death too!The Emperor had already stated in court that anyone found to have used the Hibiscus Cream would be beheaded.After waiting anxiously for several days, no official came to the door.But today...At this time, Shuiling carried in a food box and said with a smile, "Young Master Jiashuan is afraid that Madam will be hungry, so he asked me to bring you some food."

Having said that, she beckoned Xiaoyue again. “Xiaoyue, come have some too. I brought your share.”

Xiao Yue was a little surprised. She hadn't expected the Li family to be so thoughtful.

They were afraid of embarrassing themselves by needing to use the restroom on the way, so they hadn't eaten or drunk anything last night. Now they were starting to feel lightheaded and faint from hunger.

Hui-niang helped out, quickly serving the food. Wen-juan wanted to invite Hui-niang to join them, but Hui-niang refused to eat. Jia-yin sat down and ate with her sister-in-law, enjoying the sweet...

Outside, the courtyard was bustling with activity at the feast.

The groom, Jiahuan, couldn't avoid being force-fed alcohol. Luckily, Jiaren, Jiayi, and Liu Yang came to his aid and intercepted quite a bit of it.

Guo Wenhao sat at a table with Liu Jia's Zhimín and Xiujie. He had grown a little taller, but he was still quiet and shy.

At this moment, he ate while looking out. He only smiled when Jiayin ran over with her round stomach.

Seeing his pale skin, as if one could see the blue veins beneath, Jia Yin picked up some chopsticks and served him food. “You have to eat more,” she said. "Only by eating enough can you grow strong.”

Guo Wenhao smiled and replied softly, "The doctor said I wasn't sick, just too thin..."

Jia Yin nodded and earnestly instructed, "From now on, you should go out in the sun more often and learn some exercises like the Eight-Section Brocade. That way, you won't be so thin."

Guo Wenhao listened attentively, nodding the whole time. In the end, he took out a small wooden monkey figurine from his pocket and handed it to Jiayin. “This is for you. An old man on our farm made this, I have many of them, so I'm giving you one.”

Jia Yin didn't take it to heart, she took it and played with it for a while, then asked: "Who did you come with In a moment, I'll pack some delicious fruits for you to take back and eat slowly."

Guo Wenhao expressed his gratitude, smiling with a row of white teeth, much more lively than before.

Zhi Min and Xiu Jie zi were listening and eating at the side, always feeling that the vinegar in the cold dish was too much, so sour!

Xiaojie, who was a little younger, cried out, “Sister Funiu, I want to eat fruit too!”

Fu Niuer gave him a withering look. “You were in bed with my brothers last night, secretly munching on fruit! Don't think I don't know! Hmph, you sneak!”

Xiu Jie hehe smiled foolishly, defending himself: "The fruits in your house are delicious, I can't help but eat a few more, right"

"Okay, I'll go find Uncle Liu for the fruit money in a bit!"

Jiayin climbed up the pole like a nimble monkey, scaring Xiujie who quickly pleaded for mercy. "Let me father know, and he'll deduct my allowance again. Good sister, spare your brother this time. Come back later, I'll buy you candied fruit!"

"Alright!" Ka Yin said with a hint of tsundere in her tone, lifting her chin slightly. "When you get home, I'll bring you some fruit too!"

"Oh, thank you, little sister! I knew you were the best!" Xiu Jie beamed and quickly put a meatball in Jia Yin's bowl. "Try this, Auntie's cooking is the best, I've never had meatballs this delicious!"

Jiayin rubbed her tummy and reluctantly ate the meatballs, then crazily praised her mother.

For the first happy event in her family, Tao Hongying had prepared for nearly half a month.

Needless to say, the dishes were praised by everyone. Even Old Master Liu personally ordered a private table of dishes to entertain his old friends, and he specifically requested to be served with orchid flowers.

Li Zhensheng naturally agreed readily. After all, the private dishes of "Hundred Flowers Fragrant" were still only popular among wealthy businessmen.

Lord Liu, in his own way, was paving the way for Li's private dishes to be promoted among intellectuals.

As night fell, the guests, having eaten and drunk their fill, bid farewell one by one.

Guo Wenhao got into the carriage, holding a basket of fruits given by Jiayin. A smile never left his face...

The city gate had been locked, so Mr. Liu and Liu Zhiheng also moved to Cui's house.

Mr. Wen, pretending to accompany the old man in drinking sobering tea, also arrived at Cui's house. However, no one knew what the young and old talked about specifically.

The village women always worked diligently for the Li family. In no time, half an hour was all it took to tidy up the large courtyard – tables, chairs, and benches were all in order, and pots, pans, and bowls were scrubbed clean.

Because there were many grandchildren in the family and they liked to entertain guests, Li Laotai had previously spent a sum of money to have two hundred sets of bowls, chopsticks, round tables, and long benches custom-made.

These items were usually kept in an empty room at the schoolhouse. Anyone, whether from the Li family or any other household in the village who needed to host a banquet for an occasion, could come and use them.

The young masters helped carry the tables, chairs, dishes and bowls back home.

The Li family courtyard finally fell silent. Old Mrs. Li went to see her daughter-in-law and found she had finished eating. Then she drove the giggling little grandchildren away, closing the door firmly...

Three days before the bride's arrival, according to custom, she is required to wash her hands and cook soup.

But Wenjuan's craftsmanship was average, and the kitchen at Li's house was different from hers. It was a bit overwhelming to prepare meals for over twenty people all at once.

When Tao Hongying saw this, she asked her to be responsible for cooking millet porridge, while the rest of the chores were helped by He Mamá and Shuiyun.

Wenjuan was both moved and embarrassed, secretly resolving to study more diligently in the future.

At the dinner table, the old lady heard that her daughter-in-law had cooked millet porridge and praised it for being fragrant, thick, and glutinous. This made Wenjuan's face even redder.

After breakfast and tea ceremony, everyone chatted happily. Then the Liu family members returned to the city.

Before getting on the carriage, Old Master Liu chatted with Li Zhensheng for a few words, "The matter of Wang's third son has caused quite a stir. Everyone says a few words of sympathy for him. You should be more cautious and prudent in your actions."

"Besides, the eldest and second sons of the Wang family are coming back. The second son is nothing to worry about, but the eldest son is cunning and ruthless. You must be more careful."

Li Zhensheng smiled and bowed, "Thank you, Uncle Liu, for your concern. Our family has always been one that doesn't start trouble but isn't afraid of it either. The Wang family has repeatedly schemed against us, even wanting to control our Li family and shake the foundation of Suijin Beach.

"

“If our Li family doesn't show some strength, outsiders will think we are easy to bully and come looking for opportunities to take advantage of us. I would rather have outsiders fear the Li family than have everyone dare to bully us!”

Mr. Liu nodded, not annoyed by Li Zhensheng's rebuttal, but instead with a few more points of admiration. "It's a pity that your father passed away too early, otherwise I would really like to learn from him, to see how he raised such an outstanding child. All four of your brothers are excellent!"

"As long as we remain united and act with prudence, there is no reason why the Li family should not prosper even more!"

"Uncle Liu praised us, but actually our brothers just suffered more losses and fell down more times. We gradually grew up through this."

Li Zhensheng's words weren't mere humility or politeness. None of the four brothers were raised in a honey pot. They had endured wind and rain, so naturally they were resilient.

After seeing the Liu family off, it wasn't long before Mr. Wen also had to return to the city.

There wasn't much going on at home, and tomorrow was another big court meeting. Li Lao Er decided to take a carriage with Wen Mr.

The two of them browsed the bookstore, bought a few new books, and then returned to their small courtyard.

The next morning, as always, I got up before dawn and went out. Standing on the dais, Lao Er Li was still sneaking yawns.

Finally, it was time for court. Everyone seemed more energetic, and they all walked out together.

Just as he stepped out of the palace gate, he was stopped before he could even look for his family's carriage... the front courtyard.The courtyard was somewhat empty, clearly everyone in the family had gone next door.In front of Ye's courtyard gate, two women led four or five children, and there was also a whit...