At Xiaoqing's full moon celebration, Old Man Luo and his wife were also present. Madam Chen first visited Madam Yang's room to inquire after her, then proceeded to shower Xiaoqing with lavish praise, much to Madam Yang's delight.

After the feast, Madam Chen did not leave immediately but instead went to Luo Qing's room for a private conversation. Madam Chen began by asking Luo Qing about conceiving a child, a matter of great importance in those times.

Upon hearing her mother’s question, Luo Qing shook her head with regret. "No, Mother. I truly wish to have a child quickly, but it hasn't happened. The last time Physician Li came to prescribe medicinal cuisine for my mother-in-law, I asked him to check on me, and he confirmed I hadn't conceived yet!"

Madam Chen grew anxious upon hearing this. "Oh dear, why is Yin'er so fortunate? She became pregnant just a month after entering her husband's home. You still haven't conceived; have your in-laws pressured you about it?"

Luo Qing shook her head at this. "They haven't, actually."

"Still, you can't be so complacent," Madam Chen remarked. "Perhaps because your mother-in-law was always pregnant before, she never had the leisure to concern herself with you. But now that she has given birth and will soon complete her confinement, she might start pushing you soon."

Luo Qing considered this, found it plausible, and a trace of worry crossed her features.

Madam Chen, not noticing the shift in Luo Qing, continued to advise her sternly. "Listen to me, concerning matters of offspring, if your in-laws start pressuring you, no matter what they say, you must endure it and never talk back, do you understand? When it comes to having children, a daughter-in-law holds no ground, no matter where you are. As long as you haven't borne children, your confidence will be shaky, know that?"

Luo Qing nodded in acknowledgment.

Seeing her daughter nod, Madam Chen felt somewhat reassured. "However, don't be too anxious about getting pregnant. Sometimes, the more eager you are, the less likely it is. As long as you know how to be patient before you have children and strive to please your in-laws well, that will suffice. Oh, speaking of which, I must ask: have your in-laws given you any trouble?"

Luo Qing shook her head again. "Never that. Father-in-law and Mother-in-law are both amiable people; why would they trouble me? Even my younger brother-in-law and sister-in-law are very harmonious; they aren't unreasonable."

Madam Chen finally relaxed a bit, then inquired, "And how is Qinghua to you?"

At this, Luo Qing blushed slightly. "Um, he is very good to me."

Seeing Luo Qing’s demeanor, Madam Chen grew a bit uneasy. "I'm telling you, don't give him your entire heart just because he says a few nice things, understand? In a family, a woman must secure the finances first. And you must ensure Qinghua stands on your side against your mother-in-law; only then will your life be easier, do you understand? Of course, since you haven't formally separated the household yet, you can worry about the money until that time comes."

Luo Qing’s expression became a little peculiar upon hearing her mother’s words, then she spoke up, "Mother, actually, even though the household isn't divided yet, we can still save private funds."

Madam Chen looked bewildered. "What? Saving private funds? Daughter, are you deceiving your poor mother? Which household allows the son and daughter-in-law to save private money before the family is split?"

Luo Qing explained, "Mother, it’s true. Qinghua is managing the family mill now, right? Father-in-law and Mother-in-law agreed that half of the mill's monthly income goes to the main house, and the other half is what Qinghua and I save. Moreover, the money I earn from embroidery I do in my spare time—that's all ours too. Also, everything in the house is shared now—food, the family's pigs and chickens—we don't have to pay for those ourselves. We barely spend any money daily, so the money Qinghua and I receive is all being saved!"

Madam Chen was first skeptical, but then realizing her daughter wouldn't lie, she became agitated. "Oh my, daughter, you've struck pure gold marrying into such a wonderful in-law family! Look how reasonable your in-laws are! This is good, this is very good. I won't have to worry about your future anymore. Having money in your own hands certainly gives you more standing, doesn't it? Haha..."

Luo Qing was genuinely grateful to her in-laws, and certainly, she was very thankful to her younger brother-in-law for suggesting this arrangement.

Madam Chen laughed for a while, then seemed to recall something else, and asked, "Qing'er, since Qinghua is managing the mill for your in-laws now, will it still belong to your branch of the family after the separation? You two need to hold onto that mill tightly, do you hear?"

Luo Qing couldn't help but laugh at this. "Oh, Mother, you worry too much! My younger brother-in-law isn't what you think. He already told Father and Mother that the mill should be ours; Qinghua just hasn't agreed because he doesn't want to take advantage of his younger brother. Since my brother-in-law said that, how could he possibly want the mill later, even after the split?"

Madam Chen held a different opinion. "That’s not right, the way you see it. Your younger brother-in-law doesn't think that way now because he is young and doesn't understand the importance of money. But once he grows up and realizes the benefits of wealth, he won't be so generous."

"Oh, Mother, you worry needlessly! My brother-in-law isn't that kind of person, and he is studying now. Perhaps he will achieve great things later; he wouldn't care about this old mill!" Luo Qing was unconvinced, primarily because her mother hadn't spent time with Qingchen and didn't understand her younger brother-in-law's character. Luo Qing trusted that her younger brother-in-law would never care about the mill, and wouldn't in the future either.

"You, you never think the worst of people," Madam Chen countered. "Even if your brother-in-law doesn't care, what about when he marries a wife later? Will his wife not care?"

"That..." Luo Qing suddenly felt a touch of uncertainty.

"See? I hit the nail on the head! So, you and Qinghua must hold tight to that mill, understand?" Madam Chen instructed.

Luo Qing simply nodded and said nothing more. Whether she would relay this to Qinghua, she hadn't decided yet.

Not long after Xiaoqing's full moon celebration, Madam Yang completed her confinement. However, even after confinement, things weren't necessarily easier, as caring for a child barely over a month old was still immensely taxing.

At Zhang Yunzhu's home, after many days, Zhang Wenbing, who had been lying on the k’ang, finally showed signs of stirring and waking up. This brought immense joy to Zhang Yunzhu and his wife; their son was finally coming back to them, and the fear and worry of so many days were about to end.

That day, Zhang Wenbing finally opened his eyes. Zhang Yunzhu and his wife were beside themselves with emotion, constantly asking if he was comfortable. However, once their son drank some water to moisten his throat and uttered his first words, all their joy and excitement vanished without a trace.

"Why is it so dark in here?" Zhang Wenbing's first words upon waking.

Zhang Yunzhu and his wife’s smiles froze on their faces at their son’s question.

Zhang Yunzhu's wife couldn't help but ask, "Son, it's daytime now. Son, can't you see?"

Zhang Wenbing paused, then cried out in alarm, "What? It's daytime? How is that possible? If it's daytime, why can't I see anything?"

Zhang Yunzhu immediately sensed something was terribly wrong. He moved his hand in front of Zhang Wenbing's eyes, waving it back and forth several times, finding no reaction. He became frantic. "Son, don't worry for now. Father will find a physician for you right away." With that, Zhang Yunzhu hurried off toward the town.

Zhang Yunzhu’s wife had seen her husband's probing actions and instantly suspected a terrible possibility, filling her heart with deep dread. Yet, fearing that voicing her fears would cause her son distress or a fit of rage, she stifled the cry threatening to burst out, instead trembling as she asked her son if he was hungry or wanted anything to eat.

But Zhang Wenbing wasn't foolish; how could he not realize the situation he was in? Doubting what his eyes told him about his blindness, he struggled, clearly intending to get off the k’ang. Seeing this, his mother grew extremely worried and rushed to stop him. To her surprise, Zhang Wenbing was unreceptive. Realizing someone was blocking him, he struggled fiercely. "Stop it! Get away from me, don't hold me back! You must be tricking me. It must be nighttime, otherwise why couldn't I see anything?"

Hearing this, Zhang Yunzhu's wife grew even more frantic, trying to restrain her son while pleading, "Son, don't worry. Go lie back down first. Your father will bring the doctor back soon, and once the doctor arrives, you’ll be fine!"

Zhang Wenbing paid no heed and desperately tried to move outward. Unfortunately, having been unconscious recently, subsisting only on occasional sips of medicine and thin porridge, he lacked the strength to break free from his mother.

It took Zhang Yunzhu’s wife considerable effort to press her son back onto the k’ang. Ignoring whatever curses or complaints her son uttered, she refused to let go. Panting heavily, she hoped Zhang Yunzhu would return quickly with the doctor.

When Zhang Yunzhu finally returned with the physician, Zhang Yunzhu’s wife breathed a sigh of relief and released her hold on her son.

Knowing the doctor had arrived, Zhang Wenbing stopped struggling and cooperated fully, allowing the physician to examine him.

The doctor was the same one Zhang Yunzhu had summoned after Zhang Wenbing first fell unconscious; he had previously stated that it was uncertain when Zhang Wenbing might awaken. Now that he was awake, Zhang Yunzhu had specifically requested the same doctor again.

The physician approached, took the pulse, and then carefully examined Zhang Wenbing’s eyes. He concluded that the issue stemmed from a severe blow to the head, resulting in damaged meridians and the formation of a blood clot within the skull. Whether his sight could be restored depended on whether the cranial clot could be dissolved.

The doctor prescribed medicine to dissolve the blood clot and then returned to town, with Zhang Yunzhu accompanying him to collect the prescription. (To be continued)