Back home, Li Yueshu distributed snacks to the children as usual. She pointed to Mo Mu's room for Li Xiangru and then paid them no further mind.
Shen Tan and the other six were completely unaware of what had transpired. Though curious, seeing that Li Yueshu seemed unconcerned, they didn't press the matter.
Only Mo Lian's gaze would occasionally drift towards his mother's room.
Even though he knew his mother wouldn't agree, he couldn't help but worry.
After an unknown amount of time, Li Xiangru finally emerged from the room, her face grim.
Seeing this, Mo Lian subconsciously let out a sigh of relief and then withdrew his gaze to attend to his own affairs.
It was Li Yueshu who walked up to her with a smile, "Sister, have you finished your chat? Would you like me to help pack some things for A Lian?"
Li Xiangru's expression stiffened slightly. She forced a smile and said, "Sister is truly unexpectedly likable. She makes people not even want to grasp a chance for salvation, willingly letting you treat them."
Li Yueshu's smile remained gentle, as if she hadn't noticed the sarcasm. "Perhaps my medical skills are so superb that people trust me this much!"
Li Xiangru glared at her with a cold face, then flicked her sleeves and departed.
Li Yueshu stood at the doorway, smiling broadly, and waved towards the carriage, "Sister, travel safe. Come visit me again when you have time!"
Inside the carriage, hearing these words, Li Xiangru felt a tightness in her chest, an ineffable vexation.
She had a feeling that she had done something that put her at a great disadvantage.
Thinking about it carefully, she had lost Li Hu, but Mo Lian and his mother should have also clearly felt her goodwill, so it wasn't entirely a loss.
Li Yueshu was unaware of how she was comforting herself. She turned back and looked at Li Hu, who was playing with the children, completely oblivious to what had happened, and smiled with great satisfaction.
Currently, she had taken away two of the original female lead Li Xiangru's opportunities, yet she hadn't suffered any backlash. Did this mean the power of the plot wasn't that strong?
If that were the case, it would be much simpler for her to change the destinies of the four children in the future.
Seeing her obvious joy, Shen Yimin's eyes flickered with suspicion.
He walked up to Li Yueshu and suddenly asked, "Why did you scheme to get this Li Hu?"
Li Yueshu turned to look at him, "If I said I believe this child will achieve great things in the future, would you believe me?"
Her gaze was open and honest, seemingly not like someone lying, which instead confused Shen Yimin.
A child whose intellect was not even comparable to A Yu's, how could she see that he would achieve great things?
Mo Lian stood between them and asked with confusion, "Madam, what do you think Li Xiangru's motive was in approaching me?"
Li Yueshu glanced at the disappearing carriage, a slight smile playing on her lips, "Perhaps she felt you would achieve great things in the future, so she tried every means to win you over first?"
Mo Lian naturally didn't believe this explanation, as the future was the most unpredictable thing.
It was Shen Yimin, however, who, looking at Li Yueshu's seemingly all-knowing expression, suddenly felt a strange sensation. "Then is this why you are helping A Lian?"
Li Yueshu withdrew her gaze. Both of them were looking at her with curiosity, seemingly awaiting an answer.
She smiled faintly, "A Lian saved you, so naturally, we must repay his kindness. Moreover, I also believe A Lian will achieve great things. Perhaps he will even become a prime minister of a nation in the future. Wouldn't that be a good deal for me!"
Neither Shen Yimin nor Mo Lian expected her to admit it so readily, but they didn't take her words seriously at all.
It wasn't until many years later, when Mo Lian truly became the youngest prime minister in the history of the Chen Nan Kingdom, that they suddenly remembered Li Yueshu's words from that day and were struck with astonishment.
However, at this moment, neither of them knew this, only thinking that she had been fooled by Li Xiangru's words.
Li Yueshu didn't bother to explain. She reached out and patted both their heads, "Coach them well in their studies, I'm going to make dinner for you."
Mo Lian nodded with a gentle smile, but Shen Yimin froze on the spot.
This woman actually... actually patted his head?
Did she not know that a man's head was not to be touched!
Shen Yimin's entire face darkened, and he didn't even show signs of easing up during dinner.
Li Yueshu, unaware of what was happening, asked Mo Lian, who usually had a good relationship with him.
Mo Lian naturally knew why his friend was sulking and secretly explained it to Li Yueshu.
Li Yueshu: "..."
This child, who usually appeared gentle and kind, and seemed to not care about anything, how could he be so petty?
Thinking of this, Li Yueshu reached out and ruffled his hair again, "Hurry up and eat. You'll have to help wash Li Hu later."
As expected, Shen Yimin's expression darkened further.
Mo Lian, who was drinking soup, almost couldn't suppress his laughter.
...
Li Yueshu valued hygiene. Even though they were in the countryside and the weather was getting cooler, she still required the children to bathe frequently.
With a large family, there was only one shower room, but it was spacious enough to double as a large bathhouse.
Li Yueshu boiled water and asked Shen Yimin and the other boys to take Li Hu in to wash first.
As she boiled water and listened to the girls talk about what they had learned that day, she saw Shen Yimin hurriedly pulling Li Hu out.
He was still dripping with water, his clothes haphazardly thrown on, his face flushed red.
Li Yueshu asked with confusion, "What's wrong?"
Shen Yimin looked at Li Hu beside him with a troubled expression, then suddenly thought of something and immediately let go of his hand.
"She... she's a woman!"
Li Yueshu was stunned and didn't react immediately.
She looked at Li Hu, who appeared bewildered and disheveled, and after a long moment, stepped forward to pull him aside and unfastened his outer clothes.
Li Yueshu: "..."
She was indeed a woman!
In an instant, she suddenly thought of something.
So, Li Hu was actually Wei Niang's daughter, Hu Ling?
But she remembered that in the original novel, Li Hu, who wielded twin iron axes to conquer the world, was clearly a man.
As Li Yueshu was pondering this with a puzzled mind, she saw Shen Yimin hurriedly turn and run out, his back looking like he was fleeing for his life.
In that instant, Li Yueshu remembered something she had forgotten.
She recalled that the book mentioned a story between the fierce general Li Hu and the great eunuch Shen Yimin.
In the original novel, Li Xiangru, in order to consolidate her power, often neglected Li Hu, causing him to be bullied due to his foolishness.
During one instance of bullying, Shen Yimin, in a rare moment of kindness, stepped in to help.
Having seen enough of deceit and treachery, the great eunuch encountered such a pure and kind person for the first time, and afterwards, he took great care of Li Hu.
Later, upon learning that Li Hu had killed his fourth younger brother, they became sworn enemies, causing some fans of their CP to lament the unsatisfying ending.
However, the interactions between the two in the original novel were only briefly mentioned. Li Yueshu read quickly and almost forgot about this detail.
Looking at Li Hu, who was still bewildered in her arms, Li Yueshu's gaze softened considerably.
So this was her eldest son's destined partner!
A childhood sweethearts' development story?
Not bad, not bad!
Li Yueshu immediately decided that she must find a way to cure Li Hu's foolishness.
However, tomorrow, she would first need to take Li Hu and Shen Yimin to do something else.