Chapter 126 Xia Qianqian's pregnancy has started to move.
Before he could finish speaking, steady footsteps suddenly came from outside the courtyard gate. Lu Zheng strode in, and when he saw Zhang San, he was stunned for a moment, then quickly exchanged a glance with him, and slammed his fist heavily on Zhang San's shoulder: "You good-for-nothing Zhang San! You've come at the right time!"
Zhang San grinned and punched him in the chest: "I heard you're about to become a father, how could I not come for a celebratory drink?"
"We have to drink at the wedding!" Lu Zheng put his arm around his shoulder, deliberately raising his voice, "We won't leave until we're drunk tonight!"
This caused an uproar among the villagers in the courtyard.
"Does Lu Zheng know him?"
"My goodness! So he's Lu Zheng's friend from the provincial capital?"
"No wonder you look unfamiliar!"
Lu Zheng seemed to have just remembered everyone and said loudly, "Let me introduce you all. This is my sworn brother Zhang San, who came from the provincial capital. He wrote a letter a few days ago saying he wanted to come and see me, and I didn't expect to make it here today."
He emphasized the words "brothers who would risk their lives for each other," his gaze sweeping over Xia Wenwen's pale face as he added with a half-smile, "Qianqian is pregnant, and I was afraid she would get tired, so I didn't let her go to the village entrance to pick her up. This caused some people to misunderstand and think she was some 'man of unknown origin.'"
The villagers then realized what had happened, and their doubts vanished.
That's right! It's perfectly normal that Xia Qianqian hadn't met Lu Zhiqing's best friend who came from the provincial capital!
Xia Wenwen clenched her fists so tightly that her nails almost dug into her flesh. How could this be?! This Zhang San is actually Lu Zheng's friend?!
Looking at Lu Zheng and Zhang San's familiar appearance with their arms around each other, she felt dizzy. The eerie wind she had just stirred up was completely blown away by this "brotherly affection"!
After finishing his conversation with Zhang San, Lu Zheng's smile vanished instantly, and he coldly looked at Mr. Xia: "Mr. Xia, if I remember correctly, Qianqian already published a notice in the newspaper severing her father-daughter relationship with you. Now you come to my door to cause trouble and even dare to publicly insult my wife's innocence. How do you plan to settle this score?"
He approached step by step, and with each step, the bluestone slabs beneath his feet seemed to tremble.
Mr. Xia turned pale and broke out in a cold sweat when questioned: "It's a misunderstanding, it's all a misunderstanding, we...we just came to see Qianqian..."
"Misunderstanding?" Lu Zheng suddenly stepped forward, grabbed Mr. Xia's wrist, and cracked his knuckles. "You three surrounded my wife, slandering her innocence, and when you threw stones at her, it didn't seem like a misunderstanding at all!"
Mr. Xia was so frightened by Lu Zheng's imposing manner that his legs went weak. He knew that if he didn't back down today, things would probably not end well.
He turned around abruptly, shoved Xia Wenwen out, and shouted sternly, "What are you standing there for?! Apologize to your sister right now!"
Xia Wenwen staggered, her face full of resentment and bitterness, but was glared at fiercely by Mr. Xia. She could only grit her teeth and look at Xia Qianqian with resentment.
Xia Wenwen pouted, her eyes reddened, and tears welled up in her eyes but refused to fall. Her voice was trembling with sobs: "I'm sorry... I was just delirious from hunger and that's why I was talking nonsense."
She changed the subject, her eyes carrying a subtle hint of shrewdness, "Even if you've published a notice in the newspaper severing ties with your parents, the debt of gratitude for raising you for over a decade can't be severed with just a piece of paper."
Mrs. Xia immediately nodded in agreement, clutching her chest and choking back tears, "Qianqian, it's all my fault, I was bewitched! I was holding a stone in my hand just now, I was so anxious and wanted to scare you, but my hand slipped... I really didn't mean to hit you!"
"Your mother raised you with so much care, how can you not understand your mother's heart..." Mrs. Xia pounded her chest, crying so hard she almost passed out. Her turbid tears fell to the ground, but they didn't reveal a trace of her true feelings.
"That's enough!" Granny Wang, who was standing nearby, couldn't stand it anymore and curled her lip. "Go cry at home if you want to! Using the debt of gratitude for raising you as an excuse to bully a pregnant woman, aren't you ashamed?"
Madam Xia's sobs choked her up. She secretly glanced at Lu Zheng's gloomy face, then quickly lowered her head, her shoulders shaking even more violently.
Xia Qianqian felt a deep weariness, and even looking at her family members was exhausting. She knew that even with Zhang San as a witness, the police station was in chaos these days and might not be able to truly stand up for her.
Fine, as long as they learn their lesson and don't bother me again.
She straightened up, supporting her lower back, and glanced at the three members of the Xia family. She said coldly, "I will forgive you for what happened today, for the sake of the three of you who gave birth to me."
“But from this moment on,” she paused, then said resolutely, “I don’t want to see the three of you in front of me again. If I ever see you again…”
She didn't finish speaking, but her cold eyes said it all—she would never let him off so easily again.
As soon as she finished speaking, a sharp, throbbing pain suddenly shot through her lower abdomen, and Xia Qianqian hissed and gasped.
"Qianqian!" Lu Zheng pulled her into his arms and turned to yell at the Xia family, "Get out of here! Are you waiting for me to break your legs?!"
Mr. Xia felt as if he had been granted a pardon. He grabbed Mrs. Xia, who was still sobbing, and pulled up Xia Wenwen, who had a face full of resentment. They scrambled out of the Lu family's courtyard as if they were being chased by evil spirits.
Lu Zheng carried Xia Qianqian into the house and carefully placed her on the kang (a heated brick bed): "Qianqian, rest first and don't talk."
He said to Zhang San, "Third Brother! I'd like to trouble you to make a trip and invite the barefoot doctor over!"
Zhang San replied, "I'll go right away," and turned to rush out of the courtyard.
Lu Zheng then bent down and grasped Qianqian's icy hand, his palm burning hot: "Does your stomach hurt badly? Did you get angry just now?"
Seeing Qianqian weakly shake her head, the bloodshot in his eyes almost overflowed: "Those beasts! If anything happens to you and the child, I will skin them alive!"
"No..." Qianqian tugged at his sleeve, "I'm fine... I'm just tired..."
Outside the courtyard gate, the three members of the Xia family scrambled and stumbled a long way before daring to stop and catch their breath. Madam Xia bit her lip tightly: "What are we going to do! We didn't get the grain, and that little bitch even pointed her finger at us and cursed us! Waaah, how could she be so heartless? I clearly didn't mean it, yet she still holds a grudge against me."
Mr. Xia's eyes also turned somewhat sinister: "It's such a waste of her upbringing. Which child hasn't been beaten by their parents? Even if you acted impulsively today, she didn't do anything drastic."
Xia Wenwen also said indignantly, "That's right, Mom has already apologized to her, but she still won't let it go. She's clearly just trying to avoid giving us food!"
She looked at Madam Xia: "Mom, I said before that I wanted to teach her a lesson, but you always stopped me. Are you still going to indulge her like this?"
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