Before you know it, it's New Year's.

  This was Lin Di's last New Year in the Lin family, and it was an exceptionally lively one.

  The lady of the Lin family who went out of the house is back, and not only did Lin Xuan and Lin Huan return, but also the old lady of the Lin family, Mrs. Yang, came too.

  Mrs. Yang came with her daughter-in-law, grandson and granddaughter. Her several young grandchildren were playing together with Lin Daiyu and Lin Xiangru, betting on pebbles, losing would require someone to flick their nose, so at this time, the bridge of their noses was all red. As for Mrs. Yang, she chatted with Li Shi and Lin Huan along with two daughter-in-laws.

  The maid in the Qi's residence was entertaining the guests in the house, while Lin Niang was talking to Zhuang Shi on the other side.

  Lin Xiang finally found out she was pregnant half a month ago after five years of marriage. At this time, she grasped the hand of Zhuang Shi and said gratefully: "Third Aunt, I don't know how to thank you enough. If it weren't for your prescription, my husband and I might still not have known when we would have children."

  Zhuang said, "As long as you can give birth safely, it's fine even if this child is a girl. You can always have sons in the future. Besides, daughters are also lovable. This is also the fate between you and the child, not necessarily due to my prescription. Now that you're pregnant, you should comfort your mother instead. She was worried about you all along."

  Lin Xiang truly and sincerely said: "Yes."

  When it comes to the Qi family, Lin Xiang is deeply grateful. Her biological mother died early, and she grew up by Qi's side. Although she was a concubine, she never suffered any neglect or mistreatment. Later, when she got married, Qi again sent her to marry into her own aunt's family, where she never received any bullying from her younger sister-in-law.

  Like her, entering the door for five years without giving birth to a child, in other people's homes, she would have been forced to take a concubine or divorce, but Auntie had never put pressure on her. Sometimes when Wang Ye occasionally expressed dissatisfaction, Auntie would also help her turn around in front of Wang Ye. She was blessed with good fortune from her past life, and was able to be born into the Lin family, with Qi Shi as her mother-in-law.

  When Lin Daiyu and Lin Xiangling entered, they saw such a lively scene.

  Mrs. Yang saw them and beckoned them over, then took one of their hands in each of hers and identified them one by one: "You're Yuanyuan, you're Juanjuan."

  Lin Yan smiled and said: "I didn't expect Auntie's eyesight to be so good, she can actually recognize us at a glance."

  Mrs. Yang smiled and said, "Although I haven't seen you since you were young, you still look very familiar. You resemble your mother, and as for Yuanyuan...". She turned her head to glance at Li Shi and continued, "You look like your elder aunt."

  Li's laughter was clearly extremely delightful, and she said: "Everyone says that Yuanyuan looks like her mother, which means that she looks more like her maternal grandmother than me. You're the only one who can flatter me by saying she looks like me."

  Mrs. Yang said, "Elder sister, I'm not flattering you, Yuan looks really like you did when you were young, especially her eyes, they seem to be carved from the same mold as yours."

  Lin Yan also took a look at Li Shi and Lin Xiao, then seemed to have discovered a new continent, saying: "Auntie, you didn't say it, but now that I take a closer look, Yuan's eyes are really just like Grandma's. I said before that Yuan looks like Third Aunt, but the eyes and nose don't resemble her, turns out the eyes do resemble Grandma, and this high nose must be like Grandpa."

  Old Lady Yang pointed at Lin Daiyu and turned her head to say to Li Gongcai: "See, I didn't lie, did I?"

  Lin Xiao smiled and didn't say anything.

  Mrs. Yang pulled her over, smiling: "When I saw you before, you were just a little girl, and now you're almost ready to get married, time really flies." She took out a green pendant and a sheep's fat jade wrapped flower jade ring from her body, gave the jade ring to Lin Di, and gave the pendant to Lin Dai, saying: "These are what your aunt has been saving for you all these years."

  Lin Xia and Lin Yan thanked together.

  Old Lady Yang looked around and asked: "I remember you have a sister, how come I haven't seen her all this time?"

  Lin Xiao had been sulking and crying every day since her engagement to Zhao Lin was settled, as if being married to him was like pushing her into a fire pit. When the New Year arrived, she even claimed illness and refused to leave her room. Lin Ying didn't bother with her, saying that she might as well stay in bed, so as not to ruin the festive atmosphere with her gloomy face.

  Lin Yan rolled her eyes and smiled at Old Lady Yang, "Yao Niang is hiding in the house embroidering her trousseau. She's too embarrassed to come out now, she's shy."

  Mrs. Yang knew there was something fishy going on as soon as she heard it, but she didn't expose it either. She smiled and said to Lin Daiyu: "I've heard that you're also getting married next year, how come you don't know how to embroider?"

  Lin Daiyu said: "Auntie doesn't know, I'm a person who has no shame and no conscience, I don't even know how to write the word 'shame'." Everyone around her, including Li Shi, Lin Xuan and Yang Lao Furen, couldn't help but burst out laughing.

  Lin Xuan tapped her forehead with his finger and said, "Look at this, is this still a maiden's home?" He then added, "After the New Year, come to Auntie's house to stay for a few days."

  It turns out that Lin Yan is the daughter of Lin Huan's elder brother, and also the only flesh and blood left by her elder brother Lin Zhong. Among so many nephews and nieces, Lin Huan loves Lin Yan the most.

  Lin Yan rolled her eyes and said, "I'm not going. Your royal family has too many rules, I don't like it. Besides, I don't get along with your family's Qingyu Princess, so it's better if we don't run into each other again."

  Qīngyù Jùnzhǔ Xiāo Yù is the daughter of Wu's concubine, one year older than Lin Huan.

  Lin Huandao said: "Which time you fought with her, Auntie wasn't helping you."

  Lin Yan said: "Don't go there either, it's better for her not to report again and make it difficult for you, Auntie, to do things in front of the king."

  Lin Xuan knew her temperament and didn't force the issue again. He turned his head and said to Li Shi, "Speaking of which, our family has several marriages to attend to next year. After the New Year, it's Hua Niang's turn to get married, then in February it's Jian Niang, and in March, Yuan Yuan will marry the Emperor. As for Rong Niang and Cheng Gang's marriage, isn't it scheduled for May and June? These marriages are fortunate that our Lin family has some savings; if we were like other families who have already declined, these marriages would be enough to exhaust our family's resources."

  Yang's second wife, who had been standing beside Old Lady Yang without saying a word, smiled with pursed lips and said, "Isn't this proof that the Lin family is prosperous? If they didn't have many children and grandchildren, how could they have weddings one after another like this?"

  This remark hit Li's soft spot, as it turned out that among the Lin family of this generation, except for the eldest branch which only had Yiniang left, the second and third branches had many children, most of whom were also legitimate.

  Prosperity of descendants is a good thing for any family, and it's even more so for a martial general's household like theirs. They go to battle with father-son soldiers and fight tigers with brothers who rely on each other.