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After about two incense sticks’ worth of time, Dabao returned, accompanied by two girls. One of them was Xiao Qing, and the other was a girl who appeared to be around six years old, dressed in a small satin jacket, bearing some resemblance to Luo Ming Cheng.
Xiao Qing’s face still had tears on it. She stamped her foot and said to Luo Ming Cheng, “I looked away for a moment, and you disappeared. You scared me to death.”
Luo Ming Cheng assertively replied, “You can’t control me. I like to come and play with Dabao.” He didn’t want to admit that he just had a craving and wanted to come to Dabao’s house to eat sweet dates.
Dabao then introduced the little girl, Luo Mei, Luo Ming Cheng’s sister to Chen Feng.
Luo Mei was more sensible than Luo Ming Cheng. She greeted Chen Feng with a smile and scolded her brother for a few words, saying that when he was gone, both their grandmother and herself were extremely worried.
Previously, Dabao had mentioned that this little girl, Luo Mei, was very clever and capable. When Chu Hanyan came to Tangyuan, she had been serving by Hanyan’s side. It was also said that when she turned seven next year, she would go to serve by Hanyan’s side as a maid.
Seven years old, in the past life, was just the first grade of elementary school. It was truly not easy to go and serve at such a young age.
Chen Feng let a few more children play and went to the kitchen to be busy. Later, Shitou and Sixizi also arrived, and the children played even more joyfully in the new courtyard.
Chen Feng used up all the red dates at home, there were only two large bowls left. She gave a plate to the children to eat now, left a small bowl for Dabao and Lu to eat, and the remaining bowl was all given to the Luo family.
Chen Feng let a few children stay at home for lunch. There was ready-made meat at home, so she made a dish of yesterday’s popular golden smooth meat, fried some home-cooked dishes, and even Shitou and Sixizi ate here.
Luo Ming Cheng had always been pampered at home. He thought the golden smooth meat looked good and was delicious, so he hogged most of the dish.
After lunch, Xiao Qing carried a large bowl of sticky rice dates and led the two children back to Tangyuan.
In the afternoon, Grandma Chen came, and her complexion was not good.
Chen Ming asked, “Mother, what’s wrong?”
Grandma Chen gritted her teeth and cursed, “Today, I found out that that wastrel Hu gave the two zhang of satin meant for my eldest son to A’Jue for clothes and three zhang to Cuicui for a long skirt. Oh, my eldest son has toiled his entire life, and now the satin he finally got is gone.” After cursing Hu for a while, she added, “My eldest son is good in every way, but he spoils that troublemaker.”
Mrs. Wang sighed, “We didn’t think about it at the time. Otherwise, I would have first had the satin cut for Eldest Brother-in-law. It wouldn’t have been suitable to give it to Hu by then.”
Chen Ming glanced at Chen Feng, who pretended not to notice. It was Chen Ming’s own decision to give it, so he couldn’t blame his family. His mother was right, he had indeed spoiled Hu too much and also spoiled Chen Jue. Whenever they asked for the satin he had given, he always complied.
Chen Ming then served mooncakes and apples to his mother, blushing as he explained why he didn’t dare to send them to the main branch earlier.
Grandma Chen said, “You did the right thing. From now on, you must be wary of Hu. That wastrel is despicable, shameless. She acts well in front of your eldest brother but does so many embarrassing things behind his back. Ah, my poor third son, Mother misses him…”
As soon as Chen Shi was mentioned, the old lady’s anger towards Hu intensified, causing her physical discomfort.
In the evening, Chen Ming again had his mother stay for dinner. Most of the lean meat was used up, so Chen Feng fried a large bowl of salted pork with garlic shoots, and the thick, fatty slices were very satisfying for the old lady.
The old lady wanted to say that her eldest son loved eating these fatty, satisfying pork slices, but she thought that if she mentioned it to her eldest son, Hu would shamelessly follow, so she refrained.
The next morning, Xiao Qing brought Luo Mei and Luo Ming Cheng to play at Chen’s house again. Xiao Qing privately mentioned that it seemed like everyone from the Luo family, except for Mrs. Luo, they had gone to the capital city. Mrs. Luo was ill and had no energy to manage them, so Ming Cheng insisted on coming here, and that’s why they came. Of course, Chen’s family provided good food and drink and let the three of them leave only after having lunch.
After that, Luo Ming Cheng and Luo Mei, accompanied by Xiao Qing, would come to Chen’s house to play for half a day every two or three days. They usually arrived after the morning period and left after lunch. The Luo family was pleased that their two children had found playmates, and since the adults and children in Chen’s family were sensible and not like people from the countryside, with no bad habits, they treated the two children very well, tacitly allowing the children to interact. When they came, the Luo family would also send some fish, meat, preserved fruits, or small items like flowers or ribbons to Chen’s family.
In the evening, Chen Feng drew a set of clothes on paper, she wanted to make a set for Luo Mei and Yang Qian. However, she couldn’t cut, so she took out the satin and have Mrs. Wang cut it according to her drawing, while she learned by her side.
Actually, Chen Feng wanted to make clothes for Chu Hanyan, that beautiful child who was heartbreakingly beautiful. But she thought that the Chu family must have their own tailoring house and might not appreciate the clothes she made, so she gave up the idea.
On the fifteenth of the Mid-Autumn Festival, Chen Ming and Mrs. Wang sent two catties of mooncakes, some apples, a pack of crabapple preserves, and four ribbons to the main courtyard in the afternoon.
Mrs. Hu, upon seeing the mooncakes, exclaimed, “Oh, these are the mooncakes from Guiming Garden in the county town, so expensive. Second Brother-in-law’s family is really getting rich, even able to afford those mooncakes.”
Chen Ming explained, “These weren’t bought by our family, they were sent by the master of the Xile Restaurant, and the apples were also sent by them. The preserves and ribbons were sent by the Steward Luo’s family.”
Chen Ye, upon hearing that the second branch had connected with these influential families, expressed his happiness, “Second Brother, that’s good. Once you recover, you can build relationships with those gentlemen. After all, you are a scholar.” He then instructed, “You must establish good connections with these two distinguished families. It will benefit your family, and even our main and third branch.”
Chen Ming honestly replied, “I can hardly leave the house, let alone build connections with them. It’s Dabao, that child is clever. Every child who has played with him enjoys it.”
Mrs. Hu then added, “The children are getting along so well, surely they didn’t just send these things?”
Chen Ye’s eyes widened, and he scolded, “How many times have I told you? Why are you still causing trouble, woman? The main branch has already received so much satin from their family, and now they’ve given mooncakes and apples. Why are you still not content? Not just these, do you want to take everything they send to their family?”
Seeing Chen Ye getting angry again, Mrs. Hu didn’t dare to say more.
She had already realized that Chen Ming wasn’t as sentimental as Chen Shi. When she asked Chen Shi for something behind Chen Ye’s back, he would give it. But when she asked Chen Ming for something behind Chen Ye’s back, Chen Ming might not give it. Not only that, he was secretive. This sickly fellow was really stubborn. If she wanted to get something from him, she had to do it in front of Chen Ye. But she had already irritated Chen Ye a few days ago and didn’t dare to provoke him further.
Thinking about what Hu Laowu had said, she opened her mouth but still didn’t dare to speak.
Yesterday, she specifically asked Chen Ye if they could bring the two birds from the second branch that Dahua liked.