Chapter 22 : He lowered his hand and gently held her cold hand.

Years ago, Cui Yunting, who was concerned about his sister and didn’t want her to be troubled by returning to her family, kept quiet. But now, seeing his elder sister who seemed even more resolute than before, Cui Yunting suddenly felt that he and his second sister might still be able to rely on their married sister.

Though this thought seemed shameful and weak, for the young Cui siblings, it wasn’t a sign of weakness at all.

Hearing Cui Yunting’s words, Cui Yunzhao felt a deep sense of relief.

She looked at Cui Yunting and asked, “Do you want to participate in the county exam?”

At this moment, Huo Tan also raised his head and looked at Cui Yunting.

Under the combined gaze of his sister and brother-in-law, Cui Yunting couldn’t help but swallow hard, but he eventually gritted his teeth and nodded.

“I want to participate. I must pass.”

Cui Yunzhao smiled, “Alright, then today I’ll make a decision for you.”

She spent some more time talking with her younger siblings and then instructed Cui Yunlan, “Go check on Mother Xia and see if she’s missing any essential items. Be thorough, you can handle it well.”

Her current encouragement for Cui Yunlan was primarily to provide support and motivation.

She wanted to be a pillar of strength for her younger siblings, so they could feel confident and unafraid of any challenges.

Cui Yunlan, suddenly praised by her sister, was elated, and her face turned bright red.

“Okay, elder sister. I’ll do my best.”

Once she left, Cui Yunzhao turned to Cui Yunting and asked, “Tingtang, what do you think of our home?”

Cui Yunting was momentarily stunned.

He blinked, quickly regained his composure, and began to think seriously.

In his previous life, he hadn’t achieved outstanding results. Later, he became an official mainly because he was the emperor’s former brother-in-law. With the Huo family’s status and the connections from his elder sister and Huo Tan’s marriage, he had secured a high position at a young age.

People said that he held his position in court thanks to these connections, but Cui Yunzhao knew that her brother had always been very intelligent.

Some things didn’t need to be explicitly stated for him to understand.

Sure enough, after slowly sipping half a cup of tea, Cui Yunting spoke, “Elder sister, I don’t think our home is very good. Of course, it doesn’t matter much to me, but it’s quite important for second sister.”

His meaning was clear, Cui Yunlan’s marriage was still in the hands of Cui Xu and his wife.

Everyone said that the Cui family valued their reputation above all else, but Cui Yunzhao’s own marriage clearly showed that the current Cui family was far from its former glory.

Without the high-ranking officials of the past and the well-established reputation of previous generations, the Cui family now only retained its grand buildings and decorations.

Cui Yunting’s gaze was solemn as he lowered his eyes, staring at the calluses on his hands.

“Elder sister, second uncle cannot lead the Cui family to greatness again. The things he wants can only be exchanged for with leverage.”

“And all of us are the chips in his hand.”

Cui Yunzhao sighed deeply, and even Huo Tan, standing beside her, glanced at his younger brother-in-law with some surprise.

The younger brother-in-law was even younger than Huo Chenzhang but was so perceptive. No wonder people said that one’s background determined everything, being raised in a prestigious family meant receiving a different kind of education from a young age.

Seeing Cui Yunting’s resolute attitude, Cui Yunzhao said, “Alright, I understand.”

After some idle talk, Cui Yunlan and Mother Xia finished their tasks and joined them. After sitting together for a while, it was almost time to go.

Cui Yunzhao got up and said to Huo Tan, “My lord, we should head to Qingfeng Tower now.”

Huo Tan stood up and walked alongside her, with the two younger siblings following behind.

“My lord, the guests at today’s banquet are neither too few nor too many. The older grand-uncles didn’t come, but a few of the family’s uncles did.”

“Although my second uncle is now in charge, there are still several influential uncles in the family. Among them, the sixth uncle manages household affairs and is very skilled in business, while the eighth uncle oversees the family academy. He has a very good temperament and is quite like my father.”

“If they drink with you, feel free to have a few more glasses. It’s all right.”

Huo Tan looked down at her and, noticing that her cheeks were reddened by the cold, suddenly stopped.

He reached out and adjusted her cloak, carefully securing the straps.

“It’s cold. Don’t catch a chill.”

Cui Yunzhao suddenly felt her face flush.

The action, though devoid of any flirtation, brought an inexplicable warmth to her heart.

From the beginning of their return to the family home today, he had been attentive to her needs. Whatever she wished for him to say, he said it well.

Without his cooperation, today might have been a hundred times more difficult.

Cui Yunzhao tilted her head, looking at the smile in his eyes and feeling his encouragement.

Even though he hadn’t said a word, everything was understood without speaking.

Cui Yunzhao bit her lip and gave him a bright smile. “Thank you, my lord.”

Huo Tan lowered his eyes, releasing his hand but gently holding her cold hand.

They continued to walk slowly forward.

The grandeur and wealth of the Cui family’s ornate buildings seemed irrelevant to them as they quietly walked through the very garden that Cui Xu had recently shown off.

In the corridor, everything seemed to calm down.

Huo Tan suddenly spoke, “My lady, let’s design our home this way in the future. It’s indeed very convenient.”

Cui Yunzhao was taken aback for a moment, but then she lowered her eyes and smiled quietly.

“Alright, I’ll listen to my lord.”

The two in front were “affectionate and loving,” while the two younger ones exchanged glances. Cui Yunting quietly whispered to Cui Yunlan, “Second sister, are you relieved now?”

Cui Yunlan nodded and smiled.

“Brother-in-law seems to be a considerate person. That’s quite good.”

Their parents had passed away early, and although the Cui family was still behind them, everyone knew that no one could really support them anymore.

Originally, Cui Yunlan and Cui Yunting were worried about their eldest sister. But now, seeing her, they felt that marrying into a good family was indeed not a bad thing.

Ultimately, it comes down to how good the husband is.

Soon, they arrived at Qingfeng Tower.

Before they even reached the entrance, they could see numerous servants bustling about. Probably because of the crowd, Qingfeng Tower was unusually lively today.

From a distance, they could hear the voice of the sixth uncle “The son-in-law must be quite a drinker. I want to have a few drinks with him.”

Another uncle replied, “Aren’t you taking advantage of his youth?”

Qingfeng Tower was bustling, in stark contrast to the quiet and solemn inner residence of the Cui family.

When the group arrived at the entrance,

Huo Tan naturally released Cui Yunzhao’s hand and even stepped back half a step, allowing her to enter first.

As soon as Cui Yunzhao stepped inside, Qingfeng Tower fell silent.

The family and friends were divided into three tables, and now they all paused their conversations, their eyes fixed on the couple standing at the door.

No matter their backgrounds, Cui Yunzhao and Huo Tan together made for the most perfectly matched couple.

Cui Yunzhao paused slightly and then displayed a gentle smile, “Yunzhao greets uncles and aunts. I hope everyone is well.”

Huo Tan also restrained his imposing demeanor, furrowing his brows slightly, immediately appearing composed and reserved.

“Huo Tan greets all the elders.”

Cui Yunzhao’s eldest and second uncles had passed away, so the oldest present was the third uncle.

He was seated at the main position, and when he saw the hall quiet down, he cheerfully said, “Good, good. Come in and have a chat.”

“Fifth girl and Third Brother, please join the children at their table.”

This third uncle was a year younger than Cui Yunzhao’s father, just turned forty this year, and had a cheerful and accepting personality.

Cui Yunzhao glanced at Cui Xu seated beside him. At this moment, Cui Xu seemed to be listening intently.

The third uncle, speaking in a warm and gentle tone, said, “Everyone, please sit down and let’s talk.”

Today was Cui Yunzhao’s return visit, so she needed to sit at the main table with Huo Tan. Because of her presence, several of the aunts were also seated at this table.

The other table was filled with the family’s young ladies, sons, and daughters-in-law, occupying two full tables.

Once Cui Xu spoke, everyone took their seats.

The Cui family was a prestigious clan, with its collateral branches numbering over a hundred people, but today only about thirty people attended the gathering at Qingfeng Tower.

Cui Yunzhao sat beside Huo Tan on the left side of Cui Xu at the main table, and surprisingly, the main table was not even fully occupied.

Cui Xu glanced at her and then directly asked Mrs. Helan, “How is the preparation for today’s banquet?”

Mrs. He Lan, who had likely discussed this with Cui Xu beforehand, now wore a gentle smile, trying to appear authoritative as she said, “Everything is prepared. Please rest assured, sir. There won’t be any issues. The military officers will definitely be satisfied.”

Cui Xu brought up the matter as soon as he sat down, clearly having already discussed it with several uncles. Perhaps the uncles had previously mentioned that Cui Yunzhao did not understand etiquette, but now, in front of the young couple, the third, sixth, and eighth uncles remained silent.

Only the tenth uncle, who always obeyed Cui Xu, criticized Cui Yunzhao, “Second niece, what are you doing? Even though you are married now, you still do not understand the rules.”

Cui Xu’s lips slowly curled into a smile.