jiuniang made no attempt to hide anything, and said with a generous smile, "You are willing to entrust your children to us for upbringing, which shows your trust in us. How could we let you down? Besides, all of our children are smart and capable, which I admire and delight in. Naturally, I will raise them well!"
He Jiuniang spoke from the bottom of her heart. She hadn't really liked children before, but when faced with the Lu family's kids, each one of them was outstanding, it was hard not to like them.
The children smiled broadly as the adults praised them, but they were not arrogant or complacent. They only thought about how to be even better so that they could have a good future and bring honor to their ancestors.
The meal lasted until very late, and everyone was very satisfied. Even the gods would envy this kind of life.
Over the next few days, the Lu family focused on preparing for the New Year, cleaning the house, making some pickled vegetables, and slaughtering a pig, keeping themselves very busy.
We invited Lu Fugui and his relatives from the village to our home for a meal and a get-together. We talked about this year's harvest and our plans for next year, and every day was filled with enthusiasm.
Of course, the men didn't just drink; they also did a lot of important things, such as slaughtering pigs together, helping the villagers slaughter pigs, and repairing houses—all men's work.
When the villagers saw that even a high-ranking official like Lu Baichuan was personally doing these things, they felt that he was exceptionally approachable and easy to get along with, and their goodwill towards him increased even more.
The villagers all remembered the Lu family's kindness and their previous instructions, so they dared not do anything out of line. But it was a different story for outsiders who were unaware of the situation.
At this moment, Lu Baichuan, who was helping Lu Fugui repair the roof, did not notice that under the eaves not far away, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen years old was gazing at his figure with infatuation.
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