Chapter 336: Duckweed has roots

The first sieve of rice cakes basically had nothing left.

The children had one in each hand, and Liu Yusheng also grabbed one, and halved it with Fu Yuzheng.

Seeing her daughter’s gluttonous appearance, Chen Xiulan admonished, “Eat slowly and be careful, lest you’ll scald your mouth.”

“I know, Mom,” Liu Yusheng sweetly answered, not forgetting to educate Fu Yuzheng, “Rice cakes fresh from the pot are still soft and not so hard. If you let them cool before eating, they will have another taste. They’re fragrant and crispy, but you have to bite hard. If you are not careful, you may even knock out a tooth.”

“Is it so hard?” Fu Yuzheng was surprised. She was not usually greedy, and had never eaten such things in the capital.

A woman laughed and answered, “It’s delicious when it’s hard. Babies can chew one for a short half day. Give it to them to sharpen their teeth.”

“No, it’s good for little children to eat more hard things, so they will have good teeth in the future.”

The children next to them took rice cakes and ate them while looking at them with grins.

The corners of Fu Yu Zheng’s mouth unconsciously lifted up, and she bit off a small piece of the still hot rice cake in her mouth and savored it.

“How about it, is it good? This is a special product of our area, and it’s not available in the capital yet.”

“Mmm, delicious.” Fragrant and crispy, the sugar filling was sweet but not greasy. She rarely ate such things, but it was truly delicious.

Especially in such an atmosphere where a large group of people were lively and harmonious; eating it made it extra fragrant.

Looking at the two girls huddled in the middle of a group of children eating deliciously, Grandma Liu quipped, “If you follow our Nannan, I’m afraid there will be another little greedy cat in the family in the future.”

The women laughed. “Now, it is not like the old days. You can eat as much as you want! Are you still afraid you can’t afford it?”

When Liu Zhixia came over to stoke the charcoal fire, he responded, “I can afford it.”

Hoots of laughter erupted louder.

Fu Yuzheng’s face suddenly got very hot.

Saying such ambiguous innuendo was nothing but misleading.

Liu Yusheng turned her face and exchanged a snicker with her grandma. It gave off a tacit understanding.

Someone else elbowed Chen Xiulan and winked at her, then deliberately said in a loud voice, “Zhixia is already twenty-two this year, right? He’s no longer young. When are we going to drink his wedding wine?”

Chen Xiulan smiled and said, “Our family is also anxious about this. In the past, when Zhixia and Zhiqiu just came of age, our family began to find respectable women for each of them, thinking of letting them meet each other. The result is that the brothers are one and the same. Either one or both of them didn’t appear. It happened time and time again, so overtime, we gave up and let them be. They have to take care of this kind of thing themselves, so that they can live a harmonious and happy life in the future.”

Fu Yuzheng felt too embarrassed to raise her head. She knew she shouldn’t feel guilty, but a sense of guilt did sprout within her. However, when she heard Chen Xiulan speak, her ears unconsciously perked up again.

She wanted to hear more things related to him.

“Mother, don’t worry about my affairs. I have my own sense of propriety. If you have time, you and my second aunt should worry more about Zhiqiu.” After stoking the charcoal fire, Liu Zhixia moved the basket nearer the woman, who buried her head low with her ears red it almost dripped blood, and said gently. 

Upon seeing this scene, Liu Yusheng turned her eyes around and called out to her mother, “Mother, you really don’t have to worry about my brother. I think when he has a wife, he’ll forget his mother. Look at him now, he doesn’t even take care of me, his sister.”

The women laughed again. “Aiyo, the sister is unhappy. Nannan, if you are cold, come to me. All the baskets are for you to hog!”

“Nannan, don’t be angry. I love you, so let’s let your brother marry first.” Chen Xiulan was laughing so much, her eyes almost disappeared. Looking at the girl, who was the subject of their amusement, she was afraid that smoke would puff out of it.

Liu Zhixia was extremely helpless, so he rubbed his baby sister’s head hard. “How did I not take care of you? I also put a warmer basket behind you. Have you no conscience?”

Liu Yusheng folded her hands and begged for mercy. Of course she knew that her brother had also added warmer baskets behind her. “Brother, I was just kidding.”

“Brother daughter-in-law lost, you will not have a sister-in-law.” Another pat down sister’s head, Liu Zhixia turned to go elsewhere.

“If I lose my wife, you’ll have no sister-in-law.” Liu Zhixia left another pat down his sister’s head and turned to go elsewhere.

If they carried on with their teasing, the thin-skinned girl wouldn’t be able to stay.

Even without naming names, whatever actions he’d take would be a show of affection, and Fu Yuzheng definitely couldn’t stand it anymore.

Too embarrassing.

Even so, the meaningful gaze that fell on her still made her feel like there was a mane in her back. She was utterly ill at ease.

This man, why couldn’t he restrain himself!

Liu Zhixia didn’t have it any easier. When he turned his head, he was met with Liu Zhiqiu’s angry face.

“Brother, you are unkind. You actually pulled the flames of war on me. Do not harm me!”

“Did I say anything wrong?” Liu Zhixia remained calm, “How old are you? Do you have a job? Uncle An is only a few years older than you, but he already has children, running all over the place. Do you have an offspring yet?”

Liu Zhiqiu was immediately rendered speechless.

His elder brother has a good point. He was the only one who hasn’t settled yet at his age.

“Zhiqiu,” Xue Qinglian patted his shoulder sympathetically, “Don’t confront your eldest brother in the future. Your brains can’t beat him.”

Liu Erlin was even more exasperated, so he asked his elder brother, “Brother, say, he only had read less books for a few years, but why is their difference so big? Is he really my son?”

Liu Dalin nodded and replied seriously, “He’s your son, your spitting image. Ask Du Juan if you don’t believe me.”

“……”

Grandpa Liu sat beside a brazier, tasting his own nourishing tea, and smacking his lips with satisfaction from time to time.

They were the Liu family bloodline; all their advantages were inherited from him.

Whether they were simple and honest, wise and farsighted, or upright and frank; They were solely all like him, a hundred percent.

The hilarity continued until nearly dinner time. When the courtyard was empty, only then did it clear up a bit.

Fu Yuzheng also suffered for almost a long time, but although she was extremely embarrassed, she did not feel annoyed.

On the contrary, she felt happy and fulfilled amidst the jokes of the women around. 

They always talked about her, making her feel integrated into the environment.

The Xinghua villagers did not treat her as an outsider, and at that time, she also forgot that she was an outsider who had entered from outside.

It was like a duckweed that had found its roots.

In the blink of an eye, it was New Year’s Eve.

The temperature continued to drop, getting colder and colder. People were already too lazy to even leave the door and just sat next to the fireplace.

The cold wind blew, but there was no snow.

Getting up in the morning became an extremely difficult task.

Upon opening the window, the cold wind would immediately pour in. Outside the ground, the walls were covered with crystal white frost.

Even in this cold weather, the Liu family courtyard never gained peace and quiet.

From the morning, one after another carriage drove to the door of the Liu family, all to deliver strangers’ gifts.

One notice after the other made the listening person’s brain on the verge of exploding.

“The County Magistrate of Xiangshan sends a New Year’s gift, wishing Ruyi County Lady’s family a happy New Year.”

“Xiangshan County deputy magistrate presents a New Year’s gift, wishing Ruyi County Lady’s family a happy New Year.”

“The Wang family of Xiangshan County sends a New Year’s gift, wishing…”

“The Li family of Cangwu Town sends a New Year’s gift,…”