CHAPTER 389: CHAPTER 371 SERIOUS (2)

Chai Eying composed herself, "What’s going on, Sister-in-law?"

Li Yuzhu was also in Chai Eying’s main house at this moment, and she looked at Sister-in-law Chai with a puzzled expression.

Sister-in-law Chai sighed, "Old Mrs. Zhao took a fall while taking a walk in the morning, and the Zhao family panicked. They didn’t even celebrate the holiday properly. I came directly from the Zhao family to you."

Chai Eying asked, "Sister-in-law, was Old Mrs. Zhao’s fall serious?"

"She hurt her back. Other than being unable to sit up, she’s okay," Sister-in-law Chai sighed. "Today is a holiday, and all the Zhao family members returned, even their youngest daughter Jing Niang came back from the Capital. They planned to have a reunion day, but who would have thought such an incident would happen early in the morning? They hardly have the mood to celebrate anymore. They just set up a table in Old Mrs. Zhao’s room, drank a little wine, and called it a holiday."

Chai Eying patted her chest, "Thank goodness, it’s just her back. She should recover after some days of rest, right?"

Li Yuzhu shook her head, "I don’t see the situation being very optimistic."

Chai Eying and Sister-in-law Chai both looked at her, "Why do you say that, Yuzhu?"

"It’s just a slight fracture, it should heal, right?" Sister-in-law Chai added.

"Young people, even if they break their arms and legs completely, they’re lively again in a month or two. But for the very elderly..." Li Yuzhu frowned, "Not many recover well after a fall."

Both Sister-in-law Chai and Chai Eying were surprised as they looked at her, "Is it that serious?"

"Yes." Li Yuzhu nodded, "Older people’s bones are fragile. If they fall badly, they can’t recover at all. Medication could harm the internal organs, and the injuries and illness will quickly spread throughout the body. If they’re bedridden, it’s particularly severe and they could pass away quite quickly."

Sister-in-law Chai’s heart sank, "I hope Aunt Grandma can pull through."

.

Sister-in-law Chai and her husband came to the Li Family, where Prince Luling and his wife invited them to join their reunion dinner.

The weather today was clear, and the moon was very bright at night.

The dining table was set out on the open space in front of Princess Consort Luling’s North Courtyard Main House.

There were many people, and not enough tables for dishes and wine bowls. Old Third Li Xing’an and Second Young Master Li Xingsheng carried out the tables from the South Courtyard Main House and the North Courtyard Main House, and they brought two more tables from the kitchen.

Four tables were arranged into a long table.

It was full of the dinner prepared by Nanny Jiang and the Li Family’s siblings.

There were also some seasonal fruits and drinks on the table.

Some fruits like grapes were picked by Mu Yuanxiu from the back mountain, while plums, pears, pomegranates, and pomelos were bought by Second Young Master and the others from the market.

Additionally, the main food for tonight, mooncakes.

Of course, they were all made by the Second Princess.

Prince Luling and his wife, being the elders, sat at the north head of the table.

Li Xingmao and Chai Eying sat at the upper left, and Sister-in-law Chai and Eldest Young Master Chai, being the guests, sat at the upper right.

Li Yuzhu’s siblings and a few children sat on either side.

Li Lixing and Mu Yuanxiu, who were invited, also sat with Li Xing’an and the others.

Nanny Jiang, Uncle Gui, the government official Qin Hu who was brought by Li Lixing, and Sister-in-law Chai’s maid Chuntao, those four sat at the lower end.

Everyone rarely sat together like this. During the meal, they were all chatting and laughing.

"You came so late, I suppose the business at the incense and candle shop was particularly good today. It’s a holiday, after all, and every household would be buying candles and incense." Princess Consort Luling smiled as she spoke to Sister-in-law Chai and her husband.

Sister-in-law Chai didn’t mention the Zhao family matter and smiled in response, "Today, the shop was indeed busier than usual." She patted her son, Chai Tianlang, on the head and laughed, "Luckily Aunt Li helped take care of Tianlang, otherwise, I wouldn’t have managed."

Princess Consort Luling laughed, "Tianlang is a very well-behaved child. We don’t even need to watch him much. He does many things by himself, like wearing clothes and taking baths. Our Jingjing plays with him and has learned quite a bit of etiquette."

Li Jing nodded, "Yes, I learned how to put on clothes and shoes from Brother Tianlang."

Before, Li Jing always wore clothes the wrong way, and his shoes were often on the wrong feet. After Chai Tianlang came, he taught him how to tell the front from the back of clothes and the left from the right of shoes.

Li Jing didn’t like listening to adults, and no matter how many times the family taught him, he never remembered, but he listened very well to Chai Tianlang.

Chai Tianlang only had to teach twice, and Li Jing remembered.

Sister-in-law Chai laughed, "That’s because Jingjing is smart and learns quickly."

The women chatted, while the men on the other side started drinking.

Eldest Young Master Chai held the wine jug and toasted to Prince Luling, "Uncle Li, come taste this wine. My shop’s assistant queued for an hour to get it. The residents near my place all say this winery makes excellent wine."

The wine was brought by Eldest Young Master Chai, two large jars, each containing thirty jin.

Prince Luling hadn’t even tasted it yet, but he could tell from the aroma that it was good wine.

"Just from the smell alone, I can tell it’s good wine. Jingjing’s uncle is very considerate." Prince Luling smiled and then invited everyone else, "Yuanxiu, come, come, try this wine."

Mu Yuanxiu smiled, "Alright, Uncle."

Li Xing’an jealously said, "Dad, you didn’t even invite us brothers to drink?"

"Don’t you have hands? Pour it yourself!" Prince Luling poured wine for Mu Yuanxiu, ignoring his sons.

Want to drink wine and expect your father to pour it for you? Nonsense!

Li Xing’an and his two brothers had no choice but to pour wine for themselves.

The lively family banquet continued until the moon rose to the treetops before dispersing.

Mu Yuanxiu took the small lantern Li Yuzhu gave him and returned to the mountain.

Sister-in-law Chai and the Eldest Young Master Chai wanted to take Chai Tianlang back to the Chai Family’s old house, but the little guy reluctantly held onto Li Jing and wouldn’t let go.

Li Xingmao laughed and said, "Big brother and sister-in-law, just let Tianlang stay one more night."

"Yes, even Uncle agrees, let him stay another night." Getting permission, Chai Tianlang quickly hid behind Li Xingmao, gripping the hem of his robe tightly with both hands.

The Eldest Young Master Chai frowned, "It’s not that you can’t, but making a fuss like this about your aunt and uncle is quite impolite."

Chai Eying laughed, "He didn’t disturb us at all; he shares a room with his uncles and sleeps in the same bed as Jingjing. Boys should stick together; Tianlang has recently picked up a lot of phrases from the men."

The Eldest Young Master Chai had already noticed that Tianlang’s demeanor when speaking bore a bit of Li Xingmao’s calm and composed manner.

The young men of the Li family had read quite a bit, and compared to the villagers, they carried an indescribable noble air.

They were not even inferior to the young nobles of the county town. The Eldest Young Master Chai hadn’t done much studying; he lived off the rent from the small farm left by his father. Later, he got married and opened a shop with the support of his wife’s family.

He was a rough man who could only recognize basic words, not understanding the customs and rituals.

Therefore, he always hoped his sister would marry into a scholarly, respectable family, and he was quite pleased with the Li family.

It comforted him that his son could learn some manners and etiquette from the Li family.

"Alright then, behave yourself tonight, and we’ll come to pick you up tomorrow. Your great-grandmother is ill, and your mother has to return tomorrow, so you’ll have to come with us to the county town." The Eldest Young Master Chai patted his son’s little head.

"Huh? Leave tomorrow?" Chai Tianlang sighed, "Can’t we stay a few more days?"

"How about Jingjing goes with you to the county town for a couple of days?" Li Yuzhu laughed.

Sister-in-law Chai was returning to the county town tomorrow, and she might as well go too. Having accepted the consultation fee from the Zhao family and Old Mrs. Zhao’s secret gift, it wouldn’t be right not to visit Old Mrs. Zhao.

Li Jing was surprised, "Auntie, really?"

"Really!" Li Yuzhu laughed, "Quickly go to sleep, early to bed, early to rise."

"Okay then." Li Jing and Chai Tianlang cheered together.

Hand in hand, the two children ran towards the back courtyard.

Sister-in-law Chai laughed in exasperation, "These little monkeys!"

It was dark now, and Sister-in-law Chai and the others waved goodbye to the Li family and took the carriage to the Chai Family’s old house.

After Chai Eying got married, that property was left unused, with only the old servant Granny Zhou staying there to watch over it. Chai Eying and her brother would occasionally return to check on it.

.

Early the next morning, worried about Old Mrs. Zhao, Sister-in-law Chai arrived at the Li family home. She was to go to the county town with Li Yuzhu.

Li Yuzhu was up even earlier than she expected.

When she arrived at the Li family, Li Yuzhu’s carriage was already packed and ready to go.

"The luggage is loaded, and Jingjing and Tianlang are already waiting in the carriage." Li Yuzhu smiled, "These two kids, their eyes weren’t even open, and they were already clamoring to go to the county town together."

Sister-in-law Chai lifted the curtain to look inside the carriage and burst out laughing. On the soft cushions inside the carriage, the two little ones were sleeping side by side, their small mouths half-open, sound asleep.

Li Xingmao and Li Lixing came carrying two rattan boxes; these were Li Yuzhu’s luggage.

The boxes were square and could be strapped to the rear seats of the carriage so that they wouldn’t take up space inside.

Chai Eying came to see them off, placing two baskets of food inside the carriage, "These two children were up before daylight. While the adults ate, they fell back asleep. Here are some snacks for the journey."

In the baskets were a bunch of grapes Mu Yuanxiu had sent over, which hadn’t been finished, two pears, a few pancakes, and two white porcelain bottles of water.

"There’s rose syrup in the water, tangy and sweet, to quench your thirst." Chai Eying smiled.

Li Yuzhu took them and said, "Thank you, sister-in-law."

Sister-in-law Chai waved to Chai Eying, "You’re pregnant, go back and rest. We’re off now."

Li Xingmao supported Chai Eying and waved goodbye to everyone.

The two carriages sped towards the county town.

By mid-morning, the carriages entered the county town, but instead of going to their residence, they headed straight to the Zhao family.

The carriages stopped at the gate of the Zhao family’s mansion. Just as Li Yuzhu was about to pull back the curtain and get out, someone outside the carriage said, "Oh, isn’t this Miss Li’s carriage? Is Miss Li sitting inside?"