“Alright, you can go back now. I don’t need you to serve me here.”

“This daughter-in-law takes her leave.” Han Shi was quick to agree, after all, with more than twenty years of mother-in-law and daughter-in-law dynamics, the temperaments were long understood, so there was no need for pretense.

As for the breakfast, the Wenren family did not have a rule to eat together, each had their own meal at different times, so when Han Shi agreed to have breakfast with Xiao Cao, Wenren Taibo just drank a couple of sips of porridge during that time.

Xiao Cao had a good memory and was not directionally challenged; she was well aware of the roads around the main courtyard and did not need a maid to guide her.

Before even stepping through the main courtyard’s door, Xiao Cao noticed Wenren Ying coming towards her.

As soon as Wenren Ying saw Xiao Cao, her eyes sparkled like stars, brimming with a bright smile, and she hurried over like a child, exclaiming, “Fourth sister.” With a familiar gesture, she hooked her arm around Xiao Cao’s.

Xiao Cao smiled gently, “Seventh sister.”

Regarding Wenren Ying’s affectionate demeanor as if they had grown up together and shared a close bond, Xiao Cao remained calm. Whether this enthusiasm stemmed from a specific reason or was simply part of her sister’s nature, it was certainly much better than someone approaching her with a sarcastic tone and looking for trouble.

The two sisters walked in hand in hand, and when the maid drew back the curtain, Han Shi immediately broke into a beaming smile upon seeing them. She took each of their hands and pulled them close, her spirits noticeably lifted, radiating a sense of wholeness, as if she had become much younger overall in that moment.

“Have you had breakfast yet, Ying’er?”

“Not yet. I knew Mother would definitely have breakfast with Fourth Sister, so I came over to be with you all. It’s more enjoyable to eat together.”

“Yes, yes, yes, you little rascal.” Han Shi led them to sit down.

Xiao Cao tilted her head and saw two or three women dressing up. Two were a bit older, probably around thirty, while one seemed to be just in her early twenties. The common trait among them was their good looks; elegant and well-groomed, their attire was neither overly gaudy nor drearily monotonous, and their complexions looked quite good.

When they met Xiao Cao’s gaze, the three of them hurried to bend down and greet her, saying, “Fourth Miss, Seventh Miss.”

Xiao Cao guessed that they were probably her father’s concubines and quickly turned her head away, returning only a half-bow.

Han Shi smiled upon seeing this and said, “These are your father’s three concubines; one is from the Wenren family, another was bought from outside, and the last is a good girl from a reputable family. They are considered part of the family now.”

Two lowly concubines, one good concubine, but a concubine is a concubine. Even if she is a noble concubine, she is at most half a mistress.

In the Qi Dynasty, as a concubine, one must first show respect to their husband’s children. For legitimate children, if you encounter one who is kind and reasonable, you typically receive half the courtesy, like Xiao Cao, and need not reciprocate. If you encounter a child who demands excessive respect, you can accept their full courtesy without fear of repercussions or criticism. For illegitimate children, you should return half courtesy, and to your own children, you can only return full courtesy in private. If your own child, born to you, looks down on you and makes you feel inferior because of your status as a concubine, you must learn to bear with it and not take offense.

The social status of concubines in the Qi Dynasty is truly low.

Of course, this doesn’t apply to concubines who are favored by their husbands, or those whose natal families are powerful, or those whose family dynamics are chaotic.

Later, during breakfast, the three concubines happened to serve the mother and daughters.

Their movements were nimble; with a glance, you could see the food being placed in front of them quickly. The youngest one was in charge of serving Xiao Cao, occasionally speaking in a gentle tone, laughing sweetly and saying a few words, showing consideration and attentiveness. Xiao Cao felt somewhat uncomfortable.

In the several years spent with Tingyu, they mostly dined together in a familiar setting. At first, there would be someone to serve the dishes, but after getting used to each other, it was mostly just the two of them having meals together, sometimes with Old Master Che joining them, while the servants merely stood by in attendance.

Aside from feeling unfamiliar, there was also the matter of the server’s identity; after all, she was her father’s partner, and a valid third party to their relationship in such a world. While it was commonly accepted, Xiao Cao, having witnessed it, would never be able to adjust to the situation.

However, looking at Wenren Ying, she appeared to be used to it all, and in her mother’s eyes, there was nothing but her daughter.

Xiao Cao tried to gloss over her discomfort, thinking that these matters were probably the norm. Yet, isn’t it true that the legitimate wife and the concubines are often like born enemies? Her mother seemed to be establishing rules for the concubines, yet the three aunts appeared to be living quite well. Whether their happiness was genuine or feigned, Xiao Cao’s keen observation could not be deceived. Clearly, they hadn’t suffered from harsh treatment or oppression.

How this scene of “harmony between wife and concubines” came to be was something Xiao Cao had no interest in knowing; as long as there were no significant problems between her parents, it was best for their children not to interfere.

After finishing breakfast, the three of them sat together to chat, while also digesting their food.

Han Shi spoke to the two sisters about the words of their grandmother, Old Madam Wenren, “I originally had this intention as well, but I still had some concerns. Now that your grandmother has spoken, it couldn’t be better.”

Wenren Ying also chimed in, clapping her hands in agreement, “Sister’s hard-won return home should indeed be a proper occasion for introducing her to relatives and friends.” Her smile was full of joy, and her eyes sparkled, clearly very pleased with this decision.

As for Wenren Ying, she had no objections to the matter itself, but she was surprised by who proposed it. She was very clear about what kind of person their grandmother was; the old madam was serious and somewhat stern, and she was not close with the younger generation.

If one were to think about it, the eldest grandson, being the legitimate eldest grandson, was probably the only one who could receive her somewhat amiable demeanor, but even that was just slightly. Especially after their grandfather passed away, it seemed that everyone was treated equally.

Even when a nephew was born as part of the fourth generation of the Wenren family, their grandmother merely held the child briefly, showing no showing no inclination to bring the baby closer to shower affection on him.

In every family, there are always one or two younger members who are particularly favored by their grandmother; in her eyes, they are her beloved treasures. As for this family, their grandmother… to put it bluntly, does not interfere in matters and is not easily appeased—it’s hard to know how to approach her.

The fourth sister’s return home seemed to have won the grandmother’s favor, which was quite surprising. Wenren Ying had the intention to probe into the reason behind this, but Han Shi had already mentioned that Xiao Cao should visit Old Madam Wenren later. She didn’t elaborate much, only inquired whether Old Madam Wenren’s illnesses could possibly be treated.

Old Madam Wenren had numerous health problems; in her previous life, these were… let alone now, when medicine was less advanced.

“Grandmother has quite a few health issues, some of which can be completely cured, while others might not be as easy to treat. However, we will attempt to ensure that they don’t disrupt her daily life as much as possible.”

Han Shi nodded, “This is already very good.”

Now, Han Shi had considerable trust in Xiao Cao’s medical skills. After all, the people from the imperial medical institution played a rather limited role, far less than that of her daughter.

“The Fourth Sister knows medicine? That sounds quite impressive,” Wenren Ying said with curiosity in her eyes.