Liu Siqi brought the pastries from the kitchen and just happened to hear his wife’s words. Laughing, he joined in, "That’s right, if it had been previous years, Ru Yue would have been sick at least once during winter. But this year, not only has she remained healthy, her condition has actually improved a lot. That old gentleman is truly a Divine Doctor. I really must thank him properly. By the way, why didn’t that old gentleman come? I heard from my younger sister that he celebrated the New Year with you all, so why didn’t he come along today?"
"Oh, he’s at home. Da Ya prepared lunch for him, so he didn’t come," replied Lin Jiaxin, but before Liu Siqi could say anything else, Xiao Linshuang had already leapt up, raising her little hand in protest, "Uncle, Uncle, why are you only thanking my master? It was I who cured Auntie’s illness, remember? It was I who did the acupuncture for Auntie! Speaking of being incredible, it’s me who’s incredible, isn’t that right, Auntie?"
Facing the little girl’s endearing acts, there were few who could resist, even less so for Jeng Ruyue, who treasured Panpan as if she were her own life.
"Yes, yes, our Yaya is indeed the most incredible Divine Doctor!"
The family chatted merrily together for a while. Lady Fan, worried about the children feeling cold, had already moved Xiao Yongyan to the warm kang bed inside the room and prepared a new quilt, insisting that Lady Liu bring the child up onto the kang, and she urged Jeng Ruyue to join them.
Jeng Ruyue didn’t want to go, but her mother-in-law, accustomed to worrying about her health, was truly afraid she would fall ill suddenly, causing the whole family to be on tenterhooks.
"If Mother tells you to go up, then go lie down for a while. You got up early this morning, so it’s a good time to rest. That way you’ll have the energy to play after we eat," Liu Siqi said as he helped his wife take off her shoes, leaving Jeng Ruyue with no choice but to obediently climb onto the kang and snugly cover herself with the quilt.
The food in the kitchen was ready. Although Zhao Suxin’s cooking skills weren’t as good as Lin Yuan’s, the food she made was still quite delicious. Complemented by Lady Fan’s guidance and Liu Limin’s fruit wine, the midday meal was exceptionally satisfying.
Liu Zhiguang and Liu Zhiyang had run off somewhere and only returned when the dishes were served, looking filthy despite their new clothes.
Zhao Suxin, with one hand on an ear of each son, yelled angrily, "You two little monkeys, have you forgotten about eating? Coming back at this hour! Look at you, look! You just changed into new clothes yesterday, and today they’re dirty. What did you do, go water the fields or dig ditches? Eh?"
The two boys glanced at each other, snickered, but kept silent.
Zhao Suxin’s anger evidently hadn’t subsided. As she flicked mud spots off her sons, she continued to scold, "You’re usually the most sensible one, so why are you acting up like your brother today? Once the New Year’s over, you’ll be going to the school in town. If you keep fooling around , see if the teacher won’t spank your palms!"
Liu Zhiyang gave his elder brother a sideways glance, clearly unhappy about the threat.
Lin Yuan watched them—mother and sons—fussing and scolding, yet there was a warmth in their interactions. She couldn’t help but curve her lips into a smile.
The tables in Liu Huaiqing’s house weren’t big enough for everyone to sit together, so seats were arranged at separate tables for adults and children—not by gender as some families might, but by age.
The Lin Yuan Sisters, along with Liu Zhiyang and Liu Zhiguang, sat at a small table. Even though it was mainly for the children, the food was no different from that served at the adults’ table.
Liu Limin had just sat down at the large table when she said something and was scolded by Lady Fan. And it wasn’t just the scolding; Lady Fan also used the opportunity to nag about Liu Limin’s marriage prospects, making her head spin. The young girl grabbed her bowl and escaped to the small table to eat, thinking it was better to avoid trouble if she couldn’t face it.
But eating at the small table wasn’t any less stressful. Xiao Linshuang and Liu Zhiguang were already fighting with their chopsticks over a chicken leg. Liu Zhiyang sat prim and proper, eating his meal as if he were an Immortal detached from worldly concerns.
Sighing, Liu Limin feared her young nephew would age before his time.
Lin Wei and Lin Yuan were just like normal people, eating and drinking as usual. Suddenly, intrigued by a certain thought, Liu Limin leaned close to Lin Yuan and whispered in her ear, "Hey, has that grown for you?"