"Mom, don't believe everything you hear outside. Those gossipy women just can't stand to see others doing well, so they're deliberately making up lies to curse me. I don't believe these nonsensees, and don't repeat them to me after you hear them outside. I don't want to hear them." Fang Xue said these words as if she were trying to convince herself, and also as if she were trying to convince Yang Fengxia.

Yang Fengxia felt sorry for her daughter's plight, but was also angry at her daughter's foolishness.

"You brat, what do you mean by that? I'm your own mother, would I make up lies to harm you?"

Fang Xue lowered her eyes and explained in a low voice, "Mom, that's not what I meant. You know, I've been looking forward to this child for seven or eight years. Now that it's finally here, I'll definitely cherish it more than anything. At this time, I can't stand hearing such unlucky words."

"What bad luck? Is it bad luck for your mother to tell you a few truths?" Yang Fengxia got angry again: "You! You've really lost your mind. You're just like your mother-in-law. You're obsessed with your son. All you can think about is that child who doesn't even exist."

"What I just said is up to you. Believe it or not, it's fine. I'm too lazy to waste my breath arguing with you. I don't want to do this for your own good and end up being disliked by you!"

Yang Fengxia turned and left, and just as she reached the door, she ran into Zhang Jun, who was returning from the public restroom.

Zhang Jun greeted her with a smile: "Mom, you..."

He had barely finished speaking when he saw Yang Fengxia roll her eyes at him, then snort coldly and leave without paying him any attention.

Zhang Jun was completely baffled. He scratched his head and pushed open the door to his home.

Upon seeing Fang Xue, he asked, "What's wrong with Mom? Why didn't she respond when I greeted her?"

Fang Xue's face turned pale, and she didn't react much when she heard this, only raising her eyes slightly.

She didn't say anything, turned around and walked into the house, but her legs went weak and she almost fell when she went up the steps.

Zhang Jun quickly steadied her: "Wife? Are you alright? Why are you walking so absentmindedly? Don't let our son fall again."

Upon hearing this, Fang Xue froze, and it took her a long time to recover. She shook her head to indicate that she was fine.

"Are you really alright? You look pale and bloodless." Zhang Jun asked with some concern.

"It's nothing, I just feel a little nauseous in my stomach," Fang Xue lied.

Zhang Jun helped her sit down. After a moment of blankness, she asked, "Mom has been out buying groceries for a long time. Why hasn't she come back yet?"

Zhang Jun casually replied, "Something probably came up that delayed me."

Fang Xue said "Oh".

After another moment of silence, she suddenly said, "Bring me a bowl of the medicine prescribed by the master."

"good."

The so-called medicine was a bowl of dark soup. It didn't smell bad; instead, it had a faint herbal fragrance. It didn't taste very good; it was a bit bitter and astringent, but it wasn't hard to swallow.

Fang Xue held the medicine for a long time, and when she saw that the bowl was no longer steaming, she still hadn't drunk it.

Zhang Jun urged her, "Why aren't you drinking? It's almost cold."

Fang Xue didn't say anything.

Fang Jun walked up to her and coaxed her with a smile, "Wife, do you think it's too bitter? There's brown sugar in the cupboard. If you drink it all, I'll make you half a bowl of brown sugar water to rinse your mouth."

These words struck a nerve with Fang Xue, and she suddenly broke down, smashing the medicine bowl and bursting into tears.

She cried for a very long time, and no matter how Zhang Jun tried to comfort her, it was to no avail.

She cried until she was exhausted, then nestled in Zhang Jun's arms and whispered, "Zhang Jun, our son is gone."

*

Fang Xue's emotional journey needs no further explanation. Fang Hai accompanied the others to take Zhou Xiaoxia to the hospital, and was later taken to the police station by Zhou Xiaoxia's family as a witness, only managing to get away and go home around 4 PM.

During this time, Fang Qiao stayed in their rented house with Dong Ping.

When Fang Hai returned, Fang Qiao learned a few things from him. She was saddened to learn that Zhou Xiaoxia's child had died because of medication of unknown composition given to her by the "fake master and real swindler."

Then she prepared to go back.

After all, my home is in the suburbs, and the journey takes a long time. If I don't get home soon, it will be dark.

Dong Ping, holding the child, and Fang Hai saw Fang Qiao off at the door.

Just then, Yang Fengxia came running over angrily.

She looked angry and annoyed, with red eyes. When she saw people, she wiped away her tears and cursed, "God, I don't want to live anymore! What have I been doing all my life? I didn't care about food or clothes, and I only thought about you children. You don't appreciate it at all, and you even say some awful things to hurt me."

"Especially your eldest sister, she's lost her mind, completely fooled by a bunch of swindlers!"

"What 'God of Fertility' who guarantees a son! Bah! I already told you he's a fraud! There's no child in her belly!"

“I told her it was a scam, but she wouldn’t believe me. She even thought I was making up lies to deceive her, and that I was cursing her unborn child.”

"You idiot, you moron, can't you even think straight? I'm her mother, would I ever harm her?"

"You even think my words are unlucky! Do you think I'm stupid enough to deliberately go looking for trouble and get insulted by her?"

"She can't tell right from wrong. I've raised her for nothing all these years."

"I'm so angry!"

Fang Qiao, Fang Hai, and Dong Ping exchanged a glance and looked at each other blankly.

What... is going on?