While Wenren Hui was still confused, Xiao Cao had already guessed the situation. After all, the worry on her eldest sister’s face was quite evident. Once they left the study and headed to the main house, she dismissed all the servants.

“Xuan’er, your eldest sister hasn’t had children since her marriage, and she’s tried every possible method. Take a look at her and see if there’s any hidden problem—a normal doctor might not be able to detect it.”

As a mother, Han Shi’s biggest concerns were nothing more than her household and her children. After resolving her other worries with her husband, the only thing still weighing on her mind was her eldest daughter.

“Mother, don’t worry. I’ll first examine Eldest Sister.”

Seeing that her daughter hadn’t yet responded, Han Shi quickly took her hand, saying, “Your Fourth Sister has exceptional medical skills. Let her examine you.”

With her fingers resting on Wenren Hui’s pulse, Xiao Cao checked the pulse and asked a series of questions.

Wenren Hui wasn’t in the mood to question her sister’s medical abilities, though Xiao Cao’s questions were often uncomfortably private, making her hesitate to answer.

To be honest, even Han Shi felt embarrassed by some of the questions. Yet, she knew that embarrassment wasn’t the issue now—when her eldest daughter hesitated, Han Shi became anxious. “What are you embarrassed about now? She’s your own sister, not some outsider. If you don’t explain clearly, how will we know what’s wrong? Or do you not want to have children?”

Of course she wanted them! She had thought about it day and night. Wenren Hui bit her lip, blushing as she answered Xiao Cao’s questions.

In contrast, Xiao Cao remained calm. When dealing with patients, she approached it strictly as a doctor would.

After thoroughly understanding everything she needed, Xiao Cao came to a conclusion, “Eldest Sister does have some minor health issues, but none of them should affect fertility. Stop taking those random medicines—they do more harm than good.”

“Then why hasn’t she conceived all these years?” Han Shi asked, puzzled.

“The issue might lie with brother-in-law. We can check on him to find out for sure,” Xiao Cao said matter-of-factly.

“Impossible. Brother-in-law has two children from concubines,” Wenren Hui immediately denied.

In situations where a woman couldn’t conceive, the blame was often placed solely on her. For a man to have such issues was seen as humiliating and unacceptable.

Xiao Cao understood this common mindset. Even though she found it ridiculous, she didn’t show her feelings. After all, she had encountered this attitude too many times to count. “Eldest Sister, don’t worry. When I mention a problem, it doesn’t mean he can’t have children at all. He might just have a condition like low sperm quality. We can only solve the issue once we identify the root cause.”

Wenren Hui bit her lip without responding.

“Eldest Sister, I’m just giving you a reasonable suggestion based on my diagnosis. I won’t force anyone to do anything. You can think it over carefully, or discuss it with your husband to see if he’s willing to have an examination. It’s entirely your choice.”

Although Xiao Cao had a tendency toward professionalism, she never pressed patients into anything against their will.

Wenren Hui still had doubts about Xiao Cao’s abilities, but Han Shi trusted her daughter’s diagnosis. However, accusing a husband of being infertile when he had already fathered children with concubines would, in most people’s eyes, be seen as unjust. Such accusations could very likely make a man very angry and drive a wedge between the couple.

Han Shi gently patted her eldest daughter’s hand. “You and your husband get along well. Why not have a good talk with him?” As a mother, she naturally hoped her daughter could have a child, but she also understood her daughter’s concerns. “Just think about it carefully.”

Wenren Hui didn’t respond, evading the matter by saying, “Mother, I’m going to pay my respects to Grandmother.” She then got up and left, refusing to even look at Xiao Cao, as if a rift had formed between them.

“This child! – Xuan’er, don’t take it to heart. Your elder sister, she’s just….”

“Mother, it’s alright. I know Eldest Sister isn’t holding it against me. She’s just finding it hard to face the situation right now.” Such trivial matters didn’t bother Xiao Cao.

Han Shi was pleased with her daughter’s understanding, but couldn’t help feeling distressed. “I knew it! I’ve had five children myself. How could my daughter be infertile? It must be her husband who has the problem, and yet she’s had to endure injustice for so many years.”

Xiao Cao found it amusing. Although genetics can play a role in health conditions like these, many other factors are also involved. Seeing her mother sighing heavily, Xiao Cao gently reassured her, “Mother, I understand men are sensitive about their pride in such matters. But we can simply call brother-in-law’s check-up a routine health check, for peace of mind. If nothing’s wrong, then maybe Eldest Sister just hasn’t been blessed with children yet. If there’s an issue, we can address it when the time comes.”

“The trouble isn’t the check-up itself, but if he really does have a problem, wouldn’t he feel tricked and resent Eldest Sister for keeping such a thing a secret? What if he flies into a rage and becomes estranged from her?” Han Shi worried aloud.

“Mother, if brother-in-law holds a grudge over something so small, it would just show that his character and generosity are lacking. You and Father carefully chose him, didn’t you? You should trust your instincts about him. Even if he gets angry at first, once he’s treated and cured, he should be able to let it go.” In Xiao Cao’s view, people should face medical issues head-on. Avoiding treatment out of shame would only make things worse.

Han Shi, being the head of the household, had many other things to take care of, so she didn’t stay with Xiao Cao for long.

However, the way Wenren Hui had left with a gloomy expression left the other brothers and sisters exchanging confused glances.

Wenren Ying thought to herself, could it be that Eldest Sister has some serious illness that even Fourth Sister can’t treat?

Not long after Han Shi returned to her business, word came that the eldest brother-in-law had arrived—alone.

Han Shi’s resentment toward him eased a little. While it was improper for a man to visit the maternal family when his wife wasn’t around, as his wife’s mother, Han Shi thought it reasonable to meet her son-in-law, especially since her son Wenren Xu was accompanying him.

Han Shi didn’t question why her daughter hadn’t come with him; most likely, the usual conflicts with the concubines and their children were involved. It was common enough for concubines to use their children as leverage to make the main wife feel uncomfortable, and the husband would have no choice but to compromise.

“Hui’er went to greet her grandmother. You should go too,” Han Shi said, keeping her emotions in check.

Wenren Hui’s husband, Lu Deyuan, knew that his mother-in-law was busy today—hadn’t he seen all the housekeepers waiting outside for her? He didn’t think much of it and left after excusing himself.

As the eldest daughter and granddaughter, Wenren Hui held a special place in the elderly matriarch’s heart. Compared to her other grandchildren, the old madam had always been stricter with the boys and more indulgent with the girls. Wenren Hui, too, enjoyed her grandmother’s company, often sharing things with her grandmother that she didn’t with her mother.

In truth, Wenren Hui had come to speak with her grandmother as a way to unburden herself, without worrying her mother.

Indeed, Wenren Hui relayed everything about her examination with Xiao Cao to the old matriarch, hoping to get some advice.

The Old Madam remained unperturbed. Having seen enough of life, not only did she avoid interfering in her son’s affairs, but she wouldn’t meddle too much in her granddaughter’s either.