Old Madam Tian felt things had been going terribly wrong for her lately. First, her eldest daughter-in-law had completely fallen out with her, even daring to fight her—a rebellion she couldn't quash because it involved her son. Now, the second daughter-in-law not only skipped making dinner but managed to coax her own son into fetching a doctor. She was perfectly fine at noon; how could she suddenly become so delicate in just half a day? It seemed she had always been too lenient with them, spoiling them until they grew so brazen.

Wang Qingyun rushed to call for Doctor Li, heading straight to the room where Luo Yin was staying in the old house.

“Doctor Li, hurry and come see what’s wrong with my wife!” Wang Qingyun urged him breathlessly.

“Oh, slow down, slow down! My old bones aren’t like you youngsters,” Doctor Li protested, struggling to keep up with Wang Qingyun’s pace as he was being dragged along.

Entering the room, Luo Yin was seated on the heated brick bed. Wang Qingyun gestured to the doctor, “Doctor Li, this is my wife. Please come quickly and see what’s ailing her.”

Doctor Li paused to catch his breath and then grumbled irritably, “Let me catch my breath first!”

Both Wang Qingyun and Luo Yin felt a pang of awkwardness. Wang Qingyun quickly went to pour a cup of tea. Doctor Li deliberately took his time accepting it, sipping slowly after a few mouthfuls. In truth, the delay wasn't intentional; he just saw Luo Yin sitting up perfectly fine and couldn't detect any serious issue, so he allowed himself to vent his frustration over the hurried journey.

After drinking the tea, Doctor Li finally inquired, “Where is your wife feeling uncomfortable?”

Wang Qingyun was stumped. He didn’t actually know; he had only called the doctor because Luo Yin looked pale.

Luo Yin, feeling embarrassed, spoke up first. “I just feel a bit tight in my chest and can’t eat. I intended to just lie down on the kang for a bit this afternoon, but I somehow slept through the entire day.” As she finished, Luo Yin lowered her head, blushing, fearful that people might accuse her of shirking her duties.

Doctor Li nodded, a notion already forming in his mind. He then took Luo Yin’s pulse. After a moment, his brow relaxed. “No need to worry. Your wife is pregnant—just over a month along. She needs plenty of rest and must avoid excessive worry. Also, for the first three months, she must be careful not to exert herself at all…”

Whatever Doctor Li said next faded into the background for Wang Qingyun and Luo Yin. The couple was still processing one piece of information: she was pregnant. Recall that Madam He hadn't conceived in the years after marrying into the family, yet Luo Yin, who had only recently arrived, was already expecting so soon! The sheer joy of the news rendered them speechless.

Seeing their reaction, Doctor Li expressed complete understanding. “What, are you stunned? This major event—your wife’s pregnancy—you must tell the elders in the family. They have the experience and will know how to care for her.”

Wang Qingyun was so overjoyed that he agreed to any instruction. “Oh… yes, yes, first tell Grandpa, Grandma, and our own father and mother. I’ll go now, I’ll go right away…” With that, Wang Qingyun dashed toward the Old Madam’s room.

Moments later, a flurry of footsteps could be heard outside, followed immediately by the Old Madam's voice, even before she entered: “Oh my, this is wonderful! I didn’t expect Qingyun’s wife to conceive so quickly after marrying in. I can finally hold a great-grandchild.”

“Indeed, Mother. I told you right from the start that Qingyun’s wife’s fate aligns perfectly with Qingyun’s destiny. See, wasn’t I right!” As soon as Madam Tian finished speaking, the Old Madam entered the room with her, followed by a grinning Wang Qingyun.

The Old Madam’s face lit up upon seeing Doctor Li. “Ah, Doctor Li, thank you so much for today.”

“Old Madam, you speak too generously. This isn't my doing; I merely took the pulse. Any physician would have made the same diagnosis,” Doctor Li replied modestly.

“Well, I don't trust anyone else’s diagnosis, only yours, Doctor Li,” the Old Madam laughed.

The smiles never left the faces of the Old Madam and Madam Tian. They had waited for this child for years, and finally, their wish was granted. Madam Tian abandoned her usual miserly demeanor and gave Doctor Li a very generous sum of gratitude money.

After Doctor Li departed, the Old Madam sat down on the kang, facing Luo Yin. “Qingyun’s wife, how are you feeling now? Are you tired? Tell Grandma whatever you crave; you are now eating for two.”

Madam Tian beamed beside her. “Yes, tell Mother what you want to eat. Your priority now is plenty of rest so you can give your Grandma a fair, plump great-grandson. Don't worry about anything else; Mother is here to manage the house!”

Seeing the intense focus from the Old Madam and her mother-in-law, Luo Yin felt a surge of pressure. It would be fine if she bore a boy, but what if she gave birth to a girl?

Noticing that Qingyun’s wife was just staring at them silently, the Old Madam seemed to grasp her worry and offered reassurance. “Don't overthink things. For the first child, whether it’s a boy or a girl doesn’t matter much. A male heir is best, of course, but if it’s a girl, we aren't afraid. Aren’t there many farming families who have a daughter first, and then a son?”

Luo Yin managed a soft reply, “Grandma, Mother, I understand.”

The Old Madam now found everything about Qingyun’s wife pleasing. Even Madam Tian’s prior grievances dissipated because of the pregnancy; Luo Yin was now the epitome of a good daughter-in-law in her eyes.

After enjoying the good news for a while, the Old Madam turned to the still slightly dazed Wang Qingyun. “Now that you have this wonderful news about your wife’s pregnancy, you must run over to your second and third uncles’ houses to share the joy.”

“Yes…” Wang Qingyun agreed and immediately bolted out the door.

Madam Tian pondered how envious Madam Yang and Madam Zhang would be that she was the first of the three sisters-in-law to bear a grandson. Thinking this, Madam Tian looked at Luo Yin with even greater warmth. She instantly decided that her second daughter-in-law was too thin and needed serious nourishment to ensure she birthed a big, fat grandson.

With this thought, Madam Tian suggested to the Old Madam, “Mother, look how slender Qingyun’s wife is. Why don’t we stew an old hen for her tomorrow to build her up?”

“Yes, yes… You are thoughtful. Tomorrow, catch a plump one and stew it for Qingyun’s wife!” the Old Madam chuckled.

Wang Youfu and Wang Youtian’s families were genuinely happy to hear the news of Qingyun’s wife’s pregnancy. This was a matter concerning the continuation of the lineage, and both branches sincerely rejoiced for the eldest branch.

Madam Yang, upon hearing the news, quickly connected it to other matters. She reasoned that since Qingyun’s wife was a girl from the Luo family, and Qinghua’s future wife was also from the Luo family, if Qingyun’s wife conceived so quickly after marrying, then Qinghua’s wife would surely conceive quickly as well. Although this logic had no basis or scientific grounding, Madam Yang firmly believed it.

However, the news of Qingyun’s wife’s pregnancy might have dealt the greatest blow to Wang Qingshan and Madam He. Upon hearing it, Madam He couldn't stop thinking: If there wasn't some defect with Wang Qingshan, perhaps she too could have conceived quickly and borne several children, securing her support in old age, instead of facing the deep despair of knowing she would never have children now.

Wang Qingshan watched his wife sitting there, lost in thought, and felt immensely guilty. It was all his fault for causing her such suffering; otherwise, she would have had children filling their home with laughter long ago.

“Xiujuan…” Wang Qingshan called out softly.

Madam He turned to look at him when she heard her name.

Seeing that Madam He remained silent, simply looking at him, Wang Qingshan grew slightly flustered. “I know, I’ve implicated you… I’m the one who caused you all this grievance.”

This was the first time since being diagnosed with his physical problem that Wang Qingshan had voluntarily brought up the subject with Madam He.

Madam He sighed, unsure of what to say. To claim she didn't blame him would be a lie, as the pain of being childless because of him was impossible to forget. But to blame him felt impossible too, having witnessed his prolonged agony, guilt, and self-reproach for days.

Wang Qingshan saw Madam He’s silence and felt a wave of dejection. “I know you still hold resentment in your heart. I don’t know what I can do to make you stop, but I still want to apologize for all the pain you’ve endured…”

At his words, Madam He’s tears began to fall uncontrollably. “Stop it… This is fate…”

Seeing her cry, Wang Qingshan panicked slightly, then managed to pull out a clean handkerchief and offered it to her. “Xiujuan, don’t cry. Wipe your tears…” He fell silent for a long moment, then pleaded softly, “Even without children, we will live well together in the future, alright?”

Madam He nodded sadly in agreement.

Wang Qingshan finally let out a breath of relief. “In the future… I mean later on, if our second brother’s family has many children, we can discuss it with them and adopt one over to raise as our own.”

Hearing Wang Qingshan suggest this gave Madam He a glimmer of hope, but moments later, she shook her head in disappointment. “They are all your own flesh and blood; how could one bear to give a child to be raised by another?”

“Xiujuan, don’t worry about that. Father and Mother will definitely agree; they won't watch our branch die without an heir to see us off,” Wang Qingshan consoled her.

The mention of dying without an heir caused the tears Madam He had managed to suppress to flow again. “We’ll talk about it when the time comes. Sister-in-law has only just conceived her first child; what you’re talking about is far off yet!”

In truth, Madam He privately thought that rather than adopting from Wang Qingyun’s household, she would prefer to adopt a child from a distant place. If they took one of Wang Qingyun’s children, with so many people gossiping, the child might discover their true parentage. Once the child knew who their birth parents were, how could they be raised properly? But a child brought from afar, whose background was unknown, would generate fewer complications and gossip.

However, Madam He would never voice this thought, as the family elders would never agree to adopt a child of unknown origin. Normally, whether in a farming household or a wealthy city family, if a couple could not have children, they were expected to adopt a child from within the same clan lineage, not just anyone.