Han Shi took the list, glanced over it, and then casually poked Wenren Ying’s forehead, scolding her: “And you’re still bold enough to say that! You don’t take things seriously or put in effort. Among the five siblings, you’re the youngest, and everything you do is the worst.”

Xiao Cao, concerned that Wenren Ying might get upset, was surprised when the younger sister cheerfully linked arms with Han Shi, saying, “All of you—my parents, my older brothers, and sisters—are amazing. As they say, ‘It’s easy to rest in the shade under a big tree.’ I have several big trees around me, so why should I bother trying to become one myself? Our family does need someone like a little firefly to set off the brilliance of your bright moons.”

“Such a talker,” Han Shi replied, though inwardly she agreed. Since all the older siblings were excellent, it was perfectly fine to spoil the youngest a bit. In fact, Wenren Ying had been somewhat of a surprise baby, as they hadn’t planned to have any more children. But her unexpected arrival had brought joy, especially after the sorrow of losing their second daughter. Han Shi had to admit that her sadness had eased somewhat because of Wenren Ying.

Looking at Xiao Cao, Han Shi pulled her into a warm embrace. She was now completely content.

Although Xiao Cao didn’t quite understand Han Shi’s sudden display of emotion, she quietly accepted it.

Wenren Ying had a pretty good idea of what was going on. She believed that no matter how one looked at things, it was a smart move to maintain a good relationship with her fourth sister. She would not give up on the things she wanted, but she truly hoped her family could live happily. Of course, if the fourth sister ever stood in her way… well, she’d show some mercy.

Xiao Cao had no special orders to make, but because some of the items she needed weren’t commonly used, they had to be custom-made. The rest of the items were quickly delivered to her courtyard.
Even though some things had to be custom-made, they would be ready by the afternoon.

The study was already big enough, so Xiao Cao planned to divide it into sections instead of setting up a separate room. There were plenty of decorative shelves, vases, and other items to arrange. After careful organizing, the space was cleverly partitioned, creating two distinct areas that didn’t block the light or line of sight, with an attractive, non-rigid layout.

However, Xiao Cao noticed that her mother was still having people bring in more furniture. Every slot on the decorative shelf was filled.
Xiao Cao wasn’t entirely sure about the value of these items, but she had enough judgment to tell that they were precious. In plain terms—expensive. More elegantly—exquisite.

She watched as Han Shi ordered her maids to make a full inventory of the items, which would officially become Xiao Cao’s private property.
Several times, Xiao Cao wanted to say something, but each time the conversation was diverted, leaving her with no choice but to quietly close her mouth.

So, she thought to herself, reincarnation is truly a skill. Some people can live a life of wealth and comfort, even if they don’t lift a finger. While others, no matter how hard they toil, struggle to have enough to eat.

As the matriarch of the family, Han Shi had plenty of things to keep her busy. After everything was mostly in order, she left, taking Wenren Ying with her. After all, Wenren Ying was expected to get married next year. Although she wouldn’t be the main wife, she still needed to learn how to manage a household. At the very least, she had to know how to run her own smaller household and keep track of her dowry, so that she wouldn’t be taken advantage of by her servants.

In an instant, Wenren Ying, who had previously been so lively and energetic, wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, looking quite deflated.
It seemed Wenren Ying was not naturally inclined to such matters and hadn’t inherited her mother’s talent for household management. Even though she had been a wife for many years in her past life, she could only ever grasp the general idea of running things. Now, as she was starting over, her mother still found her skills lacking and insisted on giving her thorough lessons.

With Han Shi gone, only Xiao Cao and Wenren Yang were left in the room.

Despite the bustling of people coming in and out and the noise of things being moved around, Wenren Yang, from the moment he entered, had fixated on a book, reading it with such intense focus that he didn’t seem affected by the commotion at all.

Seeing this firsthand, Xiao Cao couldn’t help but be impressed.

Approaching him, Xiao Cao waved her hand in front of his eyes, “Snap out of it, stop reading.”

Wenren Yang raised his head and quietly looked at Xiao Cao. Although his expression remained emotionless, Xiao Cao inexplicably sensed a hint of grievance in his eyes. Well, this was pretty normal. Most people would feel the same way if interrupted while concentrating on something. But her little brother, Xiaosi, was indeed very good-natured. Regardless…

Xiao Cao was unfazed, and even reached out to pat his head. “Have you already forgotten what I talked to you about earlier?”

Wenren Yang’s face briefly showed a flash of emotion, and he silently wondered if his fourth sister was treating him like a child. He pressed his lips together but ultimately refrained from asking. “I remember what Fourth Sister said, but…”

“But you got so absorbed in your reading that you forgot everything else?”

Wenren Yang nodded.

It was hard for Xiao Cao not to treat him like a child since his pure, unquestioning gaze and obedient nod made it impossible to see him as anything else.

“In that case, tell your attendants to remind you, and don’t be upset with them if they disturb you.”

“Understood.”

“Xiaosi, do you read all kinds of books? And understand them all?” Xiao Cao asked, glancing at the medical book in his hands.

“I read everything, but some books are too mundane and pointless, so I just skim through them once. Others are too specialized, and I can’t fully understand them. I mostly focus on the classics, history, and collections of essays. I also enjoy travelogues, but there aren’t many books like that around.”

Xiao Cao considered asking him about his definition of ‘mundane,’ but then thought better of it. She didn’t want to corrupt this innocent kid just yet. When he said he read everything, there were probably plenty of books he had never encountered.

“Not discussing medical studies for now, but you should be able to understand the properties of herbs, right? Have you read about it before?”

Wenren Yang nodded.

“Alright then, come on, help me out a little.”

Without giving Wenren Yang a chance to refuse, Xiao Cao walked over to the partitioned area.

Wenren Yang obediently followed, showing no signs of reluctance.
“These are Grandmother’s herbs. They need to be made into pills, and a few need to be ground into powder,” Xiao Cao quickly named a few herbs. “Pick them out and grind them for me. Is that okay?” Without waiting for a response, Xiao Cao turned back to her work, as if her request was entirely natural and she didn’t doubt her younger brother’s capability.

Wenren Yang looked at his sister, seeing that she wasn’t turning back to check on him, and then down at the pile of herbs. He stood quietly for a moment, deep in thought, before his expression shifted into rare seriousness. Only then did he start to carefully and respectfully reach out to handle the herbs. He had indeed read a lot about herbs and remembered quite a bit, but he had never actually worked with them in practice. Moreover, the illustrations in books depicted herbs in their natural state, and they often weren’t drawn very accurately. These, however, were already processed—some cut in sections, some sliced thin, and some in large granules or seed-like form. There was hardly any resemblance between the processed forms and the illustrations in the books. He cautiously inspected them, even trying to sniff them in an attempt to identify them.

Finally, Wenren Yang showed a rare expression of frustration. “Fourth Sister…”

“Hmm?” Xiao Cao responded, without looking up, busy working on something that Wenren Yang didn’t recognize.

Since she seemed so preoccupied, Wenren Yang hesitated to disturb her further.

After waiting fruitlessly for him to continue, Xiao Cao raised her head and met his clear, bright eyes. She instinctively smiled. “What’s wrong?”

“Fourth Sister, what… is this?”

Xiao Cao raised an eyebrow, as if asking, “You don’t know?”