Wang Qingyun, hearing his wife’s question and recalling the scene where his mother had stopped him for a word, replied, “Nothing much, I was just chatting with Mother for a moment.”

“Oh, is that so? What did Mother need to talk to you about?” Luo Yin inquired.

Wang Qingyun recalled his mother’s words, fearful of causing his wife distress, so he just lowered his head glumly. “She didn’t say much, just asked if you were feeling better.”

Luo Yin nodded upon hearing this, but after a short while, a sense began to nag at her. If her mother-in-law had only asked that, why would Wang Qingyun look so crestfallen upon returning, and with such a poor complexion? Luo Yin’s mind immediately began working: Wang Qingyun definitely hadn't told her the truth. Judging by his current state, his mother and he must have discussed something unpleasant. And that unpleasant topic, in all likelihood, concerned her—perhaps about her recent illness! She knew that ever since she fell ill, all the household chores had fallen upon her mother-in-law. Moreover, it seemed the Old Master and Old Madam had spoken to his mother about her sickness, meaning her mother-in-law must now harbor considerable resentment toward her.

Luo Yin considered that after this incident, her relationship with her mother-in-law was unlikely to improve; she would probably face petty annoyances from her soon enough. As the daughter-in-law, she held no advantage over her mother-in-law. The only thing she could do now was try to placate the Old Master and Old Madam, or alternatively, pull Wang Qingyun firmly to her side. That might give her a slight counterbalance against Mother Tian.

If her guess was correct, Wang Qingyun and his mother had clearly parted ways unhappily. Could she leverage this situation to win Wang Qingyun over completely?

Thus, Luo Yin probed cautiously, “Qingyun, did Mother say something to you? You don't look well at all.”

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingyun felt instantly that his wife was truly considerate, caring for him when she saw his bad mood. This only deepened Wang Qingyun’s feeling of guilt toward Luo Yin, especially since his mother had just spoken so harshly about her, and he had been powerless to stop it.

Wang Qingyun was naturally sincere and not adept at deception. Now that his wife had asked so directly, he could only say, “Perhaps because you were worn out and fell ill, Grandfather and Grandmother said something to Mother about it, so Mother was holding in her anger and spoke a bit sharply just now.”

Luo Yin instantly understood that “a bit sharply” probably meant far more than just a little; it must have been quite harsh! Furthermore, since this was ultimately caused by her illness, her mother-in-law had likely voiced many of her shortcomings, and Wang Qingyun, as the son, would naturally have borne the brunt of the reprimand as well.

Luo Yin reflected and blamed herself, “This is all my fault. If I hadn't gotten sick, none of this would have happened, and Mother wouldn't have been scolded by Grandfather and Grandmother.”

When Wang Qingyun heard Luo Yin blaming herself so intensely, his heart ached for her. He thought that such a good wife was disliked by his mother, who then spoke to her so cruelly. Instantly, his internal balance tipped further toward Luo Yin.

“You don’t need to blame yourself. Who can control falling ill? It’s not like you wanted to get sick!” Wang Qingyun comforted her, while simultaneously resolving that he would never again let his mother burden his wife with so many duties.

Luo Yin realized from his words that Wang Qingyun was taking her side in this matter, so she continued, “You don’t need to comfort me. It’s because I’m useless. Elder Sister-in-law used to do housework too, and she never fell ill like this!”

Listening to Luo Yin, Wang Qingyun recalled that his mother had said similar things about his wife. This only made him sympathize more, “Don’t take this to heart. It’s not your fault. Grandfather and Grandmother understand this too. Just focus on recovering your health.”

Luo Yin sighed, “If only I could be as capable as Elder Sister-in-law, then Mother wouldn’t be angry with me.”

“Don’t be sad. In my heart, you are much better than Elder Sister-in-law!” Wang Qingyun said softly.

“It’s a pity that since Elder Sister-in-law moved out, she doesn’t chat with us much anymore. Otherwise, I could ask her for some advice,” Luo Yin added, glancing cautiously at Wang Qingyun.

Indeed, as soon as Wang Qingyun heard the word “moved out,” his expression shifted. “Moved out?”

Right—why hadn't he thought of that? Instead of worrying about his mother making things difficult for his wife later, perhaps he should actively seek a way to separate the households. That way, his wife would suffer less.

Thinking this, Wang Qingyun turned to Luo Yin, his heart aching as he looked at her thin face. If she continued to be mistreated by his mother, wouldn't she fall ill again? With this thought, Wang Qingyun’s resolve to separate the households solidified.

Luo Yin observed the change in Wang Qingyun’s expression and knew he had taken the suggestion to heart, which pleased her greatly. However, she said no more. As long as the idea had taken root in Wang Qingyun’s mind, pushing further might spoil the effect.

Meanwhile, after her heated argument with her son, Tian Shi returned to the kitchen still furious. Finally, she slammed a bowl down with force, which brought her some momentary relief.

“Vixen, you truly have some skill, to have managed to turn my son completely against me. Just wait, see how I deal with you later,” Tian Shi muttered viciously.

The reason Tian Shi was so enraged was that she had genuinely never intended to treat her daughter-in-law poorly. Luo Yin falling ill from overwork was a complete surprise to her. Tian Shi had unintentionally exhausted Luo Yin because when He Shi (the elder sister-in-law) was still living there, He Shi handled almost all the household chores without ever showing any ill effects. She never expected that with Luo Yin, she would immediately fall sick. And now, before Tian Shi could even understand what happened, she was being blamed by the family—even her own son was accusing her of mistreating his wife.

Tian Shi felt she had never suffered such grievances since marrying into the Wang family. If she had truly intended to treat her daughter-in-law harshly, it would be one thing, but she hadn't intended it at all. Ever since Luo Yin married into the Wang family, her character had been upright, she was efficient, and she spoke sweetly. Moreover, she had given her a grandson in such a short time. Even if Tian Shi couldn't treat her exactly like a biological daughter, she was certainly very pleased with this daughter-in-law, especially when compared to He Shi. Who would have thought that this very daughter-in-law, whom she was satisfied with, would cause her such humiliation? If this rumor spread, she wouldn't be able to show her face in public again—everyone would know she mistreated her daughter-in-law!

Unhappy, Tian Shi naturally needed an outlet for her frustration, and Luo Yin was the perfect target. Thus, Tian Shi plotted how to deal with Luo Yin while performing her kitchen duties.

The events in the main house were kept tightly under wraps, so the Second and Third Branches remained unaware. Furthermore, with the New Year approaching, they had little time to concern themselves with others' affairs; they were busy enough with their own!

Wang Youfu’s family was busy preparing for the pig slaughter. Since they needed time for curing, they planned to kill the hog about a month before the New Year.

Although Yang Shi primarily cared for the children, she didn't entirely neglect household tasks. While most of her time was spent watching the children, she would often pitch in or lend a hand with general chores.

The two piglets they raised had now grown into sizable hogs. While perhaps not as large as last year's—since last year's was dealt with earlier—this year’s were still substantial. Wang Youfu’s family decided to slaughter one for themselves and sell the other.

After the pig was killed, Luo Qing took charge of butchering the meat and cleaning the offal herself, without needing Yang Shi’s help. The next day, under Yang Shi’s guidance, she began curing the pork.

Yang Shi specifically asked Luo Qing to set aside several portions of meat, divided into different packages, so family members could deliver them to relatives and friends.

Afterward, Yang Shi gathered Luo Qing and Caiyun to begin preparing new clothes for the family. Naturally, Yang Shi and Luo Qing were the primary sewers, while Caiyun was tasked with assisting until her own skills matured enough to attempt making garments herself.

On this particular day, Yang Shi entrusted Xiao Qing to Zhang Shi and took Luo Qing and Caiyun to town to select cotton, cloth, and other necessities.

It had been a long time since Yang Shi visited the town, and this time she intended to enjoy a proper outing. Therefore, the three women did not rush to the Jinxiu Workshop but first browsed other establishments.

Women inherently appreciate beauty, especially with the New Year upon them; they certainly deserved to buy something nice to reward themselves for a year of hard work. Thus, Yang Shi first led Luo Qing and Caiyun to the rouge shop. Yang Shi needed to replenish her own supply and also intended to buy some for the other two female members of the household.

The shop assistant sized up the trio, estimated their spending power, and began introducing the rouge options corresponding to different price points.

“Honored customer, this one is our shop’s new arrival; it’s very light on the skin, and many young ladies favor it. This one here is our best seller. And this type is also popular because it comes in several different fragrances…” the assistant introduced each item.

Being unable to decide among many choices seems to be a common affliction among women. Yang Shi and the other two were experiencing just that—liking this one, but finding that one also appealing. In the end, unable to choose, each woman bought two boxes, delighting the shop assistant immensely.

After purchasing the rouge, the assistant recommended other items, and Yang Shi couldn't resist buying scented soap and similar things. Because their purchases were numerous, they received a five-wen discount when they mentioned it to the assistant, yet even with the discount, the assistant remained overjoyed.

Leaving the rouge shop, the three proceeded to the jewelry store. However, they restrained themselves from spending money on gold or silver ornaments, opting instead to buy a few pearl hairpins, which looked quite lovely when worn. They visited a few other places, and once their general shopping was mostly complete, they stopped at a food stall and each bought a bowl of meat broth noodles. Only after finishing the noodles did they head to the Jinxiu Workshop to buy cotton and fabric.

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