Oh no! My grandmother made me shoulder the responsibility for eight households!

Chapter 175 Warm Family Life

Lin Chen returned to his residence from the brothel as darkness fell.

Although homegrown flowers may not smell as sweet as wild ones, they are in full bloom, so Lin Chen wouldn't stay out overnight.

The moment Lin Chen stepped into the gates of the Prince's Mansion, Lin Nian'er, that little rascal, seemed to have radar installed.

"Thump thump thump" came rushing over from the other end of the corridor.

"Uncle Eight! Uncle Eight!"

The little girl's two little pigtails bounced as she ran, her eyes fixed on the pile of things in Lin Chen's hands.

"Oh dear, my little darling, slow down!"

Lin Chen quickly squatted down, put the large and small packages on the ground, and opened his arms to catch the little girl.

Lin Nian'er threw herself into Lin Chen's arms, still tugging at the beautifully packaged boxes:

"Uncle, Uncle, what are all these? Are they tasty?"

"Everyone gets a gift."

Lin Chen gently rubbed Lin Nian'er's head; it felt nice to the touch.

"Really?" The little girl's eyes lit up instantly. "Nian'er has one too?"

"Absolutely!" Lin Chen pulled a paper package from his pocket, and when he opened it, several strings of bright red, glistening candied hawthorns were revealed.

"Look, I brought this especially for you."

"Wow--"

Lin Nian'er's mouth was practically watering.

Lin Chen then magically produced a bag of candy:

"Look, this is osmanthus sugar from Bafangzhai. It's a limited edition; you won't be able to get any if you go too late."

"Thank you, Uncle Ba!" The little girl jumped up and down happily, holding a candied hawthorn in one hand and a candy in the other.

After jumping twice, she suddenly stopped, tilted her little face up, and looked very serious.

"Uncle Ba, please don't hit Mother anymore, okay?"

Lin Chen: "..."

Liu Ruyan, who had just strolled into the front yard, stopped abruptly, her face turning bright red.

The maids sweeping the floor nearby were so trying not to laugh that their shoulders were shaking.

One of them couldn't help but burst out laughing, then quickly covered his mouth.

Fortunately, Lin Chen was a modern person, and his grandmother, mother, and several wives were all magnanimous people.

Otherwise, no maid would dare to act like that.

Lin Chen coughed twice: "Nian'er, how many times have I told you? That wasn't hitting, that was..."

"I know, I know!" Lin Nian'er said with an expression that said, "I understand, I understand everything," and patted Lin Chen's knee like a little adult.

"We're talking about business, but Eighth Uncle, let's keep it quiet and not make Mother cry again."

Liu Ruyan covered her face and turned to leave, her speed unlike that of a woman five months pregnant.

"Hey, Madam..." Lin Chen called out.

Without turning her head, Liu Ruyan simply said, "I'm going to see Grandmother!"

Lin Chen was both amused and exasperated, and quickly stuffed the candied hawthorn into Lin Nian'er's hand:

"Sweetie, go eat some candied hawthorns. Your Uncle and your mother... um, they have something to discuss."

The little girl was successfully bribed by the candied hawthorns, and skipped along, holding her nanny's hand, shouting happily:

"Nanny! Uncle Ba bought me candied hawthorns!"

Lin Chen breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the pile of gifts on the ground, and walked towards the front hall.

……

The lobby was bustling with activity.

The matriarch and her mother, Su Wanqing, sat in the main seat, drinking tea and chatting.

Liu Ruyan and the others all sat around it.

Liu Ruyan glanced at Lin Chen and quickly lowered her head. Today was the most difficult day for her.

Several plates of snacks were laid out on the table, and a room full of women were chatting happily.

When Xiao Yulou saw Lin Chen enter, he immediately smiled and said:

"Hey, our busy man is finally back! We haven't seen him all afternoon, where has he been hanging out?"

Lin Chen placed the gift on the empty table next to him with a "thump":

"Madam, what are you saying? I clearly went to take care of important business, didn't I?"

"Serious business?" Wen Ruoxi raised an eyebrow. "What serious business could you possibly have just gotten back? You didn't go to the brothel to listen to music again, did you?"

"To send the betrothal gift list to the Princess," Lin Chen said matter-of-factly.

"By the way... I bought you some small gifts."

"A gift?" Qin Shuyan's eyes lit up. "There's one for us too?"

"Everyone needs a share!" Lin Chen started unpacking the package.

"Grandmother, this is some agarwood from the South China Sea that I brought for you. The shopkeeper said it has an excellent calming and sleep-inducing effect. If you burn a small piece tonight, I guarantee you'll sleep soundly."

The old lady took the exquisite wooden box, opened it, smelled it, and a satisfied expression appeared on her face:

"You've got some filial piety, kid. I haven't spoiled you for nothing."

"Mother, this jade bracelet is for you." Lin Chen then took out a brocade box and handed it to Su Wanqing.

"It's made of mutton fat jade, which complements your skin tone."

Su Wanqing took it, and scolded him playfully:

"What a waste of money! The mansion has everything it needs, yet they still buy these things from outside."

Despite saying that, she couldn't hide the smile in her eyes and brows as she held the bracelet up to the light and examined it again and again.

"Ladies, you all have some, don't rush, one at a time."

Lin Chen began distributing the gifts.

What was given to Liu Ruyan was a pair of jade earrings, with excellent translucency and a clear, bright green color.

What was given to Qin Shuyan was a jade hairpin, the head of which was carved into the shape of an orchid, exquisite and delicate.

Qin Shuyan immediately took off her old hairpin and put on the new one, then looked at herself in the reflection of the teacup:

"Not bad, Brother Chen has good taste."

What was given to Xiao Yulou was a pearl necklace, each pearl round and full, with a warm luster.

Xiao Yulou held it in his hand and weighed it in his hand, then teased:

"This is quite a lot! Brother Chen, you've really gone all out!"

"As long as Madam is happy," Lin Chen said with a light laugh.

What was given to Wen Ruoxi was a jade pendant, carved with auspicious cloud patterns, and the jade was warm and lustrous.

Wen Ruoxi tied it around her waist and nodded: "It suits my outfit today."

What was given to Chu Yueyao was a box of high-quality rouge, in an exquisite porcelain jar, which released a faint floral fragrance when opened.

Chu Yueyao took a sniff and her eyes crinkled into a smile: "This smells good, not cloying at all."

What was given to Murong Xue was a set of writing implements, each one a precious item.

Murong Xue's eyes lit up: "Brother Chen, you're so thoughtful."

Ye Qingying was given an exquisite dagger, its sheath inlaid with gemstones, which gleamed coldly when drawn.

Ye Qingying took it, casually twirled the blade, and nodded: "All show and no substance, good only for decoration!"

Despite this, the slight upturn at the corners of her mouth betrayed Ye Qingying's delight.

Lin Chen knew Ye Qingying's personality, so he wasn't annoyed and took out the gift he had prepared for Su Xiaoxiao.

A gold-inlaid jade hairpin, exquisitely crafted, with gold wires wrapped into the shape of flower branches, white jade petals inlaid in the center, and delicate gold tassels hanging below.

"Xiaoxiao, this is for you."

Su Xiaoxiao took it, her eyes curving into crescents: "Thank you, my husband."

"Yo—"

Xiao Yulou was the first to start the commotion:

"This is discrimination! They give the little ones a hairpin with a dangling ornament, but we only get these?"

Lin Chen was both amused and exasperated: "Your pearl necklace isn't cheap either, you know."

The shopkeeper said those were the best pearls harvested from the East Sea this year.

"How can that be the same?" Xiao Yulou pouted, her tone half-serious and half-joking.

"The hair ornaments are for the legal wife; those of us who remarry are only allowed to wear necklaces and earrings, right?"

There was a moment of silence in the hall after these words were spoken.

The expressions of Liu Ruyan and the others became subtle.

Lin Chen knew that pregnant women would have all sorts of wild thoughts, but he didn't expect even Xiao Yulou to be no exception. He quickly said:

"Please don't say that, Madam. In my heart, you are all equally important, really!"

"Really?" Xiao Yulou raised an eyebrow slightly.

"More real than real gold!" Lin Chen swore, raising his hand. "If I'm biased, may I be struck by lightning!"

The old lady spoke at the opportune moment, tapping the ground with her cane:

"Alright, alright, stop teasing Chen'er."

"I've accepted the gifts. Go do what you need to do and let Chen'er rest for a while."

The old lady spoke, and then everyone dispersed.

Before leaving, Liu Ruyan secretly glanced at Lin Chen, her face flushed again, and she walked away quickly.

Qin Shuyan and Chu Yueyao huddled together, comparing the hairpin and rouge.

Xiao Yulou pulled Wen Ruoxi aside and said that pearls and jade pendants look good together.

Murong Xue was holding a set of writing implements, while Ye Qingying was playing with a dagger.

Su Xiaoxiao gave Lin Chen a sweet smile, and they each returned to their courtyards.

In an instant, only the Old Madam, Su Wanqing, and Lin Chen remained in the front hall.

"Chen'er, come and sit down." The old lady beckoned.

Lin Chen obediently sat down next to the old lady.

"Is the Princess's betrothal gift list satisfactory?" the old lady asked.

"Satisfied, extremely satisfied," Lin Chen said with a smile.

"The princess also said that our family is too polite and the betrothal gifts are too generous."

Su Wanqing chimed in, "The proper etiquette must be prepared, after all, we are marrying a princess."

The old lady spoke up, "There aren't many days left until the eighth of this month. The household needs to start making preparations."

The three chatted for a while longer, and Lin Chen drank a cup of tea with them before getting up to take his leave and going to the west courtyard.