Time flies, and as the New Year approaches, the Liu family is especially lively, as Old Madam Liu is preparing to hold a grand celebration, inviting all relatives and friends from the capital.

They created ice sculptures of various shapes in the Liu family garden, which were quite novel and interesting. Zhou even specially invited noble ladies from the capital to the garden to admire the ice and snow.

People came in droves. This time, the grand project not only involved ice, but also the transplanting of many plum trees, creating a small plum garden.

Everyone was amazed, never expecting that Madam Liu would go to such lengths this time. Madam Zhou pulled Zhou Shi aside and repeatedly asked, "Did such a large sum of money come from the public funds?"

Madam Zhou shook her head. Because of the previous incident where she had arranged a marriage between Liu Rou Niang and Madam Zhou, Old Madam Liu was dissatisfied with Madam Zhou. Old Madam Liu's attitude towards Madam Zhou had always been lukewarm. Madam Zhou was caught in the middle, and she had to do a lot of maneuvering in the past few days before her mother-in-law finally agreed to invite Madam Zhou over, in order to make amends for being kicked out last time. Otherwise, who knows how others would gossip about her.

Madam Zhou had not heard the news that Rou Niang had been made a princess, nor did she know that Rou Niang had been betrothed to Mo Bei. Therefore, she felt that she had indeed acted rashly last time, but it could not be entirely blamed on her. Her daughter was also at fault; Rou Niang had someone she liked, but she did not tell her sooner, causing her to suffer the embarrassment of losing her eldest son.

Mrs. Wu was rather lonely, and the holidays always made her miss her family even more. She also longed for her family far away, wondering how her father was doing and if her mother was healthy. Although she was usually carefree, she couldn't help but feel homesick during these festive times.

Liu Fufeng could naturally see through her intentions. Holding Wu's hand, he said, "After Rou Niang gets married after the New Year, let's find some time to visit your parents in the border town!"

"Really!" Mrs. Wu nodded happily, her joy returning like that of a child.

Liu Qingyun looked at the plum blossom in his hand, shook his head, and walked away. It seemed his parents truly loved him; he was just an accident.

I was thinking of comforting my mother when she was down, but my father beat me to it. Oh well, he'll have someone put this beautiful plum blossom in a vase first, and my mother will be happy when she sees it when she gets back to her room.

Look how easily his mother is coaxed.

Liu Qingfeng and Qian Duobao were chatting. Liu Qingfeng could see through Qian Duobao's thoughts, and Qian Duobao didn't hide anything from him. The two had hit it off immediately in Fucheng and become close friends.

Watching the smiling woman running around in the plum grove, Qian Duobao's lips also curled into a smile.

"When do you plan to talk to her?" Liu Qingfeng asked.

Qian Duobao shook his head and said, "There are some things that don't need to be said."

Liu Qingfeng couldn't quite understand Qian Duobao. Perhaps it was because he didn't have a sweetheart, and therefore couldn't comprehend this kind of sentiment.

Yu Jin stood obediently with Yu Rong, talking about something, with laughter occasionally drifting over.

Feng Shi looked over and was struck by the woman's beautiful face. But thinking of his own troublesome family affairs, he clenched his fists and didn't go forward.

Mo Bei arrived uninvited, brought New Year's gifts, and stayed for quite a while before leaving. During this time, he naturally found an opportunity to be alone with Rou Niang.

As evening falls, the entire garden becomes quiet, except for the colorful lanterns. It possesses a harmonious blend of liveliness and tranquility.

The whole family gathered in Old Madam Liu's courtyard to eat and drink, while the children ran and played around, creating a lively atmosphere.

Old Madam Liu couldn't stop smiling as she watched. Just then, a servant set off fireworks. They exploded in the air, exceptionally beautiful!

As Old Madam Liu gazed at the dazzling fireworks under the night sky, she was filled with emotion.

Eventually, as she grew older, Old Madam Liu did not stay up to welcome the New Year and went to sleep.

Rou Niang, Zhou Shi, and Wu Shi chatted and laughed together around the fire. It was a warm and cozy scene.

The brothers Liu Fufeng and Liu Zhong drank too much and fell asleep immediately, seemingly never staying until the very end.

The three sisters, along with the brothers Liu Qingfeng and Liu Qingyun, and the five children, persevered until the early hours of the morning.

That's why it has to be young people, full of energy.

However, this excitement was so great that when it came time to visit relatives on the first day of the Lunar New Year, the children were all too tired to get out of bed. It was quite frustrating.

There were many relatives in the capital, and since Old Madam Liu was old, even more people came to the mansion to offer New Year's greetings. Although Madam Zhou and Madam Wu were there to guide her, Consort Rou only glanced around and didn't have a deep impression of them.

However, after sitting down for a morning, my smile became stiff. It seems that being a VIP in a large family isn't easy.

On the second day of the Lunar New Year, Rou Niang returned to the Princess's residence and invited Zhang San and his wife, as well as the Qian family, to visit. She had heard from Qian Duobao that the Qian family had returned to the capital at the end of the year, so it was a long-awaited reunion.

Madam Qian also sighed, saying that Liu Rou Niang had changed so much since she first met her.

Madam Qian recounted her experiences traveling the world with Master Qian to the two women. Liu Rou Niang listened with a sense of longing.

Yu Yan even vowed that her New Year's wish was to grow up quickly so that she could travel around and see the world.

Qian Duobao solemnly said, "I'll accompany you then." Yu Yan nodded. Madam Qian glanced at Liu Rou Niang and, seeing that Rou Niang didn't look unhappy, felt relieved.

She understood the child's thoughts, but she was afraid that they, as merchants, were not worthy of the high and mighty royal princess.

Rou Niang did not seem to refuse, indicating that social status was not an obstacle.

Zhang San's wife also wanted to roam the world, but now she has a new goal. She and Zhang San encourage each other in the military camp, thinking that in the future they will both become generals and have a great time.

Of course, Qian Duobao also hoped to grow up quickly. It wasn't that he wanted to travel the world with Yu Yan. If he wanted to marry Yu Yan, he would naturally have to have a status that was worthy of her. He couldn't do it like this now, and he didn't want to wrong Yu Yan.

Yu Jin looked at the sky, thinking of Mo Xiaojin, wondering how he spent the New Year in the palace.

Yu Rong knew that she should start looking for a husband's family little by little. It wasn't that she was ashamed; she had secretly overheard her mother and great-grandmother saying that they planned to start looking for a good young man in the capital after her mother got married.

After careful consideration, she felt a little embarrassed and her heart raced. She didn't have anyone in mind. Perhaps there was that handsome young man, Liu Wenyuan, but her experiences in the capital this past year made her feel that he seemed even further away from her.

Thinking back to my past reckless confession that was rejected, I feel a little sad. I wonder how Liu Wenyuan is doing in Fucheng now.

Will there be any visitors coming to the capital next year to participate in the imperial examinations? Will they still look for her?

In any case, everyone has new ideas, new wishes, new goals, new efforts, and new expectations for the new year.

Life is getting better and better.