This time, Xia Erniang's face turned black, and in May, it was a big red face. Xia Erniang immediately stopped working, although because Tian Laibao was in the house, she didn't point fingers, but her usual loud voice came out: "Sister-in-law, who are you listening to? I have to clarify this for the child. Someone wanted to marry our family, we were unwilling, and his grandfather forced us to take May to see him. May didn't want to go either, but there was no way. It's not that we looked down on that family, they actually fancied our May!"

  "Sister-in-law, this concerns your niece's lifelong matter. Others haven't even spoken yet, but you, as the elder brother's wife, have already started making arrangements!"

  Xia Er Shu and Tian Shi exchanged glances, as if sparks were flying everywhere, ready to ignite at any moment.

  That's the friendship and affection between sisters-in-law.

  Xia Zhi secretly gave a signal to Xiao Hei Yu behind Tian Shi's back. Xiao Hei Yu was waiting for this, he pulled Tian Lai Bao down from the kang together, then called out to Xia Zhi: "Let's go, let's have some fun."

  Tian Lai Bao quickly glanced at Xia Zhi, while being pulled by Xiao Hei Yu towards the outside, and politely bid farewell to Tian Shi. "… Disturbing Auntie, I'll come visit Auntie again."

  "Ah, ah." Mr. Tian repeatedly responded and sent Tian Lai Bao out. Xia Er Shu and her family had all arrived, so even if she was reluctant to part with him, she couldn't continue keeping Tian Lai Bao anymore. "Xia Zhi, Xiao Shu Er, you two take good care of your uncle and play with Lai Bao. Da Qiao, go keep an eye on them, don't let Lai Bao get hurt."

  Xia Er Aunt also came out, she couldn't bear the enthusiastic look of Tian Shi. Tian Shi saw off the children from afar before turning around. When facing Xia Er Aunt, the enthusiasm and smile on Tian Shi's face disappeared without a trace.

  In May, she was scolded by Mrs. Tian in person, and when she saw Tian Lai Bao leave, she turned around and went home. Around July, she took a look and left too. Xia Zhu and Xia Yang didn't leave, they stayed with Xia Er Shu and followed Mrs. Tian into the house.

  Both children saw the food on the kang table and, after entering the house, they looked at the table with eager eyes, especially Xiaoyang, whose mouth was watering. If it were usual, Tian Shi would have given each of the two children a handful of food, but today she was angry with Xia Erpo's wife.

  "Second Aunt, you sit down yourself, I'm busy and can't entertain you." Tian Shi said politely while quickly putting away the food on the table into the cabinet.

  "Hey, you kid are so greedy. That's your aunt's thing, go ask her yourself." Xia Erniang pushed Xia Yang, who was drooling, towards Tian Shi.

  Xia Yang looked up at Tian Shi with her face raised.

  Tian's family was very ruthless, she collected the things by herself and said: "Hey, Xiaoyang is still young, these things are not for you to eat."

  She also removed the kang table and cushions while saying this.

  Xia Er Aunt sat on a cushion, Tian Shi didn't show her any courtesy and directly pulled the cushion away. Her movements were quite fierce, anyone could see that she was angry. If it were someone else, they would have immediately stormed off, but Xia Er Aunt didn't take it to heart, her face was thick-skinned as usual.

  Tian's wife finished collecting the things and saw Xia Erniang sitting on the kang, so she sat down beside her. The two sisters-in-law exchanged a glance and then looked away from each other.

  "Sister-in-law, you've put on powder today, no wonder you smell so fragrant. You're really different from the wives of our village households. But I think you look a bit worn out. Sister-in-law, wasn't it exhausting for you at Xiao Wang's village? It's good that you can come back. If you really work for a whole month, this person will be exhausted to death! Scholar's wife goes to pick vegetables, ah, this is truly remarkable!"

  Tian coldly sneered, "I went to work and harvest vegetables. I didn't let the old master scold me like a dog with blood on its head. He's never even fooled around with my little daughter, making her kowtow and apologize, and doesn't know how many times she's accompanied him. If it were me, this face would be worthless."

  Two people were at odds with each other, both hitting each other's weak spots, and in the end, they were evenly matched.

  After a pause, Xia Erniang raised her wrist and smiled at Tian Shi, showing off the gold bangle she was wearing. "My niece from my mother's side gave it to me." Then she went on to talk about how wealthy and noble Juanzi was and how good she was to her. "The style of this bangle is not available in Linshui Town, only in the prefectural city. Eldest sister, you must have seen better ones than this."

  Tian's wrist was only adorned with a thin silver bangle worth about two cents. She was somewhat dazzled by Xia Erniang's gold bangle and felt a sour taste in her heart, so she forced a smile and pretended to be nonchalant.

  Xia Er Aunt specially stretched out her wrist in front of her.

  Tian's face smiled but his heart didn't: "Is it really gold? Won't it be fake?"

  Xia Er Aunt refused to give up, insisting that Tian Shi take a good look at her bangle: "What's going on? It's pure gold. Eldest Sister, if you don't know the goods, then don't pretend to be an expert."

  Tian's family couldn't avoid Xia Ershen, so she had to endure the heartache and take a closer look. This glance really revealed some clues. "This isn't pure gold, this is gilded!" She grasped Xia Ershen's wrist and took another close look, then burst out laughing. "It's gilded, probably with white copper inside."

  Tian's family may not be wealthy, but she used to wear gold jewelry, and to be honest, she knows more about these things than Xia Erniang does.

  Xia Er Aunt saw Tian Shi's determined appearance, she felt a little guilty, but still maintained her composure on the surface. She forcefully pulled back her own hand: "Elder sister, you yourself have nothing good, yet you can't bear to see me having something good. You let Jin Fen say that what is not gold is gold. You just can't bear to see others being good. I won't talk to you anymore." She stood up and was about to leave.

  Tian's family couldn't just let her leave like that: "Second Aunt, you don't believe me, go to the gold shop in town and ask them to take a look. Listen to what they say. That's gilding, I reckon it's not even as valuable as this bracelet of mine!"

  Xia Er Aunt couldn't get the better of Tian Shi, so she slammed the door and left.

  Xia Zhu and Xia Yang also followed them out. Tian Shi's face sank as she called out to Xia Zhu: "Er Zhu, I heard that you've been speaking ill of your fourth sister? And you even hit your younger brother Xiao Shu?"

  "I don't have it." Xia Zhu ran away in a puff of smoke and didn't care that Xia Yang was anxiously stumbling over the threshold behind him.

  Tian's face sank, and he muttered in a low voice: "The Lao Xia family has never had a good person!"

  ……

  At the same time, Xia Ershen was also scolding in the east wing of the backyard.

  "Xinlang, apart from her husband's family, she doesn't care about anyone else. Usually, what she says to us in May and July is all good, but when something happens, her true face is revealed. It's also expected, if she treats her own daughter like that, how can she be good to May and July? It's just superficial politeness, we're the ones who are sincere, but were deceived."

  Tian Shi and Xia Er Shu were quite good, treating Wu Yue and Qi Yue better than Xia Zhi, and always saying that the two sisters were stronger than Xia Zhi. In addition, Tian Shi was also on good terms with Xia Zhu and Xia Yang.

  It was the first time Tian had turned against several of his children.

  May is still blushing now, she was obviously hit hard. To say that her face is not thick, but who made the one who said it Tian Shi? In May's heart, Tian Shi has always been a kind and loving aunt. She coquettishly says a few words, and Tian Shi can scold Xia Zhi for a while. Tian Shi even personally told her that she looks at her more than Xia Zhi.

  "That's a ruthless and unscrupulous person!" Xia Ershu sat on the stool, drooping his eyelids as he commented. "You're all cunning, you and your family put together are not a match for others."

  Xia Er Aunt was not convinced. "After all, it's because they have the confidence. If you were a scholar, I would be even better than her." Then she started talking about how Tian Shi dressed and decorated her house today, and brought out so many dishes to entertain Tian Lai Bao. "We should invite Young Master Tian Lai Bao, we can put on such a show!"

  Xia Er Shu didn't like to hear such words. "Don't say such useless things from now on. You look down on me, you can leave now and find someone better. Who knows who looks down on whom!"

  Xia Er Aunt was suddenly speechless.

  "Dad and mom, what's the point of arguing now? Let's talk about something serious." May wiped away her tears and reminded them.

  "We told our aunt everything, why didn't she take the 16th?" July has been puzzled about this matter.

  "Normally, no matter what we say, as long as we utter a single sentence, she can scold us for sixteen rounds. This time it's not working." Xia Erniu also sighed.

  "Hmph," Xia Ershu sneered, "Tian Laiji now treasures sixteen as a treasure, but can't bear to clean up sixteen. Haven't you figured it out yet?!"

  The Tian family's intentions, they certainly saw through them, which is why they were especially furious.

  "We can't compete with others." Xia Erniu sighed, while touching the bangle on her wrist, and wondered if it was really made of pure gold. Should she go to the gold shop in town next time to ask?

  "I don't believe I can beat sixteen." May raised her head and said with a bite of her lip. She still had Tian Lai Bao on her mind.

  Xia Ershu and his wife looked at their two daughters. If they were to compare ages, naturally it would be July. But July was far less clever and resourceful than May. "A girl should be married off by the time she's 16, otherwise let May try." Xia Ershu said as much.

  "Tian Lai Bao is about to return to the city." Xia Zhu said with a smile.

  Everyone looked at him.

  "Just now I heard it under my grandfather's window. Tian Lai Bao said it himself. He also said he didn't want to leave, his parents would come to pick him up in two days."

  "We must seize the opportunity."

  "There's no chance at home."

  "Then go to their doorstep."

  The whole family gathered together and chattered for half a day, but I don't know what agreement they reached.

  ……

  At noon, Xia Zhi returned home and was summoned by Tian Shi to come over. In front of Tian Shi were two pieces of flowered fabric, which she was examining back and forth, seemingly unable to decide between them. "Xia Shi, take a look at these two fabrics, which one do you fancy?"

  "I'm all for it." Xia Zhi's mind was elsewhere.

  "I think this red one is better, it suits your fair skin. You're sixteen, you have a fair complexion and don't get tanned easily, just like me." Madam Tian said as she unfolded the piece of red flowered cloth and held it up against Xia Zhi's body for comparison.

  Is this for her to make clothes? Xia Zhi was shocked. In her memory, she had never worn new clothes before. Her clothes were all old clothes from other family members that had been altered, and they didn't fit well, being loose and large, planned so that she could still wear them in three to five years when she grew up.

  "You're not young anymore, it's time to wear a skirt." After measuring, Mrs. Tian took out a stone pen and drew on the flower cloth, really planning to make a skirt for Xia Zhi.

  The eyelid of Xia Zhi jumped. "Mother, what I'm wearing now is good enough. You can keep this fabric and make clothes for my two cousins." There was no other meaning in her words, but when they reached Tian Shi's ears, it didn't sound that way at all.

  Tian raised his eyes quickly and carefully examined Xia Zhi, not seeing any emotions such as resentment on Xia Zhi's face. Tian secretly let out a sigh of relief. "Sixteen, do you hate me? Why can't you be more understanding?"

  "Da Ya and Er Ya's life is so bitter. They are your own cousins. We live better than them in every way! Your heart is so hard! At sixteen, you should be kind-hearted and not forget your roots... Your grandparents are old, your uncle can't do heavy work..."

  These words are old news, and Xia Zhi's ears have already heard them so many times that they've become numb.

  "Mother, I'm just listening to you. Don't make this skirt for me, I'm not used to wearing skirts yet. Make it for my two older female cousins instead."

  Tian's eyebrows furrowed, and she felt a sense of doubt in her heart. She always thought that Xia Zhi's words didn't quite add up, as even when Xia Zhi was being the most honest, she would still pout and get angry. When did she become so "understanding and reasonable"? But no matter how Tian looked at Xia Zhi, she couldn't find anything out of the ordinary.

  "Your cousin and the others can wait a bit, I'll do yours first. My daughter will definitely look better than May and July once she's all dressed up!" Mrs. Tian lowered her head to continue drawing lines, then picked up scissors to cut the fabric.

  So that's how it is, Xia Zhi slightly raised an eyebrow. Tian Shi making her new clothes wasn't a motherly conscience awakening, but rather to let her compete with Wu Yue and Qi Yue. She had no interest in this whatsoever, turned around and headed towards the west wing.

  In the afternoon of the summer solstice, she took a nap and got up to see Tian Shi mending her skirt. Without saying anything to Tian Shi, she brought her needle and thread to the backyard. In the afternoon, she said that she would make lotus bags with Lao Tai Tai and La Yue together.

  The backyard was quiet, and Old Man Xia took Little Hei to visit the neighbors. Only Old Lady Xia was left in the house. Everyone felt stifled inside, so they moved their stools to the shaded area under the west wing to do some needlework.

  There was no movement in the east wing, Xia Zhi raised his head and took a look, then asked Dou Yue with his eyes.

  "After lunch, they all went out and didn't know where they went." Because the east wing was empty, Lao Yue didn't deliberately lower his voice. Xia Ershu and Xia Erniang loved to visit neighbors, and when it wasn't a busy farming season, this couple could spend a whole day outside except for meals.

  "My mother said that Second Aunt's gold bangle is not pure gold, it's just plated with a layer of gold, and the bottom should be copper." Xia Zhi then spread some new gossip. This was still something Tian Shi had said at lunchtime.

  "Ah!" Dong Yue's eyes widened.

  Old Lady Xia didn't seem surprised at all. Xia Zhi had also seen the bangle of Xia Er Shu, and she was a bit suspicious at that time. She asked Old Lady Xia: "Grandma, did you find out something too?"

  (。)