Hearing Lady Zhou’s voice clamoring frantically outside, one could discern her annoyance and distress. Lian Manman chuckled to herself while eating her steamed buns.

Lian Shouxin put down the bowl in his hand, "I, I better go out and speak to Mother." Telling Lady Zhou that they had saved some of the steamed buns.

Lady Zhang didn’t look at Lian Shouxin and reached for the spoon to scoop a bit more sugar into Xiao Qi’s bowl.

"Dad, just wait," Lian Manman said, "My grandma is fuming right now. If you go, you will just get scolded too." It would be one thing if Lady Zhou only scolded Lian Shouxin, but she would surely rant at them as well.

"These steamed buns do include our share, but, it’s still best to inform your grandma," Lian Shouxin said.

"Haven’t we said that already?" Lady Zhang lifted her head, "We should have a good talk with Mother, but what did she do? She doesn’t want to let us have a say at all."

Lian Shouxin knew that both Lian Manman and Lady Zhang were right, but with Lady Zhou making such a fuss outside, it was hard for him to ignore. In his heart, he always remembered one thing, no matter what, she was his biological mother.

Lian Manman looked at Lian Shouxin’s troubled expression and sighed inwardly. Even if Lian Shouxin went out now and clarified things with Lady Zhou, would that really stop her anger?

Of course not. Lian Shouxin would just be offering himself as a target, a sacrificial lamb. Lady Zhou had always been particularly strict about food. It wasn’t that she was guarding her own food; to be fair, Lady Zhou herself wasn’t greedy. What Lady Zhou guarded was "power." They didn’t inform Lady Zhou and just took the steamed buns for themselves, which had already infringed upon Lady Zhou’s authority. How could Lady Zhou let it go just because of a word from Lian Shouxin?

On the contrary, the slightest hint of "weakness" from Lian Shouxin would give Lady Zhou an opportunity to seize him by the neck.

When Lian Manman planned to do this, she had already thought of the outcome. The steamed buns were rightfully theirs; as long as they stood firm and ignored Lady Zhou, she wouldn’t be able to cause trouble. Besides, there was Old Master Lian, who wanted the family to live in harmony and peace. So when Lian Shouxin’s concessions could achieve this goal, Old Master Lian wouldn’t bother to deal with Lady Zhou. But if Lian Shouxin didn’t come forward and Lady Zhou persisted in making a scene, Old Master Lian would inevitably have to step in.

To live in harmony, isn’t it about making mutual concessions? They had already stepped back more than once, and now it was time for Old Master Lian and Lady Zhou to step back.

However, Lady Zhou was quite meticulous; how did she discover that some of the steamed buns were missing?

As Lian Manman was thinking, she saw Lian Yeye lifting the doorway curtain and walking in.

"Sister Manman." Lian Yeye approached Lian Manman; she had sneaked in to deliver a message to Lian Manman, "... After seeing you and Auntie from the Old Fourth Family leave and not return for a long time, grandma got angry... When grandma came out and saw that the leaves under the steamed buns were all from our house, she asked where all the steamed buns you made had gone. Second Uncle immediately said, for sure you guys took them away quietly."

"I still have to say something." Lian Shouxin stood up.

Honest and straightforward people are good people, no doubt, but sometimes they act in a way that angers those close to them.

"Dad, grandma is in a rage. If you go, you won’t be able to say anything pleasant, and grandma will get even angrier. What if grandma gets sick from the anger?" Lian Manman said.

Lian Shouxin touched his head, knowing he was the least clever. What Lian Manman said made sense.

"Let’s mention the steamed bun incident to my grandfather when convenient. No need for everyone to get angry," Lian Manman said.

"Right, tell Old Master," Lady Zhang nodded, and Lian Zhizhi, Wu Lang, and Xiao Qi also agreed with this approach. In everyone’s eyes, compared to Lady Zhou, Old Master Lian was simply far more reasonable.

Outside, Lady Zhou’s voice grew louder, and her words more vicious.

"Middle of the night and all this noise. It’s just our own family, as if those steamed buns could really get lost," remarked Old Master Lian as he came out from the Upper Room, "Everyone, back to your rooms. Go do whatever you need to do."

"Mother, let’s go back. Those old steamed buns still aren’t finished. Look, Old Fourth Family has returned to their rooms to rest, they won’t be coming back to make more," Lady He’s loud voice said.

"Grandma, I saw Wu Lang take the buns his family made to the lower garden," Si Lang said.

"Si Lang, the big tattletale, always snitching," Xiao Qi got mad upon hearing Si Lang’s words. He was still young and feared that Lady Zhou, upon learning the buns’ location, would take all the buns back, and then they would have none left to eat. Thus, his big eyes anxiously glanced around, unsure of what to do.

Lady Zhou, hearing the words of Lady He and Si Lang, was so furious she was nearly insane. She ignored Old Master Lian being right there and pushed a tray of frozen steamed buns onto the ground, then marched with her dainty feet toward the West Wing Room.