Although He Shi wasn't overly distressed to begin with, she was certainly pleased that Wang Guifang had made a special trip to comfort her. After all, in this household, Wang Guifang was perhaps the only one who truly cared for her.

Once Wang Guifang realized He Shi wasn't deeply upset, she changed the subject, chatting with He Shi about other matters. Just then, Quan'er woke up from his nap, allowing Wang Guifang to help soothe him, giving He Shi time to focus on her needlework.

Wang Guifang was quite familiar with the circumstances of He Shi's family. She knew that Wang Qingshan was currently working odd jobs at Wang Youfu's mill, earning a respectable five hundred wen a month. For their family, or indeed for any ordinary farming household, this was a considerable sum—five hundred wen monthly was more than sufficient for a farming family.

“Are you still doing a lot of embroidery these days?” Wang Guifang inquired.

“Yes, even though Qingshan earns a good amount each month, if Quan'er grows up wanting to study or anything, it will cost a great deal of money. So, Qingshan and I discussed it: while Quan'er is still small, we should save as much as possible. Even if Quan'er decides not to pursue studies when he’s older, this money can serve as a nest egg for his marriage,” He Shi explained.

Wang Guifang nodded upon hearing this. “You two certainly have foresight, planning for Quan'er this early.”

“Indeed. Having children truly makes a difference, whether you have them or not. Before we had a child, I felt like many things were pointless, whether I did them or not. But now it’s different. Quan'er is the future hope for us both. We are willing to do anything for him,” He Shi said, her face beaming.

Listening to this, Wang Guifang was suddenly reminded of the Liu family. She couldn't help but wonder: if she had borne a son in the Liu family, would her outcome with Liu Song have been different? If she had a son, would Liu Song have striven so hard when the child was very young, planning and preparing for him? Would Liu Song have treated her as kindly as he did when they first married?

However, there were no answers now. No one could tell her what might have happened if she had given birth to a son. Nor could anyone tell her whether Liu Song, or the Liu family, would have treated her differently then.

After He Shi finished speaking, noticing the long silence from Wang Guifang, she looked up in confusion and saw Wang Guifang lost in deep thought. It was then He Shi suddenly realized what she had said; she had touched upon her sister-in-law’s deepest pain. Not having a son was precisely the excuse the Liu family used when they divorced her—it was the eternal sore spot for the sister-in-law!

“Sister-in-law? Sister-in-law? Are you alright?” He Shi called out.

Wang Guifang snapped back to attention, seeing He Shi looking at her with concern. Wang Guifang felt a touch of embarrassment. “I was just thinking about something else entirely. Oh, what were you saying just now?”

“Sister-in-law, it’s my fault for saying something that hurt you,” He Shi blamed herself.

Wang Guifang smiled and shook her head. “It’s not about what you said. Some things exist whether others mention them or not. Like how the Liu family said they divorced me because I failed to bear them a son. I know you usually avoid mentioning this for fear of upsetting me, but even if you don't speak of it, I still think about it sometimes, and I still feel pain and sadness. It has nothing to do with whether you say it or not; it’s my own issue.”

Hearing Wang Guifang say this, He Shi felt a pang of sympathy for her. Although her sister-in-law had given birth, she had only had a daughter. Meanwhile, He Shi, though childless herself, possessed the good fortune of being able to adopt a son, which was a rare blessing.

“Sister-in-law, the Liu family divorcing you was their loss. Haven’t you seen how wretchedly they are living now? I heard they no longer own any land, and all the family’s money was used to repay the high-interest loans from the gambling dens. Now Liu Song is bedridden, and they don't even have money for his medicine. Wouldn't you say this is their retribution?” He Shi recounted things she had heard.

Bringing up that matter, Wang Guifang also sighed. “I did hear about that. I hadn't realized he’d started gambling, nor that he borrowed so recklessly from the dens, ultimately dragging the family down like this. And his leg is likely crippled now; who knows how he’ll manage to work in the future.”

“But they don’t deserve sympathy, not when they were so wicked and treated people so harshly,” He Shi retorted, curling her lip. She knew what a wonderful person her sister-in-law was, yet the Liu family treated her that way, even casting her out. How could a family that discarded such a good daughter-in-law possibly prosper?

Wang Guifang felt deeply moved that He Shi spoke up for her. For so long, she had buried this matter deep inside, never discussing it with others, never intentionally dwelling on it, yet the scar remained, unhealed. Now, having He Shi speak of it so openly, perhaps because of the passage of time or some other reason, her mood felt significantly better. She realized facing the pain in her heart wasn't necessarily unbearable, nor as agonizing as she had imagined.

Wang Guifang smiled and freed one hand to take hold of He Shi’s hand. “Xiujuan, thank you. Hearing you say all that has made me feel much better.”

“Ah?” He Shi was surprised. She hadn't said anything profound; Wang Guifang knew all those facts herself!

Facing He Shi’s confusion, Wang Guifang simply smiled without explaining. Truthfully, she didn't know how to articulate the shift in her own feelings. Just then, Quan'er, whom Wang Guifang was holding, suddenly began to cry, likely uncomfortable because she had freed one arm and was now holding him one-handed.

Wang Guifang quickly pulled back her hand from He Shi and readjusted her hold on Quan'er, finally managing to soothe him into silence. He Shi, distracted by the interruption, forgot her earlier bewilderment, which brought a measure of relief to Wang Guifang.

Wang Guifang stayed there helping He Shi care for the child for the entire afternoon before finally heading back.

Meanwhile, the situation at Zhang Yunzhu’s house was dire. Ever since the numerous doses of medicine showed no effect, Zhang Wenbing refused to take any more. He spent his days at home cursing the quack doctor or cursing his own father for being incompetent enough to hire such a physician. Zhang Yunzhu and his wife, taking pity on their son, who was now completely blind, refrained from scolding or hitting him. Instead, they indulged Zhang Wenbing in most things, which only made him become increasingly unrestrained.

Zhang Yunzhu and his wife were miserable. If their son wouldn't take his medicine properly, how could his eyes ever