The temporary laborers worked until dusk, saying they only needed to finish up for half a morning tomorrow, which should allow them to wrap up early. Lin He saw that the laborers had truly put their backs into the work, so she instructed Mrs. Huang to ensure they received their thirty wen wages regardless of when they finished the next day, and moreover, to give each one a packet of pastries to take home, as it seemed they would need to hire temporary help often in the future.

At the He family home. As darkness fell, Mrs. He and Yu'er waited until Da Jiang and the others finished their work before walking home together. On the way, she complained to Qingshan about Song Yuemei—how she was acting this way and that, and today had feigned stomach pain to avoid working in the fields. She also griped about how useless Qingshan was for being unable to manage his own wife, which made Qingshan reluctant to speak much at all.

When they arrived home, Qingshan noticed the doors were locked and asked Mrs. He what was going on. Mrs. He didn't say much, but Qingshan seemed to grasp the situation and immediately felt his mother had gone too far. He walked to his own room, intending to check on his wife, only to find Song Yuemei collapsed unconscious on the floor. Qingshan called out a few times, but she wouldn't wake up.

Qingshan quickly called for Mrs. He and Yu'er. Seeing Song Yuemei lying there with such a pale complexion, Mrs. He actually looked quite frightened; she worried that the girl might have actually fallen ill and died. If anything serious happened, Qingshan would likely blame her for the rest of his life.

Mrs. He cautiously checked for breath and, finding some shallow sign, finally relaxed a little. Qingshan lifted Song Yuemei onto the kang and patted her face. Only then did Song Yuemei stir awake faintly, murmuring, "What happened? Why are all of you in my room?"

Qingshan replied, "It's what happened to you that matters—why did you collapse on the floor?"

Song Yuemei glanced at Mrs. He, hesitating as if she wanted to say something but couldn't. Finally, she nestled closer into Qingshan's embrace, appearing deeply fearful of Mrs. He. "I don't know what happened. I didn't eat anything this morning or at noon, and I didn't drink a single drop of water. I don't know who locked the doors, but I couldn't get out. In the afternoon, my stomach started hurting terribly, and I just passed out without realizing it."

Hearing his wife's account and seeing her frail appearance, Qingshan felt overwhelming heartache. However, Mrs. He was still his mother, and he couldn't outright blame her. He just said, "Are you feeling better now? I'll ask Mother to prepare something for you to eat."

Song Yuemei forced herself to sit up slightly, saying, "Don't trouble Mother. You've both been tired from a long day of work. Let me prepare something for you all to eat as well; you should all rest."

The more Song Yuemei said this, the more Qingshan felt his wife was sensible and considerate, while his mother was being excessive. This, too, was part of Song Yuemei’s subtle strategy.

In truth, Song Yuemei hadn't had any stomach pain that day; she simply didn't want to join Mrs. He in the fields. She had eaten some pastries at noon, so she certainly wasn't weak enough from hunger to faint. She only deliberately lay on the floor feigning unconsciousness when she heard the voices of Qingshan and the others outside the courtyard. Her goal was to make Qingshan realize the extent of the oppression she suffered under Mrs. He.

Song Yuemei was a woman with a degree of shrewdness. She had witnessed the friction between her eldest sister-in-law and her mother-in-law at home and understood certain dynamics, primarily centered on Qingshan’s stance. She needed to win Qingshan over to her side. If Qingshan sided with her, he would naturally step forward on her behalf whenever issues arose with Mrs. He.

However, in this era, being unfilial was a serious matter that invited public censure. Song Yuemei currently had no intention of moving against Mrs. He; her primary objective was simply to avoid excessive labor. She possessed some private funds she could manage herself, and she only needed Mrs. He not to make things too difficult for her.

But from the very first day she arrived, Song Yuemei felt Mrs. He had been deliberately difficult. Although Qingshan doted on her, he dared not contradict his mother openly, always gently coaxing her to yield to his mother's wishes. Today's performance was designed to show Qingshan that she had already conceded a great deal, and it was Mrs. He who repeatedly pushed her boundaries. Even if Qingshan outwardly avoided confronting Mrs. He for fear of gossip, she was certain he secretly favored her side.

Therefore, from the moment Qingshan and the others returned, Song Yuemei acted exceptionally docile. Indeed, hearing her meek words, Qingshan thought his wife was wonderfully understanding, concluding that his mother was simply unreasonable, stirring up trouble when there were countless chores to be done at home, even forcing them to work at their second uncle's place, which had caused him to lose all face.

Yet, Mrs. He was still his own mother, so he couldn't harshly scold her. He simply said, "You rest for a while. I'll ask Mother to cook something for you."

He then turned his head and said, "Mother, is there any food left in the house? Please bring something for Yuemei; she’s probably been starving all day."

Mrs. He had been standing to the side, staring intently at Song Yuemei. When she first returned from outside and saw Song Yuemei collapsed on the floor, she had indeed been startled. But after standing there for a while, Song Yuemei, aside from speaking softly, didn't look pale or unwell; Mrs. He suspected she was acting, and the familiar, unbidden anger flared up again.

Hearing the tone Qingshan used when addressing her, Mrs. He became deeply displeased. Her son, whom she had treasured like a pearl since childhood, was expected to be filial and heed her words in his adulthood. But now, for the sake of his wife, he was showing her a sullen face. She answered with poorly concealed irritation, "There’s nothing left. We finished everything at noon. How could there be anything in the house?"

Qingshan’s initial discomfort escalated to outright anger upon hearing his mother’s tone. He snapped, "This is such a large household, and you can't find a single thing to eat? Didn't we have some pastries left over from the banquet a few days ago? Where are they? I’ll get them."

Mrs. He’s voice rose even higher at Qingshan's words. "Those pastries are being saved for giving gifts during the New Year and other festivals! Just how delicate is your wife’s body? She missed one meal and causes such a commotion! Didn't you say she felt unwell this morning? If it’s that bad, we might as well summon a physician to take a look."

Mrs. He was convinced Song Yuemei was faking. She decided she would spare no expense to bring a doctor, just to see exactly what was wrong with her. If the physician declared her healthy, she would certainly deal with her then.

Song Yuemei had originally planned to watch quietly as Qingshan and Mrs. He argued, refraining from intervening. But hearing Mrs. He mention calling a physician, and knowing she would be exposed if a doctor arrived, she quickly spoke up, "Qingshan, there’s no need. I’m not that hungry. Don't argue with Mother over such a small thing. If people gossip that you are unfilial later, that would be a terrible affair."

Hearing his wife speak this way, Qingshan said no more, merely stating, "I’ll go fetch two eggs to boil for you; you absolutely must eat something."

Without looking at Mrs. He, he went out alone. Yu'er had been standing in the room watching without saying a word. Once her elder brother left, she tugged at Mrs. He’s sleeve and pulled her out of the room as well.

Only when they had all gone did Song Yuemei finally sit up properly, a faint look of mockery touching her expression.