A few children and some half-grown ones followed behind Grandma Gu, Mrs. Yan and Mrs. Xu into the inner hall of the Tang family's women's quarters.

  "Old lady?" Entering the inner hall, Mrs. Yan looked at Grandma Gu and asked in a low voice.

  Old Mrs. Guo pushed her inside, "She's been fasting for a few days and doesn't see outsiders."

  "It's already past New Year's, how did you...get up here?" Madame Yan asked in surprise.

  Old Lady Gu smiled wryly, "You're not unaware of that old business, it's been a few years and it's time to stir up trouble again. Never mind, sit down."

  Mrs. Xu was confused, but didn't dare ask more questions, as listening too much is already a mistake, how could she still ask?

  Three people sat down, and the little girl put a few brocade cushions on the ground. Tang Jiaxuan, Li Wenfang, and Li Dong, the three elders, were busy greeting a group of younger ones who came forward to pay their respects.

  Mrs. Xü was meeting the three Tang siblings for the first time, and she hurriedly presented them with a gift. Gu Dà Niáng also gave Li Dong and the other two a gift. After exchanging gifts, Madame Yán beckoned to Tang Jiaxuan, "Xuān, come here and let me take a look at you. You've grown again, haven't you? As soon as I saw you walk in, I thought to myself, 'How is it that she looks even taller than her mother?'"

  "It's not just a matter of being tall, the tailor measured her in October and by December it was already too small. Winter is also 14 this year, isn't she?" Old Lady Gu continued with a smile.

  Mrs. Xu was about to take out a dress that Dong Jie had worn last year, but when she looked at it again this year, not one of them fit anymore. Just then, she suddenly remembered something the maid Haitang had said the night before: "This dress has been worn once already, how can you wear it out again?" The words were on her lips, but she swallowed them back down.

  "No, they're the same age. I remember that San Jie was born in March? Dong Jie was born in September, a few months younger..." Madam Xue didn't say anything, and Mrs. Yan hastily took over the conversation with a smile.

  Before he could finish his sentence, Tang Jia Yu and Li Wen Nan, who were sitting on adjacent beds, each grabbed a dish and started arguing.

  "I'll give it to my sister!" "I got it first!"

  "I'll go take a look." Tang Jiaxuan hastily replied and hurried over.

  Li Dong and Li Wenfang also followed in a hurry, Mrs. Xu wanted to get up, but was pressed down by Gu Dainai, "We don't care, let them make trouble, Nan Jie and Aiyu are like this, one moment they're fine, the next moment they start quarreling again."

  "Or else why would it be called a child's temper?" Madam Yan was also completely nonchalant, smiling as she picked up the sentence and lifted her tea cup.

  Mrs. Xü glanced at Li Xia who was sitting between the two of them and also smiled and nodded, following Mrs. Yán, she picked up her tea and took a sip.

  Tang Jiaxuan and Li Dong, Li Wenfang walked a few steps away, Tang Jiaxuan first blamed her sister, "Ayue let go quickly, you are the elder sister, look at what kind of appearance this is?"

  "Nan Jie, let go quickly, you have no discipline at all!" Li Wenfang also hurriedly scolded Li Wen Nan.

  However, it seems that Tang Jia Yu is the same as Li Wen Nan, both are the youngest and most spoiled in their families. They completely ignore the scolding of their two sisters and continue to stare at each other, refusing to back down.

  "I picked it up first!" "She's my sister!"

  Li Xia sat in the middle, looking at Tang Jia-yu's crooked teeth and Tang Jia-shan who was staring at Li Wen-nan with a straight face, then looked at Tang Jia-yu again and Li Wen-nan, stretched out her hand and grabbed several pieces of plum cake from the plate, "They're all mine!"

  Tang Jiaxuan burst out laughing and pointed at Li Xia, "Look, this one is the most formidable."

  "Ah Xia!" Li Dong suddenly became anxious.

  Li Wenfang couldn't help but laugh and nodded at Li Wennan, "See, Xia is still the best. What's the point of grabbing the disc?"

  "I just want to give it to Xia for eating!" Li Wen Nan slapped away Li Wen Fang's hand, explaining. Tang Jia Yu also hastily called out: "I am also taking it for Xia sister to eat! Xia sister you eat, all are for you."

  "It's all crushed like that, how can you eat it? A Xia quickly put it down, this dish can't be served, bring some water to wash your hands and change a plate." Tang Jiaxuan couldn't stop laughing as she gave orders one after another.

  Li Dong felt relieved, and poked Li Xia's forehead with his finger, both angry and amused.

  Next to a low table, Tang Jiaxian and Li Wenlan sat upright on either side of the armchair, with three small ones huddled together between them. Tang Jiaxian first pursed his lips, "For a piece of pastry, they're fighting like this, sigh!"

  "Exactly! Sigh!" Li Wenlan also sighed, snatching food was not elegant at all.

  "What book are you reading?" Tang Jiaxian looked at them for a moment, decided to ignore the three little brats, sat up straight and adjusted his clothes, and talked to Li Wenlan.

  "He has already started reading Spring and Autumn." Li Wenlan was somewhat complacent about his own talent for reading.

  "You've also read the Spring and Autumn Annals? Aren't you only eight years old?" Tang Jiaxian exclaimed in surprise.

  Li Wenlan nodded slightly more reservedly.

  "I also started reading Spring and Autumn at the age of eight." Tang Jiaxian shifted his gaze, looking at Li Wenlan's eyes, which were obviously much more intimate. "Now I'm reading Zuo Zhuan, and also Yi Jing, Yi Jing is quite difficult, have you started reading Guwen Guanzhi?"

  "Yes, sir had me recite a few pieces, sir said, let me combine history and raise, say what's easy, don't rush, is the Book of Changes difficult?" Li Wenlan looked at Tang Jiaxian, her eyes sparkling, also with an air of being in tune.

  "My father also said that, I don't like fortune-telling, but my father asked me to learn a bit about the Book of Changes. He said that learning fortune-telling can only be beneficial. In our family, whatever my father says is always right." Tang Jiaxian seemed to have some complaints about fortune-telling and the Book of Changes, and indirectly complained about his father in one sentence.

  Li Wenlan burst out laughing, "I don't like divination either. My father said our family doesn't do business, so it's okay if we don't learn divination. But I really want to learn the Book of Changes. My teacher says that among all the books, he likes the Book of Changes the most. My teacher is really interesting, he has been to many places and knows a lot of interesting things."

  "My husband is also very interesting..." Tang Jiaxian and Li Wenlan, the more they talked, the more they hit it off, the more excited they became.

  Next to them, Li Xia had already washed her hands, and Xiao Yazi had rearranged a few plates of snacks. However, Tang Jia Yu and Li Wen Nan, Li Xia, none of them ate the snacks anymore, they were all surrounding each other playing with sandbags.

  Tang Jia-shan and Li Dong, Li Wen-fang stood together, glancing at the three small ones while chatting idly about things like how exciting New Year's was in the capital, how Taiyuan Prefecture spent New Year's, hearing that Hangzhou Prefecture's lantern festival this year was even more lively than the capital, and... your little sister is so mischievous and lovable, my little sister is so lovable yet annoying...

  At noon, a banquet was laid out and after lunch, they chatted for a while before Madam Yan led Mrs. Xue and others to bid farewell to Grandma Gu.

  Tang Jia-shan and Li Dong reluctantly said their goodbyes, Tang Jia-xian packed a large box of books to give to Li Wen-lan, and promised to write often. Tang Jia-yu was the most straightforward, holding one hand of Li Wen-nan and the other of Li Xia, first welling up with tears before bursting into loud sobs.

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