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“Since you know they are just talking nonsense, there’s no need to listen. Some people just can’t stand to see others doing well, and it’s normal for them to say sour things. Besides, the Fourth child does really have ability; he’s not the kind that lives off his wife. Sooner or later, he’ll make a career for himself, and if you stand upright, you won’t fear what others say.” Mrs. Yang said this but also felt some dissatisfaction deep inside. What the Eldest Daughter-in-law said was not totally unreasonable; her sister and niece hadn’t helped with anything over the past few days, which was fine, but instead, they had the leisure to listen to other people’s gossip.

Yang Juxiang and her daughter had originally thought this was a good opportunity to drive a wedge between Mrs. Yang and her Mother-in-law, Su Wenyue. Unexpectedly, Mrs. Yang hadn’t wavered at all, and there was something off about the way she spoke.

“Eldest Sister is right; that’s exactly how it is. Those people just can’t bear to see others with a happy family and love to talk nonsense. If anyone had a Daughter-in-law like the Fourth Daughter-in-law, they’d be too busy pampering her to bother with anything else.”

Yang Juxiang was clever too. Knowing she couldn’t stir trouble from this angle, she changed the subject. Her original intention wasn’t this; it was just incidental. Thus, her gaze shifted to the bowl of Chicken Soup, where the chicken had been stewed until the skin was crispy and the meat tender, and its essence had infused the soup, revealing how delicious it was just by its aroma.

The Yang Juxiang Mother-daughter duo had their eyes on that bowl of Chicken Soup. Mrs. Yang, who had a soft spot for her sister and niece, couldn’t help but cave in, and naturally, the Chicken Soup ended up in their stomachs.

Su Wenyue just laughed when she found out and wasn’t surprised at all. The Han Family’s food was no longer as good as before, and it had been two or three days. Given her understanding of Yang Juxiang and her daughter, their patience until now was already more restraint than expected, but she just hadn’t anticipated that they would set their sights on this. It seemed Yang Juxiang didn’t share much sisterly affection with her Mother-in-law; otherwise, the soup was specially stewed to nourish the body of her Mother-in-law.

“What are you laughing about now, plotting something sinister?” Han Yu came back to see his wife’s sly smile and raised an eyebrow.

“Husband, you’re back!” Su Wenyue turned her head towards the voice upon hearing it.

Knowing that Su Wenyue was a bit of a germaphobe, Han Yu had cleaned himself up before coming back to the Room, then he embraced his wife tightly: “Tell me, what are you chuckling about, don’t change the subject.”

“There’s nothing, you’re seeing things. Me, such a pure and kind person, how could I plot anything bad? Husband, how could you think so badly of someone?” Su Wenyue looked at Han Yu innocently. She wouldn’t easily admit it, especially when the one being schemed against was her Mother-in-law.

“Don’t try to pull the wool over my eyes. I have sharp eyesight, and you better come clean, or I’ll take care of you!” Han Yu emphasized the words “take care” particularly strongly.

The same old tricks, but in most cases, Su Wenyue still fell for Han Yu’s machinations, for she didn’t want to be tormented by him.

“Really, it’s nothing. I was just thinking about the Old lady and the Main House. I never knew we had such relatives before. Since they live in the County Town, they must be well off. Yet, considering Mother’s attitude, it seems our two families are not on great terms.”

Han Yu hadn’t expected Su Wenyue to suddenly bring up the Old lady and the Main House. He had never mentioned them to his wife before, and their family didn’t really keep in touch with those people. Even on the day he hosted his wedding feast, they didn’t come, and he had virtually forgotten about them. Calculating the days, the Old lady’s birthday must be approaching soon; no wonder.

Han Yu wasn’t Han Hu. His nature was cold and detached, not bound by those so-called traditional rules and etiquette. He could be very good to the people he cared about, but regarding those in the Old lady of Han Family and the Main House—those relatives who didn’t think of him as family, only sought to take advantage of his family yet looked down on them—he felt no affection. If not for his Birth Father, he would have taken action against the Old lady for disrespecting his Birth Mother long ago.

“I’m just curious, so I asked. If it’s not something you can talk about, forget it. I noticed Mother seemed hesitant when she talked about them, too.”

“There’s nothing to hide. We just don’t normally interact with them. If you hadn’t mentioned it, I’d have forgotten about them. Since you asked, let me give you a heads up. In a few days, it will be the Old lady’s birthday, and our whole family will have to go wish her well. Don’t be at a disadvantage because you’re unaware of their background.”

“From what you’re saying, it seems neither the Old lady nor the Main House are easy to deal with.” Su Wenyue’s eyes gleamed cleverly.

“Not many in that family are decent. They’re arrogant without much to show for it, with a high opinion of themselves but little regard for others, especially us country folk. Even though we’re related, they don’t treat us as family; they just want to benefit from us. When you meet them, don’t be surprised or bother with them. But if they dare to bully you, just pay them back in kind. Should the Old lady and Aunt try to use their seniority to oppress you, don’t act rashly and spoil your reputation. Just let me know afterward, and I’ll avenge you.”

Han Yu knew his wife was not simple either—clever and sharp-witted. But she was young and, despite marrying into the Han Family, had only really dealt with Mrs. Wang, who was not much to speak of. The people from that family had played their tricks over the years: while their tactics might not be dignified, they were effective in dealing with others. Sometimes, when people reach a certain level of shamelessness, Han Yu worried his wife wouldn’t be able to handle them. Otherwise, he wouldn’t bother getting involved in these matters; he was just afraid his wife would be disadvantaged.

“Understood, don’t worry. Who am I? I can certainly handle it. I heard from Sister-in-law that the Old lady and the Main House have been bullying Mother and Our family. With me there this time, you can rest assured; I’ll make sure to protect them from being wronged by the Main House.”

Han Yu knew his wife was doing this for his sake, and his heart warmed. He patted her head: “Just make sure you protect yourself from being bullied.”

Time flies quickly, and in the blink of an eye several days passed. On the day before the Old lady of Han Family’s birthday, the Daughters-in-law of the Han Family put aside their work and gathered in the Kitchen to make birthday packages.

The method for making birthday packages was simple—just ordinary Sugar Buns with a dot of red in the middle for good fortune and celebration. Although it was easy to make, the quantity required large efforts, and kneading the dough required strength. After a day’s work, the Daughters-in-law were all exhausted.

Su Wenyue had thought about asking the men to help knead the dough, but since the family had not yet divided, traditional values held that men should not cook, so she kept the idea to herself without voicing it. Her Mother-in-law wouldn’t agree anyway and might even see it as a fault in her.