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Chapter 59: At the Door

That morning, Fen’er used the excuse of catching a cold to stay home and rest.

It had rained earlier that day, making the weather colder. So neither her parents nor Wen Ruyu found it odd that she claimed to be sick.

It was, after all, the season where catching colds was common.

Once everyone left for work, Fen’er dressed up and quietly slipped out of the house.

The gatekeeper woman had already been bribed by Lu Ke and let her out without question.

Fen’er accidentally caught the woman’s look — full of contempt and suspicion.

As a maid from the old madam’s courtyard, she naturally carried some of that haughty air of a “higher-ranked servant.”

Fen’er wanted to argue but didn’t dare cause trouble, so she held back her anger.

Outside the gates, it wasn’t Lu Ke himself who met her, but his attendant Qing’er.

Fen’er followed him onto a carriage, and they headed to a traditional Chinese medicine clinic.

Inside, the doctor took her pulse.

Fen’er nervously clutched her clothes, biting her lip, eyes brimming with tears.

Qing’er noticed but said nothing.

The doctor, having clearly seen such situations many times, only glanced at her with some visible disapproval in his eyes.

From that disapproving gaze alone, Fen’er already knew the result without having to ask.

Yes… unmarried and pregnant, now seeking an abortion — who would pity her?

At that thought, a bitter smile crept onto Fen’er’s lips.

After the smile, she clenched her fists, thinking only of the promise Lu Ke had made her the day before.

With that in mind, the pain of being looked down upon seemed easier to bear.

The doctor asked a few more questions about her menstruation. When he learned she hadn’t had her period in four months, his face darkened even more.

“The fetus is quite developed. If you really want to terminate it, it’s going to be painful — maybe even life-threatening.”

Fen’er turned pale at his words.

Qing’er quickly said, “Please prescribe the best medicine. You must ensure the lady survives.”

“No medicine can fully prevent the harm abortion will do to her body. We’ll talk about post-care later — I need to see how she reacts before prescribing further. For now, I’ll give her something to promote blood flow. After the fetus comes out, she’ll need something to stop the bleeding. But the key is that she must rest quietly at home for some time.”

“How long will she need to rest?” Qing’er asked.

The doctor looked up at him. “It’s like post-partum confinement. A month at the very least. If you can, longer would be better. She’s four months along — the fetus is already formed. Forcing it out now is extremely damaging. I don’t even know for sure if it’ll work, so I’ll prescribe a full course. If she doesn’t recover well, she’ll suffer chronic illness — just like women who don’t heal properly after childbirth.”

“This…” Qing’er looked helplessly at Fen’er.

She had only asked for leave for a “cold,” ten days at most.

But Fen’er tightened her fists and said firmly, “Understood. Doctor, please prepare the medicine.”

So what if it harms her body? Even if it kills her?

Did she have any choice in keeping this child?

It would have to be aborted sooner or later. If not now, then later — and wouldn’t that be even more dangerous?

Qing’er stared at her in surprise, unable to understand how she’d gone from crying to being even more determined than he was.

This woman must be out of her mind.

But since she agreed, it saved him some trouble.

The doctor took the money and wrote a prescription.

Qing’er went to the pharmacy to have it filled.

When he returned, he took Fen’er back home.

At the Lu residence gate, Qing’er didn’t dare walk in with her.

He told her, “If you need anything, have your sister come find me. I’ll pass it along to Third Young Master. He told me this period will be tough, but he will make it up to you.”

Then Qing’er handed her a purse: “This is from Third Young Master — ten taels of silver. He said, after the abortion, just focus on nourishing your body. He still wants children with you in the future.”

Fen’er blushed and turned her face away.

Qing’er ignored it and added, “Be careful going back. Don’t let anyone see you.”

Fen’er nodded and jogged home.

It was still early. She managed to sneak back without her parents noticing and boiled the medicine.

Staring at the black decoction in the bowl, she spaced out for a moment, then bit her lip and downed it in one gulp.

She cleaned the kitchenware quickly, prepared pads, and waited on the bed for the medicine to take effect.

Within half an hour, the pain struck and she had to go to the toilet.

Hunched over in agony, she felt a warm flow and, accompanied by wrenching cramps, expelled a fetus — not even palm-sized, but fully formed.

The bleeding didn’t stop. The pain was so intense that she passed out once.

When she woke up, she quietly disposed of the fetus, then went back to bed.

Her face was as pale as paper. She hastily wrapped the fetus in paper and tossed it into a garbage heap.

The pain overwhelmed her thoughts.

She had imagined she would cry for the baby — but in the end, it was the pain that brought her tears.

She cried violently, lying in bed, still bleeding, still crying — until she passed out again.

When she next awoke, her family had already come home for lunch.

They had only thought she was sick with a cold.

But her mother noticed something was wrong — Fen’er looked deathly pale and didn’t respond even when shaken.

Her father was called into the room and immediately smelled blood.

Her mother lifted the quilt — it was soaked in blood, three thick layers of bedding all stained red.

Fen’er’s younger sister, terrified, collapsed to her knees.

Her father ran outside to borrow some ginseng. He had to ask several families before managing to get two slices.

Ginseng was expensive — even a sliver cost several taels of silver. If a neighbor’s wife hadn’t bought some recently for childbirth, they wouldn’t have been able to borrow any.

Fen’er revived slightly after taking the ginseng.

Her mother was weeping like a waterfall.

They called a doctor, and upon learning it was a miscarriage, her parents immediately understood what had happened.

Fen’er’s mother begged her father to endure it, but he clenched his teeth.

Finally, he pushed his crying wife aside and shouted, “I don’t believe this world is so unfair! I’m going to ask the Old Madam for justice!”

Fen’er’s father searched her room and found the token and silver Lu Ke had given her. Fen’er begged him not to make a scene — the whole family was afraid.

The deed of servitude was still in the old madam’s hands — who dared oppose their masters?

What good would venting bring?

But her father wouldn’t back down. His face was red with rage, and he couldn’t hold it in anymore. He went straight to Wen Ruyu’s courtyard.

Fen’er clawed at her mother in panic. “Mama! Stop him! Stop him!”

Her mother only held her tightly and sobbed, “Let him go… let him go…”

Her father, usually just a humble gardener, was now determined.

Sometimes, for the sake of “justice,” he’d rather suffer than let others get away with wrongdoing.

Yes, the masters were the masters — but treating servants’ lives like dirt was too cruel.

Still, he was just a gardener. How could he get into Wen Ruyu’s courtyard?

At the entrance, he was stopped by two stewards and some maids.

Madam Zhou pointed at his nose and scolded, “What are you doing here? You idiot! Don’t you know where this is? How dare you cause a scene at the Old Madam’s courtyard!”

Zhao Dahan (Fen’er’s father) didn’t argue, only dropped to his knees and shouted, “If the Old Madam won’t give me justice today, I won’t leave!”

He kept calling “Old Madam!” over and over.

They couldn’t beat or drag him away, so they were at a loss.

Inside, Wen Ruyu was chatting with her daughter-in-law and daughter when they all heard the shouting.

Wen Ruyu looked puzzled. “What’s that noise?”

Zhao Shu stood up, smiling. “I’ll go check. Maybe someone drunk wandered in and started yelling.”

Wen Ruyu nodded, trusting Zhao Shu to handle it.

Zhao Shu, a capable steward of the household, walked out with her maid. The moment Zhao Dahan saw her, he quieted down.

Zhao Shu managed the whole household and recognized Zhao Dahan.

“What are you doing, making such a scene? The Old Madam is trying to rest. If you have grievances, come to me later. Don’t disturb her now.”

Zhao Dahan, simple and honest, kowtowed twice and said, “Madam, Third Young Master slept with my daughter and got her pregnant. Now she’s been forced to abort the baby at home — we don’t even know if she’ll live. Please, I beg you, give us justice now!”

Zhao Dahan was Fen’er’s father. Zhao Shu had already guessed this had something to do with Fen’er.

But she had assumed he was just here to secure Fen’er’s position as a concubine by appealing to the Old Madam.

She had been displeased, thinking him two-faced.

But now… it was a genuine grievance?

Zhao Shu was stunned.

A four-month pregnancy? That meant it started before Lu Ke even went to take the provincial exams?

It wasn’t unusual for masters to have affairs with maids — but Lu Ke was always so meticulous. How had he not handled things properly afterward?

This was no small matter. Zhao Shu didn’t dare handle it alone… but also feared the Old Madam’s wrath if she found out.

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