Zhao Dahe has always been good at coaxing people. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by 𝗻𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗹~𝓯𝓲𝓻𝓮~𝚗𝚎𝚝 The Old Lady Zhao sees her own children as the best no matter what. The atmosphere was harmonious, beyond words could describe how harmonious it was. The Old Lady Zhao was holding Zhao Xiaohua with one hand and Zhao Dahe with the other, looking left and right, completely satisfied. She wished she could tell everyone right then and there. Zhao Dahe spoke truthfully, telling the Old Lady Zhao about how hard life has been for his mother and their siblings over the years. Now, his father still couldn’t win back his mother’s heart, so they needed to consider his mother’s feelings. The Old Lady Zhao understood that to have her grandchildren recognized, she needed her daughter-in-law’s approval. The daughter-in-law has not had it easy these past few years, and she harbors grievances against her son. Such grievances were understandable to the Old Lady Zhao; if she were in her daughter-in-law’s position, she would surely take time to think it through. Furthermore, even after discovering the family background, she remained calm and composed. Such a character is undoubtedly reliable. Upon learning from Zhao Dahe that her son’s successful mission this time was thanks to the daughter-in-law’s assistance, the Old Lady Zhao liked the daughter-in-law she hadn’t met even more. She taught the children so well and could still assist her son. She was a model of a supportive wife. Compared to the daughter-in-law, her son was a bit lacking. After all these days, he hasn’t managed to win his wife’s heart; what else can he do? "Dahe, Xiaohua, when your mother returns, you must support your father. He has also been having a hard time over these years. The memory loss wasn’t intentional. Just think, he clearly had a wife and children, yet he didn’t know about them—could there be anything more tragic?" The Old Lady Zhao said earnestly. Indeed, with the Old Lady Zhao saying so, Zhao Dahe and Zhao Xiaohua immediately felt their father was pitiable. Thus, the two nodded in agreement. The Old Lady Zhao also suggested sending someone to bring Zhao Dajiang and his wife to the Capital City. As for Zhao Xiaoshu, the Old Lady Zhao wiped her tears, saying she would have Zhao Ting find him once he returned. Zhao Dahe hesitated a bit. "If the Dajiang couple comes, wouldn’t your father have a better chance of winning your mother’s heart?" The Old Lady Zhao said. She didn’t miss any opportunity to aid their reunion. Zhao Dahe nodded, thinking it would be beneficial for them to see the prosperity of Capital City. "Alright, alright, I’ll send someone to fetch them now. Dahe, write a letter so Dajiang and his family won’t misunderstand." The Old Lady Zhao said. Huang Ying prepared the writing materials, and Zhao Dahe took up the pen to write the letter. Mrs. Yu and Mrs. Xie came in, one after the other, followed by two maids carrying food boxes. "Mother, your daughter-in-law asked the kitchen to make some desserts for Miss Du to try." Mrs. Yu spoke. Mrs. Xie added, "Not knowing what Miss Du likes to eat, I had them make several of the regular dishes." A smile disarms hostility, so the Old Lady Zhao nodded slightly. "Ruyi, Xiaohua, you taste first. Dahe is writing the letter; he can eat after he washes his hands," The Old Lady Zhao said. "I still remember the delicious desserts I had at your place as a child." Du Ruyi said, "I wonder if they taste like those in my memory." "Chef Fang went home to indulge her grandchildren. Currently, her daughter-in-law is at the residence. You can taste and see if Chef Fang’s skills are better or her daughter-in-law’s." The Old Lady Zhao laughed. "This Cloud Cake is nice, right, Xiaohua?" Du Ruyi took a small piece of Cloud Cake. Zhao Xiaohua took small bites of the Cloud Cake, nodding, "The sweetness could be reduced a bit for better texture." "Chef Fang’s daughter-in-law’s skills are such that several dessert shops wanted to hire her as their head chef." Mrs. Yu said kindly but with a disdainful look. The implication being, what do you know? How fond the Old Lady Zhao was of Zhao Xiaohua; of course, she noticed her second daughter-in-law’s indirect jab at Xiaohua. "Huang Ying, go tell Mrs. Li to make another batch of Cloud Cakes, reducing the sweetness." The Old Lady Zhao directly instructed Huang Ying. Mrs. Yu looked embarrassed, "Mother..." "Xiaohua, try the others; if they don’t suit your taste, just say so, and the kitchen will remake them." The Old Lady Zhao said. Zhao Xiaohua felt a bit embarrassed; she was merely acting out of habit. "No, no, they’re all quite tasty; no need to remake them." Zhao Xiaohua quickly waved her hand. "If they’re tasty, they are tasty; if not, they are not. Just say, don’t be shy." The Old Lady Zhao encouraged. Du Ruyi swallowed the pastry and laughed, "Aunt, the desserts made by your chef are quite good. But it’s in the absence of comparison. Xiaohua’s mother is an excellent cook; Xiaohua’s palate has been spoiled." The Old Lady Zhao discovered yet another good quality about her eldest daughter-in-law and felt even more satisfied. Mrs. Yu felt a bit indignant; how good could a maid’s cooking be? She still had some discretion and knew she couldn’t say much at this time, lest she provoke her mother-in-law. Zhao Dahe set down his pen, blew the ink on the letter, and brought it to the Old Lady Zhao, "Is this written appropriately?" The Old Lady Zhao took the letter and nodded without even reading the content. "Dahe, your writing is nice." The Old Lady Zhao praised with satisfaction. Although not the work of a great master, it was clear effort had been put into it. How good could a servant’s writing be? Mrs. Yu’s eyes flickered with an idea. "Mother, haven’t you always praised Zhiyan’s writing? How does he compare to this young man?" Zhao Zhiyan, Mrs. Xie’s son, was quite well-read. From a young age, he practiced copying famous calligraphy, with guidance from expert calligraphers. His writing skill was among the best of his peers in the capital. Some even said Zhao Zhiyan might become a famous calligraphist in the future. Zhao Dahe’s writing was indeed not as polished as Zhao Zhiyan’s. But this doesn’t mean Zhao Dahe falls short of Zhao Zhiyan. On the contrary, Zhao Zhiyan had had the benefit of great teachers. Being slightly better was normal, right? The Old Lady Zhao grimaced, "Dahe earned top scores in the county and provincial exams." Mrs. Yu was too embarrassed to say anything. Mrs. Xie blurted out, "Mother, surely you’ve been misled? A servant, what qualifications does he have to take the civil exams?" "Servant? Who are you calling a servant?" The Old Lady Zhao appeared angry. Her precious grandson was being considered as a servant. "With Du Ruyi’s entourage—what else but servants? It’s never been seen before, people discarded like that, returning to the capital in disgrace might be acceptable, but then not staying home quietly in shame, instead showing off as guests here—not realizing how unlucky they are? It’s bad enough coming over, bringing maids, but still bringing a servant!" Mrs. Xie lamented. "Aunt, I, Dahe, and Xiaohua shall take our leave." Du Ruyi stood up. Today she realized the second and third ladies were difficult to deal with. She should tell Sister Meng later. Zhao Dahe made a mental note, although his father had no improper women, there were two problematic mistresses in this manor. They really should be careful when they return.