哈哈漫画

Chapter 75

Li Xia sat at the back, silently listening while stealing glances at the members of the Lu household with her peripheral vision.

The late Old Master Lu had passed away, making Old Madam Lu the most senior member of the family at present.

Old Madam Lu had birthed one son and one daughter with Old Master Lu. The son was the current head of the Lu household, Uncle Lu, while the daughter was naturally Mrs. Lu. After marrying Li Ming, Mrs. Lu had followed her husband to work in other regions, having been away from her maternal home for over a decade.

Old Master Lu had two other sons from concubines, who had already established separate households before his passing. Now, only Uncle Lu's family resided in the Lu mansion. Uncle Lu had one son and four daughters, with the son, eldest daughter, and third daughter being born to Uncle Lu's Wife.

The second daughter and fourth daughter were born to the concubines. The eldest daughter had already married the son of Lu Madam's maternal cousin's family and was living a decent life.

Cousin Lu was also married with two daughters, the elder being four years old and the younger two. However, after six years of marriage, he had only produced two daughters.

Lu Madam was quite dissatisfied with this daughter-in-law. As a result, Young Madam Lu's life was not particularly pleasant. Although dressed up to receive guests today, the dark circles under her eyes betrayed her haggard appearance. While her elder daughter seemed fine, her younger one clung timidly to the wet nurse.

Third Miss, a legitimate daughter, snuggled close to Old Madam Lu along with Li Xin. With her wit and charm, Third Miss managed to cheer up Old Madam Lu.

Second Miss, born to a concubine, sat quietly at the lower end of the table, easily overlooked. Yet the occasional glimpse of envy in her eyes betrayed her inner feelings.

The one who struck Li Xia as the most peculiar was Fourth Miss. She seemed to emanate a strange aura, somewhat similar to Li Yao's but distinct.

Recalling Li Yao brought back memories of the previous life she had murmured about. Perhaps the Lu family was not significant in that past, Li Xia pondered, lowering her gaze in thought.

While Li Xia observed the others, they too could not help but steal glances at her. Her clear, bright eyes, arched brows, and flawless porcelain skin with a hint of rosy hue - the more they looked, the more captivated they became by her beauty, evoking both admiration and envy.

Second Miss Lu, in particular, could not resist shooting envious looks at Li Xia several times. Priding herself on her exquisite beauty compared to the spoiled Third Miss and the charming Fourth Miss, she now found herself overshadowed by this other daughter of a concubine, an inexplicable frustration stirring within her.

Sensing this subtle envy, Li Xia found it puzzling. Although Li Xin sat beside her grandmother, chatting, she remained attentive to Li Xia, taking note of the various Miss Lus' behaviors.

Young Madam Lu entered, announcing, "Grandmother, Mother, Sisters, the meal is ready."

Li Xin and Third Miss helped Old Madam Lu to the dining room. Old Madam Lu personally rolled a slice of roasted duck and handed it to Li Xin, "Try this. Your mother used to love roasted duck."

Li Xin accepted it and tasted it carefully. The skin was thin and crispy, the meat fragrant with the aroma of fruit wood, oily yet not greasy. "Mother said the roasted duck in the Capital City is unparalleled. The Lu mansion makes the best. Whenever Mother missed the Capital City and you, she would have Chunlu Granny make roasted duck."

Hearing that her daughter missed her, Old Madam Lu couldn't help but tear up.

Third Miss saw Old Madam Lu's reddening eyes and whined playfully, "Grandmother, you're being partial. You rolled a roasted duck for Cousin Sister but not for me."

"Alright, here's one for you. Your Cousin Sister hasn't been home for over a decade, and you're jealous that I rolled a roasted duck for her. You little jealous thing," Old Madam Lu laughed and rolled one for Third Miss.

Third Miss took it and pretended to take a big bite. "Grandmother's rolling is still the best."

Amused by Third Miss's antics, Old Madam Lu forgot her sadness, and with Li Xin's coaxing, she ate quite a bit for lunch.

Eyeing the array of dishes, Li Xia's mouth watered, but she remembered Auntie Mei's instructions and only took small portions from a few plates in front of her, taking equal servings of each dish to avoid showing any preference.

Second Miss Lu, who had been observing Li Xia, expected the girl from the provinces to lack proper etiquette, but to her chagrin, Li Xia's manners were no worse than her own. She couldn't help but shoot a few more glares at Li Xia in annoyance.

Sitting across from Li Xia, Fourth Miss Lu noticed and shot a disdainful look at Second Miss Lu. Young Madam Lu, preoccupied with her elder daughter, paid no heed to the actions of the two daughters from concubines.

Despite the seemingly small number of people in the Lu mansion, there was no shortage of intrigue and infighting.

The three lingered at the Lu mansion for the entire day before reluctantly departing under Old Madam Lu's wistful gaze. Once inside the carriage, the exhausted Li Xia leaned against Li Xin, looking utterly spent.

Amused by the sight, Li Xin couldn't help but laugh and pinch Li Xia's shoulder playfully. "Are you really that tired?"

"Sister, would you envy me for being more beautiful than you?" Li Xia looked up at Li Xin, posing an unexpected question.

Gazing at the exquisite, smooth features before her, Li Xin couldn't resist reaching out to pinch Li Xia's cheek, relishing the pleasant sensation and indulging in a couple more playful pinches. Li Xia covered her face and retreated, "You can't just pinch my face like that."

Li Xin burst into laughter at Li Xia's adorable reaction. "With you being like this, how could I possibly envy you?"

Li Xia huffed and leaned against Li Xin again. "I'm so fortunate to have such wonderful siblings."

Although Li Xin accompanied Old Madam Lu at the Lu mansion, she remained attentive to Li Xia, aware that the various Miss Lus did not treat her particularly well. "We are true sisters. Don't take the others to heart."

"Dear Sister, could you buy me some snacks? I'm starving," Li Xia had not eaten her fill at the table and was tempted by the delicious aroma wafting in from outside.

True to her nature, always thinking about food, Li Xin was about to call for Li Yu to buy snacks when Li Hui handed two paper bags and two bamboo containers through the window. One bag contained a few oil cakes, and the other had a few buns. The bamboo containers held the hot and sour soup they had eaten that morning.

Accompanied by the hot and sour soup, Li Xin ate an oil cake and a vegetable bun, leaving the rest for Li Xia to devour. "Your appetite is catching up to Qiu Chan's."

On the journey to the Capital City, everyone learned of Qiu Chan's ability to eat. Now at the Li mansion, no matter how much food was left over from each meal, it was directly served to Qiu Chan, and she could finish it all.

"I was just too hungry," she said. Having not eaten for a day, she could have devoured an entire cow.

Li Xin had never imagined the Lu mansion would be so different from what Mrs. Lu had described. In Liuzhou, when the family ate, they truly ate. After a meal, there would be little left on the table. But at the Lu mansion, the ladies only took a few bites from each dish, leaving most of the food untouched. Not only Li Xia, but even Li Xin herself couldn't eat her fill.