Over the next two days, Julie strolled around the village again but didn't find anything unusual.
What she did notice was that more people were greeting her.
She didn't think too much about it. If someone greeted her, she'd politely nod in return.
She spent the following days at home, waiting to be fed.
Bailee was thrilled. He loved feeding his wife, especially watching her gain a little weight—it gave him a sense of accomplishment.
Every day, he put in effort to try new dishes and different types of food.
For example, if they had rice today, they'd have noodles tomorrow, wontons the day after that, then dumplings the next day, and so on.
After he noticed that his wife liked small wontons, he made another batch—around three hundred in total. She could eat over fifty in one sitting.
That might sound like a lot, but they were really small—even smaller than regular dumplings. The skin was thin, packed with meat, and each one could be eaten in a single bite. Extremely satisfying.
...
On the morning of the fourteenth day of the new year, Julie finished breakfast and returned to her room.
She measured her height and weight. She had grown two more centimeters, now standing at 1.75 meters, and had gained seven pounds.
She knew it was easy to gain weight during the holiday, but she didn't expect it to be this much.
Still, she didn't look fat.
Julie was already slim, and with her increased height, the added weight didn't show.
She didn't care much—knowing she had grown taller was enough—and sat cross-legged to resume her training.
Meanwhile, Lorrie was not as calm.
After eating, he sat on a chair with his full belly, sighing as he complained to his older brothers.
"Haven, Bailee, how come after the whole holiday, I didn't get any taller, but I gained ten pounds? Ten pounds! Look at my belly. All this fat…" he said, grabbing the soft rolls on his stomach.
Julie had already returned to her room. Normally, she didn't come out between meals, and his brothers were men, so he wasn't embarrassed.
Haven and Bailee both looked at him helplessly. They hadn't gained much weight this winter.
Both of them were the type who ate a lot but didn't gain weight.
Bailee tried to comfort him patiently. "Lorrie, you're still young, you'll grow taller. I'll make more bone soup for you in the next few days. Drink more." Julie liked it too—he'd cook some tonight, there was still some left at home.
Lorrie pouted and grumbled, "No more soup, I want to lose weight. I'm already short, and now I'm getting fat too." Julie would definitely like him even less.
He had realized by now that Julie, though she didn't say it, clearly appreciated good looks.
Compared to his brothers, both in appearance and body, he was a bit lacking. Now… he felt even more miserable.
But despite his talk about losing weight, he didn't eat any less that night.
He conveniently forgot what he said that afternoon and ate happily.
Bailee's cooking was just too good.
His first try at sweet and sour crispy pork turned out delicious—crispy, flavorful, and slightly sweet. Even Julie, who normally didn't enjoy sweet dishes, picked up a few pieces to try.
The stir-fried bamboo shoots with pork were made using the bamboo shoots Baiqi gave them on the eighth day of the new year. Of course, they had returned the favor with a gift too.
Baiqi's household was good at social interactions—friendly without being pushy.
Occasionally, when they exchanged visits, Haven and Baiqi's husband could chat casually without awkwardness. It was all very pleasant.
The bamboo shoots were tender and crisp with no bitter taste, and Julie ate several bites in a row.
For once, she thought something other than meat tasted really good.
There was also stir-fried shredded potatoes and a yam and bone soup.
The family no longer felt tense or quiet at the table.
The three brothers understood that Julie wasn't strict—she was just quiet.
She never objected to casual conversations during meals or thought it improper.
Julie didn't believe in strict dining rules. Some large households were strict, and that was their business.
But in her home, there was no need for that.
Sitting in silence every meal felt too weird anyway.
She still didn't talk much, mostly just listened.
But whenever she spoke, it meant she was making a decision.
As they chatted, Lorrie brought up the next day—Lantern Festival, the fifteenth of the first month.
That night, the streets would be bustling with activity, filled with various beautiful and intricate lanterns in the shapes of animals, flowers, and even dancing handsome men.
There would be lantern riddles, prayers, and many other fun things.
The three of them had always stayed home and never got to experience it, only hearing stories from others.
Lorrie didn't mean anything by it—he was just chatting.
Julie noticed their lingering anticipation and excitement in their eyes.
She stayed quiet while finishing her food, but her mind was already turning. It might be nice to take them out for a walk.
They'd been stuck at home all holiday. They were probably bored.
The three brothers didn't get their hopes up, though. They knew better than to expect too much.
After that brief moment of longing, they moved on and kept chatting about other things.
Julie finished her rice, picked up a few more bamboo shoots, then set down her chopsticks.
Instead of leaving the table, she said, "We'll head to town tomorrow after the afternoon hour. Lock up properly before we leave."
She thought for a moment—there'd likely be a big crowd—so she decided to bring Mr. Leng along.
Handling three men on her own in a crowd might be risky if they got separated.
Having Mr. Leng follow behind would make things safer.
As for leaving the house empty, she wasn't worried anymore.
Over the past six months, her reputation and strength were enough to scare off troublemakers.
She often strolled around the village and could feel the shift in people's attitudes.
Julie finished speaking and observed their expressions. Most of them looked surprised, but there was also excitement and anticipation in their eyes. Seeing that, she got up and left.
Instead of returning directly to her room, she went to find Mr. Leng.
Mr. Leng had already eaten in the kitchen and was now in his room.
Since it was cold and there wasn't much work to do, he usually stayed in his room after meals to practice martial arts. The space wasn't big, but he was afraid of the cold too.
Julie had already warned him earlier that once the weather warmed up, she would "spar" with him a few times, so he'd better not slack off.
She didn't find him in the kitchen, so she went to his room. She saw the door was closed and knocked as usual.
Knock knock — after just a couple of knocks, Mr. Leng came to open the door.
She gave him a few instructions, telling him to go out with them the next day.
This time, they wouldn't be taking a carriage, so he needed to feed their horse, Little Black, ahead of time.
His main job would be to stick close to Bailee, Haven, and Lorrie in the crowd and make sure they didn't get separated.
Then she pulled out a dagger and two small porcelain bottles from her sleeve and handed them to him to carry.
In case of danger, he wouldn't be defenseless.
His martial skills weren't very high. If he couldn't win a fight, he could use the powders in the bottles.
One bottle was itching powder, the other was knockout powder.
Julie had never used the itching powder before; it didn't suit her. But it wasn't odd for Mr. Leng to carry it.
The knockout powder was different from the one Julie had used before. Hers had to be swallowed and made people forget events for six hours. The one she gave Mr. Leng worked through inhalation, making someone pass out instantly. They would wake up in an hour without memory loss, but their mind would be foggy.
It was more dangerous, which was why she usually didn't use it—too rare to waste.
This trip might be crowded, and Julie worried she wouldn't be able to look after everyone alone.
Compared to the three helpless men, Mr. Leng could still be useful.
Giving him these tools was a solid backup plan.
If strength wasn't enough, then use some clever tricks.
No one said she had to play fair.
She told him to rest and left the room.
She went out to the back to check on Little Black. After confirming the horse had eaten, she patted its head, stayed with it a bit, then returned to her room.
She spent the night in her own room.
The next day
For lunch, they had noodles with leafy greens, eggs, shredded meat, sesame oil, and scallions, all cooked in a big pot.
The three brothers slurped noodles while chatting about what clothes to wear later.
Julie agreeing to take them out for the lantern festival had them all excited and nervous.
Naturally, they started talking about makeup, outfits, and accessories.
Each wanted to look their best and not embarrass Julie.
Even though they were brothers, it was hard not to compare a little. Still, it was good-natured and harmless.
Sometimes playful bickering and jokes could make bonds even stronger.
Julie never interfered. If they wanted to dress up, she had no objection. They were pleasing to look at.
There was nothing wrong with wanting to be beautiful. Why waste youth looking dull and aged?
After lunch, Julie returned to her room. It was still early, no need to rush.
Before the appointed hour, the three brothers had already finished dressing.
Each wore his favorite outfit and applied some light makeup.
Lorrie wore a light green outfit—sweet and cute.
Haven chose purple, making him look even more striking.
Bailee wore all white, giving off a cool and elegant air.
As Bailee put on his clothes, he remembered something from last time when he wore white… Images flashed in his mind, and his face quickly turned red.
He gently patted his cheeks to calm himself.
When Julie came to the main room, the three brothers were admiring each other's looks. Mr. Leng stood silently nearby, occasionally offering helpful suggestions.
It was a warm and cheerful scene.
Julie was dressed in purple, coincidentally matching Haven's color scheme. Her sleeves were embroidered with birch leaves.
Haven's purple robe had a snowflake stitched near the waist.
Julie noticed the match but didn't say anything. She had only wanted a change from black; there wasn't any deeper meaning.
The four men each reacted differently to her outfit.
Bailee's eyes showed a flash of disappointment, which he quickly covered with his usual gentle expression.
Haven's gaze lit up with joy and admiration—Julie looked beautiful in purple.
Lorrie also thought she looked great, but noticed the matching outfits and felt something was off.
It was like Haven and Julie were a pair, and the other three didn't quite fit in.
Mr. Leng had no opinion.
To him, whether Julie was dressed like a beggar or a noble, it made no difference.
He knew well how ruthless she could be. He wasn't one to admire blindly.
After a glance, he quickly lowered his head.