CHAPTER 207: CHAPTER 0205: FAMILY CONCERNS (1)

Xue Family was stunned, what? Make her fetch water?

After more than three years of marriage, is he so heartless?

"Bring water from such a far place, does he want to wear me out?" Xue Family said angrily.

Li Yuzhu shrugged, "Sister-in-law, can’t you fetch a little less at a time? Us three sisters fetch our own bath water. Who can we complain to?"

After speaking, she turned and left.

Xue Family couldn’t find the Princely Heir, so she had to fetch the water herself.

After fetching cold water, Xue Family went to the kitchen to get hot water.

Of course, there was no hot water.

At this time, it was still early for dinner, no one was in the kitchen, so nobody could boil water for her.

Xue Family had to boil the water herself.

She thought, fine, let’s boil it. The last time to boil hot water, from tomorrow, she wouldn’t have to boil hot water anymore!

No more fetching bath water herself, no more wearing rough cloth clothes, no more venturing into the wild to dig wild vegetables while being bitten by insects and frightened by wild animals! No more needing to walk, no more using cheap menstrual cloth!

She would wear high-quality clothes, wear wonderful jewelry, travel by carriage, and there would be maids to serve her while washing.

She would live the life she ought to as the Duke’s daughter!

Thinking this way, Xue Family wasn’t annoyed anymore.

.

The Princely Heir hadn’t gone out, nor gone to the field; he was sitting in the main room of the Princess Consort Luling’s North Courtyard.

He came to see his children.

Xue Family dared not come here thinking the Princely Heir had gone out.

The Princely Heir, upon entering the house, didn’t say anything else; he took Guoguo in his arms from the Princess Consort Luling and called Li Jing over to sit beside him.

He sometimes pats Li Jing’s head, sometimes touches Guoguo’s cheek.

Li Jing was playing with a few blocks of wood, "Dad, this was given by Uncle Yuanxiu, it’s really fun."

Though just some differently shaped wooden blocks, they could be assembled into various shapes; Li Jing battled with these dozens of wooden blocks for quite a while each day.

"Good, good, go ahead and play." The Princely Heir casually smiled.

Guoguo gazed at the Princely Heir’s eyes, reaching out to touch his face, occasionally calling "Dad", the Princely Heir merely responded abstractedly.

"Old one, do you have something in mind?" Princess Consort Luling looked at his face, asking worriedly.

The Princely Heir tried to smile, "No, Mother, just tired."

Princess Consort Luling sighed, turned her head to scold Prince Luling, who was idly sitting and flipping through old books, "Li Boxuan!"

Prince Luling was startled, nearly dropping the book he held, "What’s wrong?"

He glanced blankly at the few people in the room, his son, grandson, granddaughter, and old lady, all seemed fine.

"The son said he’s tired, and you don’t show any concern?" Princess Consort Luling gritted her teeth in anger, glaring at Prince Luling.

"Oh, the old one worked hard, should rest tomorrow?" Prince Luling chuckled.

Princess Consort Luling’s face darkened, "Rest tomorrow, what about the day after?"

Prince Luling blinked, "The day after...the day after..., then what?"

Princess Consort Luling with a stern face, "Son rest for two days, you go to the field and substitute for him in work."

Prince Luling was so surprised he almost jumped, "What? Me, a dignified Prince, go farming? I won’t go."

He gathered his sleeve, turned his head away.

Princess Consort Luling grabbed the feather duster on the table, knocking it on the table, "Then I go, you stay home to look after the two kids!"

Prince Luling turned his head, looked at the grandson, looked at the granddaughter, forget it, it’s better to go to the field.

The granddaughter was fine, let her sleep when sleeping, let her sit when sitting, doesn’t cry or make a fuss.

The grandson was disobedient, couldn’t be coaxed, if hungry, cold, or thirsty, would cry loudly.

The kind of cry that could make one’s ears deaf.

Just because he didn’t blow the grandson’s porridge cool, made the grandson burn his mouth, does this brat need to hold such a grudge?

For many days, he didn’t call Grandpa but followed Grandma calling him old man.

He was clearly not yet fifty years old...

"Alright, farm then, son knows, won’t the father know?" Prince Luling puffed out his beard.

"Father, Mother, nothing much in the field, and besides, there isn’t Old Three helping? Father doesn’t need to go." The Princely Heir still forced a smile and said.

"It’s good enough if Old Three doesn’t mess things up, what can he do? He still has to catch fish and shrimp, alright, that’s settled, the old one has been busy for many days, should rest for two days." Prince Luling pinched his beard, made a decision.

The Princely Heir was about to speak, but was held by Princess Consort Luling, "Let your Dad also do some farming, otherwise, he still thinks making money is easy for others."

She finished speaking, glared fiercely at Prince Luling.

Prince Luling blew his beard, "What did I do wrong again?"

The Princely Heir watched the quarreling couple, with mixed feelings.

He admired his parents’ love.

Father’s life was not peaceful, but full of ups and downs.

The grandparents died early, and the father grew up with difficulty amidst the ostracism from other members of the Imperial Family.

Later, the late Emperor initiated a palace coup, and the father was implicated without reason, almost losing his life.

By that time, the mother and father were already married and had children.

Fortunately, the late Emperor won, and the father was safe, but who knew the late Emperor’s son would be ungrateful and demoted the father to commoner.

After several ups and downs, the mother never abandoned the father.

They quarreled often, but it always ended peacefully with the father’s compromise.

Privately, the father told him that when a couple lives together, they must pretend to be wise while appearing foolish.

It seems so; the father could handle the treacherous court, so how could he not handle the mother, a housewife? The father always yielded to the mother, just wanting a peaceful life.

He lived in imitation of the father, yet his days turned out differently.

Where did he go wrong?

"Father, mother, I’m not tired, you don’t have to worry about me." The Princely Heir smiled faintly.

"You say you’re not tired, but your smile looks forced." The Princess Consort Luling took Guoguo from the Princely Heir’s hands and cradled him. "Go back and rest early, I’ll take care of the child."

Guoguo turned his head towards the Princely Heir and smiled, sweetly calling "dad," and Li Jing also followed, calling "dad."

The Princely Heir’s heart suddenly tightened, fearing a loss of composure, he said instead, "Then I’ll be going."

"Go on, go on." The Princess Consort Luling comforted Guoguo with a smile, without noticing the Princely Heir’s changing expression.

Prince Luling went to examine Li Jing’s wooden toy and didn’t notice either.

The Princely Heir walked out of the room, took a deep breath, and discovered Li Yuzhu approaching.

He had to force a smile and walk over, "Third Sister? Here to see Father and Mother?"

Li Yuzhu glanced towards the main room and pulled the Princely Heir away, "I’m here to see you."

The Princely Heir smiled warmly, "What’s the matter, Third Sister?"

"Let’s go drink. Second Brother and Third Brother went too far, taking the wine to their rooms. If you don’t go, they’ll drink it all, and that wine wasn’t bought for them. Why should they drink it all? I want to drink too."

The Princely Heir said sternly, "You little girl, what are you doing drinking? You can’t drink."

"I’ll just have a small sip." Li Yuzhu clung to the Princely Heir’s arm, acting spoiled.

"No."

"Half a sip."

"Still no."

"Just a lick, at the rim of the cup?"

The Princely Heir laughed in exasperation, "Alright, just one lick."

"Thank you, Brother." Li Yuzhu smiled.

Li Yuzhu dragged the Princely Heir to the room of the Second Young Master and Li Xing’an.

A few jars of wine, originally in the kitchen, were found by Li Yuzhu and taken to their room by the Second Young Master and Li Xing’an.

The Princely Heir, having separated from the Xue Family, surely didn’t want to face the Xue Family again.

It’s better to have him come to his brothers’ room.

With wine, one could get drunk, and if drunk, there’s no need to face the Xue Family again.

Hearing that the wine was in his brothers’ room, the Princely Heir breathed a sigh of relief.

Just the excuse he needed to tell everyone he wouldn’t return, he thought to himself.

Seeing them approach, the Second Young Master immediately said, "Ah, why are you here?"

Li Yuzhu frowned, "If we don’t come, are you planning to sneak a drink?"

Li Xing’an scratched his head, "How could we? The wine is still sealed, without Brother saying to open it, we wouldn’t drink."

Li Yuzhu laughed, "I’ll get you some wine bowls and bring two dishes to go with the wine."

"Third Sister, remember to fry some small dried fish." Li Xing’an chuckled.

"Got it." Li Yuzhu headed to the kitchen.

As he left, the two brothers pulled the Princely Heir and started chatting about all sorts of topics.

The Second Young Master was shrewd, not mentioning anything about the Xue Family at the market.

Li Xing’an didn’t go to the market, knew nothing, and besides, he always disliked the Xue Family and wouldn’t bring them up.

Since neither brother mentioned the Xue Family, the conversation flowed easily.

Li Yuzhu acted quickly, and in a moment, she brought four dishes to the Second Young Master and Li Xing’an’s room.

A plate of dried creek fish, a plate of small dried shrimp, a plate of scrambled eggs, and a plate of salted cabbage.

Additionally, she brought four sets of bowls and chopsticks.

The three of them drank, with Li Yuzhu eating the side dishes and keeping them company.

The Princely Heir, burdened with thoughts, fell into a drunken sleep after a few bowls.

The Second Young Master called his name a few times but got no response, so he carried him to the bed and laid him down.

Li Xing’an furrowed his brows in confusion, "It’s strange, does Brother have something on his mind today? What kind of drinking is this? Drinking bowl after bowl like it’s water."

"He truly does have something on his mind, but you shouldn’t ask about it." Li Yuzhu looked at the two brothers and said.