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Chapter 24

"You kept staring at the ham in my bowl, so I figured you wanted some. I helped you get a piece," Li Xia said with a self-satisfied expression.

Li Shan gritted her teeth and lowered her voice, "I did not."

Li Xia eyed Li Shan\'s short little arms and said, "Oh, then what did you want to eat? I\'ll grab it for you."

Fuming, Li Shan wanted to flip the table over. She glanced at Mrs. Lu and Li Ming sitting at the main seats and told herself not to get angry. "No need, Qiu Kui will serve me."

"Then hurry up and eat. The dishes were meticulously prepared by the kitchen ladies. It\'s not good to waste food," Li Xia said as she picked up a piece of braised pork and put it in her mouth. She nodded inwardly, pleased with how delicious it tasted.

Seeing Li Xia eat with such gusto, Li Shan murmured, "Glutton." Her words reached Auntie Mei sitting beside her. Auntie Mei shot a glance at the happily eating Li Xia and gritted her teeth but said nothing. However, she made a mental note against Aunt Wang.

Li Xin noticed the tense exchange between the two and used the shared chopsticks to place some vegetables into Li Xia\'s bowl. "Eat more vegetables," she said, still mindful of Li Xia\'s previous bout of heatiness.

Li Xia looked at the vegetables in her bowl. It wouldn\'t be good to waste food. She picked them up and stuffed them into her mouth along with a piece of ham.

With the family matriarch present, everyone ate in silence. Mrs. Lu glanced at Li Ming, who understood the signal and put down his chopsticks. The others followed suit. Li Xia had just picked up a piece of braised pork. It would be inappropriate to put it back down, so she quickly stuffed it into her mouth. Fortunately, the braised pork was in small pieces, allowing Li Xia to swallow it whole without chewing.

Li Xia let out a light grunt, sensing a piercing death stare—undoubtedly from Auntie Mei. Li Xia didn\'t look at Auntie Mei but instead turned her gaze toward Li Ming, maintaining an attentive expression.

Seated at the lower position, Auntie Mei\'s hand under the table twitched. If not for the occasion, she would have tugged Li Xia\'s ear. Before the New Year\'s Eve dinner, Auntie Mei had repeatedly instructed Li Xia to mind her manners and not eat too casually at the table. Behaving however she wanted was fine within the Mei and Lan Courtyards, but outside, she had to maintain the demeanor of a refined young lady.

Li Xia had started off well enough but soon revealed her true colors. How would this go on in the future? Auntie Mei fretted. She didn\'t catch what Li Ming had said, only hearing Li Guang\'s cheer and seeing the joyful expressions on everyone\'s faces.

Li Xia didn\'t expect Li Ming to announce that the whole family would go see the lantern festival during the Lantern Festival. This time, she would make sure to thoroughly enjoy herself, unlike her previous disappointing experience in Bailang County.

With the good news announced at the dinner table, everyone except Li Xia had lost their appetite. Under Auntie Mei\'s watchful gaze, Li Xia didn\'t dare touch her chopsticks either.

After the New Year\'s Eve dinner, upon returning to the Lan Courtyard, Li Xia headed straight for the tea room. "Qiu Kui, quickly bring me another bowl of wonton soup. I\'m starving!"

Qiu Kui knew her young mistress\'s temperament and had kept the stove in the tea room burning. Judging from the time, she knew Li Xia would be back soon, so she and Mrs. Wu had prepared some wontons. They had just finished cooking, and Qiu Kui scooped them into a bowl for Li Xia. Li Xia pulled up a stool in the tea room and quickly finished the bowl of wontons, feeling much better. As Li Xia\'s cultivation abilities improved, her appetite had increased as well.

"Another bowl," Li Xia said, handing the bowl back to Qiu Kui. Qiu Kui took it and filled another bowl for Li Xia.

Li Xia accepted the bowl and poured some vinegar into it. "Have you all eaten?"

"We\'ve eaten," Qiu Kui said, sitting nearby and watching Li Xia eat. Li Xia ate quickly, one wonton at a time, but her movements didn\'t appear gluttonous. Instead, they had a certain graceful rhythm.

After finishing her meal, Li Xia returned to her room to practice for an hour before lying down to rest.

The sound of firecrackers woke her from her sleep early in the morning. Who was setting off firecrackers and disturbing her sleep on New Year\'s Day? Li Xia turned over, covering her ears with her hands as she tried to continue sleeping.

On the first day of the New Year, they had to pay respects to the elders. Knowing Li Xia wouldn\'t get up, Auntie Mei personally came to the Lan Courtyard to rouse her and help her get ready. They then went to the Yan Gui Courtyard, where Mrs. Lu and Li Ming were already seated, waiting for them to offer their New Year greetings.

There was a maid standing beside Mrs. Lu and Li Ming, each holding a tray filled with stacks of red envelopes. Three cushions were placed in front of them.

First, the three aunties knelt to offer their New Year greetings to the family heads, each receiving a red envelope before moving aside to sit down. Next, Li Hui led Li Chou, Li Guang, and Li Yao, who was being carried by his wet nurse, to kowtow and offer their greetings to Mrs. Lu and Li Ming. Li Yao\'s complexion looked better today as Aunt Wang carried him to greet Li Ming. Mrs. Lu and Li Ming each gave them red envelopes, urging the brothers to continue working hard in their studies.

Then it was Li Xin, Li Xia, and Li Shan\'s turn as the three young ladies knelt to offer their greetings. This was Li Xia\'s least favorite part. However, given the circumstances, Li Xia suppressed her vexation and put on a joyful expression as she offered her New Year wishes to the two elders.

After receiving two red envelopes, she stood up and took a seat beside Li Xin. Li Ming said a few words about working hard and wishing the family peace and safety in the new year.

The servants had prepared breakfast, and on the first morning of the new year, the family gathered together for the meal. Li Shan surveyed the small portions of exquisitely presented dishes on the table with satisfaction, nodding in approval. This was her chance to shine. She shot a smug glance at Li Xin and Li Xia.

Looking at the array of delicate but meager portions of food, Li Xia knew she wouldn\'t even reach half her appetite with this breakfast. Fortunately, she had instructed Qiu Kui to prepare an additional breakfast for her.

After the meal, Li Xia returned to the Lan Courtyard with Auntie Mei. Seeing the table set with a full breakfast, Auntie Mei gave Li Xia a glance.

"Auntie, let\'s have breakfast together," Li Xia said, realizing Auntie Mei hadn\'t eaten her fill either.

The breakfast in the Lan Courtyard wasn\'t as exquisite as the one they had just had, but the portions were ample. Auntie Mei ate a flower roll and a bowl of plain congee, feeling satisfied. She then watched as Li Xia polished off everything on the table, bite by bite.

"Your appetite has more than doubled compared to before," Auntie Mei remarked, patting Li Xia\'s stomach, worried she might be overstuffed. However, Auntie Mei was more concerned about finding a suitable husband for such a voracious young lady. She would need to prepare a substantial dowry, lest her future son-in-law go broke trying to feed her.

Yet, feeling Li Xia\'s flat stomach, Auntie Mei wondered where all that food went.

"Auntie, I\'m still growing. Of course, I\'ll eat more," Li Xia said matter-of-factly, leaving Auntie Mei unable to refute her. Qiu Kui cleared the dishes and served tea.

Li Xia took a couple of sips before putting down her cup. She suddenly remembered she hadn\'t looked at the red envelopes yet. Opening them, she found two gold leaf pieces inside.

"They\'re being quite generous this year," Li Xia remarked with a smile, looking at the gold leaves in the red envelopes.

Auntie Mei tapped her on the head. "What nonsense are you spouting?" She moved to take away Li Xia\'s red envelopes.

Li Xia quickly pulled them back. "Auntie, you promised I could keep them," she said, already planning to exchange the gold leaves for silver to spend during the Lantern Festival.

But Auntie Mei didn\'t care what Li Xia said and snatched the red envelopes away. The gold leaves were beautifully crafted, and she couldn\'t let Li Xia carelessly exchange them for silver. Instead, Auntie Mei took out a purse from her pocket and gave it to Li Xia. "There are ten taels of silver inside. Spend it wisely."