Wang Qingchen was quite pleased lately, as he finally no longer had to attend the Basic Class. Zhao Cheng shared the same good fortune.

The instructor of the Basic Class felt quite reluctant to see the two of them transfer out. After all, finding students as naturally gifted and diligent as them was rare these days; moreover, both boys showed him considerable respect. It was simply that they learned too quickly, leaving no further need for them in the foundational group.

Wang Qingchen initially felt a pang of sadness observing the instructor’s reluctant expression, but that melancholy vanished completely the moment he learned that after leaving the Basic Class, he would be joining Li Yuntai’s cohort.

Li Yuntai was first surprised, then genuinely delighted, to see Wang Qingchen enter, led by the instructor. This kid, he thought, making it from the Basic Class to their Intermediate Class so fast was quite unexpected. And the person beside Wang Qingchen must be the other gifted student who had previously caused Wang Qingchen some distress!

The instructor introduced Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng to the Intermediate Class students, and the room erupted—not with excitement over gaining two new students, but with amazement that these two had spent less than a year in the Basic Class. The rest of them had spent a minimum of two years there.

Due to Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng’s shorter stature, the instructor seated them both toward the front. This dashed Wang Qingchen’s unspoken hope of sitting next to Li Yuntai, but he wasn't overly dejected; being in the same class was accomplishment enough.

The Intermediate Class instructor had already been forewarned by the Basic Class instructor about the exceptional talents of Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng. Consequently, he had paid extra attention to the pair during recent sessions.

It didn't take long for the Intermediate Class instructor to confirm the Basic Class instructor's assessment: both possessed superb talent. Wang Qingchen demonstrated outstanding comprehension skills, while Zhao Cheng absorbed material rapidly and retained the instructor's teachings with remarkable tenacity. Both were students of rare caliber, inspiring a genuine appreciation in the instructor, who began showing them considerable favor.

Once placed in the same class as Wang Qingchen, Li Yuntai sensed his companion’s sharp intellect even more acutely. It was truly hard to fathom how someone who spent less than a year in the Basic Class could possess such profound understanding, or perhaps this level of comprehension was simply innate to him.

One day after school, Wang Qingyi mentioned to Wang Qingchen, "Brother Qingchen, now that you and Zhao Cheng are gone, sometimes the instructor seems off his rhythm when teaching. He even sighs occasionally, wishing you two were here to know how to answer certain things."

Wang Qingchen chuckled upon hearing this; it seemed the instructor truly favored him and Zhao Cheng. "Perhaps he will get used to it after a while."

"Who knows? Regardless, he still misses you both," Wang Qingyi pouted slightly.

"Then you all need to study hard! If you do well, the instructor will forget about us!" Wang Qingchen joked.

"That’s a given! I definitely plan to study better than you," Wang Qingyi declared earnestly.

This made both Wang Qingchen and Li Yuntai laugh. Seeing their reaction, Wang Qingyi felt a little provoked. "Really, don't doubt me! I’m going to hit the books hard tonight."

Wang Qingchen couldn't help but ruffle Wang Qingyi's hair. "Yes, yes, Qingyi will certainly be more formidable than me in the future."

Only then did Wang Qingyi seem somewhat appeased. "You bet!"

Wang Youfu’s family was naturally thrilled to hear Wang Qingchen had advanced to the Intermediate Class. It proved their son was excelling in his studies—no wonder he had been so eager to attend school; he was truly academically inclined.

Madam Yang felt her son’s success warranted a celebration, so she planned a feast. However, being pregnant, she had to delegate the organization to Luo Qing and Madam Wu.

When Wang Qingchen learned about the celebratory plans at home, he felt a mixture of amusement and helplessness. To him, it felt no different than moving from first grade to second grade in his previous life. Do we really need to celebrate this? he thought.

Still, since his family was keen on it, Wang Qingchen didn't refuse. It was a perfect opportunity for the whole family to dine together and share a moment of joy.

At the dinner table, Wang Qinghua congratulated his younger brother on his promotion to the Intermediate Class, and Wang Qingchen wished his elder brother prosperity in his business ventures. Seeing the harmonious relationship between the brothers made Wang Youfu and Madam Yang very happy.

Before long, it was Gou Sheng’s full-month celebration, signaling the end of Luo Yin’s confinement period.

That day, everyone except Wang Qingchen, who had gone to the academy, headed to the old ancestral home. The house was bustling with many guests. Luo Qing helped Madam Yang find a seat before heading to the kitchen to assist. In the kitchen, Luo Yin, freshly out of confinement, was present, as was Madam Tian. Madam He had opted out; Gou Sheng’s very existence was a blow to her, let alone attending his full-month celebration! However, since so many people were present, the official excuse was that she was ill.

Luo Yin was quite pleased when Luo Qing arrived to help. After all, Luo Qing was her cousin-in-law; her willingness to assist signified a level of closeness. Both women were efficient workers, leaving Madam Tian with little to do. Once most of the immediate tasks were handled, Madam Tian went out to receive guests.

First Wife of the Eldest Master arrived and happily embraced her little grandson. Eldest Master Wang stood nearby, cooing at his grandson. Second Master Wang and Madam Chen were also present today. Beyond their ties to the Wang family, from the Luo family's perspective, Luo Yin was their niece, and their presence was obligatory. Second Master Wang and Madam Chen looked at the grandson cradled in First Wife’s arms with profound envy. When would their own Luo Qing produce a grandson for them?

First Wife of the Eldest Master was smug. Ever since her husband’s branch married into the Wang family, she had endured countless slights, constantly being overshadowed by the Second Branch. Now, she finally had something concrete to hold over the Second Branch, and she wasn't going to let it pass unnoticed.

Madam Chen, catching the calculating look in First Wife’s eyes, knew she was being flaunted—her daughter had produced a grandson, while hers had not. Madam Chen couldn't help but think with a burst of irritation: When did your daughter marry into her in-laws, and when did mine? If my daughter were to actually give birth to a grandson for me now, that would truly be major news.

Her mood soured, Madam Chen stopped gazing longingly at Gou Sheng and went to chat with Madam Yang. Cultivating good relations with in-laws was crucial, after all.

When Madam Chen found Madam Yang, the latter was surrounded by a group of women. Approaching closer, she heard them all expressing admiration for Madam Yang’s ability to conceive at such an advanced age. Although Madam Yang had been pregnant the previous year, that child was lost before birth. If the current pregnancy progressed smoothly, this baby was certain to be safely delivered.

Hearing this, Madam Chen involuntarily shifted her gaze to Madam Yang’s belly. She had to admit, a flicker of envy struck her. She was about the same age as Madam Yang, yet the possibility of pregnancy for her was practically non-existent.

Madam Chen paused her thoughts after a moment. She wasn't inclined toward pessimism; rather, she was rather breezy and carefree, rarely dwelling on worries, and any anger she felt tended to dissipate quickly.

"Oh dear, I must be late; you all must have arrived quite early!" Madam Chen announced.

Madam Chen was guileless and naturally familiar in her manner of speaking, so in no time, she was laughing and chatting easily with the group. The others also knew she was the in-law of Second Master Wang’s family, so they readily accepted her into their circle.

Soon after, the feast commenced. Madam Chen had initially intended to sit at the same table as First Wife of the Eldest Master, but having bonded so warmly with the women near Madam Yang, she simply sat down right next to Madam Yang instead. This displeased First Wife of the Eldest Master immensely; she felt Madam Chen was holding a grudge over the earlier slight and was now deliberately undermining her. However, remembering this was her grandson’s full-month celebration, she suppressed her irritation and said nothing to Madam Chen.

Luo Qing emerged from the kitchen shortly after and looked for her mother’s seat, only to find her mother sitting right beside her mother-in-law. Wait, she thought, shouldn't my mother be sitting with First Aunt?

Considering her mother’s temperament, Luo Qing calmed down. But it was too late now; seating arrangements were set, and there was no appropriate way to suggest a switch.

Madam Yang also felt a degree of awkwardness. She, too, thought it improper for Madam Chen to sit there, but she couldn't bring herself to remind her for fear of appearing unwelcoming to Madam Chen. Thus, Madam Yang could only watch helplessly as Madam Chen settled beside her without hesitation, making her feel quite uneasy.

Madam Yang endured the awkwardness until the banquet concluded, then excused herself, citing the need for rest, and returned home with Caiyun.

Only then did Luo Qing find a moment to mention the seating situation to Madam Chen. Madam Chen finally realized her placement had been somewhat inconsiderate and worried if First Wife of the Eldest Master suspected she was sulking. She sincerely hoped that wasn't the interpretation, as she had truly just sat where the conversation was most lively; she hadn't intended any gesture of spite toward First Wife of the Eldest Master.

Meanwhile, First Wife of the Eldest Master, though quite annoyed, hadn't let any unsightly scene develop recently, so she decided not to press the matter further. She had found an opportune moment to share some information she had investigated with Luo Yin.

"I heard that Tian Qingshan and his wife went to the medical clinic that day, but I couldn't figure out the purpose; the clinic staff wouldn't say. However, I later overheard a family from our village say they took their son to the clinic for treatment that day and saw the couple there. They said the couple was also having their pulses read, but it seemed to be Qingshan’s wife who needed the consultation. They mentioned that before the doctor could even examine her pulse, Qingshan’s wife’s complexion had already turned grim." First Wife of the Eldest Master reported.

Luo Yin felt she understood the truth upon hearing this. "No wonder Big Sister-in-law reacted so strongly that day; she must have been diagnosed with a serious illness. I remember hearing Big Sister-in-law sobbing loudly in the Old Mistress's room from my own room that day!"

"Could it be that Qingshan's wife has an incurable disease?" First Wife of the Eldest Master analyzed, then shook her head, finding it inconsistent. "But what does that have to do with them moving out to live separately?"