Chapter 194

Regardless of how the Tang family scrambled to find ways to weather the crisis, the Wang family was entirely focused on hoping for Wang Er’s release from prison.

With Zhang Dapeng’s death, the Wang family, as relatives by marriage, naturally went to offer condolences. However, as Wang Yuan’er had anticipated, Zhang’s family blamed Zhang Dapeng’s death on the Wang family—specifically Wang Er—claiming he had involved his uncle in shady dealings for money.

This accusation was undeniably absurd, as it was Zhang Dapeng, acting as a middleman, who had reached out to Wang Er, leading to Wang Er’s imprisonment. Now the narrative had flipped, with Zhang Dapeng’s death being pinned on Wang Er—wasn’t this a fabricated charge?

Still stuck in jail, Wang Er was powerless to defend himself. Even the calmest of individuals would be angry under such circumstances. Wang Pozi couldn’t hold back and argued with Zhang’s family members. If it weren’t for the respect afforded to the deceased, the situation might have escalated further. Regardless, relations between the two families dropped to freezing point.

After returning from Zhang’s household, Grandma Wang continued to vent her frustrations, directing her resentment at Madam Zhang, who faced hostility on all sides. Madam Zhang was caught in a miserable position, scorned by her family and in-laws.

As the saying goes, misfortune rarely comes alone, and worse news arrives from the estate in Dongshan.

Wang Min’er had given birth prematurely to a baby girl. Due to the premature birth and complications during labor, there was significant bleeding. While her life was saved, the doctors confirmed that she wouldn’t be able to have children again in the future.

Upon hearing the news, Madam Zhang fainted on the spot.

Wang Yuan’er was taken aback, unable to comprehend how the early labor could have happened so suddenly.

By calculating the dates, the baby in Wang Min’er’s womb was only around seven months old. As the saying goes, “babies born in the seventh month may survive, but not those in the eighth.” A premature birth like this meant the baby girl, if she survived, would likely be frail in the future.

“How could it be a girl? Her belly was pointy—how could it be a girl?” Madam Zhang kept repeating this question throughout the carriage ride to the Dongshan estate. Wang Yuan’er grew weary of hearing it.

“Second Aunt, now isn’t the time to be concerned about whether it’s a boy or a girl. When we see Min’er, please don’t bring this up. Being able to save her life is already a blessing,” Wang Yuan’er said with a sigh.

She couldn’t figure out if there was some hidden reason behind Wang Min’er’s premature labor. However, the explanation of a difficult delivery seemed unlikely.

Wang Min’er, as a village girl, was used to a sturdy lifestyle. Although she didn’t do extremely heavy labor, she was far from the frail ladies of wealthier families who couldn’t lift or carry anything. Her body had always been strong, so how could she have had such complications?

Still, this was only her speculation. After all, childbirth has long been regarded as a life-threatening experience. Even Liang Shi had once faced the same ordeal, hadn’t she?

The truth of the situation could only be revealed by seeing Wang Min’er in person.

Thus, Wang Yuan’er accompanied Madam Zhang to visit the estate and check on her.

The Tang family’s estate in Dongshan was truly picturesque. Spring had just begun, and the paddy fields were lush with green rice crops, emanating a fresh, pleasing atmosphere. Rows of houses were arranged beautifully while the villagers worked diligently in the fields.

The carriage stopped in front of the estate’s main courtyard. Someone approached to ask their purpose, and Wang Yuan’er explained their intention to visit. The person hesitated momentarily before hurrying inside to report. Shortly after, a man who seemed to be in charge came out to greet them and led them inside.

Wang Yuan’er wasted no time with pleasantries and directly requested to see Wang Min’er. The steward called a servant woman to guide them to Wang Min’er’s room.

Despite mentally preparing herself, Wang Yuan’er couldn’t help but be startled at the sight of the woman lying weakly in bed, propped up haphazardly. No matter the era, her impression of Wang Min’er had always been that of a lively and vibrant individual—not this broken figure resembling a flower prematurely wilted and withered.

Her hair was disheveled, her eyes sunken, and her face pale, devoid of any trace of blood. It was as though the ordeal had drained all her vitality, reminiscent of how Madam Liang looked after giving birth to Baolai—utterly depleted. Wang Min’er’s delivery had claimed nearly all her life force.

“My child, how did you end up like this?” Madam Zhang exclaimed tearfully upon seeing Wang Min’er in such a ghostly and miserable state. Her eyes immediately reddened, and tears flowed uncontrollably.

“Mother, you’ve come.” Wang Min’er reached out her hand, her own tears streaming down as she spoke. She was truly terrified. Upon hearing that her father had been imprisoned, she was desperate to return home. However, the servants would not allow it, and amidst the pushing and shoving, she experienced bleeding. The baby was barely over seven months along. Overwhelmed with anxiety, her water broke, and the baby was about to be born prematurely.

On the birthing bed, she endured excruciating pain. The midwife said the baby’s head was stuck, resulting in a difficult labor—a situation terrifying to imagine, especially since her eldest aunt had passed away under similar circumstances. She was overwhelmed with fear, surrounded only by servants. Her husband was absent, and there was no one from her own family present. She was utterly alone and scared to death. After a desperate struggle, she managed to give birth to the baby, but then they said the bleeding wouldn’t stop. She thought she would never see her mother and family again. She even saw her deceased eldest aunt coming to fetch her, but the cries of the baby brought her back.

She survived, but the doctor later told her that she would never be able to bear children again.

Now, upon seeing her mother, all of Wang Min’er’s pent-up grievance and fear came rushing out, and she broke down in tears.

“Mother, I thought I’d never see you all again,” Wang Min’er cried, clutching Madam Zhang tightly. “Mother, the doctor said I’ll never be able to have children again, sob.”

She gave birth to a baby girl, and Tang Xiuping hadn’t even come to see her. She would no longer be able to bear children, and as a woman without a son, how was she supposed to live her future life? What use was giving birth to a girl?

Madam Zhang cried as well and said, “My good child, being alive is already a blessing. Later, we’ll find another doctor to see you. For now, the priority is to take good care of yourself. Just look at you—you’re hardly recognizable.”

“It’s useless now. I gave birth to a baby girl, and the Tang family will surely look down on me. Brother Tang hasn’t even come to see me, and no one from the Tang family has come either,” Wang Min’er said tearfully. “Mother, why is my life so miserable?”

The mother and daughter held each other and cried bitterly.

Wang Yuan’er felt deeply moved, but she had to intervene and advise them, “It’s not good to cry during confinement; it could lead to blindness in the future.”

Madam Zhang finally came to her senses and said, “You’re right. Your elder sister is correct. Stop crying now.” She quickly began wiping her tears.

Wang Min’er wiped her tears as well, and Wang Yuan’er seized the opportunity to observe her surroundings. The room had a peculiar smell, possibly due to poor ventilation. The windows were tightly shut, letting in little light. Despite it being daytime, an oil lamp was burning inside. On the table lay a bowl of blackish, congealed soup, its surface covered in a layer of oil. It was unclear what it was.

At this moment, Wang Min’er began talking to Madam Zhang about the situation.

“A few days ago, someone from the Tang family came. I heard my father was in trouble. Mother, what’s happening with Father? Has he been released from prison yet?” Wang Min’er asked Madam Zhang with hopeful eyes.

Mentioning Wang Er brought tears to Madam Zhang’s eyes. She shook her head.

“Mother, didn’t you ask Third Young Master to help save Father?” Wang Min’er asked urgently.

“Don’t even mention the Tang family! They are cruel people. Forget seeing Third Young Master—even the stewardess wouldn’t meet me,” Madam Zhang said angrily, recalling the humiliation she endured at the Tang family.

Wang Min’er’s face changed. “How can that be?” Was the man she thought so much about truly so heartless?

Worried she might start crying, Wang Yuan’er stepped in to change the topic. “Don’t worry. Negotiations have already taken place. In a few days, Second Uncle will likely be released. Just focus on resting during your confinement.”

“Exactly. Don’t worry about your father. Yuan’er has arranged help for him, and everything will be fine soon. But you—how did this happen? Why did you have an early labor?” Madam Zhang asked.

Wang Min’er said, “I heard that Father was in trouble and became anxious, wanting to return home. In the struggle with the servants, I started bleeding.” She recounted her experience, still shaken by the memory.

Wang Yuan’er frowned and asked, “Are you saying someone deliberately informed you about Second Uncle’s trouble?”

Wang Min’er hesitated and replied, “Not deliberately—it was something I overheard. Someone came to the estate to collect goods for the Tang family and mentioned it.”

Wang Yuan’er sneered, “Coincidence? There are rarely coincidences in this world. It’s likely that someone intentionally orchestrated this, targeting the child in your womb.”

Consider this—if Wang Min’er learned of her father’s plight, would she be able to contain herself? And if something went wrong, what consequences could befall a pregnant woman?

Within the Tang family, who would least want Wang Min’er to give birth to this child? Who else but Madam Rong?

“While you’ve been here on the estate, did the Tang family arrange for a midwife? Was there any discussion about the position of your fetus?” Wang Yuan’er asked further.

Wang Min’er looked at Wang Yuan’er’s solemn expression and felt an inexplicable unease. “The midwife was arranged when I was six months pregnant,” she replied.

Upon saying this, Wang Min’er realized something wasn’t right. When the incident occurred, the midwife wasn’t on the estate, having taken leave to attend a celebration. Wang Min’er approved the leave. When the accident happened, a stranger assisted with the delivery. Subsequent events were a whirlwind, and she hadn’t given it much thought until now. With her family’s arrival and their brief conversation, she began to see the discrepancies.

“You mean my premature labor was intentionally caused?” Wang Min’er’s face grew even paler.

“Madam Rong must have already learned the true purpose of your stay on this estate,” Wang Yuan’er sighed.

Wang Min’er’s presence at the estate was bound to raise suspicion, especially given her actions during Tang Xiuping’s wedding. It was only a matter of time before Madam Rong discovered the truth. However, Wang Yuan’er hadn’t expected Madam Rong to act so swiftly, striking against Wang Min’er within a month of her marriage to the Tang family.

Madam Rong’s decisiveness and ruthlessness seemed to match her reputation.

“She harmed me? It was her?” Wang Min’er began trembling.

Madam Zhang also shook in fear and said, “Could it be a misunderstanding? Could someone be so wicked?”

“People act in their own interests, Second Aunt. Madam Rong is the type who would beat a servant to death over a cat. Min’er is pregnant, and regardless of whether the child is a boy or a girl, it would be the firstborn of Tang Xiuping—a child with the status of ‘firstborn,’ but not from the legitimate wife. Do you think such a person would tolerate this?” Wang Yuan’er said with a cold smile.

Wang Min’er’s face turned ashen as she slowly clenched her fists. “I’ve already retreated to the estate without status or title, and she’s still uneasy about me. She went to such lengths to harm me.”

She suddenly laughed, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She felt utterly foolish.