Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 580 - 541: Is his daughter really only 1.5 years old? (3)
"Guoguo, it’s just a dream. Things in dreams aren’t real." Princess Consort Luling pulled her into her arms.
Li Jing blinked, "Guoguo, what is this Qian Hong Lou?"
Guoguo glanced at him without speaking.
"What Qian Hong Lou?" Li Yuzhu walked to the door and happened to hear this, she asked, puzzled.
Princess Consort Luling said, "We don’t understand either. Your elder brother was scolding the children, reminding them not to run around and be careful not to encounter bad people again. Suddenly, Guoguo said this, claiming it was from a dream. What this child says, she becomes more articulate, even better than Jingjing."
"Qian Hong Lou..." Li Xingmao muttered these three words, looking at Guoguo with suspicion.
Is his daughter really only one and a half years old?
Can she speak such complex words?
Guoguo suddenly said this, interrupting Li Xingmao’s train of thought, and he forgot to scold the children.
Because Li Yuzhu talked to him about the Liu family business, "Something happened with the Liu family yesterday. The banquet was only half-held, and many people were not invited. Uncle Liu said he would make up for it today, and maybe soon he’ll invite elder brother and second brother to drink. Rest assured, big brother, I’ll stay home with sister-in-law."
With Li Yuzhu watching over Chai Eying, Li Xingmao was at ease.
He smiled and said, "With the third sister at home, I’m at ease."
As they were talking, the gatekeeper Uncle Gui brought Liu Laoda and Hu Shuangcheng over.
Liu Laoda was holding two large jugs of wine.
Hu Shuangcheng was carrying a bamboo basket.
Li Xingmao walked over to Liu Laoda, "Uncle Liu and Shuangcheng are here? Please come inside."
Liu Laoda and Hu Shuangcheng entered and greeted Princess Consort Luling before placing the items on the table.
Princess Consort Luling was puzzled, "Liu Da, what is this for? Why suddenly bring gifts?"
Liu Laoda and Hu Shuangcheng had brought two jars of Osmanthus Brew and a basket full of eggs.
He said, embarrassed, "About the incident with my grandson yesterday, I really have to thank Miss Li and Yuanxiu. Our family has nothing good to offer as thanks, but these are Mr. Li’s favorite Osmanthus Brew, and the eggs have been saved up for the family to enjoy."
A basket full of eggs, there must be at least a hundred. Each jar of wine is about ten pounds, making it twenty pounds total.
Princess Consort Luling smiled and said, "You are too kind. Our families are so close, helping out with small favors is only right. Moreover, those human traffickers also kidnapped Guoguo and Jingjing, Yu Zhu and the others were searching for the children together."
Li Xingmao also said, "Uncle Liu, you’re too kind."
But Liu Laoda knew that if it weren’t for the Li family’s status, even if the children were found, at most only the traffickers would be punished, and not Miss Chai, who instigated the kidnapping.
Throughout the countryside, years ago, there were incidents where fights resulted in death without the County Magistrate coming to trial overnight.
This was just a child kidnapping case, yet the County Magistrate arrived immediately upon receiving the news, thanks to the Li family’s influence.
Liu Laoda insisted Princess Consort Luling accept the gifts.
Hu Shuangcheng also persuaded Li Xingmao to accept them.
Princess Consort Luling had no choice but to accept them.
Liu Laoda then said, "Due to the family matter yesterday, everyone’s drinking was postponed. Today, we’ll continue the banquet with four tables of wine. Li Dalang and Li Erlang must come."
Li Xingmao smiled and said, "Alright, we will definitely come, Uncle Liu."
After Liu Laoda and Hu Shuangcheng left, Princess Consort Luling looked at the two jars of wine and laughed, "Your father will be pleased again. Drinking yesterday, and now wine is gifted again today."
Li Xingmao placed the jars of wine in the cabinet of the North Courtyard Main House and took the basket of eggs to the kitchen.
The two children breathed a sigh of relief after their father left.
Li Jing clamored to go to the academy to hear Prince Luling lecture, and urged Guoguo to join him.
Princess Consort Luling said sternly, "Let your aunt take you. Don’t run around when you get to the academy."
"Got it, grandmother." They replied instantly.
Princess Consort Luling laughed in exasperation and waved them off.
Li Yuzhu took a child’s hand in each of hers and headed towards the courtyard gate.
As they were a distance away from the North Courtyard, Li Yuzhu paused and asked Guoguo about the dream.
"Guoguo." Li Yuzhu squatted down in front of Guoguo, looking at her intently, "Will you tell Aunt about the dream?"
Guoguo looked at Li Yuzhu, "Ye Niang."
"What ’Ye Niang’?" Li Yuzhu didn’t understand.
But Guoguo fell silent, no matter how much Li Yuzhu asked, Guoguo wouldn’t speak.
Li Yuzhu patted Guoguo’s face, "Forget it, it’s just a dream." This child is truly peculiar; how can such a young child remember her dreams?
She led Guoguo and Li Jing onward.
Guoguo looked up at Li Yuzhu, bit her lip, and held onto Li Yuzhu’s hand even tighter.
Li Yuzhu looked down at her and smiled.
.
Because Chai Eying’s due date is within this half month, Li Yuzhu doesn’t dare to leave the village now. If she needs to buy anything, she writes a list and asks Mu Yuanxiu to buy it.
Then there’s delivering the prepared medicine pills to Li Xing’an.
She neatly places the small bottles and porcelain boxes filled with medicine pills in a small rattan box.
These are all ordinary beauty pills, tonic pills, some digestive pills, and pills for women to nourish blood and energy.
Each medicine bottle is labeled with the name of the medicine, its usage, and dosage.
Beauty pills can be taken all year round.
For the other pills, it depends on the treatment cycle. One cycle requires three bottles of pills.
The prices are also fair, with each bottle of pills ranging from fifty coins to eighty coins.
These pills are all related to health maintenance, so they don’t sell well in the countryside but sell very well in the city.
Mu Yuanxiu glanced at the pills and then at her shopping list. Pointing to one item, he asked, "Four feet of plain fine fabric, Yuzhu, what can be made with such a small amount of fabric?"
Li Yuzhu, "..." Could she say it was because she had grown taller and her bust had gotten bigger, making her previous undergarments too tight and uncomfortable, so she needed to make new ones?
She could shamelessly ask Mu Yuanxiu to make outerwear or mid-layer garments, but for such small clothes, even if she could put on a brave face, Mu Yuanxiu might also find it awkward to make them.
"Ah, it’s something my mother asked me to buy. How should I know what she wants to do with it? Just buy it," Li Yuzhu made up an excuse.
Seeing her eyes darting around, Mu Yuanxiu just chuckled, asked no more, and tucked the list into his pocket, "Alright, I’ll buy everything on the list."
The two of them descended the mountain together.
When they arrived at the Li Family, Li Yuzhu went to the South Courtyard to see Chai Eying.
Mu Yuanxiu led his mule from the stable to attach it to the cart.
Knowing he was heading to the county, Uncle Gui took out two baskets from the storeroom, "Yuanxiu, these are spring bamboo shoots that Dalang and Erlang dug up this morning. They are fresh. Take one basket to Tian Lang’s parents and give the other to Sanlang."
End of January weather is the perfect season for bamboo shoots.
Mu Yuanxiu looked at the two baskets of bamboo shoots, the earth on them still moist.
He said with a smile, "This is good. I’ll dig some myself when I return."
By the time the afternoon had mostly passed, Mu Yuanxiu arrived at the store of Eldest Young Master Chai and Li Xing’an.
He first went to the shop of Chai Eying’s elder brother and delivered a basket of spring bamboo shoots to Sister-in-law Chai.
Sister-in-law Chai looked at the ten or so large bamboo shoots and said with a smile, "Just right, I still have a few pounds of smoked meat here. Let’s make smoked meat with spring bamboo shoots for dinner. Yuanxiu, come by for dinner later."
Mu Yuanxiu smiled slightly, "Sure, sure, I’ll first go to Third Brother’s shop and take a look."
He carried the other basket over to Li Xing’an’s store.
Li Xing’an was overseeing Liu Yanbai doing the accounts. Seeing him walk over, he chuckled, "Let me see what food you’ve brought for me this time?"
Among the Li Family members, Li Xingsheng had accompanied Li Yu En to the prefecture a few days ago, and Li Xingmao had to constantly watch over Chai Eying. All the errands of buying things and running messages fell to Mu Yuanxiu.
He would sometimes go to the local market and sometimes to the county, always bringing food from home.
It was either game from the mountains or fruits and specialties sent by people from the village.
Having moved from the village to the city, Li Xing’an found himself unaccustomed to it. He constantly recalled Nanny Jiang’s cooking and the wild game from the mountains.
"Some spring bamboo shoots, dug up by my big brother and second brother. I gave one basket to Sister-in-law Chai, and this basket is for you," Mu Yuanxiu said with a smile.
Li Xing’an was so pleased that he rubbed his hands together, "That’s great! Spring bamboo shoots, they are a mountain delicacy! I still have a piece of cured wild boar meat hanging in the kitchen. We’ll fry it up together later. Xiao Chengzi!"
Li Xing’an’s cooking skills were very mediocre, and Liu Yanbai could only use one arm effectively. Fortunately, among the three of them, Xiao Chengzi was a capable child, skilled in washing, cooking, and cleaning.
Xiao Chengzi answered from the backyard and ran over cheerfully, "Third Brother Li, what’s up?"
"Good news, good news. Here, peel this, and we’ll make stir-fried wild boar with spring bamboo shoots for dinner." Li Xing’an handed the basket over.
Xiao Chengzi happily took it, "Did Yuanxiu bring it? Whenever Yuanxiu comes, he always brings something good."
"Look at how happy you are. Quick, go!" Li Xing’an said with a laugh, patting his shoulder.
Mu Yuanxiu then returned to the mule cart and unloaded the box of medicine pills from Li Yuzhu.
Li Xing’an took it over, "These are the pills from Third Sister, right? There’s quite a lot this time."
Mu Yuanxiu and Li Xing’an, together, arranged the small bottles of pills on the special rack Li Yuzhu had installed here.
While the two of them were busy, someone walked into the shop.
"Is your Li Sanlang here?" a young man said arrogantly.
Liu Yanbai put down the pen in his hand and walked over, "He is here. Please come in. I will go and call him right away."
Mu Yuanxiu recognized the voice and looked over there, realizing it was Luo Zikun who had come.
He wasn’t alone; seven or eight men of roughly the same age accompanied him. Judging by their attire, they should all be scholars.
