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

"It's good that you're pregnant, and even better if it's a daughter! Firstly, it won't offend those two legitimate sons, and secondly," Lin sighed, "the clan leader isn't heartless. He sees all the grievances you've suffered. Between husband and wife..."

Li's eyes reddened, and she almost burst into tears. She gritted her teeth and forced the tears back. After a long while, she said softly, "Good sister, I know you treat me very well. I just can't catch my breath right now... But don't worry, even for the sake of the child in my belly, I will be fine!"

Hearing the resilience in her voice, Madam Lin felt relieved and offered her some words of comfort. Seeing that it was getting late, she took Xia Rongliu home.

Old Madam Xia had several reservations about the friendship between Madam Lin and Madam Li, but Madam Lin's candid words clearly had some effect. This time, Old Madam Xia didn't resort to clumsy scheming, but instead spoke frankly and openly with Xia Zhishu.

“Your wife goes to that Li woman's place every few days. Look around the whole clan, who else talks to that Li woman often? Only your wife. She's so silly and doesn't she care about getting involved in those gossips?”

Xia Zhishu laughed and said, "A clear conscience fears no accusation. Besides, Li Shi hasn't done anything seriously wrong. She's just a bit young. And they're all women from the same clan. It's fine for them to chat occasionally. A few days ago, they even gave Yin Yin a set of silver necklaces and bracelets as a gift for her first birthday celebration!"

Old Mrs. Xia curled her lip: "A silver necklace and bracelet and you've been bought off... I can't control you anymore. Anyway, she's your wife, you can do whatever you want with her!"

The son could see that his mother meant well, knowing that she was worried about Lin being gossiped about. He smiled and said, "Mother, don't be angry. I will definitely talk to Yue'er properly. But I think that gossip in this world is endless. If we become restrained because of a few words of gossip, wouldn't that just play into their hands? As long as we have a clear conscience and live our own lives well, that's enough."

Old Lady Xia sighed deeply: "You don't understand. To a woman, these idle gossips are more ruthless than knives."

Xia Zhishu fell silent, knowing that his mother was thinking about the past. A widow must have suffered a lot of gossip. He gently patted his mother's hand and said, "Mother, don't worry. I was young before, but now I've grown up. I will definitely protect our family."

When Lin returned home that evening, Xia Zhishu told her what Old Madam Xia had said. When Lin heard that Old Madam Xia actually cared about her, a look of disbelief flashed in her eyes.

However, she quickly realized what was happening and said with gratitude, "I know, I know! I will never let you down, Mother. I wanted to tell you a few days ago that in two months it will be Mother's 50th birthday. Mother has worked hard all her life, and now it is time for her to enjoy her life."

“I’ve been saving up some money here and there since last year, and now I have several dozen taels of silver. I’d like you to go to the county town and pick out a few fine gifts to give to Mother. What do you think?”

These words made Xia Zhishu feel completely at ease. He felt from the bottom of his heart that since marrying Lin Shi, there had been no problem with his life. For a moment, his heart was filled with emotion, and he called out "Yue'er" softly. Lin Shi's cheeks flushed, and the two of them enjoyed another moment of tenderness and sweetness.

When the six months had passed, the heat became unbearable. Fortunately, Lin was a thrifty person. She not only built a grape trellis in the yard, but also found a way to bring a small pond of water from the pond behind the house into the yard. She would sprinkle water from time to time to cool it down. In addition, the small yard was sparsely planted, so it was much cooler than other places.

That day, Madam Lin brewed some plum juice. Xia Rongliu rushed in excitedly from outside the gate, her face flushed from the heat, sweat dripping down her cheeks—she looked like a complete wild child. Upon seeing her like this, Madam Lin frowned: "Where have you been running around like that? You've gotten your dress all dirty!"

Xia Rongliu glanced down and saw only a little dust on the hem of her skirt. She nonchalantly gulped down a large bowl of plum juice. She absolutely adored her healthy and energetic body. Taking advantage of her young age, she skipped over to Lin Shi and asked curiously, "Mother, do you have a secret recipe for pickling these vegetables? I think your pickles taste much better than everyone else's!"

Lin chuckled: "What secret recipe could there be? It's just some star anise, cinnamon, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Different ingredients naturally result in different flavors. As for your claim that it tastes better than others, it's just that I'm more meticulous in my preparation. Take the soy sauce in here, for example. Using good soy sauce and using bad soy sauce will result in completely different flavors. But once you put it in your mouth, there's no difference."

Xia Rongliu nodded as if she understood, but seeing her expression, Madam Lin smiled and shook her head: "Mother made you new clothes, go and pick them out, see which pattern you like."

Xia Rongliu shook her head: "Don't bother with fancy designs, just sew it up casually."

"What are you saying? Girls should pay attention to their clothing, food, housing, and transportation. Dressing up beautifully is what makes them likable!"

Xia Rongliu sat on the embroidered stool next to her, her two chubby little feet dangling as she said, "No, I'm afraid you'll get tired."

The Xia family was short-handed, so Lin had to handle many things herself. In the blink of an eye, it was time to celebrate Old Madam Xia's birthday. Lin had put a lot of effort into embroidering a set of funeral clothes. Xia Rongliu didn't want to see her mother suffer anymore: "Really, it's not necessary. It's so hot in the summer. Just wear any clothes. Aunt Li said that I'm good-looking, so I look good in anything!"

Lin's heart softened completely. Looking at the little girl in front of her with her pigtails sticking up in the air, adorned with two small bells that swayed as she spoke, she was absolutely smitten: "Mother doesn't mind the hard work. As long as my Yinyin is happy and healthy all her life, Mother is willing to do anything."

Humans are not plants or trees. Although Xia Rongliu was reborn as a human, she was still moved by such intense and passionate maternal love. In a daze, she couldn't help but think of her past life.

In her previous life, her mother was frail and died early, leaving her alone to struggle in the mansion, fighting against fate and man. Later, her family was destroyed, and she wandered for half her life until her death, suffering immense misery.

Xia Rongliu was not a Buddhist, but looking at Lin's gentle and beautiful profile, she couldn't help but thank Buddha in her heart for giving her a second chance at life.

Ever since Old Lady Xia instructed Lin about befriending others, Lin had been paying close attention, since she would be living in this place for the next few decades unless something unexpected happened. However, Lin's method was much more ingenious than Old Lady Xia's.