She lowered her head to look at her belly, which hadn’t yet shown any signs of swelling. Inside was her child with Zhou Bohan. She used to dream of having a child with Jiang Shilin, but after learning that she was infertile, she gave up that thought, never expecting to be pregnant one day...

Though it’s not Jiang Shilin’s child, it is enough to make up for her regret.

Suddenly, she stood up, smiled, and said to Chunliu, "Go back and tell Sixth Sister that I have accepted it, and thank her!" 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Chunliu acknowledged and told the servant to hand the cloth to Daiju before taking her leave: "The curfew is approaching, and I must hurry back to report." She then left the residence.

Tong Xiyan walked to the table, touched the few yards of fabric stacked side by side, her eyes dry but not shedding a single tear. She sighed and shook her head. She thought she was very sad, but her body gave her a genuine response.

As for Jiang Shilin, she had long lost the initial excitement and resentment, leaving only a familiar strangeness.

"Madam," Daiju observed Tong Xiyan and cautiously asked, "Should I take these cloths to store?"

Tong Xiyan, however, turned her head to look at her and asked, "Is the supper ready?" Daiju was momentarily stunned, then joyfully nodded repeatedly, "It’s ready, should I bring it over?"

Tong Xiyan nodded slightly and replied, "Bring it to me, I’ll take it to the study."

Daiju smiled and immediately dashed out to fetch the food box, accompanying Tong Xiyan to the study. The study door was left open, and she could see Zhou Bohan standing at the desk, holding a pen but not writing anything, as thick ink dripped onto the Xuan paper, unnoticed by him.

Tong Xiyan entered with a smile, placed the food box down, and said softly, "How did this ink spill?" She then frowned and said, "What a waste of paper."

Zhou Bohan was taken aback and turned to look at her, only to see the top of Tong Xiyan’s black hair. The pen in his hand was taken by her, and Zhou Bohan watched her actions from the side.

He saw Tong Xiyan lifting her sleeves to paint on the Xuan paper dotted with ink spots. In no time, a beautiful woman appeared vividly on the paper, gazing into a mirror and arranging her hair, her face radiant with happiness and sweetness...

She playfully lifted her head, smiling warmly at Zhou Bohan, "I fear my painting is poor. Could you, my lord, write a poem so that I won’t ruin this sheet of paper?"

"Sure!" Zhou Bohan smiled, holding the hand with which Tong Xiyan had painted, and together, they elegantly wrote: The mountain stream meanders through the street, reflecting a mansion amid thousands of peach blossoms. Idle, reading the Taoist texts and lazy to rise, I watch through the crystal curtain as she arranges her hair.

Tong Xiyan lowered her head, her cheeks slightly flushed...

Xiqiu heard Chunliu’s report and finally sighed in relief as Fourth Master Xiao embraced her, saying, "Since Lord Zhou has married the fourth aunt, he should be prepared to accept her past. A true gentleman wouldn’t be so narrow-minded."

Xiqiu was not in high spirits, and upon hearing this, turned her head to him and replied, "Yes, a true gentleman wouldn’t cry or make a fuss, only silently suffocate himself with it."

Fourth Master Xiao was momentarily stunned, recalling their own misunderstandings at their wedding, covering his mouth with his fist to cough dryly, and did not speak further.

Tong Xiyang returned to the mansion. Having just freshened up to rest, a servant girl knocked on the door and entered before closing it. With a displeased look, Tong Xiyang asked, "What is it, sneaking around like a ghost?"

"Madam," the servant girl replied, "Lord Jiang has passed away."

Tong Xiyang paused in her movement to climb into bed and exclaimed in disbelief, "Dead?"

The servant girl nodded, "I just heard about it. He passed away in the afternoon, and the Jiang Family has already announced the mourning, it’s confirmed without a doubt."

Tong Xiyang squinted her eyes and suddenly stood up, telling the servant girl, "Quick, bring me my box." Upon hearing this, the servant girl immediately fetched her box from the cabinet. Tong Xiyang hurriedly opened it, took out several debts, totaling five hundred taels of silver, and said anxiously, "Now that he’s dead, how am I supposed to collect this money?" This was all her belongings.

"Madam, even if he’s dead, the debt must be collected. With him gone, there’s still Madam Jiang and Old Madam Jiang. If worse comes to worst, there’s Master Jiang and Madam Jiang, too!"

Tong Xiyang abruptly closed the box and gritted her teeth, "Exactly! Even if I let it go, Madam Jiang would want it. She lent much more than I did." After pausing, she continued, "Tomorrow, you go visit Fifth Madam. She arranged this deal, so even if the Jiang Family can’t repay, she’ll have to spit it out."

These past two years, they had lent out the interest money through Fifth Madam. Taking advantage of her status, she had collected money from various households’ madams and then lent it out at high interest. They had profited a lot over the past two years, and she had to ensure this money was retrieved.

At this moment, Fifth Madam was pacing nervously, not daring to tell Xiao Yanting, as he detested such underhanded conduct. If he found out, it would undoubtedly lead to another quarrel.

She had been trying to contact Jiang Shilin since the beginning of the year, but at that time, Jiang Shilin was already bedridden, and she couldn’t meet him at all. So she asked Madam Jiang to give him a little nudge, but Madam Jiang dared not. Her brother-in-law supported their family with interest money, and she secretly lent out extra money. If this were discovered, they couldn’t remain in the Capital, and even the Ma Family couldn’t handle her.

She didn’t think it was too serious at the time. She also heard Xiao Yanting say that Jiang Shilin was a talent and believed that even if he had fallen on hard times now, once Lord Zhang’s matter was resolved, the Emperor would definitely call him back. She thought, in that case, there was no need to rush; as long as the opportunity arose, she wouldn’t lose the money.

But unexpectedly, he died so suddenly.

This money, which had been collected sporadically over the past two years, amounted to two thousand taels. As soon as the news got out, others would surely come to claim it. She could gather two thousand taels from elsewhere if necessary, but if others also saw the risk and came to ask for their money back, that could be several times more.

She paced back and forth anxiously, racking her brains for a solution.

Early the next morning, before she even got up, her door was pounded on, with servants from various households coming one after another to inquire, both tactfully and directly, about the money.

Fifth Madam was overwhelmed and exhausted from talking until eventually sending everyone off. She hurriedly sent for Madam Jiang, but waiting all morning, she never showed up.

Madam Jiang, at this moment, was busy in the mourning hall and beside the ailing Old Madam Jiang. She was anxious, fearing that the matter would be exposed, knowing that the Ma Family would not spare her, and also worried that her money would truly go down the drain...

Fifth Madam quickly changed clothes and personally visited Madam Jiang to demand money, but was stopped at the door by Madam Jiang. First Young Madam Ma was there with the household servants, busy moving Madam Jiang’s dowry. Madam Jiang was also packing clothes and jewelry, preparing to return to her own family.

Fifth Madam encountered a cold reception, unable to find anyone to ask for the money.