A life of ups and downs is pure joy

"Girl, these are all fresh flowers and plants. I also picked a few pots of easy-to-grow ones to bring back to our yard." As Yun Xiang was speaking, he saw her holding a pot, and Hong Qi came in with two pots behind her.

"What varieties are these? Are you sure they are easy to grow?" Chu Xia asked curiously as she took the pot from Hong Qi's hand.

"The flower and plant owner said that all we need to do is water it and expose it to the sun, and the flowers will smell pretty good when they bloom," Yun Xiang said happily.

"In that case, then let it stay. You guys take good care of it and make sure it doesn't wilt after a few days." Lin Qinghuan didn't know how to grow flowers, and she didn't expect that her personal maids didn't have that talent either. She didn't like other maids to come into her and her husband's room to serve.

"The other flowers and plants have been sent to Huaying Pavilion." Yun Xiang found a suitable place to put the indoor potted flowers, and pointed to another table for Hong Qi to put them down.

"New Year's Eve is in two days. Hang up the red lanterns to make it look more festive. Last year's window paper-cuts weren't very pretty. Have you improved your skills this year?" Lin Qinghuan said, looking out the window. "It looks like it's going to snow again today."

"Don't worry, this year's window paper-cuts are left to Yunxiang and me. We have been learning from mother for quite some time." Chuxia said confidently, patting her chest.

"I promise it won't be as ugly as last year." Yun Xiang replied, then smiled embarrassedly.

Lin Qinghuan sat on the couch and watched the busy maids. She suddenly remembered that on this day last year, she felt a little bit hopeless about life. Now, it was just like the thought in her previous life.

"Let's start cutting window flowers tonight." Chuxia took the red paper and scissors.

"Well, are all the things ready?" Shuyin asked.

"Everything is ready. I prepared it early." Chu Xia looked through it for a while and said with certainty.

"Okay, I'll go and tell the kitchen to light a fire. The eldest master should be back soon." Shuyin said, then looked at the woman on the couch, only to see that she had fallen asleep again.

"I was wondering why we can't hear the young lady's voice right now." Yun Xiang walked towards Lin Qinghuan with a soft mattress.

"The girl is getting more and more sleepy now." Chu Xia said to Lin Qinghuan.

"It's normal. After all, it's easy to get tired when you're carrying a body. But the young lady seems to be particularly sleepy. It may be because she is weak." Shuyin said as she walked out.

The remaining two maids also began to move carefully so as not to disturb Lin Qinghuan's good sleep.

The Lin Mansion was also bustling with activity.

In Qianyueju, He Su and Lin Mutang came together to check on Lin Qingyao, who was unwilling to leave the yard.

"Dad, Mother, why are you here?" Qiuxiang Qiushi hurried forward to help the lying Lin Qingyao up.

"Your father misses you. He hasn't seen you walking in the front hall for a few days." He Su said.

"Daddy, my body feels so heavy that I don't want to move." Lin Qingyao stepped forward and took Lin Muchang's arm and said coquettishly.

"Then daddy, come and see my son. Has Lin Feng gone to look for Ancai again?" Lin Mutang sat down, and He Su pulled Lin Qingyao to sit next to him.

"I guess he went. I haven't seen him for quite a few hours." Lin Qingyao said.

"These two kids are quite interesting. When they were in Yinan, An Cai would go to his eldest brother-in-law's tent every day." Lin Mutang said with a smile.

"Linfeng is a sincere and good child. He treats his younger brothers and sisters very well. Yesterday, I heard Ruer say that her brother-in-law bought her a lot of delicious food. She didn't stop eating all afternoon." He Su said.

"As a mother, you can't let her be so greedy all the time. She has become as fat as a pig. I remember when Huan'er was this age, she was not even half as strong as Ru'er." Lin Mudang thought of his youngest daughter, who was a little too fat now.

"Okay, I get it. The child loves to eat and drink, so how can I bear not to give it to her? Speaking of Huan'er, I found that she has become a little rounder now. The last time I saw her, her little face was chubby." He Su said with a smile.

"He looks much more energetic than before. Wan'er came to tell me yesterday that he has made a lot of progress by accompanying Huan'er in piano practice." Lin Mutang stroked his beard and said happily. All of his children are his darlings.

"General, I don't know how to bring up some of the things you said to Wan'er. It's not a good thing that she's so estranged from Xin'er. I've heard a lot of gossip from her mother-in-law, and it makes me very angry, but I can't confront her face to face."

He Su has always been partial to and protective of the weak. What Mrs. Li, the wife of the Minister of Rites, implied was that Lin Qingwan was not pregnant.

"What nonsense did that woman say?" Lin Mutang asked with a frown.

"What else can I say? Our Wan'er has been married into the Wang family for quite some time, but she's still not pregnant. I guess the concubine got pregnant some time ago and was forced to have an abortion." He Su said in a low voice.

"This woman has nothing to do all day long and yet she worries about these things. Why should she worry about the child? My Huan'er is so weak but she is pregnant. Really, let her talk about it tomorrow. You talk to her and tell her what happened. I am left alone." Lin Mutang said angrily.

"General, Mrs. Li is just a bit of a chatterbox. I can scare her if I raise my voice. This time, she shut up when she saw my dark face. I'm just afraid that Wan'er will be wronged in the mansion." He Su saw that Lin Muchang was angry, and hurriedly stood up and spoke to him, fearing that he would cough due to anger and affect his wound.

"Ask Wan'er to come back tomorrow. I have something to say to her. This child has always been well-behaved and keeps her thoughts to herself. Especially after Xinrui left, she has become more cautious than before. She bears any grievances by herself." Lin Mudang felt a little guilty when he thought of his daughter who had been very outstanding since she was a child.

"Well, okay, I sometimes talk to her in private. I see that she is still relatively introverted and doesn't like to talk much with me. She is very polite. I didn't get along with her mother in the early years, but I like this child from the bottom of my heart." He Su has a carefree personality and speaks without reservation.

"Dad, Wan'er is now devoted to her music school. I think it's a good thing for her. Who says that the daughter of our Lin family has to be a woman giving birth in the backyard? Mother has always been a special role model. So now that my third sister has such an idea, I fully support it. If the Wang family wants to make things difficult, they don't have to pay any attention to it." Lin Qingyao said.

"It turns out that Wan'er really has a music school. No wonder Mrs. Li said sarcastically that my Wan'er is not at home to take care of her husband and is very busy outside every day. There is such a thing. I thought that woman was unhappy that Wan'er went back to her parents' home to accompany her sisters." He Su only then realized that there was such a thing.

"Wan'er has been learning to play the piano since she was a child. This is her hobby. But now that she is married, she should indeed obey some rules of her husband's family. The Wang family is not a group of people who act like spoiled brats. It is understandable that there are reasons for what happened. Tomorrow I will also remind Wan'er what the main thing is." Lin Mutang thought for a while and said.

"Dad, my third sister likes this. It's so hard to get her to do something. Why do you have to make her feel uncomfortable? Otherwise, I will talk to her." Lin Qingyao said.

"As the eldest sister, you are indeed more suitable than me and your father." He Su nodded in agreement.

"Then ask Huan'er to come back for dinner tomorrow. I'm always thinking about her." Lin Mutang said again.

"Look, Daddy has always favored Huan'er since he was a child. I just saw her the day before yesterday, and he's worried about her again. Why not just let Huan'er go back to live with her mother?" Lin Qingyao said with a smile.

"Of course, Huan'er has suffered since childhood. His body is suffering, and his mouth is bitter too. Even the smell of some of those medicine jars makes me scared." He Su said.

"If Feng'er hadn't been raising these two children for Yulan, my Huan'er would have died young. I feel sorry for the mother of the two children and also sorry for Feng'er for letting her go away alone." Lin Mudang's eyes turned red when he mentioned his deceased friend.

"Really? Why are we talking about these unhappy things? It's all my fault for being too talkative." Lin Qingyao rarely saw her father like this, so she said self-reproachfully.

"When spring comes, I will go back to Luofeng with your mother, your grandmother and Zhichuan. The other children have grown up and can take care of each other. My son Zhichuan is still young, so it's time for me to spend more time with him, and so should you." After saying this, Lin Mutang patted He Su's hand.

"General, don't worry. Your son is mine, He Su's son. I will raise sister Feng'er's son Zhichuan well and won't let her miss him in heaven." Seeing Lin Muchang's red eyes, He Su couldn't help shedding tears.

Lin Qingyao looked at the two of them, feeling an indescribable complexity in her heart.

"Dad, Yu Zhi went to Fenghuang Temple a few days ago, but Madam Miaojie still didn't want to see him. She is so cruel. My brother and I have been going there every year since we were young, but we were always stopped at the door. Does she really not care about us siblings?" Lin Qingyao felt very uncomfortable when she mentioned her biological mother.

"She hates me enough. I also made you and your sister suffer so much back then. It was all because of my stupidity." Lin Mutang looked at his eldest daughter and blamed himself again.

"I have asked someone to secretly take care of all the food and clothing for Madam Miaojie, so you don't have to worry about her." He Su said.

"Hmph, I don't care about her at all. To be so cruel is not the way a real mother or father should be." Lin Qingyao said angrily.

"Yao'er, don't talk nonsense like that. After all, she is your biological mother." Lin Mutang scolded softly.

"My biological mother is my aunt, and she has always been the one." Lin Qingyao said with some resentment, and then turned her face away.

Seeing that Lin Muchang wanted to say something, He Su quickly tugged at his sleeve and shook her head. She knew in her heart that the child missed his mother.

"Others are orphans without mothers, but I have had a mother since I was young but have never been loved by her. If it weren't for my aunt, what's the difference between my brother and I and those street kids? You haven't said a word to me for all these years. It's so cruel." After Lin Qingyao finished speaking, tears of grievance flowed down her face, and she reached out to wipe her face.

"You are already a mother, but you still cry like a baby. People will laugh at you as the eldest daughter of the Lin family." Seeing the child so aggrieved, Lin Mutang's heart softened. He walked over and touched Lin Qingyao's head to comfort her.

"Daddy, I hate her cruelty enough, especially after she became my mother, I feel she is too cruel." Lin Qingyao saw Shen'er, who was sweating after playing, walking in with her wet nurse, and then said.

"Daddy knows that my Yao'er is the most sensible, and he also knows that you have been wronged, good child." Seeing that his eldest grandson Shen'er wanted his mother, Lin Mutang took him in his arms.

"Good boy, don't cry." He Su also comforted, and then took Shen'er, "Grandpa is injured, ask grandma to hold my good grandson."

Lin Qingyao looked at her lovely son and her mood was not as bad as before. She also started to play with the child.

Dusk was approaching unknowingly. Lin Qinghuan rubbed his eyes, patted his sore arms, and slowly sat up.

"Young Madam is awake?" Shuyin just walked in and saw Lin Qinghuan lying on the couch in a daze.

"Why did I fall asleep again? What time is it?" Lin Qinghuan asked, and Shuyin stepped forward to help her stand up.

"The afternoon is almost over, and Madam Li has already returned to Huaying Pavilion. She asked me to come and tell her that she will come to see you later." Shuyin said softly.

"I'm back now. Look how sleepy I am. It's really a bad time." Lin Qinghuan said embarrassedly.

"It's normal for the young lady to like to sleep after she gets pregnant. It's something she can't control." Shuyin said as she poured Lin Qinghuan a cup of hot tea.

"Isn't it time for my husband to come back?" Lin Qinghuan asked.

"Well, we should be on our way back." Shuyin said.

"Tonight, I plan to let my husband accompany Sister Li." Lin Qinghuan said suddenly, and Shuyin stopped adding tea.

"Young Madam..."

"Sister Li has suffered a great injustice this time. No matter how good I am to her, it can't mend the wound. But my husband can. I am not feeling well right now, so let her serve me."

Although Lin Qinghuan said this, she felt a little disappointed in her heart. After all, that was her husband, and he would be very resentful if he was sent to another woman's house.

"Young Madam, the eldest master doesn't seem to like Madam Li. In fact... if she goes..." Shuyin said this and then remembered Lin Qinghuan's words to let her enter Xiao Yi's backyard. She guessed that in the future she would end up alone in an empty room like Madam Li.

"It doesn't matter whether my husband likes it or not. What matters is that his wounded heart may be comforted. You can tell Madam Li to come and pay her respects tomorrow." Lin Qinghuan said.

"Yes." Shuyin closed the door before leaving and took a special look at the woman who was drinking tea absentmindedly with a cup in hand, then shook her head.

Xiao Yi was about to enter the inner courtyard when Yun Xiang stepped forward and told him Lin Qinghuan's intentions.

"Mrs. Li must have personally prepared the dishes that the eldest young master likes. The young lady suggested that the young master go to Huaying Pavilion for dinner."

"Is this what the young lady meant?" Xiao Yi asked the maidservant with a face full of resentment.

Yun Xiang nodded somewhat unhappily. Xiao Yi glanced at the closed door of the house, then stood up and left the outer courtyard.

"The eldest young master really went there." Yun Xiang muttered to Xiao Yi's back.

"Let's go back and serve the girl." Chu Xia walked forward and pulled Yun Xiang and said.

"Ah."