Shuang Tao didn't think much about it.

After all, being a guest in someone else's home is not as comfortable as being in your own home.

After Yu Tang finished washing up, the maid from Pei's house brought breakfast to him and asked Yu Tang for his advice: "Should we sweep the snow in the yard or not?"

The architecture of Pei's Villa is not typical Jiangnan architecture, but is like that of the north, connected by corridors, so there is no need to sweep snow and it does not hinder people from moving around.

"Do we usually sweep the snow in the yard or not?" Yu Tang asked the old woman from the Pei family.

The old woman was in her forties and was very quick and efficient. She laughed and said, "When no one lives there, they must sweep the snow."

"Then sweep it!" Yu Tang had no intention of being different from the crowd.

Shuangtao couldn't help but feel sorry: "Such nice snow!"

Yu Tang glanced at Shuang Tao.

Shuang Tao immediately shut up.

A hint of surprise flashed across the old woman's face, then she looked at Yu Tang straight in the eye, then respectfully responded and retreated.

She and Shuangtao had breakfast and were about to put on their cloaks to pay their respects to Old An when the Fourth and Fifth Misses ran in hand in hand.

"Sister Yu! Sister Yu!" The two little girls shouted at Yu Tang with laughter. When they looked up, they saw several maids sweeping snow in the yard. They immediately looked frustrated and said, "Sister Yu, we came to ask you to go and pay respects to Old An. We were going to come back from Old An's visit and build a snowman in your yard. Why did you let people sweep the snow?"

Yu Tang hurriedly smiled and welcomed the two little girls in.

The two little girls stood at the door and were unwilling to come in. The fourth young lady smiled and urged, "Let's not talk about these empty formalities. Sister, hurry up and pack up. I think Old An should have had breakfast by now."

Yu Tang didn't bother to be polite with them. He put on a cloak and went out with Shuang Tao.

The fifth young lady was still lamenting the snow in the yard.

Shuang Tao couldn't help but whisper to the Fifth Lady's maid, A Shan, "Is there no snow in your yard?"

Ah Shan glanced at the Fifth Miss, who was diverted by Yu Tang and stopped talking about snow, and whispered to Shuang Tao, "The Fifth Miss has a short moon and can't play in the snow, but she loves playing in the snow. The Second Madam has reminded her several times. Fortunately, you have swept the snow in the yard."

Shuang Tao felt a pang in her heart.

Glancing at the cheerful Fourth Young Lady, he tried to hold back, but in the end he couldn't hold back any more and whispered to Ah Shan, "What about the Fourth Young Lady..."

"The fourth young lady's housekeeper didn't dare let the fifth young lady play in the snow with them." Asan said, glancing at Bai Lan, the fourth young lady's personal maid who was walking in front of them.

Shuangtao, who was originally feeling warm, couldn't help but shiver.

No wonder the young lady didn't let her serve her closely. With her sharp eyesight, she might cause trouble for the young lady at any time.

However, when did the young lady become so smart...

Shuang Tao followed Yu Tang and others to Old An's main room in a daze.

The second and third young ladies had already arrived. Both of them were wearing aqua blue plain grey sable fur capes and were standing under the eaves, watching the maids making a snowman.

The fifth and fourth young ladies cheered happily, then left Yu Tang behind and ran over.

Madam Ji, who was standing by the snowman, hurriedly called out, "Young ladies, be careful where you step. Old Lady An has given instructions. If you just watch, she will have the maid take you to play on the ice. If you get involved and get snowed on, you will have to stay indoors and practice calligraphy for the next few days."

The Fifth Miss smiled like a sunflower, nodded repeatedly, and assured: "I'm just taking a look!"

Then he pulled the fourth young lady around and walked around the snowman that had not yet been built.

The second and third young ladies both covered their mouths and laughed.

Aunt Ji and the others were relieved when they saw that the Fifth Miss was caught.

Only Yu Tang felt in his heart that Old An really loves the younger generation!

Everyone stayed with the Fifth Miss in the yard for a while, then went into the house to greet Old Mr. An.

After a while, Gu Xi, Mrs. Shen and the second wife also came over.

Everyone decided to go to the yard to watch the maids and old women making a snowman.

Old An and the second wife stood outside for a while, then felt a little cold and went back into the house.

Mrs. Shen took the opportunity to say goodbye and returned to her own courtyard.

Gu Xi stayed and played in the snow with several young ladies from the Pei family.

The yard was filled with laughter and was very lively.

Old An, supported by the second wife, stood behind the half-open window and watched for a while. She saw Gu Xi leading several young ladies from the Pei family to make a snowman with carrot noses and branches as arms, while Yu Tang was just there, either taking care of the fifth young lady who was running around, or smiling and whispering to the third young lady who was standing next to her and didn't talk much. With a slight smile on her face, she asked the second wife, "After Miss Yu returned home, did you ask what happened to the Gu family?"

"No!" The second wife laughed, "This girl knows when to act and when to retreat. She didn't ask any questions that she shouldn't have asked."

Old An nodded and said slowly, "The most difficult thing in life is to know when to do what."

The second wife smiled sincerely and agreed, "You are right."

Old An's eyes fell on Yu Tang again and said, "This is what a sister should do."

The second wife smiled and said "yes", but hesitated for a while and asked quietly: "Mother, what happened to the Gu family?"

Old An chuckled and said with disdain: "What kind of trouble can happen in the inner courtyard? It's just the same few things that happen over and over again."

The second wife was surprised, her eyes fell on Gu Xi, and said, "Then Miss Gu..."

"You see it but don't say it!" Old An said with a smile, "It's just an excuse. Since she wants to visit our home, we should just treat her well. There's no reason for people to accuse us of making things difficult for a young person."

The second wife smiled.

Old An stopped paying attention to the situation in the yard. With the help of Second Madam Xu, he turned around and walked towards the house, asking, "Where is the eldest brother? There was no movement from Madam Shen last night?"

The second wife looked embarrassed.

Old An snorted in displeasure and said, "I think you are worse than Miss Yu! She can say whatever she wants, but you are shy and don't dare to say anything. The court still emphasizes "promoting the virtuous and not avoiding relatives" when employing people. Don't you think I can't even tell the right from the wrong?"

The second wife blushed and apologized repeatedly, saying, "Last night, Mrs. Shen asked her maid to bring some food to the eldest sister-in-law. The eldest sister-in-law took it and asked the small kitchen to make some vegetarian snacks as a return gift. She gave it to Mrs. Shen early this morning."

Old An sneered and said, "I said that Mrs. Shen likes to make trouble the most. Today, she saw a few little girls having fun there. Why didn't she teach them a lesson? Instead, she rushed back to the house. There must be a trick behind this. You should have someone keep an eye on Mrs. Shen and the eldest daughter-in-law. The eldest daughter-in-law thought that we were the ones who caused her trouble today, and she wanted to find someone unrelated to send a letter to her brothers from her mother's family. Then let her send it. I want to see. Look at what her brothers from her mother's family can do for her. Also, we need to send someone to keep an eye on the two young masters. Xia Guang is too busy with things outside, so we can help with these things at home and let him worry less. "After saying that, she sighed deeply and said, "I don't know when I can find him a capable wife, so that I can take the burden off my shoulders."

The second wife glanced out the window, thinking, isn't there a Miss Gu in front of her? But she knew her mother-in-law better. She was not a wife who only knew how to manage the family. Even when the eldest master was still alive, she didn't dare to speak loudly in front of her mother-in-law. She couldn't guess her mother-in-law's thoughts. She could only do whatever she told her to do, not seeking merit, but avoiding mistakes.

She comforted Old An: "Good things are never too late. Uncle San may find his match soon."

Old An sighed helplessly again, and then asked the second wife as if she remembered something: "What was Miss Yu's maiden name?"

"Yu Tang!" The second wife said, "The 'Tang' in Bi Fu Gan Tang."

"It's a good name." After praising him, Lao An talked about the arrangements for the New Year: "It's easy to talk to the old relatives who often visit each other. We can just send New Year gifts according to the old customs. The affairs of the outer courtyard will be taken care of by the housekeepers at home, so we don't have to worry about it. As for the Song family, they are getting along with us again. They even sent us expensive gifts on the Double Ninth Festival. I'm afraid they will ask us for something again. You have to remind me to ask Xiaguang how to send gifts to the two families. And the Yu family, since we have become good friends, remember to invite Mrs. Yu and Miss Yu to come over for a drink during the Spring Banquet..."

There were at least ten scattered items in total, which made the Second Wife feel overwhelmed.

When she was young, she followed her father and brothers to read the Four Books and Five Classics, and writing policy papers was not so tiring.

In the yard, Gu Xi helped the Miss Peis build five or six snowmen of different sizes and felt a little tired. She and the second Miss Pei leaned on the red painted railings beside them to take a rest, while Yu Tang continued to play in the snow with the third, fourth and fifth Miss Peis.

Gu Xi asked the second young lady, "When will the guests come to the villa?"

The second young lady's face flushed red as she heard this, and she said coquettishly, "How should I know?"

Gu Xi smiled, and her mood suddenly dropped. She said, "Don't worry! I used to think the same as you. But look at me now..." As she spoke, she looked up at the clear blue sky and smiled bitterly, "Sometimes, shyness can't solve the problem. When you can make the decision, you'd better try to seize the opportunity, so as not to regret it in the future."

The second young lady was stunned. She looked at the fifth young lady who was quarreling with her sisters and said in a low voice, "I, I don't know either. Who can disobey their family?"

Gu Xi smiled, and suddenly seemed to be in high spirits again. He pointed to the main room where Old An lived and said, "Isn't there someone who can make the decision for you?"

The marriage of children should be decided by their parents. Moreover, Mrs. An is my great-aunt who lives in the next room.

The second young lady had never thought about it.

Gu Xi said with emotion: "Look how much she loves you younger generations. If you ask for help from Old An, she will definitely make the decision for you."

The second young lady didn't say anything. After a long while, Gu Xi thought she wouldn't answer him, but she nodded gently.

Gu Xi smiled happily and invited the second young lady: "Let's go play in the snow too? Look at Miss Yu and the others, they are having so much fun!"

The second young lady glanced at Gu Xi, her expression became much closer to her, and she replied "OK" with a smile.