Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 569 - 0530: Li Yu En Being Praised and Adored by All (1)

Chapter 569: Chapter 0530: Li Yu En Being Praised and Adored by All (1)

Li Yu En blushed, patted her sleeves, and quickly sat properly.

It was just because she was excited seeing such a scene for the first time.

Back in the Prince Mansion, because Li Yuwen was the radiant one, her shine was overshadowed, and everyone only focused on Li Yuwen, almost no one noticed her.

Reminded by Princess Consort Luling, Li Yu En became more composed, answering everyone politely and courteously, smiling at questions she couldn’t answer.

Fortunately, the words were flattering, and no one dared to trouble her, so the conversation remained harmonious.

The Liu Family’s house and courtyard were small, accommodating only six tables at once.

Two tables were set inside, where Prince Luling’s family, close relatives of the Liu Family, and Lady Liu’s close relatives, along with prominent village figures sat, with Liu Laoda’s father, Liu the bricklayer, accompanying the guests inside.

Mu Yuanxiu and Prince Luling sat at one table, while Li Yuzhu and Princess Consort Li Yu En sat at another.

There were sixteen people at the two tables.

Outside in the courtyard, there were four tables with distant relatives of the Liu Family, distant relatives of Lady Liu, mostly Liu clan members, or neighbors.

The Liu Family hosted a total of twenty tables. Once these six tables finished the banquet, the next group of people would take their seats.

This kind of rotating banquet style in the village was called a flowing banquet.

Although Liu Jinbao was a close relative, he didn’t have a chance to sit at the main table during family banquets; he had to serve food and pour wine with others.

Liu Jinbao went to the Prefecture as Li Yu En’s dowry for a month, learning quite a bit of etiquette from wealthy families, showcasing what he learned today, which impressed many elders with praise.

Additionally, he was turning sixteen after the New Year, his features more defined, and he had grown taller, looking like a man. Many older women joked about finding him a wife.

If it were boys this age in the village, they would have blushed and left, not daring to say a word.

But Liu Jinbao, having mingled with the Lou Family’s servants for a month, learned to be smooth-tongued, and he openly laughed, "Well, I’m counting on Auntie to matchmake, but please don’t harm me, make sure to find me a hardworking and pretty girl."

"Look at you, would Auntie harm you?" The woman laughed heartily, seeing he wasn’t shy.

Others chimed in immediately, asking how much Liu Jinbao had saved for a wife and how much dowry he would give.

This was a trap.

Answering honestly could lead to gossip.

Saving too little would make people say he couldn’t save and his future wife and children would suffer. But if he claimed too much, and the amount wasn’t saved, when marrying, wouldn’t the bride’s family ask for a hefty dowry?

Turning his thoughts quickly, Liu Jinbao laughed and replied, "I can’t tell Auntie about that; a man can only tell two women about his savings."

The woman, having never heard such an answer, laughed and asked, "Oh, you have two women in your heart?"

"Which man doesn’t have two women in his heart?" Liu Jinbao laughed, "Before marriage, it’s mother; after marriage, it’s his wife. So, the savings amount, I can only tell my mother now, and after marriage, I’ll tell my wife. My mom is still in the Prefecture looking after Miss Li’s house. If you want to know how much I’ve saved, go to the Prefecture and ask my mom."

This was just joking around; who would actually go to the Prefecture to ask?

Who even had spare money to visit the Prefecture for fun?

Many in the village hadn’t even been to the county, let alone the Prefecture.

This indirectly let Liu Jinbao show off wealth: look, only his family in the village had been to the Prefecture.

After three rounds of drinks, according to village customs, the full-month baby had to be brought out.

Liu Da Niu, with a scarlet headscarf, dressed newly, came out with her son from the bedroom accompanied by her mother, Lady Liu.

To add a festive touch, the little baby’s head was adorned with a small scarlet cap.

Everyone stopped eating to gather and watch the child.

Lady Liu held a small winnowing basket containing peanuts and sunflower seeds dyed with sappanwood, along with some candies, and handed a few pieces to each person she met.

Those who received the peanuts, seeds, and candies, gave a few coins in return.

The amount was up to personal discretion; this wasn’t a gift money, just a token for meeting.

Some gave two coins, some ten.

The money was thrown into the winnowing basket held by Lady Liu.

Liu Da Niu was introducing everyone to her son, even though the full-month baby didn’t understand a thing, sleeping soundly; she continued to introduce very earnestly.

Li Yu En whispered to Princess Consort, "He can’t understand, why tell him?"

Princess Consort, with a calm face, also whispered to her, "It’s just a formality. When you were little, you were also carried around to meet relatives this way."

Li Yu En blushed, was she?

Soon, Lady Liu and Liu Da Niu, holding the child, came to Princess Consort Li Yuzhu’s table. Princess Consort took out a handful of copper coins and placed them in the winnowing basket.

She gave the most, about twenty coins.

Guoguo stood on the chair, craning his neck to look at Liu Da Niu’s son.

Li Jing also looked and exclaimed, "Wow, so ugly."

But Lady Liu and Liu Da Niu weren’t angry at all.

Liu Da Niu smiled with pursed lips, and Lady Liu also laughed, "Ugly babies are good, it means they won’t have a troubled life, Li Xiaolang knows how to talk."

Li Jing, "..." Being ugly is a good thing?

Not only were Lady Liu and her daughter not angry, but others also chimed in, "As ugly as a dog, Daniu, let’s name this kid Dog."

Lady Liu laughed and said, "His great-grandfather named him Black Dog."

The woman laughed heartily, "Oh my, we’ve thought the same as your old man."

So, everyone started calling the child "Black Dog, Little Black Dog."

Li Jing, looking puzzled, "..." Is Black Dog a good name?

Li Yuzhu laughed as she helped Li Jing sit down, "This is a nickname; when he grows up, he’ll have a formal name."

Li Jing nodded, seemingly understanding, "Oh." What does a formal name mean?

Liu Da Niu carried the child around the house and then went outside to the four tables.

Outside, there were many people, in addition to the four tables for the feast, there were some neighbors waiting to sit, over dozens of people chatting lively.

Liu Da Niu stepped forward with her son, and immediately someone shouted to hold the child.

Since they were neighbors and relatives, Liu Da Niu handed the child over without worry.

The little baby was passed around like a drum flower game, from one person’s hands to another’s, everyone praising Liu Da Niu for giving birth, saying his eyebrows and eyes looked like his parents.

Liu Da Niu, who had been in the bedroom for a month, rarely saw sunlight or breathed fresh air today, cheerfully answering questions from the neighbor women.

The elderly ones showed concern for whether she had enough milk, while young ladies who hadn’t given birth asked if it hurt to have a child.

In the courtyard, there was laughter and chatter everywhere.

Guoguo ate two pieces of sweet cake, had half a bowl of rice and some bean soup; she put down the spoon and shouted to see the baby.

She slipped off the chair and ran outside.

Li Jing also wanted to see the baby, put down his bowl, and followed her, "Guoguo, wait for me, I want to go too."

Princess Consort Luling immediately stood up, "Run slowly!"

Li Yuzhu put down her chopsticks and said, "Mother, I’ll watch them."

Princess Consort said, "There’re many people today, make sure they don’t get jostled, take good care of them."

"Got it, Mother." Li Yuzhu nodded as she rushed after the two children.

But there were too many people. By the time she squeezed out of the house and the crowd, she couldn’t see the two children’s figures anymore.

Li Yuzhu asked around, but everyone said they hadn’t seen them.

"Guoguo, Jingjing?" Li Yuzhu called two times, but no child replied.

Guoguo was wearing a red dress and easy to spot; Li Yuzhu stood at a high point and looked through the crowd, but still didn’t see them.

Li Yuzhu squinted her eyes; where did these two run off to?

There were relatives from outside the village coming for Liu Family’s banquet today; she dared not be careless and began searching around Liu Family’s house.

Yet still, she couldn’t find them.

Li Yuzhu called their names loudly, but no one answered.

She grabbed a passing villager to inquire, but he also hadn’t seen them. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Li Yuzhu expanded her search, looking around several nearby households, alleys, haystacks, clumps of wild grass; as long as someone was home, she asked everywhere and shouted countless times, but Guoguo and Jingjing were still nowhere to be found.

Li Yuzhu started to feel anxious.

She returned to Liu Family and pulled Mu Yuanxiu outside, speaking softly about the two children.

Mu Yuanxiu frowned, "Searched everywhere?"

"Searched, checked all dozen households nearby, Guoguo likes to hide and play, but she would always come out when she heard calling; I’ve called for quite a while, not a single kid’s voice answered."

As they were discussing where to look next, suddenly piercing cries came from Liu Family.

"Where is the child? Where did the child go? Who was holding them just now?"

"Black Dog, my Black Dog—"

After the shouting, a great commotion followed.

Li Yuzhu and Mu Yuanxiu were startled simultaneously; could Liu Da Niu’s child be gone too?

The two rushed over, seeing Liu Da Niu sitting on the ground, crying hysterically, Lady Liu beside her weeping.

Hu Shuangcheng was ashen-faced, standing as if his soul had been snatched away.

Old Liu was so angry that he jumped up and down and cursed, Liu the bricklayer trembled and kept asking people.

"Yuanxiu, I feel something is very wrong here." Li Yuzhu said to Mu Yuanxiu, "Guoguo and Jingjing might have run off, maybe far enough not to hear my shouts, but Daniu’s baby is just a month old; someone must have carried him off!"

"Hu Shuangcheng’s mother always had her eyes on Daniu’s son; she must have taken advantage of the chaos to take him." Mu Yuanxiu said, "Daniu’s son won’t be hard to find; let’s go find Guoguo and Jingjing first."