Uncle Wen chuckled and said, "He'er is the daughter-in-law I personally selected, and she is also Xuan'er's wife, so naturally, she must be treated with extra importance."

Uncle Wen's words caused the expressions of most people in the room to shift immediately. Everyone began contemplating the implication of his statement, especially Madam Wen and the Old Madam, whose looks changed markedly. The Old Madam even glanced at Uncle Wen before speaking, "Jie'er is right. Anyone who marries into our Wen family is our family's daughter-in-law, and naturally, we value them all. When Chen'er's wife returned for her visit, we arranged things with the same care."

Lin He glanced at Wen Ningchen sitting beside her. He hadn't changed much; he remained sitting upright in his chair, though he looked rather listless.

In fact, Wen Ningchen was quite handsome, bearing some resemblance to Wen Ningmo, and somewhat like Uncle Wen, yet he lacked the upright integrity that defined his uncle. Perhaps due to being perpetually drained by wine, women, and wealth, his complexion was poor, making him look somewhat frail. He seemed to lack the energy for anything, suggesting that no matter how much he was cultivated, he could never shoulder any great responsibility.

However, because Wen Ningchen was the eldest son of the Wen family and the legitimate heir, according to traditional rules, he was the one meant to succeed Uncle Wen, becoming the head of the household when his uncle aged—this was an undeniable fact. It was likely the Old Madam had always held this conviction. Even if Wen Ningchen was disappointing, he hadn't committed any major offenses, so the Old Madam still placed her hopes on him. Hearing Uncle Wen clearly favor Wen Ningxuan, others naturally hesitated to comment, but the Old Madam was displeased. Thus, she immediately spoke up in Wen Ningchen's defense.

Lin He observed the family's expressions and smiled mockingly to herself. In truth, these people didn't need to worry so much. Her Wen Ningxuan probably never intended to inherit the primary responsibilities of the Wen family. If he had, he wouldn't have insisted on drawing such a clear boundary regarding the family shops with Uncle Wen in the first place.

Actually, Lin He also didn't approve of Wen Ningxuan taking on such a heavy burden. What benefit was there in bearing such a load? One would be too exhausted to even catch a breath, with the hopes of the entire extended family resting upon one's shoulders. If one succeeded, it was expected; if one failed, one would face resentment from family members and gossip from outsiders.

Moreover, they did not need to depend on the Wen family for survival; why involve themselves in such matters? Of course, if the family universally agreed, and Uncle Wen was indeed too old to manage, forcing his hand, then there would be no choice. But given the Wen family’s current situation, there was truly no such necessity.

As soon as the Old Madam finished speaking, Lin He clearly heard several people in the room exhale in relief, particularly Madam Wen, whose expression immediately brightened. Uncle Wen merely glanced at the Old Madam and said nothing for a long moment. Then, he spoke again, "Since everything has been arranged, let it be so. Everyone may disperse and rest early."

Just as everyone stood up to leave, Uncle Wen suddenly added, "There is one more matter I wish to state once more in front of everyone. Xuan'er's wife is someone I personally chose, and she is now married to Xuan'er. Regardless of her former status, she is now the dignified Second Young Mistress of our Wen family. If I ever find out that someone has disrespected her, I will enforce family discipline. This punishment will apply to servants and members of the Wen family alike." After speaking, Uncle Wen swept his gaze over the room, his eyes pausing, seemingly unintentionally, on Qing Mo.

Qing Mo trembled under Uncle Wen's gaze. She had thought her father was unaware of that matter. It seemed some gossip had reached him. These words were clearly directed at her. Qing Mo shrank deeper into her chair under her father's scrutinizing look.

Lin He also looked toward Wen Ningxuan beside her, somewhat surprised that Uncle Wen would bring up that issue. Wen Ningxuan winked at her, as if to say, See? I told you so.

While Lin He was surprised, Wen Ningxuan, who was sitting next to her, suddenly stood up and continued Uncle Wen’s statement: "Father is correct. If I ever hear anyone speaking ill of my wife or blaming everything on her again, I will not be lenient either. I will treat everyone the same way, no matter who they are." After speaking, Wen Ningxuan cast a cold glance across the entire assembly.

Watching Wen Ningxuan, Lin He was instantly overwhelmed with emotion, moved to tears. But once the initial rush of feeling subsided, her rationality reminded her that being so high-profile in the Wen family was not necessarily a good thing; being favored too much could bring considerable trouble. However, since both men had already spoken, Lin He could only rise, offer a polite bow to everyone, and say a few courteous words.

After the family dispersed, Lin He and Wen Ningxuan returned to their own courtyard. Lin He put those matters out of her mind, feeling happy that she could visit her maternal home in a couple of days. It had been a month since she last saw them, and she wondered how things were going back home.

Thinking this, Lin He went to her room to pack. Since there was nothing else to do during her stay, she had made quite a few clothes for Da Xiao and Xiong. Lin He took them out one by one, laying them on the bed, thinking she should ask Ziyu to bring a bundle later to pack them up, lest she forget on the day of departure.

As she was tidying, Wen Ningxuan walked in from outside. Seeing her moving around the room, he did not disturb her, instead sitting by the bed watching her pack. Suddenly, he noticed several small children's clothes spread on the bed. He picked one up, looked at it, and laughed, "He'er, why so many children's clothes? Could it be...?"

Lin He turned around, catching the ambiguous look on his face. She glanced at him and said, "What are you thinking? I made these for Da Xiao and the others. I'll take them back when we visit in a couple of days. Can your child wear clothes this big?"

"That's true, our child can't wear clothes this big; they'd need to be smaller. But first, we need to have a child," Wen Ningxuan chuckled, pulling Lin He toward the bedside.

Lin He blushed and shot him a look, knowing exactly what he was about to say next. However, regarding the issue of having children, Lin He actually wanted to discuss it with him.

Although she wasn't very knowledgeable about medicine, she understood the basics. For instance, she felt that at her current age, it wasn't ideal to have a child; she was too young, and her physical systems were not fully mature. Pregnancy and childbirth could easily lead to other lingering complications, and it wouldn't be good for the fetus either, increasing the chance of a difficult labor. Even though most people at this time had children at this age, since she knew the risks, she didn't want to take the chance.

Lin He glanced at Wen Ningxuan, her face a little red, and asked in a small voice, "Ningxuan, do you want children soon?"

"Hmm?" Wen Ningxuan looked at Lin He with a mischievous expression.