The fine banquet was utterly ruined like that. Wang Youfu was beside himself with rage, and Lady Yang dared not offer any defense for herself, only managing to wipe her tears and clean up the domestic mess. Although the three siblings, Wang Qingchen included, were furious, they realized they were in no position to deal with the Fang woman right then, so they could only go and help Lady Yang clean up.

Never mind the sheer waste of food; the breakage of bowls and dishes alone was considerable, though thankfully the table itself was spared. Lady Yang had grievances she could not voice, forced only to clean in silence. Wang Qingchen, however, took the uneatable portions of the dishes and fed them to Little Gray and Little Black until the two small dogs were too stuffed to eat another bite.

Still, much of the fallen food remained, so Wang Qingchen gathered it up to feed the dogs over the next few days. That entire day passed miserably for the Wang Youfu household, and the following few days were marked by prolonged silence, with no one venturing out to attend other people’s feasts. Lady Yang was consumed by self-reproach for days, constantly blaming herself as the catalyst for the incident.

Consequently, the excessive worry aged her visibly by several years in just a few days. Wang Qingchen watched Lady Yang’s decline with great anxiety, having tried to comfort her to little avail, as she remained convinced of her own culpability. This only deepened Wang Qingchen’s resentment toward Wang Feng and the Fang woman, resolving to repay them tenfold once an opportunity arose.

On the sixth day, the family mill reopened. Wang Qingtong happily returned to his role as an errand boy, while Wang Qinghua resumed his early rising and late returning schedule. Within two days, it was time for Wang Qingchen to return to the academy.

This time, Wang Qingchen did not ask Wang Youfu to accompany him; instead, he took the silver given by his father and went with Li Yuntai and Wang Qingyi. He reflected that before the New Year, they had been a group of four, but now, with Wang Qingtong following Wang Qinghua to the mill, the quartet had become a trio. Upon reaching the academy, the group quickly paid their tuition fees and procured their necessary books.

Once everything was settled, they embarked on the trajectory of their new year of studies. After classes, they walked back together. Perhaps due to Wang Qingyi’s young age—he had spent most of the New Year holiday indulging in leisure and revelry—he found the first day of school intensely difficult to adjust to.

The moment school ended, he was bouncing around like a monkey. When Wang Qingchen returned home, Lady Yang was sitting on the heated brick bed (kang) as before, silently engaged in embroidery. Caiyun, sensing the heavy atmosphere in the house, was also notably less chirpy than usual.

“Mother, I’m back!” Wang Qingchen announced. Seeing Wang Qingchen, Lady Yang realized how much time had passed as she had been embroidering for so long. She set aside her needlework and rose to prepare dinner.

However, whether from rising too abruptly or some other reason, she suddenly collapsed. Fortunately, she fell backward onto the soft bedding of the kang, which was heavily padded in the winter, preventing any serious injury. “Mother!” Wang Qingchen cried out loudly in alarm.

Caiyun, hearing Wang Qingchen’s shout from the courtyard, rushed into Lady Yang’s room. Seeing her lying on the kang, she quickly asked, “Mother, what happened to you?” Lady Yang did not respond. Wang Qingchen called out several times without a reply, and in his desperation, prepared to summon Doctor Li.

Thus, after instructing Caiyun to watch over Lady Yang carefully, Wang Qingchen hurried out. Doctor Li, upon seeing someone from the Wang family approaching to summon him, felt a familiar flutter of panic. He knew that every time a member of the Wang family called for him, they expected him to run until he was breathless, seemingly unconcerned about his old bones.

Consequently, Wang Qingchen’s loud shout caused Doctor Li to sputter the mouthful of wine he had just taken. Doctor Li coughed a few times. “Boy, are you trying to choke me to death!” But Wang Qingchen had no time for pleasantries.

“Doctor Li, my mother suddenly fainted. Please come quickly and examine her!” Hearing this, Doctor Li realized the situation was serious. He abandoned all concern for his own labored breathing and quickly packed the necessary items before following Wang Qingchen.

Upon arriving at Wang Youfu’s house, Wang Youfu had already returned and was sitting by the kang, speaking softly. Lady Yang had already awakened. Seeing that Lady Yang was conscious, Wang Qingchen rushed over.

“Mother, you’re awake. Do you feel any discomfort? Doctor Li is here, and he can check on you.” Doctor Li stood nearby, slightly panting, having once again been dragged into a frantic run.

If the patient’s condition were truly severe, the exertion would have been worthwhile. But what was the situation now? Shouldn't the patient still be unconscious?

However, judging by Wang Qingchen’s words, the patient must have woken up later, so Doctor Li decided not to press the matter. “Qingchen, I’m alright now, Mother,” Lady Yang said, then turned apologetically to the physician. “I’m so sorry to have troubled you with a wasted trip, Doctor Li.” Hearing this, Doctor Li felt much better and replied casually, “It’s nothing.

Your health is what matters most. However, from what I gather, you were unconscious just now. In that case, I should still examine you, just in case, so we can diagnose and treat anything promptly.” Lady Yang felt she couldn’t refuse, considering Doctor Li had gone through the trouble of coming.

Doctor Li took Lady Yang’s pulse for a while. His expression remained steady, which secretly allowed the Wang Youfu family to breathe a collective sigh of relief, though their hearts remained suspended until the diagnosis was delivered. “Doctor Li, what is wrong with my wife?” Wang Youfu asked cautiously.

“Oh, your wife is pregnant. It’s been over a month now,” Doctor Li stated, utterly unaware that he had just delivered news capable of immense joy. Indeed, Wang Youfu first froze, then erupted into ecstasy.

His wife had previously suffered a miscarriage, and he never expected conception to return so quickly. Yet, Doctor Li immediately dampened Wang Youfu’s elation with a splash of cold water. “However, since your wife’s body was injured during the previous miscarriage, this pregnancy is somewhat unstable.” “What?

This pregnancy is unstable?” Lady Yang exclaimed. She had first reacted with disbelief upon hearing the news of pregnancy, followed by a burst of joy, realizing that her collapse was due to the child in her womb. But that happiness was short-lived, shattered by Doctor Li’s mention of an unstable fetus.

“This… how can this be, Doctor Li? Then my wife and the child in her belly…” Wang Youfu quickly voiced his anxieties. “Don’t worry.

It’s just unstable in the early stages; a course of medicine to stabilize the fetus should fix it,” Doctor Li reassured them. Doctor Li’s words were undoubtedly a huge reassurance; it was a relief that the child in the womb was safe. Doctor Li prescribed the necessary medication.

Wang Youfu thanked him, paid for the medicine, and added an extra sum as gratitude. Doctor Li accepted it happily and departed. With Lady Yang pregnant, Wang Youfu completely shed his previous cold demeanor toward her and busied himself preparing the herbal decoction.

Soon after, Wang Qinghua returned. Upon learning of Lady Yang’s second pregnancy, he was equally thrilled; he would soon have a younger brother or sister. After brewing the medicine and feeding it to Lady Yang, Wang Youfu sent Wang Qinghua and Wang Qingchen to relay the news to the old residence and the Wang Youtian household, respectively.

Wang Qingchen went to Wang Youtian’s house. Both Wang Youtian and Lady Zhang were genuinely happy for Lady Yang. Lady Zhang remarked that the child had arrived at the perfect time, not only mending the regret caused by the previous miscarriage but also instantly transforming Wang Youfu’s attitude, which had been slightly punitive toward Lady Yang due to the commotion caused by her family during the New Year banquet.

At the old residence, while the Elder smiled contentedly upon hearing the news, the expressions of the Old Madam and Tian Shi were noticeably strained. The Old Madam had originally anticipated that the turmoil stirred up by Lady Yang’s family would create a rift between her second son and Lady Yang, causing her son to forget his mother in favor of his wife. Tian Shi, who already harbored jealousy toward Lady Yang, had been the happiest among the older generation when Lady Yang’s family caused a scene that day.

She had maliciously anticipated a miserable future for Lady Yang, only for her to become pregnant. Was she truly blessed by great fortune and favored by heaven? The Wang Youfu household paid no mind to the musings of the old residence.

Wang Qingchen was currently discussing with Wang Youfu whether they should hire a wet nurse or maidservant to care for Lady Yang. After all, Doctor Li had explicitly stated that Lady Yang’s body was weakened from her previous injury, making this pregnancy somewhat precarious, especially during the first trimester, which demanded utmost caution. Yet, they were simple farming folk; pregnancy did not excuse one from household chores unless someone else could shoulder them.

But in Wang Youfu’s home, apart from Lady Yang herself, who else was capable of managing the housework? They had extensive fields to manage, and Wang Youfu was occupied daily with agricultural matters. Wang Qinghua was tied up with the mill, while Wang Qingchen had to attend school.

Caiyun was too young for such responsibility. After Wang Qingchen laid out these concerns, Wang Youfu agreed that hiring a maidservant was necessary. However, hiring one was not a casual decision; they needed someone clean, efficient, and discreet—not prone to gossip.

Therefore, the search would undoubtedly take some time. As Wang Qingchen spoke, he considered the large amount of land they managed and suggested hiring a full-time farmhand was also essential, otherwise Wang Youfu would be overworked. “Father, since we are looking for a maidservant this time, let’s find a farmhand as well!” Wang Qingchen proposed.

Wang Youfu nodded thoughtfully. He considered that if they hired a farmhand, they could house the family in their previously vacant smaller house. This way, the farmhand’s wife could also assist Lady Yang, saving the maidservant the trouble of commuting between two locations.

Thus, in the following days, while searching for a farmhand, Wang Youfu specifically inquired about the character of the workers’ wives. Once he had a good understanding of the candidates, Wang Youfu selected one family from the pool.

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