Wang Youfu chose the household surnamed Zheng; the man of the house was Zheng Wu, and his wife was Madam Wu. The couple had a son and a daughter; the daughter was already married, and the son, now thirteen, had never attended school and had always helped with the family work.

Wang Youfu chose this family not only because Zheng Wu was a capable worker but also because he had inquired that Madam Wu was virtuous and competent, not only efficient in her tasks but also discreet, seldom gossiping. Considering these two points, Wang Youfu selected this household without hesitation.

Wang Youfu explained his requirements to Zheng Wu, stating that their family could move directly into the house Wang Youfu’s family had previously occupied. Furthermore, his wife, Madam Yang, was pregnant, and the fetus was somewhat unstable, so he sought a reliable person for caretaking, and Madam Wu was clearly the perfect candidate. Of course, Madam Wu would not be expected to provide this care for free; the Wang family would compensate them with the wages equivalent to two long-term laborers.

The Zheng family’s circumstances were already difficult, otherwise, they would not be seeking long-term employment. Wang Youfu’s terms were tailor-made for them. Their own house was already decrepit and on the verge of collapse; now, with an employer hiring them and providing lodging, the couple was overjoyed.

Madam Wu had initially planned for her husband to work as a long-term laborer while she earned a small income doing embroidery at home. She never expected to earn wages herself. This task—caring for a pregnant woman—was not overly demanding, requiring about the same effort as her usual housework. The crucial point was that her labor would count as the wage for one long-term laborer. With her husband earning the other, their family would secure the wages of two laborers. How could Madam Wu not be thrilled? Consequently, Madam Wu highly valued this position, secretly resolving to serve diligently to avoid losing such a good opportunity.

Madam Yang herself had risen from poverty, and even though her family was now more affluent, she had never forgotten the hardships of the past. Therefore, when a maidservant was hired to attend to her, she felt extremely uncomfortable and initially tried to refuse the arrangement. However, Wang Youfu and their two sons insisted she consider the welfare of the unborn child. Recalling that her last child was lost due to her own carelessness, Madam Yang finally acquiesced, though she remained unused to being waited upon.

The hiring of long-term laborers and a personal maidservant for the pregnant Madam Yang by the Wang family caused quite a stir. Recently, the villagers often discussed how fortunate Madam Yang was and how devoted her husband was, as no other family in the village hired a maidservant specifically for a pregnant wife. Thus, Madam Yang once again became the object of envy among the married women of the village.

Naturally, there were also many who spoke with bitterness, as envy often breeds malice when others prosper. Madam Tian was one such person; upon hearing the news, she felt an urge to smash everything in her room. Why was Madam Yang so lucky? The turmoil caused by her brother and sister-in-law should have made her life difficult, yet precisely at this time, she became pregnant, which immediately caused the Second Master to change his attitude. Now, after a miscarriage weakened her health and made the pregnancy delicate, the Second Master hired a maidservant to attend to her. She herself had never enjoyed such comforts!

Human affections are indeed peculiar. Initially, there had been no real conflict between Madam Tian and Madam Yang; in fact, when the Wang family was still poor, Madam Tian had felt sympathy for Madam Yang. But as Wang Youfu’s fortunes improved and his family wealth grew, Madam Tian’s sympathy morphed into resentment, which then soured into deep jealousy. She constantly thought: I haven't received or enjoyed these things, so why should you be allowed to have them, why should you be allowed to enjoy them?

The Old Madam also had reservations about the Second Master hiring someone to wait upon Madam Yang. After all, she, as the mother-in-law, had never enjoyed such treatment, and now the daughter-in-law was receiving it first. Any mother-in-law would feel uneasy about that.

Thus, instigated by Madam Tian, the Old Madam specifically summoned Wang Youfu for a visit. While she did not explicitly voice her displeasure, her words strongly implied that he had married and forgotten his mother. If his wife needed attendance, did his elderly mother not also require it?

The Old Madam expected Wang Youfu to make some accommodation; otherwise, he would appear unfilial. Regrettably, Wang Youfu acted as if he didn't grasp the implication of her words. He merely kept reiterating that the reason for hiring the maidservant was Madam Yang's poor recovery after her miscarriage. If her health had been properly restored earlier, there would have been no need for a maidservant now. And the reason her health hadn't recovered then was due to their family’s previous poverty and the fact that no one was willing to lend money for Madam Yang’s recuperation. His unspoken meaning was clear: if you hadn't refused to lend money for Madam Yang’s health back then, there would be no need to hire an attendant today.

This response left the Old Madam and Madam Tian speechless. Since the Second Master stated that hiring the attendant was a consequence of their prior refusal to lend money for Madam Yang’s recovery, any complaint they made now would be baseless, as they were responsible for the situation.

Unable to formulate a rebuttal, the Old Madam and Madam Tian could only watch Wang Youfu leave.

As for Madam Zhang, she was delighted by the turn of events. She and Madam Yang were already close, so seeing Madam Yang well brought her genuine happiness.

If we look beyond Madam Zhang, the only others truly pleased were the household of the Second Elder Luo. However, the Luo family wasn't happy for Madam Yang, but rather for the prospect that their own daughter might eventually enjoy similar treatment. In farming households, hiring personal attendants was exceedingly rare; such news was sure to invoke envy among many.

“Oh, my dear daughter, you are truly blessed. Look how wonderful your in-laws are; they hired someone to tend to your mother-in-law during her pregnancy. Given Qinghua’s affection for you, you will certainly be treated the same when you are expecting,” Madam Chen said, grasping her daughter Luo Qing’s hand and smiling.

“Mother, I’m not even married yet, and you’re already talking about pregnancy…” Luo Qing blushed slightly.

“Oh, what’s there to be embarrassed about in front of your mother? Besides, it’s only a matter of time,” Madam Chen dismissed her concern casually.

Luo Qing knew her mother’s temperament and said no more. Once her mother had vented her excitement, she would leave to find others to talk to.

So, Luo Qing returned to her needlework, occasionally offering a brief affirmative to her mother. As expected, after a short while, Madam Chen finished her joyous chatter and went out to boast to others.

Only then did Luo Qing put down her embroidery and secretly take out the hairpin Wang Qinghua had given her. She traced the lines and patterns on the pin delicately with her fingers. In truth, Luo Qing wasn’t overly concerned about whether she would have attendants in the future; what mattered was that her future husband would treat her well. Thinking this, Luo Qing’s heart felt even sweeter as she looked at the hairpin—he had bought this with money he earned himself!

After Madam Chen returned from her round of showing off and basking in envious glances, she began to contemplate. The Wang Second Master’s family clearly placed immense importance on Madam Yang’s current pregnancy. Perhaps she should offer some token of regard?

With this thought, Madam Chen discussed the matter with the Second Elder Luo. The Second Elder Luo was quite pleased to see his wife focusing on substantial matters rather than just showing off, and he heartily approved of her suggestion.

Thus, that day, Madam Chen brought twenty eggs to the Wang Second Master’s residence to visit Madam Yang.

Madam Yang was somewhat surprised by Madam Chen’s arrival but maintained her composure and welcomed her warmly.

“In-law, as soon as I heard you were pregnant, I wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help. These are eggs I brought from home; take them to nourish yourself. Remember, you are eating for two now,” Madam Chen said, presenting the eggs.

“Oh, your visit alone is more than enough kindness; why burden yourself with bringing gifts? Please take these back home to eat yourself!” Madam Yang tried to refuse.

“Ah, that simply won't do. I brought these specifically for you to supplement your diet; how could I take them back?” Madam Chen insisted.

“This… this is too embarrassing!” Madam Yang was unsure how to proceed.

“Oh, please accept them; this is the goodwill of our entire family,” Madam Chen urged.

With Madam Chen putting it that way, Madam Yang felt too awkward to refuse. She asked the nearby Madam Wu to take the eggs.

Madam Chen looked at Madam Yang being attended to, feeling a pang of envy. She then asked, “Were the first three months alright? I heard some women suffer terribly during that time because of the child.”

Speaking of which, Madam Yang gently touched her belly and smiled, “This child is very well-behaved; they don’t bother me at all. I can eat and sleep well—I’m doing great!” Then Madam Yang sighed slightly, “I just keep worrying that while I’m pregnant, I won’t be able to manage the arrangements for Qinghua and Luo Qing’s wedding.”

“Oh, why worry about such things? I must say, your husband treats you so well; he will certainly have arranged everything in advance so you won’t need to bother. Besides, regarding the child’s marriage, if you, as the elder, cannot manage the preparations due to your pregnancy, do you think the younger generation would blame you? They would surely want you to avoid exertion, wouldn't they?”

Hearing this, Madam Yang laughed, “I was indeed feeling quite uneasy, but what you said has truly eased my mind.”

Madam Chen was satisfied that her words had helped. The two chatted a while longer before Madam Chen took her leave and returned home.