But when someone actually committed such a "heinous crime," Old Lady Lou was at a loss for words. Furthermore, the incident unfolded so quickly: from the moment she entered the ancestral hall carrying Tanxue to the moment she swaggered out, it took less than half an hour, leaving her no time to react.

And she remained calm, remaining well-behaved for the rest of the day, barely uttering a word. At the reunion dinner, she became the quietest of the three sisters, a perfect granddaughter.

Despite such a brazen act as breaking into the ancestral hall, he also forced his second uncle to call out the girl's name and perform ancestral sacrifices. Furthermore, according to Third Master Lou, Second Master Lou even chimed in, saying, "The second branch will be taking in a son-in-law in the future." Otherwise, his second uncle wouldn't have called out the name.

No girl has ever done such an outrageous thing. If it were a male relative, it would be easy. He could be spanked by the school or by the elders in the clan. If he went even further, he could be sent to the farm and confined for a few years to study.

Unfortunately, the second branch had just returned to Beijing, and judging by the couple's protective attitude, they couldn't be forced to punish Ling Shuang.

Old Lady Lou was momentarily stunned. She could only hold her ground and wait until the New Year was over.

In fact, upon returning home, Second Lady Lou and Second Master Lou had a closed-door argument. Second Lady Lou yelled, "It's all your fault!"

"She's become lawless!"

"You're just half-hearted. If you keep going like this, you'll get into big trouble sooner or later!"

Second Master Lou simply smiled gently, smoked a cigarette, and occasionally interjected, "It was already agreed upon. You can't blame her." This only made Second Lady Lou roar even more.

The four daughters listened from the outer room. Qingyun was overcome with worry, Xianyue was yawning with sleepiness, and only Tanxue, chewing on a candy figurine, asked, "You want me to marry a son-in-law, right?" This made Lingshuang laugh.

Actually, this couple had one good thing going for them: they didn't argue in front of the children. It was over in half an hour. The door opened, and Second Madam Lou emerged, though with a sullen expression, she had calmed down considerably. Seeing her four daughters looking at her pitifully, she called out, "Fourth Madam, get me a handkerchief! Look at how Tanxue is eating. She doesn't look like a lady from a wealthy family at all."

She carried Tanxue away, and everyone felt relieved.

Soon, Second Master Lou also emerged, his pipe in hand, still languid. Ling Shuang exchanged glances, and Second Master Lou winked at her. The two of them tacitly understood that this meant they had escaped a certain hardship.

By the time they went to the reunion dinner that evening, Second Master Lou was ready to joke about the incident. Second Madam Lou urged her daughters ahead, with Ling Shuang lagging behind. Second Master Lou leaned over and said, "There won't be an encore of this Po Tian Men, will there?"

"That's hard to say," Ling Shuang said, deliberately trying to scare him.

"My old bones can't handle a fight like this," Second Master Lou said with a laugh.

"Okay, then we won't be back for now."

Ling Shuang knew her father was forgiving, so she reached out and took his arm, saying, "Come, come, let me hold you. Tonight is my apology banquet. Please take a seat. I'll even stew a bowl of three-headed abalone for you."

"That's really a blessing."

Of all the family members, they were the most playful. They had already reached the main hall in the front yard where the reunion dinner was being served. Grandma Lou San's household was well-maintained, with bright lights and colorful decorations. The banquet was also well-prepared, with the men and women seated separately. On the stage, a play was playing about the story of Guo Ziyi, his seven sons and eight sons-in-law, and the festive atmosphere was very positive.

There were three tables for the women, one for the elders, all of whom were the oldest members of the clan. Old Madam Wang was the guest of honor, and soon the abalone was served, one bowl for each person. It was indeed stewed to perfection, tender and flavorful. Xianyue sat between Qingyun and Lingshuang, taking advantage of the noise outside, so no one could hear her, and jokingly said, "I'm afraid Mother can't eat much."

"Xianyue," Qingyun said, stopping her.

She felt it was her fault for Lingshuang's daytime mishaps, and she was worried about her being punished and the old lady getting angry, so she hadn't enjoyed the New Year's Eve dinner properly.

She had to change from her ancestral worship formals to her wedding attire when she arrived. She didn't like bright colors, and she was so busy trying to persuade Second Madam Lou while combing her hair that she hadn't paid attention to her jewelry. Xianyue didn't help her with that, so her outfit was just plain.

Sure enough, after dinner, before gathering in the warm room for the night watch, they heard Yuzhu and Bizhu chatting and laughing with a familiar female member of the clan. The woman glanced at Qingyun, and I could vaguely hear her say something like, "Nothing special." It was truly infuriating.

The old lady was old and afraid of the cold, and the heating in the warm room was always running hot. With so many people crowded together, it was hard to come out. Before Lingshuang began her night watch, she came out for some fresh air and heard someone call from inside, "Everyone, come in! The old ancestor is going to play drinking games."

She found Xianyue by the plum tree at the foot of the steps.

"What are you planning?" she said, seeing Xianyue gazing intently at the plum blossoms. "If you don't come in, you'll catch a cold. And your constant coughing is keeping me awake."

"Wait a moment, I'll show you something interesting soon." Xianyue smiled, leaning against the porch pillar.

"Waiting for what?" Lingshuang asked.

Xianyue only hushed, not answering her question. Instead, she pointed at a plum blossom on the tree and said, "Get that one down for me."

She pointed at a branch at the top of the tree. Lingshuang stepped directly onto the railing, reached out, and plucked it. Qingyun asked from behind, "What are you doing? Why haven't you come in yet? The old man's been calling for a long time."

"I'm coming, I'm coming."

Xianyue tucked the plum blossom into her hair, then took out a small mirror to look at herself. She smiled, took Qingyun's hand, and went inside with her.

As soon as they entered the warm room, Lingshuang guessed what she was up to.

At the reunion dinner, everyone had been eating and listening to opera, so they hadn't seen clearly.

The warm room was brightly lit and quiet. When the three of them entered together, the guests all turned their heads and looked at them, instantly distinguishing who was better.

Qingyun was actually the most dignified and elegant, but there's no such thing as having it both ways. Too much dignification can make a person look less graceful.

Besides, her makeup and hair were barely thoughtful this time, and being contrasted by a figure like Xianyue made her look even more awful.

Xianyue, with her slightly sickly beauty, wore a vibrant crimson, like rouge stained with frost and snow, indescribably pitiful and endearing.

Her hair hung low, and a red plum blossom was pinned to her side. She refused to hold it in place, and the plum blossom trembled, framing her petal-like lips and autumn-water eyes with a truly captivating expression.

Elegant and graceful beauty is most afraid of frivolity. She wore a phoenix hairpin inlaid with kingfisher feathers, its beak holding a pearl. It was the largest oriental pearl that Second Lady Lou had this year, about the size of a thumb. I wonder how she managed to have it set overnight. The pearl's brilliance was calm and understated, almost solemn, instantly captivating, and her entire person exuded a noble air.

With this contrast, she looked like a sword and a shield, and the sharper sword was always more eye-catching, instantly outshining Qingyun.

A woman who knew how to entertain immediately exclaimed, "Hello!" and said with a smile, "I've heard the second wife's daughter is wonderful, but I just didn't believe she's such a divine beauty. Come show me, auntie. It's Qingyun, right? I've heard..."

"I'm Xianyue," she corrected with a smile, walking over and bowing, "Hello, auntie."

Second Madam Lou hurried forward to offer her modesty.

The woman then smiled and praised her wonderful daughter, and the table erupted in excitement. The women pulled Xianyue aside, admiring her, and praising Qingyun and Lingshuang. Qingyun, a loyal and honest woman, didn't mind. She sat next to Old Madam Lou, watching Xianyue's attention, her eyes filled with delight.

Lingshuang, knowing Xianyue's ulterior motive, leaned in to examine her phoenix hairpin, deliberately asking, "Didn't you say you'd wear it on the Lantern Festival? Why are you wearing it now?"

"I'll give it to you on the Lantern Festival. I'm just wearing it for fun today," Xianyue said with a faint smile.

"If you like it, I'll give it to you. Why return it?" Second Madam Lou said.

Old Madam Lou said nothing, simply stroking Qingyun's hair. Qingyun, unaware of her meaning, simply smiled sweetly back at her.

It's no wonder the elders like her. She's so open and kind, so genuine. Ling Shuang felt that even at sixty, she wouldn't be able to resist such a smile.

The more scheming a person is, the more they appreciate Qingyun's intelligence and integrity.

As expected, Old Madam Lou whispered something in Jinxiu's ear. Jinxiu was a little surprised, but she nodded and left. A moment later, she returned with a rosewood box. Everyone knew it was New Year's money for the younger generation, so they didn't mind.

After a night of vigil until midnight, firecrackers were set off, and Tusu wine was drunk, everyone felt sleepy.

The old lady then sent the girls back to bed while she stayed behind to chat with a few of her sisters-in-law, with the daughters-in-law also waiting on her. She asked Jinxiu to carry a lantern and escort them back.

Jinxiu arrived, sat down, drank a cup of tea, and pulled a few red envelopes from her sleeve. She distributed them to the girls, wishing them "peace and prosperity, young ladies." They returned the favor, saying, "Peace and prosperity, Sister Jinxiu."

She also gave each of them a small box, presumably for jewelry, saying, "This is a small gift from the old lady, for you young ladies to enjoy."

"How can I be so embarrassed..." Qingyun evaded.

Jinxiu, however, pressed her small box heavily into her hand and said, "I heard the seafood arrived late this year, and the old lady was just worried the girls wouldn't have anything to wear."

Qingyun, sensing a reference to the abalone from the previous day, accepted it.

As soon as Jinxiu left, Tanxue couldn't help but unwrap it. It turned out to be a small agate hairpin carved with a small ox, exactly her zodiac sign.

Xianyue and Lingshuang both had gold hairpins engraved with words. Xianyue's read "Zhen Jing" and Lingshuang's "Zhen Shun," the implication of which was clear. Xianyue simply smiled, while Lingshuang bluntly said, "How annoying! Let's just melt them together."

Qingyun, on the other hand, had already opened her small box and let out a cry of surprise.

She was always reserved, so anything that surprised her had to be unusual, and it was indeed unexpected hough it was within the realm of both Xianyue and Lingshuang's expectations.

In the small, velvet-lined box, a large Dong pearl was embedded. Though slightly older than Xianyue's, it was significantly larger, and its radiance was even brighter and clearer, without a single flaw.

"See," Xianyue said with a smile, "I knew the old lady's coffers were full of goodies."

The Third House seemed to have heard something about Old Lady Lou's gift of the Great Dong Pearl to Qingyun. When Third Lady Lou came to deliver the monthly allowance that day, she said sourly, "Qingyun is so popular with Old Lady. Now she brings her with her to every visit."

Qingyun truly is so beloved by the elders.

On the third day of the Lunar New Year, New Year's greetings began with visits to relatives. Normally, one would choose to visit a few well-known people, but Qingyun was exhausted from the day, and as afternoon approached, she made a special trip south to the city to pay her respects to Old Lady Cui. The round trip took over an hour. It was a cold day, snowing heavily, and Old Lady Cui's door was deserted. She was surprised to see her, and pulled her aside, unsure how to entertain her. She also brought some gifts, saying, "My mother said Korean ginseng is gentle and is best for elderly people."

Since Old Madam Cui had no children or nephews, and the family had no future, there was no point in trying to curry favor with her. This made Qingyun's kindness all the more precious.

Qingyun didn't tell anyone else, but Old Madam Cui still praised her to Old Madam Lou, and had Madam Li personally come to the mansion to pay New Year's greetings and return the gifts. Even the calm housekeeper's wife praised Qingyun endlessly, saying she had never met a girl like her, gentle and generous, and truly well-educated.

In fact, this is true of all things in the world. Qingyun didn't have any special tricks to please the old lady; it was common sense. The old lady simply liked honesty, kindness, gentleness, and integrity, but it was so difficult to achieve. Therefore, the inability of everyone to do so made Qingyun so rare.

Even Old Lady Lou once let slip. In front of guests, she praised Qingyun, saying, "I can't believe your mother, who was so pushy and competitive, actually gave birth to such a calm daughter."

Qingyun laughed and said, "Grandma, we're even older than you. Actually, my mother and I are the same. All my good qualities were taught by her.

It's just that my mother is an adult, so she can't sit around like us kids.

She's just as filial to Grandma as I am. Grandma must love my mother just as much as she does me, but her age makes it harder to express. Otherwise, why would she be so kind to me?"

This statement was perfectly accurate, without disparaging Second Lady Lou, and it also addressed Old Lady Lou's point. Old Lady Lou was so pleased she didn't know what to do. She said in front of everyone, "Look at this child. How can anyone not like her?" The other old ladies, of course, agreed.