Gu Jinzhi remembered that a few days ago, Zhu Zhongjun was saying that after the Laba Festival it would be New Year's. Indeed, in the blink of an eye, it had already arrived at December 23rd.

  On the twenty-third day of the twelfth lunar month, we worship the stove god and go to our old house.

  Zhu Zhongjun insisted on going.

  He doesn't want to spend the Chinese New Year alone.

  It's been too long since one person spent New Year's alone, and he can be lazy if he wants to...

  Gu Yanzhen hesitated a bit, always feeling it was unreasonable.

  Will big brother scold them for being unruly?

  Song Pan'er also didn't know what to do.

  New Year's is a time for family reunions, especially today when we're supposed to worship the stove god. It doesn't feel right with Zhu Zhongjun joining in. He's not even an in-law...

  Zhu Zhongjun saw Song Daner and Gu Yanzhen hesitating, so he tightly grasped Gu Jin's hand, constantly making eye contact with her.

  Gu Jinzhi then said to his parents: "Let Wang Ye follow us?"

  Gu Yanwen and Song Pan'er exchanged a glance, and finally agreed.

  Dàbó Gù Yán Tāo was overjoyed and welcomed Lǔyáng Wáng as an honored guest.

  Gu Yanwen finally breathed a sigh of relief.

  After worshiping the stove god, everyone had lunch together.

  The old man still hasn't come.

  The old man asked: "Father, how's your body recently?"

  Gu Yanwen said: "It's good to write every day until the second watch before resting..."

  "The ancestral worship is a big deal, he never shows up." The old master said, with a hint of cold ridicule in his tone.

  Gu Yanwen and Second Master didn't respond.

  Especially the second master, looking rather listless.

  The eldest son was conferred as Marquis Hou, the third son was also conferred as General Fengguo, only he, muddled along, waiting for death, waiting to inherit the title of Duke Guo in the future...

  Compared with his brothers, he is quite disreputable.

  Behind the screen, Big Sister Lin Manjing and Third Granny Xia were standing by, helping the servants to lay out dishes and add chopsticks.

  The great aunt asked Song Pan'er: "How are those two little ones of yours?"

  The second lady suddenly felt uneasy.

  Sister-in-law, what do you mean by this? Did you know I don't have a son and say it on purpose to me?

  Her face sank slightly.

  Song Pan'er took note of the second wife's expression and deliberately said to the first wife, "It's good that they're a bit better. Little Ten is silly and eats well, so he's grown sturdy! Little Eleven is mischievous and never stops crying, but now she's not even half as big as Little Ten. However, Old Master took one look and said it doesn't matter, the child is clever and will have great prospects in the future..."

  "You will be happy in the future." The madam smiled slightly.

  She just asked her nephews as usual.

  The second lady changed her face, and the first lady knew she had misunderstood, smiling lightly, wanting to end this topic.

  Song Pan'er refused to give in, continuing: "What good fortune are we enjoying? Our family has four young masters. Don't mention anything else, how will they divide the estate in the future? At that time, they'll be fighting and arguing over things, brothers losing harmony, making fools of themselves for others to laugh at."

  The second wife's complexion was even worse.

  The three girls in her second house often quarrel and fight like this.

  Song Paner There's more to this than meets the eye.

  The fifth girl listened on the side and couldn't help but angrily say: "Third Aunt, what do you mean by this?"

  On the dinner table, everyone's chopsticks suddenly stopped moving.

  The madam's sharp eyes scanned towards Fifth Young Lady.

  Song Pan'er also stopped talking and looked at her.

  On the other side of the screen, the old men were chatting and laughing, while on this side, the women suddenly fell silent.

  This was too much for Xiao Nian, and no one could calm him down. San Niangzi Xiaoshi just smiled and helped Wu Guiniang mediate: "Wu Mei, San Shu said something about your brothers, I'll tell you later..."

  Then personally served Song Pan'er with dishes, "Third Aunt, try this purple ginseng wild chicken soup. The wild chicken was caught by the brothers themselves..."

  Song Pan'er didn't want to quarrel with her niece at the dinner table and lose face.

  She can be subtle and insinuating, but also pretend to be deaf and dumb.

  Third Granny was selling cleverly again, Song Pan'er smiled and took the small bowl she handed over, tasted it and said: "It's so fresh and delicious!"

  Then he asked Mrs. Zhang, "Sister-in-law, are there any more wild mountain chickens? Can you send me two later to take back?"

  The lady smiled and said, "We have two of them, raised in the backyard kitchen, waiting to be eaten on New Year's Eve. Since you've spoken up, how can I let you leave empty-handed? Eat with ease, when it's time for you to leave, I'll have someone help you carry them..."

  The topic was diverted.

  The fifth daughter was so angry that her eyes were wide with rage.

  She knew Song Pan'er was satirizing them, despising their second house.

  Fu Xia, the daughter-in-law of the second house, was actually involved in helping outsiders, and her aunt's face was full of warning. The fifth girl remembered the hardships in the ancestral temple and had to swallow her anger.

  It was all Eldest Paternal Aunt's doing, she had her locked up in the ancestral temple and sent Sixth Sister into the palace.

  Otherwise, it would be her who is now high up, enjoying wealth and glory, rather than Liu Mei.

  So, when drinking soup, Wu Niang's spoon knocked against the bowl heavily.

  Everyone's eyes were on her again.

  Third Granny said again: "Fifth Sister, is it that the spoon isn't comfortable in your hand?"

  Then quickly changed a spoon for the fifth girl.

  The fifth daughter-in-law looked at San Nainai Xia Shi, who was always making things difficult for her and helping outsiders. She felt a surge of anger in her heart: whether it was the first or second household, it wasn't up to Xia Shi to be in charge. What was she trying to prove by being so kind?!

  "I don't want this!" The fifth daughter slammed the spoon heavily onto the ground.

  The sound of shattering porcelain was loud and echoed throughout the flower hall.

  The uncle and aunt on the other side of the screen also suddenly fell silent.

  Song Pan'er suddenly felt that it was meaningless. Coming to eat this meal, she indeed had the intention of humiliating Er Fang, but her words were extremely gentle and soft, without any tone of voice.

  The fifth daughter had been unhappy in her heart for a long time and took this opportunity to vent her anger, thus ruining the whole meal.

  Young Master Gu Chenzi came over from that side: "Father asked me to ask Mother what's going on here? Who broke the thing?"

  Startled Da Bo, Wu Niang's heart shrank a little.

  She lowered her head and pouted, saying nothing.

  Third Granny hastily said: "It was me! I was handing the soup ladle to Fifth Sister when my hand slipped..."

  "May everything be peaceful and safe..." said the madam.

  Everyone was busy laughing.

  Gu Zhen replied.

  Today there is Luoyang Wang present, and Big Uncle is also happy to grant favors, smiling without arguing.

  The great aunt got up, pulled the fifth girl to her side and sat down, smiling at everyone: "Today, Pei Jie has a big temper, can't reach the good food? Sit here, let Great Aunt serve you dishes..."

  The fifth girl didn't want to do it with her and struggled.

  The madam's hand gripped her arm tightly, her sharp gaze carrying a hint of coldness.

  "Big sister..." The second wife was about to speak.

  The madam gave a glance with a hint of warning and said in a low tone: "Sit down and eat!"

  The two ladies got on their horses and went back.

  The fifth daughter was also stunned and didn't dare move.

  The table fell silent afterwards.

  Song Paner was like a fishbone stuck in his throat, and even the freshest soup had lost its flavor.

  What a ridiculous family!

  After dinner, he sat for a while and then got up to bid farewell.

  The first and second madams saw them off at the gate of Weeping Willows.

  The crowd dispersed, and San Nainai Xia was a bit tired, bidding farewell to the mistress, also wanting to return to her room.

  The madam detained Fifth Daughter: "Perfume Sister, sit for a moment, Eldest Maternal Aunt has something to say to you."

  "Second lady said hastily: 'Elder sister, today is not Pei Jie's fault. I will scold her later. She is still a child after all, please be more tolerant of her...'"

  The big madam smiled and said to the second madam: "Why would I scold her? I'm just annoyed with her about something. You go back first."

  The fifth girl's face was tense, wanting to rush out the door.

  The madams and maidservants at the gate of the Kedao Mansion filled the entire house, she was probably unable to escape.

  She gazed at the second lady with eager eyes.

  Since learning that Wu Niang couldn't enter the palace, Er Furen's heart towards her had also cooled by more than half. She felt a little heartache, but she wouldn't go against Da Furen for her sake.

  The second lady didn't care about Wu Niang, and got up to leave with San Nai Nai Xia Shi.

  The two madams had just left when the big madam smiled and said to her attendants, Chun Qiao and Chun Xi: "Go and tidy up the side room next to the west wing. The fifth young lady will be staying with me for a few days..."

  The girl's face changed greatly.

  She suddenly stood up and said loudly: "I don't! What right do you have to control me?"

  The madam got up and slapped her heavily on the mouth.

  The fifth daughter stumbled and fell onto the edge of the kang.

  She was slapped heavily on the ear, and then her head was knocked against the edge of the bed. The fifth girl's head buzzed with a loud noise, her eyes were dizzy, and she didn't come to herself for a long time.

  When she came to her senses a bit, she sat on the ground and burst into loud sobs: "You want to kill me, you poisonous woman! You..."

  "Shut her mouth!" The madam said to the mother beside her.

  Two mothers immediately grabbed Fifth Daughter from both sides and gagged her with a handkerchief.

  "Help her onto the kang and have her sit down." The madam said again.

  The fifth daughter struggled with all her might, but her hands were tied up by the old women and she couldn't move, and a cloth was stuffed into her mouth so that she couldn't cry out.

  For a moment, she wailed and struggled with all her might.

  "I know, your mother had no son, and she doted on you more than anyone else. She had high hopes for you to make a good name for yourself and bring honor to her family. From a young age, she never laid a finger on you, and raised you with the utmost care. Everything has always gone your way!

  Madam also sat down, sipping her tea slowly, 'This temper of yours will lead you to a dead end, no matter where you go in life! Who else in this world, besides your mother, would indulge you like this? You may hate me or resent me, but discipline is something you must learn!"

  Then he shouted for Ning's mother to come, "Go and tell the second lady that Fifth Young Miss is going to stay here with me for a whole year. Let her pack up Fifth Young Miss's trunks and cosmetics and send them over."

  The fifth daughter's tears rolled down, and she stared at the lady with all her might.

  The madam's eyes were stern: "You are, after all, a daughter of the Gu family. Although it's late, you can't be allowed to ruin everything. In the future, people will point at our ancestral tomb and curse us!"

  The fifth daughter burst into loud sobs.

  "Go outside and bring in four strong women, look at her." The madam said, "First send her to the ear room, starve for two days, see if she dares to throw things again in front of her elders!"

  The old women said yes and took the fifth girl away.

  The fifth girl was hot-tempered but her waist was soft and she soon became exhausted.

  The madam indeed did not give her food to eat.

  By nightfall, she was so hungry that she became dizzy and burst into tears in her room.

  The madam also pretended not to have heard it.

  The old master is annoyed and wants to take Fifth Girl to beat her up.

  The madam smiled and said, "It doesn't matter, her temper needs to be slowly ground down. Let her cry. Once she knows that crying is useless, she won't cry anymore. If you find it too noisy, go sleep in the outer study first."

  The old man sighed and said, "What's the point of worrying? Whether she lives or dies in the future has nothing to do with you."

  Then he called his wife over and intimidated Fifth Daughter for a few sentences, saying that Master would beat her to death.

  The fifth daughter didn't dare cry anymore.

  ——*——*——

  It's the last day, sisters still have pink tickets, let's support it oo~rs!