Xiao Youran shook her head and pushed the box back. "What my senior brother gave me is mine, and I can do with it however I want. Big sister is getting married soon, so you can embroider these red coral beads on your veil and shoes. They'll be so beautiful!"

If it were pearls, she wouldn't have been able to give them away. In ancient times, weddings were traditionally off-limits to white objects, so ordinary pearls might not have been used. Coincidentally, this whole box was filled with red coral beads, perfect for embellishing tassels and creating a layered look with the bright red wedding dress.

Seeing her sister's bewildered expression, Xiao Youran said earnestly, "Big sister, your brother-in-law might be very capable! He teaches us martial arts and can hunt. He also loves and cares for his younger sister. Once you get married, he will definitely love and care for you too! Besides, your brother-in-law is a bit poor now, but have you ever heard the saying 'Don't underestimate a young man's potential'? Maybe in a few years, your lives will get better and better!"

She shoved the box into her sister's hands.

Yun Manyan did not refuse again.

Her expectations for the wedding had already been reduced to the bare minimum, so how could she not be tempted by these accessories that would make her look radiant?

...

On Zhou's side, a small hut that had been temporarily cleared out that morning to serve as a storeroom, originally intended only to hold food and dried goods sent by villagers and relatives, was now completely filled with New Year's gifts delivered by Wen's son. Some boxes were also moved directly to the rooms of Old Madam Yun and Madam Su, who estimated that they were quite valuable.

With such a generous gift, how is she supposed to reciprocate?

Madam Guo came over and said in a sour tone, "I heard that Wan'er got a red gold hairpin inlaid with rubies. It must be worth at least a thousand gold pieces, right?"

Knowing that her third sister-in-law had fallen into her old habit again, Zhou smiled and said, "That's all from Young Master Wen, probably intended as a dowry."

Madam Guo was even more sour. "How could a young master from a wealthy family know Wan'er? Besides, he's an outsider. Is it a joke for him to give Wan'er some dowry? Isn't it because you, as her mother, have selfish motives and think of your own daughter first when you get such a good thing?"

Zhou was used to her sharp and straightforward way of speaking, so she wasn't annoyed. She kindly explained, "Our whole family has benefited from the Jiang siblings. If it weren't for Young Master Wen being the eldest brother, how could we have received so many gifts over the years? Besides, that hairpin box was personally distributed to Wan'er by Steward Zhang through the old woman."

"Was it given to her? Or was it handed to her to take into the storeroom?" After saying this, Madam Guo realized she had gone too far and quickly explained, "There are so many things, it's hard to guarantee that the maids wouldn't just hand them to her to ask for a favor. How can you say it was given to her? Besides, if it's going to be distributed, shouldn't everyone be treated equally? The other boys and girls didn't get anything, so why did she get such a good one? If it were in the capital, I wouldn't care, but in the current situation... Sister-in-law, you understand what I mean, right?"

Madam Zhou pulled a gift list from her sleeve. "If Third Sister-in-law minds, you might as well take a look at this list. Some things are specifically marked for certain people. Would I lie to you?"

When Guo took the items, she saw that several items were indeed reserved for Old Madam Yun, Madam Su, Yun Manwan, and Xiao Youran; no one else received anything. In other words, the remaining items had been allocated to the public treasury.

She was both angry and annoyed, but there was nothing she could do.

...

On New Year's Eve, the Tian Kuang family, consisting of more than ten people, along with Su and her two children, once again filled three tables in the reception room outside.

The adults sat at one table, the children at another, and the servants at yet another.

Now that they were farmers, there were no longer many rules about men and women sitting separately, and the children all crowded together. Of the servants, except for Old Feng who was still guarding the door, the others all sat down at the table.

Yun Tiankuang, now the head of the family, had become courageous, insightful, and decisive through his hunting and martial arts training. At his mother's prompting, he stood up, holding his teacup, and said loudly, "Elders, brothers and sisters, nannies and sisters who remained by our side during our time of crisis, and Uncle Feng outside the door, this year has been an extraordinary one, a year of rapid growth for us. On behalf of the third branch of the Yun family in the capital, I would like to express my sincere gratitude to all the elders, cousins, nannies, sisters, and uncles who helped us through this difficult time! As we cross the threshold of today, we will soon be a year older. We may not be able to contribute much to the family's well-being yet, but I promise that I will lead my brothers and sisters to grow and improve! I look forward to shouldering the responsibility of making a living as soon as possible! Grandmother, this first cup is for the elders!"

The elders present quickly picked up their teacups, took a sip, and then chuckled.

Madam Yun praised them, "Your progress over the past two months has been evident to your grandmother. Especially Kuang-ge, who is already showing signs of taking charge. You three, Xiao Si, Xiao Wu, and Xiao Liu, have also become much more robust. Although none of you are going to pursue the path of martial arts examinations, physical fitness is a compulsory course for the descendants of the Yun family."

Mrs. Zhou was already wiping away tears with her handkerchief.

Madam Yun naturally noticed the changes in the mental state of her grandchildren recently. She was especially pleased when she learned that her four grandsons had put in extra effort to train harder because Xiao Youran had outperformed them in their morning exercises.

He also grew to love Xiao Youran even more, treating her even more than his own granddaughter.

Xiao Si glanced at his mother but remained silent.

Xiao Wu and Xiao Liu glanced at their mother, encouraged, and shouted, "Follow the gang leader's lead! Become unparalleled heroes!"

Xiao You Ran: ……

You two idiots, don't you know the occasion?

Madam Yun looked around and asked, "Who is the leader of the gang?"

Madam Su wiped away a cold sweat, glared at her daughter, and placed a piece of incredibly tender braised pork on Old Madam Yun's plate. She quickly changed the subject, "Aunt, this is a new type of meat dish mentioned in a letter sent from the capital. It's tender, fragrant, and delicious, and it's especially suitable for you. Please try it."

As expected, Madam Yun's attention was diverted, and she took small bites, then chuckled and said, "Indeed, it's tender and fragrant!"

Guo disagreed, saying in a low voice, "If we're going back to the capital, we still need to have them take the imperial examinations. What's the use of just practicing martial arts if we're not talking about studying right now?"

Every morning, she would go to the gate of the side courtyard and listen several times to her son crying and wailing as Yun Tiankuang disciplined him, which broke her heart.

Why choose martial arts when you could have passed the civil service exam?

From a young age, she disliked martial arts practitioners who were all muscle and covered in sweat. Her father and several brothers were exactly like that, so she wasn't too happy when her mother wanted to marry her off to the Yun family. But after seeing Yun Rui, the third son of the Yun family, with his refined and scholarly demeanor, she was completely won over.