As Shi Zhengmao and Shi Zheng seemed to have finished their conversation, Lady Shi glanced at Aunty An, who immediately turned and went inside, returning with a tray in her hands.
"Zhenghe, Yue'er, come over here."
Shi Zhenghe and Jin Yue'er quickly stood up and approached Lady Shi.
Lady Shi took a piece of jade pendant from the tray. The front of the pendant was engraved with the character "Wu" while the back had the character "Si" (four). "Every male descendant of the Shi family receives a jade pendant after their birth. This is yours." With that, she personally placed the jade pendant around Shi Zhenghe's neck.
Shi Zhenghe said, "Thank you, Mother."
Lady Shi then turned to Jin Yue'er and smiled as she placed a pair of jade bangles on her wrist. "Your sisters-in-law also have similar bangles. These are for you."
Jin Yue'er promptly curtsied, "Thank you, Mother."
Though her demeanor was somewhat reserved, her etiquette was impeccable. Lady Shi didn't have high expectations for Jin Yue'er and was satisfied with her composed response.
Sitting below, Shi Matriarch, Shi Fifth Lady, and Shi Seventh Lady all cast glances at the jade pendant and bangles Lady Shi had brought out, their eyes shimmering with interest.
Both the pendant and the bangles had excellent color, comparable to the dowry they received when they got married. Since the incident with the Regent Prince years ago, the Shi family's wealth had diminished significantly over the decades.
The marriage of Shi's second generation, especially the marriages of their sons and daughters, had drained a significant portion of the family's resources.
By the time their grandchildren were getting married, the family had very little left to offer as dowries.
In recent years, the household budget had been cut multiple times in order to maintain the estate's operations.
To maintain connections and relationships, Lady Shi had spent a lot. She thought that they had almost exhausted their resources, but the fact that she could still produce such high-quality jade pendants and bangles surprised her.
It made sense though. When Lady Shi had married into the family, both the Shi estate and the Jiang family were at their peak, and her dowry was undoubtedly lavish.
Afterwards, Lady Shi called Shi Dingxuan, Shi Fuyin, Shi Fuxin, and Shi Dinghao over. She gave Shi Dingxuan and Shi Dinghao jade pendants similar to Shi Zhenghe's, slightly less exquisite in quality but still quite decent.
As for Shi Fuyin and Shi Fuxin, they each received a string of yellow jade pearl necklace and a pair of agate earrings.
After Lady Shi's gifts, Shi Matriarch also had servants present their gifts. As siblings-in-law, they prepared gifts for Shi Dinghe and Jin Yue'er.
Next, Shi Fifth Lady and Shi Seventh Lady, as younger siblings, only presented gifts to the four children.
Received gifts were followed by returning gifts.
Jin Yue'er quickly had Madam Zhang bring the prepared gifts forward. "These herbal pillows and sachets were sewn by my sister-in-law and me. The herbs inside were collected by my husband along with Wulang and Jiulang."
"These herbal pillows and sachets, when used regularly, can aid in sleep and contribute to overall well-being."
"My skills are lacking, so I ask Father, Mother, Older Brother, Sister-in-Law, Younger Brother, and Younger Sister to forgive any shortcomings."
With that, she presented the two herbal pillows before Lady Shi.
Lady Shi accepted them with a warm smile. She was surprised that her second son's family had prepared gifts, but more than that, she was pleased. "Thoughtful!"
Then, Jin Yue'er handed over the sachets to Shi Matriarch, Shi Fifth Lady, and Shi Seventh Lady.
The fabric used for the herbal pillows and sachets was provided by the Jiang family and was presentable. However, seeing the crude needlework on the sachets, while they thanked her with smiles, Shi Matriarch, Shi Fifth Lady, and Shi Seventh Lady couldn't help but feel a bit disdainful.
While the adults could put on a facade and accept the gifts with gratitude, the children were less adept at hiding their reactions.
"What kind of sachets are these? I can't wear this out."
The Seventh Miss of the main branch ignored the sachet Jin Yue'er offered and turned her head away.
This display left Jin Yue'er somewhat at a loss. Her smile froze on her face, but she quickly recovered her composure. "The sachets might be a bit crude. It's normal if Seventh Sister doesn't like them."
With that, she moved on to the next person without hesitation.
The reaction from the Seventh Miss was a bit embarrassing. To prevent further awkwardness, the Matriarch stepped forward to take the sachets from Jin Yue'er. "Third Sister, let me distribute these."
On the boys' side, the elder Shi Patriarch also accepted the sachet from Shi Dingxuan. "Younger Brother, I'll handle this."
Shi Fuyin and Shi Dingxuan gave thankful smiles and handed over the sachets.
For the sake of the elder Shi Patriarch and Shi Matriarch's face, everyone accepted the gifts, even if they didn't think highly of the sachets.
Seeing the sachets being passed around and given to the maidservants, Shi Fuxin chimed in with a smile, "Seventh Sister, while these sachets might look a bit plain, they're unique and not available elsewhere. We specially prepared them for everyone, and there won't be more in the future. Are you sure you don't want them?"
Seventh Miss, Shi Fulin, sneered at the comment, ignoring Shi Fuxin.
Shi Fuxin shrugged and wore the unsent sachet around her waist, "Seventh Sister, there's no such thing as a second chance in this world."
This statement brought some laughter from the others. After all, it was just a simple sachet, but Shi Fuxin was making it sound like a priceless treasure.
The adults naturally noticed the situation with the children. Shi Fifth Lady felt embarrassed and irritated, offering a smile as she addressed Shi Zhenghe and Jin Yue'er, "Lín Jiěr has been spoiled by me. Fourth Brother and Fourth Sister, don't follow her example."
Jin Yue'er managed a stiff smile and shook her head.
Seeing the awkward situation, Shi Seventh Lady asked with a smile, "Fourth Sister-in-law, it seems that Yin Jiěr and Xīn Jiěr haven't pierced their ears yet?"
Jin Yue'er nodded, "That's right, they haven't."
Lady Shi reassured, "It's not a big deal. Aunty An can pierce their ears. We'll do it when the time is right."
At that moment, a message came from the kitchen that the meal was ready.
"All right, it's getting late. Let's have the meal."
The adults were seated at one table, while the children were split into two.
The Great Chu didn't impose strict restrictions on women. There were no rules about separating boys and girls at the age of seven, women not showing their faces, or following the strict rule of not going beyond the two doors of the household.
Initially, Shi Dingxuan had intended to wait for the elder members of the Shi family to take their seats before guiding his younger siblings to sit. However, he noticed everyone looking at them standing still.
Realizing something, Shi Dingxuan calmly walked over to the nearest table and sat down. Naturally, Shi Fuyin and the others followed suit.
Once the four siblings were seated, others rushed to the other table, not bothering to conceal their reluctance to sit at the same table with them.
Observing this, Shi Dingxuan and Shi Fuyin lowered their gazes, while Shi Dinghao wore a displeased expression on his face. Shi Fuxin didn't react much, merely resting her chin on her hand as she tapped the table absentmindedly.
The senior members of the Shi family were somewhat embarrassed by this scene and awkwardly took their seats next to Shi Dingxuan, trying to liven up the atmosphere with small talk.
The chubby boy who had quarreled with Shi Dinghao earlier, Shi Dingxu, failed to secure a seat with anyone else and reluctantly joined their table, his face drawn.
Soon, the servants began to bring in the dishes.
Seeing the colorful and aromatic dishes being placed on the table, Shi Fuxin and Shi Dinghao immediately shifted their gaze, their mouths watering as they stared at the plates.
"Look at Jiulong, he looks like he's about to drool. It's as if he's never eaten before."
"I heard that poor people eat in a particularly uncouth manner. I wonder how uncouth it can get?"
"It's probably so uncouth that it's impossible to eat with them."
Though the next table was adjacent, and even though the remarks from the neighboring table were spoken in hushed tones, the words still reached the ears of Shi Dingxuan's table.
The seniors at the table, including the elder Shi Patriarch, felt somewhat awkward, but Shi Dingxuan and his siblings remained composed, seemingly unaffected by the comments.
The adults noticed the situation with the children but refrained from saying anything since no commotion was caused.
When the dishes were all laid out, the elder Shi Patriarch picked up his chopsticks. "Let's start eating." As he took the first bite, the others followed suit, picking up their chopsticks.
Shi Zhenghe and Jin Yue'er silently observed everyone and followed their lead.
Among the children, rules were not as strict.
As soon as they heard the elder Shi Patriarch's signal to begin eating, everyone picked up their chopsticks and started eating.
The large round table, about two meters in diameter, was laden with an array of dishes.
Shi Dingxuan and his siblings had never seen such a lavish spread of food. They were now oblivious to the reactions of others and focused on their own meal, heartily eating.
Sitting opposite Shi Dinghao, Shi Dingxu occasionally glanced up to observe Shi Dingxuan's group. Apart from eating a bit more quickly, they didn't exhibit any strange behavior, leaving him puzzled.
Aren't they supposed to be uncouth?
This doesn't seem too uncouth!
Noticing that the chubby boy was watching him, Shi Dinghao suddenly quipped, "What are you looking at? Haven't you seen a handsome guy eating before?"
Shi Dingxu hadn't expected to be caught off guard, so he hesitated for a moment before retorting, "Handsome guy? You're calling yourself that?"
Shi Dinghao swallowed a meatball before responding, "I am a handsome guy, that's evident to everyone. Do you have a problem with that?"
Clearly, Shi Dingxu had never encountered such self-confidence before. "You, a dark-skinned fellow, actually have the nerve to call yourself handsome? Don't you ever look in the mirror?"
Shi Dinghao replied after swallowing another bite, "Yes, I'm a bit dark, but it's my unique trait. Believe it or not, if I stand in a crowd of handsome men, I'll stand out."
Others: "..."
Shi Fuxin chuckled. What a good younger brother, exuding such confidence; it was hard to stifle them.
Unable to counter Shi Dinghao's retort, Shi Dingxu looked somewhat anxious, seeking help from the elder Shi Patriarch.
Naturally, the elder Shi Patriarch wouldn't get involved in the argument between his younger relatives and pretended not to notice.
Sulking, Shi Dingxu found himself shorter, which only boosted Shi Dinghao's spirits. With a cheerful smile, he grabbed a chicken leg.
Seeing this, Shi Dingxu immediately remarked, "Go ahead, eat as much as you want. If you eat this much, you'll turn into a pig."
Undaunted, Shi Dinghao retorted, "Pig? Why don't you take a look at yourself? Look at our table; who looks more like a pig?"
Shi Dingxu turned red in the face, both embarrassed and frustrated. He glared at Shi Dinghao, his eyes reddening.
Noticing that Shi Dingxu might start crying, Shi Dinghao was taken aback. "Are you serious? Are you trying to provoke me?"
"Cough, cough~"
Suddenly, Shi Fuxin coughed twice and looked at Shi Dinghao in disagreement. "Ninth brother, you got that wrong earlier. How could Tenth brother be fat like a pig? Remember, he's not fat, he's just expanding with good fortune."
Shi Dinghao glanced at Shi Dingxu. "He does seem quite fortunate. Well then, I should eat more."
With Shi Fuxin's words in mind, Shi Dingxu's tearful expression gradually subsided. He snorted at Shi Dinghao. "I am indeed filled with good fortune."
The commotion settled down for the time being.
Among the adults, Jin Yue'er offered an apologetic smile to Lady Shi.
Lady Shi returned a faint smile and gave an annoyed look to her youngest son.
That silly child, he didn't even realize he was being teased.
The others around the table had varied expressions. They had anticipated that the return of the fourth brother's family would require them to be cautious, but reality turned out to be quite different from their expectations.
Lin Jie didn't even give her purse a second thought; she just ignored it. Shi Dingxu made impudent remarks and was immediately met with a retort.
My goodness, as expected, even before returning home, they had forced Zhengkun's family to move out of the residence. What powerful characters they were!
The elders of the Shi family had smaller appetites. Having eaten the familiar dishes for years, they soon put down their chopsticks. It was now only Shi Dingxuan and his siblings, along with Shi Dingxu, who were still eating.
Observing that the pace at which Shi Dingxuan's group was eating didn't seem to slow down, and realizing they were eating even faster than him, Shi Dingxu couldn't help but ask, "Do you all eat this much every meal?"
Shi Dinghao looked at him and said, "Back then, if we could have two dry buns per meal, that would be considered good. How could we possibly eat this much?"
Curious, Shi Dingxu inquired, "What are dry buns?"
Shi Dinghao explained, "They're a type of bread made by steaming and baking a mixture of rice bran, various flours, and wild vegetables."
Shi Dingxu exclaimed, "Can you even eat something like that?"
Shi Dinghao grinned, "Why not? In the border regions, it's considered a delicacy. Many families there can't even afford it, so they have to make dry buns from ground tree bark and leaves."
The adults fell silent upon hearing this.
Lady Shi's chest heaved slightly. She took a deep breath and forced a smile as she piled a plate full of food for Shi Zheng and placed it in front of him. "Eat more."
Meanwhile, Shi Dingxu was left dumbfounded. The animals on their farm seemed to eat better than them. He looked skeptical as he asked, "You're not tricking me, are you?"
Still smiling, Shi Dinghao replied, "If you don't believe it, you can go to the border and experience it yourself. Then you'll know if it's true or not."
Quickly shaking his head, Shi Dingxu said, "I don't want to go to the border."
Shi Fuxin chimed in, "Tenth brother, while the border may be tough, it also has unique aspects that other places don't have. You can experience the vastness of the sky and earth there, as well as witness the desolation of the barren land. There are many things you'll never feel in the capital."
Suddenly, Shi Dingxuan interjected, "Yellow sand fills the sky, standing firm amidst the heavens and earth."
Continuing the sequence, Shi Fuyin added, "Endless desert stretches, a sword severs life and death."
Shi Dinghao thought for a moment before contributing, "Piercing through clouds and shattering rocks, the geese descend with a clamor."
Not to be left out, Shi Fuxin concluded, "Scaling mountains and crossing ridges, the roar of beasts never ceases."
Finishing, the four siblings exchanged smiles.
This was a scene they frequently encountered during their martial arts training. When Shi Dingxuan unleashed his fist, it stirred up clouds of sand; when Shi Fuyin practiced swordsmanship on the vast desert, her strikes could truly draw blood and sever throats.
While Shi Dinghao practiced sonic techniques in the wilderness, he often startled flocks of geese, causing them to fall from the sky. Shi Fuxin's herb gathering on the Tianshan Mountains frequently led to her being chased by animals, a common occurrence.
The exchange between the siblings left the others at the table bewildered.
What on earth were they talking about? Those sentences seemed like verses, but they weren't making much sense. Although they didn't understand, the smiles on the faces of the four siblings caused both adults and children to feel a ripple of emotion.
In the smiles of the four siblings, there was a hint of exuberance, an unapologetic confidence, and a touch of arrogance.
Among the adults, Lady Shi clearly sensed that the tense atmosphere had lightened somewhat after hearing the laughter of her five children. The usually reserved expression of her second son also revealed a slight smile.
It was evident that the second son and his wife were genuinely proud of their four children.
Dinner concluded amidst the diverse thoughts of those present.
Once everyone had left, the elder Shi Patriarch turned to Lady Shi and asked, "What do you think those few sentences that Wu Lang and the others said meant?"
Lady Shi shook her head. "I can't quite figure it out. However, it should be related to their experiences in the border regions." She furrowed her brows as she spoke.
"Wu Lang and Yin Jie must have been referring to the harsh climate of the border. But I don't understand what Jiulong and Xin Jie meant by talking about geese and beast roars. Could it be that they were hunting?"
The elderly couple didn't dwell on what they couldn't figure out. After all, their grandchildren had returned to their side, and they would naturally come to know about these things in due time.
They had expected that when their second son's family returned today, they might have trouble sleeping at night. However, to their surprise, after lying down, they fell asleep quickly and woke up refreshed before dawn.
The maids couldn't help but smile, saying, "The elderly master and mistress seem to be in better spirits since Fourth Master's family returned."
Lady Shi smiled and, after getting dressed, went to the dining hall to have a meal with Elder Shi.
While the maids were tidying up the beds, they noticed two medicinal pillows placed on the bedside. Considering Lady Shi's attention to Fourth Master's family, they decided not to put them away but rather placed them behind the silk pillows.
During breakfast, Lady Shi drank half a bowl of porridge and asked, "Has Fourth Master's family woken up?"
Aunty An smiled and replied, "I knew that the mistress would be concerned. I checked on them early in the morning. Fourth Master's family slept well last night, and Fourth Master started practicing his martial arts before dawn."
Elder Shi nodded in approval. "Zhenghe returned home and still hasn't forgotten to continue refining his skills. That's good."
Lady Shi then inquired, "And what about Fifth Lord's family?"
Aunty An's expression turned somewhat peculiar.
Lady Shi noticed this and immediately asked, "What's the matter?"
Aunty An hastened to explain, "Please don't be anxious, Mistress. Fifth Master's family is doing well. Fifth Master and Seventh Master woke up early in the morning to practice martial arts. The old servant didn't think much of it. But Miss San also got up and was in the yard, using a tree branch to mimic their movements."
Elder Shi looked surprised. "Fifth Lord and Lady Yin know martial arts?"
Aunty An replied, "The old servant doesn't know about this, but I saw Miss San twirling that tree branch quite adeptly. So, she probably knows."
Elder Shi and Lady Shi exchanged a glance.
"Zhenghe and Professor Zheng are teaching the young misses some martial arts. It's normal," Elder Shi said with a pause. "What about Xin Jie?"
Aunty An hesitated before answering, "When the old servant left Yigui Courtyard, it seemed that Miss Liu hadn't gotten up yet."
Elder Shi was taken aback, his face displaying clear surprise. "Lady Yin is gentle and reserved, while Lady Xin is lively and spirited. The one who would enjoy wielding a blade and handling a spear shouldn't be Lady Yin. Why has it turned the other way around?"
With this doubt in mind, when Shi Zheng and Jin Yue'er, along with their four children, came to Yixiang Hall to pay their respects the next day, Lady Shi specifically inquired about it.
Upon hearing, Shi Zheng's whole family paused, looking puzzled.
It was Shi Dinghao who understood the twins better. He spoke confidently, "Because Sister Liu is destined to be a refined lady, and refined ladies shouldn't be practicing sword and spear. It's not proper!"
Shi Zheng and the others exchanged peculiar glances and looked at Shi Dinghao. They were surprised that he could deliver such a blatantly false statement with a straight face.
On the other hand, Shi Fuxin was quite content with her younger brother's response. She smiled and explained, "Grandmother, our parents told us that I have elder siblings above me and younger brothers below me. I was born to enjoy a life of leisure, so I don't need to wake up early and stay up late for martial arts practice. I just need to do what I want to do."
Uh...
There was some truth in her words, and Shi Zheng's group didn't bother arguing further.
It was good if their youngest daughter (sister) behaved herself. After all, they were in the capital, and it wouldn't end well if she caused trouble.
Observing her second son's family, Lady Shi felt that something was off, especially when she looked at her sixth granddaughter's sweet and well-behaved smile. She couldn't help but recall her own mischievous antics from childhood, pretending to be a pig and eating a tiger.
Was this girl really so well-behaved?
Why did she seem so untrustworthy?