were there.The women were kneading dough and preparing the fillings for dumplings. After everything was ready, they set up a large table in the main hall.The men also helped out, chatting and wrapping...They didn't mention that the dining hall had iced drinks, but even in the main hall, they'd sprinkled water on the floor and there were wooden barrels full of ice cubes to cool things down. It was much better than the dorms.

The gentlemen of yore, clad in long gowns and square caps, all semblance of refinement gone, now resembled frantic rabbits, scurrying into the house and claiming the tables near the ice bucket before letting out a sigh of relief.

Then, someone shouted loudly at the two boys, "Niuheng, Lin Er, bring me a pot of fruit drink quickly, with lots of ice!"

"We also need to add lots of ice, it's too hot! I can't live without chewing on some ice for a few bites!" The students at the next table were cheering too.

For a moment, the hall was as noisy as a marketplace.

Xiaoyue and the two boys had already calculated the time. Before the students finished school, they were ready.

The three of them deftly added ice cubes to a row of white porcelain pots and then brought them one by one to the students' tables, collecting specially designed water tickets in return.

This kind of water ticket comes in two denominations, one is thirty wen, just enough to buy a bottle of iced fruit drink.

One is ten yuan in value, which can buy a large cup of milk tea or a large cup of fruit drink.

And a pot can hold almost four or five cups, so it's more economical in every way.

Therefore, students mostly buy the whole pot and take turns treating each other with their friends.

Jia'an, Jiaxi, with their cat "Maoge", squeezed between the students and rushed into the canteen.

They went straight into the private room without raising their heads or opening their eyes.

On weekdays, everyone in the family would put an extra ice bucket here and prepare fruit drinks beforehand.

As a result, as soon as they walked in today, they saw Grandma sitting there with a smile. Their younger sister was also giggling while holding a bamboo tube and blowing bubbles. They were immediately overjoyed.

"Mother, little sisters! When did you come Woooo, mother, I miss you so much!" Maoziger ran into the old woman's arms first, Jiaan and Jiaxi also followed closely behind.

Three and a half little boys surrounded Old Mrs. Li in the middle, holding her tightly.

When people come to the academy to study, they lack the convenience of home food and lodging. They study diligently, so it's inevitable that they lose a few pounds.

And as for the three of them, their regular studies made little progress, but they were interested in everything from playing football to sword practice and horseback riding.

However, all of this is quite physically demanding, so I eat a lot and sleep well. Not only have I not lost weight, but I've actually gained muscle mass.

Especially since a canteen opened at home, three meals a day, plus supper, they were fed so well that they grew visibly stronger.

Now, Jia'an and Jiaxi have grown as tall as Li Laosan. Even Mao Ge'er has reached Li Laosan's shoulders, completely unlike their skinny little selves when they first returned to Li's house.

Grandma Li was amused and exasperated by her grandsons' relentless pestering. She raised her hand and lightly tapped each of them, saying with a hint of reproach, "You are all grown boys now! Grandma can't stand being bullied like this. Let go quickly, you all smell so bad that it makes my nose wrinkle!"

Jiā'ān, Jiāxǐ and Māo Gēr were beaten, but they still laughed and crowded around Grandma, reluctant to leave.

Just then, Jiaren and Li Ge'er walked in a step slower. Seeing their grandmother, they were also happy and hurried forward to greet her.

Li Laotai then said: "Come on, let's go home and talk. Dinner is also at home. There are too many people here."

Okay, okay!

The boys were all cheering with joy.

"Mao Ge'er stepped forward and tugged his sister's hand, whispering, "Fu Niuer, did you bring brother something delicious"

"Got it!" Jia Yin giggled and made a gesture. Mao Ge'er was overjoyed and almost jumped up, blurting out, "It's Biyu..."

Before he could call out, Brother Li quickly covered the mouth of this silly younger brother.

Yesterday, Brother Jiayan came back and said that the emerald cucumbers in the village will be ready to harvest in about a week.

Sister brought it here now, must be patching them up privately.

There were no offerings for the director, nor for Mr. Not even the palace made any tributes!

If it were to be shouted out and heard by someone, out of envy or jealousy, they might put some disrespectful label on it, causing the Li family no small amount of trouble.

It has to be said, Li Jia's life is better now, and she is more careful in her actions.

Jiārén gave Lǐge'er an approving glance, then crouched down and carried his younger sister on his back. He quietly followed Grandma out of the dining hall.

"Hey, everyone!" Jia An greeted his familiar classmates. "Let's go home and have dinner with Grandma. You guys can sit in the study room, there's an ice bucket there!"

Fellow students, waving their fans in their hands, all laughed heartily and ran towards the study room upon hearing this.

One person still remembered to shout, "Have dinner early and come back, we're going to play soccer against the students from the next dormitory!"

"Got it, got it, can't forget!" Jiā'ān waved his hand and ran away happily.

Everyone, including Lao Li, burst into laughter.

Birds of a feather flock together, people tend to associate with those similar to themselves. These two boys love to play and their friends are all mischievous as well.

Luckily, Luo'an Academy has a liberal academic environment and doesn't force students to study relentlessly. Otherwise, with their love for playfulness, they would be a "disruptive influence" in other academies.

Li's small courtyard was not far from the academy, but even though it wasn't a long distance, everyone arrived home drenched in sweat.

Wenjuan was suddenly surprised to see so many people come back, and then she happily went to prepare.

Fetch water, get a cloth towel, and go to the kitchen to prepare ingredients.

Grandma He, Shuiyun, Shuimeng, and the rarely seen Dongmei, very shrewdly took over the chores.

Wénjuàn then sat beside her grandmother, fanning her and inquiring about household matters.

And the little cat brothers, after washing their faces haphazardly and changing their clothes, all gathered around their sister to fetch some delicious food!

The carriage was parked in the corner of the yard. Yēsān had just unloaded it and led the chestnut mare outside town to graze.

Jia Yin opened the car door, letting her brothers unload the baskets.

The emerald-green jade melons and golden fruits in the Fragrant Gold Beach melon field were indeed not yet ripe.

But in the courtyard, two harvests of cucumbers have already been planted. They fill half a yard and are waiting for a few days to take advantage of when the outside melon fields open, selling them like fish in muddy water and making a fortune!

This time, she only brought four jade gourds and a basket of golden fruit.

If she wasn't worried about it being too gaudy, she would have loaded up a whole truck.

But Jiā'ān, Jiāxǐ, and Māo'ér couldn't help but whisper with excitement, carrying a basket and running under the eaves.

Jiārén and Lǐgē'er were originally behaving properly while accompanying their grandmother in conversation. Upon seeing Bìyùguā and Jīn guǒ'er, they happily stood up as well.

Soon, the small table was brought out.

The gleaming cleaver, washed clean and dry, temporarily served as a watermelon knife.

With a single slash, red juice flowed out.

The refreshing melon fragrance made everyone's mouth water just by smelling it.

In a short while, everyone gathered around the table and began to eat heartily.

"Aww, it's so sweet!"

"Why is it still cold Did you freeze it at home"

“I'm so hungry I could eat a horse! Last night, I even dreamed about eating watermelon!”

The boys ate with big mouths and mumbled, making Li Lao Tai laugh. She pulled out her cloth and wiped their chins from time to time.

"Remember from now on to always be good to your little sister! Last night, she even put this watermelon in the well water to keep it cool. On the way here, it kept spraying water just so you could get it and eat it right away. Don't underestimate her because she's young; she takes good care of you!"

The boys all giggled and took a piece of watermelon to their sister's mouth, making sure she bit into the sweetest part in the center!

Meow Meow patted his chest and assured his little sister, “Dad came over yesterday and gave me some allowance. Sister, wait a bit, brother will take you to buy zhian gao!”

Before sound had time to reach them, a white shape suddenly darted from the carriage. It was San-Tiao.

This little fox is gluttonous and sleepy. He just dozed off in the carriage on the way, and even when he arrived at his destination, he refused to get out.

He woke up completely and found that he was in a different place when he got off the car. He was confused for a moment, his black bean-like eyes full of questions...heng He had already returned to report, everyone still couldn't let go of their worry.The village head and Mr. Zhao, along with a few others, had been impatiently waiting at the entrance of the villag...