Luo Yin listened to the eldest sister-in-law's words, feeling a touch of confusion. "Mother, surely not. The old woman told me not to worry, saying it doesn't matter if it's a boy or a girl."

The eldest sister-in-law scoffed, "That's just what she says out loud; deep down, she’s still hoping you’ll bear a son. I’d bet money on it: if you give birth to a girl, your life in the Wang family will definitely be much harder than it is now."

Thus, Luo Yin's already settled heart began to worry once more.

In the evening, Wang Qingyun did notice something was amiss with Luo Yin, but when he asked, she merely said it was nothing, perhaps she hadn't rested well. Wang Qingyun had no choice but to let it go.

The day of the banquet at Wang Youfu’s house arrived, and Madam Zhang also came over to help prepare the feast.

What the Wang Youfu family hadn't anticipated was that Yang Shi’s elder brother, Yang Feng, and his wife, Fang Shi, somehow learned the news and arrived with their second daughter, Er Ya, and their younger son.

With guests arriving, especially during the New Year celebration, there was no reasonable way to refuse them hospitality, so the Wang Youfu household had no choice but to usher them inside.

"Oh my, son-in-law, the new house your family built is truly magnificent!" Fang Shi exclaimed in praise.

Wang Youfu ignored her, but Fang Shi was completely unbothered by his attitude and continued, "Building this house must have cost quite a bit, right? Your family is truly wealthy."

Wang Youfu still paid no mind, and Fang Shi remained unconcerned, though Yang Feng looked somewhat embarrassed. Truthfully, he hadn't wanted to come today, but Fang Shi had somehow found out about the banquet at Wang Youfu’s place and insisted on dragging him along. Now they were here, but clearly, the Wang Youfu family was not exactly welcoming them. Yang Feng wasn't surprised by their reserved demeanor; after all, they hadn't associated much recently.

Wang Youfu showed the guests in and then paid little further attention to their family.

Inside, the Wang family members knew who Yang Feng and Fang Shi were, but since they rarely interacted, they weren't very familiar with them, so no one initiated conversation. However, Fang Shi was the type who made herself at home, chattering away about one thing and then another, not treating herself as an outsider at all. Yang Feng, on the other hand, was quite different; seeing no one address him, he grew visibly awkward.

As Fang Shi was speaking, she spotted Wang Qinghua and quickly called out, "Qinghua, hurry over here!"

Wang Qinghua recognized her as his paternal aunt by marriage and couldn't easily refuse, so he walked over.

Seeing Wang Qinghua approach, Fang Shi pointed to the girl beside her and said to him, "Qinghua, this is your cousin, Er Ya. Er Ya, this is your cousin. You two must get acquainted." Fang Shi then continued, "Qinghua, your house is so grand; your cousin hasn't had a proper look yet. Auntie is trusting you today to take your cousin out and show her around properly."

Fang Shi’s direct statement caused the conversations in the room to gradually cease. Her intention was so blatant that everyone present understood perfectly. However, a few people were puzzled: Wang Qinghua was already engaged; surely Fang Shi knew that?

Er Ya had been told by her mother at home about how wealthy her paternal aunt’s family had become—they owned two shops in town, one rented out and one a mill they operated themselves. Furthermore, her aunt’s family had built a magnificent new house. She had also heard that both her aunt and her cousin were mild-mannered, and if she could marry in later, she would enjoy comfort for life.

Initially, Er Ya was quite reluctant, but upon arriving, she was very pleased with everything at her aunt’s house. Not only did she like the house, but the cousin looked easily manageable. Moreover, since his family was so rich, they could simply hire a servant girl to handle chores later; she would only need to enjoy herself.

The only thing that dissatisfied Er Ya was the fact that her cousin was already engaged. How could this be? She had finally set her sights on a good prospect and wouldn't yield him to someone else. At home, the mother and daughter had already plotted: they would secure Wang Qinghua directly, and as for the engagement he already had, they would simply break it off.

So, Er Ya adopted a shy demeanor, her voice turning rather captivating. "Cousin... your house is truly magnificent. I haven't had a proper look." With that, Er Ya gazed hopefully at Wang Qinghua.

Wang Qinghua shivered upon hearing that voice, or perhaps everyone in the room felt that way.

The Old Madam was immediately displeased upon hearing this. Although she usually didn't pay much attention to her grandson Wang Qinghua, she intensely disliked this Er Ya. How could a respectable young lady act like someone from a brothel? She had no manners. The mere thought of such a woman entering the Wang family gates made the Old Madam feel nauseous. Thus, the Old Madam addressed Wang Qinghua, "Qinghua, you are already engaged; it's not proper for you to stay among us womenfolk. Go to your grandfather’s side!"

Wang Qinghua immediately responded, "Yes!" and swiftly ran out.

Fang Shi couldn't stop him, and the Old Madam's words left her with little ground to argue. She and Er Ya were left brooding silently.

After that incident, when it was time to eat, no one felt inclined to sit with Fang Shi. However, Fang Shi didn't care; she led her two children, seating Er Ya on one side and her younger son on the other, and began to devour her food without pause.

Just as everyone sat down to eat, they were stunned by the way Fang Shi and the two children were consuming their meal. It was as if they hadn't eaten enough in years, and they were exclusively picking out the meat, almost trying to dump all the meat from the serving dishes directly into their bowls, leaving everyone else unsure of how to even pick up their chopsticks, creating immense awkwardness at the table.

Wang Youfu’s face turned ashen, while Yang Shi looked on the verge of tears. What on earth did her own family members want? Just as Wang Youfu had started treating her better, they caused this scene. Even if Wang Youfu later knew she wasn't complicit, he would certainly hold it against her. Yang Shi wished her relatives had never existed right then.

When Yang Feng saw everyone's expressions change, he quickly went over to pull Fang Shi away, wanting to stop her from embarrassing his sister-in-law. Who knew that this pull would stir up a hornet's nest?

"Why are you pulling me? Am I not allowed to eat the food at my little sister-in-law's house?" Fang Shi shouted.

"You... keep your voice down. Let's just go back now; don't make it so others can't enjoy their meal," Yang Feng said helplessly.

"What do you mean 'others can't enjoy their meal'? Oh, because we are here, others can't eat well?" Fang Shi retorted, turning to Yang Shi. "Little sister-in-law, we only came over for a meal; you begrudge us even that? Didn't we, your elder brother and sister-in-law, support you when you were a girl in your parents' home? Now that your family is prosperous, you won't even spare a meal for us? You’ve completely forgotten the kindness of the past!"

As Fang Shi finished speaking, the faces of the Wang Youfu family grew even uglier. Yang Shi burst into tears. She knew Fang Shi was wrong, but she was never good at arguing, and faced with this situation, she became completely lost, thinking of the ridicule she would face afterward. She just started crying.

Seeing how things had escalated, Yang Feng walked over and tried to pull Fang Shi, "Stop making a scene, let's go back!"

Fang Shi roughly shook off Yang Feng’s hand. "Why should I go back? If she can act this way, am I forbidden from speaking my mind?"

"You..." Yang Feng briefly considered defending his sister, but seeing Fang Shi’s state, his resolve deflated. If he defended his sister now, his wife’s reputation would be ruined from then on. Thinking this, he could only feel sorry for his sister.

Wang Qingchen watched the behavior of the couple, feeling intensely angry, but with so many people present today, he couldn't simply throw them out, as that would only confirm Fang Shi’s words.

Wang Qingchen paused, then stepped forward and quietly asked Yang Feng, "Elder Uncle, is my mother truly the person my elder aunt describes? You grew up with her; you surely know what kind of person my mother is, right?"

"This..." Yang Feng immediately looked troubled, caught between his wife and his sister.

"Elder Uncle, if my mother were really as my elder aunt says, she would be scorned by everyone after today," Wang Qingchen pleaded pitifully.

Yang Feng hesitated. He knew that if he defended Yang Shi now, the matter might blow over without long-term impact on her. However, his wife would certainly become the subject of gossip.

While Yang Feng was still wavering, some of the guests had already begun whispering amongst themselves. Zhang Shi walked over to support Yang Shi, comforting her softly. She wanted to speak up for Yang Shi, but since the words were coming from Yang Shi’s own family, any rebuttal she offered would likely make people trust Fang Shi’s account even more.

Seeing that Yang Feng still wouldn't speak, Wang Qingchen approached again and quietly addressed him, "If things are truly as Elder Aunt describes, the entire Yang family will be talked about. Who would dare marry a Yang girl or let someone from the Yang family marry into their house in the future? Then Second Uncle and Second Aunt won't hesitate to make trouble with you! If you defend my mother now, people will only say the Yang family has poor judgment and married a home-wrecker; the blame will still fall on the Yang family, who would be the victim in that scenario."

Wang Qingchen’s words struck Yang Feng with a sudden jolt. He had almost forgotten: this wasn't just about ruining his younger sister’s reputation; it concerned the entire Yang family’s standing. If this became established truth, who would marry a Yang girl in the future? His own Er Ya hadn't found a husband yet!

Therefore, Yang Feng quickly made his decision. In front of everyone, he fiercely rebuked Fang Shi for her baseless slander, defended his sister a few times, and then, while Fang Shi stood stunned, dragged her away.

Considering Yang Shi’s usual conduct, the guests were somewhat inclined to believe Yang Feng’s defense, though a seed of doubt remained in some hearts. Still, this was the best possible outcome.

The guests looked at the untouched feast at Wang Youfu’s house, then at the strained expressions of the family, and lost any appetite for dining. One by one, they made their excuses and departed.

Once all the guests had left, Wang Youfu could no longer suppress his anger. He walked over and violently overturned the still largely uneaten feast. "From now on, your mother's family is forbidden from setting foot in my house again! If this happens one more time, you can go back to your mother's house with them!"