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Chapter 2

With a slap, the feather duster hit the table. "Speak up!"

Li Xia stepped forward two steps and grabbed Auntie Mei\'s hand. "Auntie, I really know I was wrong. I shouldn\'t have asked big sister."

"You know you shouldn\'t have, yet you still went." Auntie Mei said as she wanted to wave the feather duster in her hand. With Li Xia grabbing the feather duster so she couldn\'t move it, she threw away the feather duster and wanted to discipline her directly with her hands.

Li Xia knew Auntie Mei couldn\'t stand her acting cute, so she quickly started acting cute. "Auntie, I really, really, really wanted to go see it!"

"Stand up straight and speak properly," Auntie Mei couldn\'t stand it when Li Xia acted cute and had her stand up straight to speak properly.

Li Xia stood up straight, reached out her hand to Auntie Mei, "Auntie, can you give me some money?"

Auntie Mei slapped her outstretched hand. "Other than knowing to ask for money, what else can you do? Causing trouble every day."

Li Xia retracted her hand and brought it to her mouth, gently blowing on it. "Auntie, that hurts."

Auntie Mei felt bad after hitting her, reached out to look and saw her hand was red, massaged it while asking, "Didn\'t I just give you 20 wen yesterday? You spent it all already?"

"Auntie, you know very well. You also ate the braised pork at noon yesterday," Li Xia had used the 20 wen Auntie Mei gave her yesterday to have Autumn Eggplant add some vegetables and it was gone.

Auntie Mei thought of the braised pork at lunch yesterday. "Just 3 pieces of braised pork for 20 wen?" Li Xia was tricked by the kitchen. Saying so, she wanted to go find the kitchen. The cook was too bold, daring to deceive the master.

Li Xia quickly stopped Auntie Mei and whispered, "I, I ate five pieces first."

"You even learned how to steal food. You\'re really amazing," Auntie Mei really didn\'t know what to say.

"Wasn\'t it because you only let me eat 3 pieces of braised pork last time," Li Xia drooled just thinking about the braised pork the kitchen made, it was so delicious.

When Auntie Mei heard about last time, she got angry. "You still dare mention last time. Last time you ate a whole large bowl of braised pork yourself and had stomach pains all night. Don\'t you learn your lesson." Just thinking about Li Xia having stomach pains in the middle of the night last time, scaring her to the point of finding Mrs. Lu to call the doctor. She still remembered the speechless expression of the doctor when he came to ask about the situation and said it was caused by eating too much meat. If it happened again, she would lose face.

Li Xia wanted to say something but swallowed it back down. She looked at Auntie Mei, "Auntie, I was wrong. Please forgive me this time. Give me some more money. I need money to go see the Spring Plowing." She was prepared to eat heartily.

From Li Xia\'s expression, Auntie Mei knew what she was thinking. In her heart she chanted, "My own flesh and blood, even if I beat her to death I still have to take care of her." After quite a while, "When Madam informs it\'s time to go, I\'ll give you some."

Li Xia pouted out her lips and made a sound of acknowledgment.

Seeing Li Xia\'s expression of remembering to eat but not remembering when hit, Auntie Mei felt very helpless waving her hand, "Go back to your room and reflect."

Li Xia returned to her own room, went to the couch by the window, took off her shoes, and lay down. The afternoon sunshine shining on her felt nice and warm.

Mrs. Lu quickly agreed and arranged for Li Hui to take his younger siblings to go see the Spring Plowing.

The young masters and misses of Li Manor were very happy. Only third miss Li Shan was unhappy because Aunt Wang didn\'t allow her to go.

"Why can\'t I go?" Li Shan\'s originally exquisite and delicate features looked somewhat twisted from anger. She was very unsatisfied that Aunt Wang didn\'t allow her to go see the Spring Plowing.

"What\'s there to see with all those mud-legged peasants around? The more crowded a place, the easier it is for kidnappers to appear," Aunt Wang prayed in her heart that if kidnappers really appeared, they could take the five in front away. Without those obstructive people in front, this Li Manor would be her son\'s in the future. Though that was just her thinking to herself.

"Auntie you\'re lying to me, I don\'t believe you at all. Father is the county magistrate, I\'d like to see who dares to do such outrageous things," Li Shan completely didn\'t believe what Aunt Wang said.

"You silly girl, although your father is the county magistrate, not everyone listens to him. Especially those who wander in from other places on festivals like this. They specifically have this in mind." The more Aunt Wang tried to persuade Li Shan, the more determined she was to not allow Li Shan to go out.

"Mother allowed big brother to take us, and there are servants too. Those kidnappers won\'t be able to get close to us," Li Shan wasn\'t easy to fool either.

"It\'s because the young master is going that something might happen!" Aunt Wang absolutely did not trust Mrs. Lu. How could Li Hui, Mrs. Lu\'s son, be good to these born of a concubine siblings. If something happened, he would naturally protect his full-blooded sister Li Xin first. As for the other few, he\'d be happy if someone kidnapped them.

The more Aunt Wang thought about it, the more she felt it was unsafe for Li Shan to go out. "Shan\'er, I\'m your mother. How could I harm you?"

Seeing Li Shan was somewhat frightened by her words, Aunt Wang went on strongly telling stories she heard at her maternal home about kidnapped people, either being sold to remote villages deep in the mountains, or sold to despicable places, or having hands and feet broken to become beggars, and other such tragic circumstances. She only stopped when Li Shan was frightened enough to hug Aunt Wang and promise not to go.

With Li Shan not going, Li Hui brought his four younger siblings to the reserved teahouse. They had thought they came early, but unexpectedly some people came even earlier than them. The streets on both sides and the teahouse were packed with people. If Li Hui wasn\'t the county magistrate\'s son and had reserved the private room early, their room likely would have been bought out by someone willing to pay more.

The waiter led the few to the reserved private room and they sat down. This room was on the second floor by the windows, able to see the Spring Plowing festivities below. The liveliness downstairs made the boys and girls look on in delight. The parade started and Li Guang, always the most impatient, couldn\'t stand staying upstairs and wanted to go down. He was grabbed by Li Chou.

"Why are you stopping me, brother?" Li Guang was unhappy. What was the point of watching from up here? It\'d be interesting to go down and join the parade. Watching from up here was too boring.

Li Chou helplessly shook his head at this impulsive younger brother. Before coming, Auntie An had instructed Li Chou and Li Guang to listen obediently to Li Hui\'s words. Moreover, seeing Li Hui\'s expression, he knew Li Hui didn\'t agree. Noticing Li Chou\'s gaze, Li Guang looked at Li Hui. Although Li Hui didn\'t loudly scold or punish him, ever since he was little, after Father Li Ming, Li Hui was the second person Li Guang feared most. He always felt that Li Hui wasn\'t as gentle and refined as he appeared.

Li Guang harrumphed a couple times but didn\'t rush down anymore. Li Chou breathed a sigh of relief and continued watching the parade below. The actions of the two brothers of course didn\'t escape Li Hui\'s eyes. Li Hui slowly savored his cup of tea.

Li Xia and Li Xin sat together, discussing in low voices.

"Is that ox really made of solid gold?" Looking at the shiny golden ox at the front of the procession, Li Xia felt her eyes were going to be blinded. It was so shiny reflecting the sunlight.