Arrogant and domineering because of his good looks: His Majesty always pretends to be righteous

The matter of naming the child dealt a heavy blow to Old Mrs. Xia. She hid in the main room during dinner and refused to come out. So, Madam Lin prepared a small table of food and had Xia Zhishu deliver it in.

It's unclear what the mother and son said inside, but when Xia Zhishu came out, his eyes were red and there was dust on his knees. Everyone tacitly agreed and pretended not to notice.

The next day, Old Mrs. Xia returned to normal. Although her gaze towards Lin Shi and Xia Rongliu was still indifferent, at least she didn't deliberately make things difficult for the Lin family in front of them like she had the day before.

As long as Grandma Xia doesn't cause trouble, the honest people in the Lin family won't invite trouble for themselves. In addition, Xia Rongliu's first birthday is just a few days away, and they didn't come from the countryside to quarrel. The atmosphere at home has indeed improved a lot.

But fate loves to play tricks on people when they let their guard down. Years later, Xia Rongliu still felt deeply moved when she recalled her first birthday celebration.

…………

On the day of the baby's first birthday celebration, the morning sun shone brightly in the courtyard, pear blossoms were in full bloom, their fragrance was intoxicating, magpies were chirping merrily in the branches, and Xia Zhishu and Lin Shi were both beaming with joy.

With a doting expression, Madam Lin dressed Xia Rongliu in a red dress embroidered with delicate hydrangeas and adorable little tigers. Xia Zhishu's eyes were full of pride and satisfaction. He walked over and embraced the mother and daughter, reciting a sour poem: "With a wife and a daughter, what more could a husband ask for!"

The gentle Lin blushed and gently punched Xia Zhishu a few times with her small fists. Xia Zhishu laughed like a silly boy and lowered his head to kiss Lin on the cheek.

The sweet interactions between the young couple made Xia Rongliu wish she were blind.

Fortunately, Madam Lin still remembered her "third wheel" daughter. After putting the headdress on Xia Rongliu, she gestured towards the main room and said, "Your mother hasn't been in a good mood these past few days. Today, don't worry about us, just spend more time with her and comfort her. She only has you as her son, and she only cares about you."

These words were both thoughtful and heartwarming. Xia Zhishu felt a mix of emotions. She kissed Xia Rongliu deeply and whispered, "Don't worry, I'll talk to Mother properly. Mother is just stubborn but soft-hearted. She'll see how good you are sooner or later."

Lin made no comment, only nodding obediently: "I know, you go ahead."

After Xia Zhishu went to the main house, Madam Lin took Xia Rongliu to the courtyard to bask in the sun. Lin Yi came over mysteriously with his hands behind his back, teasing Xia Rongliu: "Yinyin, guess what your uncle is holding?"

Xia Rongliu tilted her head back, the warm sunlight shining on her face. She squinted her eyes and pretended to be innocent and carefree: "It's a little tiger!"

Lin Yi laughed and took out a lifelike wooden tiger carving from behind his back, handing it to Xia Rongliu to play with. He couldn't help but exclaim, "Yinyin is so smart, speaking so fluently. Our neighbor's kid is three years old and still can't talk!"

Lin, who is usually low-key, generously praised her daughter at this moment: "Don't even mention it, Yinyin not only speaks fluently, but she can also understand the poems your brother-in-law teaches her. She learns quickly and remembers them well. Everyone in the village says that she is so eloquent at such a young age, and she will have great fortune in the future!"

"That's wonderful! Yinyin is so smart, your future children will definitely be just as good. Hurry up and have another chubby son, he'll surely bring honor to the family." The two elders of the Lin family also came over, with the old man saying.

Lin didn't want to talk about these things in front of Xia Rongliu, so she cleverly changed the subject: "It's still early. My mother-in-law's sister is coming soon. It's a rare opportunity for the whole family to get together. You two don't need to rush back to the village. Have dinner and stay overnight before you leave."

Old Mrs. Lin glared at Old Mr. Lin and laughed, "We'll do whatever you say. We already plowed the land before we came, so there's no rush."

Just then, a few more people walked in through the courtyard gate, and Old Mrs. Xia, who was in the main room, was the first to lift the curtain and run out: "Oh! You've finally come!"

The group entered silently, and the fact that Grandma Xia noticed them immediately clearly showed that they had been keeping a close eye on the courtyard and eavesdropping on the Lin family's conversation. Xia Rongliu saw her beautiful mother and handsome uncle exchanging helpless glances, and couldn't help but giggle.

The person who arrived was Xia Rongliu's aunt Wang, the younger sister of Old Madam Xia. Her nouveau riche temperament was even stronger than that of Aunt Zhao. Aunt Zhao had at least been educated for a few years and had an appreciation for aesthetics, but Aunt Wang only pursued gold, silver and silk, which glittered in the sunlight. Xia Rongliu immediately closed her eyes.

No one knows a daughter better than her mother. Lin lowered her head to hide her smile and gently pinched Xiao Rongliu.

Aunt Wang didn't notice these details. After offering her congratulations with a smile, she looked at Xia Rongliu and praised her, "Look how beautiful this little girl is! She inherited all the best features from your father and mother. Her eyes are like Lin's, but her nose is high like Zhishu's. Oh my, she'll be amazing when she grows up!"

Madam Lin smiled slightly: "Children are all pretty, there's no such thing as beauty or ugliness."

Aunt Wang continued to marvel, but her hands remained hidden in her sleeves. You see, even the neighbors who lived nearby had given her a basket of eggs!

Xia Rongliu was a little depressed.

She wasn't a greedy person, but on her wedding day she didn't give a single penny, which made her seem like she was there to cause trouble.

She had heard Xiao Lü mention this Aunt Wang before. When she was young, she didn't get along well with Old Mrs. Xia, and the two sisters-in-law often had their share of wits and battles. However, Aunt Wang was lucky later on and married a businessman named Wang Runfa. Uncle Wang was good at business, and their life became increasingly wealthy.

As for Old Mrs. Xia, her parents-in-law passed away first, and then her husband also left. She raised the only son of the Xia family all by herself with great difficulty. Aunt Wang was also grateful for her sister-in-law's hard work and often helped her out. Over the decades, the relationship between the two became better and better.

After exchanging a few polite words, Aunt Wang turned to the side and said, "I originally wanted to bring Yong'er along, but he went to Hangzhou with his father, so I brought Ying'er instead."

Standing behind her was Wang Jiaying, a pretty and charming woman, wearing a light red jacket and skirt with pomegranate branch patterns. Although she had many hairpins on her head, they were just right. In particular, the agate earrings that gently dangled on her fair and slender neck added a touch of charm.

But Wang Jiaying's talent goes far beyond her attire.

Hearing her mother's words, she blushed slightly, but quickly looked up and cast a resentful glance at Xia Zhishu.

Oh my god, Xia Rongliu almost died from the sourness!

Although she was resentful, she was not stupid. She gave a quick glance and then lowered her eyes, looking sad and heartbroken. She followed closely behind Aunt Wang, looking exactly like a woman tormented by love.

Xia Zhishu's face turned awkward. In fact, everyone else present was also quite embarrassed, but no one felt comfortable saying it outright. Only Aunt Wang and Old Madam Xia continued to exchange pleasantries as if nothing had happened. Aunt Wang's gaze towards Xia Rongliu was also quite intriguing.

Xia Rongliu opened her eyes wide, trying to look up at her embarrassed father, her expressionless mother, then at the displeased Lin family members, and finally at the heartbroken Wang Jiaying.

There must be some unspoken feelings running through this!