Chapter 358 - 355: Live Fish Hot Pot

Chapter 358: Chapter 355: Live Fish Hot Pot

It was already afternoon when Li Xiu returned. Seeing Li Bao and Li Guo waiting in the house, his eyes flickered. ’These two brothers are waiting here together,’ he thought. ’Something must be up.’ He gave an almost imperceptible shake of his head. ’Whatever it is, I’ll deal with it when it comes.’

"Big Brother, is everything taken care of?" Li Guo asked softly, looking at Li Xiu, who sat expressionlessly on the sofa, sipping his tea.

Setting down his cup, Li Xiu glanced at Li Bao and Li Guo. "It’s all taken care of," he said. "Go on, what happened?"

Li Bao and Li Guo exchanged a look. Li Bao then said seriously, "Big Brother, we heard the second branch is stirring up trouble again. Don’t be angry; they’re not worth it."

"I’m not angry," Li Xiu said nonchalantly. "Where’s your sister-in-law?"

Li Guo glanced at him and said, "Sister Fang took the two children and Sister-in-law to watch the village’s fish harvest!"

"Let’s go take a look," Li Xiu said, standing up and looking at them. ’No wonder I didn’t see my wife and kids when I got back!’

Li Bao and Li Guo silently followed Li Xiu toward the fishpond on the east side of the village. ’Our big brother really can’t be away from his wife for a moment, can he?’

Finding his wife and children in the crowd, Li Xiu quietly walked up, stood beside Zhou Lian, and gently took her hand. He smiled faintly at her as she turned around, completely ignoring the furtive glances from the young wives and unmarried women nearby.

"You’re back? How did you find your way here?" Zhou Lian’s eyes sparkled as she looked at the brilliant smile on Li Xiu’s face and asked gently.

Li Xiu gazed at Zhou Lian dotingly. "I just got back. Li Bao told me where you were. Do you want to go back now, or watch a bit longer?"

"We’ve pretty much seen it all, let’s head back. Sister Fang said she’s buying some fresh fish. We’re having fish hot pot tonight! I’m already craving it."

Gently pulling Zhou Lian into his embrace, Li Xiu shielded her as he guided her out of the crowd, careful not to let anyone bump into her. "Alright," he said softly. "I’ll personally cook the fish hot pot for you tonight."

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law, you two go on ahead. My brother and I will buy some fish and head home too," Li Guo said, watching Li Xiu and Zhou Lian in their embrace.

After watching Li Xiu nod and leave with Zhou Lian in his arms, Li Guo slipped back into the crowd to find Li Bao. He happened upon his nephew and niece, who were being held by the bodyguards to watch the spectacle. Smiling, he took his little nephew and asked, "Yanyan, having fun?"

"Second Uncle! It’s so lively," Li Xiangrui chirped from Li Guo’s arms. "But what are you doing here? Did you come to watch, too?"

"I came with your dad, but he and your mom just headed home."

"Dad’s back?"

Seeing Li Guo nod, Li Xiangrui reached his arms out to a nearby bodyguard. "Mister, please take me home to find my dad!"

"Second Uncle, you stay and have fun. We’re going home now!" Li Xianglin, also held by a bodyguard, said to Li Guo with a smile.

Watching his nephew and niece get set down by the bodyguards at the edge of the crowd and start walking on their own, Li Guo smiled faintly. ’Those two are being raised so well,’ he thought. ’They’re still young, yet they excel in their studies and have impeccable manners.’

"Hey, Li Guo," a villager who knew him asked curiously. "Whose kids were those? They’re so beautiful! Are they your big brother’s children?"

Li Guo smiled and said, "Those are my big brother’s two children!"

"Then who were the people holding them? I’ve never seen them before."

Li Guo explained good-naturedly, "Those are my big brother’s bodyguards."

"Bodyguards? You mean like the kind you see on TV? Your big brother is really doing well for himself! He’s even hired bodyguards!"

"What’s wrong with hiring bodyguards? It just proves my big brother is successful!" Li Bao, who had just finished buying fish and was about to call Li Guo home, heard the passive-aggressive comment and shot back bluntly. He glanced at the speaker with a mocking smile. ’And here I was wondering who it was. Turns out it’s just one of Li Hua’s cronies. No wonder he’s so tactless.’

The man who had spoken saw the fierce look in Li Bao’s eyes, shrank back, and didn’t dare say another word. Forget Li Xiu’s success; Li Bao alone was not someone to be provoked. Rumor had it that he had settled in the Capital City with his own house and car, earning heaps of money every month. His younger siblings had all been accepted into top universities, and the youngest girl was apparently a promising candidate as well. The Li family’s third branch was clearly on the rise, and no one was foolish enough to genuinely cross them.

Li Guo shook his head and looked at Li Bao. "Brother, let’s go home."

As the two brothers walked away, the crowd clicked their tongues in amazement. "Those two from the Li family’s third branch haven’t changed a bit!"

One of the gossips piped up, "It’s no surprise. Those two brothers from the third branch grew up following Li Xiu everywhere. Not two years after Li Xiu left for the Capital City, he brought Li Bao over. And look at how well Li Bao’s doing now—he’s one of the most successful people in the whole county. I heard the car he drives is worth hundreds of thousands!"

"Hundreds of thousands? Tsk, they’re loaded. And Li Xiu drove back in three cars this time! His must be even more expensive than Li Bao’s!"

"I heard Li Xiu runs a big company in the Capital City. He’s probably making more money than he can count!"

"You said it! And look at his wife’s clothes. Even the rich wives on TV aren’t as well-dressed as her!"

...

...

Sister Fang listened to the idle gossip from the crowd and shook her head. Carrying several fish, she squeezed her way out. ’It seems people are the same everywhere,’ she thought. ’Everyone gossips, and everyone gets gossiped about.’

After being busy for over an hour, Li Xiu served the fish hot pot Zhou Lian had been craving all day. Later, seeing her full and satisfied, leaning back against the bed, he chuckled. "You didn’t eat that much. How are you already so full?"

"Not much? I ate a ton!" Zhou Lian said playfully as Li Xiu sat beside her, gently rubbing her stomach. "But the fish was just so delicious. I couldn’t help but eat until I was stuffed!"

Li Xiu smiled dotingly. "If you like it, I’ll make it for you often. Just tell me what you’re craving."

"Okay. Jin Chen, is everything arranged? When does it start?"

"Everything is arranged, and the dates have been chosen," Li Xiu said softly. "We can’t start tomorrow. It will begin the day after tomorrow and continue for seven days."

After hearing this, Zhou Lian smiled and asked, "Do we need to prepare anything?"

"No, we just need to be there the day after tomorrow. I’d heard many items needed to be specially prepared, so I asked the head monk at the temple," Li Xiu said with a chuckle. "He said we don’t need to prepare a thing—as long as we have the money ready!" ’It’s been this way since ancient times,’ he thought. ’Seems even monks are no exception.’

Zhou Lian replied nonchalantly, "Well, that’s good. They’re the professionals, after all, so we should just listen to them. I was a little worried before."

"What’s there to worry about, Bao’er? I’m here for everything," Li Xiu said gently. "We’ll take the children with us the day after tomorrow."

"By the way, you know Master’s birth date and time, right?"

"I do. I already gave the head monk Master’s name and birth details today."

"Oh."