It is just the time when spring wind is sharp.

  Lin Daiyu walked in from outside, having already shed her thick winter clothes and changed into a spring outfit. She wore a light silk blouse with apricot-yellow embroidery of a hundred willows, paired with twelve pleats of lotus-patterned skirt in pale green, her slender figure standing tall and elegant.

  The gentle breeze blows at thirteen, and the bean sprouts grow on the second day of the second month.

  After turning thirteen, Lin Yi's appearance has been constantly changing. From returning to the capital until now, it seems that she has changed into a completely different person. Her height increased by half an inch, and her chest, like a small steamed bun, gradually rose up, already showing the elegant demeanor of a grown woman.

  Lin Xiao looked at Mrs. Zhuang lying on the chaise longue in the center of the room and walked over with a smile: "Grandma, it's time to take your medicine."

  The old lady was snoring loudly, as if she were sleeping very soundly.

  Lin Xiao put the tray on the low table and said with her back to Old Lady Zhuang, "Grandmother, it's no use pretending to be asleep."

  The old lady continued to snore loudly.

  Lin Xiao picked up the medicine bowl, inside was a brownish medicinal liquid, still emitting hot air.

  Lin Xiao looked at Old Lady Zhuang and continued to smile: "If my grandmother doesn't open her eyes again, I'll tell my mother that she hid the wine under the Osmanthus tree in front of the courtyard."

  The humming noise stopped immediately. The old lady of the village opened one eye, while keeping the other closed, and secretly looked at Lin Xiao.

  Lin Xiao raised the medicine bowl in her hand and smiled slightly.

  The old lady finally opened her eyes and said discontentedly to Lin Xiao: "Yuanyuan, you are becoming more and more unlovable."

  Lin Xiao stuffed the medicine bowl into Old Lady Zhuang's hands and smiled: "After you finish drinking the medicine, I'll immediately show it to you."

  The old lady had no choice but to drink the medicine, and as soon as she finished, she stuck out her tongue and frowned, saying: "It's so bitter, it's killing me! Which murderous doctor prescribed this medicine? I'll make him drink ten bowls of it..."

  Lin Xiao took the empty bowl from her hand and placed it on the small table, then used a handkerchief to wipe away the medicinal liquid stuck at the corner of her mouth, coaxing her: "Good medicine is bitter in the mouth, good medicine is bitter in the mouth......"

  Lin Xuan poked her head in from outside, rolled her eyes around, then ran to the front of Zhuang Old Madam and Lin Dai with a red wooden box in her hands, saying: "Grandma, there's honeyed fruit here, I'll give it to you to eat."

  The old lady smiled and patted her head, saying: "Yu Yu is still obedient."

  Lin Xiang happily smiled and personally opened the box, took out a piece of candied fruit and handed it to Old Lady Zhuang's mouth, saying: "Grandmother, eat."

  The old lady smiled and nodded repeatedly, then ate the candied fruit with her hands.

  As soon as the candied fruit entered her mouth, Mrs. Zhuang frowned: "Bitter?"

  Lin Xuan covered her mouth and giggled, her face full of mischievous triumph.

  Madam Zhuang deliberately frowned at her and said: "Youxiao Yu, you are even more disobedient than your elder sister."

  "Young Jade, you're teasing your grandmother again." Lin Xiang scolded.

  She pulled the quilt for Mrs. Zhuang, and said: "Okay, grandma, rest well, this medicine is to induce sweating, when the sweat comes out, grandma's wind and cold will be gone, I and Youyu won't disturb your rest." She brought up the medicine bowl and called Youyu to go out together.

  Lin Xian couldn't stay still and threw down her sister before skipping and jumping out.

  Madam Zhuang called out from behind, beckoning Lin Yu to come over: "Yuanyuan, come here, come here."

  Lin Xiao put down the medicine bowl and walked back to Old Lady Zhuang's side, calling out: "Grandmother."

  The old lady of the village took out a purple sandalwood box from under her body and handed it to Lin Daiyu, saying: "This is for you."

  Lin Yun also ran back from outside and saw the box in Lin Xiao's hand, pouting her mouth discontentedly: "Grandma, you secretly gave my sister good things again."

  The old lady looked left and right, then turned around and said, "Who gave it?"

  Lin Xuan stretched out a pair of hands and said to Old Lady Zhuang: "I want some too, Grandmother can't be partial."

  "Nothing's left, it all went to your sister."

  Lin Xiang said: "I don't believe it, grandma must have some left. My sister has some, and I want some too. If grandma doesn't give me any, I'll tell mom that you secretly hid the wine under the tree outside."

  The old lady patted her little head and scolded with a smile: "You little girl, how can't you bear to lose?" And then said: "Wait until you grow up and get married before giving it to you."

  Lin Xiang thought for a moment that she would have to wait a long time to grow up and get married like her sister, so she disagreed: "No way, I want it now."

  "The old lady said: 'No'."

  "Then I'll tell Mother about it, Grandma's wine..."

  Old Lady Zhuang also said: "Then I'll tell your mother too, you drank my wine last time."

  Lin Xiao looked at them and smiled with pursed lips.

  She opened the box and took a look inside, it was full of jewelry. The quality all looked very good.

  Lin Dai picked up a bangle and examined it, saying: "These don't look like things from our dynasty." Holding it up to the light to examine the mark on the inner ring, she added: "It looks like something from the imperial palace of the previous dynasty." The mark on top was indeed the hallmark of the previous dynasty's imperial workshop.

  "This was given to me by your great-uncle back then. That old mountain bandit, who knows where he robbed these good things from? I've been keeping them and couldn't bear to part with them, now I'm giving them to you as dowry."

  The emperors of this dynasty did not taboo the previous dynasty, and these things were not considered contraband.

  Lin Xiao closed the box and smiled at Old Lady Zhuang: "Then I'll keep it, and pass it on to my children in the future."

  The old lady nodded and leaned back in her recliner with some fatigue, asking again: "When is the big wedding?"

  "In seven days."

  "After becoming a married couple, live a good life with the emperor, treat your husband well and let him like you. Then have several more children. Although he is an emperor, he is also a man. If you treat him well, he will see your goodness. Don't think that making him like you is unfair to your aunt; your aunt is dead, but you are still alive, and you need to live your life. There's no reason for the living to suffer for the dead."

  Lin Yan said: "Grandma, I know what to do."

  The old lady sighed and continued: "Yuanyuan, you are very good and kind-hearted. If you were married outside, your grandmother wouldn't worry that you would have a bad life. But since it's the imperial palace, your grandmother is afraid that in the future, for the sake of the Lin family and the crown prince, you will compromise yourself too much."

  "Grandma, I'm not someone who likes to suffer losses or be taken advantage of. My parents and grandfather wouldn't let me be treated unfairly either."

  Madam Zhuang thought to herself, if it's really that she can't bear to let her suffer injustice, then why would she send her into the palace. In the end, weighing the fate of the family and Yuanyuan, Yuanyuan is still the one who gets sacrificed. This kind of thing, no matter what kind of family you're born into, you can't escape it.