When Bai Qingyan returned to Qinghui Courtyard to change clothes and came back to Fifth Madam’s courtyard, Fifth Madam Qi Shi had already been moved out of the birthing room.

Nanny Jiang had also seen the child and had taken a carriage back to the Imperial Qing’an Temple to report to the Grand Princess.

At this moment, Fifth Madam was leaning against the headboard, slowly sipping milk-inducing soup in small mouthfuls.

Liu Shi glanced at the sleeping child, stepped on the redwood footstool to sit beside the bed, and looked at the milk-inducing soup in Qi Shi’s hands: “Sister-in-law, are you planning to nurse the child yourself?”

Although she had just given birth, Qi Shi was in good spirits, smiling as she gazed at the little daughter sleeping beside her, her eyes full of maternal love.

This was a blessing from Heaven. Although her husband and two sons were gone, Heaven had given her back a lovely daughter.

“Yes! After all, this is the only child I’ll have in this lifetime. I want to do everything personally.” Qi Shi’s eyes reddened as she lowered her gaze and drank a couple more sips of the nearly tasteless soup, her brow furrowing slightly as she endured the discomfort and drank several more mouthfuls.

Hearing from the servants outside that First Miss, Second Miss, Fourth Miss, Fifth Miss, Sixth Miss, and Seventh Miss had all come, Qi Shi handed the soup bowl to Nanny Zhai and wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

Bai Qingyan bowed in greeting and sat beside the bed, looking at Eighth Sister sleeping snuggled against Fifth Aunt. She smiled and had Chun Yan place the solid gemstone-inlaid longevity lock she had given to Eighth Sister beside the child. Full of tender love, she said softly, “Little Eight… I am your eldest sister. Thank you for coming safely to the Bai family.”

Bai Jinxiu also smiled as she presented her congratulatory gift, standing by the bed and seriously looking at Little Eight: “Little Eight is truly beautiful!”

“I think her nose resembles Fifth Aunt’s!” Fifth Miss Bai Jinzhao smiled at her twin sister Bai Jinhua, “Don’t you think so?”

Seventh Miss Bai Jinse looked and said, “I think her mouth resembles Fifth Uncle’s!”

“I think she looks like a little monkey!” Bai Jinzhi studied her for a moment and came to this conclusion.

Third Madam Li Shi stepped forward and poked her daughter’s head, glaring fiercely: “All newborn babies look like this. Little Eight looks much better than you did when you were born! When you were born, you were all wrinkled and dark – now that looked like a monkey!”

“Mother, you’re lying!” Bai Jinzhi’s face turned completely red.

Seeing Bai Jinzhi’s indignant expression, Third Madam Li Shi couldn’t help but cover her lips with her handkerchief and laugh.

Bai Qingyan looked up, her eyes full of gentle laughter.

Fifth Madam Qi Shi gazed at Bai Qingyan, who smiled gently with composed and tender features, and said softly, “I want to name the child Bai Wanqing… hoping that Little Eight will be as resilient and strong as her eldest sister! As outstanding as her brothers.”

She was stunned. Her younger brothers had truly all been exceptional, but she hadn’t expected that in Fifth Aunt’s eyes, she was considered a strong person…

Dong Shi reached out and touched Bai Qingyan’s head: “Your Fifth Aunt told us about this before you and Little Four returned.”

Bai Qingyan nodded and looked down at Bai Wanqing, who was smacking her little lips: “If Fifth Aunt thinks it’s good, then it’s good!”

Bai Jinxiu smiled and bent down to tease Bai Wanqing, who was smacking her little lips: “Little Wanqing, I’m your Second Sister!”

“I’m your Third Sister!”

Seventh Miss Bai Jinse, leaning against the bed, couldn’t help but gently touch the newborn’s tender little face with her finger, laughing: “I’m finally not the youngest anymore!”

The gloom that had always hung over the Bai family seemed to be dispelled by Little Eight’s arrival. In the room filled with bright, warm lamplight, there was the rare sound of the Bai family’s joyful laughter.

The next morning, news that Fifth Madam Qi Shi of the Bai family had given birth to a daughter spread throughout the capital.

The first to call was Fifth Madam Qi Shi’s maternal family. Not only did Qi Shi’s two sisters-in-law come, but even Qi Shi’s elder brother came personally.

However, Qi Shi’s elder brother did not enter Fifth Madam Qi Shi’s courtyard but was entertained by Steward Hao in the front courtyard.

Soon after, Old Madam Qi wiped her tears with a handkerchief and tucked in the blanket corners for Qi Shi, telling her daughter to rest well. She then brought her two daughters-in-law and left the main room together with Dong Shi.

Old Madam Qi smiled and took Dong Shi’s hand, saying to her, “Madam, this old woman has a few words she’d like to say to you. I wonder if I could go to your place for a cup of tea?”

Dong Shi had always been intelligent and could certainly see that what Old Madam Qi wanted to say was mostly… still related to Fifth Madam Qi Shi.

“Old Madam is an elder – how could you speak of asking for tea so formally? I would be delighted if Old Madam Qi would honor me by sitting at my place.” Dong Shi’s voice was gentle, neither servile nor arrogant, carrying the appropriate intimacy of a junior.

Dong Shi smiled warmly as she led Old Madam Qi and the two daughters-in-law of the Qi family to her place. After Nanny Qin served tea, Old Madam Qi didn’t drink but assumed an extremely humble posture, earnestly requesting that Dong Shi dismiss the attendants.

With this, Dong Shi could already guess that Fifth Sister-in-law Qi Shi’s mother probably wanted to request a letter of divorce from her.

After all, now that all the Bai family men had died, the eldest sister-in-law was like a mother… besides the Grand Princess, only Dong Shi had this authority.

Only Dong Shi and Old Madam Qi remained in the room, while Nanny Qin entertained Old Madam Qi’s two daughters-in-law with tea in the outer room.

Old Madam Qi shed tears before speaking: “Madam, I won’t hide it from you… This old woman has come shamelessly to find you to request a letter of divorce!”

Indeed, Dong Shi’s smile remained unchanged as she waited for Old Madam Qi to continue.

“It’s not that people are cold-hearted by nature. This old woman only has one son and one daughter. This daughter is my youngest, and she has been the apple of my eye since childhood. Previously, because she was carrying the Bai family’s bloodline, this old woman never mentioned this matter. Now that my youngest daughter has borne a daughter for the Bai family, I wonder… could the Bai family release her to return home?”

Previously, Dong Shi’s mother, Old Madam Dong, had also wanted Dong Shi to return to her natal family. All mothers in the world worry about their children, and Dong Shi, both as a daughter and as a mother, could understand Old Madam Qi very well.

She asked softly, “Old Madam, is this Fifth Sister-in-law’s intention?”

Although she knew this was not Fifth Sister-in-law’s intention, Dong Shi still asked.

Old Madam Qi shook her head: “That foolish child is unwilling, but… she’s still young. Could she remain a widow for life? Wouldn’t that be asking for this mother’s life? Before I came, I had already discussed with her brother – we don’t want any of the dowry she brought to the Bai family back then. If you’re willing to let us Qi family, raise Wanqing, our entire family would kneel in gratitude!”

“If the Bai family is unwilling to let us Qi family have Wanqing, then all of my daughter’s dowry will be left to my poor little granddaughter! If in the future my granddaughter still thinks well of our Qi family… We’ll still consider ourselves relatives. I’ll treat that child as my heart’s treasure and make up for everything I owe her! If she’s unwilling to acknowledge me as her maternal grandmother, then consider it… consider it as if she never had such a heartless maternal grandmother!”

Speaking to this point, Old Madam Qi felt even more sorry for her just-born little granddaughter, her crying intermittent and extremely heart-wrenching.