As soon as Song Shi entered Orchid Heart Court, she saw her daughter, who now looked like a young lady from a great household, dressed in fine clothes, with flesh on her face, and she had even grown taller.

Song Shi looked her up and down carefully and was completely reassured.

After briefly getting acquainted with the others and exchanging a few words, they tactfully went outside, leaving space for the mother and daughter.

Song Shi sat close to her daughter on the couch: “Seeing you like this, Mother can finally sleep well at night.”

Yun Shuyao rested her head on her shoulder: “Mother, I’ve already grown up.”

Song Shi smiled: “In Mother’s eyes, you’ll never grow up. For this lifetime, I’ll never stop worrying about you three. How is it, is the baby giving you much trouble?”

Yun Shuyao: “Aside from not being able to stand mutton, everything else is fine.”

Song Shi’s smile became even more radiant: “You’re quite like your maternal grandmother in this way. She also couldn’t stand the smell of mutton when pregnant, but her appetite for other things was very good.”

Yun Shuyao knew what her colleague over there was being tormented with by morning sickness and felt fortunate: “I hope I can keep it up. Mother, is everything well at home?”

Song Shi naturally nodded: “Everything is well.”

She spoke of the family situation one by one: “Your father’s leg is almost healed. Injuries to sinews and bones take a hundred days, can’t rush it. The doctor comes to check from time to time. Your father won’t have any aftereffects.”

“He treasures the books you sent back. When your brother wanted to read them, he wasn’t too willing to share.”

“Your brother has grown up a lot and has grown taller too.”

“Your eldest uncle’s family is also well. Your estate still follows what you said before…”

There were two reasons why Gao Shi could stay to take care of Concubine Mei.

One was that Gao Shi was a concubine and didn’t need to manage household affairs. Her son wasn’t young anymore and didn’t need her constant attention. The other reason was that Concubine Mei’s morning sickness reaction was too severe and required careful attention.

But Song Shi couldn’t leave the Yun family for a long time, and Yun Shuyao didn’t have any severe pregnancy reactions now.

Yun Shuyao just wanted to see her and talk with her, to personally hear her talk about the family situation, and that would be enough.

After exchanging their recent situations, Yun Shuyao took out three hundred taels of silver.

This money wasn’t for the family. Yun Shuyao knew her mother wouldn’t accept it.

If she wanted to help, she could use other methods, not this most direct and also most easily refused way.

Like the books she sent back—that was what the Yun family most urgently needed.

Seeing this silver, Song Shi was stunned: “Where did this silver come from?”

Yun Shuyao: “The old madam gave it. Mother, help me with something.”

Song Shi: “Tell me, what do you want to do?”

Yun Shuyao: “Help me give this to eldest uncle. Ask him to help me keep an eye on the fields near the mountain in the village. If anyone wants to sell land, help me buy it. Buy two more of those mountains. This is the plan I wrote. Give it to eldest uncle and ask him to help.”

Song Shi thought about it and also felt making money with money was best, but she didn’t think this was a good idea: “No one in the village is selling land now. It will be hard to buy. You might as well buy a shop and collect rent monthly.”

Yun Shuyao: “I already have one shop. Mother, listen to me.”

Song Shi sighed and carefully put away the silver: “I know you have your own ideas. I’ll talk to your eldest uncle.”

Speaking of which, Song Shi remembered something and untied her bundle: “These are clothes your brother wore when he was little. Put them under your pillow.”

People at that time believed this could borrow some good fortune and give birth to a son.

Song Shi hoped her daughter would give birth to a son in one try.

No matter who her daughter married, if the first child was a son, things would be much easier afterward.

And in a magistrate’s household, if she gave birth to a son, her daughter’s future would be secure.

What the magistrate’s household most lacked now was a son.

A granddaughter wasn’t bad, but who could blame the world for not allowing daughters to take the imperial examinations to establish themselves and support the family?

With a grandson, even if her daughter grew old and lost her looks and fell out of favor in the future, she would still have a son to rely on.

Song Shi watched as the clothes were placed under the pillow, smiled, and continued taking things from her bundle: “This is clothing I made for you. I deliberately left some room in the measurements. Try it on.”

“This is the side dish I made. You love eating this. I made extra for you.”

Then came the time for sharing experience: “You’ve just conceived. Let me tell you…”

Time passed quickly for the mother and daughter.

At noon, Song Shi also met Magistrate Lin. When she saw the magistrate’s wife, Song Shi was already trembling, just barely holding herself together.

Now facing Magistrate Lin, she was even more nervous.

Her husband was a xiucai. The distance between them was really too great. The authority he held made her awestruck. So even though Magistrate Lin looked very handsome, her daughter was pregnant, and Magistrate Lin even smiled at her, Song Shi still felt constrained and couldn’t speak smoothly.

Lin Ruhai also noticed this. After saying a few brief words, he got up to leave, giving them space.

After he left, Song Shi breathed a sigh of relief, then realized she had made a mistake.

How could she let the head of the household leave?

She should have kept him there to cultivate feelings with her daughter.

Song Shi regretted that her earlier performance was too unseemly. Yun Shuyao held her hand and comforted her: “Mother, don’t worry. The master is a kind person. He just has official duties to attend to. When he’s finished, he’ll come.”

Song Shi: “…”

Are you trying to fool ghosts?

When Wu Peng was arrested, his trusted aide came to ask them to plead for mercy, saying they should let bygones be bygones and such.

Of course they didn’t speak for him and felt quite satisfied, but it also didn’t prevent them from gaining a slight understanding of Magistrate Lin’s style.

The evidence was conclusive, no hope of turning things around.

The dignified county magistrate was completely cast down to dust. Wu Peng naturally didn’t get away with anything.

The prestige of a county magistrate—what a desperately enormous colossus. They had nearly had the pillar of their family toppled by Wu Peng’s single sentence. Yet in Magistrate Lin’s hands, he fell just like that.

To have Song Shi regard him as a kind person… she really couldn’t do it.

Seeing it was about time.

Song Shi shook her head: “I should go back.”

Seeing her like this, Yun Shuyao said nothing more and took out gifts when she was about to leave.

There were some fabrics she had received, books that Lin Ruhai had someone send after he left, and a gift Jia Min had prepared. Together, Song Shi came with big and small packages and left with big and small packages.

But the value of these two was vastly different.

Song Shi looked and refused to accept no matter what.

Yun Shuyao could only take back the things she had prepared: “These are what the master and madam sent. There’s no reason to take them back. Mother, would you rebuff their kindness?”

Song Shi glared: “…” How did her daughter learn to pressure people with words?

Yun Shuyao put some back: “You say the fabric is too precious and don’t want it. Fine. Then these are no problem, right? They’re pastries made in the kitchen. Mother, if you still won’t accept these, do you still consider me your daughter?”

Song Shi: “… I’ll accept them then.”

She sighed.

How long had her daughter been in the Lin residence? What she ate, wore, and used was beyond her imagination.

If nothing happened, that was fine, but if something did happen, what could they help their daughter with?

At this moment, Song Shi suddenly deeply understood why her husband was so diligent in studying.

Without sufficient status, one couldn’t help their daughter.

She left the Lin household with mixed feelings of joy and worry.

When stepping out of the Lin residence gate, she turned to look back.

She stared for a few seconds before continuing to walk, but her steps were somewhat heavier in comparison.

After Mother returned, Yun Shuyao organized the things she had brought.

She also took out the clothes placed under the pillow.

This was naturally unscientific. Putting them under the pillow made it uneven and would affect sleep. She took them out and put them in a drawer.

The clothes she brought were also neatly put away.

Yu Shan stored the side dishes. She tasted them. The method for making side dishes was about the same, but each person used different amounts of ingredients, timing, and sequences, resulting in different flavors.

She could make something similar, but to make it exactly the same—no.

However, even if she could make something similar, she believed that for Concubine Yun, it still wouldn’t be the same.

At the evening meal, Lin Ruhai came over.

A dazzling array filled the table. He looked at the portions and nodded secretly.

“Shuyao, why not have your mother stay for a few days?”

Yun Shuyao shook her head: “My father can’t do without someone there. Being able to meet and talk is already very happy.”

Lin Ruhai nodded: “Your father’s leg injury indeed can’t do without someone. Perhaps when your brother has a break and your mother has time, we’ll send them an invitation.”

Yun Shuyao couldn’t help but smile: “Would that be inappropriate?”

Lin Ruhai: “What’s inappropriate about it?”

He looked at the smile at the corners of Yun Shi’s mouth. This wasn’t anything much.

He looked again at her lower abdomen: “Has the child troubled you today?”

Yun Shuyao: “No, it’s a thoughtful one.” Yun Shuyao gave a thumbs up to the little tadpole in her belly.

Her appetite was incredibly good.

And she had no nausea or dry heaving.

Lin Ruhai had a smile on his face. Seeing she had put down her chopsticks, he placed his hand on her lower abdomen.

Of course, nothing could be felt yet.

After eating their fill, they couldn’t just sit still. Yun Shuyao pulled his hand and walked circles in the courtyard. Lin Ruhai incidentally checked the courtyard situation and was satisfied to see that sharp corners and protrusions had all been dealt with. “You like orchids. I’ll have people collect more.”

Yun Shuyao had wood-element abilities. The more plants there were, the better her mood, so naturally she wouldn’t object: “Thank you, Master. Actually, I also like other flowers and plants, not just orchids.” She blinked: “As long as they’re beautiful, I like them all.”

Lin Ruhai couldn’t help but laugh: “I understand.”

The two talked and laughed. Hong Xiu followed behind, watching it all and smiling in her heart.

Unfortunately, this scene couldn’t last long.

The master still had to go to Fragrant Plum Court and finally return to Azure Wave Court.

Thinking of this, the smile on Hong Xiu’s face couldn’t help but fade.

She had almost forgotten her status—a great taboo.

So seeing the concubine’s peaceful gaze seeing off the master, Hong Xiu respected Concubine Yun even more.

This mentality of the concubine made her feel ashamed of herself.

Yun Shuyao didn’t know what Hong Xiu was thinking. From beginning to end, her positioning of herself was very clear. Now there was still some time before sleeping. She pulled Nanny Wang to exchange feelings.

As the saying goes, having many skills doesn’t weigh one down.

With teachers now at her doorstep, not learning something would be too wasteful.

Nanny Wang, Yu Shan, and Yu Chan were all people with special skills.

Nanny Wang was an old hand who had followed the old madam for decades, having experienced countless storms. She was proficient in etiquette and the customs and social dynamics of the capital, and equally knowledgeable about various jewelry materials and fabrics.

Yu Shan was the daughter of Cook Miao, and Cook Miao was someone the old madam had specially invited in before—her ancestors were imperial chefs.

Yu Chan was proficient in Su embroidery. A butterfly under her hands seemed about to flutter away. Even though Yun Shuyao couldn’t do needlework now, she could still learn weaving and making tassels from her.

With these three people, her day’s time would be arranged very fully.

Yun Shuyao was satisfied, but certain people were not.

Watching the two concubines peacefully nurturing their pregnancies, the madam not moving an inch, all her energy devoted to searching for someone called Master Zhiliao.

Nanny Qian became anxious: “My good madam, are you planning to do nothing like this? The master already said to bring the child to Azure Wave Court.”

If it was a boy, that would be one thing, but if it was a girl, raising her by your side for some amusement would be good. When she grew up, she could be sent off with a dowry, and it could also control the concubine.

Why didn’t her good madam understand this principle? Really reading too many books, her mind buried in books, not learning a bit of the duke’s wife’s tactics.

Not managing things this way, how would she bring this up with the master in the future?

Nanny Qian felt she was about to get angry, but the letter from the Jia residence still hadn’t arrived.

Moreover, Old Madam Lin was still here, clearly protecting the two concubines. She couldn’t act on her own.

Jia Min shook her head, her eyes alert: “Nanny, what I’m doing is the proper matter. As for other things, Nanny, don’t say more. I won’t agree.” Being able to find Master Zhiliao and conceive a child—that was her most important matter.

Nanny Qian stamped her foot: “My good madam, I’m not saying we shouldn’t look for Master Zhiliao. It’s just that this can’t be rushed.”

No one knew where Master Zhiliao went. Perhaps it would take years. In that long time, the two concubines’ children would grow up.

Suddenly, her foot paused as she thought of a good idea.

When the master spoke to the madam about adopting the concubines’ children, he probably hadn’t mentioned it to anyone else.

The two concubines logically wouldn’t know either.

And they definitely wouldn’t know the madam had refused.

If they learned these children were being born for Azure Wave Court, what would happen?

Thinking of their upcoming reactions, Nanny Qian couldn’t help but smile.