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Lady Hong snorted, "He’s six, turning seven after the New Year."

She could never forget the day Jin Shiwen was born; the old lady had held him, her smile so wide she could hardly close her mouth, a happiness she had never seen when her Yukyuk was born.

She resented the old lady for sneaking a concubine into her husband’s quarters, and she disliked that aunt, let alone the son they bore. As the Family Head’s wife, she had reached a pinnacle of sorts. She couldn’t even have a say over the women in her own husband’s quarters.

Jin Yuyu knew her mother was irritated inside, but given the circumstances, she, like her mother, disliked the son born of the concubine greatly.

Yet the next words were ones she could not withhold, "Mother, you saw what happened today. The old lady doesn’t like us and foisted a maid on father, and uncle is bullying us even more, trying to frame me and rob me of the position as Family Head.

Mother, have you ever thought about why they do this? "

Lady Hong was struck. How could she have not thought about it? She had long seen through their intentions—they were simply bullying their main branch for lack of a legitimate son!

No matter how many women there were in the second brother’s house, Lady Ruan still had a son, so she wasn’t worried about her status shaking. As for her, even though there weren’t many women in her house, her status was unstable, all because she bore only one daughter, Jin Yuyu!

"Mother, it’s time to do something," said Jin Yuyu, saying no more. She knew her mother was smart and understood her meaning.

Lady Hong’s face turned pale, and her hands uncontrollably clenched the fabric over her chest. It was time to do something. But what? To adopt that concubine’s son she couldn’t stand all day and raise him as her own legitimate son?

She was unwilling. She had thought that being young, she could have a son in a few years. But looking again at Jin Xufa, the simpleton, it was as if he’d rather have children with those inkstones! And with her age now, there was an even smaller chance of becoming pregnant again.

However, regarding her daughter’s suggestion, Lady Hong understood it was the best course of action for the time being.

Jin Shiwen was still young, and adopting him now would create an opportunity to foster affection.

His mother, the Little Concubine, was so frail from illness, she likely wouldn’t live much longer.

Once they adopted the child, the old lady would cease eyeing them for opportunities, and even the second house might restrain themselves.

"Yuyu, let me think about it," Lady Hong ultimately couldn’t let go of her reluctance. Waving her hand to let Jin Yuyu retreat, she lay back despondently in the armchair and closed her eyes wearily.

Jin Yuyu felt sorry for her mother and sighed softly as she quietly left the room.

As she reached the residence of the Little Concubine, Jin Yuyu instinctively stopped. The little child crouched at the doorway, drawing on the ground with a branch, was her half-brother, her concubine’s son.

She remembered when she was younger, that little tyke loved to follow her, his sister, around.

But she disliked him, believing his mother had stolen her father away.

She always scolded him, ordering him not to come near.

Then his mother would run over in a panic, hurriedly picking up the child to apologize to Jin Yuyu, who was proud and cold to the mother and son.

Now that she thought about it, compared to the concubines in the second house who always defied their shared husband’s wife, this mother and son were truly much better off.

For a moment, Jin Yuyu felt a wave of sympathy for the child and quietly stepped forward, calling out to him.

Jin Shiwen lifted innocent, animal-like eyes, the joy in them flickering so quickly that Jin Yuyu almost missed it.

A pang struck Jin Yuyu’s heart—this child was her brother too, after all, closer to her than Lingling.

"Shi Wen, is your mother ill again?"

Jin Shiwen glanced at the firmly shut door, from which the low cough of a woman could be heard. He looked down; the doctor had just been there and said that his mother’s illness was very severe and she might not make it to the end of the year.