Father, who is both a heir and a descendant, is still biased; the bound system has gone berserk.

That evening, Ying Zhuoxiu returned to the Mu residence and explained the whole situation to his family.

"His Majesty even bestowed a house upon you? Does this mean you, brother, are going to move out?"

Ying Yufu stroked her chin, pondering carefully.

"cough."

Ying Zhuoxiu coughed lightly and said, "Fu'er, normally, our whole family should move out with me."

Ying Yufu was taken aback. "Our whole family is moving to your house? A two-courtyard one?"

"Cough cough cough cough!"

Ying Zhuoxiu coughed incessantly.

He repeatedly reminded her, "Fu'er, be careful what you say. That two-courtyard house was bestowed upon you by His Majesty."

Ying Yufu, now quite emboldened, retorted, "Even if it was bestowed by His Majesty, though the favor is great, a small house is still a small house. You can't just close your eyes and say it's big, can you?"

Ying Zhuoxiu remained silent.

The main reason is that what Fu'er said makes sense.

But His Majesty's bestowal of such immense favor is too small for anyone to complain about.

Looking at his two children, Shangguan Tang chuckled and said, "Although the house has two courtyards, it's still big enough for an ordinary family to live in."

That two-courtyard residence was indeed an immense favor to the newly appointed top scholar.

You should know that even now, many officials in the imperial city can't afford to buy a mansion and have to rent a place to live.

Some people even rent for more than ten years, decades, or a lifetime.

Not all officials live in large mansions.

"Zhuo Xiu, you're getting married tomorrow. After the wedding, your house will be your and Yao Guang's little world. Your mother can just visit occasionally."

Ying Yufu nodded while munching on her snacks, "Yes, yes, Mother is right. That two-courtyard house is Brother and Yao Yao's little world. You can stay here if you want, or come back to our house to enjoy it if you don't."

Ying Zhuoxiu was both amused and exasperated. "Mother, Fu'er, do you really look down on my two-courtyard house?"

"Zhuo Xiu, you dare not say that. How could Mother and Fu'er dare to dislike what His Majesty has bestowed upon us?"

"Your mother just wants to give you two some space. You don't want Yao Yao to have to eat at the same table as her mother-in-law every day, do you?"

"That's right, brother. Although Mother treats Yao Yao like her own daughter, it's never as comfortable for you two as it is with a few more people getting in the way, is it?"

After thinking it over, Shangguan Tang said, "It's not a bad thing for Ji to live together. Although the two-courtyard house is small, it's not actually that small. It's enough for more people to live in."

"Then, Mother, Fu'er, Yao Yao, and Hua Xi will come over, and the four of us can play Pai Gow together."

The more Shangguan Tang spoke, the more plausible it became. She slammed her hand on the table and exclaimed, "Fu'er, how about it?"

Ying Yufu's eyes lit up: "That's feasible!"

Ying Zhuoxiu's heart suddenly skipped a beat, and he forced a smile, "Mother, Fu'er, Yao Yao and I are getting married tomorrow. You can't very well drag her to play dominoes the day after tomorrow, can you?"

What should he do then?

What will he do in the newlywed life?

Shangguan Tang and Ying Yufu glanced at him and said in unison, "So what?"

Ying Zhuoxiu was stunned for a moment, then saw the mother and daughter burying their heads in discussion.

"I'll have Shiweixiang bring over all their latest snacks, and we can eat them while we play."

Oh, and there's also new tea from the south.

"Fu'er, your grandmother told me you've learned a new tea-making method? Is it for that bitter tea?"

"Yes, it tastes bitter at first, but the aftertaste is sweet, and it smells delicious."

"Let's do it this way. Once Yao Yao is married tomorrow, we can start playing around the day after."

Ying Zhuoxiu, the newly appointed top scholar, has become a shadow behind the mother and daughter.

But he didn't feel down at all; instead, his eyes were filled with a gentle warmth like a sky full of stars.

This was a sudden happiness he had gained after nine years of living in a daze.

"Hey, I got so excited I forgot, we're busy tomorrow. Go to sleep, everyone."

Zhuo Xiu, especially you, get some rest today; tomorrow is your big day.

At the same time, another top scholar went directly to his new house.

The new house is located in the east of the city. Although it has two courtyards, it is quite exquisite. There is also a jujube tree and a pomegranate tree in the courtyard.

The two courtyards weren't empty; they were furnished with some furniture. Mei Songyao thought for a moment and decided that he only needed to buy some daily necessities tomorrow, and that he didn't need to buy anything else.

When their mother and sisters arrive, they will slowly prepare what they need.

Once he has money, he can rent a shop for his parents so they can return to their old trade of slaughtering pigs and selling meat.

Once I have the money, I can continue raising pigs.

My parents have worked in this line of work their whole lives. If we let them be idle, they would definitely feel uncomfortable.

There are also eight older sisters...

Mei Songyao stood under the tree, looking up at the moon, a soft sigh escaping his lips.

"Hey, why are you sighing here so late at night, instead of sleeping, you top scholar?"

Suddenly, a rather teasing and pleasant voice came from the top of the wall behind them.

For some reason, Mei Songyao felt a surge of joy. He turned around and saw the girl dressed in crimson, with a long sword hanging at her waist, standing there like a pine tree.

The night breeze ruffled her black hair, a few strands clinging to her face.

"Miss Shangguan, it's you." Mei Songyao's tone was filled with joy.

The faint loneliness I felt just moments before seemed to vanish the moment this figure appeared, as if it had never existed at all.

Shangguan Fei leaped down from the wall, looked around the courtyard, and said, "I couldn't sleep last night, so I thought I'd come and see the top scholar."

"I am delighted that Miss Shangguan could come."

"Since you're happy, let's have a drink."

Shangguan Fei threw out two jars of wine.

Mei Songyao was increasingly delighted.

The two sat down on a stone bench under the jujube tree.

"By the way, why did you sigh just now?" Shangguan Fei asked.

Mei Songyao paused for a moment, then said, "I'm not afraid of Miss Shangguan laughing at me, but I have eight older sisters, and none of them are married. My eldest sister is already twenty-eight this year..."

"puff!"

Shangguan Fei spat out a mouthful of wine and stared at Mei Songyao in astonishment.

Mei Songyao blinked. "I'm sorry to have made you laugh, Miss Shangguan."

"Please excuse me? What's there to make fun of? It's just that I don't have a husband's family. There's no law in Beixuan that says women must marry. Haven't you seen plenty of women living in households?"

"That being said..."

"Young Master Mei," Shangguan Fei said seriously, "do you consider those eight older sisters to be a burden to you?"

Mei Songyao's expression changed, and he shook his head repeatedly, "Miss Shangguan, you mustn't say that. If my parents heard this, even if I pass the imperial examination with top honors and become an official, they would still break my legs!"

Seeing the cold sweat trickling down his forehead, it was clear he was genuinely terrified.

Shangguan Fei was slightly taken aback.

"I come from a butcher family, and my family is fairly well-off, but my education costs a lot, and my family has done everything in its power to support me."

My eight older sisters were even more unreserved. "If I dared to look down on them, they would skin me alive before our parents even have a chance to lay a hand on me."

Shangguan Fei suddenly felt a surge of curiosity about his sisters.

What kind of woman is she, still unmarried at twenty-eight? And what kind of woman is she that makes this top scholar so afraid?