Back in the room, Li Wanming unceremoniously plopped herself into the chair in the middle and imperiously commanded, "I'm hungry. Go get me something to eat!"
Xiao Jingnan was slightly taken aback but quickly replied, "Sure! I'll go right away!"
The fact that she wanted to eat was a good sign.
As long as a person had an appetite, they wouldn't be defeated.
Although it was quite late by now, Chun Tao and the others hadn't gone far. They had been waiting for them in Luoxuexuan.
Upon hearing that Li Wanming wanted to eat, Aunt Liu was so overjoyed that tears welled up in her eyes. "The porridge in the pot has been warming for a while. I'll fry a few more dishes for the young lady right away!"
This incident had happened suddenly. Prince Ning and Princess Ning had originally thought they would be spending the New Year here, so they had prepared an abundance of cured meats and New Year goods.
Aunt Liu had been preparing for the New Year's Eve dinner, and she had already sliced all the ingredients.
Now, upon hearing that Li Wanming wanted to eat, she happily tossed various kinds of chicken, duck, fish, and meat into the pot. "As long as the young lady is here, our family will stay together! I'll show off my cooking skills today to get rid of the bad luck and let the young lady have a happy New Year!"
...
Not long after, Xiao Jingnan pushed open the door of Qinghui Hall.
Behind him were Lu Ping, Wu Yao, Chun Tao, Aunt Liu, and Aunt Song.
Lu Ping and Wu Yao carried in a round table, while Chun Tao busily set the chopsticks and bowls on it.
"What's this..." Li Wanming asked, her eyes wide open.
Xiao Jingnan spread his hands. "There's nothing I can do. They said they must let you have a good meal."
Chun Tao took out plate after plate of dishes from the food box: braised fish, four - joy meatballs, eel shreds with scallions... A whole table full of delicious dishes was laid out.
"The young master said that the young lady didn't want to have dinner in the flower hall today but in Qinghui Hall, and that just a few simple side dishes would do. But when Aunt Liu, Aunt Song, and I heard that, we all said that wouldn't do! After all, it's the New Year's Eve dinner. How could we let the young lady eat so shabbily?"
As Chun Tao bustled about, she chattered non - stop. "Even if the master and the mistress aren't here, we still have to have a good meal... Hey, why have the master and the mistress been out shopping for New Year goods since early morning and haven't come back yet? It's already late at night."
The master and the mistress she referred to were Prince Ning and Princess Ning. From her perspective, they had just gone out to buy New Year goods in the morning and hadn't returned yet.
Wu Yao tugged at her sleeve. "Alright, Sister Chun Tao. Let's go out. Let... let cousin and cousin - in - law have a good talk..."
Chun Tao was stunned. "They've been talking for so long. Haven't they finished yet? And I need to serve the young lady while she eats..."
Lu Ping said, "Miss Chun Tao, let's go to the back and eat..."
Li Wanming suddenly spoke up. "Everyone, sit down."
Chun Tao was right. Today was Chinese New Year's Eve. They should have a reunion dinner together in a lively atmosphere.
She looked at Xiao Jingnan. "We'll talk after this meal."
Xiao Jingnan lowered his eyes and said to Lu Ping and Wu Yao, "Sit down."
"We..." Lu Ping and Wu Yao hesitated. They were bodyguards and it wasn't proper for them to sit at the same table as the young master.
"It doesn't matter," Xiao Jingnan waved his hand. "Tonight, we're all relatives. Let's sit together and have a good time."
Chun Tao didn't decline. She happily sat down.
Back in Tingxuexuan in the Li Mansion, if there were no outsiders, Li Wanming often invited her to have meals together.
She tore a drumstick for Li Wanming and picked up a piece of fish belly meat. "Young lady, eat! Aunt Liu really put her heart and soul into making this meal!"
Aunt Liu gave a simple smile and sat down somewhat nervously. "The young lady has suffered a lot these past two days. I just thought I had to nourish the young lady somehow."
Aunt Song secretly tugged at her sleeve. "It's a happy day. Why are you saying such things?"
Aunt Liu slapped her forehead. "Right, right, right! It's all in the past! Our young lady's luck has turned around. She's received the imperial edict and is going to enter the prince's mansion as the young mistress... But, this..."
She looked at Xiao Jingnan in confusion. "What about you, young master..."
Aunt Song angrily poked her under the table. "If you can't talk, just keep quiet and eat your food!"
Xiao Jingnan smiled slightly. "As for me... naturally, I'll go wherever my wife goes."
"Ah?" Aunt Liu was shocked. "You're going to follow our young lady into the prince's mansion!"
Li Wanming raised her wine cup. "Let's just drink today and not ask any questions."
With that, she downed the cup of Jin Yutang in one gulp.
Seeing her do so, the others quickly followed suit.
After a cup of wine, they felt warm all over, and the atmosphere at the dinner table became more relaxed.
Even Lu Ping, who had always been serious, showed a hint of a smile on his face.
Everyone tacitly avoided talking about what had happened in the past two days.
Chun Tao was even more carefree. She busily picked dishes and poured wine for Li Wanming, completely forgetting that Prince Ning and Princess Ning hadn't returned on this New Year's Eve.
After a few rounds of drinking, Li Wanming was a bit tipsy.
She picked up a chopstick and tapped on the bowl as she sang, "When life is at its best, enjoy it to the full; Don't let your golden goblet face the moon in vain. Heaven has endowed me with talents for eventual use; A thousand pieces of gold spent, more will turn up."
"Bravo!" Chun Tao cheered loudly. "Our young lady is really amazing! She can even compose poems!"
Li Wanming put down the chopstick and tilted her head slightly. Her eyes were filled with drunkenness. "I can only remember these lines... Back then, Eldest Sister taught us to read, but Second Sister and I were both reluctant to study. After all these years, I can't even remember a single complete poem."
"Eldest Miss always said that everyone has different strengths. Not everyone has to study," Chun Tao said as she got up to pick up a warm towel from the side and wiped Li Wanming's hands. "Just like Second Miss. She can use those swords and clubs as soon as she picks them up. She doesn't even need anyone to teach her. And you, young lady. You're so good at rolling dice. No one in the entire military town in Fujian can match you!"
"Eldest Sister and Second Sister... Have they returned to the Li family?" Li Wanming asked.
She hadn't seen them since she was imprisoned yesterday and didn't know how they were doing.
"Yes. They went back this afternoon," Chun Tao replied. "The two young ladies waited at the academy until midnight yesterday. I heard that Eldest Miss even went to ask the Chen family for help... Later, Brother Lu Ping went back to deliver the message that you were okay, and then they felt relieved. Qiuying and Xiahe said that they originally planned to come and see you today, but they were afraid it wouldn't be appropriate to come to Pingkangfang during the New Year, so they went back to the Li family first."
Li Wanming propped her chin on her hand, imagining what kind of scene it would be when Li Wanchen and Li Wanmo returned to the Li family today and saw their mother, who had been beaten with the cane and carried back.
As she thought about it, she couldn't help but burst into laughter.
All of this was seen by Xiao Jingnan.
The girl's eyes were blurred with drunkenness, and her rosy cheeks were like a burning sun. There was a kind of beauty that was both gorgeous and desolate, like a setting sun that was about to burn out but was still blooming with all its might.
He had remained silent all this time.
This was their last meal in Pingkangfang.
After this meal, all the laughter and joy of the past two years in Pingkangfang would come to an end.
It was like a dream, and now it was finally over.