it. 。“Hui-niang still wanted to decline, but the old lady playfully said, “Don’t be polite with me, this is a loan to you. When Yan… when Li Yong comes back, I will definitely ask him for it.” 。Then...The Lord chuckled and gave her a reassuring pill, "Don't worry, you are a county princess with land, according to the regulations, there is a quota of fifty private soldiers. Lao Hei and his men took thirty, leaving twenty."
It doesn't matter if your older brothers carry swords and daggers. Your second uncle, though he holds a nominal position, has twenty private soldiers at his disposal. Your brothers can affiliate with whoever they choose.
“Haha, so Second Uncle isn't as skilled as me yet!” Jiayin laughed, revealing two new, slightly protruding front teeth. “When Big Uncle comes back, let him find two guards too. He’s always out and about, so he could be targeted by bad guys who see him as an easy target.”
The Lord also smiled, "Alright, I'll take care of these things. Go back and wash up for dinner quickly, your grandma must be worried sick without you."
As expected, before his words even hit the ground, a shout from Old Li in the neighboring courtyard rang out, "Funiu'er, it's time to get up! Zhang Shenyi needs to see your homework today, or you'll be slapped with the ruler!"
Jia Yin immediately drooped her head, but then she remembered something and perked up. She clenched her fist and pumped herself up!
"No way, I'm going to rob Old Man Zhang today! All his worm medicine, poison, and wound medicine will be confiscated!"
The lord laughed, hugged the chubby girl, and then climbed over the wall.
The little fox was chasing a butterfly. Seeing itself being left behind, it quickly caught up, leaping directly over the wall. Coincidentally, Shui Ling had brought a basin of warm water and was waiting to wash the young master's face.
As a result, the little fox fell straight down and took a bath...
This morning, the backyard was a flurry of activity!
Days go by one after another, and most of the corn leaves in the field have turned yellow.
All the villagers' eyes wished to be glued to the fields at all times, for fear that at this time, on the brink of harvest, it might be ravaged by beasts or some bad person.
Even the village heads and people from Da Wangzhuang, Xiao Wangzhuang, and Dahuai Shù Village often came to visit.
Because these corns have been harvested, they will have seeds next year to plant widely.
This golden ear of corn, it looks like it produces way more than the grain and sorghum!
Just at this time, Jia Yin was also about to have her birthday.
If it were an ordinary child, they would simply celebrate by cooking a bowl of longevity noodles, frying two eggs, and making a new dress.
But Jia Yin wasn't just the darling of the entire Li family, she was also a princess personally bestowed by the emperor and the young mistress of Suijin Beach.
Therefore, one couldn't help but make preparations.
Fortunately, we had a restaurant at home and didn't lack ingredients. The whole village pitched in to help. We set up a dozen or so tables inside and outside the courtyard, which was an easy feat.
At the pigpen, there are already quite a few large white pigs. Now they have pulled out the two fattest ones to be slaughtered.
In the midst of the pig's disgruntled squeals, the lively birthday feast commenced.
The village school was given a day off, and both Mr. Jiang and Guli were invited to drink wedding wine. This also gave the mischievous boys a good chance to relax.
Elder Liu wasn't feeling well recently due to a cold, so she didn't come to join the festivities. However, Liu Zhiheng and his wife visited together, bringing Jia Yin a set of jewelry, two pastry recipes, and two sets of autumn clothes.
Mr. Wen gave Jia Yin a set of small and exquisite stationery, the kind that can be carried with you, very practical.
After all, the neutral pens kept in the Jia Yin space are not something to just take out and use casually.
Mrs. Wen was pregnant, suffering from nausea and insomnia, making her lose her energy. She simply gave Jia Yin six gold bars as a gift, instantly filling Jia Yin's purse.
Li Lao'er bought a set of jade carvings of the twelve zodiac animals for his niece and put them on the bookshelf. They were very delicate.
Tao Hongying and Lao Tai Li personally made three new sets of clothes, shoes, and socks for Jia Yin.
Li Lao Si surprisingly made a name for himself. In the north, he snatched a small horse from the hands of barbarians, equipped it with a saddle and bridle, and personally crafted a whip. He then presented the entire package to his daughter.
Hearing the good news, she was overcome with joy. She rushed into her father's arms and kissed him repeatedly.
Besides Li Yonghui and his wife, Liu Biaotou and his wife, the village head, Wu Da's wife, as well as old gentlemen like Zhao Shu and Wei Shu, all expressed their willingness to contribute. Some offered clothing, shoes, socks, purses, handkerchiefs, while others presented various wooden carvings. They filled a small chest completely.
Then Zhang, the divine doctor, gave Jia Yin a notebook thicker than a brick, said to be the essence of his life's experience in medicine.
The little girls from the village blushed and stepped forward, also giving Jia Yin some sachets or pretty stones.
The visiting guests, including the heads of Wangzhuang (Wang), Xiaowangzhuang, and Dahuishutun village, also brought eggs and homemade mountain fruit wine. They truly put forth their best efforts to express their congratulations wholeheartedly.
Ercun's wounded and veteran soldiers had no presents, but they lined up and shouted in unison, "Congratulations to the County Princess on her birthday! We wish you a happy and peaceful life, free from worries for a hundred years!"
One could say that the entire Suijin Beach, without any grand fanfare, managed to host a birthday banquet that was incredibly heartwarming.
Before the banquet began, Lao San Li, Zhao Yuru, Jiahuan, Jiarren, Lǐgē'er and Māo gē'er, even Zhìmín, Xiùjié, and Mr. Peng all hurried back.
This was a grand reunion, making the Li family courtyard even more lively.
Mr. Peng was delighted to see his daughter plump and well-fed, and he expressed his gratitude to the Li family over and over again. He then presented Jia Yin with a rare and valuable medical text.
This must be precious, it was surely found after much effort.
Jia Yin expressed her sincere gratitude, but unfortunately, she was quickly snatched away by Zhang, the divine doctor...
For a time, they held a feast with wine and delicacies. Chicken, fish, meat, and eggs were cooked in various ways—stir-fried, deep-fried, braised—each dish was a visual and olfactory delight.
Jia Yin sat in the main seat, raised her cup, and toasted to everyone, thanking them for celebrating her birthday.
The little chubby girl, lacking her usual mischievous and playful nature, exuded a new air of composure and intelligence. Everyone suddenly felt that the child had grown up a lot.
Just like little fledglings, they have already begun to practice flapping their wings, and soon they will be able to take flight.
Mrs. Liu couldn't help but praise, “The old madam is truly skilled in teaching children. Every time I see the young mistress, I feel that she has become much smarter and more sensible.”
Old Li was also pleased, but she modestly said, "It's good that this child hasn't been spoiled by me. Usually, it's her mother who keeps reminding her a few times. Hui Niang and Jin Rou, as well as He Mama, haven't spared any effort in teaching her; even the Marquis and Zhang the Physician have also been putting in their efforts!"
At this time, Tao Hongying brought out a cream cake from the house.
A cake base, one square foot in size, stacked with two layers, covered with white frosting.
Although Tao Hongying practiced many times, the cream was still not applied evenly.
And there were no fancy decorations, just a few flowers inserted at the very top.
But that was enough to amaze everyone!
"What kind of snack is this The white layer on top, did you pick it from the clouds in the sky"
"Yes, it looks so soft and sweet."
Everyone stood up, looking at the novelty. Zhi Min Xiu Jie and Mao Ger, along with all the young boys and girls from the village, couldn't help but crowd forward.
Tao Hongying smiled and said, "This is a new idea from Funiu'er called a birthday cake. It can only be eaten on birthdays."
"Below is the baked dough, and on top is cream made from milk. Everyone please try it and share in Fu Niu’er's good fortune."
As she spoke, she handed Jia Yin a simple knife made of wood.
Jia Yin saw her brothers' mouths watering, she quickly got to work cutting the cake!
She had originally wanted to light a few candles, but firstly, she couldn't find any thin candles, and secondly...
Grandma heard that she was going to "blow out the candles and pull the wax" at her birthday banquet, and almost knocked her head into a Buddha statue...ne.She couldn't sleep out of fear these past two nights...She was so close to being universally condemned, facing a terrible end."Sitting beside Old Madam Li and weeping, Wenjuan felt incredibly grate...