He wasn't the only one who thought so; other villagers also thought it was impossible, but they didn't say it out loud.

Uncle Li was about to lecture Lin Ziyan when his finger was broken off by Atai.

"Ah!" A bloodcurdling scream rang out.

Uncle Li was in so much pain that he saw stars, clutched his fingers, and broke out in a cold sweat.

If it weren't for the inappropriate occasion, the chubby girl would have almost burst out laughing.

She couldn't hold it in any longer, so she turned her back and laughed, her shoulders shaking.

Lin Ziyan blinked, her eyes filled with admiration as she looked at Atai.

It was too fast; she didn't even see how her great-grandmother made her move.

Lin Atai's eyes were cold. "You're not qualified to act like an old lady in front of my granddaughter."

“As Ah Feng said before, he’s not related to the Li family. He only gave gifts to the Li family elders to show his filial piety.”

“I won’t hold it against you for not coming to his funeral. After all, I treated A-Feng like a son. It’s enough that my granddaughters were there to see him off.”

Uncle Li was wincing in pain, but after hearing her words, he didn't dare to retort.

That's exactly what his younger brother would say.

When my parents were alive, I would receive gifts from my younger brother during holidays, but he never came home.

He came here this time with a thick skin, but he wasn't really confident.

As for his niece, he had only seen her when he ran into his younger brother while shopping in the county town; otherwise, he wouldn't have recognized her.

“If you come to the banquet, I won’t kick you out for Ah Feng’s sake, as it will save face for both families.”

“But if they’re here to cause trouble, then I can beat them out with a big stick.” Atai stood in front of Lin Ziyan and said coldly.

Having said that, the young men of the Li family dared not linger and all turned to leave.

Uncle Li clenched his teeth in pain, his legs trembling.

When they escorted the sixth brother to the Lin family's door, they gave him nothing and emptied his pockets, leaving him with not a single penny.

Later, when the news reached the village, people said that the Lin family treated the sixth brother like a son, and that they had prepared many feasts and such, but the villagers did not believe it.

Now he's starting to believe it; Grandma Lin not only supports the Lin family, but also her sixth brother.

Click!

Before he could react, his finger was put back in place.

This time he dared not shout, biting his lip, his hands trembling.

Lin Ziyan, "..."

Ah Tai is so brave!

As she looked at the old man blocking her way, she felt a pang of emotion.

Grandma didn't want her to get involved in this matter from the beginning.

There are already enough rumors circulating in the village; Grandma is just trying to protect her reputation.

Although she doesn't consider them relatives, if she were to step in and drive the Li family away, she would still be criticized.

"Wow, that's amazing!" the chubby girl exclaimed.

Cao De felt a pang of bitterness in his heart. If he had such an elder protecting him, his brothers wouldn't dare to act so recklessly.

Lin Atai looked towards the doorway, where the onlookers had dispersed.

Every family has a few troublesome relatives, so let's not laugh at each other.

“If I didn’t have some martial arts skills, wouldn’t an old woman like me be bullied? How could I protect my family…” Grandma’s expression softened, but her eyes were saddened.

She overestimated Ah Feng's family; they were shameless to this extent.

No wonder Ah Feng insisted on not returning to the Li family back then; looking back now, it was foresight.

At the same time, she was also glad that she didn't have any uncles or aunts, otherwise it would have been even worse, and she might not have even been able to keep her family's house.

Why else would everyone in the village want to have a son?

Although they may not inherit a vast fortune, at least they can protect their home and prevent others from bullying them.

Ah Tai now understands a little better what her father felt when he prayed for a child.

…

On the other side

The He family was also bustling with activity at this time.

Grandpa Lu was writing couplets and was in high spirits, so he set up a table in the courtyard to write.

He even took the couplets that Lin Atai sent as a model, and was teased by Grandma Lu all morning.

When news of the Lin family's situation reached Grandma Lan, she was worried but couldn't help but chuckle.

Grandma Lu looked at her expression and asked in confusion, "In-law, what's making you both laugh and cry? Tell me, so I can have a laugh too."

Old Man He and Old Man Lu were having a calligraphy contest, and when they heard what they were saying, they listened intently.

"I heard that some of Ayan's father's relatives came to cause trouble, but Granny Lin beat them up and threw them out..." Grandma Lan briefly recounted what she had heard.

A smile spread across her eyes. "My old friend is a bit sharp, and also mysterious."

As Grandma Lu listened, she quickly grabbed Grandma Lan's hand and listened to the story of Grandma Lin.

She noticed it when they ate together that day; Lin Atai's temperament was different from that of other village Atai.

The couplets delivered today have brushstrokes that look like they were written by a calligrapher.

Rumors were circulating in the compound that the Lu family had married a village girl as their granddaughter-in-law; now it seemed they had climbed the social ladder.

The Lin family has a deep foundation, but they don't show it.

The saying "the truly wise live in seclusion in the city" perfectly illustrates this point.

"My dear in-laws, our gift is too small," Grandma Lu sighed after hearing this.

Old Master Lu was equally startled, but after looking at the couplet on the table again, he understood.

Speaking eloquently is not something everyone can do.

"Grandma Lin doesn't care about these things, and she knows about the Lu family's situation," Grandma Lan said cryptically.

She knew in her heart that Lin Atai had taken a liking to her grandson; otherwise, no matter how many gifts she received, she would not have been willing to wrong her granddaughter.

Yang Yanzhou and his group were helping to put up couplets when they overheard their conversation.

Qi Wei and Nie Lei were secretly alarmed, never expecting that Lin Ziyan's family was so extraordinary.

The three of them moved inside to put up couplets.

Qi Wei asked in a low voice, "Yan Zhou, is what Grandma said true?"

Nie Lei looked at him questioningly, equally curious.

Yang Yanzhou smiled and said, "Of course it's true, and there might be some things we don't know."

"These couplets were all written by Grandma. Didn't you notice anything special about them?"

Nie Lei was stunned. He glanced at the couplet and wondered if his friend had really commissioned someone to write the calligraphy.

Qi Wei pursed his lips, his eyes filled with complex emotions.

When they arrived, they felt sorry for their friend that they hadn't held a banquet in the courtyard and had accommodated the woman in everything.

It now seems that there are still many things they don't know.

Ultimately, there aren't many families left that have survived and have some legacy.

In particular, scholarly families mostly perished during that turbulent era.

"You don't actually think that my sister-in-law's current businesses are all thanks to Brother Shen, do you?" Yang Yanzhou continued, pasting the banner on the door.

His feelings were also complicated. Looking back, he realized that everything he had said before was now a contradiction.

Qi Wei and Nie Lei exchanged a glance, their eyes seemingly saying, "Isn't that right?"

"None of them."

"The shrimp farm, shrimp paste factory, fish farm, electronics store, and electronics factory were all built by my sister-in-law herself." Yang Yanzhou pursed his lips. In this light, why did Brother Shen seem a little unworthy of Lin Ziyan?

Qi Wei was shocked. So many?

Nie Lei patted Yang Yanzhou on the shoulder and teased, "You've changed your tune quite quickly, calling her 'sister-in-law' all the time?"

Yang Yanzhou rolled his eyes and ignored him.

"Get to work quickly, I'll take you to the new house in a bit, I guarantee you'll be blown away." Yang Yanzhou said with a mysterious look on his face.

Nie Lei's lips twitched. He suddenly had a strong urge to beat Yang Yanzhou up, but he held back because he knew he wouldn't recover in two days and it would disrupt the wedding.

Qi Wei: "Where did Yun Shen go?"