That evening, Zhou Shuren saw Zhulan still looking at the baby clothes and frowned as he pulled her away. “Stop looking.”

Zhulan chuckled; she knew Zhou Shuren was unhappy. They hoped for a son, and the fact that Zhao Shi had given her a girl’s dress had hurt Zhou Shuren’s feelings. “I was just looking to see how much Zhao Shi’s embroidery has improved.”

Zhou Shuren didn’t believe her. Zhulan’s appetite had decreased that evening, and she seemed quite depressed. “I’m the only one in the room, so stop pretending.”

Zhulan sighed. “Alright, I won’t pretend anymore. I’m not that depressed, but I can’t help thinking about what if it’s a girl? Should we prepare something in advance?”

Zhou Shuren stared at the baby clothes in his hands. “Should I thank Zhao Shi for reminding us?”

Zhulan said, pursing her lips. “No need for thanks. She really did remind us. We’ve been talking about having a son these days; we’ve been brainwashed. We’ve been taking everything for granted. What if it’s a daughter? So it’s better to be prepared.”

A sharp glint flashed across Zhou Shuren’s eyes. “If it’s a daughter, we’ll raise a tongyangfu for her. Then we’ll raise the tongyangfu as if he were our own son and brainwash him.”

Zhulan chuckled. It was indeed something Zhou Shuren would do. Zhulan touched her belly. “It’s getting late; you should go wash up too.”

Now, every day after meals, Zhou Shuren would go to teach Shi Qing. Zhulan had already washed up and was just waiting for Zhou Shuren.

Zhou Shuren stood up. “Okay, I’ll be back in a bit.”

He returned a quarter of an hour later, took a quick shower, and Zhulan took a handkerchief to dry his hair. “Second Zhou brought us a lot of things back today.”

Zhou Shuren pouted. “He’s scared. I think those two should just stay in Chuanzhou for a few more years.”

He hadn’t disciplined him properly; he shouldn’t even think about returning to the Zhou family.

Zhulan sighed. Second Zhou was an adult; even with harsh treatment, it was still difficult to change him. She had told him she was pregnant, and the couple hadn’t said anything, but they had brought things home this time.

Zhou Shuren heard Zhulan sigh, “Don’t think about the second son and his wife anymore.”

Zhulan hummed in agreement. After Zhou Shuren’s hair dried, Zhulan put down the handkerchief and took a comb to brush his hair. “Your hair has thinned quite a bit.”

Zhou Shuren was depressed. Fortunately, the hair loss was widespread and not just from the top of his head; otherwise, he would have really cried. “I took the medicine prescribed by Doctor Zhang, but I don’t know if it will work. Old Master Lü is still more trustworthy.”

Zhulan’s health was proof of that; the old man deserved the most credit for Zhulan’s good health.

Zhou Shuren thought of Old Master Lü. If the old man were here when Zhulan gave birth, he would be more at ease. But the old man was too old to travel far.

The next morning, after breakfast, Zhulan called Second Zhou over and handed him a list. “This is the list of purchases for the return trip. Keep it safe.”

Second Zhou took the list. “Mother, is there anything else you need to tell me?”

Zhulan then took out the deeds to two shops in Jinzhou. “Sell these two shops, and then use the money from the sale and the rent collected to buy a house in the western part of Jinzhou. Don’t buy a small one, at least a two-courtyard house. Bring back all the money from selling the grain from the two estates.”

Second Zhou couldn’t help but glance at the shop deeds, which were in his father’s name. He couldn’t help but ask, “Mother, will the house be registered in your name or Father’s?”

Zhulan, though pregnant, was not in good spirits but not sluggish. She noticed Second Zhou’s gaze. “Write mine.”

Second Zhou lowered his head. Although he didn’t want to divide the family property, his father had said that it was not possible to divide it now, not that it wouldn’t happen later. The money under his father’s name would be divided equally among the brothers, while the money under his mother’s name would be entirely up to her. Therefore, his mother still held the most money in the family. “Mother, I remember.”

Zhulan originally wanted to say a few more words, but then she didn’t want to say them. Second Zhou’s nature was ingrained in his bones. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to, but that it was unrealistic. She dismissed Second Zhou, “Steward Ding has packed the luggage. You should go back and pack too. You are leaving tomorrow.”

Second Zhou lowered his head. “Yes.”

Second Zhou went out and stood on the steps. He had only been away from home for a short time, but he already felt like a guest. When he returned yesterday, Changlian had called out, “Second Brother is back!” He had paused in his tracks. After not seeing him for so many days, he realized that Changlian had changed again. Changlian had become even more reserved and self-contained. Though they were both sons of the Zhou family, the gap between him, his eldest brother, and Changlian had grown even wider.

Even though Second Zhou had earned some money, he wasn’t happy. He just wanted to go home as soon as possible. His only consolation was that his son and daughter were being well-educated by their parents. His daughter was becoming more and more like his younger sister, and his son, needless to say, was reciting his lessons with great skill.

Thinking of his son, Second Zhou felt a surge of strength in his legs. His son was the hope of the second branch of the family. He didn’t expect his son to be as good as his eldest grandson, Mingyun, but he just wanted him to surpass Mingteng.

The next day, Second Zhou and Steward Ding left, and Zhao Shi came to the main courtyard.

Zhao Shi looked at her mother-in-law and said, “Mother, you’ve worked hard teaching Yushuang and Mingrui.”

Zhulan smiled as she thought of her grandchildren. Yushuang was a given, and as for Mingrui, he was now polite and composed, which gave her a great sense of accomplishment. “They are my grandchildren; it’s not hard work.”

Zhao Shi had come today, hesitant about whether to visit her mother. Her husband wasn’t home, and she had to ask her mother-in-law’s permission before going out. She didn’t want to go to her own mother’s house either. Her mother had been writing frequently lately, all about her younger brother’s studies, saying that only when her brother was successful could she support him. She didn’t really have a deep affection for her brother.

While in Chuanzhou, she had once been tempted. But after seeing her son and daughter again, she put those thoughts to rest. From beginning to end, her true support had always been her son and daughter. It was just a pity that, no matter how much she tried to change, she could never become like her eldest sister-in-law. If she could have earned her mother-in-law’s favor the way her eldest sister-in-law had, then her mother-in-law would have been the one she could rely on.

Zhulan noticed that Zhao Shi was lost in thought. “Is something wrong?”

Zhao Shi smiled slightly. “Mother, I was just saying whether I should go back to my mother’s home. You know my mother has been writing to me, but it wouldn’t be good if I came back and didn’t go.”

Zhulan found Zhao Shi’s words much more pleasing to hear. Rather than bottling everything up and making her guess, it was far better to say it outright. “You don’t need to go. If your mother doesn’t come today, she’ll come tomorrow. When she does, just have her take the gifts you’ve prepared for her back with her.”

Zhao Shi blushed. Even she found her own mother unfamiliar now. “Mother… why has my mother changed so much? Never mind. Mother, you should get some rest. I’ll head back first.”

Zhao Shi’s face was flushed. Why did she blurt out her true feelings? She really couldn’t understand why her mother had changed.

Hearing this, Zhulan thought to herself, “Fang Shi has been oppressed for so long, and now that she has no one to rely on, she’s like a spring that bounces back.”

Not long after Zhao Shi left, Fang Shi arrived. For the sake of her unborn child and for the sake of Zhao Shi’s unborn grandchildren, Zhulan decided not to delay any longer.

Fang Shi brought gifts. The Fang family consisted of only Fang Shi and Qian Keqi, and their annual expenses were low. Fang Shi had money, so the gifts she asked for were quite valuable. Looking at the furs, Zhulan thought, “They all probably know I like furs.”

(End of Chapter)

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