forest with few signs of human habitation.Almost everyone travels as far as they have to pave the way.Underfoot was a muddy mire of years' worth of decaying leaves, surrounded by gnarled old trees an...Jia Yin stayed in the pharmacy workshop yesterday afternoon for a while, and then stayed at the county princess's residence nearby in the evening.

She overslept a bit and her sister-in-law hadn't returned to the old house yet, but who would have thought that her sister-in-law had someone come looking for her.

She thought about it for a moment, then changed into a beautiful dress and put on a cloak. Afterwards, she took Shui Ling and Shui Yun to find Grandma.

As soon as she stepped into the courtyard, she giggled and called out, "Grandma, come on, let's go shopping! Let's spend some money!"

Li Lao Tai was sitting in the room when she suddenly heard her granddaughter shouting. She thought something had happened and, after understanding what she was saying, couldn't help but scold her, "You little girl, why are you so noisy early in the morning!"

Seeing her grandmother's smile return and her frown disappear, Wan'er quietly let out a sigh of relief and gently advised: “Grandma, my sister is still young.”

"Because of what happened before, she's been staying home and afraid to go out. Now that things have calmed down, it would be good for you to take her for a walk."

"It's almost Chinese New Year, could you please pick out two pieces of fresh and unique fabric for me Wenjuan and I have also prepared new clothes for my younger sister."

Wenjuan also quickly chimed in, "That's right, Grandma. I want to make a pair of shoes for you, my mother, and all the aunts. But as the saying goes, even a skilled woman can't cook without rice, so I'm waiting for Grandma to help me buy the materials."

Just as the words were spoken, a voice came in from outside. “It’s not just me lately, sister-in-laws haven’t been going out much either. So why don’t we all go into town together”

Your second sister-in-law and I went shopping together. Your elder sister can take Yuan Yuan back to her parents' home, I bet your mother-in-law has been thinking about you for a long time.

Which married woman doesn't think of her natal family!

Moreover, although Mrs. Xing has recovered her health, she is still weaker than ordinary people. In such a winter, it's probably not easy for her, and Wan'er cares about her even more.

Her niece's arrangement was very tempting, but she still looked towards Old Madam Li.

Old Lady Li was the most open-minded, so she wouldn't stop her granddaughter-in-law. She immediately said, "Listen to Fu Niu er, let's go!"

"Wen Juan brought Xingxing with us to go shopping, and Fu Niuer prepared some pears for your sister-in-law to take back to make iced pear soup for Aunt Xing. It's good for the lungs and relieving dryness."

"Okay, Grandma, don't worry. We may lack other things in our house, but we certainly don't lack fruits! I'll add another basket of mandarins for Aunt Xing as a sign of my filial piety!"

Jia Yin smiled and agreed, then instructed Shui Ling to go back to the Glass Warming House at the County Princess's mansion to pick some fruit.

By the time the fruits were picked and carried back, the young and old had already changed into their going-out robes and cloaks.

Old Mrs. Li wore a warm hat made of fox fur, a flowing Cloud-Patterned Wanfu gown, and a crimson embroidered plum blossom cloak trimmed with fox fur.

Wenjuan was young, wearing a brocade jacket covered in peach blossoms, paired with a plain horse-hair skirt and a smoke-colored camellia cloak.

When Wan'er returned to her mother's house, it was naturally more grand.

She wore a red qixun with gold and silver thread embroidered peonies, paired with a hooded cloak patterned with bamboo and lotus.

After all, she wanted her family to rest assured and know that she was doing well.

Furthermore, she was the daughter-in-law of the Li family, and her attire represented the face of the Li family even more.

Jia Yin saw her grandma and sisters-in-law looking so beautiful, she couldn't help but smile from ear to ear. She happily gathered around them and escorted them out.

Two carriages were already prepared outside the gate.

At the front rode Old Madam Li, accompanied by her daughter Wenjuan and granddaughter Jia Yin. They were attended by Nanny Chang, and Shui Ling and Shui Yun.

A veteran was driving a carriage, Mu Xu sat on the carriage pole, and two other veterans rode horses behind him.

A carriage followed, carrying Wan'er and her son, attended by their maidservant Chunxiu.

Just like the veteran soldiers on horseback, one young attendant ran errands, and two other veterans rode horses as guards.

Before, the drivers for the household were all servants, but after what happened with the Wu family, Li Lao Er took charge and hired eight veterans from the second village.

These veterans were all lightly wounded—some had lost an ear, some their eyesight, others walked with a limp—they were able to move about and were recruited into his guard unit.

Veterans could ride horses and carry swords into the city. On a daily basis, they were responsible for driving carriages and providing protection when the Li family went out.

But the Jia Ren brothers, each had martial arts-skilled attendants by their side, and they also possessed self-defense crossbows. They rarely brought along veteran soldiers when traveling.

So, these veterans don't have many opportunities to go out. It's a pleasure for them to be able to enter the city today.

The whip cracked, and the horses' hooves clicked on the icy road, a particularly lively sound.

An old soldier sang a tune he learned in the north. Li Laotai, hearing it from inside the carriage, couldn't help but laugh and say: "It's true what they say, trees die when moved and people thrive when they do."

"When our family fled from our ancestral home in the north, to be honest, I had given up hope. "

Leaving the place where I've lived my whole life, and leaving everything behind, that feeling is simply indescribable!

"Back then, if someone had told me that our lives would be this good in the future, I wouldn't have believed them even if they were about to die."

Before Wenjuan and Jiayin could respond, Xingxing, dressed in azure overalls, suddenly rushed into the old woman's arms. Like a little tiger, she clung to her grandmother's neck, yelling fiercely, "Don't hit him, don't hit him!"

Jia Yin and Wen Juan were taken aback for a moment, then both burst into laughter.

The boy was just learning to talk, and he didn't quite understand. When he heard the words "beat to death," he thought someone was going to kill the old woman.

"Oh my, our little Star! Even at this young age, you know how to protect Grandma. You're really Grandma's precious treasure!"

Li Laotai, protected by her children, felt her heart warm to the point of melting into a pool of water. She repeatedly called them "my precious darlings."

Wenjuan also smiled and said, “The other day, Fourth Aunt said that Xingxing and her younger sister were the most alike when they were young. They both had sweet mouths and knew how to coax people.”

Jia Yin let out a sigh and made a worried expression, saying, "This kid stole my rice bowl! What am I going to do now!"

Li Laotai and Wenjuan laughed even harder, only Xingxing stared with wide eyes, not understanding what was happening...

Mùxǔ leaned against the carriage wall, listening to the laughter in the carriage, and couldn't help but curl his lips.

One month more until the Lunar New Year, it's the most lively time in Xindu.

Although they can't go out of the city for spring outings or enjoy fragrant flowers like in spring and summer, the cold weather can't stop the wealthy and idle from having fun!

Thus, one family hosted a tea gathering, and another, with two half-dead plum trees in its courtyard, held a flower viewing event.

There's simply no excuse left, so I might as well write a poem while enjoying the snow.

The more gatherings there are, the more both the host and the guests want to make a dazzling appearance, so they inevitably have to prepare things.

Men want new shirts, women want dresses and jewelry. Stationery like paper, ink, brushes, and inkstones sell well too. Snack shops are booming, and teahouses and wine shops are crowded with people...

Li's carriage entered the city, and Wan'er returned to the Xing family.

Mrs. Xing was thinking about her daughter when she suddenly heard that her daughter had brought her grandson back, so happy that she almost shed tears.

Even Xing Ning quickly ran to the front gate to greet him.

Soon, the whole family gathered together, eating oranges and chatting.

Mrs. Xing held her grandson tightly, unable to let go. She looked at him with such love and couldn't stop smiling.

Xing Wan'er fed her mother two tangerines, and smiled: "Mother, my sister-in-law said these were specially given to you as a show of respect."

As for the basket of snow pears, you definitely shouldn't give them away. Keep them to make pear soup and nourish your body.

"Good, good!" Mrs. Xing was delighted and nodded repeatedly in agreement.

Actually, when a woman gets married, the goodness or badness of her husband is secondary. The most important thing is to avoid having an unreasonable mother-in-law and a troublemaking younger sister-in-law.

After all, men are out all day and only return to the inner house in the evening.

If a man took multiple concubines, the wives might not even see their husbands at night.

But the mother-in-law and little sister-in-law have to see each other every day. If they don't get along well, life would be truly difficult...d that he didn't hide anything. He answered every question truthfully.Mr. Wang shivered, taking a gulp of cold tea before asking again, "Is there anything else you know about my identity Miss, miss… D...