Early in the morning on the twenty-fifth, Madam Zhao arrived again with her two daughters-in-law. They brought a basket full of napa cabbage and water spinach.

After helping out the entire day yesterday, Madam Zhao had figured out why her father-in-law had specifically asked her to bring her daughters-in-law to help—it was clear now that Madam Wang’s stepmother-in-law and her close female relatives couldn’t be counted on.

Madam Zhao didn’t feel it was appropriate to speak ill of Madam Chen, who was still an elder, even if she was only a distant aunt. But that didn’t stop her from making her own decisions. 

“I brought you some napa cabbage and water spinach. Use as much as you need today. If there’s any left, keep it for yourselves tomorrow.”

Madam Wang’s vegetable patch was less than a month old, and not much had grown yet. So for this banquet, fresh greens were actually quite scarce. That’s why out of all the dishes, only two used vegetables. Madam Zhao’s contribution really helped a lot.

“Ah, Sister-in-law, thank you so much,” Madam Wang said gratefully.

“Oh, come on, no need to thank me. These things aren’t worth anything. They’re better off eaten than thrown to the chickens and pigs once they’re overgrown,” Madam Zhao said casually. “Here, let me give you a hand.”

Without treating themselves as outsiders, Madam Zhao and her daughters-in-law jumped right into the work.

By the afternoon, the clan members who were invited to the banquet began arriving one after another. Li Xiandong’s house gradually grew lively.

The last to arrive, as expected, was the village head. He brought along his eldest son, and the moment he walked through the door, he greeted everyone loudly and offered his congratulations.

When Li Xiandong saw the village head, he hurried over to escort him to the main table, where the clan elder, Third Granduncle, Eighth Granduncle, his father, his second uncle, and several other clan elders were already seated.

As for the village head’s son, he was guided to a side table where Li Xinhe, Xiannan, and the others were seated.

Once everyone was there, the food was served.

First came a large plate of rich, oily bone broth, the soup glistening with marrow and filled with various types of dried mushrooms soaked through with flavor.

Next came the tender, steamed pork in bean paste, dark and glossy with fat glistening across the top.

Following that were dishes like thick, savory braised fish, tangy sauerkraut-braised small fish, golden crispy fried meatballs… even the green vegetables were cooked with more pork drippings than what most families would use.

Someone couldn’t help but swallow hard at the sight.

The adults held tightly onto their children, afraid the little ones might grab their chopsticks too early and be seen as rude.

Today, Li Shengli was in high spirits. He had initially assumed his eldest son’s new house wouldn’t be anything special, so he hadn’t paid much attention. But after seeing it for himself, he realized it was far more presentable than expected. He was instantly pleased—his son was doing well, which meant he hadn’t been a neglectful father after all. The way he saw it, he’d divided the family property for the sake of his son, and clearly, the result spoke for itself.

All afternoon, Li Shengli sat at the head table, proudly telling everyone how happy he was for his eldest son, talking right up until it was time to start the banquet.

Normally, at a banquet like this, it was proper for Li Xiandong to say a few formal words before everyone started eating. But after a long pause, all he managed to squeeze out was, “Thank you all for coming. Let’s eat. Please help yourselves and eat until you’re full.”

Li Shengli almost wanted to stand up and speak on his behalf.

But as soon as Li Xiandong finished speaking, congratulatory voices immediately filled the air.

Then everyone dove in with their chopsticks—so fast that only afterimages could be seen.

The aroma of the food had long since driven everyone mad with hunger, but out of respect for etiquette, no one dared eat before the host. Now that the host had given the word, there was no need to hold back.

Li Xiaohan picked up a piece of the steamed meat and sighed inwardly. Her father was still the same—hardworking, but awkward with words. Honest people really had a hard time at events like this.

Still, even though Li Xiandong hadn’t said much, there were some who noticed and appreciated it.

For example, at the main table, Third Granduncle was quite impressed with Xiandong. He was capable, willing to work hard, and broad-minded. He didn’t care about short-term grievances. Given time, he’d surely build a good life for himself.

As a clan elder, Third Granduncle valued young people like that, so he raised his wine cup and said, “Xiandong, keep up the good work. I have high hopes for you.”

Li Xiandong was flustered by the praise. He stood up quickly and said, “Third Granduncle, thank you! I’ll drink to that!” Then downed the bowl in one go.

Everyone at the main table was either older or more experienced than Li Xiandong. Watching this, they could tell he might lack a bit of polish, but he was certainly reliable and hardworking. People like him could manage their own lives just fine. Maybe he wouldn’t become someone powerful enough to lift others up with him, but if you ever fell on hard times, he’d never kick you when you were down.

That’s life—full of ups and downs. Who could say what might happen in the future?

Of course, some of the compliments were merely polite. But even so, for someone like Li Xiandong, who had been overlooked and suppressed for so long, it was deeply satisfying.

Not long after, Li Xinhe and a group of younger relatives came over to offer him toasts. Each one respectfully called him “Uncle Xiandong.”

As she ate, Li Xiaohan observed the clan members around her. The main table was the core of the Li clan—Third Granduncle and the clan head led the atmosphere with warmth and harmony.

At the next table, she focused on the village head’s son. There wasn’t even a hint of disdain on his face—his congratulations seemed genuine.

Either he was so mature that no one could read his thoughts, or he truly came with sincere goodwill. In the village head’s eyes, the Li family clearly wasn’t to be underestimated.

Why did she say “the Li family” and not just “her father”? Because she knew her father hadn’t yet reached the level to earn the village head’s admiration. He was benefiting from the reputation of the entire Li clan.

Looking further down the tables, most of the Li clan members were thin, but not sickly. They ate heartily without showing any signs of rudeness like snatching food. They chatted and laughed as they ate, keeping the atmosphere lively and relaxed.

Some had brought children along, and even the children were well-behaved.

Li Xiaohan recalled that the Li family had a clan school. Her father and cousins, regardless of their natural talent, had all learned at least some characters there.

Although the Li family had declined in recent years, their foundation—both externally and internally—was still intact.

Living in a clan like this, it was best not to break any of the clan’s rules unless you had enough strength.

Li Xiaohan made this conclusion silently and turned her gaze back to the main table. At the main table, facing everyone who came to offer a toast, Li Xiandong didn’t refuse anyone. He had barely eaten a few bites, but he had already downed quite a bit of alcohol.

It was clear that even though this was her father’s banquet, he wasn’t the one in control.

Her father didn’t seem to know what to do.

Li Xiaohan sighed inwardly and decided to give her father a hand. If there was anything that could get a reserved and quiet person to talk, it was asking them about something they were most familiar with and proud of.

“Father, Brother Xinhe and the others said they wanted to check out the new house. Don’t get so excited you forget the tradition.”

During the housewarming banquet, it was customary for guests to tour the new house room by room. At a time like this, there were no taboos—whether uncles, aunts, young ladies, or young men, everyone could join. It was partly to let the host show off and partly for everyone to learn about the new house design.

“Exactly,” Third Great-Uncle said.

He had heard his grandson Li Deyou talk nonstop about how well Li Xiandong’s house was built and how the builder had copied city-style designs. “I heard there are several impressive things in your house. Tell us about them.”

Now that the topic had turned to his house—his greatest pride—Li Xiandong was finally able to open up.

“Come, Third Great-Uncle, let me show you. First, look at this main hall floor. See how clean and level it is? I had the master builder apply a layer of sanhetu (a type of tamped earth). No matter if it rains or snows, there’s no risk of getting muddy.”

Everyone lowered their heads to look and praised it.

“No wonder! I thought something felt different about this floor. So that’s what it is.”

“And this covered walkway here—when it rains or snows, no one will get wet. You can dry vegetables, hang cured meat, and do laundry under the walkway. Even if no one’s home, there’s no worry of it getting ruined.” Li Xiandong was a practical man.

Everyone looked up and started thinking like him. “This is great—very practical. Looks like it just takes some wood and tiles, not too expensive either.”

“And the rooms—they’re built with both a heated brick bed and a heated wall. In winter, the whole room stays warm.”

What he didn’t say was that the master builder had told him this kind of room, with heated walls, was the best for kids to play in. It wouldn’t be like the heated bed, which stayed warm only on top while the surrounding area stayed cold.

The crowd followed Li Xiandong to tour the two main rooms with heated walls—thankfully, Li Xiaohan already knew about this tradition and had tidied everything up beforehand. They also looked at the side rooms, and didn’t even skip the kitchen or the firewood room.

When they saw the pile of firewood in the woodshed, someone asked, “Uncle Xiandong, how come all your firewood is like this? What kind is it?”

“Oh, this is wild mulberry. It has a nice smell. I cut down a few trees in the wild to make furniture. The smaller branches I didn’t use—I’m just burning them as firewood.”

“Oh, this is the same kind of tree Old Lady Zhang uses to smoke her cured meat, right? Some families really like the smell of it.” The onlookers suddenly understood.

“Yes, our family especially loves the scent of this wild mulberry,” Li Xiaohan said with a bright smile, her almond-shaped eyes curling into crescents.

For a nicely furnished home, this batch of false mulberry was the finishing touch.