After sharing a body with her husband

At the dining table inside the house,

Old Madam Wei was still lovingly serving food to Shang Lingjun.

"It's not the season yet. In two months, when the lotus roots are in season, I'll make you pan-fried lotus root cakes! And how about trying this beef tongue?"

Granny Qiu, who was standing nearby, also went over to help. Old Madam Wei had told her some things this morning, and she was extremely happy about it.

"Old Madam, you didn't rest well last night. Please eat your food, and let this old servant serve the Seventh Madam the dishes."

Old Madam Wei gave her a reproachful look.

"You old fool, do you even know what Ati likes to eat? Don't worry about me!"

Granny Qiu smiled, her eyes crinkling.

"This old servant is also distressed for you..."

Shang Lingjun looked at the mountain of food piled high on the plate in front of her, feeling flattered and warm inside.

"Mother-in-law, I can't eat all of this, you should eat it too."

Shang Lingjun also served food to Old Madam Wei.

"Why!"

Old Madam Wei smiled so hard her wrinkles were bulging together; she hadn't been this happy in a long time.

Outside the door, Murong watched this scene unfold. She had never known that her usually calm and serious mother-in-law had this side to her.

She stepped across the threshold, her face bearing her usual perfectly timed gentle smile.

"I've arrived at the perfect time. Ling-jun is here too, and this matter happens to be related to you as well."

Shang Lingjun quickly stood up and bowed, "Sister-in-law is here?"

Old Madam Wei was in a good mood.

"Jingwan, come and sit down. Both of your daughters-in-law, please have a meal with this old woman."

Looking at the table laden with delicacies, Murong Shi had important matters on her mind and had little appetite.

She sat down, but didn't touch her chopsticks.

"No, Mother-in-law, your daughter-in-law had lunch before coming. Please eat."

"Sister-in-law just said something concerns me. What is it, sister-in-law?" Shang Lingjun asked.

"Here's the thing, last month my mother-in-law said she wanted to give my brother-in-law a child to adopt, and I've brought good news: Chunxing from Hengge's courtyard has just become pregnant."

Whether it's a boy or a girl, I'd like to give them to my younger brother and sister-in-law to raise, which would fulfill their wish. However, it's not my decision to make, so I'm asking my mother-in-law and Lingjun for their opinions.

Murong spoke with great confidence; this was truly good news, and Lord Shang Ling would most likely agree with delight.

Old Madam Wei quickly put down her chopsticks. "Oh? Chunxing is pregnant?"

Murong nodded, her face beaming with undisguised joy.

"Yes, she was a bit careless. Her periods had always been irregular, but she didn't take it seriously. When the doctor took her pulse, it had been two months already!"

Chunxing was Xie Hengzhi's concubine. Since Lady Murong already had a grandson born of her own, she certainly didn't cherish Chunxing's pregnancy as much as she did Yun'er.

Sending the child to the seventh house meant that the child would still be in the Xie family, essentially growing up under her watchful eye.

Anyway, they are all family, and they all live in the same house. With wet nurses and servants to take care of them, there is no difference in living conditions between children living in the first or seventh house.

However, placing the child under the name of the seventh branch of the family would earn them a favor from Old Madam Wei and Lady Shang. Since the seventh branch had no sons, this child would be their legitimate offspring after birth.

This was a decision that the Murong family made after several days of deliberation, and it had only advantages and no disadvantages.

Old Madam Wei nodded, her eyes crinkling with laughter. She turned to look at Granny Qiu, and said intentionally:

"Look at Jingwan, she's such a good sister-in-law. She keeps everything about the seventh branch of the family in mind. I just mentioned it casually last time, and look how thoughtful she is."

"Your Madam is blessed! Your two daughters-in-law are hard to find even with a lantern!" Old Granny Qiu chimed in.

Murong's gaze faltered slightly, but her smile deepened.

"This is all a daughter-in-law's duty. As the eldest sister-in-law, it is only right for her to take care of Xiaoqi and Lingjun."

Shang Lingjun was suddenly reminded that she felt like she had forgotten something.

Did you forget to do something last night?

She was about to ask Huo Chuan, but she swallowed the words back. It was too embarrassing to say. How could she bring herself to do it?

That jerk Huo Chuan keeps saying he knows and understands, but he's only thinking about his own happiness and is completely unreliable!

But in reality, Huo Chuan was also waiting for her to ask; he didn't believe she wouldn't find out.

"Lingjun, Lingjun?" Murong called to her.

Shang Lingjun snapped out of her daze, "Huh?"

Murong smiled gently, "Do you think this is a good idea?"

Shang Lingjun's expression stiffened slightly. She glanced at Old Madam Wei, hesitated for a moment, and then said:

"If I cannot have my own children in this life, then adopting one would be the best option."

She didn't make any definitive statements because her desire to have a child had been stalled, and having a child wasn't easy.

But then she changed the subject, hesitatingly saying:

"But... isn't the generational hierarchy a bit messed up? Chunxing is pregnant with my sister-in-law's grandson, which means he's my grandnephew. So I brought my grandnephew to my room."

When this child grows up, won't he have to call his biological father "cousin" and his biological grandfather "uncle"? This...

Shang Lingjun chuckled, "This is going to cause a mess."

"Ati's concerns are not without merit; the relationship is indeed a bit too close."

Old Madam Wei thought so too. They were all family, living in the same courtyard and seeing each other all the time. Wouldn't it be awkward if the father and son met in the future?

Murong seemed to have anticipated their response, and spoke again in a gentle voice:

"We're closer now, so I feel more at ease raising them. They're family after all, which saves me a lot of trouble. If they were adopted by a distant relative..."

Whether her family background is clean or not is still uncertain. With such a large and complicated family, it might just cause Lingjun a lot of trouble. And if she were to raise an ungrateful wretch, it would be even more infuriating!

Upon hearing this, Old Madam Wei fell into deep thought. She glanced at Shang Lingjun, knowing that Yan...

Yan Ge'er was listening at the same time.

If Yan Ge'er and his wife can successfully have a child, then there will naturally be no need for adoption.

However, if not, the matter of adoption still needs to be considered.

The eldest daughter's words make sense. No matter what, it's Heng-ge'er's child, born into the Xie family, and also carrying the blood of his uncle, Yan-ge'er.

What if they raise an ungrateful person from another family, or someone who puts on airs? Wouldn't the entire family fortune of the Seventh Branch be ruined in an instant?

It would be better to leave it to our own child. If the child is a boy, he can run the Xie family business with Yun-ge'er, which would be excellent.

Besides, Chunxing is only newly pregnant; let's see if Ati's belly will show any signs of pregnancy in the remaining days.

Furthermore, Yan Ge'er's lifespan is also uncertain.

Old Madam Wei only hoped that everything would develop in a positive direction and that God would bless her son!

After careful consideration, Old Madam Wei nodded and said:

"That makes sense. You can't really trust outsiders, they're not as trustworthy as your own children. But it's too early to say that now."

After Chunxing gives birth smoothly, Ati will bring the baby to see you. If you like it, you can adopt it and raise it in your room.

Shang Lingjun thought for a moment, then nodded.

"Yes, thank you for your trouble, sister-in-law. We can talk about it later."

She remained ambiguous in her speech, not daring to give a firm commitment outright, leaving herself room for maneuver.

Upon hearing this, Murong was immediately overjoyed; in her eyes, this was a foregone conclusion!

With the important matter accomplished and a weight lifted from her shoulders, Murong was pleased, and her appetite was whetted.

"Oh dear, I was so focused on discussing this with my mother-in-law that I only managed to grab a quick bite in the yard."

Seeing how much Lingjun is enjoying her meal makes me hungry too. Could you please bring me another set of chopsticks and a bowl, Granny?

The three women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, ate their meal chatting and laughing. Old Madam Wei frequently glanced at Shang Lingjun, feeling even more comforted.

But there is one person who has been in a state of collapse since last night...