Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 548 - 0509: The Impressive Couple (2)

Breakfast was already laid out, with seven or eight bowls and plates, plus a few bowls of porridge and some small soup dumplings, filling the table to the brim.

On normal days, Li Yu En would certainly look on bright-eyed, almost drooling.

But today, she turned her head away, not looking at the food on the table, only staring at the medicinal porridge in front of Old Lady Lou.

Old Lady Lou became conflicted because of her words.

The nanny standing behind Old Lady Lou smiled and gave Li Yu En a thumbs-up.

Li Yu En smiled sweetly at Old Lady Lou, "Are you going to eat, Grandmother? If you don’t, I’ll take it back, and Chengye and I will go back to our courtyard to eat. You can have breakfast yourself today; we won’t keep you company."

Old Lady Lou enjoyed watching the younger generation eat; the food was all laid out, but if the people left, that wouldn’t be good.

She didn’t like a quiet atmosphere.

Old Lady Lou had no choice but to say, "Alright, alright, I’ll eat, and you also don’t leave. Just eat here; with so much food, if you don’t eat it, it’d be wasted."

She laughed and pointed at Li Yu En, saying that Li Yu En was truly a clever girl, who had cornered her today.

Li Yu En mischievously replied, saying Old Lady Lou was a sly old lady.

Lou Chengye added that it was because of having a clever grandmother that there were clever grandsons and granddaughters-in-law.

Old Lady Lou wasn’t upset; instead, she laughed heartily at the remark.

Li Yu En was good at pleasing people; as Old Lady Lou ate, she told jokes, and Old Lady Lou finished the small bowl of porridge quickly.

After eating, Old Lady Lou reminisced about the taste of the porridge—it wasn’t that bitter after all.

"Old Lady, I’ll make more medicinal porridge in the evening," Li Yu En said, eating shrimp pancakes and mumbling, "If we come back early, we’ll join you for dinner, but remember to eat the medicinal porridge I make."

Old Lady Lou asked, "Where are you going?"

"To Third Aunt’s place; her servant is already waiting in the front yard," Lou Chengye answered.

"Ah, going to her place." Old Lady Lou pondered for a moment, then called over a nearby nanny, "Ah Chun, go with them and make sure no one from the Ning family bullies Chengye and Yu En. If anyone dares bully them, tell me."

She had a stern expression.

The nanny replied, "Understood, Old Lady." 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

Old Lady Lou knew that Lady Lou didn’t care much for the young couple, and their room was nothing special.

She instructed the nannies to prepare gifts for when they visited Third Aunt Lou’s house.

After finishing breakfast, Li Yu En and Lou Chengye, carrying the gifts prepared by Old Lady Lou, along with Nanny Chun and Liu Er Niu, went to the front yard.

Second Lady Lou and her maid had already arrived ahead of them.

Seeing the plump Li Yu En dressed like a snowball, the two gently smirked.

"Fifth Sister-in-law, I’ve been waiting for you," Second Lady Lou smiled and nodded at Li Yu En.

Li Yu En smiled and said, "Good morning, Second Sister-in-law. I was just accompanying Grandmother for breakfast, so I’m a bit late."

Second Lady Lou thought to herself that this country bumpkin did know how to please people, even Old Lady Lou, but what of it? The one in charge was Lady Lou, not Old Lady Lou.

She looked at the gifts in Li Yu En’s maid’s hands, softly snorting, thinking they must be insignificant things.

If it became a laughingstock, she would definitely report it to Lady Lou.

The carriage for Third Aunt Lou’s place was already parked in front of the mansion’s gate.

The nanny who came to greet them saw that the maids and nannies following Li Yu En were carrying gifts and slightly frowned. She lifted the curtain and helped everyone into the carriage.

The nanny sent by Old Lady Lou, along with Liu Er Niu, also got on the carriage.

Lou Chengye, being a man, rode a horse alongside.

It took half an hour to get from Lou Mansion to Third Aunt Lou’s house by carriage, as it was some distance away in the city.

After getting off the carriage, Li Yu En looked around and found this place was far from the market streets.

However, Third Aunt Lou’s residence was quite large, appearing to have four courtyards.

The mansion gate was open, and servants stood at the entrance ready to welcome them.

"Go quickly and relay the message that Lou the Fifth, Lou the Fifth Lady, and Lou the Second Lady have arrived," instructed the welcoming nanny to the steward.

The steward dashed off to deliver the message.

Li Yu En and her group followed the nanny inside.

The nanny was quite chatty, introducing the various parts of Third Aunt Lou’s estate to Li Yu En as they walked.

Describing why a particular flower was planted here, what the flower was called, and its symbolic meaning.

Explaining the name of this pavilion, and what little animals were kept there.

The nanny talked with enthusiasm.

It was merely for show; Second Lady Lou observed this, quietly snorting to herself.

But unexpectedly, Li Yu En appeared unimpressed and unamazed, taking it all in her stride.

She thought to herself, she wasn’t Li Yuwen who loved refined living, talking about flowers, scenery, deer, and bunnies being pretty or not. That’s just a waste of breath.

When the deer and bunnies aren’t food, they’re not good-looking at all.

The nanny saw that Li Yu En was indifferent and sneered to herself, see, she is indeed a country bumpkin and can’t appreciate the sights in the mansion.

Second Lady Lou also threw a disdainful glance at Li Yu En.

The group of people arrived at the back residence.

Third Aunt Lou came out with a few young men and women to greet them.

"It’s the first time for Fifth Nephew’s wife to visit home, let me introduce everyone to you." Third Aunt Lou pointed to the people around her and introduced them one by one.

These people included Third Aunt Lou’s two sons, two daughters-in-law, and two daughters.

They all had proper appearances.

Especially the two daughters, their eyes and smiles slightly resembled Li Yuwen.

But Li Yu En only feared Li Yuwen, she didn’t care if others had similar expressions to Li Yuwen.

They looked at her unceremoniously, and Li Yu En also looked at them boldly.

Li Yu En and Lou Chengye were the youngest, greeting everyone as elder brothers, sisters-in-law, and cousins.

After the greetings, Third Aunt Lou smiled and said, "It’s quite cold outside, let’s go to the warm pavilion and talk."

Inside the warm pavilion, there were two rooms, larger than average rooms.

Third Aunt Lou arranged for her two sons to accompany Lou Chengye drinking and chatting in the outer room, while she and the daughters-in-law stayed inside with Li Yu En and Second Lady Lou talking by the stove.

The topics were nothing but questions about Li Yu En’s country life.

Asking how many people were in Li Yu En’s family, what they usually did, whether they had maids, and how many rooms did each person have.

Li Yu En spoke honestly, even telling them that she made money by making pancakes in the countryside.

Selling pancakes on the street was a job looked down upon by high-ranking families.

The daughters-in-law and daughters of Third Aunt Lou’s family began to laugh together.

Second Lady Lou glared at Li Yu En and subtly moved her body away, wanting to sit a bit farther from her.

Li Yu En knew they were mocking her, but she didn’t care.

Third Aunt Lou smiled and said, "Just sitting and chatting like this is dull, how about we play a drinking game?"

The drinking game was a common table game among high family offspring.

The person drawing the token would either recite poetry, sing a verse, perform a piece, or if unable, drink a forfeit. The token indicated the punishment, sometimes one glass, sometimes three.

Third Aunt Lou suggested this clearly targeting Li Yu En, and Nanny Chun, sent by Old Lady Lou, immediately showed concern, fearing Li Yu En might embarrass herself if she couldn’t play.

"Lady, let’s not play the drinking game, just chatting can be lively enough." The nanny smiled and suggested to Third Aunt Lou.

Third Aunt Lou had never really listened to Old Lady Lou even when she was at her parental home, why would she heed a nanny now?

She smiled and said, "Nanny, it’s just a game, are you worried I’d bully my junior, Fifth Nephew’s wife? Impossible, impossible."

Second Lady Lou, eager to see Li Yu En embarrassed, also said, "Don’t worry nanny, I’m here. If Fifth Sister-in-law doesn’t know how, I’ll help."

For Li Yu En, who had been playing this game since childhood, the nanny’s worry was unnecessary.

She said, "Nanny, don’t worry about me, I’m quite familiar with this game. It’s very simple." She only worried when facing Li Yuwen, no one else had ever won against her.

As soon as Li Yu En finished speaking, everyone looked at her.

The people from Third Aunt Lou’s family cast her a mocking glance.

Very simple?

Aren’t you afraid of biting your tongue while boasting?

Second Lady Lou even let out a snort.

Third Aunt Lou smiled and said, "Nanny Chun, see, Fifth Nephew’s wife does know the drinking game, you were worrying over nothing."

"Yes, I know it, don’t worry nanny." Li Yu En said with a grin.

She insisted on playing, and the nanny couldn’t persuade her otherwise, so she had to let it go.

Third Aunt Lou called over a maid, who brought the game tokens and some more wine jars.

"Fifth Nephew’s wife is the guest, so why don’t you start?" Third Aunt Lou handed Li Yu En a bamboo cylinder containing the tokens and explained the rules.

Li Yu En thought to herself that it was the same as in the Capital.

"I understand, Third Aunt." Li Yu En said.

You understand? You better not lose! Everyone laughed inwardly to themselves.

Li Yu En shook the bamboo cylinder, and a token fell out.

It read, a duet with the person on the right using an instrument to perform the "Drinking Song," and forfeit three drinks if unable.