After returning to the North Courtyard, Xu Rong led Madam Xu into the warm pavilion. Xu Huazhang wanted to follow, but Madam Xu turned around and stopped him: "Zhang'er, I'm talking to your sister, so don't listen."

Xu Huazhang's eyes darted around: "Alright, then I'll go talk to my brother-in-law."

He then followed Xiao Xin to the east side room on the other side.

Xu Rong helped Madam Xu sit down on the heated kang in the warm pavilion, and then asked Bai Fu to serve tea. As Madam Xu reached out to take the tea, she looked around the room and then sighed sadly, "Alas, Rong'er, this courtyard is not as spacious as it was when you were at home. You've suffered."

Xu Rong didn't bother to respond to this. Wasn't all the suffering caused by Madam Xu? Why bother lamenting now?

However, she wasn't angry with Madam Xu. It's perfectly normal for a confused person to say confused things; she could just accept that.

"What brings you here, Mother?" she simply asked.

This question brought Madam Xu back to her senses, and she hurriedly said, "Rong'er, I heard that the Chang family's daughter is pregnant?"

Xu Rong nodded: "Who told you that, Mother?"

It had only been a few days since Chang Shuyin was diagnosed with pregnancy, and her pregnancy was not yet three months along. Generally speaking, people would not announce it to the outside world at this stage, but Madam Xu was surprisingly well-informed.

Madam Xu looked displeased: "Who else? The Chang family, that's all. The Duchess of Zheng is making a fuss everywhere looking for good doctors and good midwives. It's really ridiculous. She's only a few months pregnant, and we don't even know what she's carrying yet, but she's already making a big fuss about it all over the place, as if she's afraid people won't know that her daughter is carrying the Xiao family's child."

Xu Rong thought for a moment, understood, and smiled, "Since Mother knows that people are deliberately making a fuss, why bother saying anything?"

She and Chang Shuyin had each been in the family for about half a year. During that time, they had had some minor clashes and frictions, but there had never been a serious, head-on confrontation.

From an objective point of view, the reasons are twofold. While she did not actually take action, Chang Shuyin also exercised restraint. She tried her best to demonstrate the demeanor of the eldest daughter-in-law and sister-in-law—this is probably what people mean when they say that the more they lack something, the more they want to make up for it.

The same applies to this case.

What could solidify her status as a daughter-in-law of the Xiao family more than becoming pregnant with a child?

That must be said. Not only must it be said, but it must be said early and often, until the idle people forget all the past and only remember that she was born to be the eldest daughter-in-law of the Xiao family.

"How can you still laugh?" Madam Xu was even more unhappy and refused to drink her tea.

Her family had fallen on hard times and she was widowed, so she rarely went out to socialize. On one rare occasion, she heard this conversation. The circle of nobles was only so big, and the person who was speaking knew a lot about the Xu family's story within it. As he spoke, he kept giving her meaningful glances, which made her feel very depressed, but she couldn't show it and could only pretend that nothing was wrong.

Xu Rong said calmly, "I'm living my life. What's so funny? Did Mother come all this way just for this?"

Unlike Madam Xu, Chang Shuyin's pregnancy was a good thing for her, but in order not to further provoke Madam Xu, she did not say it outright.

"What's wrong? This is very important," Madam Xu said reproachfully, then leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "Rong'er, tell your mother, do you have any good news?"

Xu Rong shook his head without hesitation.

Of course not.

It's impossible.

Madam Xu looked utterly disappointed: "Sigh—"

Xu Rong tried to fool her: "Mother, why are you in such a hurry? There's plenty of time. This isn't something to rush."

For once, Madam Xu wasn't fooled: "How could I not be anxious? You've been married for over half a year now. Other people's marriages are so smooth; they marry in January and get pregnant in February. That's called 'entering the house with joy,' the most auspicious thing—"

Then she went on and on, bombarding Xu Rong with a long list of related matters and gossip: which family's daughter-in-law got pregnant as soon as she entered the house, which family hadn't heard from anyone for years and then the husbands kept taking concubines, which husbands took concubines but didn't have any children and their line ended up dying out...

Xu Rong was getting sleepy from her nagging and finally couldn't help but try to interrupt her. However, Madam Xu herself was also tired of talking. She picked up the teacup she had put down earlier and drank half of it in one go. Then she reached out to a maid she had brought and said, "Where's the prescription? Bring it to me."

The eldest maid stepped forward and carefully placed a small package she had been carrying on the kang table.

The red brocade was unfolded layer by layer, revealing a square lacquered box inside. The lid was then opened, and Madam Xu took out a stack of papers from inside, which she carefully handed to Xu Rong: "I went to great lengths to ask for these for you, so please keep them safe."

Xu Rong took it and looked at it with a puzzled expression—she recognized all the words written on it, but couldn't understand them when put together.

Because it is a prescription.

There were quite a few; at a glance, there were at least three or four portions. Xu Rong looked up and asked curiously, "Mother, what are these for?"

She's not sick.

Madam Xu's maternal love was displayed in a truly bizarre way.

Madam Xu smiled mysteriously and lowered her voice again: "These are for you to recuperate. The two prescriptions on top are for you, and the one on the bottom is for your son-in-law. When you tell someone to prepare them, please be careful not to mix them up."

Xu Rong: "..."

She was convinced.

Although Madam Xu did not explicitly state what kind of recuperation was being sought, how could she not understand at this point?

"Mother, you—" Xu Rong rubbed her forehead, not knowing what to say for a moment.

In this matter, Madam Xu demonstrated her extraordinary yet meticulous thinking ability—she not only prepared it for her, but also for Xiao Xin.

If there is a problem, then both people should take care of themselves together.

In some respects, it can actually be considered science.

Ignoring her emotions, Madam Xu earnestly said, "Rong'er, tell your husband that he must take the medicine on time. Don't think that just because you're young you can take it lightly. The earlier you start taking care of yourself, the better. If you don't believe me, look at His Highness the Crown Prince. It's been three years since his wedding, and there's still no news. The Emperor and Empress are so anxious. If you delay until then, it will be too late—"

Xu Rong was both amused and exasperated. Madam Xu was truly living up to her unreliable nature, saying whatever came to mind.

She was about to speak, but Madam Xu didn't give her a chance. She took out another booklet-like object from the box and showed it to her, this time with even more mystery. She shooed the maids away before saying, "You—"

But before he could open it, a voice from outside announced, "The young lady has arrived."

"..." Madam Xu was startled and hurriedly put the booklet back into the box. Xu Rong didn't notice her expression and casually tossed the prescription in as well. He turned to her and asked, "What does the eldest young lady want?"

"Nothing much, I was just bored at home alone and wanted to come and sit with my second sister-in-law."

As she spoke, Xiao Shan appeared beside the curtain.

On the sweltering summer day, she wore a light green shirt, held a silk fan, and stood by the curtain like a beautiful woman in a painting, smiling shyly: "I didn't know you had guests here, Second Sister-in-law. I hope I haven't disturbed you?"

Since she was already there, Xu Rong didn't mind. Besides, she didn't want to listen to Madam Xu's endless lectures on the secrets to getting pregnant, so she nodded and said, "It's alright, please come in and sit down, young lady."

Xiao Shan walked in, first bowing to Madam Xu and saying, "Hello, Auntie."

Madam Xu closed the box, her mind still on the contents, and nodded absentmindedly.

Xiao Shan was probably really bored and wanted to talk. After sitting down, she took the initiative to say to Xu Rong, "Second Sister-in-law, when I came in, I heard some noises from the east room. Does Second Brother have guests too?"

Xu Rong said, "That's my younger brother. He's talking to the Second Young Master."

Xiao Shan nodded, a look of realization and embarrassment on her face: "So it was the young marquis. The young marquis saved me last time. I was so scared that I didn't even have a chance to thank him."

That happened during the Qingming Festival.

The Great Heat has passed now.

Xu Rong hesitated for a moment, then said, "It was nothing, Miss, you don't need to be so polite."

But Madam Xu's attention was finally drawn: "Huh? Who did Zhang'er save? When did this happen? How come I didn't know? He didn't say anything when he came home. Did he get into trouble again?"

He asked a series of questions.

"Aunt Xu, it was my fault—"

Xiao Shan spoke softly and gently, recounting the whole story of that incident. It was rare that she remembered it so clearly. However, as Xu Rong listened, he gradually felt that something was amiss.

Xiao Shan wasn't trying to smear Xu Huazhang; on the contrary, she described him in a very positive light. Chasing away the lecherous man was an act of bravery, and refusing to give her a ride afterward showed his upright character and lack of interest in women. In short, there was nothing wrong with him.

But that's the problem.

No way—

Xu Rong glanced at Xiao Shan in surprise.

It's been a while since Qingming Festival, but since then, Xiao Shan hasn't really had any opportunities to go out. Young ladies are supposed to stay at home and not go out much, so it would be too easy for Madam Xiao to keep her in check.

But it shouldn't be to the point of pushing her to this point where she's desperately seeking any treatment.

Of course, this is not to say that Xu Huazhang is bad—although the playboy brother has a fiery temper, he is not a bad person at heart, and even if the Xu family no longer has real power, he still has a marquis title, which can guarantee him a life of eating, drinking and having fun.

In the marriage market, this condition is neither the best nor the worst.

However, whether it's good or bad, it won't have anything to do with Xiao Shan.

Even setting aside past entanglements, families of such high social standing as the Marquis of Changxing and the Marquis of Ji'an have strict rules for marriage alliances. They would not engage in exchanging marriages unless under extremely special circumstances, as it would waste marriage quotas and be beneath their dignity.

Xu Rong wondered if she was overthinking things. She looked Xiao Shan over again but couldn't tell. She had only noticed the problem from Xiao Shan's strange words and actions, but she couldn't be sure if Xiao Shan herself was really interested in Xu Huazhang.

"What? Zhang'er isn't hurt, is she?!"

Mrs. Xu's suddenly raised voice interrupted her thoughts, "How many people are pursuing you?"

Xiao Shan was stunned for a moment, then stammered, "Two...two."

She didn't go into such detail when she described it. What young girl would dare to be so explicit when talking about being harassed? I didn't expect Madam Xu to keep asking.

"Wouldn't Zhang'er be dealing with both of them?" Madam Xu clutched her chest, letting out a heart-wrenching gasp. "That child! I told him to take a few more people with him when he went out the other day, but he wouldn't. He just runs around everywhere and meddles in other people's business. He's really driving me crazy!"

Xiao Shan: "..."

Her face gradually stiffened uncontrollably.

Even at her advanced age, Madam Xu was still quite worldly-wise, and quickly said, "Oh, young lady, I'm not saying this to criticize you. It's good that you're alright. It's just that Zhang'er is so inconsiderate. Doesn't he think about what would happen if he got injured or something else happened to him? How would I live then!"

As she spoke, Madam Xu's eyes welled up with tears, and she lowered her head to look for a handkerchief.

Xu Rong silently handed his to her.

...

Xiao Shan is gone.

She couldn't sit down anymore because she had made an elder cry while she was trying to speak nicely. Whether it was because Madam Xu was too prone to tears or not.

Madam Xu left quickly, eager to take Xu Huazhang back and discipline him. She only hurriedly told Xu Rong one more thing: "Make good use of everything I gave you."

Xu Huazhang, however, was reluctant to leave. Before leaving, Xiao Xin rushed out to see him off and called out, "Brother-in-law, you must work hard!"

Xu Rong chuckled and said, "Second Young Master, is he advising you to study hard?"

Xiao Xin said, "No."

Xu Rong had only asked casually, but to her surprise, she received a negative answer. She asked in astonishment, "Then what is it?"

It was nearly noon, and the heat outside was intense. Xu Rong asked as she retreated back into the house. Xiao Xin followed slowly beside her and said, "You really want to know?"

What's the point of knowing what's real or fake here?

Xu Rong tolerantly played along with his suspense: "I do, Second Young Master, please tell me quickly."

Upon entering the warm chamber, she immediately spotted the box that Madam Xu had placed in the corner of the kang (heated brick bed). She picked it up, intending to simply find a trunk or basket to put it in and then ignore it, when Xiao Xin suddenly reached out and pressed it down.

"Second Young Master?" Xu Rong looked up in question.

Xiao Xin stood in front of her, looking at her, and said, "Didn't you ask me what it was? It's this."

Xu Rong: "..."

Well.

She understood. Although Madam Xu had chased Xu Huazhang away, she certainly hadn't kept her search for the prescription a secret from him. Madam Xu was sharing her experience with her here, while Xu Huazhang was relaying messages to Xiao Xin over there.

Therefore, Xiao Xin even knew what Madam Xu had brought with her.

Naturally, it was obvious what Xu Huazhang wanted him to work hard for.

This was nothing unusual; it was simply that neither Madam Xu nor Xu Huazhang were aware of the full story and were acting recklessly.

But now, Xiao Xin was standing so close to her, almost face to face, his gaze fixed on her with an inexplicable persistence, even stubbornness. His brows were cold, yet his eyes seemed warm; though he was giving her an answer, it was as if he were demanding something from her—

Xu Rong felt a little uncomfortable.

The atmosphere was strange.

It's all Madam Xu's and Xu Huazhang's fault for causing her trouble.

Xu Rong knew she couldn't let her emotions show; the more awkward she felt, the more awkward she would become.

So she avoided his hand, opened the box instead, and laughed, "My mother really worries too much."

The prescriptions on top were still the same ones, which she couldn't understand after looking at them. Below, she remembered there was a small booklet that Madam Xu hadn't had a chance to show her, and she didn't know what it was, so she took it out to take a look.

I can't exactly give her a whole book of fertility secrets, can I?

The booklet's cover and back cover were both unremarkable.

Xu Rong, completely unsuspecting, casually flipped to one of the pages.

She took a look.

It was a comic book with text and pictures; she mainly focused on recognizing the pictures.

There is a bamboo grove, a stone table and benches, and people. The people are leaning against the stone table, facing the bamboo grove, seemingly admiring the bamboo.

But that's not quite right either.

A person shouldn't have three legs. Xu Rong looked more closely and finally realized that there were actually two people admiring the bamboo, but they were so close together that they were hard to tell. The painting skills were truly terrible.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck her, and her rant came to an abrupt halt.

"Heh, heh..."

Xu Rong chuckled dryly, looking up with a series of cracking sounds, almost audible as the stiffness in his neck made a sound. "Second Young Master, stop looking, this painting is terrible."

Xiao Xin: "..."

He hadn't planned to watch it anyway.

He had no idea such a thing existed.

Right under his nose, she opened it, looked at it, and then wanted to talk to him—

Xiao Xin closed his eyes briefly, unable to bear it any longer, and turned to leave.

His back view showed he was almost fleeing in panic.