92 Chapter 92
◎Old woman◎
At dusk, Xu Xiuying and Cheng Mu returned from Songzhuang. Seeing smoke billowing from the chimney, Xu Xiuying said, "Could my sister-in-law and the others be waiting for us? Madam Cheng, please go inside first. I'll help you at the stove."
Gui'er was sitting in front of the stove, lighting a fire, while Yu was chopping something on the stove.
Xu Xiuying stepped forward and asked, "Have you eaten? Madam Cheng and I had dinner in Songzhuang."
"Mrs. Cheng is back!" Gui'er dropped the fire tongs and ran away.
"We ate it too." Yu said, "Madam Cheng wants to give the Lin family caravan a jar of chili sauce, so we have to make it quickly."
"I'll do it with you." Xu Xiuying scooped water to wash her hands.
Yu looked at the empty courtyard, then at Xu Xiuying several times. Xu Xiuying noticed it, wiped her hands with a cloth, and walked closer. "Sister-in-law, do you have something to say to me?"
"Have you heard about that incident? Well, I'm not being nosy." Yu was a little unsure whether to say it or not, but she had no idea what to do.
"Why are you here? What happened?" Xu Xiuying asked in a low voice, moving closer.
"That's right..." Yu whispered, "I heard Dong'er's mother-in-law say last night that when Madam Cheng was in Meng Country, she and Mr. Fan from the escort agency went out together, slept on the same bed, and worked as their mistresses there."
"Ha" Xu Xiuying was extremely surprised. First, she was surprised that Yu would be able to move her tongue, and second, she was surprised that Madam Cheng would fall in love with Fan Qingsong.
"That's impossible," Xu Xiuying recalled carefully. "Since Master Fan returned, there's been nothing unusual between him and Madam Cheng..."
"That's right. The rumor spread like wildfire. Someone from the Lin family caravan said it themselves. If they hadn't come, no one would have known about it."
Xu Xiuying thought for a moment, "Xiao Liu should know everything about Madam Cheng's time in Meng. If the adults could keep it secret, why didn't the child tell them? Did you ask Xiao Liu?"
"The child was not found."
The two of them were silent for a while, and suddenly they heard Gui'er come in and say, "Xiao Liu is here."
Yu was startled and hurriedly pulled the two people in, then looked out.
There was no one in the courtyard.
Yu turned around and slapped Gui'er hard, "Have you heard?"
"Everyone in the village is talking about it. It's hard not to hear it. I think you're like a thief, you can't hide it, so let's all ask Xiaoliu for clarification."
The three of them looked at Xiaoliu in unison. Xiaoliu didn't understand what was going on and looked back at them with blinking eyes.
Yu was speechless, and Gui'er was free to relax. Xu Xiuying then asked, "Xiao Liu, when you were in Meng Country, did Father Fan live in the same room with you?"
Xiaoliu took a step back and asked cautiously, "You all know?"
"Sleeping on the same kang?" As soon as Xu Xiuying said this, she was bumped by Yu and stumbled.
Seeing them being evasive and hesitant, Xiao Liu shouted, "I was the first to acknowledge Uncle Fan as my father. I was afraid that the general in the Meng Kingdom would kill me. I acknowledged him because mother said so. It was just a temporary measure in the Meng Kingdom. I will be nothing when I come back!"
Killing, a temporary solution...
Gui'er said, "So Fan Qingsong and Madam Cheng are nominally a couple, but in reality he is by your side protecting you."
"Yes, that's right!" Xiaoliu puffed out his chest, "Mom and Daddy Fan are innocent."
Xu Xiuying and Yu exchanged a glance, and Guier sneered, "What do you know about whether a child can speak clearly or not?" She took Xiaoliu by the hand and said, "Let's go find Madam Cheng."
Yu quickly grabbed Gui'er and asked, "What are you doing?"
"Tell Madam Cheng about this. If it gets around, people within a radius of dozens of miles will think that Madam Cheng and Fan Qingsong are having an affair."
Yu was furious. "How could you say this to Madam Cheng? Telling Madam Cheng this is causing her trouble for no reason."
"Mom, you are the one who is most troubled."
Gui'er took Xiaoliu away. Yu was stunned. Xu Xiuying hurried to catch up. "I'll go see if there's anything I can do to help."
Cheng Mu was drawing a standard diagram for the Lin brothers on paper. After hearing Gui'er's words, she smiled and said, "When there is danger, we weigh the pros and cons and naturally think about the rumors that may arise. I'm not a virgin, so it doesn't matter."
"Madam Cheng, if you don't like Fan Qingsong, I can clarify things for you. If you like him, we can arrange a wedding for you." Gui'er had already thought about what to do next and was just waiting for Cheng Mu's instructions.
Cheng Xi laughed, "That's not necessary."
"Brother Fan has been my guardian. I don't need to clarify this matter just to distance myself from him. There's no need to marry someone just because of a few words. I don't care, so there's nothing to worry about."
Xiaoliu shouted, "Mom."
"Xiao Liu, why are you getting involved? Just go play, ah."
Guier used a little force on her hands, and Xiaoliu knew that the adults were going to say something, so he obediently went out.
Gui'er leaned forward and lowered her voice, "Madam Cheng, don't you want a man at all? Brother Fan is certainly not worthy of you, but you can take him as your concubine. You are as beautiful as a flower, and he will definitely not refuse."
Cheng Mu cast a glance at Xu Xiuying, who was standing quietly by the door. "Sister Xiuying, don't you think this is because widows are prone to gossip?"
Xu Xiuying came forward and sat down on the edge of the kang. "Guier, Madam Cheng is a decent person. Don't say those indecent things in front of her."
Gui Er glared, "Why are you being so frivolous? I'm afraid Madam Cheng is thinking that she's too shy to speak up."
"Mrs. Cheng only thinks about important things, such as making sure people have enough food to eat. How could she care about pretending to be a man? I see, no one around here is worthy of Mrs. Cheng. I feel sorry for her no matter who she is."
Gui'er also thought about it seriously. It was true that no one could match Madam Cheng. "Madam Cheng, if you are not in a hurry, just wait a little longer. Or, after I give birth, we can go to the capital. There must be many heroes and talents there."
"Yes, you're going to give birth soon," Cheng Wei changed the subject, "it's time to prepare in advance."
Gui'er: "Preparing for what?"
Xu Xiuying shook her head, "I have no experience."
"They say childbirth is like going through the gates of hell. If you were a general, wouldn't you make any preparations before going into battle?"
Cheng Mu had already made plans for Gui'er. She had someone send a letter to the head of the Wuda family asking for the loan of Nanny Zhu and for her help in finding an experienced midwife. Gui'er was now seven months old, and some premature births would have occurred this month. It was important to have a midwife and a doctor ready to go early, just in case.
Liu Jiang and his team have been gone for several days, but for some reason they haven't brought the person back yet.
The very next day after Cheng Mu thought of this incident, Liu Jiang and his men came back with two maids.
Nanny Zhu, carrying a blue cloth bundle on her shoulder, greeted Cheng Xian who came forward to greet her. "My old servant's skills are limited, and I am grateful for your appreciation, Madam Cheng."
Cheng Mu held her arms and said, "Madam, I am not master and servant, so you don't have to call yourself a slave. I'll have to trouble you to stay here for the next three months."
Another woman named Song came over to pay her respects, brushing her gray hair with her hand.
When they found her, they had already agreed that she would work for two months, do two days' work, and receive three months' wages. This was clearly a way for her to enjoy a good life. Song Po thought her employer was a wealthy family, but she had never expected that in such a remote and poor village, where farmers usually couldn't afford even doctors, they would spend so much money to hire a midwife. It was really strange.
Mrs. Song secretly looked at Cheng Mi again and again, wondering what kind of relationship she had with her pregnant wife that made her so concerned.
Gui Er found out that the two maids were hired just for her, and she couldn't help but burst into tears. Even her own mother couldn't do this, and could only say, "Giving birth is like pooping, just push hard, you're strong, what's there to be afraid of?" Only then did Madam Cheng say to make preparations, and the next day she had the maids ready for her. No, Liu Jiang and the others went to Yunzhou for this matter, and the letter Madam Cheng wrote that day was...
No wonder Madam Cheng asked her to learn to read and said that she would not know if she was cheated because she was illiterate. She read the letter with her eyes open like a blind person and only realized it today.
My dear, Madam Cheng actually found a midwife for Guier two months in advance. Yu's eyes also turned red.
After settling the girl down, Yu went to talk to Cheng Mu, saying that her daughter was a rough person and didn't deserve to be treated like a young lady. Furthermore, it was still early for the birth, so the two maids had no work to do and were just a waste of money.
"It's hard to say when the baby will be born. If you wait until the baby starts to develop before calling for help, it will be too late. It would be great if Gui'er could get through this safely. We need to be prepared just in case. Money is not a thing of the body. You only have this one daughter left, so you don't want to take any risks."
Yu was grateful for her kindness and quickly came to her senses. "Mrs. Cheng pays the rent for the house and land every year. We have the money, so if someone comes, they can stay. But we can't ask you to pay for the wages anymore. I'll pay for it."
"Let's not talk about that for now. Inviting two maids here in advance will also allow them to force Gui'er to avoid certain foods. Just now, Mrs. Song also said that if the fetus is too big, it will be difficult to give birth."
Yu responded with an "Ah hey".
The two maids were settled in the two back rooms in the yard. They had nothing to do for the time being and were not in a position to ask for food, so they volunteered to help Yu prepare two meals a day.
Cheng Mu went to the kitchen to get something and saw Nanny Zhu standing outside the back door. She turned around and prepared to go over.
Suddenly, a voice came from outside, "Mammy, what do you want to say to me?"
It was Liu Jiang's voice. Cheng Mu stopped and was about to turn around when she heard Nanny Zhu say, "Why didn't you tell Madam Cheng about Master Mu Yun's affairs?"
What's the matter with Mu Yun? Cheng Mu retracted her foot as she was about to step back.
Liu Jiang said, "Young Master Yun repeatedly warned me not to let Madam Jiao know, and I promised. How could I break my promise? Madam, you must have come here to receive Young Master Yun's warning. If you are not afraid of being criticized, go ahead and tell me."
Nanny Zhu said, "If Madam Cheng finds out, you and I will definitely be blamed. Let's think of a way to satisfy both sides. We can keep it secret and still let Madam Cheng know."
"Don't worry, now is the perfect time." Cheng Mu walked out through the back door and said, "Please tell me what Mu Yun is hiding from me."
Liu Jiang and Zhu Po were very embarrassed. After exchanging glances, Zhu Po said, "Madam Cheng, Mr. Mu Yun has been staying at the escort agency to recuperate from his injuries for some time."
Cheng Mu was surprised, her face suddenly darkening. "He was injured?" If he hadn't hidden it from her, he must have been seriously injured. "What happened?"
Cheng Mu even thought that Wu Zhi was going to kill him again and was using some shady tricks.
Liu Jiang said: "He was court-martialed in the military camp. We don't know the details."
Punished by military court? That must be a violation of military order. Could it be that he injured Amuta? Moreover, why did he return to the escort agency to recuperate after being punished by military court?
Cheng Xi trembled all over, trying to remain calm, "How badly are you injured?"
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