Cui Xian galloped home on horseback, not even bothering with the servant trailing behind him. He charged straight into the house. “Father! Father!”

Master Cui was in the middle of eating when the shout made his hand tremble, sending his chopsticks clattering onto the table. “Xian’er’s back? Didn’t he go to a full-month banquet? Why’s he home so soon?”

Cui Xian had been ill for several days. Today he’d gotten up early and changed into a brand-new robe to attend a colleague’s full-month banquet. Why had he suddenly returned?

Cui Xian urgently asked, “Father, is there some trouble between our family and the Wei family?”

“The Wei family?” Master Cui pondered for a moment, struggling to recall any family named Wei they were acquainted with.

“The Wei family from the First Pavilion.”

“Oh, oh, oh! You mean Master Lin’s family.” Master Cui finally remembered. He cleared his throat. “There was indeed a misunderstanding between our families.”

“What misunderstanding!” Cui Xian pressed urgently.

Master Cui glanced at Jia Feng sitting nearby. Jia Feng quickly lowered his head. Wasn’t this matter already settled? Why bring it up again?

“Father, tell me!”

“Your cousin stopped their young lady in the street. They came looking for trouble.”

Cui Xian’s eyes nearly popped out of his head with rage. He grabbed Jia Feng by the collar with one hand. “You dared to flirt with their daughter!”

Cui Xian swung his fist, landing several blows that left Jia Feng’s face swollen. Madam Cui screamed in fright. “What are you all staring at? Quickly pull the young master and his cousin apart!”

The servants in the hall rushed to pull them apart, but Cui Xian was beside himself with rage. Two or three servants couldn’t restrain him, and Jia Feng was beaten until he screamed in agony.

Finally, Madam Cui lost her temper and smashed a teacup. “Cui Xian, what are you doing? You’ll beat your cousin to death!”

Only then did Cui Xian release Jia Feng. “Useless… utterly useless. No wonder Yueniang won’t give me the time of day.”

Consumed by rage, Cui Xian gasped for air and fainted. The entire meal left the Cui household in utter chaos. Cui Xian, convinced he’d lost his beloved, sank into a deep melancholy, his spirit utterly broken.

Madam Cui wiped her tears as she questioned the servant who had accompanied Cui Xian that day. Only then did she learn they had visited the owner of the First Pavilion. “Does he have a daughter named Yueniang?”

“Yes, there is one. People say she’s Master Lin’s sister.”

Madam Cui now realized her son’s beloved belonged to the very First Pavilion they had offended. Frantic, she paced, “What on earth are we to do?”

Madam Cui took Cui Xian’s hand. “Xian’er, Mother will plead for you. Don’t grieve.”

“It’s useless, Mother. Drive Jia Feng away. Never aid his family again.”

“But he’s your own cousin! Your cousin lost his father young—how could I abandon him?”

Cui Xian turned away, refusing to engage with her. The girl he loved wouldn’t acknowledge him, and it seemed their relationship was doomed.

Master Cui let out a sigh, pulling Madam Cui aside. He unleashed a torrent of scolding on her: “You’re being foolish! Who matters more—your nephew or your own son? Xian’er is in this state, and you still have the heart to worry about your nephew!”

“It was Feng’er’s fault, but that doesn’t mean we should kick him out and cut all ties!”

“This matter will be handled as Xian’er says. Send some people to pack Jia Feng’s things and throw him out of the house!”

Several servants hurried to Jia Feng’s courtyard. Jia Feng, still lying in bed groaning from the beating Cui Xian had given him earlier that day, hadn’t even processed what was happening when two servants grabbed him by the arms and legs and tossed him out the door. They didn’t even give him a single piece of clothing to take with him.

Jia Feng grimaced from the fall. Climbing up, he cursed, “You dogs! How dare you touch me? Madam Cui is my own aunt!”

The servant spat. “Master said to kick you out, cousin. No more contact. You’re never to set foot in the Cui household again.”

With that, he slammed the door shut, leaving Jia Feng pounding on it in vain.

Master Cui went inside to check on his son. Though they were merchants, his son had been raised with a gentle, kind nature. Now that he’d finally found someone he loved, only to have the match ruined, Master Cui feared his son might brood himself sick.

“Xian’er, don’t worry. I’ll go mediate first thing tomorrow morning.”

Seeing his son shut his eyes and refuse to acknowledge him, Master Cui sighed and left. Once outside, he turned to scold Madam Cui, “If you truly care for our son, stop clinging to the Jia family! Jia Feng has been fed and sheltered in our home for over five years. Look what he’s done to our Xian’er!”

After his parents left, Cui Jin slipped into her brother’s room. “Brother, maybe I should go talk to them for you.”

Cui Xian shook his head. “It’s no use.”

“Who says it’s no use? If that girl takes a liking to you, I’ll apologize for you. What if it works out?”

Cui Jin talked for ages, but her brother paid her no mind. Fuming, she huffed and left.

The next day, Master and Madam Cui prepared lavish gifts and went to visit Lin Yu. The family had just held a full-month celebration yesterday, and the red lanterns still hung in the courtyard, untouched.

After lunch, He Dongdong and Shi Tou took Yun-ger and Lei-zi to stroll around the county seat. Their shop was closed today, and Shi Xiaoliu, Ding Xiahe, and the others were all there. Even Wei Qingshan wouldn’t start his shift until tomorrow.

The sun was shining brightly today, so Lin Yu carried Wei Yang and Lin Chao out to bask in it. The two little ones lay in their cradle, their bottoms exposed to the sun, drawing Shi Xiaoliu and the others to gather around and watch. The whole courtyard was bustling with activity.

Hearing a knock at the door, Shi Xiaoliu hurried to open it. Standing at the entrance were a couple dressed in silk robes, followed by several servants carrying gifts. “Have you come to offer congratulations?”

“Ah, yes, yes, yes.”

Shi Xiaoliu hurried inside, “Lin Fulang, someone’s here to deliver congratulatory gifts!”

Lin Yu looked over and saw the Cui family approaching. Master Cui wore a flattering smile. “We didn’t know the Lin family held the full-month celebration yesterday. We’re late today—our apologies, our apologies.”

Since they’d come bearing gifts, Lin Yu couldn’t very well give them the cold shoulder. He invited them into the courtyard for tea. Madam Cui scanned the people gathered there and noticed a girl of sixteen or seventeen. She was strikingly pretty, dressed simply but with an air of grace and poise.

Her eyes then fell upon two adorable little bundles, bare-bottomed and nestled in a cradle. Madam Cui was utterly charmed by the children. “Mr. Lin truly is blessed,” she murmured. “Look how splendidly these two little ones are made!”

Master Cui and Wei Qingshan exchanged polite pleasantries. Master Cui apologized again, then mentioned the gifts had arrived late. Lin Yu and Wei Qingshan weren’t fools. Just yesterday, Cui Xian had visited, and now the Cui family had turned up with lavish gifts. Everyone knew exactly what this was about.

Master Cui broached the subject of a potential marriage alliance. Lin Yu sipped his tea without responding, leaving Master Cui feeling awkward. It was clear they weren’t interested in engaging. Blame it all on that good-for-nothing Jia Feng—otherwise, things wouldn’t have turned out this way!

Zhao Yueniang, surprised to see the Cui family, took Tuan-ger off to play elsewhere.

Madam Cui continued extolling her son’s virtues. Lin Yu hadn’t seen Cui Xian yesterday and harbored no fondness for the Cui family due to Jia Feng’s actions. Suddenly, Wei Yang, lying in his cradle, began to cry. Lin Yu hurriedly picked him up. “Don’t want to lie down anymore?”

While Lin Yu tended to Wei Yang, Wei Qingshan also rose to pick up Lin Chao. With both husbands now holding a child each, they clearly had no desire to converse further.

Master and Madam Cui also stood to leave. Lin Yu instructed them to take their gifts, but the Cui couple hurried off, simply setting the gifts down as if they hadn’t heard a word.

With Zhao Yueniang absent, Lin Yu asked Wei Qingshan how he knew Cui Xian. Wei Qingshan cleared his throat, fearing his husband might blame him. “It was the day you gave birth. Yueniang came to the City Defense Office looking for me. That must be when they met.”

Lin Yu snorted. “The Cui family raised a good-for-nothing like Jia Feng. What kind of family could they be?”

Cui Xian waited at home for news, unable to eat all morning as he anxiously awaited word from his parents. Hearing they’d returned, he dragged his sickly body to meet them. Seeing the worry etched on their faces, he knew it was hopeless. Sighing, he turned back home.

Seeing her brother take matters into his own hands, Cui Jin figured a ten-year-old girl like her wouldn’t be kicked out.

The next day, the house was nearly empty. Wei Qingshan had gone to work, Shi Xiaoliu and the others had left for the shop, and He Dongdong, who had stayed for a few days, had also returned home. Only Lin Yu, Zhao Yueniang, and a few maids remained.

Cui Jin arrived with one of the maids. The little girl wore two pigtails and had a round, adorable face. She came straight over, saying she wanted to play with Zhao Yueniang.

Lin Yu couldn’t very well turn a little girl away. The sweet-talking, lively child kept calling her “Big Sister” and plopped down in the courtyard, swinging her legs.

The little girl puffed out her cheeks angrily when she spoke of Jia Feng. “My daddy threw that big bad guy out and won’t let my mommy contact him anymore. Jia Feng is so mean! He even stole the little gold locket my mommy gave me, and he won’t admit it. Hmph!”

After playing for a while, the little girl left, tugging at Zhao Yueniang as she went and whispering, “Big Sister, my brother is sick. Can you forgive him?”

Zhao Yueniang kept her head down, saying nothing. Even at dinner that night, she seemed distracted, something Lin Yu noticed.

Cui Jin, that little girl, visited Lin Yu daily. Sometimes she brought pastries her mother had made, other times she brought little trinkets like cloth tigers and rattle drums for Tuan-ger and the two little ones.

Cui Xian perked up upon learning his sister could visit, determined to recover. His sickly appearance had made him unwelcome to others.

As a martial general, not some frail scholar, he would return to duty once healed. Every day, his sister brought items he had selected, sometimes including silk flowers and small treats favored by young girls.

Zhao Yueniang had been distracted these past few days. Lin Yu sensed she wasn’t as averse to Cui Xian as he’d thought. Suddenly recalling what Xu Nainai had mentioned—that Zhao Yueniang hadn’t accompanied her on a recent market trip—he realized Xu Nainai must know something. He quietly summoned her to ask.