“As long as you like it, you’re welcome to stay longer,” Tang Xiaohua said with a smile.

When they were nearly at the house, Xiao Yingtao stopped, looking at the pavilion to one side.

“Sister Hua, what on earth did you prepare for us?” she said cheerfully, walking into the small path lined with lanterns on both sides.

Following the lantern-lit path, there was a pavilion. Small lanterns hung all around it, very bright.

What drew Xiao Yingtao’s attention wasn’t the lanterns, but the table full of food beneath the pavilion.

Tang Xiaohua stopped, turning her head to look at Feng Jiu’er. “Jiu’er, Qinchun and I prepared a dinner banquet for you all.”

“Let’s celebrate the three of us sisters meeting and getting to know each other. Come, let’s go drink!”

Feng Jiu’er returned Tang Xiaohua’s smile, then turned to look at Jian Yi.

Tang Xiaohua’s gaze also fell on Jian Yi. “Qinchun, take your Elder Brother Jian Yi to put away the luggage.”

“All right.” Yue Qinchun pursed her lips and replied.

Feng Jiu’er smiled faintly, withdrawing her gaze from Jian Yi, and walked with Tang Xiaohua into the lantern-lit path.

Yue Qinchun raised her eyes to glance at Jian Yi, her small face flushing a bit more.

“Elder Brother Jian Yi, please, I… I’ll take you there.”

Dropping that line, she turned and walked ahead.

Jian Yi withdrew his gaze from Feng Jiu’er, glanced around once, and only then followed Yue Qinchun’s footsteps.

Yue Qinchun was so nervous that even her breathing had grown somewhat hurried. She had never seen a man as handsome as Jian Yi before, and for a moment, she found it hard to take in.

As for Jian Yi, he probably hadn’t even gotten a clear look at Yue Qinchun’s face. He only wanted to put the luggage away and get back to Feng Jiu’er’s side.

“So much delicious food.” Xiao Yingtao arrived at the pavilion and, before she’d even had the chance to sit, picked up a piece of candy and popped it into her mouth.

Only after Feng Jiu’er and Tang Xiaohua had gone over and sat down did Xiao Yingtao finally take a seat.

“Right next door is the courtyard where Yang Hong lives,” Tang Xiaohua said, glancing to the left.

“Mm.” Feng Jiu’er nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m here.”

“It’s not that I’m worried—I’m just afraid we’ll cause trouble for you all.”

“It’s no trouble.” Feng Jiu’er shook her head. “To be honest with you, I have a purpose in coming to the Yue household.”

“A purpose?” Tang Xiaohua looked at Feng Jiu’er, narrowing her eyes slightly.

“That’s right.” Feng Jiu’er nodded readily. “But that matter can wait until after the old man’s treatment has begun.”

“What’s so important that it can’t be said now? You’re not usually this roundabout, Jiu’er.” Tang Xiaohua furrowed her brow and picked up a cup, taking a sip of tea.

“This is the chrysanthemum tea you sent me today. At first I didn’t like it either, but after drinking it a few more times, it’s not bad.”

“The important thing is that it cools internal heat—I feel much more at ease now.”

“Sister Hua, chrysanthemum tea isn’t a miracle drug. How could one or two cups have such an obvious effect?” With so much good food around, Xiao Yingtao naturally had no patience for the tea she’d been drinking all day.

“That’s not how it is—I really do feel much better.” Tang Xiaohua raised an eyebrow and picked up the cup again.

“Sister Hua, your good mood is psychological.” Feng Jiu’er curved her lips slightly and picked up a pair of chopsticks.

“These chicken feet look good. Did you make them?”

“How could I possibly?” Tang Xiaohua tossed out a few words, then took another satisfied sip of tea.

Whatever was psychological or not, Tang Xiaohua didn’t care—as long as it felt right, it was right.

“Jiu’er, how’s the taste?” Without waiting for Feng Jiu’er to respond, Xiao Yingtao also picked up a piece of chicken foot.

“I figured as much—someone as heroic as Sister Hua, how could she possibly cook? Qiaomu can’t either, same thing.”

“Qiaomu, Qiaomu—you two have been talking about her all day, but you haven’t introduced me to this good sister of mine.”

“She happened to be out today,” Xiao Yingtao said, examining the chicken foot in her hand for a moment before putting it in her mouth.

“Boneless chicken feet—this is the first time I’ve had them.”

“This dish tastes good, but I’m too lazy to gnaw, so I had the cook remove the bones first.” Tang Xiaohua glanced at the two of them. “Eat as much as you like.”

“Really delicious!” Xiao Yingtao no longer held back, munching away happily.

Feng Jiu’er ate one piece, her gaze settling on Tang Xiaohua.

“What’s wrong? Something on your mind you can’t talk about?”

Tang Xiaohua looked up, meeting Feng Jiu’er’s eyes, then lowered her head to look at the tea in her hand. “It’s nothing on my mind, really.”

“As for the old man’s treatment—I can’t really say for now. My Xingchen was put under house confinement by his father today.”

“Young Master Xingchen was confined?” Xiao Yingtao raised her eyes, frowning, and asked.

“Mm.” Tang Xiaohua nodded. “It’s not really that big a deal.”

“Yue Jianfei said that Xingchen secretly gave the old man wine to drink, which he had explicitly forbidden before.”

“Xingchen probably couldn’t bear his grandfather’s nagging, so he brought him a little wine.”

“This happened a long time ago—I don’t even know how Yue Jianfei found out about it.”

“Yang Hong said that if the old man hadn’t drunk the wine, his condition wouldn’t have stagnated like this all along.”

“So what’s to be done?” Xiao Yingtao frowned slightly. “If the old man doesn’t recover, will Yang Hong blame it all on Young Master Xingchen?”

“That woman is capable of anything.” Tang Xiaohua turned the cup in her hand.

“Don’t say I’m being petty, but if the old man truly doesn’t recover, Yang Hong will definitely push the blame onto my Xingchen.”

“If she were actually capable, the old man would have recovered long ago.” Feng Jiu’er set down her chopsticks and picked up a nearby napkin to wipe her mouth.

“For someone who’s had a stroke, drinking alcohol really isn’t suitable. How much wine did Young Master give the old man? Was it often?”

“No.” Tang Xiaohua shook her head. “I asked Xingchen—he said it was only twice, and no more than a couple of taels each time.”

“That little bit of wine, for the old man back when he hadn’t fallen ill yet, would have just been a wetting of the lips.”

“The old man used to be quite the drinker, and after falling ill he couldn’t drink anymore. He’d sigh all day, sometimes even refusing to take his medicine.”

“Seeing that his grandfather hadn’t improved in over three months, Xingchen secretly went and found a physician. The physician said a little wine wouldn’t matter, but absolutely shouldn’t be overdone.”

“He’s just foolish—otherwise he wouldn’t have been caught out like this.”

“Secretly found a physician?” Feng Jiu’er looked at Tang Xiaohua, frowning slightly.

“Yes.” Tang Xiaohua nodded in response. “Ever since Yang Hong moved into the Yue household, I don’t know what medicine she’s been feeding Yue Jianfei, but he listens to her completely.”

“Even bringing a physician back requires Yang Hong’s approval.”

“Anyway, every physician is no good according to her—only she is impressive. Even if a physician manages to get into the household, he’s driven out before long.”

Recalling something that infuriated her, Tang Xiaohua lifted her cup and downed the chrysanthemum tea inside in one gulp.

She set the cup down and looked at Feng Jiu’er. “What do you think? Has the old man’s lack of improvement been because of that bit of wine?”