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

However, it's clear that no one is willing to answer her questions right now.

Lin Yi was not one to act impulsively; on the contrary, he was very tactful and quick-witted. Seeing this, he smiled and smoothed things over, saying, "Now that everyone is here, why don't we start the baby's first birthday celebration?"

The Xia family was not as wealthy and luxurious as Xia Rongliu's family in her previous life, but they still had a small fortune. Old Madam Xia didn't think much of this granddaughter, but Madam Lin and Xia Zhishu both cherished Xia Rongliu and prepared a very complete set of gifts for her first birthday celebration.

On the small square table, there were pens, ink, paper, inkstones, seals, account books, copper coins, food, toys, and scriptures from Confucianism, Taoism, and Buddhism. Since Xia Rongliu was a girl, there were also embroidery threads, flower patterns, shovels, spoons, scissors, rouge, face powder, silk flowers, and hairpins. Even samples of the four arts (music, chess, calligraphy, and painting) were prepared. It was truly a complete collection.

Aunt Wang's face lit up with a smile when she saw the table full of food: "Oh my, my dear sister-in-law, you've prepared so much!"

Old Mrs. Xia didn't even lift her eyelids, and said indifferently, "It was all prepared by your niece-in-law."

Aunt Wang's smile grew even warmer: "You've really gone to great lengths. For a mere maid, you've put on such a grand show."

Madam Lin was already impatient, though she didn't show it on her face, her tone was noticeably colder: "The girl is also a precious treasure. You, an elder, have both a son and a daughter. Would you really favor your younger cousin while neglecting your younger cousin?"

Aunt Wang, who was originally taking advantage of her age and seniority to deliberately ridicule Madam Lin, did not expect to be shut down by Madam Lin's calm and collected retort. She was speechless for a moment, with only her big, bulging eyes wide open.

Grandma Lin, standing nearby, quickly tried to smooth things over: "Look how strong the sun is getting! Let Yinyin scratch it quickly. Children's skin is delicate; be careful not to let her get sunburned!"

Madam Lin smiled gently, placed Xia Rongliu on the table, and softly told her to grab it.

If Xia Rongliu can't even do a good job of the first birthday celebration (a traditional Chinese custom where a baby chooses their first birthday celebratory event), then she's truly wasted her life.

Xia Rongliu moved swiftly, grabbing what she wanted in a few quick movements: a seal in her left hand and a small zither in her right.

The adults all wore happy expressions, and Aunt Zhao said with a smile, "What a good omen! Our Yinyin will definitely be an official's wife in the future! And she will also be a good daughter who is proficient in playing the zither and is well-educated and reasonable!"

These two auspicious gifts were indeed excellent for their daughter. Madam Lin smiled gently, and Uncle Lin even hugged Xia Rongliu and kissed her chubby little cheek.

Unexpectedly, a discordant voice rang out.

"Yinyin, be careful. The strings on that little zither are very sharp. Be careful not to cut your hand."

The speaker was Wang Jiaying, who was secretly resentful: "Grabbing a seal makes you an official's wife, grabbing a zither makes you well-educated and polite. The Lin family are just country bumpkins who toil in the fields. What do they know about poetry, books, and etiquette? Where are they going to marry an official?"

Xia Rongliu would not grant her wish. She stuffed the things into her bosom and, taking advantage of her young age, said in a childish voice, "These strings are made of cotton thread, they can't be scratched!"

Wang Jiaying's heart skipped a beat. She never expected that such a young child could understand what adults were saying. She pursed her lips slightly and said no more.

Xia Zhishu looked at Xia Rongliu, who spoke so logically and reasonably despite her small stature, and couldn't help but chuckle, saying, "Then how about Daddy keeps it safe for Yinyin?"

Xia Rongliu then nodded.

After the first birthday celebration, everyone stayed to eat in the east room. After the meal, Old Madam Xia started groaning, saying that she had eaten too much and her stomach was uncomfortable. She asked Xia Zhishu to help her to the main room to rest. She also called over Aunt Wang, saying that she hadn't seen her for several months and wanted to talk to her sister-in-law.

The Lin family was clearly used to Xia's mother's behavior. Lin Yi helped his sister clear the dishes, while the two elders carried Xia Rongliu to the west room to rest.

Old Man Lin and Old Man Lin were old and soon began snoring loudly in bed. Xia Rongliu, however, was wide awake and kept her big, grape-like eyes open, desperately trying to wink at Xiao Lü.

It was also thanks to Xiao Lü, who was only eleven or twelve years old, that she didn't notice anything strange about Xia Rongliu. She just thought her young mistress was very clever and quietly carried Xia Rongliu to the pear tree in the courtyard to cool off.

Xia Rongliu asked softly, "Little Green Sister, who is that Ying'er Sister? Why is she always peeking at Daddy?"

Thank goodness, after that one sorrowful glance from Wang Jiaying, she never peeked at Xia Zhishu again. But Xiao Lü was still angry and didn't care about the details. She just assumed that a child had seen Wang Jiaying peeking, and she snorted angrily, "Who knows what that vixen is up to now!"

Xiao Lü is simple-minded. Without Xia Rongliu's prompting, she spilled the beans and explained everything clearly.

It turned out that as Aunt Wang and Old Lady Xia became closer, Wang Jiaying and Xia Zhishu often played together when they were young. As they grew older, Xia Zhishu passed the imperial examination and became a Xiucai (a successful candidate in the lowest level of the imperial examinations), showing great promise. In addition, the young girl was in love, and both families wanted to arrange a marriage between them.

But then, out of nowhere, Xia Zhishu took a fancy to Lin Shi and insisted on marrying her. The Xia family only had one son, and the two sisters-in-law couldn't bear to see Xia Zhishu go on a hunger strike, so they reluctantly agreed to the marriage. However, Wang Jiaying's feelings for him never faded.

Even a glance like today is good. In the first few days after Xia Zhishu got engaged, Wang Jiaying came to the Xia family every day. When she came, she would bring a pipa and play some sentimental tunes. It wasn't until Xia Zhishu and his mother had a fight that she gradually stopped coming.

Xia Rongliu, who had overheard the gossip, clicked her tongue in amazement. She hadn't realized that her parents' love story was so dramatic and touching.

The two children were muttering under the pear tree. The afternoon sun was lazy and languid. The courtyard was quiet. No one noticed that Lin, who was originally tidying up the dishes in the east room, was carrying a basket of needles and thread to the east room until a scream rang out, which startled the two of them.

In an instant, the entire courtyard went from peaceful and serene to noisy and chaotic. Everyone rushed to the east-side room, but when they saw the scene inside, they were all dumbfounded.

The room was a complete mess. Wang Jiaying was disheveled, with most of her white shoulder exposed. She was kneeling in front of Xia Zhishu, clutching his sleeve and weeping. Xia Zhishu was both anxious and ashamed, his face flushed. He tried to leave but was held tightly by Wang Jiaying.

Lin Shi, a gentle person, immediately had tears welling up in her eyes. She quickly stepped forward, picked up Wang Jiaying from the ground, and slapped her across the face. Lin Yi, who was standing nearby, was even quicker and grabbed the sheet from the bed. Together with her sister, they wrapped Wang Jiaying up like a cocoon without saying a word.

Wang Jiaying's face was still streaked with tears, her hair was disheveled, and her hairpins were askew. Her dumbfounded expression, combined with the red marks on her face, made her look incredibly foolish and ridiculous.

Xia Zhishu was both anxious and angry to be watched by so many people. He hurriedly came over and grabbed Lin's hand. Just as he was about to speak, Lin slapped him across the face with another slap.