The Daily Life of a Female Esper in Ancient Times - Chapter 229

On the way back to the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South, Lu XuanNing held Li Xia’s hand tightly. “A new Northern Frontier-style restaurant has opened in the Capital City. Let’s go try it and see if the taste is authentic.”

“Sounds good, but Cheng Cheng, you were supposed to go home today,” Li Xia worried, concerned that Lu Liucheng wouldn’t see them when he returned home.

“Lu Liucheng is grown up now. He needs to get used to being alone,” Lu XuanNing said as he instructed the carriage driver to change their destination. They soon arrived at a shop with decor clearly influenced by Northern Frontier style. Lu XuanNing had already reserved a private room. The couple entered, and the staff quickly served their meal.

Li Xia tasted the food carefully. “The ingredients are different, so the flavor is slightly different from the frontier, but overall it’s very delicious.”

“I’m glad you like it. We’ll come again next time,” Lu XuanNing said as he placed some lamb in Li Xia’s bowl.

“Certainly, let’s come again next time,” Li Xia readily agreed with Lu XuanNing. As they were eating, Li Xia heard a familiar voice, “Qiu Shui, go check why Qiu Chan is here.”

Qiu Shui responded and left. Shortly after, she returned with Qiu Chan and Jiang Chong.

“My lady, what a coincidence! You’re here for the roasted lamb too? Their roasted lamb is especially authentic. Please eat more,” Qiu Chan was particularly happy to see Li Xia.

“Qiu Chan, weren’t you supposed to go hunting with Cheng Cheng? Why are you here?” Li Xia asked, glancing at Jiang Chong. Jiang Chong felt uneasy under Li Xia’s gaze.

“Yes, I went hunting with the young master. We returned early in the afternoon. When the young master didn’t see the general and you at home, he went back to the Beining Marquis Manor with the second master and the Marquis. Officer Jiang invited me here for roasted lamb,” Qiu Chan explained the course of events.

“So you just come when someone invites you to eat?” Li Xia looked at Qiu Chan with some exasperation. This plump girl had no sense of caution at all.

Even Qiu Chan, slow as she was, caught the implication in Li Xia’s words. “My lady, next time Officer Jiang invites me, you should come too.”

Qiu Chan’s words left everyone speechless. Li Xia even felt a bit sorry for Jiang Chong, who had fallen for such an oblivious plump girl.

“Did I say something wrong?” Qiu Chan looked towards Qiu Shui.

“Let’s all sit down and eat together,” Li Xia smiled, inviting everyone to join the meal. Hearing this, Qiu Chan sat next to Qiu Shui. “Sister Qiu Shui, let me tell you, although the roasted lamb here tastes very good, it’s still a bit different from the frontier. When we were at the frontier, we roasted lamb ourselves…”

Qiu Chan continued to recount interesting stories about roasting lamb at the frontier to Qiu Shui while eating, without sparing a single glance for Jiang Chong. Jiang Chong could only look at Qiu Chan helplessly.

“Jiang Chong is not a bad person,” Lu XuanNing said, feeling obliged to put in a good word for his deputy.

“Qiu Chan is different from Qiu Ling and Qiu Kui. She’s too naive and doesn’t have those complicated thoughts,” Li Xia worried that Qiu Chan might be taken advantage of.

“Qiu Chan is simple, but not stupid. She understands things in her own way,” Lu XuanNing felt that Qiu Chan was one of those people who appeared foolish but were actually quite wise.

“You’re so biased towards your subordinate,” Li Xia glanced at Lu XuanNing.

“I’m only biased towards you,” Lu XuanNing’s words satisfied Li Xia, who slightly raised her chin, signaling Lu XuanNing to get her some roasted fish from across the table. Lu XuanNing used his chopsticks to pick up the roasted fish, first putting it in his own bowl to remove the bones before placing it in Li Xia’s bowl.

Li Xia ate the fish meat with great satisfaction. Beside them, Jiang Chong watched Lu XuanNing’s skillful bone removal and learned from it. He actively picked up a piece of fish, intending to remove the bones. However, he didn’t control his strength well and ended up crushing the bones, making them impossible to pick out.

Jiang Chong’s actions once again proved Lu XuanNing’s thoughtfulness.

Completely outdone, Jiang Chong could only cast a plaintive look at his general. But Lu XuanNing was entirely focused on Li Xia, not sparing even a glance for him.

After the meal, the group returned to the Mansion of Marquis of Pacifying the South. Jiang Chong also resided in the mansion.

Early the next morning, Li Xia and Lu XuanNing went to pay their respects at the Beining Marquis Manor. Old Marquis Lu was in good spirits, demonstrating the Lu Family Spear Technique to Lu Xuanyu and Lu Liucheng.

Seeing Lu XuanNing and Li Xia arrive, he flourished his spear and pointed it at Lu XuanNing. “Let’s have a little match, father and son.”

Lu XuanNing took a spear from the weapon rack and engaged in combat with Old Marquis Lu.

With Lu XuanNing intentionally holding back, Old Marquis Lu won this round. However, Old Marquis Lu wasn’t happy about it. He knew his grandson had let him win. He didn’t like winning unless it was fair and square.

“Grandfather, let’s go have breakfast. I’m hungry,” Li Xia stepped forward and took the arm of Old Marquis Lu, who was about to propose another round.

Hearing his granddaughter-in-law say she was hungry, Old Marquis Lu put down his spear and allowed Li Xia to support him to breakfast. Marquis Lu and Madam Zhou were already waiting in the hall.

Old Marquis Lu took his seat at the head of the table, and the others sat down in order. Li Xia had a good appetite today and ate well. Following his mother’s lead, Lu Liucheng also began to eat heartily.

“You have your grandmother’s spirit. Eating with big bites is the way to truly enjoy food,” Old Marquis Lu was very pleased with Li Xia. His words caused Madam Zhou’s face to stiffen slightly.

“Grandfather, the buns are excellent. Try one,” Lu XuanNing placed a soup dumpling in front of Old Marquis Lu.

After breakfast, Lu Xuanyu and Lu Liucheng went to their studies. Lu XuanNing stayed to play chess with Old Marquis Lu.

Madam Zhou looked at Li Xia. Four years ago, when Li Xia accompanied Lu XuanNing to the frontier, Madam Zhou was moved and her opinion of Li Xia improved somewhat.

But as Li Xia continued to do things that challenged Madam Zhou’s bottom line, her feelings of being moved disappeared, and eventually turned back into dislike.

She couldn’t control her eldest son, nor did she dare to. Now Madam Zhou was solely focused on keeping her younger son under her influence, hoping he would follow the path she had planned. At the same time, she was also teaching her grandson not to be like his mother.

But Li Xia’s return had disrupted years of her efforts. The etiquette and rules she had instilled in Lu Liucheng were now almost entirely abandoned. What’s worse, Lu Xuanyu had even voluntarily asked Marquis Lu to spend an hour each day practicing the Lu Family Spear Technique.

Li Xia sipped her tea slowly, her leisurely demeanor irritating Madam Zhou.

“Cheng Cheng is already 7 years old. You and XuanNing should give him a little brother,” Madam Zhou said.

“You’re right, mother-in-law. I’d like to have another child too, regardless of whether it’s a boy or a girl. But my husband always says that having Cheng Cheng is enough. He’s unwilling,” Li Xia said with apparent helplessness.

“Is it XuanNing who’s unwilling, or you yourself?” Madam Zhou clearly didn’t believe Li Xia’s words.

If Lu XuanNing was unwilling, Li Xia really couldn’t do anything about it. After all, she was taking contraceptives.

“Mother-in-law, you’re wronging me. I truly want to have another child. Why don’t you try to persuade my husband to agree?” Li Xia spoke with apparent sincerity, leaving Madam Zhou at a loss for words.

Marquis Lu walked into Qiuzhang Court and saw Lu XuanNing playing chess with Old Marquis Lu. “Tell your wife to be careful. Don’t let her bully my wife.”

Lu XuanNing smiled, “Father, you know Xia Xia’s abilities. If she were really bullying mother, would we be sitting here playing chess?”

“You should control your wife. Look how she’s taught Xuanyu, he doesn’t resemble a Lu family member at all,” Old Marquis Lu’s words revealed much dissatisfaction with Madam Zhou.

Old Marquis Lu then looked at Lu XuanNing, “If only your grandmother were still alive.”