Since Xia Wan Ting’s big cry, although she was still heartbroken, she hadn't shed any more tears afterward; however, she had grown considerably quieter.

Madam Xia, seeing her daughter this way, while not entirely satisfied, felt a degree of relief. Meanwhile, in Wang Family Village, Madam Zhang simply could not rest easy. What troubled her so was the marriage arrangement for her second daughter, Wang Cai Die.

Initially, Madam Zhang had hoped that since her elder daughter married so well, she ought to find a decent match for her second daughter as well—surely the standing of the two sisters' in-laws shouldn't differ too drastically? Who would have thought that a mere passing thought would now become a stark reality.

After several rounds of searching, Madam Zhang finally found a suitable household for her second daughter and intended to ask Cai Die’s opinion. But the daughter flatly refused, saying, "No way. Big Sister married so well; why should I settle for less than her?"

Hearing this, Madam Zhang felt both furious and heartbroken, but ultimately, she didn't press the issue further with her daughter. Instead, she rushed over to complain to Madam Yang.

"Just look at her! Doesn't she consider our family's situation? Finding such a household was already quite good! All she thinks about is comparing herself to her elder sister. Her elder sister’s in-laws were introduced by her maternal uncle, not me. Now, her uncle doesn't have any suitable candidates on hand, so naturally, I had to arrange something for Cai Die. But I never expected that after all my effort, she wouldn't even approve..." Madam Zhang spoke, wiping away tears.

Madam Yang rarely saw Madam Zhang cry over anything other than deep emotion or sympathy, which indicated how truly wounded her heart was this time.

"Alas, children are always a debt owed; once you have them, we are destined to worry for them our entire lives!" Madam Yang consoled.

"Tell me about it. We rack our brains for them, and in the end, they don't even appreciate it," Madam Zhang replied sorrowfully.

"Don't be too upset. Cai Die is just strong-willed, not thoughtless. Can't you just explain things clearly to her?" Madam Yang advised.

"You don't understand. The way she acts, it’s as if I'm deliberately favoring Cai Xia! Doesn't she realize they are both my flesh and blood? Which one of them haven't I cherished?" Madam Zhang continued to vent.

"That's why they say children are a debt; just consider it as paying it back," Madam Yang said.

"Me raising her, feeding and clothing her—how is that paying a debt? Even if I didn't have to repay a debt, I'd still do this!" Madam Zhang sounded slightly displeased.

Madam Yang couldn't help but chuckle slightly, "Of course, from any perspective, it doesn't look like repayment!"

"Right, you don't need to constantly agree with me now. I feel much better," Madam Zhang took a deep breath.

After crying for a while, Madam Zhang felt as though she had wept out all the unhappiness in her heart; her mood was significantly better now. "Speaking of which, Big Sister-in-law, you, and I, we are all in the same boat now, fretting over our children's marriages. Back when our three households all lived in the old residence, the children were so young! Now, one by one, they are all about to start their own families. It shows we are all getting old."

"Indeed. Back then, we were always thinking about when the children would finally grow up, but now they are grown so quickly. Qing Hua is already married, and his child is so big," Madam Yang echoed with emotion.

Mentioning children, Madam Zhang lowered her voice, "By the way, has Qing Hua's wife conceived yet?"

Madam Yang shook her head, "Not yet. She did visit a temple once; Qing Er asked for a divination lot there. The master who interpreted it said it was a good sign, so hopefully, we will have news soon!"

When Madam Zhang heard that Madam Yang and the elder sister-in-law were placing their hopes on that divination lot, although she felt it was somewhat improper, she didn't try to persuade them otherwise. This matter was tricky; who knew if that lot would truly prove effective?

"Alas, you and Big Sister-in-law are fortunate; you both have grandsons and granddaughters. Look at me; my son is still young, and I don't know when he’ll find a wife!" Madam Zhang envied them.

"You shouldn't envy us. You have a grandson-in-law now; we don't have that," Madam Yang teased.

"Ah, although I do love that grandson-in-law, he still carries the modifier of 'maternal uncle's side' after all. A direct grandson is always better," Madam Zhang stated.

"That's true, but you shouldn't rush. In a few more years, you'll be holding a grandson," Madam Yang smiled.

"Yes, in a few more years. Right now, the person I need to worry about is Cai Die’s marriage. Alas, I wonder what kind of family I’ll ultimately find for her," Madam Zhang sighed.

"Don't rush it; she’s only thirteen this year, isn't she?" Madam Yang consoled.

"Fine, I’ll just continue looking at more families then!" Madam Zhang conceded helplessly.

Afterward, Madam Zhang resumed looking at potential matches. However, before that, she had a long talk with her daughter, making it clear to her that given the family's circumstances, it was highly unlikely they would find a family better than her elder sister’s in-laws. Upon hearing this, although Cai Die was still unwilling, she didn't voice any contradiction. Perhaps she inherently understood the situation, and now that Madam Zhang had stated it plainly, she could only accept it.

Meanwhile, at the old residence, the atmosphere had been rather subdued these past few days. This was because, after the incident stirred up by Madam Tian, the old residence had to postpone arranging a match for Wang Qing Tong, deciding to wait until some time had passed and the villagers were no longer focused on the matter before proceeding.

However, on this day, the old residence suddenly became filled with joy, and the cause of this change was that Wang Gui Fang was pregnant.

"Good, good. Once the child is born, Fang'er will finally have a firm footing in the Li family. I wonder how Fang'er is doing right now. No, I must go and see for myself," the Old Madam declared.

Seeing the Old Madam preparing to visit her daughter, the Old Master grew anxious, "Hey, wait for me! I'm coming too."

Thus, the elderly couple went together to see their daughter. When they arrived at Li Wu's house, Li Wu, seeing his father-in-law and mother-in-law arrive, quickly ushered them in, "Fang'er is resting on the heated brick bed. The doctor said she must remain in bed rest for a while. If Fang'er sees you when she wakes up, who knows how happy she'll be!"

"Wuzi, although Fang'er is with child now, she suffered a lot of hardship before, so her constitution surely isn't strong. You must bear with her and take extra care of her. If she gets temperamental, you should humor her more. People who are pregnant naturally get moody sometimes, but don't worry, she'll be fine once she gives birth..." The Old Madam meticulously instructed Li Wu.

Li Wu listened to the Old Madam’s words, nodding repeatedly, "Mother-in-law, please rest assured. I will certainly take good care of Fang'er."

"That’s good then. I am quite assured when you handle things," the Old Madam smiled.

As Wang Gui Fang lay on the heated bed, she heard her mother nagging Li Wu with all these details, which made her feel both amused and exasperated. Given Li Wu's disposition, how could he possibly give her a hard time! Ever since she married him, Li Wu had treated her extremely well, a fact that became even more pronounced after the contrast with the Liu family.

The thought of the Liu family, and the suffering she endured there, made Wang Gui Fang unable to hold back, and tears began to stream down her face.

This sudden burst of tears was exactly what the Old Master and Old Madam saw when they entered. The old couple immediately adopted stern expressions, wondering if their son-in-law had upset their daughter.

Li Wu, however, rushed quickly over, taking the handkerchief from beside Wang Gui Fang's pillow to gently wipe away her tears. He asked anxiously, "What's wrong? Are you feeling uncomfortable somewhere?"

Seeing Li Wu's hurried concern, Wang Gui Fang felt a little embarrassed, "I'm fine. Something must have gotten into my eyes just now, which made them sting a little. It’s fine now, truly."

"Are you really alright?" Li Wu remained unconvinced.

"I'm truly fine. Could you go make me a bowl of steamed egg custard? I'm a bit hungry," Wang Gui Fang suggested.

"Alright, you rest well, I’ll go right now. Oh, your in-laws have come to see you; spend some time talking with them!" Li Wu said. After greeting the Old Master and Old Madam, he hurried off to the kitchen to prepare the custard.

The Old Master and Old Madam had initially suspected their son-in-law had caused their daughter distress and were ready to give him a stern talking-to. But after witnessing that brief interaction, all suspicion left them. The way their son-in-law behaved didn't suggest he would cause their daughter any misery!

So, once Li Wu went to the kitchen, the Old Madam quickly sat down on the edge of her daughter’s heated bed, "Fang'er, what happened just now? Why were you crying? You made your father and me think your son-in-law upset you!"

Wang Gui Fang, realizing her parents had misunderstood, quickly explained, "Father, Mother, it has nothing to do with Wuzi. Wuzi treats me so well! I was just thinking about how well I live now, and then I remembered the hardship I suffered at the Liu family, and I couldn't help but cry."

"So that's what it was. We misunderstood our son-in-law. But, Fang'er, you are living such a good life now, so you shouldn't keep dwelling on your past time with the Liu family. Living life means looking forward, not backward, do you understand? You and Wuzi are prosperous now, and Wuzi treats you well—that should be enough for you to focus on. Don't think about the rest, understand?" the Old Madam advised.

The Old Master beside her nodded in agreement, "Yes, your mother is right. You and Wuzi are living well now, so you shouldn't dwell on those upsetting past matters anymore, understand?"

Wang Gui Fang nodded, "Father, Mother, don't worry. I usually don't think about those things either. It was just today, realizing how good my life is now, that I remembered the past. Don't worry, it won't happen again."

Hearing Wang Gui Fang’s assurances, the Old Master and Old Madam finally felt relieved.

Not long after, Li Wu returned with the prepared steamed egg custard. The Old Madam took the bowl and slowly spoon-fed her daughter bite by bite.