Chapter 5 : Do you dare to listen to my true words now?

The Huo family had few members of their own.

However, they had many relatives,third aunts, sixth aunts, cousins, and so forth.

Since Lin Xiu Gu was a woman who had fled from disaster, she had no relatives of her own. The main visitors to their home were usually the Huo family’s extended relatives and the relatives of old Gu family’s. Because of this, the old lady wielded her authority at home, relying on the support of her relatives.

Among the people in the household, the old lady was not so much afraid of the sharp-tongued daughter-in-law but rather of her eldest granddaughter.

In Cui Yunzhao’s previous life, she hadn’t listened closely to the story, so she only vaguely knew that Huo Xinzhi’s husband was related to the Gu family, and her widowhood was connected to them.

Perhaps out of some guilt, or because Huo Xinzhi had a strong temper, the old lady did listen to her words, at least occasionally.

At this moment, when Huo Xinzhi spoke up, the old lady huffed and turned her head away, saying, “Fine, let’s have tea. My breakfast isn’t finished yet.”

Her persistent obstinacy didn’t bother Lin Xiu Gu. She quickly signaled Huo Tan to lead his wife to serve the tea.

In families like the Cui’s, serving tea was a formal affair, requiring precise manners and careful speech, every detail had to be perfect.

For a military family like the Huo family, nothing else matters.

Receiving his mother’s signal, Huo Tan reached out and gently pushed Cui Yunzhao’s slender waist.

Cui Yunzhao shot him an annoyed look.

She had noticed that Huo Tan liked to touch her waist, not knowing what had caught his attention, but he repeatedly tried to do so.

The old lady, with her poor eyesight, didn’t see this exchange, but Huo Xinzhi did glance over, her gaze still cold.

Cui Yunzhao, hiding her hand beneath her sleeve, pinched Huo Tan sharply, making him grimace as he stepped forward.

With a smile on her lips, Cui Yunzhao stood gracefully next to Huo Tan and bowed in front of the old lady.

“Greetings, Grandmother.”

The old lady snorted from her nose, “I heard you.”

The Huo family had few members, so Cui Yunzhao didn’t bring any maids with her. Instead, the tea was handed to her by her younger sister-in-law, Huo Xinliu.

Huo Xinliu, a twin of the cheerful and lively Huo Chengzhang, was shy and reserved compared to her brother. Her voice was soft and timid, and she rarely looked people in the eye.

When she handed the not-too-hot tea to Cui Yunzhao, Cui Yunzhao smiled up at her, causing the young girl to blush and retreat to the side like a little rabbit.

Cui Yunzhao carefully held the tea, kneeling before the old lady.

Cui Yunzhao knelt on the prepared cushion, her voice clear and serene “The daughter-in-law offers tea to grandma, wishing her good health and a long life.

Her manner, so respectful and dignified like a refined young lady, only made the old lady seem more unreasonable.

The old lady’s displeasure deepened upon seeing this.

“Why are you pretending to be with me? I heard that you disagreed with this marriage and almost hanged yourself at home…

“Grandmother!”

Huo Tan’s cold voice suddenly interrupted.

Huo Tan usually treated her politely and spoke to her as calmly and calmly as possible. Only occasionally in bed would he lose control and reveal his great ambition.

After being reborn, perhaps because of her changed attitude, he also felt more relaxed and looked unusually young and funny.

Huo Tan rarely showed such a cold look when treating her.

Cui Yunzhao was kneeling beside Huo Tan, unable to see his expression, but she could see the old lady’s sudden change in demeanor.

The atmosphere in the main hall became awkward immediately.

The old lady, with a stern and harsh face, turned her head away from the kneeling grandson and granddaughter-in-law.

She refused to take the tea.

Cui Yunzhao continued to hold the tea, maintaining a respectful attitude.

Though the tea was not heavy, holding it for an extended period made her arm tired, and soon Cui Yunzhao’s hand began to tremble.

Suddenly, she felt Huo Tan gently squeeze her hand.

It was a light squeeze, just a soft sound of joints shifting, but it was somewhat startling.

For some reason, Cui Yunzhao felt that Huo Tan was angry.

Yet he did not show it.

In her presence, Huo Tan rarely lost his temper. Apart from a few rare instances, he was usually calm. Perhaps he was simply trying hard to control himself.

Then Huo Tan spoke.

To Cui Yunzhao’s surprise, Huo Tan remained calm. The sound he made was almost an illusion of her own making. His voice was calm and deep, carrying the assuredness and composure of a young man.

“Grandmother, do I still need to deal with the matter Aunt mentioned the day before yesterday?”

His voice, though calm, nearly caused the old lady to jump from her seat.

“You!”

The old lady gasped, taking a while to calm herself.

She pursed her lips and squinted at Cui Yunzhao, extending her hand.

“I’ll have it.”

Huo Tan suddenly smiled “Grandmother is still fond of me.”

The old lady took the tea and gulped it down, seemingly too irritable to savor the taste.

She finished the tea but did not leave, still sitting there with a stern expression.

“Daughter-in-law, it’s your turn. I’m sorry for making you wait so long.”

Lin Xiu’gu was already used to her usual weird temper, so she didn’t care what she said, and tried to maintain her dignity as a mother-in-law, holding her head high and looking at Cui Yunzhao warmly.

Cui Yunzhao slightly lifted her head and gave a faint, polite smile.

The young lady, looking like a delicate flower, made even the usually bold Lin Xiu Gu blush a little.

Huo Xinliu then handed over another cup of tea.

Cui Yunzhao performed a respectful gesture towards Lin Xiu Gu and then held the tea with utmost respect, saying, “Your daughter-in-law presents tea to Mother, wishing Mother health and longevity.”

Her words were somewhat formal and poetic. Lin Xiu Gu did not quite understand but received the tea with a smile and drank it happily.

She was so pleased that her voice grew louder “Good, good. You and Huo Tan should live well together and hope for a child soon to bring some liveliness to our Huo family.”

Her loud voice was almost deafening, making Cui Yunzhao blush immediately.

The atmosphere in the hall relaxed slightly, but then the old lady’s cold snort broke the cheerful mood.

Huo Tan completely ignored her. He stood up decisively and then extended his hand to Cui Yunzhao.

Cui Yunzhao slightly tilted her head back to look at him, exposing her slender and fair neck.

Huo Tan’s eyes darkened slightly, but a smile curved at the corners of his lips “My lady, please rise.”

Cui Yunzhao placed her hand in Huo Tan’s warm palm. Huo Tan gently pulled her up from the cushion and smiled, “It’s time to meet your younger brother and sister.”

Afterwards, the couple went through the tea ceremony with each of the siblings.

Except for Huo Xinzhi, everyone was very polite and even showed friendly attitudes towards Cui Yunzhao.

This surprised Cui Yunzhao.

In her previous life, she had felt very aggrieved when the old lady made things difficult for her during the tea ceremony. She hadn’t paid much attention to the family members or noticed their politeness and friendliness towards her.

With this second chance at life, she was catching every detail she had missed before.

Cui Yunzhao straightened up slightly, and the last bit of frustration in her chest gradually eased away.

In her previous life, she had been poisoned. The poison surged through her limbs, causing her immense pain until her death. This agony was imprinted on her soul, making it difficult for her to find peace. But now, she suddenly realized that she didn’t need to be so afraid.

It’s not ten years from now, Huo Tan has not yet become the emperor. Everything has just begun.

She didn’t believe that with her own meticulousness and effort, she couldn’t uncover the truth from back then, nor did she believe she would meet with untimely death again.

She would live well, happily, and with great joy.

Thinking this, Cui Yunzhao couldn’t help but smile faintly.

At this moment, she and Huo Tan had returned to their eastern courtyard, where they were waiting for breakfast.

Although Huo Tan was only a military envoy, a military envoy was already a high-ranking official. Moreover, Huo’s father had left behind a considerable family fortune, so the Huo family was still quite well-off.

Nowadays, military generals gain power through warfare. As long as they can fight and earn military merit, rewards and wealth are easily attainable. In other words, high-ranking military officers never rely on their salaries to live.

For example, the Huo family’s residence was a reward from the Defensive Envoy, so it directly belonged to Huo Tan. He could choose to sell or rent it out as he wished in the future.

Huo’s father had left behind considerable assets, so even though the Huo family only consisted of a few people at the moment, they still employed three servants.

One was Ping Shu, who handled miscellaneous tasks and guarded the house, and the other two were rough female servants.

One took care of cleaning and washing, while the other managed the kitchen. The cooking was done by Qiao Pozi.

After ten years, Cui Yunzhao vaguely didn’t remember how Qiao Pozi’s cooking was, but it wasn’t very good in general.

However, when the plain and watery Yangchun noodles were served, Cui Yunzhao still underestimated the definition of “not good.”

She silently looked at the uneven scallions and the overly dark noodle soup, and for a long time, she didn’t dare to use her chopsticks.

Next to her, Huo Tan had already started eating heartily.

His eating was hasty and noisy, and because he was eating so quickly, he made quite a mess, appearing very uncouth.

In her previous life, Cui Yunzhao was quite disdainful of this behavior, but she didn’t want to seem too harsh. Not wanting to directly criticize Huo Tan, she could only try to eat early and avoid the mealtime.

Later, the two of them almost never ate together.

Cui Yunzhao couldn’t help but sigh.

Unexpectedly, Huo Tan, who was eating vigorously, heard her sigh. He glanced at her amid his busy schedule.

Seeing her delicate hand holding the chopsticks motionless, Huo Tan’s chopsticks also paused.

He swallowed the noodles in his mouth, thought for a moment, and said, “If you don’t like it, you can ask your maid to make it again.”

Cui Yunzhao turned her gaze to him. She didn’t instruct Li Qing and the others, nor did she mention the poor quality of the food.

She quietly watched him for a while and suddenly spoke, “Huo Tan, Where do you want to go in the future?” This question seemed a bit early for a newlywed couple. They had only known each other for two days and had not yet reached the level of mutual trust and cooperation.

However, Huo Tan didn’t seem surprised by Cui Yunzhao’s question.

He put down his chopsticks, took a napkin from the side, and slowly wiped his hands.

His hands were well-defined, long, and strong. With his fair skin, his hands were also clean and spotless.

As if they had never been stained with blood or involved in killing.

After cleaning his hands, Huo Tan suddenly reached out and tightly held Cui Yunzhao’s left hand.

His hand was large and warm, providing a sense of reassurance.

Their hands were clasped together, their palms pressed close, creating an endless and ambiguous entanglement.

Huo Tan’s eyes were also bright and intense.

He looked at Cui Yunzhao seriously, his lips curving slightly, and suddenly said, “My lady, I, Huo Tan, never tell lies.”

“Do you dare to listen to my true words now?”