The occupants of the room stood frozen in stunned silence until the old man finally noticed the Old Madam’s distress and hurried over to steady her.

Hearing the commotion, Wang Guifang also turned toward the Old Madam. Seeing her look faint, she rushed over to lend support. “Mother, what’s wrong with you? Are you alright!”

Only then did Madam Yang and Madam Zhang notice the Old Madam’s sudden unwellness, and they too became flustered. “Mother, are you alright?”

The Old Madam took a long moment to regain her composure, waving a weak hand. “I’m not going to die yet!” She then turned her gaze toward He Shi, who was still sobbing loudly, frowned, and asked Wang Qingshan, “What else did the physician say? Can it be treated?”

When Wang Qingshan heard the Old Madam’s question, his face was a mask of misery. He dared not look up, remaining utterly silent.

Seeing Wang Qingshan like this, there was no one left in the room who didn’t understand: it was likely incurable.

Tian Shi then seemed to snap awake and began to wail even louder. “Oh, what terrible karma is this! My son will have no one to send him off when he dies!”

The Old Man and the Old Madam also wore expressions of deep sorrow. In this era, ensuring the continuation of the family line was paramount. A husband could divorce his wife on the grounds of childlessness—this was precisely why the Old Madam had previously used the threat of divorce against Wang Qingshan and He Shi. Now, the tables had turned; it was Wang Qingshan’s condition preventing He Shi from bearing children. This was not only a devastating blow to the entire family, but any prior plan to find a secondary wife (a pingqi) for Wang Qingshan was now likely dead in the water. Even if he married a pingqi, she wouldn’t be able to have children either. Moreover, given He Shi’s current state, if they tried to marry off a pingqi now, she would have gained leverage without any restraint and would surely cause chaos.

Wang Youliang, losing his usual elder composure, pressed on with a flicker of disbelief. “The doctor truly said there is absolutely no remedy?” Although Wang Youliang often seemed unreliable, when it came to the crucial matter of lineage, he was uncompromising.

Wang Qingshan still said nothing, but He Shi, who had been weeping, gradually stopped. She let out a cold sneer. “The doctor already said he can’t treat this illness; it seems he’ll never have children in his lifetime... Hmph. It’s a good thing we saw a doctor, otherwise, this black pot of being barren would have been jammed onto my head for who knows how many years! Thank heavens, fate has eyes, and my innocence has been restored.”

Tian Shi was furious and lunged forward, grabbing He Shi’s shoulders and shaking her violently. “You wicked woman! This happened only because my son married you, you bringer of bad luck! Give me back my grandson! Give me back my grandson!”

Being shaken by Tian Shi, He Shi also lost her reason. “Hmph! Your own son is incapable of having children, and you blame me? Let me tell you, if I wanted children, I could easily find any man and have them!”

Upon hearing He Shi suggest infidelity toward her son, Tian Shi was utterly provoked. All pretense of restraint vanished, and she began physically fighting He Shi right there in the room. Seeing Tian Shi attacking her mercilessly, perhaps fueled by years of suppressed resentment bursting forth, He Shi joined in, and the two women began brawling in the room.

When everyone else in the room saw the two women fighting, they felt that the events of the day were escalating beyond anything they had ever known. No one realized they should step in to stop the fight; they simply stared blankly at the struggling pair.

Seeing the utter chaos inside, the Old Man slammed his tobacco pipe on the low table several times. “Look at yourselves! Mother and daughter-in-law fighting like this! Do you want outsiders to say our Wang family lacks upbringing?” He then roared at Wang Youliang and Wang Qingshan, “Eldest son, Qingshan, what are you two standing there for? Go pull them apart now!”

Only then did Wang Youliang and Wang Qingshan, having been called out, snap back to reality. They rushed forward, each grabbing one of the fighting women and hauling them apart.

Once separated, both women seemed unsatisfied, breathing heavily but still glaring fiercely at each other.

Madam Yang and Madam Zhang recovered from the shock of witnessing the mother-in-law/daughter-in-law battle and rushed forward to placate them.

The Old Madam also glared fiercely at them, so angry she was speechless. Were they trying to broadcast to everyone that the Wang family had too good a reputation?

After Tian Shi and He Shi calmed down slightly, the Old Man also settled his emotions. He muttered a few words to Wang Youliang, who then slipped out the door.

Wang Youliang stepped outside and found the courtyard gate barred from the inside. Although puzzled, he didn't dwell on it given the current situation.

The crowd gathered outside, eager for gossip, could not help but interrogate Wang Youliang when they saw him emerge. Though they hadn't heard the exact words inside, they had certainly heard sounds of crying and sudden bursts of laughter, which had everyone’s curiosity on edge.

“What happened in your house?”

“Is your eldest daughter-in-law possessed? Crying one minute and laughing the next.”

“Hey, I thought I heard two people crying?”

...

Wang Youliang was already frustrated by his son’s predicament, and hearing these words made him want to slap them both, but remembering the Old Man’s instructions, he restrained himself.

Wang Youliang managed a strained smile. “Where is your mind going? It’s nothing. The young couple went to town and picked up over a tael of silver on the road, but somehow it was snatched away by someone in town. Nothing happened; everyone can disperse now.”

Some of the simpler-minded folks exclaimed, “Oh, so that’s it! No wonder!”

As for the sharper ones, although they wanted to press for more details, the polite dismissal made them hesitant. After all, the Wang family generally enjoyed a good reputation in the village, and they didn't want to cause offense.

Once most of the crowd had dispersed, Wang Youliang turned to go back inside, only to see Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian approaching quickly. They had heard the commotion at the old house and rushed over. Wang Youliang had no choice but to open the courtyard gate to let them in, then barred it securely behind them.

The three brothers entered the room to see Madam Yang and Madam Zhang trying to mediate between Tian Shi and He Shi. The Old Man sat on the kang (heated brick bed) looking deeply thoughtful, while the Old Madam beside him was grim-faced, with Wang Guifang leaning near her, offering weak support.

Seeing Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian enter, the Old Man didn't ask unnecessary questions, instead turning to Wang Youliang. “Are the people outside gone?”

“They’re all gone, Father,” Wang Youliang replied.

The Old Man paused, considering. “No one is to speak of today’s matter, understood?”

Everyone in the room nodded in agreement, except for Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian, who were completely bewildered, and Wang Qingshan and He Shi, who remained frozen and silent.

Although Madam Zhang usually didn't see eye-to-eye with the main household, she understood the severity of this situation. This wasn't just the eldest branch’s issue; it concerned the reputation of the entire Wang family. If Wang Qingshan’s problem became public knowledge, people wouldn't just gossip about the eldest branch, but the whole Wang family. Furthermore, families with marriageable daughters would hesitate to form alliances with the Wangs, fearing their own daughters might also end up childless and without support in old age.

“Also,” the Old Man turned to the Old Madam, a hint of hesitation in his voice, but he stated firmly, “Don’t bother marrying a pingqi for Qingshan.”

The Old Madam sighed and nodded silently.

Clearly, some were unwilling to accept this. Tian Shi pointed sharply at He Shi and declared, “No! We must marry a pingqi! I cannot let this jinx continue to ruin my son!” Of course, Tian Shi also wanted a pingqi to spite He Shi.

The Old Man and Old Madam looked at Tian Shi’s inability to grasp the gravity of the situation, still acting aggressively within their own home at a time like this, wishing they could slap her hard enough to make her see sense.

Wang Youliang certainly understood the current dynamics and quickly moved to cover Tian Shi’s mouth, urging her to stop talking.

He Shi refused to let it go, sneering, “Who is ruining whom? The one who can’t bear children is your son, not me. Stop trying to pin this on me! Or should I go outside and ask for a fair ruling?”

The Old Man and Old Madam feared exactly this—that He Shi would do just that. If Wang Qingshan’s issue remained secret, people would naturally assume He Shi was the barren one. In that case, as long as the Wang family treated He Shi without malice, the public would view the Wangs as benevolent for treating a barren daughter-in-law kindly. But if Wang Qingshan’s truth were revealed, the Wang family’s reputation would be ruined.

Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian, who had only recently entered, were now completely stunned, their expressions not much better than the rest of the room when they first heard the news. What were they just talking about? Qingshan had physical issues?

The Old Man and Old Madam couldn't afford to worry about Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian’s reaction right now; they were focused on placating He Shi, terrified that a rash move from her might lead her to spread rumors outside.

“Don’t listen to your mother-in-law. I, the matriarch, decide—if I say no pingqi, then there is no pingqi,” the Old Madam assured He Shi soothingly.

He Shi inwardly scoffed. The Wang family had a clever plan. If this remained hidden, no one would suspect that Wang Qingshan’s condition was why she was barren; the blame would still fall on her.

However, He Shi had now regained her composure. At the very least, the Wang family would not dare divorce her now. If they did, she would certainly reveal the truth. The Old Man and Old Madam had likely realized this, which explained their sudden good attitude toward her. Hmph, since she wouldn't be divorced either way, she had nothing to fear. Now, she would use this situation to properly plan for her own future.

He Shi glanced at Tian Shi, then spoke to the Old Man and Old Madam. “Since I will never have children from now on, I have no other expectations. All I wish for now is a peaceful life going forward.” As she spoke, He Shi looked at Wang Qingshan. “I want to separate from Qingshan and live independently!”