The two maids moved quickly, and the specially crafted daggers in their hands were sharp, making quick work of dissecting the carcass of the horned gray wolf.
Inside the small courtyard's room, Xiao Yue had already lit the stove and set up the iron mesh, while the plates on the table were neatly filled with slices of Magical Beast meat that the maids had washed and sliced.
Nearby, Mother Liu Yan was still fretting over Xiao Yue's safety, nagging incessantly in her ear. Unfortunately, Xiao Yue had long since developed an immunity to this; no matter how her mother criticized, she didn't get angry, merely smiling, nodding, and brushing it off.
"You girl," her mother said. "I heard you skipped the testing again this year. Do you even know your younger brother has broken through to become a Dou Zhe?"
In a remote country within the Jia Ma Empire, beginning cultivation at age five and advancing to a Dou Zhe at eleven was truly an incomparable display of genius. Xiao Yan's reputation as a peerless prodigy began to spread across the Jia Ma Empire by caravans, adventurers, and mercenaries traveling through Wutan City, and it was said the news even reached the Imperial Capital, making him immensely famous.
Mother Xiao was overjoyed in her heart that her son had broken through to a Dou Zhe, and as a result, she had specially gifted him the ring she had worn for decades.
"Oh, that's nice."
Xiao Yue nodded with complete indifference. With that, she picked up a slice of roasted meat, placed it in her mother's bowl, and only then began her own feast.
"I suppose I'm just too soft on you, leaving me with not an ounce of a mother's authority in front of you." Gazing at her daughter's nonchalant, self-absorbed eating habits, the beautiful woman gently pressed a hand to her brow, a trace of helplessness flashing in her eyes.
"You really don't give a person peace of mind. Oh well, the main reason I came this time is because of the Winter Solstice, and since the two of you are growing taller again this year, I sewed a few new winter clothes. You girls can try them on later and see if they fit..." Seeing that Xiao Yue remained completely immersed in her meal, Mother Xiao could not help letting out a sigh.
As she spoke, she motioned to her two personal maids to take out the bag containing the new clothes.
"Thank you, Auntie."
Xiao Xun'er behaved very obediently, taking the packaged bag with a sweet smile. Over the years, the Xiao Clan couple had always raised her as their own daughter, and she truly regarded Liu Yan as her own mother.
Meanwhile, Xiao Yue suddenly stopped eating, gazed into her mother's eyes, and furrowed her brow as she asked, "You stayed up late making clothes again?"
"I didn't stay up for that long..."
Faced with her daughter's gaze, Mother Xiao, despite being the parent, looked somewhat evasive, sitting up straight in her spot. Her voice lacked the confident ring it had just moments before, as if their roles had been reversed.
Hearing this, Xiao Yue let out a soft sigh.
Much like her, Mother Liu Yan possessed a constitution unable to cultivate Dou Qi, which left her prone to illness and weak. If Xiao Yue hadn't secretly concocted health-restoring potions for her over the years and nurtured her body with acupuncture, the consequences would have been unthinkable.
Watching this reversed scene, Xiao Xun'er covered her mouth and chuckled softly, the lingering grievance in her heart over Xiao Yue's half-month disappearance gradually fading away.
Perhaps this was why she loved having Big Sister Yue'er around so much.
***
Mid-winter, the first day of the lunar new year,
Blizzards swept across the sky, and the ground was a vast expanse of white. Wutan City had entered the coldest season of the year, with howling cold wind and dancing snowflakes creating a biting chill. Any breath exhaled quickly turned into ice crystals.
Today was the Xiao Clan's ancestral worship day, an important event prepared well in advance, held on the very first day of the year.
By the end of the year, all business managers of the Xiao Clan had to return to participate in year-end evaluations and business settlements, while the assessment tests for the younger generation of the clan had already been held yesterday.
The attendees of the clan gathering were specified managers, ranging from the Clan Head down to various lineage members and youth of the clan.
Starting from the first glimmers of dawn, people returned one after another. The entrance of the Xiao Clan saw a continuous stream of people coming and going: returning managers and persons in charge, elite members, direct-line descendants, and collateral bloodlines sent out to external posts.
An hour before noon, the younger generation of the clan finally took their seats.
Calculating the time, Xiao Yue finished eating dozens of pounds of meat indoors, reaching a reluctant seventy-percent fullness. Afterward, she circulated the vital energy and blood within her body to temper her flesh and practiced martial techniques for a bit, before leisurely leaving the backyard courtyard. She appeared right in the middle of the crowd, neither too early nor too late, and today, no one dared to lecture her.
Winter snow drifted leisurely, goose-feather snowflakes swirling around.
The sternness of mid-winter grew uncommonly gentle against the slowly falling snowflakes.
Xiao Yue wore a white jade fox-fur cloak on the outside. Her figure was already tall, not a whit shorter than an adult, and paired with the exquisite fur collar crafted by her mother, it fit her surprisingly well.
In truth, it wasn't particularly cold, but looking at the falling snow, Xiao Yue felt dressing this way was indeed fitting for the occasion...
Moreover, it was precisely this gift from her mother that made her grace surpass usual, standing uniquely out in the crowd like a descending goddess whom none dared look at directly. A cascade of silver-white hair like snow tumbled down, indescribably beautiful, refined, and transcendently noble.
"Elder Sister!"
Along the way, she happened to run into Xiao Yan, who was surrounded by a group of peers of both sexes. He greeted Xiao Yue.
"Mhm..."
Xiao Yue glanced sideways at the black-robed boy, who was a head shorter than her, and gave a faint "mhm" in response.
With that, Xiao Yan had nothing more to say.
Yet this was the unique way sister and brother interacted. After all, the two had never been talkative since childhood. To outsiders, such simple dialogue might indicate a cold and distant relationship between siblings, but only those truly close to them understood that their bond had always been quite good.
Come to think of it, the clothes worn by the brother and sister were of the same style, clearly showing their mother played no favorites.
"Big Sister Yue'er..."
A familiar, melodious voice came from behind.
Over a purple skirt, the girl wore a white fox cloak. The hood behind her had been pushed down, her delicate and fair hands clasped behind her back, body leaning slightly forward. Her bright eyes curved into gentle crescents with a tranquil smile, resembling a green lotus bud on the verge of blooming. She, too, was wearing the new clothes Mother Xiao had just sewn yesterday.
"Not bad, it fits well, looks very pretty, and is quite cute..."
Xiao Yue said with a light chuckle.
Hearing the praise, the smile on Xiao Xun'er's little face instantly grew a bit brighter as she affectionately stepped forward and hugged Xiao Yue's arm.
Before the sacrificial ceremony, Xiao Yue's father stood on the high platform and began a lengthy Clan Head's speech. After he finished, it was the elders' turn to speak, followed by the manager with the best annual performance.
Well, the overall effect was that the hypnotic properties were marvelous, making it exceptionally well-suited for treating insomnia.