Amidst the lively chatter where everyone was talking happily, even Jing Ge’er sat nearby, wide-eyed and listening with great interest.
Liu Qinghuan, seeing that no one paid her any attention, sat silently to the side without saying a word. Her anger grew internally, eventually showing on her face.
Wang Shi occasionally glanced at Liu Qinghuan during pauses in the conversation. Noticing that she neither participated in the discussion nor improved her sour expression, Wang Shi felt that Liu Qinghuan truly lacked awareness of the situation.
Third Sister is now the Shizi Furen of Hou Manor—do you still think she’s the same half-sister from before?
Wang Shi restrained herself repeatedly, but when she saw Liu Qinghuan’s face turn completely cold, her eyes sparking with fury as she glared at Liu Qingwu, she finally couldn’t hold back.
Turning slightly, Wang Shi said with feigned concern, “Second Sister, if you’re feeling unwell, why not return to your room to rest for a while and come out for the midday meal?”
Hearing the commotion beside her, Liu Qingwu’s eyelashes fluttered slightly. Seeing that her grandmother and mother continued chatting with smiles, she decisively pretended not to notice, occasionally nodding in agreement.
Hearing Wang Shi’s voice, Liu Qinghuan looked up at her. Noting that everyone else acted as if nothing had happened, she rose and gave a perfunctory curtsy before exiting without waiting for a response.
Once outside the courtyard, Liu Qinghuan grew angrier with each step. What was so great about Liu Qingwu anyway?
“Young Miss,” her maid Jin Ling whispered.
Liu Qinghuan glared fiercely, only to see Jin Ling pressing her right index finger to her lips, signaling her to lower her voice.
Only then did Liu Qinghuan realize she had spoken her thoughts aloud. They were still at the courtyard entrance—if someone overheard and reported to Old Madam or Zhang Shi, she would inevitably face reprimand.
“Hmph!” Liu Qinghuan stamped her foot and stormed off with her maid in tow.
When mealtime arrived, those from the front courtyard had returned.
The Liu Estate didn’t have many masters, and since they were all family, they didn’t bother with separate seating for men and women. One large round table accommodated everyone perfectly.
Seizing the opportunity, Jing Ge’er darted over to sit beside Liu Qingwu, refusing to move despite his mother Wang Shi’s repeated calls.
Jiang Yueheng paused mid-step before circling to sit on Liu Qingwu’s other side.
The table was laden with abundant dishes—chicken, duck, fish, and rabbit, none missing.
The Liu family generally preferred light flavors, except for the “unconventional” Liu Qingwu. Since this was her homecoming banquet, the kitchen had prepared several strongly seasoned dishes. These were placed directly before Liu Qingwu the moment they were served, clearly arranged under Zhang Shi’s specific instructions.
Seeing this, Liu Qingwu flashed Zhang Shi a sweet smile.
Zhang Shi found it hard to look directly—she had no idea where this daughter had inherited such behavior, but it certainly wasn’t from her.
Though inwardly critical, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
Old Madam picked up a piece of fish with her chopsticks, signaling the start of the meal.
Liu Qingwu immediately reached for the braised pork knuckle on the table. She had been eyeing it since it was served—this dish required long cooking time and was rarely available on ordinary days.
Selecting a lean piece with crispy fried skin and tender, flavorful meat inside, she took a bite full of satisfaction.
Watching her enjoy the food so much, Jing Ge’er quickly finished the vegetables Mammy Li had picked for him and stared fixedly at the pork knuckle, indicating he wanted some too.
Mammy Li hesitated—the heavily seasoned braised knuckle wasn’t suitable for a five-year-old. She tried serving other dishes instead, but Jing Ge’er shook his head like a rattle-drum before her chopsticks could even land.
Mammy Li was truly at a loss, so she could only cast her gaze toward Liu Qingwu beside her. Seeing this, Jing Ge’er also turned his head to look.
When Liu Qingwu noticed the stares and looked up, she found several pairs of eyes at the table fixed on her. Following their gaze, she saw Jing Ge’er and Mammy Li staring intently at her.
Liu Qingwu raised an eyebrow slightly: “What’s the matter?”
Mammy Li looked at her with difficulty: “The young master saw you eating the braised pork knuckle and wants some too, but this dish is rather heavily seasoned.”
“We’ve tried offering him other dishes, but he refuses them all.”
Liu Qingwu thought it was something serious. She beckoned for Mammy Li to lean closer and whispered a few words into her ear.
Mammy Li then called for a cup of plain water, selected a piece of pork knuckle with less sauce, rinsed it in the cup, and placed it in Jing Ge’er’s small bowl.
Jing Ge’er knew when to stop. He lowered his head and focused on the meat in his bowl. Even though it had been rinsed, the base flavor was still plenty satisfying for him, and he ate with delight.
The others also withdrew their gazes. Following the rule of silence during meals, the rest of the dinner passed quietly.
After the meal, Zhang Shi suggested taking a stroll to the pavilion in the courtyard to aid digestion.
It was mid-September, and the temperature had dropped. Though the sun hung like a fiery ball in the sky, a cool breeze swept through the front hall. Basking in the sun while enjoying the cool wind was utterly comfortable.
Everyone agreed and rose to head to the courtyard. Zhang Shi ordered more tea and snacks to be served.
Seeing the translucent snowskin pastries on the plate, Liu Qingwu felt tempted. Even though she was eighty percent full, she felt she could still manage a little more.
She had created this snowskin pastry several years ago during the Mid-Autumn Festival, and it had been well-received when sent to various households. Since then, every Mid-Autumn Festival, the Liu Estate would make some snowskin mooncakes to send around.
The pastry chefs at the Liu Estate had gradually developed other uses for the snowskin, and these snowskin pastries were one of them.
The thin snowskin wrappers were stuffed full with filling, looking as if they might burst at any moment—clearly delicious.
Liu Qingwu hesitated for a long while, just about to reach out with her eager hand, when a broad palm appeared before her, holding a snowskin pastry wrapped in a handkerchief.
Surprised, Liu Qingwu looked up and saw Jiang Yueheng listening intently to the others’ conversation, his right hand alone offering her the pastry.
It turned out Jiang Yueheng had inadvertently noticed her staring at the pastries, her internal struggle obvious. After seeing her like this several times, he finally wrapped a pastry in his handkerchief and handed it to her.
Liu Qingwu smiled understandingly, reached out to take the pastry, and grinned like a mouse that had just jumped into a rice barrel.
The two thought their actions had gone unnoticed, but in fact, everyone had seen them.
Elders like Liu Laofuren felt relieved seeing this scene. They had been worried that Wu Jie’er might not fare well at Hou Manor, but it seemed there was no need for concern.
Seeing this display of affection between the couple, Liu Qinghuan’s previously suppressed jealousy flared up again. The words that had been ignored that morning spilled out once more.
The scene fell silent immediately. The women present felt displeased, and Wang Shi was especially furious: Had she gone mad? Couldn’t she see that no one had acknowledged her this morning?
All eyes suddenly turned to Jiang Yueheng and Liu Qingwu. Though the words were unpleasant, they did raise a valid question.
Liu Qingwu also turned to look at Jiang Yueheng beside her, curious to see how he would respond.
Jiang Yueheng lowered his gaze, glanced at the wide-eyed person beside him, and paused before saying, “Since I have married Third Sister, you may call me brother-in-law.”
Liu Qingwu withdrew her gaze and continued eating the pastries, with only the slight upturn of her lips betraying her current mood.