"If that is the case, then the Eldest Sister-in-law has truly overstepped. Yuzhen is, after all, the wife whom Ningchen married with the full ceremony of eight sedan chairs. Although the circumstances of her entry were somewhat dishonorable, she is nonetheless our family's Eldest Young Mistress now," the Second Madam stated.

Lin He had remained silent until this point, but hearing the Second Madam speak, a flicker of curiosity arose in her about the nature of Li Yuzhen's dishonorable entry. Aunt Luo, seated nearby, seemed to intuit Lin He's thoughts and rapidly recounted the sordid details concerning Li Yuzhen and Wen Ningchen.

This forced Lin He, once again, to admit that Aunt Luo possessed an exceptional gift for expression. Her narration didn't just recount events; it vividly conveyed the emotional state of everyone present, making it seem as if she herself were a direct participant.

Presumably, this topic was taboo within the Wen household. After finishing her tale, Aunt Luo glanced around furtively and whispered, "He'er, you must not repeat what you've heard, or if the Master and your Grandmother find out, they will punish me."

Lin He merely nodded, offering no direct reply to Aunt Luo’s plea. Following this disclosure, the women shifted their conversation to matters concerning Wen Ningchen. Though Lin He contributed nothing, she gleaned a surprising amount of intelligence from their exchange.

For instance, it became clear that the dissatisfaction these three women held toward Madam Wen was far deeper than they usually let on. Especially Aunt Luo and the Second Madam, who spent the entire time speaking ill of Madam Wen, saying everything imaginable—a stark contrast to the deferential manner they adopted during their morning greetings.

The Third Madam was slightly better, yet she too voiced numerous grievances against Madam Wen, primarily complaining that Madam Wen managed the household finances too strictly, constantly cutting back on their monthly allowances.

From their words, Lin He also inferred that the Old Madam strongly disagreed with Madam Wen's methods of managing the household, though the specific reasons for this disapproval remained unclear.

Based on her own judgment, Lin He assessed that the information shared contained a mixture of truth and fabrication. Yet, whether true or false, Lin He had no intention of investigating further. Thus, she sat quietly on the side, sipping her tea without uttering a word.

As the others grew increasingly animated in their gossip, Lin He noticed that the Fourth Madam, seated near her, maintained a gentle, faint smile, participating in nothing yet never appearing excluded. Lin He held a deep admiration for this level of composure.

Lin He looked up and met the gaze of the Fourth Madam, who returned her look with a slight smile—a smile that seemed layered with unspoken meaning. Lin He couldn't decipher it entirely at that moment, but she was certain the smile conveyed an instruction: remain quiet, listen as she had been.

The three women beside her were growing more brazen; they were now asserting that the current predicament involving Wen Ningchen and Ningnuo was deliberately engineered by Madam Wen, with the goal of having Ningnuo replace Li Yuzhen. To Lin He, this sounded like pure fabrication, but she wasn't surprised by their readiness to invent such narratives. If their visit had ended with nothing more than idle chatter and accepting a few sachets of perfume, Lin He would have been truly perplexed.

She didn't mean to harbor cynical thoughts, but in this estate, genuine kindness among the women was rare. What Lin He still couldn't fathom was why these women chose her courtyard to air such sensitive gossip. Did she truly look like the type to enjoy such affairs?

Pondering this, Lin He glanced at the group. Aunt Luo, seated nearest to her, seemed to suddenly remember Lin He's presence. She turned to Lin He and asked, "He'er, why aren't you speaking? What are you and Xuan'er's thoughts on Ningchen's situation? Your father trusts Xuan'er so deeply; I imagine he will ask Xuan'er about these matters first when he returns."

As Aunt Luo finished speaking, the Second and Third Madams ceased their talking and fixed their wide eyes on Lin He. This made Lin He feel that the true purpose of their entire visit was to elicit an answer from her.

Lin He considered her response, deciding it was necessary to clearly articulate the stance of herself and Wen Ningxuan, regardless of its utility. With a faint smile, she replied, "Aunt Luo jokes. We are merely the younger generation in this household; matters of family leadership are not for us to discuss. However, I know my husband well; he is not one to meddle in others' affairs. Even if Father doesn't ask him, he won't speak much; just as he told Grandmother before, this matter has little bearing on us, and truthfully, we don't know the precise details of what has transpired. How Father will handle this upon his return is his own calculation."

"He'er, that is not right. How can this be unrelated to you, since it is a family affair? From what I see, it relates very closely. Don't you know that many people in the household are now whispering about who might eventually inherit the Master's position? I personally believe Xuan'er has a better chance than Chen'er. Moreover, your father often mentions Xuan'er to me in private. If Chen'er's current trouble escalates, Father will likely be even more disappointed in him, thereby increasing Xuan'er's chances of becoming the head. He'er, have you never considered these implications?" Aunt Luo inquired with a semblance of innocence.

If Lin He had been uncertain about the women's ultimate goal moments before, she was now absolutely clear. Aunt Luo must have proposed this visit, and her objective was to gauge the attitudes of Lin He and Wen Ningxuan regarding the current crisis—an attitude that would reveal whether Wen Ningxuan harbored any interest in the position of family head.

Aunt Luo's motivation was obvious: she had long coveted the position of head herself. This ambition, however, was not unfounded. In the current generation, apart from Wen Ningchen, the only viable successors based on age and capability were Wen Ningxuan and Wen Xunhao.

Although Wen Xunhao was the son of a concubine, Aunt Luo enjoyed significant favor, and her relationship with the Old Madam was also strong. It was not an impossible dream for her to envision Wen Xunhao taking the reins someday.

After delivering her pointed remarks, Aunt Luo watched Lin He with a faint, expectant smile, trying to read something on her face. However, Lin He felt no need for elaborate disguise, as her mind was clear. She met Aunt Luo’s gaze with an equally calm smile and responded, "Originally, as a simple wife, I shouldn't discuss these matters concerning men. But since it is only you esteemed aunts and Aunt Luo here, with no outsiders present, I will not hold back. Regarding the question Aunt Luo just raised, we have genuinely never considered it. Whether by seniority or business acumen, I believe the position of the Wen family head would never fall to my husband, nor has he ever desired such a role."

Since the subject touched upon sensitive territory, Lin He kept her explanation brief, feeling she had clearly conveyed her meaning. Whether others chose to believe her was beyond her concern.

Evidently, Aunt Luo and the others were skeptical. Lin He noticed no relaxation in Aunt Luo's expression; instead, it grew inscrutable. The Second Madam merely observed Lin He with an unreadable, half-smiling look. The Third Madam was more direct, voicing her disbelief immediately: "He'er, do you truly think that? Many people aspire to be the head of the Wen family."