My Wife is Unbeatable in the Whole World, Touch Me If You Dare! Chapter 20: Breaking the Siege

Li Nuo's gaze beca slightly focused.

His wife had initially prepared a pair of Jade Ruyi, but now they had turned into two rocks.

Soone had replaced their longevity gift!

His first reaction was to glance at the maid who had just left; her expression was normal, and it likely wasn't her. As a servant of the Song family, she wouldn't dare to do such a thing.

At this mont, the focus was not on who had replaced the gift.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on them now, waiting for the couple to step forward and offer their birthday greetings. If they really presented these two rocks, not only would they lose face, it would also ruin Old Lady's birthday celebration, leading to even more severe consequences.

Song Jiaren also seed to realize this. Even her usually calm and neutral face showed a hint of helplessness.

Li Nuo's brain raced, thinking about how to navigate this predicant. With everyone's eyes on them, there was definitely no ti to prepare another gift. Perhaps he should go up and perform a talent?

But his talents were few and all taken from others; he couldn't possibly go up and perform hair combing or playing shuttlecock for the Old Lady...

If absolutely necessary, performing fancy shuttlecock kicks would not be impossible. In fact, at that mont, he had already choreographed a whole routine in his mind. As he turned around intending to borrow Mumu's shuttlecock, his gaze swept over Song Qian's scholarly husband, and suddenly a flash of inspiration struck him...

Just as Song Jiaren felt at a loss, her hand was suddenly grasped.

Li Nuo, holding Song Jiaren's hand, walked up to the Old Lady and said with a smile, "Jiaren and I also have a poem to present to the Old Lady, wishing you everlasting longevity with prosperous grass and extended years with the pine and crane…"

"A poem?"

The guests murmured, slightly stunned.

After all, the beautiful woman already held the gift in her hand, while her foolish husband unexpectedly offered a poem, leaving everyone puzzled.

However, that was less surprising than the realization that the most famous fool in Chang'an didn't seem so foolish after all. He wasn't drooling or laughing stupidly; his speech was fluent, and his diction clear, almost indistinguishable from a normal person.

His looks were outstanding as well, and leaving aside his intellect and just considering his face standing next to the proud daughter of the Song family, they indeed matched well.

"A poem?"

The Song family gasped in shock upon hearing this.

They were well-aware of their daughter's capabilities. Although Jiaren had an exceptional talent in Martial Path, she had never been fond of studying since childhood, and barely knew many characters, let alone composing poetry. Li Nuo's folly was well-known in Chang'an; the thought of them composing any poetry together seed doubly implausible.

In that respect, they truly were well-matched.

Being able to compose, "May the lush grass around your gate forever bring fortune, and may your joy herald a banquet of brilliance. From today, let the spring breeze share your laugh, now styled as an immortal of longevity among n…" — These lines seed beyond the couple's grasp even in eight hundred years.

Could it be that Li Xuanjing had taught them?

If the poem was composed by Li Xuanjing, that would explain everything.

At that mont, the Song family felt extrely anxious, not due to a lack of trust in Li Xuanjing, but because they didn't trust Li Nuo. Even if the poem was by Li Xuanjing, there was no guarantee that his foolish son could recite it correctly.

It was Old Lady's sixtieth birthday, an event long in preparation by the Song family — they couldn't afford any mistakes.

Song Jiaren also felt utterly perplexed at the mont, but all she could do was stand quietly beside Li Nuo.

Li Nuo smiled at Old Mrs. Song and began reciting with his magnetic voice, "Planted at the gate, the five blessings complete, ever cherish the first joy at festive banquets. From today onwards settle the spring's laughter, and just beco the immortal of longevity among n."

As a student of liberal arts and out of interest, Li Nuo had so knowledge of ancient poetry.

He could recite so classic masterpieces that had been handed down through the ages.

However, longevity poems were an extrely niche category. Li Nuo only rembered one,

and strictly speaking, it was half of one.

The poem he recited had so content between the first two lines and the last two lines missing. He could not rember it and had to piece together the remaining lines into a quatrain. He even forgot the poet's na, vaguely recalling that it seed to be surnad Li.

He muttered to himself, "We're all from the Li family, help out, ergency rescue…"

Upon hearing Li Nuo finish the poem, the Song family finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Thank goodness, he had not made a mistake.

Whether the poem was good or not, they were not sure, but it sounded quite nice, especially the last line — "From today onwards settle the spring's laughter, and just beco the immortal of longevity among n." The words "spring" and "longevity," accompanied by both laughter and immortality, sounded most auspicious…

Indeed, worthy of Li Xuanjing. Even those who didn't understand poetry could tell that this must be a fine poem.

At the sa ti, the guests of the Song family thought the sa.

Especially those who knew poetry imdiately felt the difference between this poem and the one Song Qian's husband had recited.

The first two lines depicted the scene of the birthday banquet, and the last two spread out the blessings, with a clear the and distinct logic, especially the blessings in the last two lines, which were catchy and heartfelt, likely to beco a famous line to be passed down through generations…

Truly worthy of Li Xuanjing!

Soone couldn't help but speak up.

"What a fine poem, a fine poem!"

"From today onwards settle the spring's laughter, and just beco the immortal of longevity among n. If I'm not mistaken, this longevity poem is set to be celebrated through the ages…"

…

Although the Song family could tell the poem was quite decent, they never expected that several guests learned in Confucian teachings would rate it so highly, even to the extent of being celebrated through the ages.

Life is but a few decades, a pursuit of re fa and fortune; who doesn't want to be celebrated through the ages?

"So it seems, the most valuable gift at Old Lady Song's birthday banquet is actually this poem?"

At that mont, everyone's gaze toward Li Nuo and Song Jiaren underwent so subtle changes.

Li Nuo was not worried about the content of the poem.

Words written by the ancients, able to be passed down for hundreds or thousands of years and witnessed by a modern person like himself, were naturally of verified quality.

Clearly, among the guests of the Song family, there were connoisseurs.

The crisis was averted, and Li Nuo thanked the elder from the Li family, ready to pull Song Jiaren away when suddenly soone spoke up, "Just offering a poem to your grandmother?"

Li Nuo turned his head, and saw that the speaker was a lady nad Song Qian.

She was the daughter of Song Jiaren's second uncle, Song Lian, and Song Jiaren's cousin.

Upon hearing this, the expressions of the Song family mbers all changed.

Song Lian even wished he could sew his daughter's mouth shut.

A fool who managed to recite a whole poem without disrupting Old Lady's birthday banquet was already a blessing; yet she had to make things difficult for him, was the banquet going too smoothly for her taste?

Old Mrs. Song chuckled and covered for Li Nuo and Song Jiaren, "They are family, one gift is enough. I really liked this poem. Here, take this pair of pearls, I hope you cherish each other and live happily."

Smiling, she took out the pearls that Song Jin and his wife had gifted, placing one in Li Nuo's hand and the other in Song Jiaren's.

Song Lian sighed in relief.

It seed Old Lady truly appreciated this gift, tonight, they were the first among the younger generation to receive a reciprocal gift from Old Lady.

Seeing how the grandmother protected Song Jiaren, Song Qian pouted and whispered, "They are family, others are too, why should they be special..."

Song Qian felt extrely resentful.

Before Jiaren was born, she was the darling of Song Residence.

Everyone doted on her and pampered her.

But after Jiaren was born, especially once her astonishing talent for the Martial Path was revealed, she beca the absolute center of attention wherever she went.

Speaking of Miss Song, people would only think of Song Jiaren, no one knew her, Song Qian.

Thus, she had disliked her cousin from a young age.

The only consolation for her was that she married a good husband, whereas Song Jiaren ended up with a fool. Only by thinking of this could she feel better.

Until tonight, seeing Song Jiaren and her husband stealing the show at the grandmother's banquet, the bitterness in Song Qian's heart surged again, prompting her to murmur under her breath.

Although Song Qian's voice was low, the people around still heard it.

The atmosphere in the hall beca sowhat awkward.

Song Lian's face turned iron blue, but in such a public setting, he could not scold his daughter without worsening the atmosphere of the birthday banquet.

As the awkward atmosphere began to spread, Li Nuo cleared his throat and said, "Actually, that poem was made by Jiaren. I have another poem to offer to the Old Lady..."

The Song family mbers glanced at Song Jiaren skeptically, not believing the first half of Li Nuo's statent.

Jiaren composing a poem was as plausible as the sun rising from the west.

Could it be that Li Xuanjing had anticipated this situation and thus prepared two poems?

Strictly speaking, Li Nuo knew two birthday poems.

This second poem, more famous than the first, had a particular risk of causing Old Lady a brain hemorrhage, so Li Nuo had initially dismissed it but was now compelled to present it.

Old Mrs. Song looked kindly at Li Nuo and said, "I would like to hear it..."

Li Nuo smiled broadly and said, "Old Mrs. Song is not a person..."

Old Mrs. Song's smile froze on her face, the guests in the hall stood stunned, and the faces of the Song family mbers turned pale.

Damn it, the Old Lady's birthday banquet was still disrupted by this fool!

Song Lian was visibly angry, cursing his own daughter for that unnecessary remark!

Before the Song family could react, Li Nuo pointed to the 'Yao Pond Holy Mother Birthday Painting' hanging on the wall and continued, "The Holy Mother from Yao Pond descends to the mortal realm."

Old Mrs. Song paused for a mont, then her face brightened with a radiant smile.

The Holy Mother from Yao Pond was the foremost among female fairies, not a person, so this statent was not an insult but a complint that perfectly catered to her.

The Song family mbers also breathed a sigh of relief; it turned out this fool actually knew how to complint. Old Lady was a devout follower of the Holy Mother from Yao Pond, and this flattery was spot-on.

However, before they could catch their breath, Li Nuo stretched out his hand toward Song Yu in the crowd and said, "Each of the descendants is a thief."

Song Yu was montarily stunned, then anger appeared on his face; this damn fool had first called him a dog and now a thief, it was unbearable. He rushed forward, intending to drag him away first—this fool dared to disrupt Old Lady's banquet, let's see who would protect him now!

Li Nuo then pointed to the Longevity Peach that Song Yu had just presented and said, "Stolen the Flat Peach for the dearest kin."

Watching Song Yu approach with fury, Li Nuo wore a puzzled expression.

The gaze of others also turned toward Song Yu.

Song Yu's anger lted away in an instant, replaced by a concerned expression. He reached out to straighten Li Nuo's collar and turned to Song Jiaren, saying, "Jiaren, you really should pay more attention. Your brother-in-law's collar is askew, and you don't even help him adjust it..."