My treasure bowl connects the past and present; I've won everything on my journey into exile.

"It's alright, I'll just sit here and watch." Lin Mo said nonchalantly.

It's Chinese New Year, how can we not enjoy the festive atmosphere?

Xu Mengxian couldn't dissuade her, so she could only nervously follow behind her, protecting her as if she were afraid something might happen to her.

Lin Mo was speechless.

Why does she feel like a porcelain doll, the kind that would break at the slightest touch?

"Alright, you go your own way. I'm not that fragile. Don't make things difficult for yourself while I'm fine." Lin Mo shook her head.

Knowing her own situation, she naturally became cautious.

Xu Mengxian looked disapproving. "Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'm fine."

My task today is to take good care of you; this is the task everyone has entrusted to me.

Nothing is more important than my sister-in-law's safety.

Lin Mo gave up trying to persuade her.

The Xu family members are all stubborn by nature, and you can't persuade them otherwise.

but……

boom!

Lin Mo turned to look at Xu Mengxian, who had fallen to the ground, and her lips twitched involuntarily.

She had just finished speaking when she fell down.

You really can't blame yourself for being a jinx.

"Are you alright?" Lin Mo stepped forward and reached out to help her.

"I don't need your help. Just stand there and don't move. I don't need your help." Xu Mengxian shook her head nervously to indicate that she didn't need it.

After she stopped helping him up, he scrambled to his feet.

"Cough, I'm fine, the road was just too slippery."

This is incredibly embarrassing!

Seeing that she was alright, Lin Mo shrugged. "That's why I told you to go your own way and not worry about me."

The ground is icy; it's even more slippery to walk on while holding onto it.

She certainly didn't miss the fact that if Xu Mengxian had reached out and grabbed her for support when she fell, she wouldn't have fallen so miserably.

But she stubbornly refused to grab it, letting herself fall to the ground.

She was afraid of being caught, so she preferred to throw herself.

Xu Mengxian smiled awkwardly, "It was purely an accident just now."

"But sister-in-law, you really need to be careful. The ground is icy and slippery; I just slipped."

Lin Mo nodded, indicating that her cotton-padded coat was wet and that she should go back to her room to change her clothes.

Xu Mengxian glanced at it; it was only a little wet. She then shook her head.

"It's okay, it's only a little wet. It didn't get inside, so it's fine."

Lin Mo frowned. "Go change your clothes."

What should I do if I catch a cold?

Qinglian is back; I'll let her keep me company.

Qinglian happened to come in from outside the main gate.

Xu Mengxian couldn't dissuade Lin Mo, and after repeatedly instructing Qinglian to take good care of her sister-in-law, she reluctantly went back to change her clothes.

Oh, I should have been more careful.

After she left, Lin Mo continued walking outside.

As you walk in the courtyard, you can already hear the lively noise outside.

Qinglian followed nervously behind Lin Mo, making sure she was walking slowly and steadily before letting out a breath and lowering her voice to say:

"Young Madam, we just received a message from the young master that they might not be able to make it back in time."

The day before yesterday, they encountered an avalanche, which prevented the carriage from passing and caused them to be delayed.

"Are they alright?" Lin Mo turned to look at her.

"It doesn't matter if they can't come back; the most important thing is their safety."

A family reunion dinner can be eaten anytime; the important thing is to ensure their safety.

This is Lin Mo's truest thought.

"It's alright, young master and the others are all fine. They discovered the avalanche beforehand," Qinglian said, shaking her head.

She didn't mention that the avalanche the young master and the others encountered was man-made.

Anyway, the trouble has been resolved, there's no need to worry the young mistress.

"That's good." Lin Mo exhaled a breath of stale air.

She reached out and touched her belly, and just then, the baby inside her moved.

Lin Mo couldn't help but laugh. Was this child protesting?

He'll be back soon.

……

Soon, Lin Mo appeared in Yuan City with Qinglian.

When people saw her, they all greeted her, and everyone had a smile on their face.

Lin Mo smiled and nodded in response.

This reunion dinner was held at the market.

The Xu family mansion wasn't big enough to accommodate more than 300 people at the same time; only the area that was originally used as a market was big enough.

The market had already been cleaned up and thirty large round tables were set up, with many braziers lit around it to keep warm. Young children were playing and running happily among the tables.

Behind the market, women were washing vegetables and plucking feathers from chickens and ducks, while men were chopping vegetables, bones, and meat on a cutting board. Not far away, a pot was sizzling with the sound of frying meatballs.

The festive atmosphere of the New Year suddenly surged up all at once.

Xu Pinggui, who was overseeing the overall situation, immediately went over to Lin Mo upon seeing her arrive, looking at her with disapproval:

"Young Madam, you shouldn't have come here. The ground here is not only wet but also slippery, making it easy to slip and fall."

Qinglian, how could you let the young mistress cause trouble here?

What if something goes wrong?

"Alright, Pinggui, stop talking about Qinglian. This has nothing to do with Qinglian; I came here on my own." Lin Mo shook her head.

"It's so lively, I naturally have to come and join in the fun and celebration."

What, you won't let me come?

Qinglian shook her head at Xu Pinggui, "Once the young mistress has made up her mind, I can't persuade her otherwise."

So, you really can't blame yourself.

Xu Pinggui sighed, "Young Madam, of course that's not what I meant."

If you want to join in the fun, young mistress, you can go to the inn; there are many people there too.

It's too chaotic here; even agile people can easily slip and fall, let alone someone who's six months pregnant.

Also, if you're here, people won't be able to work freely. If things slow down, they might not be able to eat dinner by late afternoon.

"Young Madam, your presence is slowing everyone down."

Lin Mo shook her head with a laugh at this blatant disdain. She was being disliked wherever she went!

However, she didn't insist on staying and causing trouble, but instead took Qinglian to the inn.

Xu Pinggui breathed a sigh of relief after she left.

With the young mistress here, I have to worry about her safety.

Everyone can work in peace when she's not around.

When Lin Mo arrived at the inn, it was bustling with activity, and Liu Ying and the others were there.

Meanwhile, Lin Shuo and the others were playing with Xu Ziyue on the side.

Xu Ziyue's eyes lit up the moment he saw her appear, and he stretched out his hands towards her, speaking clearly:

"Hug, Mom, hug me."

Lin Mo chuckled, walked over, and picked him up in her arms.

However, the way I held him was a bit high, mainly because I was worried about putting pressure on his stomach.

Liu Ying wanted her to put Xu Ziyue down, fearing it might hurt the baby in her belly, but seeing that she was sensible, she didn't say anything more.

It's Chinese New Year, so let's not ramble on.

Huangfu Cheng, sitting to the side, felt a pang of envy upon seeing this scene.

This kid is really hard to please.

During this period, I tried every means to please this brat, hoping that he would be less hostile towards me.

But no matter what he did, the brat wouldn't even glance at him.

Several times, it even turned its back to me.

Even the Seventh Prince, who had only known him for a short time, received a kind look from him.

When it came to him, the man completely ignored him, and when he tried to tease him, the man attacked him.

Now, whenever she sees Mrs. Xu, she immediately reaches out to hug her, but he won't let her hug him.

If they're already so hypocritical at such a young age, what will they be like when they grow up?

Huangfu Cheng couldn't help but look at the mother and son with a sour expression, "Madam Xu, you need to teach this brat a lesson."

"This is too young for them to already be applying double standards; that won't do."

Lin Mo sat down on a stool next to her, holding Xu Ziyue in her arms, and raised an eyebrow:

"What, did your attempt to please me fail again today?"

As she spoke, she reached out and gently pinched Xu Ziyue's cheek. "My son is just so unique, so indomitable."

She had received news that Huangfu Cheng was trying to please her son every day, but her son was never giving him a kind look.

Xu Ziyue gave her a bright smile, then stretched his neck and shyly kissed Lin Mo. Finally, he leaned against Lin Mo and mumbled indistinctly:

"I love Mom!"

This scene once again made Huangfu Cheng extremely jealous.

Forget it, he decided to give up on trying to please this brat. They were incompatible and destined never to be together.

Lin Mo smiled.

She simply cupped his face in her hands and began to gently rub his little cheeks with her palms:

"I like Ziyue too. Our Ziyue is getting more and more handsome."

"Mom, it's beautiful."

"Ziyue, it's beautiful!"

……

Their back-and-forth questioning with their son amused everyone.

Liu Ying glanced outside and looked at Lin Mo with some worry, "Mo Mo, will Wu Yan be able to make it back for New Year's Eve dinner?"

She was worried that he might not be able to make it back by now, as he hadn't returned yet.

But he didn't dare tell Lin Mo directly, afraid that she would worry, since her current situation was special and she couldn't afford to be anxious or preoccupied.

"They probably won't make it in time." Lin Mo shook her head.

"I just received news that they encountered an avalanche on their way back the night before last, and the carriage couldn't pass, causing a delay."

It's okay, it doesn't matter if he doesn't make it back in time, we can just eat our food.

"Once he returns, our family will have a reunion dinner separately."

Lin Mo was quite open-minded. As long as everyone returned safely, the reunion dinner could be eaten whenever she wanted; she didn't really care.

Liu Ying nodded; this was the only way.

She looked up and saw Xu Ziyue touching Lin Mo's stomach, and suddenly became interested.

"Ziyue, tell your grandmother, do you think your mother is carrying a little brother or a little sister? Do you prefer a little brother or a little sister?"

Xu Ziyue lay on top of Lin Mo, grinning foolishly at Liu Ying.

Lin Mo looked at Liu Ying disapprovingly, "Mother, why are you asking this? Ziyue is so young, what does he know?"

"You don't know, a boy's mouth is very sharp; whatever he says goes." Liu Ying laughed.

"But for our family, as long as it's your child, it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl."

"Then why are you asking this!" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow, wondering if her mother was biased towards boys.

"Knowing if it's a boy or a girl makes it easier for me to make the clothes," Liu Ying said with a look of disgust.

"You, as a mother, don't care at all."

You're already five months pregnant; you should start preparing clothes for the baby.

Liu Ying had already made preparations. After the Lantern Festival, she would go from house to house asking for scraps of cloth to make a patchwork garment for the child.

A newborn baby wearing clothes made from the clothes of many families is believed to receive blessings from many families, have fewer illnesses and disasters, and live a long life.

……

Looking at her mother, who was nagging on and on, and her younger brother, who was chatting and laughing with his friends, Lin Mo felt a sense of satisfaction.

It's Chinese New Year, and having family around is true happiness.

If Lao Xu can make it back in time, that would be even better!

She hoped that Lao Xu could come back in time!

……