Fortunately, Luo Yin's labor this time was significantly shorter than her first. By noon, the child was delivered—a boy. This delighted the old master and mistress; even the relatives from the Second and Third households who had come to help were genuinely happy for Luo Yin. After all, in those days, one could never have too many sons, given how difficult it was to raise children, with many perishing in infancy. Thus, most families hoped for the birth of several boys.

As soon as Luo Yin finished giving birth, Luo Qing’s complexion visibly improved, no longer appearing as severe as it had moments before. Upon hearing the infant's cry from inside, Luo Qing quickly rose and went in to check on Luo Yin. She was, after all, her cousin, and her heart was filled with concern.

The delivery of a baby boy by Luo Yin at the old residence brought an air of immense celebration. Coupled with the already good mood of the old master that day, he was now ecstatic, saying to the old mistress, "Today is truly a fine day. It must be because we visited the ancestral graves; the ancestors knew of Qing Chen's good news and, delighted, have bestowed upon us another great-grandson. It must be so."

Seeing the old master so overjoyed, the old mistress refrained from dampening the mood and instead chimed in, "Who says otherwise? The ancestors must be pleased and are bestowing their blessings!"

Yang Shi and Zhang Shi, upon hearing the elders' words, added a few pleasant remarks to flatter them, which pleased the old master and mistress immensely. In contrast, Tian Shi, the mother-in-law, did not display her happiness openly like Yang Shi and Zhang Shi. She stood to the side, seemingly lost in thought, frowning one moment and smiling the next, which made Yang Shi and Zhang Shi look at each other with suspicion. Was their eldest sister-in-law plotting something again?

The old mistress certainly noticed Tian Shi’s demeanor. She too was perplexed, wondering what her eldest daughter-in-law was thinking. Everyone else was happy, yet she alone seemed preoccupied.

So, the old mistress asked, "Eldest daughter-in-law, what are you thinking about? Standing there looking lost. Qing Yun's wife just gave birth and still has many things to attend to. If you have nothing else to do, go catch an old hen, slaughter it, and stew it for Qing Yun’s wife to eat when she wakes up."

Hearing the old mistress's command, Tian Shi, uncharacteristically, offered no objection but agreed readily, "Yes, Mother, I'll go right away."

Tian Shi's unusual compliance further deepened the suspicion between Yang Shi and Zhang Shi—surely their eldest sister-in-law was plotting something! However, the old mistress held a different view. She believed it was simply because Tian Shi had gained another grandson that she was so cheerful and quick to agree to stew a chicken for Qing Yun’s wife, completely forgetting that Tian Shi had not been so eager after Luo Yin gave birth to Gou Sheng.

Of course, whatever Tian Shi was thinking, Yang Shi and Zhang Shi paid it little mind. In truth, under the old master's supervision, it had become difficult for Tian Shi to scheme against their two branches of the family, so they felt no worry. If Tian Shi did devise anything, it wouldn't affect them anyway.

Now that the baby was born, the families from the Second and Third households were ready to leave. There was nothing more they could assist with; caring for Luo Yin during her confinement was not their responsibility.

When the old master saw that the Second and Third households were preparing to depart, and seeing that it was nearly lunchtime, he assumed that since they had been helping all morning, they would have no food waiting for them at home. He thus spoke up, "Don't go back; stay here for lunch!"

Although lunch at the old residence wasn't fully prepared, a simple meal wouldn't take long to arrange, which would certainly be less hassle than them returning home to cook.

"No need, Father. We’ll head back to eat. Aunt Wu should have prepared a meal by now. We won't dine here this time," replied Wang Youfu.

As soon as Wang Youfu finished speaking, Zhang Shi also politely declined, "Yes, Father, we won't be eating here. You all just finished with the delivery and need to clean up. We won't add to the mess. Besides, when I arrived earlier, I told Cai Die to start cooking, so she should be done by now. We’ll go back and eat."

Seeing that both families refused, the old master acknowledged that the old residence did indeed need tidying up and did not press further. "Very well, go back and eat this time!"

Only then did the members of the Second and Third households turn to leave.

On the way back, Yang Shi chatted excitedly about how sturdy and handsome the newborn child was. Wang Youfu and Wang Qing Chen, who had not seen the infant, listened to Yang Shi’s descriptions with great interest. However, neither of them noticed that as Yang Shi grew more animated, Luo Qing’s complexion grew steadily worse.

Upon reaching home, Wang Qing Chen finally noticed that Luo Qing’s expression was still quite troubled. This puzzled him, as he had assumed her mood would lift after visiting her cousin. Did his sister-in-law have something weighing on her mind? Wang Qing Chen considered stepping forward to inquire, but then recalled that when he had asked earlier, Luo Qing had only said she was fine without revealing anything else. Perhaps he should ask his mother to inquire? No, Luo Qing probably wouldn't want his mother to pry either. The best approach, he concluded, was to let his elder brother ask, as they were husband and wife, destined to live together their entire lives; it was most appropriate for him to ask.

Thus, when Wang Qing Hua returned that evening, Wang Qing Chen found an opportune moment to tell him that Luo Qing had been acting strangely all day, with a poor complexion.

Hearing this, Wang Qing Hua became instantly anxious, fearing Luo Qing might be unwell, and was ready to call for a doctor until Wang Qing Chen stopped him.

"Elder Brother, I don't think Sister-in-law is in pain. It seems more like she has something on her mind. Perhaps you should ask her first before deciding whether to call the doctor," Wang Qing Chen suggested.

After hearing his younger brother's advice, Wang Qing Hua paused, realizing he had been impulsive, and felt a bit embarrassed. "I was too worried about your sister-in-law, afraid something might be wrong with her pregnancy."

Wang Qing Chen nodded with a smile. "I understand, I understand. Elder Brother, you should go ask Sister-in-law first!"

"Alright!" With that, Wang Qing Hua went into their room, knowing Luo Qing was already inside.

Because Luo Qing's mood had soured since returning from the old residence, a worried Yang Shi had told her to rest. She had nearly sent for a doctor, but Luo Qing insisted she was merely tired, so Yang Shi relented. Still, Yang Shi wasn't entirely reassured; she resolved that if her daughter-in-law was still unwell the next day, she would certainly find a doctor. This concerned the well-being of her grandson, so she needed to be cautious.

When Wang Qing Hua entered their room, he found his wife, Luo Qing, sitting on the kang, seemingly deep in thought. He walked over and asked gently, "Qing'er, are you feeling unwell?"

Luo Qing was startled by Wang Qing Hua's voice. She had been lost in her thoughts, and the sudden sound made her jump.

Seeing her reaction, Wang Qing Hua rushed to ask, "Did I scare you?"

Luo Qing looked at Wang Qing Hua’s concerned expression and shook her head. "No, you didn't scare me; I just didn't notice you came in. You're back; is it quite late?"

Wang Qing Hua shook his head. "Not too late. By the way, what were you thinking about just now? You didn't even hear me enter. Qing Chen told me earlier that your expression changed after seeing your cousin give birth today. What is the matter?"

Hearing Wang Qing Hua speak, Luo Qing felt a surge of emotion. She hadn't expected her younger brother-in-law to be so considerate as to tell Wang Qing Hua. However, what she was thinking about was truly difficult to voice, even to Wang Qing Hua.

Wang Qing Hua observed Luo Qing’s hesitation and continued, "It’s alright. Tell me what’s bothering you; we can figure it out together."

Looking at Wang Qing Hua’s encouraging gaze, Luo Qing felt a pang of sadness. He was so kind to her, yet she hadn't managed to give him a son. Back at her mother’s home, her mother had already advised her not to dwell on such thoughts, and she knew that when pregnant, it was best not to overthink things. But perhaps because she was pregnant, her mind kept wandering. It had been better before, as she remembered her mother’s advice and kept her anxieties in check. But after seeing her cousin give birth today, her mind kept racing. Especially upon learning her cousin had another son, she couldn't contain her worries: What if she still gave birth to a girl? How disappointed would the in-laws be? Even Qing Hua might be disappointed, right?

Once Luo Qing started down this path, she couldn't stop. Her mind alternated between imagining the joy if she bore a son and the deep disappointment if she bore a daughter, leading to Qing Hua perhaps becoming distant from her. The more she dwelled on the negative, the more pessimistic she became, until she was contemplating the possibility of being divorced for failing to bear a son—that was when Wang Qing Hua entered the room.

Luo Qing looked at the anxious Wang Qing Hua, hesitating whether to tell him the truth. But if she spoke it aloud, would things actually get better?

Beside her, Wang Qing Hua waited anxiously for Luo Qing’s decision.