Chapter 245: Housewarming Banquet

Seeing Liu Chuxue's expression, Xia Qiu understood what she was thinking: "Alright, let's stop worrying for nothing. If Fu Yan Cheng truly wants to marry Liu Chuxue, he'll certainly work things out in the middle. Besides, our Liu Chuxue isn't lacking either."

Chunxiao, at the kitchen door, had also overheard their conversation: "Exactly. My second sister is so pretty—if they're still being picky, then they have no taste. A match like that we can do without."

The moment those words came out, everyone's attention turned to Chunxiao—no one had expected her to say something like that.

Liu Chuxue laughed first: "Look, our Chunxiao has the eye after all."

Just then Qiu Shaofeng walked over: "Father, you've all been busy for a whole day too. There's nothing left to handle here. I'll stay tonight to keep watch—you all go back and rest first."

Father Liu chimed in: "Tonight, I'll stay too. In a bit I still need to hang the processed meat down the well. Someone has to stay. With such a big commotion today, it's inevitable there'll be those with ill intentions."

Liu Chuxue glanced at Zhui Feng, who was curled up at the main room's door: "Father, you all go back. Zhui Feng and I will be enough here."

Before Father Liu could speak, Qiu Shaofeng refused: "No need, no need. With me here, how could we need a Miss like you staying up all night?"

Liu Chuxue turned and walked outside, picked up half a brick from where the temporary stove had been set up, came back, and snapped it in two right in front of everyone, instantly killing any urge to keep persuading her: "Enough. Tomorrow Chunxiao has school, Father's body hasn't recovered yet, Mother has been busy these past days too, and as for my sister—a pregnant woman naturally needs proper rest. Brother-in-law, you go back and look after my sister. I'm the most suitable one to stay. With Zhui Feng keeping me company, nothing will happen."

After Qiu Shaofeng helped hang the food ingredients down the well, only then did they leave together.

Once they were gone, Liu Chuxue took the things straight out of the well and stored them in her space. Back in the courtyard, she shut the main gate, took Zhui Feng to the room she had chosen, closed the doors and windows properly, and went straight into her space.

Now there wasn't much to harvest besides the vegetables.

She released her spiritual sense, gathered part of the wild eggs on the mountain into the warehouse, and left the rest for them to hatch.

She bathed in the space, and only then came out.

The next day, before dawn, Liu Chuxue hung the collected things back down the well, pointed at the well, and said to Zhui Feng who had followed her: "Guard this, understand?"

After walking a few steps, she was still a bit uneasy, so she simply walked a short distance away, carried a large stone over, and pressed it down on the well's mouth. She clapped her hands, and only then left.

After entering the courtyard, she didn't shut the main gate again, fearing that her family and the villagers who came to help would arrive shortly.

Sure enough, not long after she had finished washing up and tidying herself on her side, the village aunties who had been helping sprout beans arrived carrying their own large clay pots. After them, the aunties who had been helping leaven dough also came in a group.

Before long, Father Liu and Mother Liu arrived too.

Mother Liu led several women to the vegetable plot behind the house to pick the vegetables needed for the day. By the time they had nearly finished picking, the households who had arranged to swap vegetables with others also delivered their freshly picked produce.

Because the housewarming banquet was in the evening, at noon they only stewed a mixed vegetable soup for the helpers, paired with the three-grain steamed buns made that morning, so Aunt Wu, who was in charge of the feast, didn't arrive too early.

In the morning, the main task was the village aunties helping steam the three-grain buns for the evening, and helping wash the vegetables needed for the feast.

The men, meanwhile, went door to door borrowing tables, chairs, benches, bowls, plates, and chopsticks.

For a while, the new house's side was extremely lively.