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They were just chatting when a few more people came in. It was Xu Qiuniang and her husband returning home with their children.

“Wow, the house is really lively today.”

Xu Qiuniang entered the room carrying some pastries and scanned the room with a jubilant smile before landing her gaze on Jiang Jie. “So the Scholar is here, that explains it.”

Jiang Jie bowed respectfully to Xu Qiuniang, “Aunt.”

“Oh, there’s no need for formalities.” Xu Qiuniang pulled him up and called for her daughter, Qian Yu, “Yuyu, come say hello to your cousin.”

Qian Jin and Qian Yu stepped forward together, “Cousin.”

Jiang Jie paid respects to both, “Cousin, cousin.”

Xu Qiuniang laughed, “Look at you, Jie, becoming more and more like an adult. You seem even more mature than your cousin, one might mistake you as her older brother.”

Jiang Jie glanced at his fourteen-year-old cousin Qian Yu. She was a head taller than him, in what way did he look like her older brother?

Seeing this, Jiang Ji demonstrated some frustration and said to his son, “Jiang Jie, why don’t you go and find Jiang Wu.”

Jiang Jie readily said his goodbyes to his uncles. After greeting his uncle-in-law, Qian Jiu, at the door, he ran out.

Yingbao and her brother Jiang Wu were watching a group of kids playing outside. When they saw Jiang Jie run out, Yingbao asked in a low voice, “Why didn’t you stay for tea with them?”

“I’m too young to drink tea,” Jiang Jie remarked listlessly.

Xu Dan’s four-year-old daughter, Xinghua, ran over, gazing at them with wide eyes.

Yingbao took out a piece of wax gourd candy from her purse and gave it to her, asking, “Why are you not with your mother?”

Today was the second day of the new year, and Daniu should have taken his wife and child to visit his mother-in-law. However, Daniu and Xinghua were still at home for some reason.

Xinghua bit into the wax gourd candy and explained, “Dad brought me back, Mum’s staying at Grandma’s for dinner. She’s not coming back.”

It turns out, Daniu took his wife and daughter to his father-in-law’s house for the New Year’s celebration in the morning. Afterward, he brought his daughter back, while his wife stayed at her mother’s home for the holiday.

As they were talking, Xu Lan came out and called them to join the meal.

There were two tables set in the main room. Jiang Ji, his son, and his eldest brother-in-law, along with two uncles, in-laws, Qian Jiu, and nephew Xu Dan sat at one table.

Chunniang, Yingbao, Xu Qiuniang, her children, Xu Lan, Xu Erniu, Xu’s mother holding Xinghua sat at the other.

Xu’s sister-in-law was still busy in the kitchen and didn’t have time to sit down for the meal.

At the dinner table, Xu Qiuniang kept serving Yingbao food while asking with a smile, “Yingbao, is it true that the special shop in the county town is part of your dowry?”

Yingbao blinked and stuffed her mouth full of chicken, too busy to speak.

Xu Qiuniang then laughed and said to Chunniang, “Sister, why don’t our two families become even closer through marriage?”

Chunniang responded tersely, “The children are still young. Let’s not talk about such nonsense. Hurry up and eat.”

Xu Qiuniang seemed not to understand her sister’s refusal and then said to Yingbao, “Yingbao, what do you think of Qian Jin?”

When Yingbao glanced at Qian Jin, the sixteen or seventeen-year-old boy was covered in sweat. He was the spitting image of his father.

But it was not an issue of appearance, she simply did not have that kind of consideration in her mind.

Moreover, even if she had to find in-laws, there was no way she would end up with a family like Xu Qiuniang’s.

“Qiuniang!” Chunniang gritted her teeth and glared at her sister, “What nonsense are you talking about during the New Year?”

The old lady Xu was angry too, but she couldn’t let her two daughters quarrel during the New Year, so she had to pull Chunniang aside, indicating that she should tolerate it.

Yingbao swallowed the chicken in her mouth and said, “Mother, let’s go home after dinner.” She didn’t want to see Xu Qiuniang for a moment longer.

Chunniang nodded, “Okay.”

Xu Qiuniang’s face turned cold, but thinking of her future glory and wealth, she immediately put on a smile again, “Oh, sister, you’re really stingy, can’t even take a joke, let’s eat, let’s eat.”

Chunniang turned her head away, ignoring her, and moved all the piled-up dishes in her daughter’s plate into her own bowl.

The meal was somber and after Chunniang finished eating, she and her daughter returned to old lady Xu’s room.

The men were still drinking at their table, with Qian Jiu’s table-slapping noise heard from time to time.

Following her into the room, old lady Xu whispered to her eldest daughter, “Your sister is too used to saying whatever she pleases, why are you allowing her to anger you? Ignore whatever she says.”

Chunniang, “Mother, don’t you know? She’s the most selfish, who knows what disgusting things she might do in the future.”

She touched her daughter’s hair, her teeth clenched, “Dare to lay her hands on my Baobao, she must be blind!”

Old Lady Xu sighed and glanced at Yingbao secretly. Seeing that she had no expressions, her heart eased a little.

While she didn’t want her two daughters to be at odds, at this point, she needed to show her stance, or her eldest daughter would harbor discontent.

“Chunniang, I will talk to your sister later. What nonsense she spews in front of the child, can’t have outsiders hearing about it.”

Chunniang kept silent.

When Jiang Sanlang finally ended the banquet, he said he wanted to go home early.

So, Jiang Sanlang took Jiang Jie to visit their two maternal uncles, brought them New Year’s gifts, and said they had to go home because of some matters.

The uncles tried to retain him several times, but seeing that Jiang Sanlang was determined, they could only let him go.

After old lady Xu sent Chunniang and her family off, she called Qiuniang into the room, and started to scold her, “You are becoming more and more unreasonable! What nonsense were you talking about at the dinner table?”

Xu Qiuniang responded nonchalantly, “What did I say? A stray girl found from nowhere is more precious than a pearl? If Jiang Jie hadn’t been admitted as a scholar, I wouldn’t even bother to look at her.”

Old Lady Xu slapped her a few times in anger. But with Qiuniang’s winter clothing on, it didn’t really hurt.

“Mother, look how protective you are. Is my Jinjin inferior to a homeless girl? Who is your real blood relative, huh?” Qiuniang complained.

Old Lady Xu pushed her away angrily, “I don’t want to hear your nonsense. Go home right now.”

Xu Qiuniang huffed, “We shouldn’t even keep her. Mother, why don’t you suggest to my sister that Qian Yu could marry Jiang Jie? It’d be great to reinforce our familial ties.”

“Get lost!” Old Lady Xu picked up the broom and swung it at her daughter, “You’ve gone mad, daring to say such things! If I hear you saying such words again, don’t ever come to see me!”

···

On returning home, Chunniang got rid of her three children and quietly told her husband, “Sanlang, Baobao is eleven years old. We should really start looking out for a suitable match for her. Wei Zhan from Madame Wang’s family seems a good match, why don’t we······”

“Stop talking nonsense!” Jiang Sanlang frowned, “Baobao is only eleven, Erni is fifteen and we haven’t found a match for her yet. Why are you in such a hurry? Besides, since when do girls’ families run around finding sons-in-law? We won’t even consider these things until she’s fifteen.”

Chunniang sighed, “I don’t want Baobao to find her future family too early, but······” There are too many covetous people, and Baobao is too simple, not understanding how to avoid suspicion. If someone maneuvers against her, what will we do?

“We don’t need to worry about it.” Jiang Sanlang said, “Her master and Mr. Wen are watching. They won’t let Baobao be delayed.”