Chapter 182

What does it feel like to see the man you love holding another woman’s hand and walking into the wedding hall? Wang Min’er didn’t know how others might feel, but for her, it was like a knife piercing her heart. All she felt was jealousy and resentment.

It should have been hers—the bright red wedding dress, the bridal sedan chair, and Brother Tang. All of it should have belonged to her. This woman had stolen everything that was rightfully hers. Her heart was full of hatred and envy, and the flames of jealousy almost consumed her.

Wang Min’er was filled with indignation. She was the one who had been in love with Brother Tang first. She was even carrying his child. Why? Why wasn’t she the one wearing the bright red wedding dress?

This glory, this grandeur—it all should have been hers!

Wang Min’er stared at the red silk ribbon linking the hands of the bride and groom. Unable to hold back, she instinctively stepped forward, almost crossing the threshold, when someone suddenly grabbed her hand.

Startled, Wang Min’er turned her head to see Wang Yuan’er, her face full of shock.

“What are you doing here? Come with me,” Wang Yuan’er whispered sharply, gritting her teeth as she pulled Wang Min’er out of the crowd.

“Let go of me,” Wang Min’er protested, unwilling to leave.

Wang Yuan’er was fuming, the fire in her heart blazing upwards. Seeing her struggling with her pregnant belly amidst the crowd, afraid of any accidents, she lowered her voice and threatened, “You make a fuss, you blow this up, let’s see how you’ll clean up the mess—and that belly of yours.”

Wang Min’er was stunned. Though her veiled face was full of unwillingness, she still obediently followed Wang Yuan’er.

Wang Yuan’er took small paths back home, avoiding crowded areas. She nimbly navigated the twists and turns, but it was much harder for the heavily pregnant Wang Min’er. Just as Wang Min’er was on the verge of collapse, they reached the Wang family’s door.

“Huh, Yuan girl…” Madam Lu, carrying a basket, happened to pass by the Wang house. She saw Wang Yuan’er pulling a pregnant woman into the house. That woman—why did she look so much like that Wang Min’er? And pregnant? But wasn’t Wang Min’er sent to some estate by the Tang family for convalescence?

She approached the Wang house, but the gate was tightly locked. Madam Lu was full of doubts and tilted her head, puzzled. It didn’t make any sense!

“Instead of taking the main road, you had to take the small paths, walking all those unnecessary detours—it’s exhausting!” Wang Min’er, as soon as she entered the Wang family gate, tore off her face veil and complained.

Wang Yuan’er sneered and said, “If I weren’t worried about others seeing you, do you think I’d willingly take all those unnecessary detours?”

“Let them see, so what? It’s not like I have anything to hide!” Wang Min’er replied indifferently.

Wang Yuan’er was so infuriated she almost laughed out loud. Just as she was about to speak—

“Min, Min’er?”

The sisters turned to see Grandma Wang standing at the main room’s doorway, looking at Wang Min’er with a face full of surprise. “You… how are you here?”

“Grandma, I missed you all and returned to see you!” Wang Min’er smiled as she walked over.

Hearing this, Wang Yuan’er was truly a mix of shock and anger. She had hoped that Wang Min’er, now about to become a mother, would at least act more mature—who would have thought?

Grandma Wang hadn’t yet recovered from her surprise when the sound of the courtyard gate opening interrupted her, accompanied by Madam Zhang’s loud, grumbling voice.

“What’s so great about it? When my daughter gives birth to a son someday, won’t it… Min’er?” Madam Zhang entered and, upon seeing Wang Min’er, was both shocked and delighted. “It really is you, sweetheart! How have you come back?”

After the initial joy, she looked around, her expression turning serious as she asked, “You came back on your own? Where are the attendants who should be with you?”

Wang Min’er nodded. “I came back on my own. Mother, I’ve missed you!” She hugged Madam Zhang, acting coquettishly.

Madam Zhang was not as easily placated as she used to be. She glanced at Wang Min’er’s conspicuously large belly and said anxiously, “Where are the attendants that were supposed to be with you? Are they all dead or what, letting you return on your own? Your body is in such a condition—what if something happens? No, I must go to the Tang family and confront the Old Madam about this. These servants are too irresponsible, treating their mistress with such disregard—they all need to be sold off!”

Before Madam Zhang could finish speaking, she turned to leave.

Wang Yuan’er scoffed, stepping in her way. “Second Aunt, before you go, maybe you should ask why Min’er came back in the first place? Do you know what she’s here for? And do you know where I found her?”

Madam Zhang froze, turning to look at Wang Min’er.

Feeling guilty, Wang Min’er avoided her gaze, resting one hand on her waist and looking elsewhere.

“Where did you find her?” Grandma Wang, sensing something was amiss, asked with a stern expression.

“Right outside the Tang family’s gate. Today, Tang Xiuping is getting married, and she was squeezing into the crowd outside, trying to approach them!” Wang Yuan’er sneered. “If I hadn’t seen her, who knows if she’d have caused a scene at the Tang family.”

“Wang Yuan’er, what nonsense are you spouting? How did I make a fuss?” Wang Min’er retorted sharply, unable to hold back.

“If you weren’t making a fuss, why did you return? Isn’t it because you wanted to see Tang Xiuping’s wedding? Isn’t it because you’re unconvinced? Don’t bother denying it. Can you swear you weren’t planning to go and confront Tang Xiuping just now?” Wang Yuan’er bluntly pointed out her intentions without holding back.

“I… I…”

“You sneaked back. I suppose the people at Dongshan Manor don’t even know, do they? But by now, they might have found out. They’ve probably already gone to report it to the Tang family,” Wang Yuan’er added another remark.

If someone suddenly went missing, wouldn’t the attendants be anxious? Wang Min’er herself might not be important, but the child in her belly—being of Tang family blood—certainly was. If anything happened to her, the attendants wouldn’t escape blame!

Wang Min’er’s mouth opened, but she couldn’t argue because Wang Yuan’er was right. She had indeed sneaked out of the manor.

Today was Brother Tang’s wedding day. She simply couldn’t resist the urge to come back and see it. That’s why she came up with a plan to shake off the people at the manor and hired a carriage to return on her own. She stammered, unable to come up with a rebuttal. Everyone present could see that Wang Yuan’er’s words were close to the truth.

“Min’er, did you really sneak back?” Madam Zhang’s eyes widened in disbelief.

Wang Min’er pouted her chubby lips, walked into the house, and sat down. “If I didn’t sneak back, how else could I return? Mother, you don’t understand—they were watching me so closely as if I were a criminal! I’m not a criminal. Why shouldn’t I be able to come back?”

Wang Yuan’er was so furious that she laughed in exasperation. She really wanted to crack open Wang Min’er’s head to see if it was filled with mush—how could she not only fail to learn but actually become even more foolish? Could it be because of her pregnancy? People do say that pregnancy makes one silly for three years!

It had been agreed that she would stay at the manor to await childbirth. Naturally, the Tang family wouldn’t allow her to return. Yet, she sneaked back on Tang Xiuping’s big wedding day—what was she trying to do, cause trouble?

If Wang Yuan’er hadn’t discovered her, what would have happened if Wang Min’er had shown up at the wedding? The consequences were obvious.

The arrow was already on the string and had to be released. The Tang and Rong families wouldn’t halt the wedding; it would proceed as planned. But Wang Min’er would have exposed herself in front of everyone, including the new mistress.

If Wang Min’er had come back without her pregnant belly, it might have been fine. But showing up heavily pregnant—was it a provocation or what? Whatever the case, it would fall into the eyes of the new mistress, stirring her disgust and hatred.

When a woman gets married, who doesn’t want a grand and flawless wedding? Who would be happy to see another woman of her husband’s appearing at the event, let alone one with a conspicuously pregnant belly?

Yes, perhaps the mistress wouldn’t do anything to you at the wedding, but afterward? Would she even need an excuse to come after you?

Clearly, Wang Min’er had no such awareness. She leisurely poured herself a cup of water, took a couple of sips, and said, “I’ve already come back. What can anyone do about it? Anyway, I didn’t go to the Tang family, did I? Am I not allowed to see my own family?”

Thinking about it, she had only seen her family once or twice since October. Usually, she was stuck in that godforsaken place where not even birds would stop. She had no one to talk to—it was stifling and unbearable. When she first went to the manor, Tang Xiuping would visit her there, but later, he barely came anymore, claiming he had to study. Old Madam Tang wouldn’t let him leave the house and even coaxed her to stay put, promising to bring her back to the Tang family after she delivered the child. She lived in the manor, isolated like a prisoner, without a confidant. Her days felt like being in a large jail—she really couldn’t take it anymore.

“You shouldn’t have come back on your own! Look at how far along you are—what if something happens? What would you do?” Madam Zhang pointed at her belly, feeling both angry and fearful.

Earlier, she had seen Miss Rong’s entrance—the lavish dowry and the grandeur—nothing the Wang family could compare to. Wang Min’er’s unborn child was her only bargaining chip. If something happened to it, then…

Madam Zhang shuddered, unable to dwell on the consequences.

“I think she’s just brainless, doesn’t use her head,” Grandma Wang said coldly, her face darkened.

Wang Min’er instinctively moved closer to Madam Zhang.

Feeling deeply distressed, Madam Zhang looked at Grandma Wang and said, “Mother, Min’er was scared and lonely—that’s why she came back. The Tang family was cruel, sending her so far away, and she didn’t even have anyone to talk to. Isn’t it only natural she was driven to this?”

“And now you’re thinking about this? What were you doing back then? Before being sent to the Tang family, they explained everything clearly, and now you’re blaming them?” Grandma Wang’s face was covered in wrinkles, and her mouth was tightly pursed.

Madam Zhang forced a smile. “I’m not blaming them, but now that she’s back, what can scolding her achieve?” Yet inwardly, she resented Grandma Wang, wondering why she always sided with outsiders rather than helping her own granddaughter! Any concerns about consequences had already slipped from her mind.

“Fine, you have a point. Keep indulging her—sooner or later, you’ll spoil her into creating a big mess.” Grandma Wang sneered. “You once indulged her into secretly bearing a child, and now she’s married, and you’re still indulging her. Just wait and see what fate she’ll bring upon herself.”

Madam Zhang opened her mouth to speak, but Wang Yuan’er interjected, “Second Aunt, I suggest you quickly hire a carriage and send her back to the manor while no one notices.”

“I won’t! I’ve just come back—I need to stay for a night. Besides, my back is sore and tired!” Wang Min’er glared at Wang Yuan’er, then turned to Madam Zhang and said, “Mother, I really can’t handle being jostled anymore.”

Madam Zhang saw that her complexion indeed didn’t look good and quickly agreed. Just as she was about to speak, Wang Chun’er rushed in.

“Grandma, Second Aunt—the Tang family has sent people.”

How fast they came!

Grandma Wang and Wang Yuan’er exchanged glances. Grandma Wang shot a glare at Wang Min’er, her face darkening.