Golden Branch

Mrs. Lou was still happily imagining things, and mistakenly took the little wolf cub as a kind and gentle young man with inner qualities.

She had no idea that Lou Yu, who looked concerned and gentle at the moment, had already thought of how to "drive the customers away".

Lou Yu didn't know what Madam Lou was planning, but he didn't like the Zheng family and wanted to get rid of them as soon as possible.

After half a day of observation, Lou Yu was sure:

Zheng Chi, this skinny little bean sprout, is the sweetheart of Mrs. Lou.

As long as Zheng Chi doesn't dare, or no, doesn't want to stay in the Lou's fortress, Madam Lou should leave soon.

Send these people away quickly!

Humph, Lou Yu really doesn’t like Madam Lou’s gaze.

She was examining him, evaluating him... and perhaps even scheming.

Lou Yu did not think about marriage, he thought about wealth——

Mrs. Lou and his adoptive grandfather and biological grandfather were siblings from the same mother.

Although she has been married for more than 30 years, some greedy and foolish women, relying on their noble status, will still covet their parents' property even after getting married.

If Lou Yu had not been adopted, Mrs. Lou might not have had such delusional thoughts.

Unfortunately, Lou Yu, a bastard son, was adopted by the long-deceased Lou Hu, and because of Lou Hu's background, he took away half of the Lou family's property.

This matter is originally the family affair of the Lou family. Even if outsiders are jealous, they cannot and dare not interfere.

But Madam Lou is different. She is the noble daughter of the Lou family and the only sister of Lou Hu and Lou Lian.

Her husband's family has fallen on hard times, so it's not surprising that she would be eyeing her mother's family's property.

"...Humph, those properties are mine. Even if this old woman takes advantage of her age, she can't get her hands on them!"

A dark light flashed quickly in Lou Yu's eyes.

While he was making plans secretly, he did not neglect other things.

Madam Lou had already smoothed things over. Although Zheng Chi's face was still red, he was able to find his voice.

She whispered in a thin voice, "Thank you for your concern, cousin."

Seeing this, Madam Lou continued to laugh and said, "Haha, Dalang, Ah Chi is a delicate little girl, different from you young gentlemen."

"You guys need to study and practice martial arts, so you need to eat well and have enough to eat."

"Achi and the others need to learn the rules and maintain their manners. They can't eat and drink as much as they want!"

After Mrs. Lou said this, she suddenly thought of something and quickly added, "Although Ah Chi eats little, he is in good health!"

Her baby has not only the slender beauty of a woman, but also a good body. She is not sickly and will not have any problems with fertility.

A hint of doubt flashed in Lou Yu's eyes.

What does this old woman mean?

He felt that the other party seemed to be afraid of being misunderstood.

Misunderstand?

What could I be misunderstanding?

A bean sprout eats little, is shriveled and thin, and whether it is in good health or not, what does it have to do with me?

baffling!

Lou Yu silently labeled Madam Lou as "sick".

"You still have to eat some. My great-aunt once said that being able to eat is a blessing!"

Lou Yu already had a plan, so he naturally wouldn't give up easily.

He still looked determined and used Madam Cui as an excuse.

Mrs. Lou was stunned for a moment, and after thinking for a while, she realized who the "great-grandmother" Lou Yu was talking about was.

Cui, her cheap sister-in-law.

Mrs. Lou looked down on Mrs. Cui, but she knew that she was her sister-in-law.

According to the rules, she must be respectful and accommodating.

She should also listen to her sister-in-law's words.

but--

What the hell is this about being able to eat is a blessing?

He eats too much and eats people into a ball. Does this count as "as blessed as the East Sea"?... Her son Achi doesn't want this blessing.

She was complaining madly in her heart, but Mrs. Lou couldn't refute it directly.

"Your great-aunt is very kind. You must have been a picky eater when you were little, so she said this to coax you into eating more!"

Mrs. Lou tried to gloss over the matter.

Lou Yu, however, seemed to be possessed by a straight man, completely lacking in emotional intelligence. He bluntly corrected her, "Grandma, I'm not picky about food!"

"Besides, my great-aunt never coaxed me!"

This "coaxing" is quite wonderful.

It can be the kind coaxing of the elders to the younger ones, or it can be the deception of the victim by the perpetrator.

Mrs. Lou: ...This child looks gentle and steady, why is he so stubborn?

He's just like those nerds who become sour, hypocritical, and conservative after reading a few books.

Could it be that Dalang has become stupid from reading too much?

Do you only know how to follow rules and stick to your principles?

Reading is a good thing, but if you just study blindly, it will be a real headache.

The Zheng family is a noble family that has passed down poetry and literature, and there are some idiots in the family who have become stupid due to reading too much.

Even Mrs. Lou's husband, in the eyes of this daughter of a general, had a bit of a naive and silly air.

What she hated most was her husband quoting from classics all the time, and most of the time, she simply didn't understand what he was saying.

Then, her husband would look at her with a disappointed look as if she was a hopeless case.

Madam Lou tried to endure it at first, but later she just roared like a lion and even took action... Phew, now she has peace and quiet in her ears, and the world is at peace!

Mrs. Lou wanted to marry her precious granddaughter back to her parents' family, also because her parents' family were military and there were not so many red tape.

But... Lou Yu...

"What's going on, Ajin? Letting Dalang study is a good thing. He can inherit your elder brother's talent and reputation."

"But, but, we should hire some reliable gentlemen."

"A good man like Dalang has been turned into a nerd?"

Is her Ah Chi also going to marry a sour, jealous, and old-fashioned guy?

Mrs. Lou, who had just been extremely satisfied, now felt a little hesitant.

Lou Yu on the other side, not feeling it was enough, continued to lecture Zheng Chi in a very "fatherly" manner: "Ah Chi, the elders are right, being able to eat is a blessing!"

"Eat more, you will be healthy and blessed!"

"You are too thin. If the wind is stronger, you will be blown away!"

Lou Yu's eyes were sincere, but the words he said made Zheng Chi feel embarrassed and annoyed.

What does this mean, Cousin Lou?

Do you think I'm unlucky?

Are you afraid that I'll be blown away by the wind?

He, is he sick? She is a noble lady. If it is really an extremely windy day, she will not go out.

Even if she had to go out, she was surrounded by personal maids and strong women. With so many people around, it was impossible for her to be blown away by the wind.

... Ugh! What the hell am I thinking about?

Zheng Chi was frantically refuting in his mind when he suddenly realized that he seemed to have been led astray by Lou Yu.

She was eating normally, but Lou Yu kept talking nonsense to her, and she was actually considering this possibility!

It's ridiculous!

Although Zheng Chi behaved very well, like a quiet little lady.

But she is Mrs. Lou's most beloved granddaughter after all. She can't be said to be able to act arrogantly in the Zheng family, but she is also the best among all the grandchildren.

It is impossible for her to be truly docile and well-behaved. On the contrary, she is very proud in her bones.

Except for Madam Lou, she doesn't have to suppress herself even in front of her mother.

Her brothers and sisters were also very humble to her.

Parents and other elders may not do anything to a younger person, but they will not be too strict either.

This was the first time Zheng Chi encountered such obvious "disdain" from Lou Yu.

How could a little girl who had always been spoiled bear this?

However, considering his grandmother sitting in the main seat, Zheng Chi did not leave in anger.

Her eyes turned red and tears began to fall.

"Achi!"

Mrs. Lou was heartbroken when she saw her little granddaughter crying.

She quickly waved at Zheng Chi, motioning her to come over.

Zheng Chi was waiting for her grandmother's comfort. When she received her grandmother's call, she quickly stood up, trotted a few steps, and threw herself into Mrs. Lou's arms.

"...Big Mother, I am blessed! I, I won't be blown away by the wind!"

Woohoo!

Bad cousin!

He, he despises me!

Zheng Chi felt ashamed, angry and aggrieved.

Especially when she thought that her grandmother wanted to marry her to her cousin, she felt even more uneasy.

My cousin despises me. If I marry him, I might be worse than my mother in the future.

My mother may not be liked by my mother-in-law, but she is still loved by my husband.

What about her?

She...shouldn't marry her cousin!

Zheng Chi cried and thought secretly.

When Lou Yu saw Zheng Chi crying out of anger, the corners of his mouth rose slightly.

But soon, Lou Yu restrained himself.

He looked confused, "Achi, why are you crying?"

He was confused, as if he didn't understand at all. He was talking to his cousin just fine, so why was his cousin crying?

"Did I say something wrong?"

Lou Yu was like a bookworm who didn't understand the ways of the world. He looked at Madam Lou, then at Zheng Chi, who was curled up in Madam Lou's arms, and said with doubt in his tone, "I, I really think that being able to eat is a blessing."

Mrs. Lou's forehead twitched. She never wanted to hear the words "being able to eat is a blessing" again.

Zheng Chi, who was originally just sobbing softly, finally couldn't control himself and cried louder after hearing Lou Yu say "being able to eat is a blessing" again.

The young men and women of the Zheng family who were sitting below looked at each other in bewilderment when they saw this scene.

Especially the little girls, their eyes were flying around.

They envied, were jealous, and resented Zheng Chi. They were all daughters of the Zheng family, but because she was born to the wife of the first wife, she was superior to everyone else. Why?

It is obvious that their appearance, talent, personality, etc. are no worse than Zheng Chi.

However, for a good husband candidate like Lou Yu, Grandmother would only give it to Zheng Chi.

They are also the eldest mother's granddaughters and are related to her by blood!

At this moment, seeing that the good grandson-in-law that the grandmother favored "honestly" made Zheng Chi cry...Haha, several little girls almost laughed out loud.

She lowered her head and tried her best to endure it. Although her figure was as slender as Zheng Chi's, she still couldn't help shaking slightly.

Lou Yu caught the reactions of everyone in the Zheng family out of the corner of his eye: As expected, the bigger the family and the more people there are, the more complicated their minds are!

Lou Yu secretly took note of those little girls who were trying hard to hold back their laughter, but it was hard to say whether he could use it now.

But, it’s better to be prepared.

……

"Jiu Niang, this is the original flavor!"

In Wang Mian's own super-large kitchen, she was guarding an iron pot and scooping out a handful of steaming melon seeds with an iron shovel.

Putting the melon seeds into a small bamboo basket, Wang Mian introduced them and urged, "Try it and see how it tastes."

"I also fried caramel and milk flavors, they'll be ready soon!"

The fleet returned, bringing back several seeds that Wang Mian needed, as well as a large number of finished products.

Just the sunflowers filled several sacks.

These days, Wang Mian is busy tidying up after coming back from school.

Seeds should be handled and stored properly.

She placed pots of plants in a greenhouse that she had specially built.

Wang Mian also processed sunflower seeds, dried chilies, etc.

Today we mainly make fried melon seeds.

Original flavor, caramel, milk flavor, plum flavor, cha cha, etc. Wang Mian waved the iron pot and big spoon vigorously to reproduce them one by one.

It has to be said that ever since Wang Mian got Wang Heng's golden thigh, she has more and more ingredients and condiments on hand.

I am no longer the poor guy who couldn’t even put together a package of marinade ingredients.

As long as she wanted, she could always get the corresponding or alternative ingredients through the Wang family or the Lou family.

Therefore, melon seeds of various flavors are no longer something that Wang Mian cannot eat during the Chinese New Year.

"Uh-huh!"

Wang Heng nodded, picked up the small bamboo basket, and began to taste it.

She had eaten plums and watermelon seeds, so she knew how to crack watermelon seeds and was very skilled at it.

Wang Heng picked up one of the large, plump sunflower seeds, which was hot, and put it in her mouth.

Apply gentle force with the upper and lower teeth, and with a click, the melon seed shell will crack open, revealing the complete melon seed kernel.

As I continued to chew, the unique aroma of sunflower seeds instantly spread throughout my mouth.

The original flavor means that there are not too many seasonings added, it is the taste of the melon seeds themselves.

At first, Wang Heng felt it was a little bland.

But as I ate more, I found it became more and more delicious.

“It’s caramel flavored!”

"...Mmm, sweet! Delicious!"

“There’s also milky flavor.”

“The milky ones are delicious too…”

Wang Heng tasted them one by one and liked them all.

She ate so much that her mouth became dry and her hands became sticky.

"Oh, it's a pity that there are guests at my brother's house. Otherwise, I would have sent the melon seeds to my brother to try!"

Wang Heng was satisfied with the meal and had the leisure to pay attention to other things.

For example, Lou Yu who had to greet guests today.

Well, after spending several years with Lou Yu, Wang Heng knew this brother's personality too well.

He simply didn't like these "relatives" who suddenly appeared. If the other party regarded themselves as an elder and acted like an old man, Lou Yu would immediately turn his dislike into disgust.

Perhaps, at this time, Lou Yu was already secretly planning how to kick the annoying relatives out.

Wang Mian: ...give melon seeds to Lou Yu?

She couldn't even imagine the little pervert crackling the melon seeds.

Huh~~

So weird!

Just as Wang Mian was daydreaming, the slightly flattering voice of her aunt rang out from outside the door: "Jiu Niang, Amian, the Lou family's carriage is here. They said they want to take Jiu Niang to the fort!"

Wang Heng and Wang Mian looked at each other.

Wang Heng: Brother, shouldn’t you be busy “driving away guests”, oh no, entertaining guests? How can you still have time to ask me to play with you?

Wang Mian: I knew that the little pervert was the most domineering. How could he allow Jiu Niang to play with an "outsider" (someone other than him) for a whole day?

The little sisters complained in their hearts, but none of them hesitated.

Wang Mian quickly packed a lot of roasted melon seeds for Wang Heng.

Wang Heng asked the maid to tidy up her hair and clothes, and then she left the Wang family with baskets of melon seeds.

The carriage headed straight for Lou's Fort.

Lou Yu and others had already fed her. Zheng Chi cried for a while, and after being comforted by Madam Lou, she turned back into the appearance of a well-behaved and quiet little lady.

Lou Yu: ...Don’t worry, this is just the beginning!