To make up for the debt owed to Lin Qingping and Gu Juncheng

Chinese New Year is a happy occasion for children.

For Zhiyuan, the capital was a familiar place to return to, but for Zhangzhu, it was full of new surprises.

Temple fairs and shopping malls are bustling with festive New Year celebrations everywhere. When Zhangzhu goes out to play, she can't take her eyes off the sights.

In particular, during the spring, Zhangzhu celebrated her second birthday in the capital.

The cake factory delivered a three-tiered cake—couldn't they offer such a small convenience for their little princess's birthday?

On her first birthday, Zhangzhu didn't understand anything. By the time she was two, she had started to love being pretty and had her own sense of style. She wore a bright red outfit, dressed up like a New Year's picture doll, and insisted on having her hair tied up beautifully and wearing sparkly little leather shoes.

By this time, central heating had already been installed, so staying indoors and wearing leather shoes was perfectly acceptable.

That day, Lin Qingping's house was extremely lively.

Gu Youlian would definitely not miss her niece's birthday. She not only gave her a gift but also a large red envelope. She stayed until the banquet ended, and only after helping Lin Qingping clean up her house did she take Xiaomai back to her own home.

Liu Fen and Gu Dafu had already made all the arrangements in their hometown and came to the capital before the Lunar New Year to prepare for their retirement with their daughter.

At this moment, Liu Fen was pacing back and forth in the living room, quite agitated, which prompted Gu Dafu to say to her, "What are you doing pacing back and forth like this?"

Just then, Gu Youlian returned.

Liu Fen quickly stepped forward and asked, "How is it?"

"What do you mean, how?" Gu Youlian pretended not to understand.

Liu Fen clicked her tongue. "It's Zhangzhu's birthday, so many people went, it must have been lively, right?"

"Of course," Gu Youlian replied simply, brushing it off.

"How many people were there? How many tables were there?" Liu Fen pressed, then, seeing that Gu Youlian seemed uninterested in the topic, turned to Xiaomai and asked, "Xiaomai, tell me, how lively was it? Did your uncle drink? Was he drunk?"

Xiaomai could only say, "We hosted two tables, all for familiar people, from the cake factory, and Zhiyuan's friends."

Liu Fen sat down unhappily, muttering, "Don't they invite Zhiyuan's friends?"

Upon hearing this, Xiaomai went back inside. Gu Youlian, hearing this, retorted, "Please, so you can go and criticize others?"

"What are you saying..." Liu Fen said angrily, "This happened so many years ago, why are you still holding a grudge?"

"Not holding grudges?" Gu Youlian retorted. "Mother, tell me yourself, do you think the things you did make people not hold grudges? You disliked Zhangzhu because she was a girl, fine, she's sensible and doesn't come in front of you to get your eye on her, and you still say she holds grudges?"

"What do you mean you don't want me in your way? You're clearly holding a grudge and don't want me to look after the baby!" Liu Fen said angrily.

"So you knew about this too?" Gu Youlian said. "What else did you do? When Pingzi was sick, what did you find for Chengzi? Let me ask you, if you were sick, and those old ladies at the village entrance were trying to get a replacement for your father, how would you feel?"

"Pah, pah, pah! I won't get sick! You girl, how can you curse your own mother like that?" Liu Fen pretended to hit Gu Youlian.

Of course, it was just for show. Gu Youlian didn't shy away from the question. "You know it's a curse! You're cursing the bottle, and you expect the bottle not to be angry? You expect your brother not to be angry?"

Liu Fen was even more unhappy. It was one thing for her daughter-in-law to be angry, but why was her son so temperamental?

"Your younger brother is such a henpecked husband! Humph, he's so afraid that he even left our parents behind during the New Year and didn't dare to come over!" Liu Fen said angrily.