The Peasant Wife: The Prime Minister's Beloved

Seeing the candies in the children's hands, Xie Shunyao's greed was completely aroused. He walked straight to Xiaoyang and Xiaochen and made his request with confidence.

However, Xiaochen's firm refusal was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing his hopes.

Chen Jiayi's courage and his height advantage brought tremendous psychological pressure to Xie Shunyao, but his spoiled character made him not know how to back down.

The three words "bad woman" coming out of Xie Shunyao's mouth were undoubtedly an insult to Chen Xi, and this prejudice was obviously influenced by Wang.

Chen Jiayi retorted that in his heart, Chen Xi was so gentle and kind, how could he tolerate others slandering him like that?

Faced with Xiaoyang and Xiaochen's firm stance, as well as the solidarity of the children around them, Xie Shunyao felt unprecedentedly isolated.

Xiaoyang's grimace and those childish but firm words were like a slap in the face, catching him off guard.

Chen Jiayi pulled Chen Jiajia away, leaving Xie Shunyao alone, feeling aggrieved and helpless.

And all this did not seem to disturb Chen Xi and the others' preparations.

In the kitchen, ten skillful women were busy. They cooperated well with each other and moved skillfully. Soon, delicious dishes came out of the pot one after another and filled the long table.

The helpers invited by Xie Tianyi shuttled around, serving delicious dishes one by one, and the scene was very lively.

Adults and children, regardless of gender, sat around thirteen round tables and shared this rare feast.

Chen Xi's foresight ensured that there was enough food, while her eldest and second brothers were responsible for placing carefully prepared desserts on each table.

Although there were only six dishes carefully arranged on each round table, they included four main dishes, each of which was of amazing portion, with fragrant meat, fat but not greasy, lean but not dry.

The villagers who came to the banquet naturally upheld the simple rural customs, and no one came empty-handed.

Some people took out a handful of copper coins from their worn cloth bags, which made a jingling sound. They were the meager savings from their hard work. Some people brought newly laid eggs from their own chicken coops, with the shells still carrying the warmth of their body temperature, or brought fresh green vegetables picked from the fields, which were green and full of vitality.

What's more, they carry bags of white rice and flour on their shoulders and in their hands. They are the most simple but thoughtful gifts from farmers.

Just as everyone was immersed in the food and laughter, a group of people from the Xie family slowly walked into the banquet.

Qin was walking at the front of the team, holding one of her grandsons' hands in each. Her son and daughter-in-law followed closely behind, with a look of embarrassment and anxiety on their faces. The usually dignified old man Xie was nowhere to be seen.

"Oh, hurry up and get us a table! You didn't even tell us in advance about such a lively banquet, and made our family arrive late."

Qin was not polite at all and sat down on a vacant bench with such ease that it seemed as if she was at home.

Seeing this, Chen Xi couldn't help but curl up a barely perceptible smile on his face, thinking to himself: This person is not here to attend the banquet, he clearly came here because of the fragrance.

But she still maintained a decent smile on the surface and did not show any dissatisfaction.

"I'm so sorry, ma'am, there are really no extra seats at the moment. How about you wait a moment, maybe someone will leave soon?" Chen Xi's words were gentle and polite, making it hard to find fault with them.

However, Qin's face suddenly turned gloomy.

"What did you call me?" she demanded, her tone authoritative.

Chen Xi blinked, with an extremely innocent expression: "Auntie, haven't you already drawn a clear line between yourself and the one in my family? If I continue to call you mother, I'm afraid it would be a bit inappropriate."

Her words were neither loud nor soft, but just loud enough for everyone around her to hear clearly.

Chen Xi quietly observed the reactions of the people around him. Seeing that everyone was either surprised or snickering, he felt even more proud.

Under the constraints of this feudal ethics, once the relationship was severed, she was no longer oppressed by the status of any elder and became much freer.

At this time, Xie Shunyao, the grandson of the Xie family, cried and threw himself into Wang's arms, sobbing and asking, "Mom, why don't I have any candy to eat? Why can't you let me sit at the table to eat?"

Upon hearing this, Wang immediately pointed the finger at Chen Xi.

"Chen Xi, even though our two families have severed ties, your child asked you for a candy. You wouldn't refuse even such a small favor, right?" Wang's tone was reproachful.

Chen Xi smiled lightly and retorted: "That sounds a bit biased. Everyone can see that I am busy from morning to night. When has he ever asked me for candy?"

The kitchen door was half-open, and the busy figures of Chen Xi and several women were clearly visible, and there was indeed no sign of children approaching.

Upon hearing this, Guo Ping's mother also joined the discussion: "When did your kid come to ask for candy? Who saw it with their own eyes? We were all watching. Tianyi's Xiaoyang and Xiaochen didn't even go near the kitchen today. When did your kid show up?"

Wang was speechless and her cheeks flushed with shame. She had to reluctantly pull her son out of her arms and ask him the reason.

"Tell mother, who did you ask for candy from and why didn't they give it to you?" There was a hint of severity in Wang's voice.

Xie Shunyao pouted and whispered in defense: "It was Xiaoyang and Xiaochen. They refused to give me candy."

"You can't say that. You are already five years old. How dare you compete for candy with a three-year-old kid?" someone else interrupted.

"Mom, I gave all my candies to other kids. I didn't give him any because I had none left. How could he say such nonsense?" Xiao Chen hugged Chen Xi's legs tightly, looking aggrieved.

Li Xuanxuan and other children also echoed him, and the scene seemed a little chaotic for a while.

Chen Xi raised his voice and said sternly: "Did everyone hear it?"

This sound made Wang feel humiliated and she could only scold Xie Shunyao in a low voice.

"My fellow villagers, you can see it all. There is no extra seat left. Even my family members are helping to serve the dishes. I haven't even had a bite yet. Can't you be understanding and wait a moment?" Chen Xi insisted in a firm tone.

Qin looked around and saw Chen Xi's brothers shuttling between tables and chairs, sweating profusely.

This scene completely made her lose the position to refute.

"Although our two families have severed their relationship, since you are here, even if you really come with nothing, we will not forcibly drive you away. However, my wife has made it very clear that there are no seats. If you are still making noise here, don't blame us for being ruthless."

Xie Tianyi spoke at the right time, his words were calm and powerful, causing everyone present to unconsciously focus their attention on the empty hands of the Xie family.

Upon seeing this, the eldest brother of the Xie family immediately wanted to refute, but he knew in his heart that they did not bring anything with them and just wanted to have a free meal.