Xiao Yin blinked her eyes, "That’s true, Mother is really too busy, but we are too young to help much."
Xiao Hui smiled and patted Xiao Yin’s head, "Alright, you little genius, go to sleep quickly. Be careful, if you don’t sleep, you won’t grow tall."
Hearing about not growing tall, Xiao Yin felt a bit afraid.
Back in modern tis, she wasn’t tall, and in ancient tis, she paid special attention to diet and exercise. She wanted to grow tall and slim; she liked the elegant style of mature won and wanted to beco like that, at least tall.
"Quickly go to sleep."
Xiao Yin pulled the quilt over herself, closed her eyes, and started counting sheep.
Xiao Yin fell asleep, but Xiao Hui couldn’t fall asleep.
She lay on her back, thinking about all the things that had happened since she joined the Xiao Family.
The more she thought, the warr Xiao Hui felt inside.
She reached under the pillow for the Jade Pendant engraved with the word ’Hui’ and stroked it for a long ti, reluctant to let it go.
This Jade Pendant was her proof of being a daughter of the Xiao Family, a proof of her identity, proving she had a father, mother, brothers, sister, and so many family mbers.
Xiao Hui smiled; these days, she held the Jade Pendant and slept soundly.
She was not alone; she had so many family mbers caring for her, giving her so much love and support.
Anning and Xiao Yuan had just fallen asleep when they heard coughing from outside the window.
Xiao Yuan quickly sat up, draping clothes, "Who is it?"
"Sir, it’s ."
Chun Xing’s voice ca, "Just now, Master Dong sent word saying the salt we sent from Nanyi Prefecture to Yuechuan Prefecture was hijacked."
Upon hearing this, Xiao Yuan imdiately got out of bed, "Let the steward imdiately call Mr. Four, Sixth Master, Mr. Yuan, and Mr. Song."
Qing Xing agreed and walked out of the courtyard.
Anning got out of bed and dressed as well.
Xiao Yuan held her down, "You go to sleep; I don’t know how long this eting will last."
Anning smiled, "In the middle of the night, you’re calling so many people. Surely, you can’t just have a dry eting. I’ll get up to have the maids burn the charcoal in the study fire, and then make so food to send over."
Xiao Yuan said nothing more.
He dressed, put on a cloak, and hurried to the study.
Anning dressed simply: a top, a skirt, hair simply tied on top with a silver hairpin to fix it.
Once she was ready, she went to the small kitchen.
Lin Lianshuang had not yet fallen asleep at this ti.
She keenly sensed all the people in the Xiao Mansion were getting busy.
She called over the maid serving her, Hong’er, "Has sothing happened at the mansion?"
Hong’er smiled and poured Lin Lianshuang a cup of warm water, "It’s nothing major. Our Master just called Mr. Four and Sixth Master to the study to discuss business."
Lin Lianshuang’s eyes squinted slightly, "Will you check if Madam has gone to bed?"
Hong’er laughed, "No need to check, even if she’s asleep, she’s also awake now. Our Master and Madam are quite close; if Master isn’t asleep, Madam can’t sleep either. It’s always been this way."
Lin Lianshuang nodded, "Send soone to Madam and see if it’s appropriate for to visit her."
Hong’er went to ask and returned shortly, "Madam is in the small kitchen making food, said if Miss Lin goes over it would be wonderful; they could chat."
Lin Lianshuang put on a cloak and took Hong’er to the small kitchen.
When she arrived, Anning was busy.
At that mont, Anning seed particularly simple and plain.
She wore plain-colored cotton clothes, an apron tied at the waist, hair on top fixed with a silver hairpin, and wrapped with a light-colored cloth to prevent any hair from coming loose. At first glance, she looked quite like a cook.
"Madam."
Lin Lianshuang entered and saw Anning mixing stuffing, with a white porcelain bowl on one side, presumably containing dough, and on the other side, a maid washing her hands and chopping vegetables.
"What is Madam making?"
Anning smiled at Lin Lianshuang, "nfolk are coming over in the middle of the night for discussions; they might get cold on the way, so I’m making so wontons with broth to warm them up."
Lin Lianshuang nodded, went over to see Anning mixing at stuffing, and so vegetarian stuffing.
Anning said, "Dong Da and Sixth Brother love at, Mr. Yuan and Mr. Song prefer vegetarian."
Lin Lianshuang didn’t show it on the surface, but she deeply admired Anning’s actions.
She knew when Xiao Yuan was trying to quickly quell the rebellion in Nanyi Prefecture, he had killed many people. Later, Xiao Yuan also maintained a strong authority over his subordinates, causing the officials and generals of the three Nan Yi Prefectures to greatly fear him.
Xiao Yuan had established his authority, and Anning needed to nurture gently and bestow grace.
Of course, she couldn’t deliberately oppose Xiao Yuan and be overly kind to the officials and generals. She cared for them from the details of life, helping Xiao Yuan concern himself with his subordinates’ trivial matters.
The fact that the lord’s people were summoned late at night for discussions, and the mistress personally made a bowl of wontons to deliver, ward countless hearts.
This couple.
Lin Lianshuang thought if this couple couldn’t succeed, then no one could.
She felt joyous about her choice.
Anning finished making the stuffing and had the maids roll out the dough to wrap the wontons, then went to stir-fry vegetables. Monts later, the aroma filled the small kitchen.
Lin Lianshuang sniffed, finding the scent extrely enticing and tantalizing.
Anning took so pickled vegetables from a pot, shredded them on a plate, and sliced so braised at, a little leftover at. Anning even jokingly handed it to Lin Lianshuang, "Try it."
Lin Lianshuang was genuinely hungry and unreservedly took the at, biting into it, her eyes lighting up: "This at is so good, who braised it?"
Anning laughed, "The children love it too. I’ve made plenty when free, and even candies, we’ll send you so tomorrow."
Lin Lianshuang quickly bowed, "Thank you."
She ate several pieces of at, and Anning took a bowl, picked out so of the side dishes for her. When the wontons were cooked, she served so to Lin Lianshuang.
Anning’s cooking was truly delicious. The wontons were very flavorful; the skins were especially thin, revealing the stuffing inside, but biting into them brought a pleasant chewiness, not fragile and easily torn. The at filling had at broth; in the mouth, the broth was hot, the at filling tender and firm, the vegetarian filling carried a unique aroma from the vegetables. Lin Lianshuang held her bowl, focusing on eating, barely speaking.
After she finished a bowl, she hiccuped, "I should have co sooner, missed out on so many tasty things."
Anning smiled and casually handed her so dried fruits, thinking this girl was indeed a food lover.
She had packed the food, and with the maids carrying it, she followed to the study. Anning invited Lin Lianshuang before leaving, "Want to join us?"
"Can I?"
Lin Lianshuang didn’t expect Anning to let her into the study.
She hesitated a bit.
She liked Anning very much; being around Anning felt warm and secure. She didn’t want Anning to be blad by Xiao Yuan because of her.
After all, she was a woman, and a woman newly arrived in Southern Yi. Anning kindly bringing her into the study might not sit well with Mr. Xiao, causing dissatisfaction toward Anning.
"Mr. Xiao won’t be upset, will he?"
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