Honorable Attendant. He then straightened his face and said:"Now you know how dangerous the outside world is If it weren't for your Empress Mother's secret arrangements for your protection, do you th...Ripples, after being asked the question, hesitated for a moment, her eyes reddened and her voice choked with emotion as she spoke:

"Thank you, Elder, for your concern. The steward has already invited a doctor who prescribed medicine for me. My parents' affairs are not yet settled, and I dare not fall ill."

"Poor child, you've suffered so much. Those bandits who killed you were truly vicious, they stole your money and took your life."

The Fifth Elder, stomping her cane in anger, said.

Then ripples turned her head, wiped her eye with the sleeve of her robe, and spoke:

"Ripple, being young and inexperienced with funeral rites, feared she might not handle things properly and cause her parents to pass away unpeacefully. So, she had two elders from the clan come over to oversee the arrangements, hoping to make their final journey as honorable as possible."

“We would have helped regardless of whether you told us about this. Xiu Xiu is also a promising child in the clan, and you've raised her so well. At such a young age, she is already a scholar. If not for this incident, you would be a talented scholar this year.”

The three old ladies also said with a hint of regret.

Ripples said with eyes slightly red:

"Two elders, Li-yi wants to observe filial piety for her parents for six years. This year's township examination will not be taken. We will discuss it again after the period of filial piety is over."

Two elders looked at each other, and the Fifth Elder spoke solemnly:

"Ripples, everyone knows you are filial. It's natural to observe filial piety for your parents, but six years is quite a long time. Aside from delaying your education, it also affects your marriage prospects."

Ripples, hearing this, finally raised her head and said with some bewilderment:

“Elder, both my parents have passed away. The period of mourning for a single person is three years, making a total of six years.”

"You're right about that, but since they passed away at the same time, we can observe three years of mourning as a gesture of respect."

The old woman patiently explained.

"In that case, I'll listen to the two elders. For this occasion of my parents' funeral, I would like to trouble the two elders with the arrangements. Lian Yi thanks the clan in advance for their care towards her."

After ripples finished speaking, she stood up again and bowed. Then she continued:

"After my parents' funeral is over, I am willing to give thirty mu of good farmland to the clan as a sacrificial field. This fulfills my mother's wish and expresses my gratitude for the clan's protection."

The two elders looked at each other, surprise flashing in their eyes. This was truly an unexpected gain. Although overjoyed, the two suppressed their excitement and simply nodded with satisfaction, saying:

"Ripple has a heart, don't worry! You are one of my Su clan, no matter where you go, the Su clan will always be your support."

Ripple, after hearing this, obediently agreed. At this time, the commotion in the front yard grew louder, interrupting the three people's reminiscing in the hall.

"What's going on"

The old woman frowned and asked.

"The Five Elders, I had the steward find a matchmaker and sold some servants."

With a faint expression, Lian Yi said.

"Ripples, but a servant bumped into you"

The three old ladies directly asked.

“It was my own body that betrayed me. Upon hearing the terrible news, I vomited blood and fainted. This gave my aunt an opportunity to seize power. She became the head of the Su household and ordered her servants to isolate my trusted housekeeper, maidservant, and page boys from me, attempting to control me.”

She actually had the audacity to conspire with her own son at my bedside, trying to get him to be alone with me so he could spread rumors and then, taking advantage of filial piety during the period after a wedding, marry him off to me! What a wicked scheme.

"How can this be! This is the Su household, not her Tang family, it's not her place to call the shots!"

The five old woman's temper was hot, and she immediately cursed.

"Humph! She's only taking advantage of Lianyi being an orphan with no elders and still a child. By marrying her son into the family, she claims legitimacy as the head elder, able to dominate Lianyi. Even if Lianyi cares about her reputation, she'll swallow her anger. Her calculations are quite clever indeed."

The three elderly women saw it more clearly. A few words pierced Tang Huirong's thoughts.

The Three Elders said so, that's why I invited the two elders to my home. They are elders from our Su clan, their position is legitimate and they have high seniority. With them here, my aunt won't be able to stir up any trouble.

Liàn Yī said with a lowered gaze.

"Rest assured, we will take care of the rest. You just focus on being a filial daughter."

The five old women waved their hands.

"Thank you both elders. I, Lianyi, will go to the front hall to keep vigil."

Lian Yi got up and bowed before being helped by Ziyan and An He to the front hall.

When the three arrived at the front hall, the tooth-puller had already taken those treacherous servants away. For a moment, all the servants in the Su Mansion fell silent as if they were struck by fear. They didn't dare to breathe, only bowing their heads and doing their work.

The ripple glanced and thought that the move of killing a chicken to warn the monkeys was quite effective.

Su Guanjia also walked over with a black lacquered box in his arms, and bowed respectfully:

"Miss, this time we sold eight servants. They all obeyed Lady Tang's orders. We made a total of one hundred taels of silver. The banknotes and the sale deeds of the remaining servants are here."

Well done.

The ripples nodded, and An He took the box.

“Butler, arrange the accommodations for the two elders next to my aunt’s. As for the funeral arrangements, consult with the elders frequently and keep track of every expense. The Su family's money isn't blown by the wind; we should save where we can. Filial piety is shown in our actions before death, not just in how grand the funeral is.”

When my mother was alive, she also taught me how to manage household affairs. However, when both parents were present and young, I had no responsibilities and wholeheartedly focused on the imperial examinations, aiming only to bring honor to our family.

"Now that our family is facing such hardship, I must observe filial piety for my parents and also gradually learn to manage the household. I hope Steward Su will cooperate with me."

The ripples conveyed their meaning very clearly. I believe Su Guanjia understood immediately and bowed respectfully:

"Don't worry, Miss. I will handle this properly."

The ripples nodded in satisfaction, then went to the spirit hall.

Two coffins were placed side by side in the mourning hall, their lids still open for friends and family to pay their respects. Zi Yan thoughtfully placed a cushion on one side of the mourning hall before supporting Lian Yi to kneel down and quietly retreated from the hall. An He brought in a brazier and silently accompanied his young mistress as she burned paper.

After Su Guanjia opened the gate, mourners came one after another. There were neighbors nearby, as well as those who had a good relationship with Su Xiuxiu. Even some of Lianyi's classmates came, and they privately sought out Lianyi to ask her about this year's township examination.

"Rianyi Sister, the teacher said that if you take part in this year's township examination, your chances of passing as a Xiucai are very high."

A girl in a lilac robe spoke in a low voice.

"Yueqin is right, if we miss this time, we'll have to wait another three years."

Another girl named Yue Liuli also spoke up. She was the oldest among them and very mature.

"Because of this sudden turn of events at home, my mind is in a state of disarray. Coupled with the previous shock that caused me to vomit blood, my body is also feeling quite weak now. I can only relinquish this opportunity this time. However, I also wish you all the best in the upcoming township examinations and hope you will all successfully pass and achieve your aspirations as scholar-officials."

Ripples still declined the kindness of her classmates.

"Well, don't be too disheartened. Take care of your health. The provincial examination isn't the only one; there will be other opportunities in the future."

Also, be careful of those ambitious relatives of yours.

Yue Liu's voice was soft as she reminded him.lly, the Morgan family wouldn't dare to face me head-on."Felix smiled and said."Miss Yun, why did you ask that Is there something the matter""It's nothing major, I just want to give them a chance to v...