Third Ding Aunt was the wife Third Ding Uncle had chosen for himself.

Third Ding Uncle was a latecomer to the family, and both Ding Grandpa and Grandma were very fond of him.

As the saying goes, “The emperor loves his eldest son, while the common people cherish their youngest,” this indeed holds some truth, especially in Ding Grandpa’s household.

Though they seemed to treat all their children equally, they showered more affection on Third Ding Uncle in private.

Because of this, Third Ding Uncle was allowed to find his own wife.

This particular Third Ding Aunt was good-looking but not diligent; she had a somewhat selfish nature.

Her selfishness was different from Second Qin Aunt’s.

Second Qin Aunt would openly express her selfish thoughts but wouldn’t force others; if someone disagreed, she would drop the subject.

In contrast, Third Ding Aunt would put her ideas into action.

With a cheerful smile, Third Ding Aunt said, “Eldest Sister, look, our niece is ten years old now, and he’s a perfect match for Siya. Why don’t we arrange their engagement? After all, the girl will come back to her maternal home, and I’ll be like a mother-in-law to her, while Grandma will be her great-grandmother. What’s there to worry about?”

Tadpole was Qin Mother’s nephew and Third Ding Uncle’s son, spoiled immensely at home.

Being the grandchild of the beloved youngest son, Qin Fang’s grandmother naturally loved him too, which contributed to the boy’s spoiled behavior.

In theory, with their family prospering, Qin Mother thought it wouldn’t be unreasonable to help her maternal family a bit.

However, when it came to a family like Third Ding Uncle’s, Qin Mother wouldn’t agree.

Besides, Qin Siya had been raised by the eldest daughter-in-law and had learned many characters and social skills.

Last year, when she returned home, she brought back not only a letter and a small amount of money but also a beautifully made handbag.

Although it was just a hundred wen and a small gift, it was the first time her daughter had given her something, leaving Qin Mother feeling both happy and touched.

The handbag was quite familiar to Qin Mother, as it was the same kind the eldest daughter-in-law carried when she returned with the eldest son.

It was convenient for women going to town or the county, though the eldest daughter-in-law’s version was more exquisite, while Qin Mother’s was more modest and darker in color due to her age.

Such a good and sensible daughter marrying a useless nephew?

That sister-in-law must be dreaming.

Although it seemed unkind to speak poorly of her own nephew, the old saying “You can tell a child’s future by the age of three” wasn’t without merit.

Just looking at her nephew’s demeanor, it didn’t seem like he would amount to much.

Qin Mother had mentioned this to her mother several times, but while Ding Grandma would agree on the surface, she would continue to pamper him.

Thus, Qin Mother chose not to press the matter further.

Resolutely, she replied, “This matter won’t work out. Siya is still young, and we can put her engagement on hold for now.”

Third Ding Aunt knew full well what Qin Mother meant; it was clear that now that they had prospered, they looked down on their maternal family.

She pretended not to understand and said, “These cousins have grown up together. Besides, even if the engagement is set now, it doesn’t matter if the marriage comes a little later. Tadpole has even said he really likes Siya and is determined to marry her!”

Qin Mother responded with a polite smile, “Engagements are about mutual consent; just because Tadpole likes her doesn’t mean it’s a mutual feeling. Besides, how old is he? What does he understand about love at such a young age?”

Third Ding Aunt didn’t let Qin Mother evade the issue and pressed on, “What’s the harm? Let Tadpole and Siya spend some more time together. Even if Siya doesn’t like him now, they can develop feelings over time.”

Qin Mother countered, “But they are far apart. How can they spend time together?”

This was the key point, and Third Ding Aunt was waiting for this moment: “Tadpole can just come stay in Yunxiang County. We haven’t had the chance to visit the General’s Mansion yet. Letting Tadpole see it could inspire him to achieve something like his older cousin! Don’t you want your nephew to be successful? Now that you’ve prospered, you look down on your maternal family and nephew?”

Qin Mother knew this was the point Third Ding Aunt had been waiting for.

She chuckled, “Third Sister-in-law, you can say whatever you want, but Siya’s engagement is not up for discussion now. She has two older sisters and three older brothers. There’s no rush. If Tadpole wants to stay at our Qin family for a few days, I welcome that. But taking him to Yunxiang County is out of the question. We would stay at Qin Fang’s house. How could I have my maternal relatives live there while Qin Fang and his wife support him?”

Third Ding Aunt realized her eldest sister-in-law was always clever.

Not to be outdone, she replied, “This is also a wish from my father and mother.”

She didn’t believe her sister-in-law would refuse just because of that.

Generally, a sensible woman would prioritize her small family after marriage.

Since Second Qin Aunt was like that, so was Qin Mother.

Third Ding Aunt tried to use her parents as leverage, but Qin Mother had her in-laws too. “Then it needs to be approved by my in-laws. After all, my parents are the ones in charge of our household. Right now, it’s still my in-laws who have the final say.”

Third Ding Aunt pressed, “You… Eldest Sister, do you want my mother-in-law to come and discuss this personally with you?”

She had never liked Qin Siya; the girl was too scrawny and unremarkable.

Even last year, when Qin Fang and his wife returned to their hometown, Third Ding Aunt thought they looked decent, but she had no idea that Qin Fang had already been promoted.

Now, realizing he was a general, she started entertaining the idea of a marriage between Tadpole and Qin Siya.

Qin Mother remained unfazed.

Seeing her reaction, Third Ding Aunt grew frustrated and decided to approach Ding Grandma.

She wasn’t afraid of Qin Mother; though they had to flatter her because the Qin family was now prosperous, Qin Mother was still just a daughter-in-law and had always shown deference to Ding Grandma.

Thus, Third Ding Aunt had no fear.

Worst case, if something went wrong, she could let Ding Grandma bear the brunt.

Moreover, she thought that since Ding Grandma was still alive, she might as well take advantage of her before it was too late.

After all, who knew what benefits would remain after she was gone?

At this point, Third Ding Aunt was not as clever as Second Qin Aunt.

Second Qin Aunt would not think like this.

Even if Niu Dan wasn’t Qin Fang’s biological brother, he was still a cousin.

Even if Qin Fang didn’t care about Niu Dan as much as he did for Qin Shouye and Qin Shoucheng, he wouldn’t just ignore Niu Dan.

If there were any good things, he would definitely take care of Niu Dan.

So, she wouldn’t offend Qin Mother.

Qin Mother watched as Third Ding Aunt angrily walked away, but she didn’t take it to heart.

She wasn’t a fool.

Her father-in-law forced the second and third branches to write a severance letter in advance for the sake of her eldest son’s future.

As a mother, she would never bring trouble to her eldest son.

Given her third brother and sister-in-law’s personalities, if they married into the Qin family, they would definitely create trouble for the eldest son.

To put it bluntly, if in the future Shoucheng and Shouye married wives who were not well-behaved, she would follow her father-in-law’s example and ask Shoucheng and Shouye to write a severance letter after they started their families.

Anyway, as long as her sons didn’t commit crimes, she viewed them all equally.

In the future, when she passed away, she would supplement the monthly stipends she received to the second and third sons.

Her eldest son probably wouldn’t care much for that money.

But if the second and third sons got into trouble, she couldn’t let them drag down her eldest son.

Qin Mother had her own calculations in mind and then went to find Grandma Qin and Grandpa Qin.

Grandma and Grandpa Qin were discussing the Qin family’s upcoming matters.

Their luggage had been packed these days, and since the spring crops had already been planted, they would let the second couple find someone to harvest when the time came.

As for the ten acres of prime land in the second branch’s household, they had already bought three acres in the last few days and were looking to buy a few more acres with the village chief’s help.

The money would be handed over to the village chief at that time.

Why not give the money to the second branch?

Grandma Qin was afraid that Second Qin Aunt would spend it.

The money arranged for buying land for the second branch could only be used for purchasing land; if it were used elsewhere, no one would see it.

But if it were for land purchases, others would see it and say that the eldest grandson was filial.

Grandma and Grandpa Qin were very clear that, for an official like the eldest grandson, others’ opinions were very important.

Even if the eldest grandson was genuinely supplementing the second and third branches and it wasn’t just for show, once he had provided, it didn’t matter if it was seen as doing it for others.

If a person’s contributions go unnoticed, what meaning does it have?

The elderly couple was quite astute; they neither wanted to shortchange the second and third branches nor let the eldest grandson suffer.

Qin Fang also understood his grandparents’ temperament, which is why he left the matter for Grandpa to decide.

Despite seeming indifferent to family affairs and appearing taciturn, he was well aware of everything going on.

Just like he knew that, at the border, Yang Haiyan’s feelings toward him were not due to love.

But what did it matter?

They had a lifetime ahead of them, and she didn’t dislike him; she was willing to interact with him, cared for him, was considerate of him, and even liked his body.

That was enough.

Grandma Qin pondered and said, “Old man, we will have over four taels of silver as our stipend every month. What do you think we should do?”

Grandpa Qin tapped his fingers on the table a few times, a habit he had when he was deep in thought.

When he stopped tapping, it meant he had made up his mind. “How much personal savings do you have?”

Grandma Qin shot him a glance: “Where would I have money? When we divided the family last March, all the shared money was split. The two of us only saved a tael of silver. Later, when we followed the eldest, I didn’t spend any money. The eldest’s wife gives me fifty wen as private savings every month.

I told you before; I didn’t want it, but the eldest’s wife said that A Fang and his wife give them enough filial money every year, and they also said they would be filial to us, so I accepted it, thinking we could use it later when the kids need it.

Right now, I have about two taels of silver in total. But this money, if used sparingly, has great value; if considered for larger purposes, what can it achieve?”

Grandpa Qin said, “Then, regarding the money we have, don’t distribute your future stipend to the third branch; just give it to the kids.

Now that Daya and A Fang are married, A Fang has taken a bit of a loss, so we won’t supplement him; we’ll give Daya one acre of prime land and two acres of medium land.”

In total, that would amount to twenty-two taels of silver. “Next time when Shouye and Er Ya get married, we will do the same. Anyway, their marriage is still a long way off, and we can slowly save our money.”

Grandma Qin smiled: “You are still thoughtful, old man. Ah, if only the third one had a son.”

Their family was harmonious, but the third child had no son, which made him feel distressed.

Grandpa Qin looked towards the door: “You better not say this in front of the third one; he has finally come to terms with it. Besides, San Ya marrying a son means the children born will also be the third one’s grandchildren.

A Fang will also take care of the third one in his old age. Other families may have sons, but that doesn’t guarantee they will care for their biological parents. In this case, it’s better to rely on nephews.”

Grandma Qin replied, “I know; I wouldn’t say it in front of the third son.”

At the door, Qin’s Third uncle was standing there.

Even though Grandma Qin and Grandpa Qin were speaking softly, he still heard them.

Third Qin Uncle sighed; he hadn’t thought so openly about the issue of offspring.

His elder and second brothers both had sons, but he did not, which left him feeling inadequate.

However, there was nothing he could do about it, so he could only refrain from thinking about it.

Now that A Fang was successful, he took his wife and daughter there, hoping to find a good son-in-law for his daughter and also wishing for a better relationship between his daughter and A Fang’s siblings so that A Fang could support his daughter in the future.

After all, they would leave eventually; without biological siblings, his daughter could only rely on her cousins.

As for the second branch, he had no expectations.

Er Ya was also a girl, and Niu Dan was still young.

Moreover, his second sister-in-law… ultimately, his elder brother and sister-in-law were more reliable.

Although Third Qin Uncle wanted a son, he was still concerned about his only daughter.

Qin Mother came over and saw Third Qin uncle at the door, saying, “Third Brother-in-law.”

Third Qin uncle quickly turned around: “Eldest sister-in-law, I was just looking for Dad and Mom. The tables and dishes at home have all been returned, and most relatives and friends have left.”

Grandpa Qin and Grandma Qin also heard the voices and came out.

Grandpa Qin said, “That’s good. You’ve tidied everything up at home. We’ll set off the day after tomorrow. By the way, have you seen Huzi?”

Speaking of Huang Huzi, Qin San’s uncle smiled and said, “He was busy helping me deliver things just now; he’s probably caught up with Niu Dan now.”

If anyone had been pestering Huang Huzi the most in recent days, it was definitely Niu Dan, who was trying to teach him skills.

Although Huang Huzi’s abilities were only average, he was still better than the officials and bailiffs in the county.

Moreover, in the past two years, following Qin Fang, he had received quite a bit of guidance.

Grandpa Qin said, “It’s been hard on him these days. Go ask Huzi what else we need to prepare for the trip to Yunxiang County, and then check everything. We’ll set off the day after tomorrow. You should also think about whether we’ve forgotten anything and what we need to pay attention to. In the future… we must be able to stand on our own.”

Third Uncle Qin listened to Grandpa Qin’s words.

He looked at him and, for the first time, didn’t think of his father as old.

Especially in the past few days, because Ah fang had achieved something, he suddenly felt that his father seemed younger than before.

But the truth was, after these decades, he had gotten used to seeing his father.

Now, looking at him, he realized that Grandpa was already gray-haired.

Thinking of the earlier conversations between Grandpa and Grandma in the house, they were both of this age, being great-grandparents, yet still worrying about him.

Third Uncle Qin felt he was being unfilial.

For a moment, Third Uncle Qin San felt a pang in his heart.

His voice became hoarse, with a hint of choked emotion: “Dad, you don’t have to worry. Don’t worry, I have it all figured out.”

He was already over thirty, and his daughter was fifteen.

How could he not understand?

Grandpa Qin looked at his son.

He knew this son was a bit clever and had some thoughts, but he still had a clear mind.

Having a bit of cleverness and thoughtfulness was not necessarily a bad thing.

Compared to the second son, who was honest and oblivious to everything, the third son was better.

He didn’t know if his son truly understood, but since he said so, he wouldn’t ask more. “Alright, then you work a bit harder and pay close attention. Our whole family is heading to Yunxiang County, and you and your elder brother need to keep an eye on things. I’m old and can’t endure much anymore.”

When Third Uncle Qin heard Grandpa Qin say this, a sense of responsibility surged within him.

Perhaps in some ordinary families, elders dote on the young, but in their Qin family, it was not so.

His father and mother valued the eldest son the most.

Later, when the eldest grandson was born, they valued Afang, while he and the second brother were sidelined.

However, his father and mother didn’t show favoritism, so Uncle Qin San didn’t mind.

But now, his father said he needed him to keep an eye on the journey.

This feeling of being valued by his father instantly overwhelmed his heart.

He immediately stood tall and said, “Dad, don’t worry. My brother and I will discuss it.”

Seeing his son suddenly become more spirited, Grandpa Qin didn’t say more.

Third Uncle Qin went to discuss matters with Huang Huzi and his father.

Meanwhile, Qin Mother and Grandma Qin were also discussing matters, mainly about their salaries.

After all, only the two of them had salaries in the family, so their status had suddenly become equal.

If it were in the past, Grandma Qin, as an elder, still held a higher position than Aunt Qin.

But now that Qin Fang was a general, even though Grandma Qin was his biological grandmother, to put it bluntly, in normal circumstances, who could compare with one’s own mother?

Therefore, whatever Grandma Qin did, she would still seek Qin’s Mother opinion, as this was to give face to Qin Fang.

Of course, their mother-in-law and daughter-in-law relationship had always been good.

Grandma Qin had previously intended to cultivate Qin Mother, so naturally, she wouldn’t hold on to the authority of the family.

Before they could talk about the salary, Aunt Qin(Daughter of Grandma Qin) arrived.

Grandma Qin had three sons and two daughters.

Qin’s Father was the eldest son, while Aunt Qin and the second aunt were twins, though the two girls looked nothing alike.

Aunt Qin was thirty-eight this year, two years younger than Qin’s Father.

Therefore, when Aunt Qin was born, Grandma Qin didn’t take care of her much, as she had to look after Qin’s Father and simply didn’t have the time.

In this era, daughters were always considered less important than sons.

However, Grandma Qin didn’t treat her daughters poorly, unlike some families that didn’t regard girls as people, only making them work and giving them less to eat.

Grandma Qin wouldn’t call her daughter to do work if it was something she could handle herself, and she wouldn’t cut back on what her daughter should eat.

However, the mother-daughter relationship was still not very close.

Besides during the New Year and special occasions, they rarely interacted.

Aunt Qin had visited when Qin Fang and Yang Haiyan held their wedding banquet, then again in the first month of this year, and now she was here again.

When Qin’s Father went to tell Aunt Qin about Qin Fang’s situation, she was also stunned.

She had never thought that one day her nephew would become a general.

Even though she wasn’t close to her maternal family, there were no conflicts, so her nephew’s success naturally brought her a sense of pride.

At least in her in-law’s family, everyone would look up to her a little more.

Aunt Qin called out to Grandma Qin and Qin’s Mother: “Mother, sister-in-law, you’re all here.”

Qin’s Mother responded.

Grandma Qin, always in high spirits when there was good news, was happy to see anyone. “Of course, we are discussing the journey we’re starting the day after tomorrow. There’s a lot to consider, and people often overlook things. How’s your mother-in-law? You need to entertain her family well; don’t let them feel neglected.”

Aunt Qin replied, “She’s here, chatting with my sister-in-law’s family. They’re so happy, everyone wants to share in Afang’s joy and doesn’t want to leave.”

Grandma Qin said, “It’s rare for them to come. They should stay longer.”

Aunt Qin smiled, then looked at Qin’s Mothrr, seeing her sister-in-law’s joyful expression.

She didn’t feel sour about it, but there was a hint of envy.

In life, some things couldn’t be compared, but from her sister-in-law, she suddenly understood that her husband was already like this; he wouldn’t achieve much anymore.

However, her son was still young and could still be taught.

She didn’t expect to teach him to be a great general like Qin Fang, but teaching him well was better than not teaching him at all.

Aunt Qin thought for a moment and said, “I came to ask Mother and sister-in-law for advice on how to raise such an outstanding son like Ah fang.”

This statement was both a compliment and the truth.

This made Grandma Qin and Qin’s Mother laugh.

Qin’s Mother said, “I don’t have this ability; Ah fang was raised by his grandmother. You should ask her.”

Although Grandma Qin often claimed that she raised her eldest grandson, what could she really do in the countryside?

By the time children were six or seven years old, they began to run around on their own.

Thus, the reason Qin Fang grew up well was largely his own effort.

However, her teachings in his childhood were also significant.

Grandma Qin had spent her life in the countryside, lacking broader perspectives.

The most she taught her sons and grandsons was to be good people, not to do bad things, and not to steal or cheat, among other things.

If this were in front of outsiders, she could boast about it, but in front of her own daughter, she thought for a moment and said the truth:

“This matter comes down to opportunity. Opportunity is very important; one must grasp it when it comes. And there’s something even more important: marrying a good wife. But having a good wife is not enough; one must also strive for self-improvement. Therefore, I believe that Afang has come this far because of two things: he seized opportunities, and he has a good wife.”

Aunt Qin listened and felt that Grandma Qin’s words were very reasonable: “When Afang went to serve in the military, it was also out of necessity. Luckily, he seized the opportunity and married a good wife. Honestly, I think marrying the right wife is the most important thing.”

Aunt Qin said, “Exactly. Afang’s wife was given by the court, and since it was given by the court, it’s like the emperor giving it; how could it be bad?”

Though such talk was easy to say, the court arranged marriages blindly.

However, everyone knows how to flatter, and at this moment, praising the emperor was just because Qin Fang and his wife were doing well.

While the three of them—mother-in-law, daughter-in-law, and aunt—were happily chatting, outside, they heard the voice calling: “Yueying… Yueying…”

Yueying is Qin Mother’s maiden name, and her full name is Ding Yueying.