Chen'er puffed out her cheeks and tapped Xiao Bao's head. "I told you to stop laughing at me!" Madam Huang also laughed. "Chen'er, this girl, I truly have no regrets about marrying you off. I wish you'd go sooner so a mother-in-law could keep an eye on you.

Look at you, you can't do a single thing at home, yet you keep me worrying constantly. How dare you compare yourself to your elder sister? When your sister goes out, it's always for important business, so naturally, I'm more anxious. What are you going out for?

You're not just fooling around; you're a money-wasting disaster! Why should I bother worrying about you so much?" Hearing Madam Huang's words, Chen'er felt wronged and retorted, "Mother, please stop talking about me like that! I've improved so much recently; even Elder Sister said I've become more sensible. Last time I went out, I didn't spend Elder Sister's money—it was Brother Xuan who bought me some things, and Xiao Bao got things too!

If you're going to complain, don't just target me." "Is Brother Xuan's money not money? You still claim you didn't buy things? Look at the junk piled up in your room—what on earth do you need all that for? I haven't even had time to scold you yet, and you have the nerve to let Brother Xuan buy things?

What will people say about our family being so ill-mannered? Your elder sister hasn't even married in yet, and you're already taking advantage of him. Don't let Brother Xuan buy you things anymore, understood?" Madam Huang said, her expression turning somewhat stern. "Mother, what's wrong?

It was fine before, so why is it not fine now?" Chen'er asked, puzzled. "It's not fine, that's why. The Wen family is inherently better off than ours, so we need to be careful and avoid anything that suggests we're marrying our daughter off just for money. We certainly don't want the Wen family to look down on us.

Of course, every parent hopes their daughter marries well, but we aren't marrying your sister off just because the Wen family is rich. It's mainly because we feel Ning Xuan treats your sister well that we agreed; just listen to your mother, alright?" Madam Huang stated. "Yes, Mother is right. We need to be mindful of these things going forward.

Although our family isn't doing poorly now, we still can't compare to the Wen family. We must be careful about these matters so others don't look down on He'er. Besides, Chen'er, you really need to fix that bad habit of yours, or you might end up just like Xiao Bao said—unable to marry," Da Bao chimed in, echoing Madam Huang's sentiment. Lin He had initially thought about saying it was fine; Wen Ningxuan buying things for Chen'er and Xiao Bao was just to amuse Xiao Bao and hardly amounted to taking such a serious advantage.

However, Mother and Elder Brother were right; Chen'er did need to curb this habit, or it would only become harder to break over time. Thus, Lin He remained silent. After being lectured by everyone in the family, Chen'er felt discouraged and sat silently, offering no defense. Seeing Chen'er’s demeanor, Xiao Bao teased her, "Second Sister, you won't end up unwed.

If you really can't find anyone, just let Er Gouzi marry you. At least he’s close to home, and Er Gouzi treats you quite nicely." As soon as Xiao Bao said this, Chen'er leaped off her stool and chased after him, hitting him. Xiao Bao laughed, dodging left and right. Though Xiao Bao had said it innocently, Madam Huang’s eyes lit up nearby.

"Actually, Xiao Bao has a point. Er Gouzi isn't bad. He’s tall, his family is decent, and most importantly, Aunt Xu and her husband are good people. If Chen'er marries in, she won't have to worry about being bullied.

And he’s so close to us—that’s actually a good idea." Lin He smiled helplessly. These parents were truly tireless. They had just settled Da Bao's marriage and finalized her own, and now they were already plotting Chen'er's match. With so many children, it was one after another: those unmarried worry about getting married, those married worry about having children, and once children arrive, they worry about grandchildren.

When would this cycle ever end? Although Lin He didn't entirely oppose the idea of Er Gouzi, she still said with a smile, "Mother, Chen'er's marriage isn't urgent. Instead of worrying about that, why don't you focus on disciplining Chen'er these next few years and getting her to settle down? She hasn't even developed a romantic inclination yet; don't try to settle things for her so early." "Yes, Mother, we should wait until Chen'er is more sensible to discuss this.

Marriages should ideally be based on mutual affection, otherwise..." Da Bao trailed off, unable to finish his sentence. Since Da Bao stopped talking, Lin He sighed inwardly. It seemed her elder brother still hadn't completely let go of that past attachment. His lukewarm attitude towards Yun Qi wasn't sustainable.

Lin He noticed Er Niu, sitting on the side, was also staring at Da Bao. Er Niu had been fully aware of Da Bao's past situation, so he probably understood the subtext of Da Bao's words as well. Lin He wasn't sure if Madam Huang knew about Da Bao's history, but upon hearing his hesitation, she quickly picked up the thread, saying, "Da Bao is actually right. We shouldn't finalize Chen'er's matter so early; let's wait a couple of years." Lin He glanced at Yun Qi, who had been sitting quietly without uttering a word.

Yun Qi wasn't someone who naturally enjoyed talking much, and in any case, she couldn't interject into the family's discussions. Whether they were joking or chatting, she simply listened quietly. When the family laughed, she occasionally twitched the corners of her mouth. It seemed she hadn't made an effort to integrate herself, remaining immersed in her own world.

However, when Da Bao spoke that last line, Yun Qi did lift her head to look at him, but only for a moment before averting her gaze. Perhaps Yun Qi wasn't foolish; she knew Da Bao’s attitude toward her. But perhaps her nature was just inherently aloof; she wasn't unaware, she just kept it hidden. The family stayed up chatting and seeing in the New Year, but eventually, no one could stay awake until dawn.

Seeing how late it was, Er Niu and Madam Huang sent everyone else to bed, sitting together on the k'ang. Er Niu, remembering Da Bao’s words, asked Madam Huang, "Wife, it's been a few days since Yun Qi came into the house. What do you think of her as a daughter-in-law?" Madam Huang, working on her embroidery, glanced at Er Niu when he spoke and replied, "Not so good. She can’t do anything right.

When I show her how to do things, she doesn't seem to grasp them. I initially thought she was quite capable, but after marrying in, she seems rather dull?" "Ah, well, Yun Qi is still young; it's inevitable that she won't know some things right after marrying in. Besides, she doesn't have to do the chores around here; didn't He'er tell you? Don't be too strict with your daughter-in-law; teach her slowly," Er Niu sighed, saying.