She won't clear her name; she'll throw away all the scum.

Grandma Xia often felt that if there was even one decent person in their family, things wouldn't be like this now, with not a single man in the house who could do anything.

For example, after Yu Hongzhen said that, everyone watched her reaction, as if no one would dare to agree or disagree if she didn't speak.

With a husband who can't rely on anything and two timid children, it seems like Grandma Xia's life is already over.

Seeing Yu Hongzhen looking at her expectantly, she inexplicably dared not meet his gaze. It seemed that she had given them both a bad idea before, and this boy had actually taken it to heart and was preparing to marry into the family.

What a terrible thing to do.

Grandma Xia tapped the freshly wiped table and cleared her throat. "Say something! Why are you all staring at me in silence? What do you all think of Xiao Yu's plans?"

She looked at Old Chen, who immediately avoided her gaze and began staring intently at the New Year picture on the wall, as if trying to make something out of it.

"Second brother, what do you think?"

Chen Xiangnan: "How would I know? I haven't even figured out my own life yet."

When Chen Xiangbei looked at her, he didn't seem to care. Whether or not she was a son-in-law or not was none of his business. "I'm fine with either way."

Chen Xianghong had her own ideas at this point. She came out of the kitchen and said firmly, "Mom, if you don't object, we'll submit the marriage application in a few days and settle this matter directly."

Everyone turned to look at her again, and Old Mrs. Xia felt immense pressure.

She was just saying it casually. She didn't want to take care of her son, but she cared more about her daughter. However, since everyone was counting on her for such an important matter, she didn't dare to make a decision on her own. These kinds of things between men and women should be settled by their own agreement; why did she have to intervene?

Regardless of whether things turn out well or not, it's their own decision. If she interferes, and Xiang Hong doesn't fare well in the future, will she blame her?

Although she couldn't control herself for a while and insisted on persuading Xiang Hong to break up with Xiao Yu, now that she thinks about it, it wasn't a good thing for her to do that.

Like the other children, Xiang Hong is no longer a little toddler and has her own ideas. If Xiang Hong listens to her advice and separates from Xiao Yu, and then keeps thinking about him, no matter how good her life seems to outsiders, she herself will not be happy.

The second son is right. The point of life is to be happy; if you're not happy, then you've lived in vain. Old Mrs. Xia thinks Xiang Hong's return is the best option, but Xiang Hong herself might not think so. If she were more forceful, given Xiang Hong's personality, she would definitely listen to her, but...

Grandma Xia's thoughts drifted back to her past life. She listened to Old Chen in everything, fought for him, and was always asked to play the good cop in everything, big or small. She wanted to manage everything, and in the end, all the children hated her.

She has been given a second chance at life for almost half a year now, but she still hasn't completely changed her worrying nature. Although she has tried her best to stop taking care of her son, she still can't help but feel sorry for Xiang Hong, her daughter who died young in her previous life.

She meant well for Xiang Hong, but did she really know who was best suited for Xiang Hong? Did she really know what kind of person Xiang Hong could get along with best?

Grandma Xia was bewildered.

Even if Xiang Hong listens to her and obediently comes back, finds an ordinary job, and finds a man that Grandma Xia thinks is suitable, will Xiang Hong really be happy every day? Will she be happier than when she is with Xiao Yu?

Grandma Xia couldn't guarantee it, and she couldn't think of anyone more suitable for Xiang Hong than Xiao Yu.

Xiao Yu's biggest weakness is his family. His parents are difficult to get along with and very cold-hearted, his sister is sick, and his job is in another city. However, this can be ruled out because Xiao Yu said he will be transferred here soon.

But the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. Xiao Yu is a battalion commander with a bright future and a high salary. This aspect of her parents is both a disadvantage and a advantage, because they've already broken off relations, so Xiang Hong won't have to worry about her in-laws anymore; she can live her own life independently. When Xiao Yu's sister isn't acting erratically, she's a very easy person to get along with and very understanding; it's just that when she's acting erratically, it's hard to know what she'll be like.

Most importantly, it's because Xiang Hong likes it herself.

Grandma Xia suddenly took a deep breath. Xiao Yu had already resolved the issue of the long-distance relationship that she was most worried about. As long as Xiao Yu's character wasn't like Li Zhuang's, she could accept him. With Xiao Yu's parents' fighting power, they wouldn't be able to be bullied by those two old bastards under her nose. There was no need to worry about that at all.

Having figured this out, Grandma Xia suddenly understood, and her previous hesitation vanished instantly. "Xiang Hong, as long as you feel it's okay, Mom has no objections. As for what Xiao Yu said about marrying into the family, Mom doesn't care. You two can discuss this yourselves. Whether you marry Xiao Yu or Xiao Yu comes to our family, you will always be Mom's best child."

Xiang Hong's eyes stung with tears, and she sniffed, "Mom—" She knew that her mother missed her the most.

Grandma Xia sniffed as well. "Alright, everyone stop standing. Xiao Yu, get a stool for your sister and sit down to eat with us."

After that day, Yu Hongzhen and Chen Xianghong returned to Haishi to handle some cleanup work, preparing to settle down in the city where Grandma Xia lived after the New Year.

After the winter solstice, the New Year is just around the corner, and every household is busy preparing for the next month or so. The festive atmosphere is strong at this time, and the human touch is also deep. The New Year is a big day for everyone in this era. Even those who have had a bad year will start preparing for the New Year with joy in the coming month.

"Old Chen, the most important thing for our family today is to go to the supply and marketing cooperative. They've got a batch of salted ducks; you go buy those. Second brother, go buy peanuts, melon seeds, pastries, and candies; we'll bring them out for our relatives when they come over. Third brother, you come with me to buy glutinous rice flour and black sesame seeds; we'll make tangyuan (sweet rice balls) for New Year's Eve, so the whole family can be together."

"Also, you can only wear the new clothes on the first day of the new year. If you dare to wear them before then, I'll kill you."

Chen Xiangbei felt a little guilty, but when he looked at his cuffs, which were already tattered beyond recognition, he immediately became dissatisfied. "Mom, look at my clothes. They're so torn and you won't even mend them. There are holes here and there. They'll let in the wind when I go out to play."

Grandma Xia started cursing, "You made this dress last year, and you've ruined it like this this year! I've mended it for you so many times, and your sister even mended it for you when she came home recently. I don't even know how many scraps of fabric you've stuck inside. How can you be so wasteful with clothes? Do you roll around on the floor every day?"

Chen Xiangbei didn't dare say that he went out to play around every day, crawling and scrambling around, and only came home covered in dirt. Of course, his clothes were badly damaged, but they were really unwearable. He immediately shifted the blame to Grandma Xia, "Mom, is the fabric you used to make my clothes particularly bad?"

After being beaten up, Chen Xiangbei shut up, but his eyes kept darting around, as if he was thinking of some wicked idea.