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The two young ladies hurried to the upper room, only to find a scene filled with joy. Their hearts, which had been lifted with concern, now eased, but they were filled with questions. They couldn’t understand why their mother-in-law was so delighted, even her gaze toward them seemed much kinder. They then turned their gaze toward Su Wenyue, who was sitting there.

“I don’t know why Mother-in-law has called us over. There are many guests in the front, and I’m afraid it’s not good to be away for too long,” said Madam Qin with a beaming smile as she entered. Her eyes fell on the slight swell of Su Wenyue’s stomach and seemed to understand a bit.

Just now, she had heard from the servants that a doctor had been summoned to the backyard. Initially, she was worried, but when asked, she was told there was no serious matter, and the mother-in-law was also in good health. At that moment, busy as she was, she did not inquire further. Now it seemed that the doctor might indeed be here for Miss Su, who was currently being seen by Madam Han.

“So it turns out that Lady Yue has arrived. No wonder Mother was so happy,” said Second Young Lady Han with a smile. “It’s been some days since we last saw Lady Yue, and she’s become even more beautiful. Looking at her is a delight to the eyes.” Her gaze lingered on Su Wenyue’s stomach for a moment before she looked away.

“Calling you over, naturally, there’s a significant matter, and moreover, a happy one,” said Madam Wei, her smile fading slightly upon seeing the two daughter-in-laws walk in. Since ancient times, the relationship between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law has been contentious, and the ones who get along well are truly rare. Even Madam Wei, who was considered open-minded, had her grievances with each daughter-in-law. Her greatest dissatisfaction was that they had been married into the family for some time now without giving her a grandson yet.

“Oh? Today is Mother’s birthday, already a day of great joy. If there’s a happy event, it would be joy upon joy. I wonder what the happy news is. May the daughter-in-laws hear it and share in the good fortune,” the two young ladies exchanged glances, and Madam Qin was the first to speak up.

Madam Wei, however, frowned: “You two have been married into the Xu family for not a short time now. In order to maintain your dignity as the first wives, I, as a mother-in-law, have never stuffed concubines or lesser wives into your rooms. I see that Tong and Hao have spent no small amount of time in your chambers, yet there is not a peep of news. Not to speak of bearing a grandson to carry on the lineage of the Xu family, not even bearing a granddaughter for this old lady to see would be good. But, both of you are so disheartening!”

Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han felt a thump in their hearts upon hearing the mother-in-law speak like this. They wondered why the conversation had turned to this topic when it was supposed to be about a happy event. Perhaps she had been reminded of it by another daughter-in-law’s pregnancy.

Although they knew that it wasn’t Su Wenyue’s fault, Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han still felt somewhat uneasy, yet they dared not say a word. To be fair, Madam Wei, as a mother-in-law, could be considered good. Although occasionally harsh, she was mostly tolerant and unlike other mothers-in-law who would relentlessly place concubines in their sons’ rooms to undermine the relationship between son and daughter-in-law. At most, she would reprimand them once in a while, urging them to quickly conceive an heir for the Xu family.

Su Wenyue, sitting to the side, also felt awkward. It appeared that not only Mrs. Yang but all mothers-in-law around the world were similar, with nearly identical demands from their daughter-in-laws. Madam Wei, who was so gentle and kind-hearted in front of her, showed another face in front of her daughter-in-laws. It just goes to show that being a daughter-in-law is indeed a lamentable lot.

An Family’s Madam was a shrewd woman, and noticing the expressions and reactions of Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han, she roughly guessed their thoughts. Indeed, the conversation had veered to this topic because of her daughter’s pregnancy. Now it was up to her to skillfully change the subject, lest they harbor resentment against her daughter, which would make future relations difficult. She thus smiled at Madam Wei.

“Your two daughter-in-laws are good girls, one in a thousand, smart and clever. Their bodies seem strong, and having children is just a matter of time. I know you long for a grandson dearly, but children are a heaven-sent fate, and when the time comes, it will happen. There’s no use in hurrying; didn’t we experience the same?”

When Madam Wei heard what An Family’s Madam said, she felt much more comfortable and knew that the sentiment was indeed true. She had been too eager for a grandson, but this was understandable—after all, who wouldn’t wish to hold their eldest grandson sooner?

Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han breathed a sigh of relief seeing Madam Wei’s mood relax and felt additional gratitude toward An Family’s Madam. Otherwise, if the mother-in-law had truly gotten the notion to ensure the continuation of offspring by imposing a concubine on them, especially on such a day, they’d have no excuse to refuse.

“Enough, I don’t want to belabor the point. You just need to mind yourselves, so you don’t think I’m a terrible mother-in-law. It was indeed meant for you to share in the good fortune. Lady Yue is with child. Just now, the doctor examined her and said it’s twins. Isn’t that indeed a great joy? You should feel Lady Yue’s stomach. According to our old generation’s saying, this way you can absorb some of the good fortune and conceive a child sooner yourself,” Madam Wei said, her smile returning as she pointed at Su Wenyue.

“Really, that’s wonderful! Lady Yue is actually carrying twins—truly a great blessing. No wonder Mother-in-law wanted us to come and share in the good fortune. Lady Yue, you mustn’t be stingy, let us partake generously in this good fortune,” Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han were pleasantly surprised to hear that Su Wenyue was carrying twins. Any minor grievances they had felt disappeared in an instant, as they too were eager to conceive a child soon for the Xu family. Carrying twins would indeed be great fortune, and they hoped to catch some of Su Wenyue’s good luck.

“What are you talking about, sisters? If I could truly share more of this good fortune with you to help you conceive, I’d be more than willing,” Su Wenyue was naturally happy to get along well with Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han, so without any second thoughts, she agreed.

“The child in the womb is precious; be careful when you touch it, just gently,” Madam Wei, seeing Madam Qin and Han go to touch Su Wenyue’s stomach, couldn’t help but caution them. It was her idea, and An Family’s mother and daughter, out of respect for her, wouldn’t refuse. But if anything were to go wrong, she would feel guilty.

“Mother-in-law, don’t worry, we are mindful of that,” both Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han were people who knew better than to be careless.

Su Wenyue allowed Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han to touch her stomach. Thinking about how they had been married into the Xu family for quite some time without getting pregnant, she suspected that it might have something to do with their daily habits and dietary practices. She took Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han into a small partitioned room to share some whispered words and impart some knowledge on conceiving a child, which she had gathered from famous doctors in her previous life. It was more effective and reliable than any secret fertility prescriptions.

Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han had been longing to conceive a child and treated the knowledge they received as precious, committing it to memory with great care. They were grateful to Su Wenyue for not hoarding these experiences for herself.

“Actually, I learned these things from my nursemaid. If you trust me, you can certainly give them a try. It’s just adjusting some habits, no need for medicines, and you don’t have to worry about any impact on your health,” Su Wenyue cautioned, blushing at the end of her explanation. This made Madam Qin and Second Young Lady Han even more convinced by Su Wenyue’s words and decided to try these methods as soon as they returned.