Zhao Hanzhang resignedly opened her arms to embrace Zhao Erlang, patting his back to comfort him.

After a long while, Zhao Erlang’s crying gradually ceased. He timidly opened his eyes to look at Zhao Hanzhang, “You…”

He looked at her suspiciously, “You’re my sister?”

Zhao Hanzhang was inwardly surprised but showed no emotion on her face, “I don’t remember, but they say so.”

She looked Zhao Erlang up and down, saying, “I’ve seen you in my memories. I vaguely recall that at the beginning of the year you stood on the artificial mountain in the garden to urinate into the wind, and ended up urinating on someone else’s head?”

Wang Shi coughed violently, “That was two years ago. Sanniang, you’ve remembered wrong. Back then your brother was still young…”

But Zhao Erlang wouldn’t blush. In his limited memory he also recalled this incident. He nodded vigorously with delight, “Right, that’s me! Because of that, Sister chased me with a whip for two streets and dragged me back for a good beating.”

He instinctively reached back to rub his bottom, looking somewhat aggrieved, “It hurt so much.”

Zhao Hanzhang: “…Does it still hurt now?”

Zhao Erlang nodded.

Zhao Hanzhang reached out to poke his knee, “What about here?”

Zhao Erlang drew in a sharp breath, his expression pained as he shuddered, involuntarily shrinking backward.

Wang Shi watched with heartache.

Zhao Hanzhang withdrew her finger and told Ting He, “Clean out the side room and let Erlang stay here. Send someone out of the mansion to summon a physician. He’s been kneeling so long—his legs need proper treatment, lest they be damaged.”

Ting He acknowledged.

Wang Shi hesitated somewhat, “Though Erlang is simple-minded, he’s not young anymore. Is it proper for him to still live in your courtyard?”

“Who would say anything? He’ll stay in the side room, not in the same chamber,” Zhao Hanzhang said, “After what just happened, I’m not comfortable letting him go to the front courtyard. Just let him stay with me.”

Wang Shi also feared he might be manipulated into doing wrong again, so with Zhao Hanzhang’s persuasion she agreed.

Zhao Erlang covered his aching knees with both hands and confirmed, “You really are my sister!”

Only his sister would poke his sore spots like this.

Zhao Hanzhang looked at him with complicated feelings, not knowing whether to praise his cleverness or call him foolish.

He had clearly become suspicious, yet believed her so easily?

Zhao Erlang settled into Qingyi Pavilion. The Zhao family’s head, Zhao Changyu, said not a word. Though others might have opinions, they could only suppress them. But Zhao Danian was still kneeling in the ancestral hall.

The previously stable second branch elders could no longer sit comfortably.

During the evening meal, people from the second branch came together—oh, except for that uncle she had yet to meet.

The food had just been set on the table. Zhao Hanzhang had comfortably been carried to the table’s edge and just sat down when a servant entered to report, “Second Lady, Sanniang, the eldest master and eldest lady are here with Second Lady and Fourth Lady to see Sanniang.”

Zhao Hanzhang looked toward Wang Shi.

Wang Shi set down her chopsticks and used her handkerchief to wipe her mouth, “Show them in.”

If it were only Second Lady and Fourth Lady coming, they could use the previous excuse not to see them. But with elders coming, it wouldn’t be proper to refuse them at the door.

Wang Shi sat at the table waiting. Zhao Erlang seized the time to stuff a mouthful of food in his mouth, then obediently placed his hands on his knees and sat properly—clearly his etiquette training was good, the family had taught him.

Zhao Ji entered with his wife and daughters. Wang Shi reluctantly led Zhao Erlang to stand and greet them.

Only Zhao Hanzhang, due to her leg injury, sat firmly on the couch without moving, showing no discomfort.

Upon entering, Zhao Ji’s gaze immediately found her. He looked intently, meeting Zhao Hanzhang’s curious eyes looking back.

Zhao Hanzhang made no effort to conceal her examining gaze, very brazenly looking over Zhao Ji, then at his wife, then at the two young girls behind him.

Zhao Ji was startled by her gaze—this unfamiliar examination…

Zhao Ji’s brows furrowed slightly. Had she truly lost her memory?

Examining this family of four, Zhao Hanzhang slowly matched them with the people in her memories. Too many memories surfaced at once, making her head ache as if it would split. Zhao Hanzhang’s face paled slightly, her forehead beading with slight sweat.

Zhao Ji was watching her and noticed the abnormality first. After a pause he quickly asked, “What’s wrong with Sanniang?”

Ting He also noticed, hurrying forward to support Zhao Hanzhang, asking anxiously, “Sanniang, is your head hurting again?”

This little pain was nothing to Zhao Hanzhang. She could easily endure it, but…

Meeting Zhao Ji’s examining, suspicious gaze, Zhao Hanzhang thought, why should she endure?

So she released the floodgates of memory, letting the memories and emotions that surged up upon seeing them overwhelm her. Her face instantly became pale as snow, cold sweat pouring from her forehead. She suddenly vomited…

This violent reaction didn’t seem like something that could be faked.

Zhao Ji felt uneasy. He had thought Zhao Hanzhang’s memory loss was an act, meant to make the elder punish the second branch. But now it seemed she had truly lost her memory.

Zhao Hanzhang vomited for quite a while. The maids and servants in the room fell into chaos. When the memories in her mind calmed slightly, she raised her head to look at Zhao Ji’s family of four. But her gaze caught Zhao Yi entering behind them. She immediately changed targets, her finger trembling as she pointed at Zhao Yi, “You, you, I remember you…”

Before finishing her sentence, she tilted her head and fainted.

Zhao Yi—Zhao Dalang—Zhao Ji’s only son for now. Meeting him was much better than meeting his two daughters.

Having dropped her bomb, Zhao Hanzhang felt at ease feigning unconsciousness.

But Wang Shi didn’t know the truth. Seeing her daughter collapse, she was greatly shocked and rushed forward to embrace her, “Sanniang, Sanniang, what’s wrong with you? Quickly summon a physician…”

Ting He was also frightened, turning to run outside. Qinggu grabbed her, “Quickly go request the master, ask the master to summon an imperial physician. Outside physicians are useless.”

Ting He acknowledged and turned to run out.

Zhao Erlang saw his sister faint so suddenly. He was also terrified. With Wang Shi’s cry, tears sprang to his eyes. He squeezed forward and tightly grasped one of Zhao Hanzhang’s hands. The more he looked, the paler she seemed, very much like the dead people he’d seen days ago. He couldn’t help but wail loudly, “Sister, Sister…”

Wang Shi had been holding steady, but with her son’s crying, grief welled up from within and she couldn’t help embracing Zhao Hanzhang and weeping loudly.

Zhao Hanzhang: …

She couldn’t help using her other hand to scratch Wang Shi’s palm. Wang Shi, absorbed in crying, didn’t feel it. Zhao Hanzhang could only pinch once.

Wang Shi: …

She reacted, lowering her tear-streaked face to look at her daughter. She saw Zhao Hanzhang slightly open her eyes a crack, meeting her gaze before tightly closing them again.

Wang Shi understood. Embracing Zhao Hanzhang, her crying immediately intensified. Hearing this, the servants in the room felt grief in their hearts and began crying softly along with her.

Only Qinggu remained useful, directing some to fetch hot water while sending others to find Sanniang’s medicine, and dispatching people to the gate to watch for the physician…

Zhao Ji stood frozen with his wife and children. The chaos and grief in the room avoided them entirely. To any observer, this scene could only be interpreted as the second branch coming to bully the orphans and widows of the main branch.

The second branch members who had collectively said only one sentence since entering: …