Chapter 24: The Li Family Extended an Olive Branch!

n to pick up the begging child.Li Lao'er heard the commotion and turned back, his gaze falling upon the beggar. He frowned as well.Wu Cuiflower is the eldest child in the family, and she has a younger..."Come on, everyone! Ever since this family moved to our village, they've been going up the mountain every day to hunt wild game and gather mountain goods. I think they're trying to dig up our entire mountain, leaving none of us anything to collect!"

Liu Tiezhu's wife, named Su Niang, but her personality is definitely not "pure" at all.

At this moment, he stood under a big tree with his hands on his waist, inciting the villagers who were gathered around Zhao Yuru spitting.

Zhao Yuru's face was flushed with anger. She had only gone to the village entrance to greet Fu Niuer, but this shrew had latched onto her.

Tao Hongying had a fiery temper and got along best with her sister-in-law Zhao Yuru. She jumped out of the car and squeezed in directly.

In broad daylight, who is babbling on like that The back mountain is right there, and it's not designated as anyone's property. Why can only your Liu family go, while our Li family is forbidden

Tao Hongying shielded her sister-in-law behind her and retorted without any hesitation.

Su Niang was choked, her eyes bulging like a frog. After a moment's thought, she said sharply.

“Who said you weren’t allowed to go But there are so many things on the mountain, and you all took them! What can we pick now In previous years, every household had piles of things. This year, we haven’t picked anything! If you hadn’t come and competed with us, it definitely wouldn’t be like this!”

The villagers were already eyeing the wild chicken, hare, salted fish hanging in Li's courtyard, as well as the various mountain goods drying in the sun.

She was swayed by Su Niang's words, and her eyes on Tao Hongying and Zhao Yuru were not kind.

Tao Hongying was about to speak, when Li Laotai held Jia Yin forward and said.

"Our family has just arrived, and there is no food to harvest in the fields. If we don't gather a little mountain produce, I'm afraid we will go hungry this winter. But we'll only be gathering for these few days, after all, the autumn harvest will be starting soon."

She smiled and added.

"My family has many children, and they still want to help everyone. After all, we are all farmers, and nothing is bigger than harvesting grain. But who would have thought that our good deed of helping each other would be disliked by someone, who came here to stir up trouble and used us as pawns!"

The villagers, upon hearing this, looked at each other, some coming to their senses. Some blushed and replied.

"The old woman is right, we all live in the same village. We should help each other out."

"Yes, grandma, your pile of firewood is a bit small. After the harvest, we'll help you chop some more."

"Good heavens," Old Madam Li pointed to the two sickles in Young Master Li's hands, and laughed.

"Lao Si was worried that everyone might not have enough sickles at home, so he just bought two from his friends in the city. Whoever needs to use them, come and get them at my place."

Jiayin leaned against the old woman's bosom, listening to these words, she wished she could clap her hands and cheer for grandma.

Without mentioning anything else, this old woman's mouth is truly amazing. She's a master at winning people over.

As expected, seeing the two gleaming blades, everyone believed that Old Madam Li wasn't just talking to deceive them. Looking at Su Niang, her face turned pale.

The Li family, such good people, were almost driven apart by her instigation.

Su Niang hated it so much that she gritted her teeth. She didn't dare say another word, making up an excuse about having to cook at home and ran away.

Everyone burst into laughter, chatted for a while, and then dispersed.

As the Li family reached their doorstep, Old Madam Li called out to Second Son Li.

When returning the donkey cart, he told the village head, "Our family is just new here. We'd like to host two celebratory feasts with alcohol and invite everyone in the village to join us."

Li Laer's eyes lit up, and he immediately replied, "Mother, I understand. I'll go tell the village head right now."

Tao Hongying quickly took a basket and filled it with several apples and pears, as well as a handful of big red dates, and handed them to Li Laer.

I heard the village head's daughter-in-law isn't feeling well, so Second Brother, take these over there.

Li Laoer smiled and took it, but sighed inwardly. In fact, he wished his wife was with him at this time.

He told the village head that his daughter-in-law, when visiting a patient, could quickly become close to them.

But thinking of Wu Cuifang's character, letting her go would probably mean she'd eat all the fruit on the way.

If you don't have any sense, you can't get close. Maybe we're going to become enemies...

The village chief was having a meal at home when he saw Li Laer coming over, so he quickly helped unload the donkey cart.

Seeing the fruit sent by Li Lao'er, the village head's face beamed with even greater joy.

When Li Lao'er mentioned that his family was going to host a dinner party, he readily agreed.

Even if Li Jia were that understanding, he would remind the villagers to frequent Li Jia's household and refrain from bullying them.

The Li family was numerous and skilled, both literate and numerate. They settled in the village and brought only benefits to its residents, no harm whatsoever.

The next day, when the sun was high in the sky at noon, the village head and villagers came to Li's house one after another.

There were some old men with broken limbs, and heads of households from various families, but there was no one from the Liu family.

The villagers noticed, but didn't ask, as if they understood tacitly.

The Li family's courtyard was spacious. In the southwest corner, there was a dedicated kitchen with two stoves, each equipped with an iron pot.

Tao Hongying was in charge of cooking, Zhao Yuru and Jiayuan helped her.

Wu Cuiflower was making a lot of noise and acting like she was helping, but in reality, she wasn't doing much.

To be honest, she hadn't really done any proper work.

"Pheasant stew with mushrooms, red braised rabbit meat, and a sweet and sour mandarin fish, these three are the main dishes, plus a mushroom stir-fry with meat, scallion eggs, and a refreshing vegetable salad."

Tao Hongying had prepared six dishes in total. It wasn't a lot, but it was the biggest expression of Li family's heartiness.

Old Lady Li held Jia Yin at the door, greeting the villagers. Jia Yin's little face was rosy and plump, her big, black eyes sparkled like jewels.

Its adorable looks make anyone want to cuddle it.

If it weren't for Jia Xin being there to protect her, Jia Yin's face would probably be beet red.

When the sun was at its zenith, both tables in Li's courtyard were already full of villagers.

Li Lao'er brought two younger brothers to talk with everyone and drink tea.

Li Lao'er was quite knowledgeable and well-read. He spoke and acted more smoothly than the average villager, winning over the crowd with his charm.

Women from the village ran to join in the commotion. Seeing the kitchen bustling with activity, they also rolled up their sleeves and helped with the chores of picking vegetables.

Tao Hongying happily expressed her gratitude and chatted with them, making the atmosphere lively.

Many people make work efficient, and after a while, the rich aroma of meat wafts out from the kitchen.

The mischievous boys in the village couldn't resist their rumbling stomachs. They lay down at the door, peeking in and swallowing hard.

Tao Hongying saw them and called Jiaxi and Jiana over, taking some sesame candies from home to give to the children.

Then, Ji Anjia and the children immediately became familiar with each other and became good friends.

"Come! Try the wine I brought. I dug it up this morning from under a tree - it's been buried for three years!"

The village head brought two jars of wine himself, probably not wanting the Li family to spend too much.

"Oh my, it's rare for the village head to be so generous. We should definitely drink a few more bowls."

Before the meal was ready, the men at the table had already started drinking small amounts of liquor and were having a lively time.

Their bursts of hearty laughter echoed through the courtyard, lingering long after they had subsided.

When all the dishes were served, the guests were surprised.

No one expected the Li family to be so generous. This feast of fish and meat, no other household could afford such a lavish spread even during Chinese New Year!

But thinking about how the Li family could afford such a large courtyard, their family fortune must be substantial.

Moreover, Li Lao'er was literate, Lao San was a bricklayer, Lao Si was a hunter, so it was normal for them to live well, truly enviable.heir responsibilities!He internally cursed, his face turning grim. He spoke loudly, "Miss Wu, don't joke around! Our Lord has been waging war outside and probably doesn't even know you. How can you sa...