Chapter 160 Hitting Qin Yan
how so?
Xia Qianqian was quite surprised to hear Er Ya's words.
Having flattered the Qin family for so many years, she believed she understood them very well. Back when the Xia family was at the height of its power, the Qin family looked down on them. Now that the Xia family had been relegated to this poor mountain village and their assets had long been confiscated, why would the Qin family make such a choice?
"Are you sure?" she couldn't help but ask.
Er Ya immediately pouted and put her hands on her hips: "Mom! You still don't believe me?"
She said mysteriously, "There's nothing Er Ya doesn't know about in our village! The Qin family has already prepared the betrothal gifts, and they'll be exchanging them first thing tomorrow morning!"
"Bride price?" Xia Qianqian's heart skipped a beat again.
The betrothal gift is a wedding custom in Xiangyang Village. When she married Lu Zheng, she had not yet recognized her biological father, Xia Qingshan. Wang Meihua then set out the betrothal gifts wrapped in red silk in her own courtyard.
Xia Qianqian fell into deep thought. How could she not know that Xia Wenwen harbored ill intentions towards her? She had to go and see, even if it really had nothing to do with her, it would be good to gather more information.
“Then let’s take a look together tomorrow,” she said, looking up at Lu Zheng. “Let’s look at it from a distance.”
As they were talking, Wang Meihua came out of the kitchen carrying a wooden basin, the hot water steaming in the air: "We can talk about it tomorrow. Quickly soak your feet and get some rest."
She reached out and touched Xia Qianqian's cheek, her brows furrowing slightly: "Look at all the trouble you've gone through, your little face is all pointed now."
"Okay, Mom," Xia Qianqian replied sweetly.
She slept exceptionally well that night. Her nerves, which had been tense for days, finally relaxed. As soon as her head hit the pillow, she fell asleep without any dreams and didn't wake up until the morning light shone through the window.
As dawn broke and a sliver of light peeked through the window, Xia Qianqian was awakened by the crowing of roosters outside the courtyard.
She rubbed her eyes and was about to throw off the covers when Lu Zheng reached out and stopped her: "Why don't you sleep a little longer?"
Xia Qianqian shook her head: "I went to bed too early last night, and I'm fully awake now."
"There are brown sugar buns steaming on the stove. Go wash up first, I'll go get breakfast," Lu Zheng said.
When she returned after washing her face, the village was already bustling with noise.
Several teenagers were already crowding at the doorway, peeking in. One of them, holding a slingshot, shouted, "Er Ya, hurry up! I heard the lead mule is carrying a red silk cloth on its back; they're going to scatter candy later!"
Er Ya's eyes lit up instantly, and she tugged at Xia Qianqian's clothes, shaking them vigorously: "Mommy, Mommy, let's go see too!"
Xia Qianqian looked at Lu Zheng: "Let's go take a look."
Lu Zheng reached out and pressed her shoulder, pushing the bowl of porridge towards her: "The morning breeze is so cold. If you go out on an empty stomach, your stomach will hurt later. Drink this bowl of porridge first. The betrothal party is moving slowly, so we won't be late."
Xia Qianqian looked at the steaming brown sugar porridge in the bowl and obediently sat back down. The porridge was still warm, and the sweet aroma of brown sugar mixed with the fragrance of wheat wafted up. After a few mouthfuls, her stomach felt much more comfortable.
When the two finished breakfast and arrived at the Xia family's door, the noise surged towards them like a tide.
Er Ya's voice was especially shrill: "Mom, look! The lead mule has entered the alley!"
She rushed over, holding two candies, and stuffed them into Xia Qianqian's hand like a precious treasure. "These are wedding candies that were just scattered! The Qin family brought eight large wooden chests, all wrapped tightly in red silk. I wonder how many good things they've packed inside!"
Sure enough, the surrounding villagers craned their necks to peer into the yard, and several women huddled together whispering, "I heard the Qin family is from the provincial capital; their methods are truly extraordinary..."
The gates of the Xia family's courtyard were wide open, and several men were carrying red-lacquered wooden chests inside. This must be the betrothal gifts prepared by the Qin family.
Just then, a male voice suddenly came from behind: "Qianqian".
Xia Qianqian turned her head and saw Qin Yan standing there, his hair neatly combed, much tidier than usual.
Qin Yan was about to walk into the Xia family's courtyard when he heard Er Ya's noise and turned around. When his gaze met hers, he suddenly froze.
The raised curve was so obvious that, hidden under the light blue jacket, it looked like she was carrying a round little watermelon.
Qin Yan felt all the blood rush to his head. He stared intently at the arc, his knuckles clenched so tightly they turned white, and he even forgot to breathe.
Xia Qianqian...is pregnant with Lu Zheng's child? That clumsy, reckless man, how could he be worthy of him...?
"Why? Why did this happen?!" He took two steps forward, his voice trembling. "Couldn't you have waited?!"
The noise abruptly stopped, and the sunflower seed shells in the villagers' hands fell "plop" onto the bluestone slab. Some of the quick-tongued ones had already embellished the old story of Xia Qianqian, Lu Zheng, and Qin Yan, and the crowd immediately became like a hornet's nest that had been stirred up, buzzing with inquisitive eyes.
Mr. Xia was checking the betrothal gift list with a brush when he heard Qin Yan's questioning voice. His hand trembled, and the ink splattered on the paper, turning into a black blob.
Madam Xia rushed to the door, her eyes fixed on Xia Qianqian.
"You shameless little slut! You're married now and still flirting with other men! Your relationship with Young Master Qin fell through back then, that was just your bad luck! Now that Wenwen is marrying into the Qin family, you're green with envy, coming here pregnant to cause trouble? I think you just can't stand to see the Xia family doing well!"
Xia Wenwen never wanted to marry Qin Yan, and now seeing him still entangled with Xia Qianqian, she leaned on Madam Xia's shoulder and cried in grievance.
Xia Qianqian didn't expect that even though she was far away from the crowd, trouble would still find her. She stopped Lu Zheng, who was about to stand up for her, and slapped Qin Yan across the face.
"Xia Qianqian, are you crazy? Apologize to Wenwen and Qin Yan right now!"
Xia Qianqian understood. Madam Xia was trying to smear her with all the blame, using her "lack of self-control" to cover up the scandal of Qin Yan's inappropriate behavior towards another woman on their engagement day!
The gossip in the village can be deadly. Once she's labeled as "having an affair with her ex," how will she ever be able to take her child out in public again?
But she didn't panic.
Instead, she slowly raised her eyes and looked at Qin Yan: "Qin Yan, what did I say before?"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried a chilling edge that pierced through the noise: "If you dare to touch me again, don't blame me for being impolite."
"Today is the day you and Xia Wenwen exchange betrothal gifts," Xia Qianqian said, her hand slowly stroking her lower abdomen, her eyes suddenly turning sharp. "I won't hold it against you; consider it a small punishment as a warning."
She paused, then spoke with a sharp, deliberate tone, "But listen to me carefully—"
"If there's a next time," she turned to look at Lu Zheng beside her. The man was looking down at her, but when she looked over, he firmly grasped her hand.
"I'll have Lu Zheng break your legs!"
The ruthlessness in Lu Zheng's eyes already showed his attitude.
Madam Xia screamed, "How dare you!"
Xia Qianqian sneered, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding villagers: "Everyone saw it. It was Qin Yan who stopped me on the engagement day, saying such nonsense as 'Why didn't you wait for him!' Now the Xia family is turning the tables on me, what a clever tactic!"
A buzz of discussion immediately arose in the crowd, and the way they looked at the Xia family and Qin Yan had changed.
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