Chapter 327: Obviously with an ulterior motive

Enough hot water was provided at home, and the travelers first took a bath and changed clothes to wash away all the dust.

They finished bathing just in time with the dinner being served. Liu Dalin also arrived with his ox cart.

The family sat neatly around the dining table. The old man was happy, so he brought out his own nourishing wine that his little granddaughter specially brewed for him and gave each one a cup.

If it were normal times, he would have never let anyone drink a drop.

It was utterly precious.

In between meals, chatters and laughter filled the table, and the family kept asking about Liu Yusheng’s stay in the capital.

This kind of atmosphere was something that Fu Yuzheng has never experienced before.

In the mansion of the rich and powerful, they practiced eating without talking, and the King used to do the same, and only after Liu Yusheng arrived at the capital did that change.

Now that she was amidst this kind of atmosphere, instead of making her feel as if they were vulgar, she felt that they were lively and extremely cordial.

It seemed that this was the way dinner should be.

The family gathered in one place, talking about the things that happened around them during the day, the interesting things they saw, sighing or uttering an expletive and laughing together.

The grandparents were both bright and cheerful. The grandpa was boisterous, and whenever he opened his mouth to speak, the whole kitchen echoed his voice.

The old woman looked more powerful. She would sometimes reprimand the old man with a sentence or two, but her eyes revealed a hidden indulgence. Here, no woman was regarded as inferior. There was no talk where the female family members only could listen obediently while the head of the family was speaking.

Uncle Liu was a man with a simple and honest appearance but spoke his own insights. He doted on his daughter and often picked food for her during the meal. On the contrary, his son, who should have been favored, was totally ignored.

Aunt Liu, Chen Xiulan, was soft and gentle. She spoke gently, but revealed no inferiority common to women. She didn’t speak much, but whatever she said, Uncle Liu was bound to nod and agree, is actually the wife of the main model. It surprisingly appeared as if he held his wife in high regard, first and foremost.

The second uncle and his wife were also very interesting. Second Uncle Liu was straightforward and spoke carelessly. He would utter whatever came to mind, bluffing noisily, but the moment his wife glared at him, he would immediately stammer in guilt. He looked afraid of his wife.

The family’s second male grandson, Liu Zhiqiu, was very different from Liu Zhixia’s calm and introverted nature. His straightforward nature was more like Liu Dalin and Liu Erlin, but that didn’t mean that he was reckless and simple minded. On the contrary, he almost always drove and reshaped the atmosphere at the table. With him in the crowd, laughter was basically non-stop. His occasional interjections could make people tear from laughter. And he did everything without a trace.

Among the diners, she also saw Wei Hong.

Although she had never seen Wei Hong, she surmised just from her name that she must be the king’s shadow guard.

Unexpectedly, the King had deployed defenses in Xinghua Village many years ago.

Save against a rainy day. His forethought was meticulous and daunting. Back then, he was only twelve years old, right?

No wonder that even if he was alone, Consort Liu’s family spent ten years, but also failed to suppress him.

“Yuzheng, eat and don’t hold back. Why are you eating so little? Look at you. You’re so thin, a gust of wind can carry you away. Eat more food!” The old lady prompted her and gave her a bunch of dishes. “I heard from Nannan that you don’t have any family in the capital. In the future, come to our place on New Year. Let’s all spend the holidays together.”

“Okay.” Fu Yuzheng smiled in response, picked up the dish on the plate and brought it into her mouth.

Liu Zhixia glanced at her, and when he looked down again, his eyes brimmed with tenderness.

In aristocratic families, they paid attention to etiquette and cleanliness, so they used serving chopsticks when serving food. However, in the countryside, there was no such thing, so when the old woman gave her the dishes, she used her own chopsticks.

She didn’t dislike it at all.

“Grandma, Yuzheng has a light taste, just like Nannan. She can’t eat too much meat,” Liu Zhixia said, and smoothly put the woman’s favorite dishes into her bowl.

He acted so naturally.

Fu Yuzheng looked at the stewed meat and cabbage in her bowl, and her ears quickly burned. She did not even dare to raise her head and quickly ate the cabbage in an attempt to destroy the evidence.

This was the most she had clipped just now, and she really liked it.

Yet he found out. Did that mean he’d been staring at her at dinner?

There was a moment of silence at the table, and then everything returned to normal.

“We’re not quite sure of Yuzheng’s taste. If you know, you should have helped and taken care of her earlier. You’re such a grown man, so be more considerate to the young lady,” the grandma advised with ease.

However, in Fu Yuzheng’s ears, she froze and felt that Grandma Liu had misunderstood something.

Liu Zhiqiu had already raised his head and looked at his elder brother, his eyes flashed.

No wonder his brother who was preparing for the spring exams managed to find time to return home for the New Year. He wasn’t thinking of home, but obviously had an ulterior motive!

He even pretended to be all serious!

Chen Xiulan looked at the woman with red ears and exchanged glances with her husband. A streak of joy flashed in her eyes, and then paid more attention to Fu Yuzheng afterward.

Her son is already twenty-two years old. Men at this age in the village had long been married and had children. Their children could already go traipsing all over the mountains and fields. Whereas, in their family, not a single one actively made progress. They have never seen a woman around him appear.

She actually saw her son serving a dish to a woman! That action could be construed as showing more than intimacy.

A door opened at long last!

For her part, Du Juan looked at his serious nephew, then at her own brat who was making faces, and sighed. Zhixia now has a target, but this kid was still fooling around as if he hadn’t grown up. She was dying to hold her grandchild, but she wondered how long she had to wait!

So sad!

Liu Zhixia’s action made everyone at the table think differently, but they all came to the same conclusion.

They had to start redecorating Zhixia’s yard. Who knew, the next time he returned, he’d be bringing his bride home.

The children were tired from the long journey, so after dinner, the elders rushed them to rest early.

In fact, the whole family had a belly of questions and concerns, but they didn’t show them in front of the children.

Once they were rested well and settled down, then they could slowly discuss.

Fu Yuzheng’s bedroom was arranged in Liu Yusheng’s yard, next to her wing, where two young girls of the same age could be company.

When Fu Yuzheng was brought to the room, she found that it was already set up.

The room was not big, but was complete with a table, chairs and cabinets, new clean bedding on the carved solid wooden bed, and light-colored printed sheets and quilts. It was elegant and warm. There was also a soft pillow placed on the bed.

At the small table by the window, there was a blue and white porcelain vase, in which a few white plums with buds were inserted.

The whole space was suddenly more elegant, with a breath of vitality.

A fragrance emanating from the plum blossoms still lingered in the air.

It was obviously not her home, but for some reason, this space gave her a sense of belonging compared to her room in the royal residence.

She liked it here at first glance.

“You must be tired after nearly a month of riding in a carriage. Rest well tonight, and I will take you around the village tomorrow, so that you can see our Xinghua Village.” The young girl behind her urged her to rest early. Before leaving the door, she suddenly said, “Elder Brother personally picked the white plum in the vase. You should like it.”

“…”