Li Hao noticed that Wuniang had turned the conversation towards him and smiled, not taking it to heart.
"Xue'er should be back in another six months or so."
The other ladies didn’t let Li Yun, the child, feel awkward any longer and smoothly changed the topic.
"Isn't Xue'er also a ninth-rank battle body?"
"Very clever too, that year..."
As they exchanged words, the earlier small quarrel was forgotten.
Li Hao remained calm, chatting and laughing with the ladies about past events. Meanwhile, Li Yun felt embarrassed, occasionally sneaking glances at his father. Seeing that his father's anger had faded and he was smiling contentedly while talking to Li Hao, he felt relieved yet strangely disappointed.
At that moment, he felt a gentle touch on his hand under the table. Looking down, he saw it was his younger sister.
Li Zhi Ning smiled at Li Yun and then picked up some food for him, filling his heart with warmth.
Gao Qingqing glanced at Li Hao, who was at ease, and then at her own son, sighing inwardly.
Aside from cultivation, her son indeed fell short compared to Li Hao. Everyone in the household already knew about Li Hao's early maturity and understanding. The only regret was that he had wasted his early years on cultivation.
"Wushuang has made it onto the Qian List. Now that she's back, what are her plans for the future?"
In the middle of the conversation, Liu Yu Rong casually asked.
Li Wushuang glanced at the boy across from her, who was two years younger but spoke so confidently. She reached for the dragon liver with her chopsticks but, using her years of sword training, skillfully redirected her move to pick up a different dish instead.
As she ate, she said, "I don't have any plans, just want to spar with Cousin Qianfeng."
This caught the attention of many ladies, but it seemed they didn’t hear anything unusual and continued their own conversations.
Liu Yu Rong's expression remained unchanged, still smiling as she said, "I heard Qianfeng just returned from Wuliang Mountain and will be back soon. When he arrives, you can have a match. Back then, Xuanli and Tiangang often chased each other around the courtyard..."
Li Xuanli smiled wryly, "Second Sister-in-law, those were just youthful blunders. Let's not bring them up."
As the dinner reached its end, the night deepened.
The dishes Li Hao had bought, along with the other dishes prepared by the elder lady, were all served and finished.
Li Wushuang had eaten a lot and didn’t know which dishes were from Li Hao, just that they tasted good.
Li Hao had no interest in revealing it, knowing this was a one-time thing. Once the dragon liver was served, he wouldn’t be able to offer her any more food or gifts.
At most, when she got married in the future, he would just give a small gift.
After everyone was full, they gradually left Changchun Courtyard, and nothing else happened.
Li Hao said goodbye to the ladies and took Zhao Bo and Qing Zhi back to Shanhuyuan.
On the other side, Li Xuanli returned to Piaoxue Courtyard with his wife and children.
Once the three kids were inside, Gao Qingqing pulled her husband aside on a small path, scolding him:
"How could you say that about Yun'er at the dinner? He is your child, and so is Wushuang. She just returned, and you say that? How hurtful!"
Li Xuanli was taken aback, thought for a moment, and sighed, "It was their fault. I won't speak of Yun'er, but he has a small heart. If he continues like this, he won't achieve much in the future. Wushuang too, she has made good progress in her cultivation with Qianji Daoist, but her temperament is still so reckless."
"She just cares for her brother. Isn't it good for siblings to get along?" Gao Qingqing replied, not pleased.
Li Xuanli thought about it and smiled, "That’s true."
"You..." Gao Qingqing was speechless. The men of the Li family really were a bit rough around the edges.
Li Xuanli sensed his wife's dissatisfaction and helplessly said, "I can’t just criticize Hao'er. Fourteen years ago, when my seventh brother had just finished his campaign, I happened to be injured those years. Otherwise, the matters in Yanbei should have fallen to me. But my seventh brother took over. Now, Old Seven and Qingqing have been fighting in Yanbei for years; we both understand the hardships. Should I really lecture his son?"
Gao Qingqing was at a loss for words, knowing he was right.
Li Xuanli continued, "Besides, Hao'er did nothing wrong. You saw at the dinner how clever he is, talking freely with the elders, not shy at all, and his words were polite. He doesn’t annoy people. At such a young age, to have such a temperament is truly rare. What a pity he can’t cultivate; otherwise, our Wushuang might not be able to compare."
Gao Qingqing’s anger, which had just calmed down, flared up again upon hearing his praise and comparison.
She huffed, "Then you should go be with your Hao'er!"
With that, she walked into the house.
Li Xuanli was stunned, confused about what he had said wrong to make her angry again.
Meanwhile, in Shuihua Courtyard.
Liu Yu Rong returned to the courtyard, sat down on a soft couch, and angrily snorted, slapping her hand on the tea table:
"This little girl, soon to be married, actually wants to spar with Qianfeng, trying to compete for the True Dragon position. Doesn’t she know her own weight?"
The girl at the table said it was for sparring, but how could Liu Yu Rong not hear her real intentions? Coming back at this time was clearly to challenge him.
Although the True Dragon position in the Li family had always gone to the direct male descendants for hundreds of years, there had been instances of women holding it, but that was centuries ago.
That woman never married and managed the family business, eventually becoming a renowned female general in the time of Dayu.
Could that little girl want to follow in her ancestor's footsteps?
"Hmph, just a mere Spirit Travel stage, not knowing her limits..." Liu Yu Rong thought of something and a smile crept onto her lips.
Beside her, the old housekeeper followed quietly, keeping her head down, not daring to speak, but her eyes showed hints of nostalgia and sadness.
Once upon a time, when the ladies first arrived, everyone was harmonious and loving, and the nine courtyards had no gaps between them.
But now, things had quietly changed.
When did this situation begin? The old housekeeper had served the Li family for many years and could vaguely remember.
It seemed to have started when the eldest and third sons of the Li family died in battle; that joyful time vanished.
The next day.
Li Hao waited on horseback along a small path beside the estate. Soon, he heard the sound of hooves approaching from behind.
"Hao Ge," Li Yuanzhao called out with a smile, riding up beside Li Hao as they headed to Tangong together.
"Did you eat enough yesterday?"
"I ate too much."
"Haha."
"Hao Ge, my mother can be sharp-tongued; don’t take it to heart..." Li Yuanzhao thought for a moment and said.
Li Hao waved his hand, "No need to mention it between brothers. I won’t blame your mother."
Li Yuanzhao was overjoyed and felt relieved, "I knew Hao Ge is generous."
Li Hao smiled.
Li Yuanzhao thought of the events from the previous night’s dinner and sighed, "The elder lady and others were praising cousin Wushuang, not knowing that your cultivation has already surpassed hers. By the way, Hao Ge, why didn’t you mention it last night?"
Li Hao casually tugged on the reins, letting the horse trot happily, "What’s the point of saying that? Competing for attention with a child? That’s too childish."
Li Yuanzhao was taken aback and then laughed, realizing that was exactly how his Hao Ge felt.
"If cousin finds out you called her a child, she’ll probably be furious."
"You’re a child too."
"Hao Ge, you..."
"Haha."
Li Hao laughed.
Li Yuanzhao felt a bit helpless, but having been around Li Hao for so long, he didn’t find it strange and said, "But, Hao Ge, the news of your cultivation will definitely spread quickly among the elder ladies."
Li Hao nodded, not too concerned.
Once Uncle Fu returns from Cangyu City in the next few days, the news will likely spread.
There wouldn’t be much quiet time left.
Fortunately, Cangyu City is in Qizhou, which is under the Xia family’s territory. Among the hundreds of cities in the state, the demon disasters didn’t cause too many casualties, so the news didn’t create much of a stir.
Plus, over the years, the Li family’s attention has been focused on Yanbei, and the remaining attention was scattered across other territories they controlled, so they weren’t as quick to catch news from other places.
"Hmm?"
Suddenly, Li Hao pulled on the reins, and the Red Blood Horse stopped on a dime.
Ahead, in the shade of the trees along the path, a figure in white stood there. Looking at her shape, it was none other than Li Wushuang.
Li Yuanzhao squinted his eyes, recognizing her face, and couldn’t help but change color, "Hao Ge, it’s cousin. She... she didn’t hear what we just said, did she?"
"Whether she heard or not doesn’t matter anymore."
Li Hao raised an eyebrow, frowning slightly. He found these little ones a bit troublesome, but still rode over.
Someone who was waiting for you, it’s hard to avoid them.
As the sound of hooves got closer, Li Wushuang turned her head, clearly having been watching Li Hao and the others for a while. Her expression was cold:
"At last night’s dinner, with all the aunts present, I couldn’t be bothered to argue with you. But the way you bullied my brother won’t just be brushed aside."
"Wushuang, that was years ago. Besides, it was Li Yun who provoked Hao Ge first," Li Yuanzhao quickly said.
Li Wushuang shot him a cold glance, "Shut up."
Then she turned to Li Hao, "You’re a few months older than my brother. How you bullied him back then, I’ll make you pay for it today. You’d better not resist; otherwise, I won’t hold back."
Li Hao couldn’t help but laugh, "I was just hitting that kid’s backside. Are you going to hit mine too?"
Li Wushuang was taken aback, her expression turning chilly, "Not your backside; I’m going to hit your mouth!"
With that, she suddenly dashed forward, covering the distance of more than ten meters in an instant, aiming to slap Li Hao on the back.
Seeing her hand coming toward his face, Li Hao leaned back slightly and then raised his hand to grab hers, using a technique akin to Tai Chi to pull her off balance and pin her down on the horse.
"You!"
Li Wushuang’s pupils constricted, a hint of shock in her eyes.
"Hit my mouth? If it weren’t for the fact that you’re a member of the Li family, you wouldn’t have it so easy."
Li Hao snorted coldly, then raised his hand and slapped her backside hard a few times.
"Is this how you get revenge for your brother? Back then, I just went easy on him!"
(End of Chapter)