After Han Shi’s morning greeting to Wenren Taibo, she sent him off and went to see Old Madam Wenren.

The old madam was already up. Due to her limited sleep, she usually got up early, but today Han Shi noticed something different. In the past, she needed a long time to recuperate after getting up and often had to lean for quite a while, but now her complexion was a bit rosy, and she was sitting upright.

“Mother, you look much better,” Han said. Old Madam Wenren nodded but did not speak.

“It seems that you slept well last night, more than four hours without waking up. After getting up, your qi and blood look much fuller,” Xiang Mama remarked with a smile from the side. “This is all thanks to the fourth young lady.”

“Xuan’er is young, and this is what she ought to do. Knowing that grandmother is more at ease makes her happy,” Han Shi replied with a smile.

Although Old Madam Wenren was suffering from various ailments, she wasn’t muddle-headed; how could she not understand the meaning behind their back-and-forth?

However, her perception of Xiao Cao had indeed changed quite a bit. It was no longer the indifferent attitude she had at the beginning. After all, that child was genuinely good—at the very least, kind-hearted, considerate, and someone who knew how to “console” others. Last night, in just a short period, she unknowingly relaxed both her body and mind. Not only did she feel a bit physically relieved, but her heart also felt significantly lighter.

That child wasn’t actually trying to curry favor with her or flatter her upon their first meeting; that was just a pretext.

To put it bluntly, she couldn’t bear to see this old madam suffer from illness and wanted to lessen her pain. If it had been someone else, even if they had that ability, they might not have acted this way.

After all, it’s easy to be misunderstood, especially when arriving in a strange place; one tends to be a bit cautious and, until they get a grasp of the situation, they usually say little and do less to avoid making mistakes that could affect their future. Clearly, that child hadn’t considered any of that.

“First branch, what’s the situation with the fourth girl? Tell me more specifically.” With this single sentence, Han Shi knew that the old madam’s attitude had changed. Although her mother-in-law’s feelings towards her own daughter didn’t really affect things, having a grandchild loved by their grandmother was certainly a positive outcome.

Han Shi didn’t know much about the situation either, having learned what she could from Xiao Cao and now relaying everything clearly to Old Madam Wenren.

Of course, she also included a mother’s perspective, singing her daughter’s praises through thick emotional filters, but as she spoke, she couldn’t help but start to shed tears, saying how wonderful her daughter was, while also evoking pity.

Old Madam Wenren had a few feelings of her own, but she didn’t show any emotions. She didn’t say anything to Han Shi, who was wiping her tears, as everyone understood well what a mother’s heart could feel.

Once Han Shi had calmed down, Old Madam Wenren spoke again, “From what you’re saying, are you thinking of finding a match for the fourth girl?”

“Xuan’er is still so young.”

“Then the things from before should be wiped clean. Fourth girl learning some medical skills is nothing serious, but becoming a female doctor is another matter. It will become a stain on her. She will surely be looked down upon and belittled. When she goes to her in-laws, they will undoubtedly hold this against her, and even worse, she may be humiliated and mistreated. It’s best to inquire about her own thoughts on this matter, after all, she wasn’t raised among you. Some things shouldn’t be taken for granted; if feelings are hurt, the Fourth Girl will be sad, and you all will feel sorrow too.”

Han Shi’s heart was very surprised; she didn’t expect her mother-in-law to say such things. But after a moment’s thought, it didn’t seem too strange, especially considering the situation with the fifth child… “You still consider things thoroughly, Mother. Having a grandmother like you is a blessing for them.”

Old Madam Wenren glanced lightly at Han, “And about the fourth girl’s husband, ask her again to see if you can understand more about the situation. If possible, check it out carefully; something feels off.”

“Mother, I will take care of it.”

Old Madam Wenren nodded and said, “The return of our fourth girl is indeed a joyful matter. We shall choose a day to hold a banquet, inviting friends and relatives to meet her.”

Hearing this, Han Shi was overjoyed. Such seriousness indicated that the Wenren family placed great importance on Xuan’er, which would be beneficial for her integration into the upper class.

After all, in the entire Kaiping Imperial City, few are unaware that their family had lost a daughter. Now that she had been found, it was likely that people, considering her upbringing in the countryside, might view her as uncouth, ignorant, and lacking in manners, subject to ridicule and mockery. Introducing her formally to others and later presenting her socially would make a significant difference.

With the acknowledgment of the family head, even if this family head was not involved in daily affairs, the standing of the junior would be raised accordingly. And with the Wenren family’s clear attitude, those outsiders would naturally be more restrained.

Although Han Shi was confident that time would prove her Xuan’er to be absolutely outstanding, she did not want her Xuan’er to suffer any grievances. “Thank you, Mother,” Han Shi said, and the smile on her face couldn’t be concealed.

This goes to show that gaining the old madam’s favor was indeed very beneficial. After all, if the old madam doesn’t speak up, it would be difficult for her to act, despite her being in charge of the household. She still had a few sisters-in-law, and she couldn’t act without any reservations. However, now that the old madam had spoken, the others can only swallow their jealousy even if they feel sour inside.

Old Madam Wenren did not comment, “You insisted on putting the fourth girl in the ranking of daughters of the Wenren family back then. Now is the perfect time. Choose an auspicious day, open the ancestral hall, offer sacrifices to the ancestors, and put her into the family registry. Let her be named Wenren Xuan. Shall we keep that name unchanged?”

“This daughter-in-law thinks that this name is quite good, meaning daylily, forget-me-not. It seems that Xuan’er isn’t too keen on changing it, after all, it was her husband who chose it.”

“Then let’s do it that way. — Let’s have a family banquet tonight and gather all the family together first.”

“Yes.” Han Shi felt that today her mother-in-law was especially amiable and kind.

In fact, the relationship between her and her mother-in-law was not particularly close, but there were hardly any conflicts. It must be said that this was actually the most harmonious relationship between a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, which also served as additional evidence of how fortunate Han Shi was in the eyes of outsiders.

“Xiang told me that Fourth Girl asked me to stop the previous medicine last night. Since that’s the case, you should call her over to take a look at me. Should she prescribe new medicine or what? If she’s coming over to show courtesy, she can’t just do it halfway and then run away,” she said.

“After breakfast, this daughter-in-law will let Xuan’er come over,” Han Shi replied with a smile.

For a long time, they had been using the medicine from a physician at the Imperial Medical Department, and such a situation would not be changed easily. Now that Old Madam Wenren was allowing Xiao Cao to re-prescribe medicine for her, it signified acceptance and trust.

Although it was indeed a bit too fast, Old Madam Wenren didn’t really care.

After all, she was the one who benefited from last night’s events. Even if that girl had an ulterior motive, since she had little influence, her plans would cause Old Madam Wenren little harm ultimately. At her age, facing death was insignificant, and if she placed her trust in the right person, her remaining life could be a bit easier. Why not?

Old Madam Wenren was bold in her youth, and now she had nothing to fear.