Chapter 159: Plum Blossom Banquet Invitation

Chapter 159: Plum Blossom Banquet Invitation

The biting cold wind was howling, and the snow had started falling overnight. It continued until midday, covering the ground, rooftops, and tree branches with a layer of snow.

Seated on the cozy heated kang, Xingxing was playing cat’s cradle with Shuangyun.

Li Chunhua entered carrying a steaming bowl of radish and yam soup, inviting Xingxing to come and drink some hot soup to warm up.

Xingxing responded, climbing down backward from the kang, putting on her slippers, and obediently sitting on a stool. Her small hands gripped the edge of the bowl as she blew gently on the steaming soup.

The soup was still quite hot, so Xingxing began chatting with Li Chunhua, “Big Aunt, is it still snowing?”

“Yes, it is,” Li Chunhua said, feeling quite content.

A thick layer of snow isn’t a bad thing; it promised a bountiful harvest next year.

“Would you like to go out and play?” Li Chunhua asked Xingxing.

Xingxing shook her head and began counting on her fingers, looking worried. “With such heavy snow outside, will Big Brother find it difficult to go up the mountain to study martial arts with the Taoist elder? I wonder if Big Brother and Brother Yan are staying warm up there… What about Second Brother, Third Brother, and Fourth Brother? They attend the academy every day; I wonder if the heating at the academy is sufficient…”

Li Chunhua struggled to suppress her laughter.

Such a little girl, yet she has so many concerns.

As Li Chunhua was talking with Xingxing, Wei Pozi returned.

She looked rather pleased, holding a coin pouch, swinging it in her hand.

Li Chunhua curiously asked, "Mother, where did you go to earn this money?"

Wei Pozi looked rather proud as she shook the money bag, the copper coins jingling inside.

"Given by Feng," Wei Pozi looked very pleased, "Since he left the gambling den and stopped being a hired thug, he went back to his old trade of trading animal hides. It's winter, so he made some money selling hides. He had someone bring this to me, saying that since I spent a lot of money when he was hurt, this is his way of showing his gratitude."

The money bag was neither large nor full, and these days Wei Pozi earns ten to twenty taels of silver each month, so she wasn’t particularly concerned about such small amounts.

But she valued Wei Feng’s gesture.

A big man, with hands and feet, working hard and earning money honestly with his own hands, was more valuable than anything else.

Wei Pozi tossed the money bag into Li Chunhua’s lap.

Li Chunhua was surprised, "Mother, what’s this for?"

"When the snow clears in a few days, take some time to go to the county town and buy two old hens to treat the boys to a good meal," Wei Pozi said, "Especially Huai Geer, who has been learning martial arts from the Taoist Master and studying, which has been tiring for him."

Li Chunhua nodded in agreement, "Mother, trust my cooking. I’ll make sure to cook something delicious for the boys."

While they were talking in the room, someone knocked on the door; a guest had arrived.

Li Chunhua went to open the door. The visitor was a capable man, familiar, but she couldn’t recall where she had seen him.

The man introduced himself with a smile, stating he was a servant from the Fan family.

Li Chunhua realized.

It was the last time Fan Xingru, the young master from the Fan family, visited.

There is such a servant.

The servant presented an invitation with both hands.

Li Chunhua was illiterate and, after receiving the card, examined it curiously. "What’s this? It’s quite interesting," she remarked.

The servant explained, "This is a card from Miss Fan to Miss Xingxing. As the snow hastens the blooming of the plum blossoms, our Miss will hold a Plum Blossom Viewing Banquet at her home in three days and sent me specially to deliver this card to Miss Xingxing."

"In three days..." Li Chunhua hesitated, then said, "Come in, sit down, and have a bowl of hot water. I need to consult my mother-in-law; I can’t make this decision alone."

The servant agreed and followed Li Chunhua into the house.

Li Chunhua handed the card to Xingxing and explained the situation to Wei Pozi.

This was the first time Xingxing had received such an invitation, and she examined it excitedly. "I recognize these characters! And this one too!"

"Inviting… what kind of flower…"

Although there were many characters she didn’t know, Xingxing was not discouraged.

She was thrilled that she was no longer completely illiterate!

Shuangyun, who was watching, was very encouraging. "Wow, Miss is amazing! You know so many more characters than me!"

Xingxing was pleased and a little shy from the compliment.

Wei Pozi’s amused gaze shifted from Xingxing to the messenger and said, "...but I’m worried it might still be snowing by then."

The servant immediately smiled and said, "Madam, please don’t worry. Our Miss said that as long as the snow isn’t too heavy, she will definitely send a carriage to fetch Miss Xingxing. If the snow is too heavy, the banquet will be canceled. You really don’t need to worry. The Miss asked me to tell you that it’s just a small gathering with a few of her close friends, some of whom Miss Xingxing has met before. After the banquet, our Miss will have Miss Xingxing escorted back. Rest assured."

Fan Pingfang had made very thoughtful arrangements.

There may also be an intention to make up for the previous incident when she took Xingxing out to play and almost got her into danger.

This banquet was to be held at the Fan residence, so nothing should go awry.

Wei Pozi then smiled and said, "Since Miss Fan has made such thoughtful arrangements, if I continue to hesitate, it would seem ungracious of me."

With the matter settled, the servant took his leave. Li Chunhua brought over a bowl of hot yam and radish soup, warmly inviting him to have some.

The servant was touched by the hospitality and repeatedly declined.

Wei Pozi also urged him, "Young man, you’ve come a long way to deliver the message, and it’s snowing outside. Have some to warm yourself up."

Unable to decline any further, the servant drank the soup.

After finishing, he praised it repeatedly, which made Li Chunhua very happy.

As the messenger left the Yujia family, he felt warm from head to toe and thought to himself, no wonder the young masters and misses all liked to be around the Yujia family. Being with such sincere people made for a very pleasant experience.

On the day of the Plum Blossom Banquet, the weather was favorable, a nice sunny winter day.

Just as Fan Pingfang had said, a carriage to fetch Xingxing arrived early in the morning.

Someone inside the carriage lifted the curtain, and Fan Xingru’s eyes brightened.

Xingxing had already come out, the little girl wrapped in a red cloak with a hood lined with rabbit fur, specially made for her by Bai Xiaofeng.

Amidst the snowy white surroundings, she looked warm and adorably cute.

"Brother Fan!" Xingxing stretched out her small arm from beneath her cloak and waved at Fan Xingru.

Fan Xingru's eyes lit up as he watched the little bundle of joy in the red cloak run over to him.

He immediately got off the carriage, without using a stool, and directly scooped Xingxing up, placing her in the carriage, urging her to get in, "It's cold outside; it's warmer in the carriage."

Xingxing obediently agreed and crawled into the carriage.

Wei Pozi escorted Xingxing and, seeing that the young master of the Fan family had come to pick her up, felt much more reassured and smiled. "I'll leave Xingxing in your care."

"No trouble at all," said Fan Xingru. "I look forward to spending more time with Xingxing."

He waved goodbye to Wei Pozi and leapt onto the carriage with a flourish. "Grandma Wei, I’m taking Xingxing home!"