“It’s your older brother who’s back,” He Zhilan said excitedly beside her.
Then she walked over there excitedly and quickly stood next to the person and took his arm.
The couple hadn't seen each other for almost half a year.
Lin Xiao put his arm around his wife and whispered a greeting; the two were very affectionate.
After speaking quietly for a while, Lin Xiao called out to Lin Qixia, "Xia'er, did I scare you just now?"
Lin Qixia snapped out of her daze and walked towards them, scratching her head sheepishly, "Big brother, you've changed so much in all these days, I almost didn't recognize you."
When they parted a few months ago, his slightly thin and frail body had recovered very well, and he was no longer sick at all.
He was such a big, imposing man standing there, and she was caught off guard in the middle of the night; it was no wonder she was scared.
However, Lin Xiao must have been doing quite well at Beiling Mountain Village during this time, and the food must have been good too.
The bandits of Beiling did not pose a problem for him; she had indeed made the right choice in assigning him the right people.
Lin Xiao is capable of handling those matters.
"Of course, I take them hunting from time to time so they can catch some wild game to eat. The food is really good for everyone on the mountain," Lin Xiao said, and quickly called them back to the courtyard.
He came back two days early and cleaned the yard, which had been uninhabited for months. Now it looks quite clean.
Today, I spent several hours preparing a welcome dinner for them.
After entering the courtyard, He Zhilan glanced around. The snow on the ground in the small courtyard had been swept clean, and the candlelight inside the house was warm, with the faint aroma of food wafting out.
She turned to her husband and smiled happily, "Brother Xiao, you're so good to me."
He rarely paid attention to these details before. Although he cared about her, he was a rather rough person and wouldn't be so meticulous in his work.
Lin Xiao chuckled, "It's all because of the rules in the booklet Xia'er gave us."
"If we want to restrain others from doing that, we should set an example ourselves."
This was Yun Zhi's request; he wasn't initially very willing.
But I got used to it later and realized it was fine this way.
"However, how can one sweep the world if one cannot even sweep one's own room?" Lin Qixia nodded in satisfaction and praised, "Big brother, you did a great job."
Then, she turned and walked towards the main room.
She was exhausted and hungry after a long day of traveling, and all she wanted to do was have a good meal and then go back to sleep.
"If you can't even sweep one's own room, how can you sweep the world..." Lin Xiao muttered because of her words.
I never expected that my Xia'er would have such ambitions.
His mind was stirred, and he gradually developed great ambitions.
Only those with such faith can make a name for themselves in this world!
Lin Xiao and He Zhilan tied the carriage in the yard and unloaded all the New Year's goods that Lin Qixia had bought.
He placed it carelessly in the room before taking it to the main hall.
Lin Qixia had already served everyone their meals and was now sitting at the table, looking rather bored, when she called out to them, "Big brother, sister-in-law, why have you been outside for so long? Let's eat quickly."
He Zhilan and Lin Xiao exchanged a smile.
"Xia'er, you silly child," He Zhilan said reproachfully.
Recently, Lin Qixia has been behaving too maturely, and it's rare for them to see a childlike side in her.
Lin Xiao said, "Your carriages and the things on them outside need to be taken down and put away. Otherwise, in this freezing weather, they might freeze and get damaged."
"There's no rush," Lin Qixia muttered nonchalantly, resting her chin on her hand.
"It didn't take up much time." Lin Xiao sat down at the table opposite her.
He Zhilan knew that Lin Qixia was hungry, and said, "Okay, let's eat something quickly."
As she spoke, she placed a chicken leg in Lin Qixia's bowl.
Lin Qixia then smiled and agreed, picking up the chicken leg and taking a bite.
This chicken leg stew is so good, it's tender, juicy, and delicious.
Lin Qixia happily finished her meal in a few bites, and then started eating other dishes.
After a long day of hunger, I only managed to eat a few bites of dry rations while traveling at noon. Now, I can finally have a proper meal.
Outside, the cold wind was howling, but inside, it felt warm and cozy, making one feel comfortable all over.
"Big brother, your cooking skills are getting better and better. This braised radish and stewed meat tastes especially good~" Lin Qixia praised Lin Xiao without reservation while eating.
Lin Xiao poured her a glass of wine: "Stop being silly, have a drink with your brother."
"Okay!" Lin Qixia replied with a smile, picked up her wine glass and clinked glasses with him.
In front of Lin Qixia, Lin Xiao had unknowingly put aside his older brother's airs, and the two were like ordinary friends for a while.
"I want to drink too!" Lin Jiudong, unwilling to be ignored, quickly raised his glass and leaned over.
Lin Xiao frowned, but still advised her, "Don't follow your sister's example, drink less."
In the blink of an eye, he changed his attitude towards her to a stern one.
"Oh." Lin Jiudong paused, silently put down his wine glass, and looked somewhat disappointed.
She belatedly realized that her and Lin Qixia's status at home were indeed different.
Knowing full well that her brother and sister-in-law treated her differently, but—
It's true that Lin Qixia has become more capable this year.
After dinner, the whole family planned to go to bed.
The village of Xiahe returns to tranquility at night, a rare haven of peace in the surrounding area.
Elsewhere, the scene was one of utter desolation and misery.
The entire Huailiang Prefecture had quietly slipped into a state of widespread famine.
...
It snowed heavily on Lunar New Year's Eve.
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