After finishing the meal, Yun Jiao didn’t rush to take a nap. She planned to ask Sister Guihua what was going on, but in the blink of an eye, she saw her carrying dishes upstairs.

Yun Jiao thought for a moment and went upstairs as well.

She intended to check how well Yingzi’s injury was healing.

As she approached Yingzi’s room, Yun Jiao heard an impatient voice from inside, "I said I don’t want to eat!" The voice was a bit hoarse, clearly not fully recovered yet.

Then came Sister Guihua’s pleading voice, "This is porridge, your mother cooked it extra soft, and there’s minced meat in it, it’s really delicious."

Yun Jiao frowned slightly, she had watched Yingzi grow up.

In the past, Sister Guihua always treated Yingzi as her everything. After Lao Jiu married Guihua, he was always afraid Yingzi would be unhappy, always trying to please Yingzi.

Perhaps because both of them were overly concerned with Yingzi, it made her a bit spoiled.

Then Sister Guihua’s voice came again from the room, "How can you go on not eating anything day after day?"

"What do you really want? Just tell your mother, as long as it’s something your mother can do, she’ll do it for you."

There was a brief silence in the room, Yun Jiao was just about to turn and leave when she heard Yingzi start crying, "What good is it telling you?"

"Can you buy me silk clothes?"

"Can you buy me a golden hairpin and a golden bracelet?"

Yun Jiao suddenly stopped in her tracks.

Sister Guihua also started crying, "It’s your mother’s fault for being useless. These past few years, your mother has saved up twenty taels of silver, and she’ll buy you a golden hairpin and make you a set of silk clothes."

Yingzi’s crying quieted down, then she added, "Will you agree to whatever I say?"

Sister Guihua quickly replied, "Of course, the engagement before was your mother’s fault, she won’t do that again, whatever you say, your mother will agree."

Yingzi kept her head down, "Fine, get the matchmaker to find me someone like Sister San Ya’s husband."

"It would be best if he’s a scholar who can become an official, if not, a scholar will do."

Outside the room, Yun Jiao lowered her eyes, realizing that this was San Ya’s real issue.

Inside, Sister Guihua finally let out a bitter laugh, "Where can I find you such a family?"

"In marriage, they emphasize compatibility in social status. Our family—your mother is just a cook, and your stepfather is just a helper. How could those scholars and officials be interested in our family?"

Yingzi croaked with her hoarse voice, "What about San Ya then?"

"Didn’t San Ya come from the same village as us? How come she could find such a good husband, who’s handsome and an official too!"

"And Sister Jiao Jiao, didn’t she also come from the village? Now she’s become the Prime Minister’s wife, so why can’t I be an official’s wife?"

Sister Guihua didn’t know what to say, Yun Jiao gave a light cough and walked in from the doorway.

Yingzi hurriedly jumped off the bed, standing beside it, her face flushed with embarrassment.

Yun Jiao gently asked her, "Is your throat feeling better?"

Yingzi bit her lip and nodded.

Yun Jiao seated herself at the table, smiling, "Yingzi is quite ambitious."

Sister Guihua hastily explained, "Doctor Gu, Yingzi, she didn’t mean anything about you, she just—"

"She’s just envious of me." Yun Jiao nodded, "It’s only natural."

Yingzi kept her head lowered, twisting her dress ribbon with her hands, not daring to speak.

Yun Jiao kindly said, "You all sit down."

"I came up to check Yingzi’s pulse, and happened to hear this conversation."

"If it were someone else, I would just pretend I didn’t hear it, smile, and let it go."