"Sit here, so you don’t wear out your clothes," Lady Zhou said, though her eyes didn’t look at Lian Manman.

"Manman, sit on the kang. That’s a new cushion your grandmother made, just for you to sit on," Old Master Lian said beside her.

Lian Manman then sat on the kang. The cushion truly seemed to be the handiwork of Lady Zhou herself.

Once everyone was seated, Lian Shouxin explained to Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou that the items they brought were all from the Song Family.

"...Before coming back, I stopped by, and Old Madam Song inquired for a while. These items are gifts from the Song Family for Father and Mother," Lian Shouxin said.

The gifts from the Song Family were generous, a box of Goryeo Ginseng, a box of deer antler slices, two boxes of tea, two boxes of high-end pastries, and four bolts of dark cloth - all suitable for the elderly.

Lian Shouren, Lian Jizu, Lian Shouyi, Lady He, and Si Lang all fixed their eyes intently on these items. Among them, Lian Shouyi, Lady He, and Si Lang even craned their necks, fearing they might not see clearly.

Old Master Lian looked at the items on the kang and sighed.

They returned home, and while the Song Family didn’t reach out, they sent these gifts through Lian Shouxin and Wu Lang. Of course, he understood the implications.

Should he blame the Song Family? It seemed that from the beginning, aside from dealing with Lian Shouren’s family proactively, they had always been like this toward him.

Old Master Lian stretched out his hand and divided the items on the kang into two parts. He only kept a bolt of cloth, a box of tea, and a box of pastries for himself, and pushed the rest toward Lian Shouxin.

"...We shouldn’t accept things from others. Ah, reciprocation is the way, and we haven’t sent them anything in return. It’s all thanks to your light. We tenant farmers don’t need such high-end things. Old Fourth, you take them. You are busy inside and outside every day... the pastries are for Manman and Xiao Qi," Old Master Lian said.

Lian Shouren’s face immediately turned gloomy. Lian Shouyi, Lady He, and Si Lang all showed disappointment, while Lian Jizu and Erlang remained expressionless. Liulang, however, seemed a bit dazed, his eyes unable to leave the pastry box.

"Father, those are meant for you and my mother, how can we take them?" Lian Shouxin said.

"If you don’t want them, then give them to Mr. Loo. Wu Lang passing the Scholar exam owes a lot to Mr. Loo," Old Master Lian said.

"Grandfather, these are gifts for you from the Song Family. You should keep them. We won’t forget to honor Mr. Loo," Wu Lang said.

After a bit of back and forth, seeing that Lian Shouxin and the two others firmly refused, Old Master Lian temporarily put aside the issue of the gifts.

"It’s like this, five fingers are not of the same length. Among relatives, doesn’t this mean that some need a little more care than others? In being human, we must consider this sentiment," Lian Shouren suddenly spoke.

Hearing Lian Shouren say this, Lian Manman felt a bit embarrassed. Lian Shouren sure had the knack, to spout such high-sounding principles at this moment.

Supporting those who have less - that is true sentiment, that is kinship. When Lian Shouren had things, while others had none, he never spoke of these things.

It seemed that no matter how this reasoning was laid out, it was always to restrict others and serve himself.

Lian Manman couldn’t help but take another close look at Lian Shouren.

Over nearly two months, the white hair on Lian Shouren’s head seemed to have increased, the wrinkles on his forehead deepened, and his face and stature had visibly thinned. Calluses had also appeared on his outstretched hands.

Next to him, Lian Shouyi appeared unchanged, while Lian Jizu’s face seemed to have aged a bit.

Clearly, the labor work was far from the way things could be relaxed at home.

"We are in-laws with the Old Song Family. Our Huahua married into their family and even gave birth to a daughter. The entire Song Family values Huahua highly. The Song Family’s current situation is better than ours. I suppose they wanted to extend their hand long ago. We didn’t visit; they likely feared we’d harbor resentment, hence the silence. And look, I haven’t gone, but Old Fourth went, and the gifts were sent over," Lian Shouren said.

"If I had gone, there would’ve been more than just these."

After this period of labor, it seemed Lian Shouren longed for the Song Family in the county even more. Was he genuinely oblivious to the situation, or was he intentionally speaking thus, hoping that, no matter what, a visit to the Song Family might hold some promise?

"Eldest Brother, you just came back, rest for a couple of days. If you can’t stand the idleness, find some work to do," Old Master Lian interjected, glancing at Lian Shouren.

"Old Fourth, during your visit this time, did you see Huahua? Didn’t she send any messages back?" Lian Shouren paused under Old Master Lian’s gaze, yet still asked.

"We did see her, just... didn’t get to speak," Lian Shouxin said honestly.

"We went, Sister Huahua just showed up briefly, then Old Madam Song arranged a task for her," Lian Manman added, "it seems... they value Sister Huahua very much."

Lian Manman said this just to sound pleasant. If someone believed her first sentence and thought Old Madam Song truly valued Lian Huahua from her second, well... she couldn’t help that.

"Huahua is just busy; otherwise, she would’ve come early..." Lian Shouren said.

"Old Fourth, how are the two brothers of the Old Wu Family doing at the shop in the county?" Old Master Lian interrupted, raising his voice to ask Lian Shouxin.

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Here’s an additional update, Ruoyan persists with two updates daily during the New Year, and as the month ends, if you’ve been saving your pink votes, please show your support. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

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Completed farming novel by Ruoyan recommended:

Title: "Rebirth: When Flowers Bloom and the Moon is Full" (completed with main text and extras) (Direct link below, click to access immediately)

Summary: Transmigrated as a woman falsely accused of losing her chastity, she embarks on a sweet life with her little bun alongside an economically suitable man. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote for recommendations and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)