Little Sizi came to my house and became the family's darling, and Li Shimin got anxious.

"Xiao Xun, I don't disagree with your way of dividing the goods, but I feel that you are losing out too much." Empress Zhangsun still felt it was inappropriate. "You supplied the goods, Lizhi only provided a shop, and you take 40%, while Sizi and Chengyang did nothing and took 20% for nothing."

Li Yinxun smiled and said, "Sister, you've misunderstood. Sizi, Chengyang, and Lizhi will all get married eventually. If they marry well, their dowries will be the icing on the cake; if they marry poorly, their dowries will be their only way out. What I'm giving them isn't money, but confidence. With their own businesses and income, they won't have to depend on others no matter what happens in the future."

Empress Zhangsun's fingers tightened slightly. Having her own property meant that, at least in times of trouble, she would have more lifeline to hold onto.

Li Lizhi also spoke up to persuade her, "Mother, Auntie has always been like this. She says she's making money, but actually..."

She tilted her head slightly to look at Li Yinxun, and the corners of her mouth curved up. "I've never put money first."

The little princess woke up again at some point and nestled in Empress Zhangsun's arms. She couldn't understand what the adults were saying, but she vaguely sensed that they were talking about her, so she raised her little face and spoke in a clear voice.

"My aunt is the best to me."

Chengyang added, "My aunt is good to us all."

Empress Zhangsun looked at her youngest daughter in her arms, then at the quiet and well-behaved Chengyang, and then at Li Yinxun, who was calm and pretending to be nonchalant. Finally, she sighed softly, and the wrinkles between her brows slowly smoothed out.

"You are always so considerate of us sisters, we don't know how to thank you enough."

"You're welcome." Li Yinxun stood up and said with a smile, "Well, if you really feel bad, just have Sizi come and keep me company often. We'll head back now."

Empress Zhangsun was amused by her and waved her hand.

"Go on, go on, hurry up and go."

Back at the villa, Guo Qian didn't linger. He changed his clothes and went out again.

Before leaving, Li Yin asked a question.

"What was your agreement with your brother-in-law regarding the herbs?"

Guo Qian answered while tying his shoelaces.

"One pound of common herbs can be exchanged for three pounds of grain, while precious medicinal materials such as ginseng and lingzhi can be directly converted into silver."

Li Yinxun nodded. This exchange rule was reasonable. The era of food shortage in the Tang Dynasty was coming to an end, but exchanging medicinal herbs for grain was still a cost-effective transaction for farmers.

"Okay, go ahead and get busy."

After Guo Qian left, Li Yinxun sat down in the living room with the two little ones and poured herself a glass of water.

"Meow……"

A cat's meow came from the backyard.

The little princess's ears perked up instantly.

"Mimi!!"

She jumped off the sofa and ran as fast as she could towards the backyard.

Chengyang followed closely behind.

Li Yinxun followed him out, carrying a water glass.

Under the flower trellis in the backyard, the orange cat was squatting on the grass, leisurely licking its paws.

Hearing footsteps, it looked up and instead of running away, it took two steps toward the little princess.

The little princess was flattered and immediately squatted down, reaching out her little hand to carefully stroke the orange cat's head.

The orange cat narrowed its eyes, didn't flinch, and even rubbed against her fingers.

"Second sister, come quick! It let me touch it!" The little princess exclaimed excitedly, her voice trembling like a dolphin's.

Chengyang squatted down next to her and gently scratched the orange cat's chin with his finger.

The orange cat purred contentedly, then tilted its body down, revealing its white belly.

"Auntie," the little princess turned to look at Li Yinxun, who was drinking tea, "Can I keep it?"

Li Yinxun walked over, squatted down next to them, and looked at the collar around the orange cat's neck.

"It has an owner." She pointed to the collar. "See? Cats that wear collars all have homes. This one is just visiting; it's not a stray."

The villa is far from the city center, so it can only be kept in the innermost villa.

The little princess's lips immediately twitched.

"Then...can it still come often?"

Li Yinxun rubbed her head and said, "You feed it every day, and it comes every day, but you can't take it away. It has its own home."

The little princess thought about it for a while, and although she was still a little unwilling, she finally stopped making a fuss.

She ran into the house, pulled out the dried fish, poured a handful into her palm, and squatted down in front of the orange cat.

The orange cat buried its head in its food without any hesitation, crunching happily as it chewed, its tail swishing back and forth and patting the little princess's knee.

Chengyang squatted down beside it, gently stroking the orange cat's back from head to tail with the most tender touch.

The warm afternoon sun shone down, casting long shadows of the person and the two cats.

Li Yinxun took out her phone and captured this happy moment.

"How about we buy a cat?" Li Yinxun put away her phone and casually suggested, "Pet stores have all kinds of breeds, and they're cuter than this fat orange cat."

The little princess immediately shook her head.

"I only want this one!"

Chengyang also shook her head, but for a different reason.

"Mother's health is not good. If we take care of her, she can't stay here often."

Empress Zhangsun had always had a weak trachea and was prone to coughing during the spring and autumn seasons. From a modern medical perspective, she was indeed not suitable for prolonged contact with shed pets. However, Chengyang was only five or six years old, yet he was able to remember such a thing.

Chengyang suddenly looked up and asked, "Are there any hairless cats?"

Li Yinxun's lips twitched. She personally didn't have a high acceptance of that variety, but since Chengyang had asked, she couldn't just lie to him. She honestly took out her phone and searched for a picture.

Yes, it looks like this.

The phone screen was turned around.

The little princess leaned over for a look, and the smile on her face instantly froze.

Chengyang tilted his head and looked for two seconds, then slowly frowned.

The two looked at each other and spoke in unison.

"It's so ugly."

Li Yinxun suppressed a laugh and put her phone back.

Well, hairless cats are out of the question too.

After finishing the dried fish, the orange cat slowly stood up, stretched, and pawed at the grass with its front paws.

Then it jumped onto the wall, barked twice at the yard, and disappeared over the wall in a flash.

The two little ones gazed wistfully toward the wall, their faces filled with reluctance.

Looking at the two pairs of disappointed eyes, Li Yinxun's heart softened. She walked to the grass, sat down, and hugged the two little girls tightly.

"Don't be sad," she said, kissing him on the left and right. "Fat Orange will come again tomorrow."

The little princess pouted, still unhappy.

Li Yinxun's eyes darted around, and she suddenly spoke.

"How about we buy some piglets to raise?"

The little princess was taken aback.

"piggy?"

"Yes, don't you remember? The small kind, all pink."

"I want to ride a pig!" The little princess's disappointment vanished, and she jumped up excitedly, "I want to ride a pig and fight the bad guys!"