In the thatched cottage, discussions also ended in the dead of night. Lin Jingzhong and others left, and Lin Xie returned to the back hall, where he saw Liu Yu'er still sitting at the table, guarding a dim oil lamp the size of a bean, dozing off. When Lin Xie walked in, she woke up with a start and used tongs to trim the wick of the oil lamp, making the room slightly brighter.

  "Is Xiao Man asleep? Why didn't you go to sleep first?" Lin sat down beside Liu Yue'er.

  "What if you get hungry after talking?" said Liu Yu'er, putting her hands on the table to stand up.

  "Not hungry." Lin Xie felt a sweetness in his heart, reached out to hold Liu Yue's slender waist, and pulled her into his arms. He looked at her full chest, and couldn't help but want to reach inside, Liu Yue grabbed Lin Xie's hand, not letting him reach in, but didn't push his hand away either, instead holding it tightly on her own chest, sitting snugly in Lin Xie's arms.

  "I'm not here, can Xiaoman still behave?" Lin Xuan asked Liu Yu'er, but his hands were tightly grasped by her and couldn't move, so he could only speak honestly. He knew that Xiaoman was stubborn and had a bit of a child's temper, and Liu Yu'er might not be able to tame her.

  "It's not like she's causing me any trouble, but every day she's been praising Su Mei in my ear, saying how good she is this way and that way. Thinking about it, I'm just a widow who can't even sing, although I've read a few years of books, I can only write a family letter or something like that. I don't know how to play the piano, chess, books, or paintings, and I'm still being bullied by Dengluzi... really can't compare to Su Mei at all... You say is it?" Liu Yue'er raised her head from Lin Xuan's arms, her eyes shining brightly, having been squeezed by that girl for a whole day, and now she had to yield to that girl again. Her heart was feeling wronged, so naturally she wanted to confide in Lin Xuan.

  Lin Jie felt that there were two big heads, Xiao Man was hostile towards Su Mei, and the enmity towards Liu Yue'er was even greater. It was really difficult for them to get along harmoniously, but they had to live under the same roof.

  "What does it have to do with me whether Su Mei is good or not?" Lin Wei changed the subject, "I think you're really good..."

  "What's good about it? Is it easy to learn?" asked Liu Yu'er.

  The words were spoken softly, but with a hidden murderous intent. Lin Xie thought to herself in frustration: Isn't this still not enough?

  "I'm not going to argue with you either, as long as you don't think I'm bad," Liu Yue'er said, her face pressed against Lin Xuan's chest. Then she smiled and said, "That dead girl has a lot of tricks up her sleeve, what's the point of arguing with me? Someone will come to clean up after her..."

  "Ah……" Lin Xuan wanted to ask Liu Yue'er who would come to pick up Xiao Man, but suddenly thought of the marriage and understood why Liu Yue'er was gloating. He hugged her tightly in his arms and laughed scoldingly, "What are you gloating about? I'll ransom Xiao Man back as a younger sister to support."

  "That girl doesn't think so herself, she's not very old, but she's already quite charming, and her body has developed well. In rural areas, there are 15-year-old girls who have children, let alone a big sister like this who is so affectionate with her brother? This girl is destined to be a concubine, and she has a bad temper too. If you really like her, just keep her by your side. Do you think she can have a good life if she marries into another wealthy family with that kind of temperament? I won't argue with her anymore, I'll just wait and see when the legitimate wife enters the house, how will this girl compete with others?" And then asked Lin Xie, "Why hasn't anyone taken care of your marriage yet?"

  Lin Jie knew that no woman was a thrifty lamp, fortunately Liu Yue'er could still make way for Xiao Man, otherwise the fire in the backyard would have started already.

  As for marriage, Lin Xie didn't know what to say either. He hugged Liu Yue'er and said: "I want to marry you..."

  "I don't want to," Liu Yu'er leaned into Lin Xie's arms, listening with joy in her heart, but she clearly knew that she was a widow. Even if she were to become Lin Xie's concubine, she would still have to get past the Xiao family first. The Xiao family had a silk fabric store in Shiliang County and were also a relatively influential family, not easily won over. Of course, she also knew that Xiaoman was from a brothel background and didn't even qualify to be Lin Xie's wife. She smiled with schadenfreude and said, "I don't have the ability to compete with that girl, you should invite someone more capable."

  Lin Yuner smiled, as long as they didn't set the backyard on fire, she would let them fight with their eyes closed. She had only been in Jiangning for less than half a year and didn't have time to think about marriage. Mrs. Guo did mention it last time, but Jiangning City was full of dangers everywhere, and no one knew who would be the obstacle for Gu Wudu. Mrs. Guo probably couldn't even speak up for her own noble marriage.

  Sometimes it's also helpless, Lin Xie wouldn't mind what status Liu Yu'er had, but the worldly norms couldn't allow him to be reckless at this time. He didn't want to marry a stranger with no feelings back home as his wife either, and it seemed like he wasn't allowed to make decisions on his own, unless he happened to hook up with a girl from a family of equal social status. Lin Xie silently counted in his heart, but indeed couldn't think of any suitable girls to hook up with.

  "What are you thinking?" asked Liu Yu'er to Lin Xuan.

  "I was thinking, no matter what, you're always in charge here," said Lin Xuan.

  "I don't want to either..." Yùe Méiér leaned against Lín Fú's chest, feeling sweet in her heart, and loosened her grip on his hand.

  He wrapped his arms around this sensual, mature and alluring body, his heart racing with excitement. He felt that Liu Yue'er's grip on his hand had loosened slightly, and he gently pressed against her plump chest through her clothes. Seeing that her eyes were closed, seemingly unaware, his soul stirred, and his hand was about to slip into her collar to touch the soft, alluring flesh.

  At this moment, the creaking of the floorboards outside was heard, and Liu Yue'er felt a sense of unease. She quickly turned over and propped herself up against Lin Xie's legs to get up, just as the wooden door creaked open. Xiao Man walked in, dressed neatly and carrying a celadon bowl, blowing on the steaming hot vapor rising from it, and softly exclaiming, "It's scalding!" She placed the bowl on the table, blew air onto her slightly scalded hand, and seemingly oblivious to Lin Xie and Liu Yue'er's intimate position, leaned forward against the table, looking at Lin Xie, saying: "I heard that Brother Lin was discussing business in the front hall. I thought you must be hungry too, so I cooked some midnight snacks for you. I also learned cooking skills from Su Mei, and earlier, Miss Liu thought I was asleep, but actually, I was wrapping dumplings in the back room... Brother Lin, open your mouth and try one..." She scooped up a small dumpling with her spoon, blew on it to cool it down, and then offered it to Lin Xie's lips, urging him to eat.

  "That's all, I'll let the little servant girl attend to you, I'm going back to rest." Yueliang said with a smile, although her face was still a bit red and she noticed that her collar was a bit disheveled, but she left calmly, only accidentally stepping on Lin Xuan's foot when she got up from the desk.

  Lin Ya could only endure the pain and eat the small wontons brought by Xiao Man.

  "Didn't I ruin anything good for you?" Xiaoman asked with feigned ignorance.

  "What's so good about it?" Lin Xie pretended to be muddle-headed and asked, thinking that Xiao Man was much more mature than the girls of later generations. The girls of later generations only knew how to throw tantrums and be coquettish, but Xiao Man knew how to play tricks. Tonight, just as Liu Yue's upper body had relaxed in front of him and his hand had not even entered, this little girl had ruined it. Thinking about it, he still needed to find an opportunity to return to Shiliang and resolve Liu Yue's knot, openly and honorably taking her in as his own. When the time came, if Xiao Man tried to cause trouble again, he would just ignore her.

  Lin was tied up and watched intently as Xiao Man finished a bowl of wontons, then left with the bowl. As she was about to leave the door, she plucked up her courage and turned back to say: "Whatever Miss Liu can do, I can do too..." Having barely managed to get out the words that she could keep him company at night, she fled in embarrassment, almost causing Lin to choke on his wontons.

  Although Xiaonizi is also very charming and has a few feminine tastes, she thinks clearly, but after all, she is only 15 years old, and Lin Xie doesn't have the heart to make a move.

  This society is as realistic and cruel as Liu Yue'er said. As a concubine-born woman, even if she marries into another wealthy family, she can only be a concubine. Her temper is so stubborn and competitive, Lin Xuan keeps her by his side, spoiling her and letting her play small tricks and show off her personality from time to time, not letting her suffer any grievances. If it were another family, how could they treat her like this? It's not that Lin Xuan doesn't want to take Xiao Man as a concubine at all. In this world, there are many girls who get married and become wives at the age of 14 or 15, but Lin Xuan knows that Xiao Man is still young. If Liu Yue'er were to become pregnant, it would be harmful to her reputation and would not be tolerated by society, and there would still be the option of Longshan Island as a last resort. But if Xiao Man were to become pregnant at this age, it would be a matter of life and death. Lin Xuan would never let Xiao Man take such a risk, and he would have to wait until she is 17 or 18 years old before letting her make her own decision.

  Lin Xie felt melancholy in his heart, there were two beautiful women in the house, but he couldn't get close to either of them. He picked up a book and read for a while under the lamp, feeling sleepy, so he went to wash up and sleep. Usually, it was Liu Yue'er who helped him with washing up, but tonight he didn't expect Liu Yue'er to come over again. Xiao Man, that girl, poked her head out to take a look and then hid back, having regretted speaking the words out loud, feeling anxious and uneasy, afraid that Lin Xie would really go to his room to sleep, naturally not daring to help him with washing up either.

  Lin Xuan got up after the sky was bright, and Xiao Man came to serve him to wash his face. Liu Yue'er was nowhere to be seen. He practiced with a wooden sword in front of the grass hall with the guard Wu Zu for a while before beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Zhao Shuhan and Ge Siyu hadn't come to report as usual when someone ran over to say that Xi Feihu and his wife had arrived with their sister.

  Xue Feihu was the Jin'an Prefecture Jiangning Proclamation Envoy, and his official position wasn't high either, only sixth rank, nor did he have any proper duties to attend to. In short, Xue Feihu came to Jiangning solely to spy for the Xue family, expand their influence, and win people over.

  Lin tied up and didn't dare refuse, letting someone lead the luxurious flying tiger in, he waited in front of the hall.

  The land at the river mouth was snatched away by Lin Mou, and Xi Fei Hu's heart was also depressed. He had originally wanted to let Du Rong secretly manipulate things behind the scenes, but he didn't expect someone to create a refugee disaster before them. To avoid Lin Mou and Gu Wu Chen pointing their spears at the Xi family's head, Xi Fei Hu had no choice but to call off Du Rong. To avoid losing everything because of this small matter, he even transferred the land they secretly controlled to Lin Mou.

  After the Liumin tragedy, Song Jia did come once in the name of condolence. This time, he didn't expect that within less than two months, such a big change would occur on this side of the river. Looking at Lin Xie standing majestically in front of the grass hall to welcome them, Song Jia thought: It's really hard to understand him. If someone like him could be tied down and used by the Xiao family, it would truly be a great help. With his discerning eye, he shouldn't fail to see that the Great Yue dynasty is already precarious and on the decline.

  "Mr. Lin," compared to the past, Fei Hu was more enthusiastic, without waiting for Lin's welcome, he walked over with big strides, saying "Fei Hu and my wife, sister-in-law were thinking that the spring is still good, it's just the right time to go out and enjoy the unlimited spring scenery of Jiangning. We also thought of Mr. Lin's newly acquired beauty, but haven't had a chance to come over and congratulate you, won't you think we're disturbing you?"

  "Where, where?" Lin Xie laughed, but thought to himself that the Fan family probably wouldn't publicize the fact that Xiao Man had been ransomed, and that Jiao Fei Hu's nose was still quite long.

  *********************

  PS: Two updates are presented, seeking red tickets.