When Li saw that the woman was interrupting her, she knew that the skincare products, like the dresses, were free. But it wasn't right to take things for free like that.
"I will place it in a cool, shady place. Thank you, Madam An and Madam Xia." I'll still tell my husband later and ask for his opinion.
"No need to thank me, let's go out for dinner." When they came out, the prefect was still sitting leisurely outside the ice workshop.
"Hua Meizi, is the food ready yet?" An Shuyi asked from outside the cafeteria. It was almost dusk; was it still not ready?
Madam Hua came out and said, "Sister-in-law, the food is ready and waiting for you. Shall we set the table now?"
An Shuyi nodded, "Set it up, let's have breakfast." She turned around and rang the bell outside the canteen, and soon everyone in the village could hear it.
This bell-ringing job was originally Lin Village Chief's job, but he was now supervising the construction of the ancestral hall by the villagers of Xinglin Village, so he didn't come. Just now, she saw Mu Tou taking his son to the pond, carrying a box in his hands, probably to distribute wages to the villagers of Xinglin Village.
Xia Hua also said, "Prefect, let's go in and eat!" The sooner we finish eating, the sooner we can leave. If it weren't for the fear of offending this Li woman, and the fact that we would need the prefect's help in the future, she would never have paid any attention to this woman.
She really thought her husband was a hot commodity. He's just an old man. If he were only in his twenties, she might have taken a liking to him, but now he's just a piece of old meat that she wouldn't even want if he were given to her.
Having had the experience of eating there last time, Magistrate Xiao was quite familiar with the place this time. He brought his wife and daughter into the canteen and sat down at a table to wait. Soon, large bowls of food were placed on the tables.
The villagers gradually arrived outside the canteen. Xiao Luobei and Lao San were having a great time when they heard the sound of bells. When they asked them, they learned that the village was starting to eat, so he came with them.
This was the first time he had ever had so much fun. Although he had friends in Jinnan City, they were afraid of his status and always tried to please him, so he never had a good time.
But it was different with Lin Wenshan and Zhu Dahu. They didn't treat him any better because of his status; they were just acquaintances. This gave him a different feeling.
After washing his hands together, he followed behind them, took a bowl and chopsticks, and learned to put rice into the bowl. He watched them find a seat and sit down to eat, and he did the same.
When Xiao Zili entered, he saw the prefect in plain clothes, but he didn't know what official he was. He only saw the yamen runners outside.
He didn't care, since no one knew his identity anyway.
Prefect Xiao looked at the man sitting at the table with them; he was distinguished and clearly someone of importance. "Madam An, who is this young master?"
“My son!” An Shuyi said without hesitation.
"Your son is truly remarkable. He is handsome and has an imposing presence. He is clearly no ordinary person. Madam An is truly amazing to have raised such an outstanding son."
"Please excuse my ignorance, I'm just a country boy, I've never seen much of the world, I don't deserve your praise. Let's eat." After saying that, he picked up a piece of food with his chopsticks and put it in Xiao Zili's bowl.
The clansmen in the dining hall didn't react at all when she said that. They continued talking and taking their bowls as if he were her son.
Prefect Xiao nodded, "Let's eat. I had this meal in your village last time, and I've been craving it for a long time. Madam, please start eating; this dish is especially delicious."
This time, there were significantly more dishes than last time, many of which he had never seen before. One of the dishes contained the tomatoes he had just eaten, along with fruit wine. Although it didn't taste very alcoholic, it was still drinkable.
Looking at her husband, who was so different from before, Li almost didn't recognize him. When he first came, he was a refined man, but now he had become a shameless scoundrel.
But in order not to offend him, she could only say, "Okay, husband, you eat too, don't worry about me."
This was the first time she had eaten in a room with so many people. Even at the flower parties she had attended before, there were only a few tables, and if there were men, they would be separated by screens.
But now there's no screen, not even a servant, and they have to eat together. Although there are chopsticks nearby to help them pick up food, isn't it a bit inappropriate to have so many people around? It's not that she dislikes it, she's just a little uncomfortable.
Suddenly, a piece of meat appeared in the bowl, and she looked up at her husband.
Seeing her dazed expression, Prefect Xiao wondered what she was thinking. "Yue Shu, what are you thinking about? Hurry up and eat."
Li nodded, "I'll eat now." Looking at the meat in her bowl, if she hadn't hidden her emotions so well, she might have burst into tears. Although she and her husband were very loving, he hadn't served her a single bite of food in all these years.
She put the meat in her mouth, unsure whether her husband had put it there or if the meat was just really delicious.
"How is it? Isn't it delicious?" Magistrate Xiao asked as he watched her eat. Even though his wife didn't say so, he knew it was good, since her eyes were red with delight. He then put a few more chopsticks on her plate, giving her a little of each kind.
"Eat more, who knows when we'll be able to come back to eat again?"
Although Madam An had a good temper, she was a little unhappy but didn't say anything. Madam Xia was different; she was not only dissatisfied but also glared at him. He could still remember the pain from the beating she gave him last time.
He had lived for decades, and he had never hit anyone, not even his own parents. The only time he ever did it was against that widow, Xia Shi—no, she was more like a shrew. But he only thought about it in his heart and dared not say it aloud.
Although he is the prefect, if someone is truly offended, Madam Xia would definitely dare to break into his room in the middle of the night and kill him with a knife. I believe Widow Xia definitely has that ability.
"Thank you, husband. You can eat by yourself. I can pick up the food myself." After saying that, Li glanced around to make sure no one was watching her before she breathed a sigh of relief.
It's so embarrassing with people watching, but this dish is really delicious. No wonder my husband likes it. This braised meat is even better than the one he brought home last time, probably because of the dipping sauce.
What she didn't know was that it wasn't that others didn't see it, but that they pretended not to. After all, they were the prefect, and it wasn't appropriate for them to see the loving couple.
Xia Hua glanced at the two of them with disdain, but she also noticed the reddening eyes of the prefect's wife. She figured the prefect hadn't served her food often, hence her reaction.
Although I felt a little sorry for her, I was already full from eating dog food before I even ate a proper meal. I picked up the chopsticks on the table, put a few bites of food in Shushu's bowl, and saw her turn her head and smile, revealing eight teeth.
An Shuyi glanced at the food in her bowl, then looked at her, picked up her chopsticks and put some food in her bowl before lowering her head to continue eating her own meal.
After finishing their meal, no one stayed in the canteen. Only some people stayed to wash the dishes, while the rest went to explore the village. Sometimes they would bring hoes and dig up any grassy areas.
An Shuyi and Xia Hua could only sit in the dining hall with the prefect and his family because the prefect and his son had eaten too much. Even if Xiao Wan Ning liked to eat, she knew how to control herself. As for Li Shi, needless to say, she would never eat herself to the point of being stuffed.
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