As the New Year approaches, the weather is getting colder, but the rooms of the young ladies of the Ning family are still as warm as spring.

The water on the small clay stove was boiling.

The little girl sitting in front of the desk rolled up her sleeves to reveal her white wrists. With the slight tinkle of the three gold bracelets on her wrists, she picked up the small pot and poured some tea on it, filling the air with a refreshing fragrance.

"Tea boiled with plum blossom snow water is the most fragrant." The girl sitting opposite said after taking a deep breath.

The aroma of tea overflows here, while the crisp sound of tinkling tea comes from behind the screen on the other side.

The bamboo arrow fell steadily into the pottery pot, causing it to shake.

"Sister Seventeen is so amazing." A girl clapped her hands in praise.

Ning Yunyan put down her sleeves, took the handkerchief handed to her by the maid and gently wiped the sweat from her forehead.

"It's boring. I'm tired of playing at home every day." She said, walked over and sat in front of her sisters who were making tea, picked up a cup of tea and drank it all in one gulp.

"Yunyan, drink slowly. This is the good tea that Tenth Brother specially sent from the capital." The sister who was making tea scolded.

Ning Yunyan became more spirited when the Tenth Young Master was mentioned.

"My brother is about to come back from the capital. I guess he has already left the capital now," she said.

"Are our second uncle and the others coming back together?" asked another sister.

During the Chinese New Year, Ning Yan's family would return to their hometown to worship their ancestors. Even if Ning Yan was too busy with government duties to leave, his wife and children would still come back.

"Yes." Ning Yunyan smiled, with a hint of pride.

The second uncle's family had the best relationship with them. Among so many children in the family, only the tenth brother followed the second uncle.

"This time, Brother Ten is back and we can spend a peaceful New Year." One sister said, "Unlike the Mid-Autumn Festival."

Ning Yunyan frowned when this matter was mentioned.

During the Mid-Autumn Festival, Jun Zhenzhen was so noisy and jumping around in Yangcheng that the Ning family had to stay away from people. The whole family didn't even have the time to enjoy the lanterns.

But now it's okay, the marriage is settled, and we don't have to be so cautious anymore.

"Solve what?" Ning Yunyan snorted, "Brother Ten is bound to be laughed at behind his back. It's all because of Jun Zhenzhen."

"Yanyan, don't worry. Now everyone in the city knows that Jun Zhenzhen embezzled our money and there is no such thing as an engagement with the tenth brother." A sister comforted her, "She is just a rogue. It is not our fault that we are entangled with a rogue, and we are not the ones who should be laughed at."

"Yes, Seventeenth Sister, you don't know that Jun Zhenzhen hasn't dared to go out these days." said another sister.

Ning Yunyan was still angry.

"But sooner or later she'll go out again," she said, with a twinkle in her eye.

The girl next to her took a step forward.

"Miss, don't worry. The Third Madam said that the Fang family is looking for a husband for Miss Jun. She will be married before the New Year, and the husband will be far away." She said in a low voice.

This eldest girl was sent by the Madam, and she had half the responsibility of raising her as a foster mother. Since she was only a few years older than Ning Yunyan, she was more easily accepted by Ning Yunyan.

Although these young ladies are well-educated and well-mannered, they are still young people after all, and as young people they are inevitably competitive and impulsive.

The eldest girl's job is to comfort and advise at the right time.

Sure enough, after hearing this, Ning Yunyan's expression improved. Jun Zhenzhen not only got a bad reputation, but was also abandoned by the Fang family.

"The Fang family should have done this a long time ago." She snorted and said, "Do they still keep this kind of thing for the New Year?"

A sister held her shoulders.

"Okay, this thing is not worth talking about anymore, let's continue playing pot tossing." She smiled, "Practice more, and then we can try it out at Jinyun Tower during the New Year to win a prize."

Ning Yunyan smiled and took her hand and stood up. The girl followed suit and stepped aside, silent as if she didn't exist.

But just when the girls in the room were having fun, a little girl came in hurriedly and whispered something into the ear of the eldest girl.

"How could that be?" the eldest girl blurted out in surprise.

Ning Yunyan, who was about to throw herself into the pot, heard it and turned around. She recognized the little girl as the one by her mother's side.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

The eldest girl looked slightly hesitant.

"Miss, Miss Jun is getting engaged," she said.

Ning Yunyan nodded, meaning that had I just said this, why were you surprised again?

"The person to be married is the young master of the Fang family." said the eldest girl.

The young master of the Fang family?

The ladies in the room were stunned and didn't react for a moment.

"Who is the young master of the Fang family?"

Someone else asked.

…

Compared to the Ning family who had just received the news and were still in shock, the Fang family in Yangcheng was already in a state of commotion.

Just this morning, Old Madam Fang suddenly announced that she was going to arrange a marriage between her relatives. Fang Chengyu and Jun Zhenzhen were going to get engaged, and she immediately summoned the bank's managers to discuss the marriage. The news spread like wildfire, and the Fang family was in an uproar.

"Why?"

Fang Jinxiu asked. This was the only question she asked after breaking into Old Madam Fang's room. Her eyes turned red with anger.

Although Fang Yuxiu and Fang Yunxiu did not speak, they were both looking at Old Madam Fang.

"How do you talk to an old lady like that?" Mrs. Fang scolded.

Fang Jinxiu took a deep breath.

"Yes, I know it's disrespectful for me to question my grandmother, but," she said, "I just want to ask why?"

Old Mrs. Fang looked calm.

"Because your brother will be fourteen next year," she said.

The doctor said Fang Chengyu would not live past the age of fifteen.

"So I want to give him a surprise," said Mrs. Fang.

Surprise?

The Fang Jinxiu sisters were stunned.

"Grandma, how can you believe this?" Fang Jinxiu said anxiously.

"That's what I believe." Mrs. Fang replied immediately, her expression grim.

Keeping Fang Chengyu alive was old lady Fang's obsession. No matter how wise the old lady was, she would have no rationality at all before this obsession.

Fang Yuxiu pulled Fang Jinxiu's sleeve.

At that time, Mrs. Fang even gave Fang Chengyu incense ash water from Nantong Temple.

But that was Mrs. Fang. Old Mrs. Fang had never done such a thing. She even refused to make friends with nuns, Taoist nuns, and monks, who were popular with other women. It was obvious that she did not believe in supernatural powers.

Fang Jinxiu bit her lower lip.

But now, as the shovel hanging above her head gets closer and closer, is the old lady finally going to collapse?

The death of his grandfather and father was also sad, but it happened suddenly and the grief was washed away. Fang Chengyu had to watch helplessly as a knife slowly fell and took his life away, and everyone could do nothing. This kind of torture really drives people crazy.

"Since you want to celebrate, why don't you find another girl?" She took a deep breath and raised her head to ask, "Why does it have to be her? This is her request, right?"

For someone like Jun Zhenzhen, who can make her marry Fang Chengyu if she doesn't want to?

This was a truth known to everyone in the family, and Mrs. Fang remained silent for a moment.

"She does," she simply said.

It did not say who proposed it.

Fang Jinxiu stomped her feet in anger.

"Grandma, she is willing. She just wants to dominate our family. When Chengyu is gone, she can still use the title of the eldest young lady to show off her power." She said, and then she suddenly realized something and said, "No wonder she stopped the manager of the bank to ask about something last time. It turns out that she was planning to take over our bank in the future. She wants to stay in our Fang family. It's a beautiful thought."

Before she finished her words, Old Lady Fang smashed a teacup in her hand to the ground, splashing tea and broken porcelain all over the place, and the people standing on the ground were suddenly panicked.

"I am willing to do so." She shouted, looking at Fang Jinxiu, "You can stay in the Fang family because you have the blood of the Fang family. Jun Zhenzhen also has the blood of our Fang family. Why can't she stay in the Fang family? Your aunt only has this one daughter left. Can't you tolerate her? Would you be happy to drive her out and ignore her?"

Although Mrs. Fang was scolded by her relatives as cold-blooded, she had never been angry with her children. This was probably the first time she scolded them so harshly.

Everyone in the room was frightened and knelt down.

Fang Jinxiu was still standing there alone, seemingly petrified.

"Jinxiu." Mrs. Fang hurriedly whispered, "Hurry up and admit your mistake to the old lady."

Fang Yuxiu and Fang Yunxiu also hurriedly reached out to pull her clothes.

Fang Jinxiu's eyes were red and tears were in her eyes, her chest heaving violently. She shook off Fang Yuxiu and Fang Yunxiu, turned around and ran out, ignoring the shouts of Mrs. Fang behind her.

Fang Jinxiu ran all the way, wiping her tears with her hands.

No matter how bad a person is, there are still people who love and care for him. It's really unfair.