20demayo Chapter 166 Family Unity
Chapter 166 Family Unity
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That day, the courtyard of the Marquis's Mansion was bustling with activity. Yunxi, dressed in simple and elegant clothes, stood there with a smile on her face, her eyes fixed on the lively scene before her.
Li Ruixuan, the legitimate son of the Marquis, was wearing a blue brocade robe with delicate patterns on it.
He held a sword in his hand, looking very majestic. As for the bastard Li Ruijie, he was also very energetic and determined.
The two began to exchange martial arts in the courtyard. Li Ruixuan twisted his body and thrust his sword forward. The move was fast and fierce, revealing a strong force.
Li Ruijie was not bad either. He dodged left and right like a loach and counterattacked when he saw the opportunity.
"Ruixuan, although your sword moves are powerful, they also have many flaws!" Li Ruijie teased with a grin while dodging the sword.
Upon hearing this, Li Ruixuan raised his eyebrows and shouted back, "You're quite capable of saying that. You're capable of breaking my moves!"
The two men fought back and forth, and the fight was fierce. Li Ruixuan turned around, and his sword almost touched the corner of Li Ruijie's clothes. Li Ruijie quickly jumped back.
The onlookers stared with wide eyes and shouted at the top of their lungs: "Good!"
"That's amazing!" Others clapped their hands and smiled widely.
The young ladies of the Marquis' Mansion also gathered together, needles and threads in their hands, preparing clothes for the coming winter.
Li Ruiyao, the eldest daughter, carefully embroidered a peony, her lips curled up slightly as she said, "Sisters, we must be more careful. This dress must be both warm and beautiful."
The concubine's daughter Li Ruiqi responded, "Sister is right. We can't lose face in the Marquis' Mansion."
She blinked her lively eyes, raised the corners of her mouth, and fiddled with the half-embroidered handkerchief in her hand.
Yunxi looked at this harmonious scene, her heart filled with joy. A faint smile played on her lips, and that smile was as gentle and warm as the spring breeze.
At this time, Mrs. Zhao from the Marquis's Mansion came over. She was dressed in gorgeous clothes and had a dignified manner.
The golden hairpin on her head sparkled in the sunlight, and when she walked, the hem of her skirt was steady and not a bit out of place.
Zhao had a perfect smile on her face and a look of majesty in her eyes.
"Yunxi, look how well these children get along with each other. This is all the blessing of the Marquisate."
Zhao said. As she spoke, she gently raised her hand and tidied the hair around her ears.
Yunxi bowed slightly and said, "Madam is right. The unity of the Marquis's Mansion is a blessing."
Yunxi bent her waist just right, her face full of respect.
Zhao nodded and continued, "There have been many affairs in the palace recently, and I'll have to trouble you to take care of them."
Zhao stared at Yunxi with a hint of anticipation in her eyes.
Yunxi replied, "Don't worry, ma'am. I will do my best." As Yunxi spoke, her eyes were firm and her hands unconsciously clenched the corners of her clothes.
As he was speaking, the housekeeper Li Fu came hurriedly. His forehead was covered with sweat, which flowed down his cheeks, leaving streaks on his face.
As he ran, he kept wiping the sweat off his face with his sleeves, and his steps were quick and big.
"Ma'am, Miss, something's wrong. There's something wrong in the kitchen."
Li Fu said, breathing heavily and speaking incoherently.
Everyone was shocked. Yunxi quickly asked, "Butler Li, what's going on?"
Yunxi frowned, her eyes filled with anxiety.
Li Fu panted and said, "Something went wrong while preparing the ingredients for the dinner. A lot of important ingredients are missing."
As Li Fu spoke, his face was full of worry and he kept rubbing his hands.
Zhao frowned and said, "What should we do? The dinner cannot go wrong."
Zhao's face suddenly darkened and her voice became a little louder.
Yunxi thought for a moment and said, "Don't worry, Madam. I'll send someone to the market to buy some."
Yunxi's eyes turned quickly and she already had an idea in her mind.
Upon hearing this, Li Ruiqi threw the handkerchief in her hand aside and said anxiously, "This is really troublesome. If something goes wrong at the dinner, the reputation of our mansion will be bad."
Li Ruixuan stabbed his sword into the ground and shouted, "Hmph, those kitchen people, how can they be so inefficient?"
Li Ruijie also came over and said, "That's right, we need to teach them a lesson."
Li Ruiyao put down her needlework and said, "Don't be angry for now. It's more important to buy the ingredients as soon as possible."
Yunxi quickly said, "Don't panic, I'll arrange for someone right away."
As she spoke, she waved to a few clever servants, "You guys, follow me."
The servants hurried over, lowered their heads, and waited for Yunxi's instructions.
Yunxi said quickly, "Go to the market and buy all the chicken, duck, fish, meat, vegetables, and seasonings needed for the dinner. Don't miss anything.
If you can't buy it back, watch out for your hides!"
Several servants nodded repeatedly and said, "Yes, Miss Yunxi, we will definitely see to it."
Yunxi reminded him again, "Also, choose fresh and good ones. Don't buy inferior ones just to save money."
The servants responded, "Understood, Miss Yunxi."
After that, she called a few servants and ordered them, "Go to the market quickly and make sure to buy the necessary ingredients."
The servants took the order and left.
Upon hearing this, Li Ruixuan and Li Ruijie immediately put away their swords and put them back into their scabbards.
Li Ruixuan was impatient. He raised his thick eyebrows and said loudly, "Mom, let's go help too. We can't delay this."
Li Ruijie nodded and agreed, "That's right, our mansion can't make a fool of itself at the dinner."
Zhao looked at her two sons and nodded, "Okay, be careful."
The two brothers did not hesitate. They called a few servants, jumped on their horses and rushed to the market.
The market was so lively, crowded with people and shouts of hawkers.
Li Ruixuan rode on his horse, staring around with wide eyes, muttering, "What the hell is going on? Why is it so hard to find ingredients?"
Li Ruijie was so anxious that he was sweating. He raised his hand to wipe it and shouted, "Brother, let's look for it separately and get everything together quickly."
Li Ruixuan responded, squeezed his legs against the horse's belly, and rushed to the side.
He squeezed and shoved his way through the crowd, causing many people to complain. "Hey, who is this? So reckless."
Li Ruixuan didn't care and kept saying, "Excuse me, excuse me, there's an emergency at the Marquis' Mansion."
Li Ruijie's situation was not easy either. He jumped off the horse, pulled the reins, and asked questions at each stall one by one.
"Boss, do you have any good chickens or ducks?" "No, no, don't block my business."
Li Ruijie was so anxious that his face turned red.
"Look here." Li Ruijie shouted at the top of his voice.
"There seems to be one over there." Li Ruixuan said as he squeezed over.
After a lot of trouble, the two brothers finally purchased all the missing ingredients.
They rode back to the mansion without stopping. When they arrived at the door, they threw away the reins and ran to the kitchen.
The kitchen was filled with smoke and steam. The cooks were busy as they kept their feet on the ground. Yunxi stood by, holding a spoon in her hand, pointing and making comments.
"You have to control the heat well, don't burn the food." "Add more seasoning to that dish, it won't taste bland."
Yunxi saw the two brothers coming back, and a hint of joy appeared on her face. She said, "I've been waiting for you to come back. Hurry and put your things down."
The dinner began and everyone in the Marquis' Mansion sat together.
Zhao raised her glass and said, "Today, the entire Marquisate was united and resolved many problems. May our Marquisate remain united forever."
Everyone raised their glasses, and laughter echoed in the mansion.