Gu Zhao said, “I know that the servants from the Lin Mansion who came to give gifts are all cunning people. They have definitely thought about how to refuse gifts like ours. If they really want to give gifts, they will just throw them in the yard, say some auspicious words happily and politely, and then run away. Do you and Dad have to chase after them with boxes in your hands?”

　　”Then let’s go to the Lin residence and send these back?” Li Zhouzhou took the invitation.

　　Gu Zhao didn’t read the post, but thought about it and said, “I’ll ask the teacher how to deal with it later. If it’s my idea, I won’t send it back to the Lin family. These are very valuable to our family, but for the Lin family, spending a little money to settle our family’s favor will definitely make them feel comfortable and at ease. If we don’t want them, the Lin family will be upset.”

　　Li Zhouzhou: “I’m afraid that if I accept it, it will bring bad reputation to my husband.”

　　”We have picked up the young master of the Lin family, which has already made many people jealous. Even if I don’t accept him, people will say that I am holding on to the favor and want a bigger one in the future. If I accept him, there will naturally be people who say that we are poor and short-sighted.”

　　”I’ll go ask the teacher.”

　　After receiving these gifts, the three members of the Li family all sighed and looked sad, except Fubao, who was not affected. When he saw his father coming back, he babbled and greeted him. When Gu Zhao saw his son, the sadness on his face disappeared and he said happily, “Don’t think about it anymore, don’t think about it anymore. Just say whatever you want. Fubao, come here and let your father hold you.”

　　The next day, Gu Zhao took the invitation from the Lin family and copied the gift list – yes, the wealthy families also attached gift lists when sending gifts, because there were too many, and the servants should actually chant the ceremony when handing over. After listening to Brother Liang, Gu Zhao came back to ask Zhou Zhou, and learned that when the Lin family put the things down, the servants said some words of gratitude and left in a hurry, and did not mention these.

　　”The Lin family is kind and didn’t expect you to return the gift. No one outside knows the gift list except you two.” Liang Zizhi said. The Lin family was very considerate and gave face to his junior brother.

　　He finished reading the gift list and estimated the price. He concluded that the Li family could not afford it.

　　”It’s about three thousand taels, not too much. The Lin family definitely didn’t expect you to return the gift.”

　　Gu Zhao: …His house is worth six hundred and eighty taels.

　　”Otherwise I’ll pull it back.”

　　”You wanted to keep it before?” Liang Zizhi asked curiously. In fact, he also suggested that Junior Brother Gu to keep it.

　　Gu Zhao said what he was thinking. The gap between his family and the Lin family was too big. “I have never thought of clinging to the Lin family. I might as well accept it. We are done with the favor. They can continue to be noble, and my family can live our own life. We can all be comfortable.”

　　It’s like an ordinary citizen saves the grandson of the richest man in the province one day, and he gives you money, house, and car to repay the favor. You accept the favor and that’s it. If you don’t accept it, do you still want to become brothers with the richest man and squeeze into his circle?

　　As for not accepting it, speak politely and let the favor go.

　　In ancient times, especially for a family as well-known as the Lin family, if someone saved your child and you did not repay them with actual actions but only thanked them verbally, you would be laughed at by your peers.

　　”Keep.” Liang Zizhi nodded after hearing this, “The Lin family won’t take it seriously.”

　　”Um.”

　　Gu Zhao went back that day and said that they could accept the items and there was no need to send them back. Li Da and Li Zhouzhou then put away their worries, but the Li family did not touch the three boxes.

　　”Open Fubao’s box and let Fubao use whatever he can.” Gu Zhao checked the books and calligraphy and paintings, and found that they were mostly for appreciation and collection, so he did not put them out. He liked to flip through books and take notes when reading on weekdays, and the collection of books in the Hanlin Academy was enough for him to read.

　　So Fubao got many toys, including the luxurious jingling jade tentacles his father mentioned. Fubao loved playing with them because the jade tentacles were warm and not very cold, and they jingled when shaken, and the sound was crisp and pleasant, so Fubao loved playing with them.

　　Li Da was frightened when he saw it, this thing was so valuable.

　　”Dad, Fubao is just sitting on his bed and playing for a while. I’m watching him.” Li Zhouzhou said.

　　Gu Zhao said: “Yes, there should be someone next to Fubao when playing, so that if it breaks, don’t hurt Fubao.”

　　The husband and wife were talking about different things. Li Zhouzhou saw that her father was cherishing the item and felt that it was valuable, and was afraid that Fubao would accidentally break it, so he tried to comfort his father by saying that he would watch over it and would not let Fubao break it.

　　Gu Zhao is not saying that he doesn’t care about the price because he is extravagant, but he has already kept it. No matter how expensive this thing is, it is his Fubao’s toy and he cannot hurt Fubao.

　　Later, Li Da saw that Fubao was having fun and got used to it, and he was no longer as frightened as he was at the beginning.

　　Gu Zhao wrote a visiting card and set the date for his second holiday.

　　A banquet was held at the Lin Mansion.

　　The weather was clear and sunny that day, although it was still a little cold in the morning and evening. After all, it was still chilly in spring. The Qingming Festival had not yet passed, and the weather was like this, sometimes good and sometimes bad.

　　The Li family went out.

　　Li Zhouzhou helped Fubao put on new clothes, but he was still a little uncomfortable wearing a robe. Gu Zhao held Fubao in the carriage and said, “Zhouzhou finally knows how troublesome it is for me to wear a robe. I can’t be the only one who has to worry about it in the future. You have to accompany me.”

　　”I understand.” Li Zhouzhou’s restraint disappeared.

　　He knew that his husband was trying to comfort him in various ways. Wearing a robe was not a big deal, and wearing a robe would not make him look any lower than others – in his husband’s mind, these were all external things.

　　The Lin family held a banquet with a front and back banquet. In the front, Gu Zhao and Li Da were socializing with the men of the Lin family, while in the backyard, Li Zhouzhou took Lan Mama and Fubao to the back to interact with the people in the Lin family’s backyard.

　　Gu Zhao was afraid that Zhou Zhou would be nervous, so during his last day off, he specially invited his eldest brother’s family to be guests and ask his eldest sister-in-law about the rules – after all, the Zheng family has a distant relative in the form of a Shangshu.

　　Li Zhouzhou took note of everything. When he entered the Lin family’s house, he went to visit Old Mrs. Lin first, and he didn’t have to kneel.

　　Gu Zhao was an official. No matter how high his official rank was, except for the emperor and empress, no one else, especially other officials, had to kneel. If the news of kneeling got out, he would be impeached by the censors.

　　Why do you still accept officials kneeling down? Are you so bold that you want to usurp the throne? Of course, this is a bit too serious.

　　That’s about the idea.

　　For husbands and wives, they only need to perform the Wanfu ceremony.

　　When Tang Rou was speaking at that time, she did not dare to miss some rules, for fear that Mr. Li would break the rules when he went to the Lin family and be laughed at. Therefore, she spoke in great detail, saying who she met first when she went to the Fan family that day, how to greet, how to speak and how to flatter.

　　These were said by Tang Rou, Li Zhouzhou, Lan’s mother and Zhang’s mother together.

　　She said she would bring someone with her. When Zhang’s mother didn’t go, Tang Rou knew she was looked down upon.

　　Tang Rou taught Li Zhouzhou how to behave and meet people politely. She talked so much that she unknowingly said what her elder sister said, “…I thought that my husband had not yet established himself and that if he had a good relationship with my elder sister, he might be able to help me in the future, so I suffered a little.”

　　As a result, Zheng Hui overheard these last words.

　　At the Li family’s house at that time, Zheng Hui pretended not to hear it. After returning home, he naturally opened up to Tang Rou and talked openly. Zheng Hui was angry at first. Even though he was in a leisurely government office, he would not be a villain who climbed up by clinging to distant relatives and relying on nepotism. But when he got home and saw Rou Niang helping him undress and pouring tea in a gentle voice, his anger disappeared.

　　Rouniang was also thinking about him.

　　The couple talked it out and resolved their issues.

　　Tang Rou exclaimed, “Then I told Li Fulang not to be confused like me.”

　　”No, firstly, the Lin family has a good family tradition and owes a favor to the Li family, so they won’t be as mean as the third wife of the Fan family. Secondly, Zhaodi is not a person who clings to the powerful and wealthy, and his husband understands.”

　　Just as Zheng Hui said, Li Zhouzhou received the warm hospitality of the Lin family even though he was wearing ordinary cloth robes. The servants of the Lin family knew the rules and no one dared to make trouble for the guests. When the old lady of the Lin family saw Fubao, she immediately smiled lovingly and praised Fubao for his beautiful appearance and healthy and smart appearance.

　　When he met Old Mrs. Lin, she gave Fubao a gift, all of which were for children to play with.

　　When Li Zhouzhou came, he listened to his husband. His husband said that the Lin family was sensible and would not give you anything too expensive to embarrass you, especially since they had already given gifts. The gifts for meeting people were probably not too expensive, so you could take them. Li Zhouzhou thanked them and gave them to Lan Mama for safekeeping. Then she went to Princess Changtai’s courtyard.

　　The princess was the one who hosted the banquet. Fearing that Madam Gu might be bored, she also asked her sister-in-law and younger siblings to come and keep him company.

　　The Lin family has quite a lot of descendants. Those of Lin Kangan’s generation are all of school-going age. The oldest is already sixteen or seventeen, and the youngest is still breastfeeding. There are no ones who are about the same age as Lin Kangan, who are about two years older or one year younger. Today, they were all called over to play together.

　　Princess Changtai also invited a storyteller to entertain him. Since Madam Gu was a husband, the performance was held on an open-air stage. However, the storyteller was closer, so they could listen to the stories, chat and have a feast together in a lively atmosphere.

　　The children were playing in the side hall.

　　Fubao also went, with Lan’s mother watching over him.

　　After a while, the head nanny came over. Princess Changtai helped him up and told Madam Gu not to be polite, as he would be back soon.

　　Li Zhouzhou stood up to see her off, and sat down to listen to the book and eat as usual, but he was worried about Fubao, wondering if he had eaten or drunk. Mother Lan was watching from the side hall, which was close to him. She could hear Fubao laughing, which meant he was not making a fuss or crying.

　　The head nanny helped the princess out, actually going to the inner room next to the side hall.

　　There was a fire basin lit in the side hall where the children played, but it was placed in the corner for fear that the young masters would knock it over and get burned, so the room was very warm. The young masters of the Lin family were accompanied by two mamas and two maids. Including Fubao, there were five children in total, and it ended up taking care of them and serving them. It took almost twenty people.

　　The princess saw through the window and asked, “Is that blanket from Kang An’s room?” She was not mistaken.

　　On the emperor’s 60th birthday, the foreign countries presented a tribute, and the emperor gave her a piece of it. She immediately put it in her son’s room, so that she could use it in the cold winter. Sometimes Kang An forgot to wear shoes when walking, so he would not feel cold by stepping on it.

　　”The young master asked mama to bring it here.” The nanny said with a smile.

　　Princess Changtai was stunned for a moment, “Did Kang An say that?”