Song Miao Hua’s gaze fell upon her abdomen, becoming exceedingly gentle.
She caressed her still-flat belly and murmured, “It’s all mother’s fault, mother is helpless. Child, you must endure. Mother has no choice…”
Her eyes quickly reddened, her lips trembling. Then her hand formed a fist and without hesitation, she struck her abdomen!
Once, twice. The pain made her curl up. At first, it was just the dull pain from the impact, but soon her abdomen truly began to hurt. Song Miao Hua cried out loudly, “Cao Ying, my stomach hurts! Ah… it’s killing me! Someone… come quickly…”
The two maids in the western side room heard her. As Cao Ying prepared to go check, Huang Li held her back, saying, “Who knows what trickery she’s up to in there? We were enjoying ourselves just fine, don’t go!”
Cao Ying hesitated, “Song Yiniang is pregnant after all. No matter how great her offense, the child is still of the Gu family… We should go check. If something truly happens, do you think the managers will take responsibility? Xu Mama would just use us as scapegoats. I often hear people say, when big ghosts fight, little ghosts suffer…”
Huang Li thought for a moment and felt somewhat afraid. If something happened to Song Yiniang’s child, wouldn’t they be blamed?
Cao Ying removed the kingfisher feather bracelet from her wrist, picked up the candlestick, and went with Huang Li to the inner chamber. They saw Song Yiniang curled up on the large kang bed, her face ashen, her forehead covered in a cold sweat.
Huang Li thought, thankfully we came to check! She quickly exchanged a glance with Cao Ying and approached, asking, “Yiniang? How are you?”
Song Yiniang was in too much pain to hear her words, only moaning in agony.
Cao Ying said, “You stay with Yiniang, I’ll go tell the mama standing guard outside!” She ran like the wind to find the older woman outside, who after hearing the news ran to inform Gu Jin Chao and Gu De Zhao.
Gu Jin Chao was just about to retire when she heard the young maid’s announcement. She draped a cloak over her shoulders and got up, sitting on the large kang bed to listen to the messenger.
After some thought, she instructed Xu Mama, “Father is probably heading to Lin Yan Xie. Send someone to invite Doctor Liu over.” Xu Mama acknowledged and left. Jin Chao then had Qing Pu help her dress and do her hair. She was in no hurry, picking up a pair of pearl earrings and then putting them down, choosing a pair of red coral earrings instead.
Qing Pu couldn’t help asking, “…Young Miss doesn’t seem to be in a rush.”
Jin Chao replied indifferently, “Calling for a doctor is just for show. She’s in good health—how could she suddenly have stomach pains?”
Song Yiniang wasn’t one to be pushed around. When forced to extremes, she would naturally resist. Now she could only use the child as leverage. There was no rush to go early; better to wait until Father arrived before going to see him. In any case, nothing Song Yiniang did now could escape her notice.
Gu De Zhao heard the servant’s report and hesitated for a moment.
Then he instructed his maid to drape a Hangzhou silk cloak over him and walked briskly toward Lin Yan Xie.
Though Song Miao Hua was vicious and had harmed Xiang Jun and Jin Chao, she was carrying his child and had served him for over ten years. Because of Xiang Jun’s matter, he could hate her and reject her, even thinking about sending her to a nunnery after she gave birth. But he couldn’t ignore her at this moment.
The maids and older women at Lin Yan Xie hurriedly greeted Gu De Zhao when he arrived.
Gu De Zhao strode forward and looked at Song Yiniang lying on the bed, clutching her lower abdomen and moaning in pain.
She wore only a simple autumn-green plain satin padded jacket, her hair disheveled, her cheeks gaunt. In just half a month, she seemed to have aged.
“How is she? Has a doctor been sent for?” he asked Xu Mama who stood nearby.
Xu Mama replied, “The Young Miss ordered it done. Song Yiniang only says her stomach hurts; we don’t know the specifics.”
A maid brought in hot water and wrung out a cloth to wipe Song Yiniang’s face. Song Yiniang avoided the maid’s hand and weakly opened her eyes, calling to Gu De Zhao, “Master… Master, this concubine is in such pain. Is it… is it that the child cannot be saved…”
Before Gu De Zhao could speak, Xu Mama said, “You need not worry. There’s no bleeding, the child is fine.”
Gu De Zhao nodded, “…Xu Mama is experienced. Don’t overthink this.”
Song Yiniang was actually in less pain than before. She pinched her palm hard, tears rolling down like pearls as she cried, “Master, this concubine feels she won’t survive. It must be retribution. This concubine… this concubine harmed the Madam, this is retribution coming for me… This concubine already knows her mistake!”
Gu De Zhao said coldly, “So you know you harmed her! After doing so many unconscionable things, if you didn’t realize your error, there would truly be no salvation for you.”
Hearing this, Song Yiniang understood—Gu Jin Chao must have dug up quite a bit about her affairs!
She continued crying, “It doesn’t matter if retribution comes for me! But… but please don’t let it affect Master’s child. This concubine barely clings to life now, only for the sake of the child in my womb. This concubine wishes to protect the child and would willingly practice a vegetarian diet and recite Buddhist scriptures for Madam in the future…”
Xu Mama’s mouth twitched slightly upon hearing this. She was truly shameless, daring to invoke the Madam.
If she had truly awakened to her wrongdoing, why didn’t she just dash her head against a wall and die with the child?
Gu De Zhao heard this and said to Song Yiniang, “Don’t worry, the child will be fine. Doctor Liu will arrive soon… Your wish to practice a vegetarian diet and recite Buddhist scriptures for Xiang Jun is good. You owe her a great deal.”
Doctor Liu received the message and came in the Gu family carriage, entering through the decorated gate.
He took Song Yiniang’s pulse, listened carefully for a while, and then frowned, “Though the fetal signs show some instability, there’s no major problem. By all accounts, there shouldn’t be abdominal pain…” He examined thoroughly for a long time before clasping his hands to Gu De Zhao and saying, “Forgive this old man’s poor medical skills, but I truly cannot find anything wrong with the Yiniang. It might be due to anxiety and worry. She just needs proper care…”
There was no illness to begin with, so no matter how skilled Doctor Liu was, he couldn’t diagnose a non-existent condition.
Song Yiniang persisted, “My abdominal pain was so intense earlier, how could there be nothing wrong? Doctor, have you diagnosed me properly?”
Hearing this, Xu Mama smiled and said, “Yiniang, you’re overthinking. Doctor Liu is one of the best doctors in Yanjing. If he can’t diagnose anything, you probably don’t have any serious problems.”
Doctor Liu felt uncomfortable hearing Song Yiniang’s words. His comment about poor medical skills was merely a humble phrase; she’d taken it literally.
Gu De Zhao also felt Song Yiniang’s words were inappropriate. After all, the doctor had come in the middle of the night to diagnose her, which wasn’t easy. So he said to Doctor Liu, “I’ve troubled you. Since there’s nothing wrong, please prescribe nourishing the fetus.”
Doctor Liu naturally didn’t say anything more and went to prescribe packing his medical box.
Song Yiniang, with tearful eyes, said, “I was too anxious… Today when I woke from my afternoon nap, I saw it was already dark, and there was no one in the room. When my stomach started hurting, I called for the maids, but no one responded for a long time… It’s really…”
She had called about her stomach pain, and they had responded right away! Huang Li was about to speak when Cao Ying pulled her back.
They had been playing with Song Yiniang’s jewelry. If others found out they dared to take their mistress’s possessions, they would surely be beaten to death!
Cao Ying said softly, “We servants were sweeping in the courtyard and didn’t hear Yiniang call… We truly deserve death!”
Gu De Zhao had been turning a blind eye to matters at Lin Yan Xie, but now that the child was threatened, he ought to say something.
He told the two maids, “…Let’s leave it at that. In the future, serve the Yiniang diligently, and don’t harm her health.”
Song Yiniang felt relieved. No matter what, he still cared about his child. She knew when to stop and sobbed again, “I don’t blame them. It’s just that I feel guilty and fear retribution falling on the child. I would like to ask Master to place a statue of Guanyin in my room so I can recite sutras for Madam…”
This wasn’t a big matter, so Gu De Zhao naturally agreed.
Song Yiniang continued, “I hear Lan’er has tried to see me several times without success. Please, Master, show mercy just once. This concubine wishes to see Lan’er, just to let her see that this concubine is well. This concubine truly doesn’t want her to worry!”
Gu De Zhao was silent for a moment. He didn’t want Gu Lan to see Song Miao Hua again. If not for Song Miao Hua, Gu Lan wouldn’t have become like this!
He said to Song Yiniang, “You should reflect well on your mistakes and not lead Lan’er astray. Seeing your sincere repentance and your poor health, I’ll let her see you once! But she cannot come again in the future. You’d better behave yourself!”
He then gave Song Yiniang a look and left with his maid.
…Even seeing her once is good! Song Yiniang felt relieved. Her risk had not been in vain.
Xu Mama looked at Song Yiniang, suspecting foul play. She instructed Huang Li to help Song Yiniang to bed first, then took Cao Ying to the western side room and ordered her, “…After she falls asleep, lift her clothes and check her abdomen.” Cao Ying accepted the order and left.
By the time Gu Jin Chao arrived at Lin Yan Xie, Song Yiniang had already fallen asleep. Xu Mama was waiting for her in the covered walkway.
Jin Chao glanced sideways at the inner chamber and asked Xu Mama, “…Is there something wrong with the child?”
Xu Mama smiled and shook her head, saying softly, “Not only is there nothing wrong, but the Yiniang has gained benefits from this…” She recounted everything that Song Yiniang and Gu De Zhao had said, then added, “…I had Cao Ying check, and Song Yiniang’s abdomen is covered in bruises. She wasn’t having stomach pains; she beat her stomach to fake it! The Master cares about the child and won’t be too hard on her!”
Jin Chao knew her father was unreliable. Based on a few words from Song Yiniang, he had allowed Gu Lan to see her! If Song Yiniang’s child was born in the future, and she begged pitifully again, wouldn’t the child be given to her to raise?
Gu Jin Chao clenched her fist, feeling slightly angry. How could this continue?
She said quietly to Xu Mama, “She still dares to bring up Mother, fearing retribution on her child. Doesn’t that imply that it’s Mother’s spirit causing harm to her child!” Mother was already dead, yet she wouldn’t let go, dragging Mother into everything—it was truly excessive!
“I felt furious hearing it too. Song Yiniang truly refuses to repent!” Xu Mama couldn’t help saying, then asked Jin Chao, “…Should we… tell the Master that the Yiniang faked her illness?”
Jin Chao had already made up her mind. This child could not be kept. Not only could the child not be kept, but Song Yiniang herself was an eyesore!
She smiled coldly and said slowly, “No need to tell him. Didn’t she say she was ill? Then let’s make her truly ill… If she wants to rely on the child to turn her fate around, she can forget about it for this lifetime!”
Xu Mama pondered Jin Chao’s words for a long time. Making Song Yiniang truly ill, the Young Miss meant…
Jin Chao said indifferently, “I was too weak before. This child would only be a disaster if kept. She complained about Doctor Liu’s poor medical skills. Let’s invite a good doctor for her. Since she’s ill, she must be treated… If it drags on until she miscarries later, that wouldn’t be good.”
Song Yiniang wanted to fake illness? How could that be allowed? She should help her, make her truly ill—that would be better!
She hated Song Yiniang to the bone. If she tolerated such slander against her mother, her capacity for forgiveness would be too great.
Get rid of that flesh in her belly, and see if she could make waves again in the future!
Jin Chao smiled and instructed Xu Mama, “…From now on, serve the Yiniang with the best food and drink, lest she complain to Father again that we mistreated her.”
Hearing Jin Chao speak this way, Xu Mama understood her intentions. She wanted to cut the grass and eliminate the roots. So she also smiled and replied, “…This servant understands.”