Since the Old Master was no longer intent on pressing the matter, the discussion of adoption simply faded away. In contrast to the joy felt by Wang Qingyun and Luo Yin, Madam Tian glared at Wang Qingshan, deeply disappointed, still brooding over how useless all her painstaking planning for her son had been; not only did her son fail to appreciate it, but she had also managed to offend the branch of the family involving her second son.

Upon learning the outcome, Madam Yang felt a great weight lift from her heart. Although she knew that the Old Master and the others had conceived this plan largely for the sake of the grandson's future, her subconscious strongly disagreed with the course of action. As a mother herself, she believed that if anyone tried to take one of her sons away, she would certainly behave as irrationally as Luo Yin.

Madam Zhang only found out about the matter later. After learning the details, she remarked, "The Old Master and the others really are something else. Qingshan already has a child, why must they adopt Wang Qingyun's son? If it were me, I would have definitely gone back to my maiden home over this."

"The Old Master and the others were worried that Quan'er, being adopted from outside, isn't truly of the Wang family, fearing he might not properly care for Qingshan and his wife in the future," Madam Yang explained.

"The Old Master and the others truly have nothing better to do. How can they be so sure that adopting Wang Qingyun's son will turn out better? Who made the rule that an adopted child from the same clan is guaranteed to be filial? Don't let this end up causing discord between the two brothers' households," Madam Zhang scoffed.

"That's true," Madam Yang conceded, having not considered that angle before.

"Oh, and about the banquet for the celebration—have you prepared everything? Don't wait until the last moment to discover something is missing; by then, it will be too late," Madam Zhang reminded her.

"There shouldn't be any major issues; the master of the house has checked it over many times," Madam Yang replied.

"That's good. Wang Qingchen passing the provincial exam is a major event," Madam Zhang stated.

Madam Yang certainly knew this, and upon Madam Zhang's reminder, she resolved to check everything herself again to ensure no details had been overlooked.

While the Wang Youfu household was busy preparing the feast for Wang Qingchen's success, in the county town, Xia Wentao was already preparing to take his sister back to the capital. After all, they had been away for quite some time, and the matters in the capital should surely be mostly settled by now, so there was less need to worry about his sister overhearing anything untoward.

As Xia Wentao prepared to return, his friends Zhao Cheng, Li Yuntai, Liu Hao, and others naturally came to see him off.

On the official road, Xia Wentao stopped his friends from accompanying him further. "No need to see me off any further; let's stop here. We are quite far out of the county town now."

Zhao Cheng nodded. "I don't know when you'll be back in the county town after this trip to the capital. Naturally, we have to see you off properly. Don't worry, it won't take us long to get back to town. As for you, I don't know how long it will take you to reach the capital on this journey!"

"Don't worry. If I'm not coming back to the county town, you can always visit me in the capital. Then I can properly play the host," Xia Wentao chuckled.

Zhao Cheng laughed too. "Of course. You've been well taken care of while you were here in the county. When we visit the capital next year, it will certainly be your turn to host us."

"You can count on that. When you arrive in the capital, come straight to the Xia manor to find me. You won't need to look for lodging; just stay at my home," Xia Wentao declared generously.

Zhao Cheng just smiled in response and didn't give a direct affirmation. Xia Wentao didn't press him. He was aware of certain traits among scholars, one being the avoidance of seeking favor. Although he himself harbored no such intentions, if he encountered someone overly scrupulous or an outsider unaware of the situation, gossip might arise. Nevertheless, Xia Wentao had spoken his mind because he genuinely wished to assist both Wang Qingchen and Zhao Cheng.

Through days of interaction, Zhao Cheng had come to understand Xia Wentao's character and knew he meant no harm. However, he still needed to consider the matter carefully. For one thing, his own mother would most likely accompany him to the capital. Furthermore, Wang Qingchen didn't even know about this offer yet; even if Zhao Cheng agreed, it wouldn't mean Wang Qingchen consented. Therefore, he truly couldn't commit right now.

Xia Wentao then bid farewell to Li Yuntai, Liu Hao, and Qi Jintang. Thinking that Wang Qingchen must surely be at home and wouldn't come to see him off, Xia Wentao didn't linger any longer and ordered his servants to set off.

Xia Wanting had remained inside the carriage the entire time. When her brother was saying goodbye to everyone, she couldn't hear their conversation clearly because the carriage was too far away. Only after her brother had boarded the carriage did she speak up, "Brother must be feeling reluctant to leave, having said farewell to his friends for so long!"

Xia Wentao smiled at his sister's remark. "Your assessment is correct, little sister. I have made so many good friends here, so naturally, I feel some reluctance to leave. However, all good things must come to an end; separation is unavoidable. Besides, we can't just stay here forever, can we? Our home, our family, they are all waiting for us in the capital!"

Xia Wanting nodded. "That's true; our home and family are in the capital, so how could we not return? It's just, Brother, I feel reluctant to leave here! There aren't so many bothersome people here, and I don't have to see those I wish to avoid. I could even go out and sightsee. Honestly, these past few days, I've felt much more at ease; I haven't dwelled on those upsetting matters in the capital nearly as much."

Listening to his sister, Xia Wentao felt a sudden surge of emotion. He gently stroked her head. "Brother knows those matters in the capital caused you pain, but what Brother hopes for even more is that you can truly forget them and let them go entirely. Only then will those incidents, and the people who caused them such trouble, cease to affect your mood and your future days."

Xia Wanting fell silent after hearing her brother's words. Xia Wentao patiently waited, not pressing for an immediate answer.

After a long moment, Xia Wanting finally let out a soft sigh, then raised her head and said, "Brother, I don't want to lie to you. I still think about those things, and I still think of those two people. To be honest, I deeply resent what they did. One was my own elder sister, and the other was the man I was betrothed to. When they did that, did they ever consider me? Did they ever consider the harm it would cause me? They didn't think of me at all; they only thought of their supposed mutual affection. If they are in love, then what am I? Did I break them up? Did I obstruct them? No. So, I cannot forget them, or the wrongs they committed. Sometimes, when I wake up in the middle of the night, those memories surface, and the distress keeps me awake. I wonder where I fell short, what I did wrong, that Brother Fu ultimately chose Eldest Sister instead of me, to whom he was already engaged. I even find myself shamelessly praying that they won't have a good life together, as that's the only way I might feel better. But then, I start blaming myself, because I wasn't like this before. I'm turning into a bad person now; I'm actually cursing others to have a miserable life."

Saying this, Xia Wanting appeared dejected. These were things she never wanted, yet they constantly haunted her. Despite desperately trying to stop thinking such thoughts, she admitted that she had indeed allowed herself to curse them.

Compared to Xia Wanting’s dejection, Xia Wentao was immensely relieved after hearing her confession. It was noteworthy that back in the capital, his sister would never have shared such feelings with family members. When pressed by relatives then, she would always claim she was much better, burying her pain and sorrow deep inside. But this time was different; she had revealed her true thoughts and inner conflict to him, her brother. Although her main point was that she couldn't let go, the mere act of voicing it was positive. After all, sometimes only by squeezing the pus from a wound can it properly scab over and heal.

With this thought, Xia Wentao smiled. "What you're feeling is nothing! I cursed those two scoundrels right from the start, and now I wish they have terrible luck for the rest of their lives! It's not like you, only lightly cursing them and then feeling like you've become wicked! If we compare notes, we are miles away from those two! They were so wicked, yet they don't feel a shred of self-reproach."

Xia Wanting was stunned when she heard her brother's words, then she suddenly burst into laughter. "Brother, saying it that way makes me feel so much better. I was worried I was turning bad, but now I'm relieved. You're right; compared to them, I'm far behind!"

After speaking, Xia Wanting laughed happily again. After these past few days, she could finally let go a little, no longer constantly oscillating between resentment and self-blame.

Watching his sister’s happy smile, Xia Wentao thought that if things continued this way, there would surely come a day when she would finally release these burdens, and only then could he and their mother truly rest easy.