Zhao Daqing put down his tobacco pipe and swept his gaze across the family seated around the table. His voice was heavy as he began, “Eldest son’s family, second daughter-in-law… everyone’s here. There’s something I need to say.”

He paused, seemingly gathering his thoughts, then continued, “Second son… encountered bandits on the road and has left us.”

“My heart…” he thumped his chest with his fist, his voice choking with emotion, “…is filled with a sorrow I can’t put into words.”

As he spoke, tears streamed down his weathered face.

Beside him, Zhao Mother silently wiped her own tears, the couple both consumed by grief for the son they had lost.

The family’s pillar had fallen.

Life from here on would be bitterly hard.

Zhao Qingyun and Zhao Qingshui, who had remained at the main table, also had tears glistening in their eyes at their grandfather’s words.

Zhao Xiaojun, having finished her meal earlier, had returned to the east wing and was not present.

After a few moments to collect himself, Zhao Daqing continued, “Second daughter-in-law, though he’s now laid to rest, the living must go on.”

“These past few days, I’ve been thinking… it won’t be easy for you to raise three children on your own.”

He paused again, clearly gauging Qian Chunhua’s reaction, then declared, “So, I’ve made the decision to have Qingyun adopted into the eldest household.”

“This way, the boy will have someone to rely on, and you’ll have a bit less of a burden.”

The moment those words landed, it was like a drop of water thrown into hot oil—Qian Chunhua exploded.

She jumped to her feet, her face flushed red, her voice trembling with rage. “No! Absolutely not! On what grounds?!”

Ever since transmigrating, Qian Chunhua had been carefully suppressing her real personality, trying her best to mimic the original host’s gentle nature.

But this—this was her bottom line.

Her child, and they wanted to give him away?

But Zhao Daqing didn’t lose his temper.

Perhaps he, too, felt he was being unreasonable.

He reached for his pipe to pack in more tobacco—but seeing Qian Chunhua’s furrowed brow, he set it down and decided to get straight to the point.

He took a deep breath and said, “Yongcai’s wife, hear me out.”

“Now that second son is gone, it’s not easy for a woman to raise three kids alone. Your eldest brother-in-law’s family is willing to help—why won’t you accept the kindness?”

Li Cuihong, the eldest daughter-in-law, quickly chimed in, “Yes, yes, we’re all family—we should support each other.”

Though her voice was warm and reasonable, the gleam of smugness in her eyes was hard to miss.

Qian Chunhua let out a cold laugh and shot back, “Why is it hard? Back when Yongcai was always away escorting, wasn’t it just me raising the children alone?”

“We haven’t even split the household—why not just keep raising them like before?”

“Or is it that now he’s gone, you all think it’s time to bully a widow and her children?”

Her words were sharp and full of accusation, leaving Li Cuihong momentarily speechless.

Li Cuihong had always been brash and overbearing. But under Qian Chunhua’s direct questioning, she found herself at a rare loss for words.

Still, she tried to recover, saying, “You? Raise kids? With what? Qingyun is about to start private school—do you have the silver for his tuition?”

Qian Chunhua smiled coldly. “I don’t? And you do?”

She had no intention of showing off her spatial supplies, but in this resource-strapped world, she had absolute confidence that she could provide for her children’s education and needs.

But of course, she wasn’t foolish enough to say so aloud.

“I… our family surely has a way…” Li Cuihong said weakly, her tone lacking conviction.

“Tch.”

Qian Chunhua snorted in contempt.

Everyone knew each other’s circumstances.

After ten years of living as sisters-in-law, she knew well from the original body’s memories: the eldest branch of the family worked hard in the fields but had never once earned real silver.

The original host, that poor fool, had been hoodwinked by them time and again.

“If your family had silver, why not send Qingshui or Qingsong to private school? Why come to snatch my child instead?”

Her words made Zhao Qingsong, seated at the children’s table, light up with a glimmer of hope.

To attend private school—that was his greatest dream.

He looked up at Qian Chunhua, eyes filled with longing, and it tugged at her heart.

She could see his thirst for knowledge plain as day.

But… he wasn’t her child.

Qian Chunhua wouldn’t offer kindness blindly.

If the family were truly harmonious, maybe she’d offer help in the future.

But now, it was clear—the eldest household had ulterior motives.

As for Zhao Daqing and his wife, she’d have to observe them more before deciding where they stood.

“Chunhua, that’s enough nonsense. Giving Qingyun to the eldest family is my decision as the family head,” Zhao Daqing said, tapping his pipe against the table in warning.

Qian Chunhua’s eyes reddened as she glared at him.

In the original memories, this old man had always seemed kind and doting toward the younger generation.

Now… it was clear that image had been deceiving.

“Qingyun may have lost his father, but he still has his mother. When did adoption ever become something a grandfather decides?” she retorted sharply.

Zhao Daqing flushed with anger and embarrassment at her words.

Ignoring her objections, he turned to his beloved grandson with a gentle voice and asked, “Qingyun, don’t be afraid. Tell Grandpa—how do you really feel? Do you want to be adopted by your uncle’s family?”

Zhao Qingyun looked up, his childish face conflicted.

His gaze flickered between Qian Chunhua and the Zhao Yongqiang couple.

He saw the encouraging looks in Zhao Yongqiang and Li Cuihong’s eyes.

Seeing that, Qian Chunhua felt her heart turn cold.

So… they had planned this long ago.

“I… I’m willing,” Zhao Qingyun said softly, but with resolve.

“You little brat! Willing or not, it doesn’t matter!” Qian Chunhua snapped, her rage erupting.

“I am your mother—this decision is mine and mine alone!”

“Adoption is not something to be bargained or negotiated,” she said, her tone firm and final.

“Second daughter-in-law, how could you be so unreasonable!” Zhao Daqing and Zhao Yongqiang’s wife both shouted at once.

Zhao Mother, meanwhile, kept her head down, saying nothing.

Qian Chunhua let out a laugh—cold and bitter.

“Unreasonable? You’re trying to steal my son and I’m the one being unreasonable?”

“You say I can’t raise him? Then why don’t you send your own kids to private school?”

Her words were sharp as knives, and she still remembered the yearning in Zhao Qingsong’s eyes just moments earlier—yearning for an education.