When Wang Youfu and the others returned from the fields that evening, Madam Yang first saw to Wang Youfu's needs, then inquired about the harvest before finally telling him about the visitors from the Zhao family.

"They brought gifts?" Wang Youfu asked. "Why would the Zhao family bother sending us gifts?"

"You know how Zhao Jing was planning to go to the provincial capital as well," Madam Yang explained. "Cai Xia thought that since Qingchen and the others went to the capital much earlier, they would be much more familiar with the place. So, she hoped that once Zhao Jing arrived, he could go to Qingchen for help first. When Qinghua found out, he wrote a letter to Qingchen, asking him to look out for Zhao Jing. After Zhao Jing reached the capital, Qingchen and the others had already helped him arrange lodging and everything. When the Zhao family learned of this, they wanted to come over and express their gratitude."

"I thought it was some major affair. What's the big deal? They are relatives; if we can lend a hand, we should. Why are they being so polite? By the way, you didn't accept those things they sent, did you?" Wang Youfu inquired.

"Ah, don't even mention it. I tried to refuse for a long time, but I couldn't send them away in the end, so I had no choice but to accept them," Madam Yang replied.

Wang Youfu pondered for a moment and then said, "Forget it, since you accepted them, just accept them. In the future, if their family needs anything, we will prepare a few more gifts and send them over."

Madam Yang nodded upon hearing this.

Meanwhile, in the Fu residence in the capital, the Elder Fu was speaking earnestly to his son, Fu Lan, "I had originally intended for you to marry the legitimate daughter of the Xia family. That way, you and Wentao could support each other in the future, and your path in officialdom would be much smoother. Who knew that you would take a liking to the concubine-born daughter of their household? Now, whatever I say is useless; the Xia family will never agree to marry their legitimate daughter to you. Therefore, if you wish to have a promising future in your career now, you must rely on yourself. Do you understand?"

Fu Lan seemed unconcerned. "Father, rest assured. I certainly will not let down your expectations. Even relying on myself, I will carve out a significant place for myself."

Elder Fu looked at his son, brimming with self-confidence, feeling a touch of disappointment. His son was already this old, yet his thinking remained so naive? In the pursuit of an official career, how could one manage without a strong network of connections? Did his son truly imagine he could enter the ranks alone? Perhaps he and his wife had spoiled this heir too much, leading to such innocence in dealing with the world. Every time Elder Fu considered that the hope of the entire Fu residence rested on his son, Fu Lan, he couldn't help but worry. Could such a son truly elevate the Fu residence to greater heights? Probably not; merely maintaining their current status would be an achievement.

With this thought, Elder Fu turned his gaze for the first time toward the two concubine-born sons in the residence. He wondered how they compared to his legitimate son, Fu Lan. It seemed he needed to find an opportunity to properly assess their aptitudes, preparing a backup plan. Should Fu Lan falter in the future, he could still choose another head for the next generation.

Having made up his mind, Elder Fu sighed as he looked at his son, still immersed in pleasant daydreams. "The Provincial Examination is fast approaching; focus on your studies!"

With that, Elder Fu left his son's study and proceeded to his own, where he instructed a servant to summon the two young masters born of concubines to his study.

Fu Lan had never once considered these thoughts of his father. After all, he had been the sole legitimate heir since childhood; all the family's efforts were poured into him, and he was always the center of attention. Thus, Fu Lan never imagined his own father might contemplate abandoning him, and he continued to look forward to his bright future.

While Fu Lan remained oblivious, Madam Fu was not. When Elder Fu summoned the two concubine-born sons to the study, Madam Fu immediately grew wary. She did not believe this was without reason. Elder Fu had previously shown utter disdain, even bordering on complete neglect, for the residence's illegitimate sons, so Madam Fu had never worried about her son's standing within the household. This lack of vigilance led her to indulge her son excessively in her daily discipline, never revealing the darker aspects of court politics, as she always believed it made no difference since her son's position was unassailable.

But things were different now. Madam Fu was acutely aware of how disappointed Elder Fu had been in her son regarding the matter with the Xia family. If the Xia residence had overlooked Fu Lan's misstep and still married their legitimate daughter to him, so be it. But the problem was that the Xia residence had outright insisted on marrying over their concubine-born daughter as if she were the legitimate one, significantly diminishing her son's leverage.

And today, Elder Fu had directly summoned the two illegitimate sons to the study. Could it be that Elder Fu was considering cultivating the concubine-born sons? The thought sent a jolt through Madam Fu—how could this be allowed? The Fu residence belonged to her son, Fu Lan. Who were those other two illegitimate brats, mere spawn of lowly maids! No, she absolutely could not allow the Elder to entertain the notion of supporting the secondary sons. With this resolution, Madam Fu racked her brain, trying to figure out how to dispel the Elder’s idea, or perhaps if she needed to take drastic action herself.

Regardless of how anxious and calculating Madam Fu was at this moment, Madam Xia on the other side could finally breathe a sigh of relief. Everything was proceeding according to her plan: how to prevent her daughter from marrying the unreliable Fu Lan, how to compel the Fu residence to obediently marry their concubine-born daughter, and even how to deal with that wretched Xia Wanyu—all were within her scheme. Moreover, her daughter, Xia Wanting, had been much better in recent days. Thus, apart from the slight damage to her daughter's reputation, Madam Xia was quite satisfied with everything else.

As Madam Xia was feeling pleased, a maid led her son, Xia Wentao, in. Upon seeing her son, Madam Xia immediately showed concern. "Did you spend a long time reading again today? Did you eat properly?"

Hearing his mother's affectionate words, Xia Wentao chuckled. "Mother, I am not a child anymore. Why do you still treat me like one?"

"You child, no matter how old you get, you are still my son. Since you are my son, of course, I cannot stop worrying about you," Madam Xia feigned anger.

"Yes, yes, I understand!" Xia Wentao conceded playfully.

"Don't take my words lightly. Although the Provincial Examination is important, you must maintain good health, or you might not even survive the exam itself," Madam Xia cautioned.

"Mother is absolutely correct. I pay attention to my health daily," Xia Wentao replied quickly.

"That's good," Madam Xia said, then suddenly thinking of something, she asked her son, "You will be taking the Provincial Examination alongside that Fu Lan boy this time. Are you confident you can outshine him?"

"Ah?" Xia Wentao had not expected his mother to ask about this.

Madam Xia looked at her son’s stunned expression and said bitterly, "That brat treated your sister so poorly; we certainly need to see him suffer a bit to feel relieved, don't we?"

Xia Wentao suddenly understood, but then he found it amusing. "Mother, actually, regardless of whether I can outrank him in this Provincial Examination, we will still feel vindicated! After all, our residence is sending Wanyu to marry into their home. Given her temperament, it will be difficult for the Fu residence not to be tumultuous in the future."

"You have a point. The Fu residence swallowed their pride to settle for our concubine-born daughter; they must be extremely resentful inside. But who told them not to discipline their son properly? Look at the trouble he caused," Madam Xia said with satisfaction.

"However, speaking of rankings, I actually think I can outrank him," Xia Wentao said, full of confidence.

"Oh? Is that true?" Madam Xia looked doubtful.

Xia Wentao, seeing his mother watching him, became a little embarrassed. "This isn't what I'm saying; it's what Father said. Previously, Fu Lan brought an essay to Father seeking guidance. Father reviewed it and then told me."

"So that's how it is. Since your father said so, Fu Lan must surely be inferior to you. Hmph, let's see how arrogant the Fu family dares to be now," Madam Xia huffed resentfully.

After speaking, Madam Xia thought about the events following the Provincial Examination. "Right, after this exam, I expect the Fu residence will come to your father to discuss the marriage alliance between the two families, as Fu Lan is not getting any younger. At that time, I'll see if we should arrange a match for you as well; it shouldn't be delayed any longer!"

When Xia Wentao heard his mother mention his marriage, he became shy. "Mother, there's no rush with this matter. I'd prefer to wait until after the Metropolitan Examination."

"After the Metropolitan Examination will be next year! You are not young anymore! How about this: we settle the engagement now, and you can have the wedding ceremony after the Metropolitan Examination?" Madam Xia proposed.

Hearing his mother suggest this, Xia Wentao genuinely didn't know how to respond and could only stammer out, "Everything will be decided by Father and Mother!"

After speaking, Xia Wentao quickly found an excuse to leave, leaving Madam Xia highly amused.

Unlike Madam Xia, who saw her son daily, Madam Yang in Wang Family Village hadn't seen her son in a long time.

"Alas, I wonder how Qingchen is doing over in the provincial capital. It's already the Mid-Autumn Festival, and he hasn't returned," Madam Yang sighed.

"Qingchen is doing well there. He is going to take the Provincial Examination; that is a great thing. Don't worry too much. Once he passes the exam, he will naturally return," Wang Youfu said.

Qinghe, listening to his parents, chimed in, "Second Brother will come back... Where is Second Brother..."

Madam Yang looked at Qinghe and smiled. "Yes, your second brother will be back soon. Here, eat this egg."

Today was not only the Mid-Autumn Festival but also Qinghe's birthday. Farming families have a custom of eating eggs on birthdays, so Madam Yang had prepared two eggs for her youngest son.

Qinghe, watching Madam Yang feed him the egg, had completely forgotten about his second brother; his entire world was focused on the egg. (To be continued)