Shang Ping returned hastily after the imperial court's seal was bestowed, and even spent New Year's Eve on the road. After becoming the governor of Lu state, he wrote a letter of advice, and since then his heart has been like growing grass, eagerly wanting to know what his son had become.

  He has only one son, and in the future, the entire Shang family will be placed on his shoulders, so it's naturally better for him to be more capable.

  Shang Ping had already made up his mind that if his son was excellent, even if he disobeyed his mother, this time he would definitely take him to the capital city to personally educate and nurture him.

  He returned to Suzhou on the sixth day of the New Year, and because of the cold weather, he was exhausted from rushing on the road, so he simply didn't let anyone spread the word and rested at home for two days.

  Then last night he watched his son and nephew, as well as his daughter and niece, try on their clothes one by one, only to find out that the Lin family had a grand gathering today.

  Shang Ping only got some fragmented words about Lin Qingyuan from Zhao Jie and Zhao Sheng, he didn't take her to heart before, after all she was just a little girl over ten years old, even younger than his eldest daughter.

  The development of the Lin family over the past two years has been beyond his expectations, and he had also heard about the literary garden of the Lin family, so he wanted to come and see it for himself.

  Shang Ping came uninvited, Shang Ming Jie was somewhat embarrassed and apologetic, while Shang Ming Yuan simply took it as a joke.

  In his heart, his younger male cousin was still considered a member of the Shang family. As for his uncle and aunt, they were naturally delighted to see him make a fool of himself, he didn't mind losing face at all.

  So he happily followed behind to see how his second uncle would manage to squeeze out the five big families.

  Shang Ping and Shang Lao want to know what this kid is thinking, they will definitely knock him dead.

  Second Uncle was arranged among the celebrities, and soon he would have to act as a judge, so he turned around and went to play.

  Forget it, he's just here to have fun today anyway.

  Shang Mingjie stood there scratching his head, he hadn't seen his father in many years and for a moment didn't know whether to go forward and attend to him or retreat and play on his own.

  Still hesitating, Lin You came over from the side and pulled him away, "Cousin arrived just in time, quickly help me entertain a few literary friends who have come from afar, your several cousins can't get away..."

  It's all right, Shang Mingjie won't have to worry about it anymore.

  Not only Shang Ming Jie, but also Shang Ming Yuan were mobilized.

  However, these two brothers were very used to running errands for Lin's aunt, so they quickly got into their roles and entertained the scholars from all over with the young masters of the Lin family.

  After finishing talking with people around him, Shangping occasionally glanced over: ……

  What are those two kids' surnames, Shang or Lin?

  The north garden is crowded with guests, so it's lively but mixed, while the south garden is different.

  This time, the ladies who came at the invitation were not many, no more than fifty in total. Moreover, they all brought their own maidservants with them. The garden was vast and when one strolled around it seemed as if there were just a few people scattered about like plum blossoms.

  The garden is filled with their laughter from time to time, lively and delightful.

  Lin Qingwan didn't bother with anything and leaned against the open window to chat with the ladies, leaving the task of receiving guests to a few younger women from her husband's family.

  Lin Yuhbin just needs to take good care of the little girls who are around her age.

  Xiao Fang led the three Shang Danlan sisters to meet Lin Qingyuan, who smiled and beckoned them: "Why are you just coming now? Yu Bin asked many times early this morning."

  Xiao Fang smiled awkwardly, "I was delayed on the way, so I'm a bit late. Please forgive me, Aunt Lin."

  It was actually Shangping who made a temporary decision to come with them, so they left late.

  Xiao Fang felt that this uncle was too rude, coming uninvited and not knowing how to read people's minds. Fortunately, it was the Lin family, with whom they had a close relationship, so they could help cover for him.

  Shang Dan's face also turned slightly red, and he lowered his head in embarrassment.

  Lin Qingwan said, "All of you are married women, it's not good to keep you here talking, so I'll call two little maids: 'Come, take the young ladies to the garden and let the eldest lady entertain them well.'"

  He smiled at Shang Danlan and the others: "Yu Bin has taken her little friends to play, and now I don't know where they've gone. You go find them."

  The three of them also felt uneasy staying here and bid farewell to everyone before retreating.

  Xiao Fang stayed here too, she's also a married woman after all.

  Until the three little girls' backs disappeared from view, Madame Zhou withdrew her gaze and smiled at Xiaofang: "Shang Dainai is so fortunate to have these three lovely little daughters. Every day, without doing anything, just looking at them is a pleasure."

  Xiao Fang sat at the bottom, heard and smiled: "Isn't it, I also said I have good fortune, not only looking good, three little girls can also work, after school to help me with household chores."

  Everyone looked at Xiaofang's big belly and nodded in understanding, saying: "Well, your aunt is really enjoying good fortune."

  Everyone exchanged a meaningful and profound smile.

  The Shang family's household chores would rather be managed by Xiao Fang, who was pregnant with a big belly, and even let several girls help out, but they wouldn't let the second wife of the Shang family manage them, showing that the Shang family's affairs were quite complicated.

  Some people looked at Lin Qingyan, who was surrounded by a group of people on the upper seat. Her sisters-in-law were either quietly arranging for tea and refreshments to be served, chatting with several ladies, or going to inspect the garden. One of them stood behind Lin Qingyan, listening to her instructions...

  Everyone quietly withdrew their gaze, this is the treatment of a big winner in life.

  Shi Hui smiled and said, "The county master's wife has no children, but she is living the life of a grandmother earlier than us who have children."

  Lin Qingwan glanced at Mrs. Zhou, who was smiling modestly with her head down, and the movement on her face had already been withdrawn. She couldn't help but smile and say: "That's my several nieces-in-law being filial, they can only be called upon when there's a big event, usually they have to take care of their own parents-in-law, how would they have the energy to serve me?"

  The niece-in-law standing behind Lin Qingyan softly said, "Auntie, in the future if you need anything just have someone go back and inform us, we will definitely come."

  Lin Qingwan burst out laughing and said, "You're too honest, haven't you seen them being jealous of me? I deliberately said that to make them feel balanced mentally. Otherwise, as a widow in my early twenties, I would have had a niece-in-law who is more filial than them. What about those who have raised sons and daughters but haven't even had time to marry off their own sons?"

  Everyone almost burst out laughing.

  "After talking for half a day, it turned out that the young lady from Lin's family came to show off in front of us," said Mrs. Qian, putting down her teacup and smiling at several of Lin's nieces-in-law: "The geomancy of Lin's family is indeed good, just look at these daughters-in-law who are so filial and obedient, I suppose the young lady must be even better, next time I'll have to ask the young lady from Lin's family for a daughter-in-law."

  Lin Qingwan waved her hand and smiled: "Don't look for me on this matter, my face is tender, I can't be a matchmaker. However, several of my nieces-in-law are here, you see which girl you like and discuss it with them."

  Shi Hui reached out and pinched her cheek, "Let me see how thick this face is, to actually say that your skin is sensitive."

  Lin Qingwan smiled and dodged, "My face is not tender, I'm just putting it out to be a matchmaker, I'm afraid you'll think I'm being too nosy."

  At this time, who in Suzhou city dared to underestimate this young lady?

  They all laughed and said: "Being able to get the county master to be a matchmaker is the children's good fortune, it's not something that can be sought after."

  Lin Qingwan looked at Mrs. Zhou and said, "I remember that your son is also quite old now, isn't he?"

  Madam Zhou's eyes lit up, and the first person she thought of was Lin Qingyuan's niece, Lin Yuhong, but thinking about it again, it wasn't possible. Although her husband was a fourth-rank official, the Zhou family was from a humble background, how could they dare to think of Lin Yuhong?

  Lin Qingwan winked at her and said, "What did you think of those three nieces of mine just now?"

  Everyone knew in their hearts that this was an attempt to make a marriage between the two families of Shang and Zhou.

  Mrs. Zhou hesitated in her heart, but smiled on her face: "The three young ladies are as delicate as jade, naturally they are very good."

  She first set her sights on Shang Danzhu, who was the second daughter of the second branch of the Shang family. Although the social status of the two families differed somewhat, she was a legitimate second daughter, and her father's official position was the same as that of her husband.

  And her son is the eldest legitimate son, Mrs. Zhou thinks her son is still worthy of it.

  But just now listening to everyone's tone, it seems that Mrs. Shang is in an unstable position in the Shang family, so she hesitated a bit.

  Lin Qingwan smiled slightly after hearing this, and didn't continue the topic. Instead, she said with a smile: "I also think they're good, but unfortunately my few more promising nephews are all engaged, I don't think I can make this match happen."

  Xiao Fang's family looked at Lin Qingwan with gratitude and said, "If Lin aunt likes it, she can take them home to live for a few days. It's like Yu Bin, even if they're not nieces-in-law, they'll still be nieces."

  Lin Qingwan nodded, "That makes sense."

  Everyone knew that Lin Qingyuan really liked the three girls of the Shang family and had the intention to speak for them, everyone thought back to the voices and appearances of the three people just now, and their hearts were slightly moved.

  In this era, speaking of relationships doesn't have to be too subtle, but also doesn't have to be too explicit. Some things are better left unsaid. Lin Qingwen only had a fleeting thought, and wasn't necessarily trying to matchmake between the Shang and Zhou families.

  Mrs. Zhou saw that Lin Qingyuan was no longer asking her questions and secretly let out a sigh of relief, quietly wiping the sweat from her forehead.

  How could she feel more intimidated by Lin Qingwen, a little girl of over ten years old, than by her husband's superior's wife?

  Shang Danlan and her two sisters followed the two maidservants around the plum forest, then turned out of a patch of bare peach forest, and faintly heard the girls' crisp laughter.

  Three people's eyes lit up at the same time, and they immediately lifted their skirts and quickly turned around a few peach trees in front of them. Suddenly, it became wide open in front of them, and more than ten girls were holding up their skirts and carrying long poles to scoop up the blooming water lilies in the stream...

  The maid beside her was so anxious that she kept turning around and around, repeatedly dissuading her, saying: "Miss, what if you fall? Let's have someone row a boat to fetch us instead."

  "The water is so shallow that a person can't even get their shoulders wet, what's the point of having a boat, we can just wade across."

  "Lin Mei," Shang Danlan slightly raised her voice, calling out to Lin Yubin who was surrounded in the middle, and asked in surprise while looking at the water lilies in the stream, "How come the water lilies are blooming at this time?"

  "Cousin sister, cousin younger sister," Lin Yuheng drops off Lu Ling and the others, holding up her skirt and skipping over to them. She wipes away the water splashed on her face: "This was raised by Old Zhongbo in the old mansion. I heard that the manor is going to hold a literary gathering, and the creek being bare and empty wouldn't look good, so he specially moved it here for us to admire."

  Lin Yuhbin said proudly: "Only our side has it, and not a single one has fallen on the north garden side."