A meal or two, Lian Manman truly doesn’t care, but some bad habits can’t be indulged.

"Grandpa, Grandma, you’ve come all this way, won’t you stay and have a meal with us? Don’t worry, soon we’ll send something over to the old house." Lian Manman said.

Lian Manman only mentioned sending something, but didn’t specify for whom it was meant.

"Yes, Grandpa, Grandma, please stay and have a meal." Wu Lang added.

Inviting Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou inside the house, if this old couple were to leave without eating, what would the villagers think and say? Those who understood would say the old couple considered their elder and second sons above all else. But what about those who didn’t understand or pretended not to? What would they say?

They’re not afraid of unnecessary gossip, but they also won’t leave their reputations to chance.

With the promise that something would be sent to the old house, Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou finally stayed to have the meal.

The Lian Manman family said they would prepare the meal and all came out of the room.

"The favoritism is just endless!" As soon as she came out of the room, Lady Zhang’s face turned sullen, "Are only those their biological sons and grandsons, and we’re not?"

"Exactly." Lian Manman interjected, "Even at this point, they only care about whether there’s food and drink over there, and about their reputation. They talk about helping the weak. We’re not short on food or drink, does that mean our reputation can be trashed at will?"

Lian Shouxin’s expression was also grim, but he remained silent; this time, he finally didn’t make excuses for Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou.

"Looking at our Xiao Qi, don’t they think about what they’ve done, isn’t it shameful?" Lady Zhang said, "I’ll cook for them, but I don’t know if they’ll appreciate eating my cooking."

"Let someone else cook, just let it be... We know what’s what." Lian Shouxin reluctantly said, "I’m not feeling well about it either."

Arranging for Han Zhong’s Wife and Xiao Xi to make the meal, the family sat down in the study to talk. Lian Zhizhi, Lian Manman, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi went into the inner room, while Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang sat on the kang in the outer room.

"What’s got into you, have you figured it all out?" Lady Zhang quietly asked Lian Shouxin.

"His grandma kowtowed to beg me, short of wishing me a long life, and it was humiliating. I had nothing to say, after all, she is my real mother. But she..." Lian Shouxin glanced at the inner room and then lowered his voice, "But she dragged in our Wu Lang this time."

"Well, at least you still have some decency." Lady Zhang wiped the corner of her eye, "Wu Lang is my child. She never treated me as a human, and the children I bore, she doesn’t consider them human either."

"How come she never kowtows to the eldest and second sons, Jizu? It’s all my fault for being useless." Lian Shouxin cradled his head.

"What ability do they have, it’s just that they don’t see the old ones as anything. You’re the most honest, obedient, and filial. Both of us being like that, that’s why they have us in their grip." Lady Zhang said, "They have us over a barrel, so our children suffer along with us. You see she harms our Wu Lang, but have you noticed that he doesn’t care about our Manman? Just now coming inside from outside, the whole time in the room, he didn’t even look straight at our Manman."

"Manman always stands up, which offended her grandfather. Just now outside, those from the old house probably resent our Manman too." Lian Shouxin thought for a moment and said.

"Manman is already twelve, Zhizhi is engaged, we know what’s what, Wu Lang and Xiao Qi are two boys, so we’re not worried..." Lady Zhang said, suddenly standing up, "Enough, let’s not hold back anymore, I understand now, things need to be said out loud. I’m going to speak to their grandpa and grandma."

"Let me do it instead." Lian Shouxin also stood up, "As their son, it’s still up to me to speak."

"Will you manage to say everything? Just don’t..."

"I’ve also figured it out, and I’ve got a lot bottled up inside me, if I don’t say it, it’ll make me sick. Don’t worry, no matter what they say, we have the reason on our side."

With that, Lian Shouxin stomped out towards the front hall.

Lady Zhang hesitated for a moment, intending to follow, but caught sight of several pitch-black little heads peeking out from behind the curtain of the inner room.

The children had overheard what Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang were saying, and now that they were discovered by Lady Zhang, they simply came out of the inner room.

"Can Dad handle it alone?"

"Let’s go take a look then."

Lady Zhang and the children came out from the study, and before reaching the front hall, they saw Lian Shouxin coming out with a red face.

"Did you say it all?" Lady Zhang asked Lian Shouxin.

"I said it all." Lian Shouxin nodded.

"That quickly?!" Lady Zhang asked again.

"...I blurted it all out in one go, and I, I just came out." Lian Shouxin said.

... ...

Seeing everyone’s silent expressions, Lian Shouxin felt somewhat defeated.

"Dad, you’re really smart, that’s just how it should be done." Lian Manman quickly smiled and said. Expecting Lian Shouxin to argue with Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou, and win, was unrealistic. Lian Shouxin was an honest man who wasn’t good at speaking, and had bottled up a lot inside. Now that he let it out in a burst, the rest was for Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou to ponder over.

"Dad, that was the right way to handle it." Wu Lang also smiled. No matter what, this was a very good beginning for Lian Shouxin and for the family.

The meal was ready, and a table was set in the front hall. Following the old rules of the Lian Family, only Lian Shouxin, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi could sit at the table and eat.

"Everyone come sit and eat together." Old Master Lian cheerfully invited, "Old Fourth’s Wife, Zhizhi, Manman, join us too."

****......***

Here’s a little more, seeking pink tickets.

Chopping the dumpling filling was exhausting. The fifth day of the fifth lunar month, we call it ’Po Wu’, every household needs to set off firecrackers, chop dumpling filling, and make dumplings, because it is a tradition to scare away petty spirits, and chopping the filling is also called chopping petty spirits O(∩_∩)O (To be continued. If you like this work, you are welcome to visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendation tickets, monthly tickets, your support is my greatest motivation.)