To put it plainly, it was because she couldn't stand being hungry.
After picking up her food, Bai Li Ziyun walked away and crouched under a fruit tree alone, eating congee and gnawing on a steamed bun.
Her back was to everyone, as she didn't want them to see her actions, but Shen Xiaoyan could tell from her trembling body that she was definitely wolfing it down.
This kind of self-deception was something most people enjoyed.
They always thought that if they turned their backs, others wouldn't see what they were doing.
In reality, they didn't know this was exposing themselves.
Shen Xiaoyan wanted to tell Bai Li Ziyun that after being hungry, one shouldn't eat like this, wolfing down food.
However, this thought only flickered in her mind before disappearing without a trace.
Setting aside whether Bai Li Ziyun would accept her good intentions, Shen Xiaoyan herself did not have the habit of being a saint.
She couldn't do the thing of being a slut and still wanting to erect a memorial archway.
When she reached Princess Zande, it was the same as noon. After finishing her own meal, she scooped up more than half a bowl of congee, took a steamed bun, and went to Bai Li Hao's side.
Shen Xiaoyan watched as Princess Zande fed Bai Li Hao bit by bit, and her heart suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
Is it true that adversity reveals true feelings?
Unexpectedly, these two were not the kind to flee from each other in times of crisis.
But no matter how much they loved each other, they were still enemies.
Shen Xiaoyan could only curse them in her heart: "May you die quickly" to their public display of affection as enemies.
Having seen enough of their miserable state today, Shen Xiaoyan decided not to come over for the next few days. Honestly, seeing too much would ruin her appetite.
The next morning, after breakfast, Shen Xiaoyan finally, along with Yue Qingxin, took the four children in a carriage. Outside, Zheng Wei and Sima Han rode their horses and headed to town together.
As for the people at home, with Luo Luo around, Shen Xiaoyan was a hundred percent at ease.
Since the Mid-Autumn Festival was in two days, Tongling Town was very lively.
Festivals in ancient times were not like in her previous life, where they just hung greeting cards on the street or people sent "Happy Festival" messages on their phones.
The festive atmosphere here was very strong, the streets were bustling with people, and everyone had a cheerful look on their faces.
Even the streets had more vendors than before.
The Mid-Autumn Festival was accompanied by the fragrance of osmanthus, so osmanthus cakes, osmanthus candies, and fermented rice with osmanthus were indispensable.
And then there were mooncakes. Ancient mooncakes were basically five-nut fillings, and Shen Xiaoyan didn't like them.
During the Mid-Autumn Festival in the past two years, she had only bought a few mooncakes to mark the occasion; she hadn't eaten any herself.
But this year was different. This year, the orchard had a bumper harvest, with all kinds of fruits. She could make fruit-filled mooncakes herself.
The group browsed the streets for a while, bought some fabric scraps, hair accessories, and toys for the four children, and bought the latest books for Shen Xiaoming.
Thinking it was a festival and they needed to give gifts to the servants at home, they found a butcher and ordered two pigs, telling him to prepare them and that they would pick them up on the 15th.
The butcher had been dealing with Shen Xiaoyan for years, and even the servants in Shen Xiaoyan's household knew him, so he readily agreed.
Although pork was not hard to sell during festivals, and might even be in short supply, he had to take care of Shen Xiaoyan's business.
The reason was simple: even on normal days, the amount Shen Xiaoyan alone ordered was enough to support his entire family.
Any fool would offend such a major customer.
After buying a pile of things, it was already noon. Shen Xiaoyan suggested they eat at a restaurant in town for lunch.
Yue Qingxin naturally agreed. After all, they had been out shopping all morning and were truly hungry. Fortunately, they had brought the wet nurses along, otherwise the four little ones would have been crying from hunger long ago.
As for Zheng Wei and Sima Han, they acted as attendants throughout the entire time.
Their task was to accompany Shen Xiaoyan and Yue Qingxin, making sure the two women had a happy time shopping and buying things.
As they walked towards the restaurant, Shen Xiaoyan secretly thought that men like Zheng Wei and Sima Han, if they were in her previous life, would definitely be the best "24 Filial Piety" husbands.
Tall, handsome, good earners, patient, good-tempered, eloquent, and most importantly, devoted, turning a deaf ear to any temptation.
Such men were probably the dream husbands of all women.
Shen Xiaoyan felt grateful again in her heart, thanking her for being able to transmigrate and meet Zheng Wei, and for having the life she had now.
As they entered the restaurant, the first floor was already quite crowded.
Because they had a large group, they asked the waiter to lead them to a private room on the second floor.
The private rooms here were not fully enclosed.
They just hung a curtain by the door of the private room.
For a town, having a restaurant of this caliber was already good.
Shen Xiaoyan was not picky about this. They were just having a meal, not discussing anything important, so these conditions were acceptable.
After they were seated, Shen Xiaoyan asked the wet nurses to sit down as well.
After all, they were outside, and there was no need to be too formal.
After ordering their dishes and while waiting for them, Shen Xiaoyan heard a familiar voice from outside.
Upon hearing the voice, Shen Xiaoyan instinctively looked at Zheng Wei and the other two. She saw that their expressions were the same as hers.
"Why won't you marry me? What's wrong with me?"
"It's my fault. What is it about me that you like? I can change it, can't I?"
The voices from outside were those of a man and a woman. If it weren't for the surrounding environment and the real feelings, Shen Xiaoyan would have truly thought she was watching a TV drama, such classic lines.
"If it's not my fault, then why don't you like me? Why won't you marry me?" the female voice continued.
Her voice was clear and melodious, like a songbird, pleasant to listen to.
However, there was a subtle hint of a sob in her voice, which made one feel a little heartbroken.
"It's not that you're not good, it's that I'm not good enough. I... I'm not worthy of you."
The man was silent for a moment, but he still firmly rejected the woman.
Next, Shen Xiaoyan heard the woman's sobbing.
"Scumbag."
Shen Xiaoyan gritted her teeth and said.
"Mi Mi, what did you say?"
Zheng Wei didn't hear clearly what Shen Xiaoyan had just said and asked curiously.
"Nothing," Shen Xiaoyan shook her head and continued to listen intently to the commotion outside.
"Don't cry..." the man's voice sounded a little flustered.
Zheng Wei looked at the changing expression on Shen Xiaoyan's face and her teeth-gritting appearance, and finally shook his head and stood up.
Zheng Wei walked to the door, lifted the curtain, and said to the two people outside, "What a coincidence."
"Brother Zheng... Brother Zheng, hello, hello, what a coincidence. What are you doing here?"
The man at the door was none other than Lu Taobao.
Although Shen Xiaoyan couldn't see his expression at the moment, she could guess from his voice alone that Lu Taobao must have been extremely shocked.
"Come in and eat together. It's livelier with more people," Zheng Wei said, pulling Lu Taobao in, and then smiled at the woman outside.
After Lu Taobao came in, he saw Shen Xiaoyan and the others also sitting there. He knew that they must have heard the conversation outside. For a moment, he felt a bit embarrassed.
Shen Xiaoyan only glanced at Lu Taobao before looking at the woman who had followed him in.
The woman was about sixteen or seventeen years old, wearing a goose-yellow robe that made her look particularly charming.
After entering, she smiled at Shen Xiaoyan and the others as a greeting.
However, her eyes were slightly red, indicating that her mood was not good.
Shen Xiaoyan did not speak. Although she had heard their conversation just now and was indeed angry, thinking Lu Taobao was a scumbag.
However, without understanding the circumstances, she had no right to judge.
After everyone was seated, the atmosphere suddenly became subdued.
Fortunately, the waiter came to serve the dishes at this moment, breaking the awkwardness.
After the dishes were served, everyone began to eat their meals.