It was the dead of night, the time for whispered pink secrets.

******

Lian Shouyi realized he had no escape and had to turn around, edging closer to Lady Zhou with a pitiful look, trying to explain himself. Lian Manman felt they shouldn’t get involved in what was to come, so she and Lian Shouxin, Lady Zhang, and Xiao Qi all came out of the Upper Room together.

When they got back to the West Wing Room, Wu Lang and Lian Zhizhi asked what had happened.

Lian Manman remembered what Lady Zhang had told her, not to talk about Lian Shouyi and He Laoliu making money from selling grape wine. Afraid of being scolded by Lady Zhang, she continued to put on an aggrieved expression.

"Mom, I was terrified. It was so scary to see my second uncle and aunt fighting," she said truthfully, because it was also the first time Lian Manman had seen Lian Shouyi and Lady He fighting. She was shocked by the viciousness with which the couple attacked each other.

Lady Zhang and Lian Shouxin both guessed that Lian Manman might have spilled the beans about the grape wine, but seeing her like this, they didn’t have the heart to scold her.

"Let’s eat first, otherwise, the dumplings will be cold," Xiao Qi muttered in her babbling voice. They had all waited to start eating until Lian Manman had come back.

"I’m hungry," Lian Manman said too.

"Let’s eat," Lian Shouxin simply stated.

The family sat on the heated bed and began eating the dumplings, savory cabbage and pork dumplings with soy sauce and minced garlic dip, and a richly simmered radish and pork bone soup that warmed the body with each sip.

"What happened?" After eating for a while, Lady Zhang saw that Lian Manman seemed to recover a bit and couldn’t help but ask.

Lian Manman, still with a wronged tone, repeated what Lian Shouyi had said.

Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi, after hearing this, all shared Lian Manman’s indignation.

Lady Zhang was also a bit angry.

"What on earth is my second brother-in-law saying, has he no conscience left?... That talk of his, I’m afraid it’s not just idle talk at home, he must be out there spreading rumors about us. Isn’t it bad enough with just his mom slandering us, now he’s adding to it, how are we supposed to hold our heads up?"

"What kind of person is my second brother? Who in the village doesn’t know him? No one will believe what he says. We are upright in our actions and dignified in our conduct... And there’s also our dad’s matter," Lian Shouxin added.

"With all this constant nonsense every day, I’m tired of talking about it. When others ask me anything, I always spin it in their favor, fearing they will speak ill of the Old Lian Family. From now on, when I talk to others, I might as well just tell the truth," Lady Zhang said in a huff.

"My dear wife..."

Lian Shouxin wanted to persuade Lady Zhang, for the Lian Family’s reputation, not to stoop to Lian Shouyi’s level. But on second thoughts, considering how Lian Shouyi’s words were a smear on him and Lady Zhang, particularly hurting her deeply, it seemed too much to ask her to keep silent. Hence, Lian Shouxin just called out softly and then said no more, burying his head in eating dumplings.

"If my second brother-in-law has anything to say, he should say it to us directly. Manman is just a child, and he picked on her with his words. And to think he’s a senior family member, how low he has stooped," Lady Zhang reflected further.

Lian Manman nodded to herself as she listened; today Lady Zhang saw things clearly and understood.

"Manman, how did your second uncle and aunt end up fighting?" Lian Shouxin suddenly asked. Even if Lian Manman did mention Lian Shouyi making money from selling the wine, it should have been Lian Shouyi and Lady He confronting Lady Zhang together, so why would they turn on each other?

"Oh..." Lian Manman tilted her head, "I don’t know how they ended up fighting either."

"This matter is indeed strange," Lady Zhang was also drawn to the topic.

Lian Manman kept silent, thinking that Lian Shouxin and Lady Zhang arrived too late and hadn’t heard the words she had said, so there was no need to tell them again.

"If my second aunt hadn’t come to tell us they had made money, how would we have known? I guess my second uncle is blaming my second aunt, and that’s why they started fighting," Wu Lang speculated.

"That’s exactly what happened," Lian Manman nodded in agreement, eager to affirm.

After the family finished their meal, Lian Manman was about to make some hawthorn tea to aid digestion when she saw Lady He rushing in disheveled.

"Old Fourth’s wife, come with me to the Upper Room," Lady He entered, pulling Lady Zhang.

Lady Zhang dodged her grasp.

"Second aunt, what’s all this about?" Lady Zhang asked.

"If it isn’t because of your Manman, saying we made money, his grandma insists on getting money from us. Otherwise, she wants to drive us out," Lady He lamented.

It seemed that there had been no peace in the Upper Room that half day. This wasn’t surprising; Lady Zhou was the kind of person who would tightly hold onto every egg, knowing that Lian Shouyi had made a considerable sum of silver, she wouldn’t rest until she got her hands on it.

"Second aunt, whether you made money or not, you both know best; whether you tell me or not has nothing to do with me," Lian Manman said earnestly, "Your own business, and you’re pushing the blame onto me, you expect my mom to help you too?"