When they arrived, the elders of Huo Manor were already seated in the hall waiting.
“Grandmother! Father! Mother!” Huo Jin bowed to the elders.
Luo Chaoyan followed suit, mimicking his gestures as she bowed and greeted them.
Soon, a maid served tea, and she began presenting it to each elder one by one, receiving their blessings and well-wishes in return.
Old Madam Huo observed her proper demeanor, and her dissatisfaction with her diminished somewhat.
“Since you have married into our Huo Manor, you are now the Young Madam and the future mistress of the Huo Family. From now on, you must respect and love A Jin, educate your children, and avoid any missteps that would bring shame to our Huo Manor.”
Luo Chaoyan nodded respectfully. “Grandmother’s guidance is well taken. Your granddaughter-in-law will remember it.”
Madam Huo, née Yan, noticing her nervousness, smiled kindly at her and then instructed someone to bring in her two grandsons.
Huo Rui and Huo An, who was carried in, both greeted the elders.
When Huo An spotted Luo Chaoyan in the hall, he first giggled, then toddled unsteadily over to her, wrapping his arms around her leg and calling out in a milky voice, “Mo…ther!”
Madam Huo laughed. “Our little An’an really likes A Yan! No one taught him, yet he knows to call her mother.”
Luo Chaoyan noticed Old Madam Huo staring at her with a resentful expression, and she instantly felt a chill. Was she being blamed? How was she to know this chubby little boy would cling to her so much? From the moment they met, he’d been stuck to her, impossible to pry off. Looking at his plump, round face, she realized he had gained even more weight in the over month since she last saw him.
Huo Rui rolled his eyes at his brother, thinking him spineless for being so easily won over by this woman. Noticing his father’s cool gaze directed at him, he reluctantly bowed to her and said, “Mother!”
Luo Chaoyan nodded with a “loving” expression and had Fengli hand him the wooden Rubik’s Cube she had prepared earlier. This was her “carefully” chosen gift for him.
“Little Rui’er, this is a toy from beyond the western borders. See if you like it.”
Faced with such a novel and exquisite toy, Huo Rui immediately cast his so-called pride to the wind. He had no idea where this woman got these intriguing toys—he still hadn’t figured out how to solve the puzzle lock she had given him last time. But he would never admit defeat to her; he was convinced he would solve it eventually.
Unaware of his brother’s inner grumblings, Huo An lifted his chubby hand, pointed at her sleeve, and looked at her expectantly. “Candy…”
Luo Chaoyan’s lips twitched. Great! This little chubster was after her milk candies again. Luckily, her uncle’s family had brought some when they visited, or she wouldn’t know how to handle this awkward situation.
She pulled a small porcelain bottle from her sleeve, took out a clean handkerchief, poured a candy onto it, and handed it to him. He snatched the candy, popped it into his mouth, and grinned sweetly at her.
Playing along, she ruffled his little head and smiled. “Little An’an is so well-behaved!”
No sooner had she spoken than his chubby hand reached out to her again. She froze. What? Was this little guy trying to rob her of the entire bottle? No way! Absolutely not!
Clutching the porcelain bottle tightly, she gently shook her head. “Children shouldn’t eat too much candy, or worms will grow in their teeth.”
Huo An seemed to understand vaguely. Seeing that she really wouldn’t give him more, he didn’t throw a tantrum but quietly held her hand instead.
The rest of the Huo family found this scene quite unbelievable. Although Huo An was usually well-behaved, he could be quite domineering when it came to food. If he wanted something to eat and was denied, he would wail loudly.
Old Madam Huo, who always doted on her great-grandson, was somewhat displeased with Luo Chaoyan’s behavior. “It’s just some candy. If the child wants it, just give it to him. Being so stingy might make people think our Huo Manor can’t even afford candy.”
“Great-grandmother, our family might genuinely not be able to afford this candy.” Huo Rui, who had been playing with his new toy, shifted his gaze and came up with an idea to make this woman suffer.
Everyone looked puzzled at his words.
Luo Chaoyan’s heart sank. What was this little devil planning? What mischief was he up to? She quickly addressed the old madam respectfully, “Grandmother, it’s just some candy. I’m only worried that if An’an eats too much, his teeth will rot. My cousin’s child had the same problem—his front teeth still haven’t grown in, and he speaks with a lisp. Now he hides at home and refuses to go out, so…”
Madam Huo nodded, looking at Luo Chaoyan with approval. “A Yan is right. It’s better for children to eat less of such things.”
Luo Chaoyan nodded in agreement, feeling relieved, thinking the matter was over.
But Old Madam Huo turned to Huo Rui and asked, “Little Rui, what did you mean when you said we couldn’t afford this candy?”
“Great-grandmother, do you remember the candy An’an gave you the other day?” Huo Rui pointed at the porcelain bottle in Luo Chaoyan’s hand, smiling brightly.
“Could it be…?” Old Madam Huo suddenly recalled the candy her great-grandson had given her some days ago. It had a rich milky flavor, sweet but not cloying. She had thought it was a new treat from some confectionery shop and even sent someone to buy more, but they had searched all the candy shops in Jingdu to no avail. She had been disappointed for days because of it.
“Let me have a look. I want to see what’s so special about this candy.” Old Madam Huo pretended to be unimpressed.
Luo Chaoyan glanced at Huo Rui, sensing that the little devil was up to no good. But since the elder had spoken, she couldn’t refuse. She obediently handed the porcelain bottle to Old Madam Huo.
Old Madam Huo first examined it pretentiously, then poured a piece into her mouth. Instantly, the long-missed milky flavor washed over her, and she couldn’t help but marvel at how delicious the candy was—though she didn’t show it on her face.
“It’s nothing special. Far inferior to the candies from Jingdu’s famous confectionery shops.”
Luo Chaoyan felt speechless inside. Sure, you’re the elder, so you’re always right. She looked at the old madam and was about to reach out to take the bottle back.
But Old Madam Huo showed no intention of returning it. Instead, she tucked the bottle into her sleeve, raised a hand to her forehead, and said, “Well, we’ve had the newlywed’s tea, and it’s been a long morning. I’m tired now. All of you may leave.”
What? Luo Chaoyan was so shocked her jaw nearly dropped. She wanted to scream inwardly—what was this? Outright robbery?
Madam Huo looked helplessly at the old madam, then somewhat apologetically at her stunned daughter-in-law. She said to her son and daughter-in-law, “You were exhausted yesterday and woke up early today. Go back and rest.”
Luo Chaoyan snapped back to reality and looked at Huo Rui, seeing him with his head lowered, his small shoulders trembling incessantly. She gritted her teeth in anger. Well! This little devil truly had ill intentions. He probably knew the old madam liked this candy and deliberately said it that way. Ah! Just you wait, you little devil!
“Yes, Mother!”
Huo Jin and Luo Chaoyan bid farewell to the elders together.
Huo An didn’t want to be carried by his wet nurse; he grabbed Luo Chaoyan’s hand, insisting on walking with her.
Luo Chaoyan had no choice but to hold his hand and slowly follow behind Huo Jin.
After leaving the old madam’s courtyard, Huo Jin said to her, “I still have some official duties to attend to. You take An’an back to rest.”
Luo Chaoyan nodded, looking utterly listless. But upon seeing Huo Rui approaching from behind, her eyes brightened, and she smiled, saying, “Lang Jun, I know you are busy with official matters, but I believe the education of our children should not be neglected either.”
She pointed at Huo Rui, who was almost upon them. “Little… Little Rui’er is already five years old. Usually, he only reads a few lines from the Analects of Confucius and learns a few characters. I think this is still insufficient. I’ve heard that adults begin their education at three and can compose poetry and couplets by five. As your son and the future head of the Huo Family, he naturally shouldn’t lag too far behind you.”
Huo Jin frowned. Usually, he was indeed too busy with official duties to pay enough attention to his son’s education. His grandmother had always doted on the child, resulting in Huo Rui, now five years old, being fond of causing trouble all day long and performing poorly in his studies.
“I will discuss with Grandmother about sending him to the clan school.”
Luo Chaoyan nodded, glanced at Huo Rui, who had already walked up to them, and raised her voice, “Lang Jun is wise. Little Rui’er, if you can attend the clan school, you will surely make progress in your studies.”
Seeing Huo Rui glare at her resentfully, she felt utterly delighted. Hmph! Serves you right for tricking me out of my candy! Go and memorize your classical texts!
“Father!” Huo Rui said anxiously, “Father, I don’t want to go to the clan school. I promise I will study diligently with Teacher Chen from now on.” That old man Chen was already tiresome enough with his long-winded lectures. If he had to attend the clan school, he wouldn’t even have time to play, and he’d likely be scolded for failing to complete his assignments. He knew all too well the miserable wails of many of his little friends after they started attending the clan school.
“Very well. If you truly don’t want to go, then you must apply yourself diligently,” Huo Jin said. “Three days from now, if you can pass my assessment, I will grant your wish. If not, you will attend the clan school.”
Huo Rui’s face fell in dismay. Forget three days—even three months wouldn’t be enough for him to pass. He could already envision his bleak and hopeless future in the classroom. He pursed his lips, feeling a pang of regret. If only he hadn’t provoked this cunning woman today. The saying “injuring others a thousand times only to harm oneself eight hundred” probably applied to him now. All he could do now was pray that his great-grandmother would help him.