Chapter 87 The Scheme
Li Qu rested for a month before Imperial Censor Zheng completed the new household registration and transfer procedures.
He timed his delivery to Li Qu's home right after she finished her postpartum confinement.
Grandma Zheng is killing a chicken at home.
During the national mourning period, officials in the capital city abstain from meat for one month.
For a funeral, killing a chicken to appease the five internal organs is quite ingenious.
He went straight to Li Qu's room and knocked.
"I have obtained what you requested."
"You're almost fully recovered, you can go now."
He didn't hesitate to tell them to leave:
"Don't blame me for being heartless, it's just that your identity is special."
"If I stay even one more day, I won't be able to sleep at night."
Please be more considerate of the elderly.
The door opened, and a hand reached out.
Imperial Censor Zheng placed the items in Li Qu's hands.
He pulled his hand back.
Li Qu, in the room, opened the new household registration and transfer documents.
It was my own request; I was a resident of the capital, and all the cities I passed through from north to south were bustling metropolises.
She can choose to stay anywhere she wants.
Now that they had the goods, they no longer needed to hide from Duke Zheng.
After carefully putting away the documents and household registration, Li Qu planned to go out and continue teaching the Zheng family children to recite multiplication tables.
The sudden return of Imperial Censor Zheng interrupted her teaching work.
The door opened, and there stood Zheng Yushi, staring at him.
Imperial Censor Zheng was waiting for Li Qu's response when she suddenly opened the door.
Politely stepping aside from the women, he began to walk towards the main house: "After lunch today, you..."
etc.
He turned around abruptly and pointed at Li Qu's stomach: "Didn't you have a miscarriage?"
"Stop howling like that!" Granny Zheng threw the chicken, which had been bled dry and was now dead, onto the ground. "Shut your unlucky mouth!"
Imperial Censor Zheng glanced at Li Qu's obvious belly, then at Granny Zheng.
"You two conspired to deceive this old man!"
“You’re so slow and hesitant when I lie to you, but you’re willing to do things when I don’t!” Granny Zheng said matter-of-factly.
“You…you…” Zheng Gong pointed at Li Qu, then at Zheng Po.
"How could you lie to an old man like me!"
"I am an honest and upright official who does not accept bribes. I am incorruptible and would never engage in such power abuse or fraudulent activities!"
"Today, I have been deceived to this extent by you two women!"
"I'm so ashamed!"
He flung his sleeves and stormed back to his room, yelling, "Don't call me for dinner!"
The door slammed shut with a bang.
Granny Zheng rolled her eyes: "I knew this would happen. You're such a stubborn mule, I can't handle you!"
Then he directed his wife to pluck the chicken feathers, chased away the annoying child, and invited Li Qu to sit down in the living room.
"Look at the way he's dying! If you just ask him to do this, there's no way you'll get him to do it!"
Granny Zheng made Li Qu a bowl of sweet soup.
Li Qu accepted it and thanked him.
The moment she drank that abortifacient, the image of Zhou Jin arriving with his sword on Mid-Autumn Festival night suddenly flashed into her mind.
Like a sixth sense, I suddenly got goosebumps all over my body.
She immediately induced vomiting without hesitation.
Tears welled up in her eyes from vomiting, and bile even came out.
Grandma Zheng was stunned: "Have you thought this through? It's not easy for a woman to raise a child alone."
She collapsed to the ground, overwhelmed with lingering fear.
Whether it's easy or not, good or bad for the child, or how it affects oneself is no longer important.
The important thing is to prevent Zhou Jin from drawing his sword.
She is not alone.
Always leave yourself an out.
At that moment, she thought, "Sure enough, you have to rely on your father's connections no matter where you are."
'We have the material means, but it's a shame he was born without a father's love; it's unfair to him.'
Seeing that she had made up her mind, Granny Zheng quickly sent someone to fetch a doctor again.
It's the same doctor as before.
He arrived leisurely, showing no sign of nervousness, and placed the pregnancy-preserving medicine on the table.
The medicine is extremely effective.
Li Qu understood instantly.
She had asked as soon as she received the medicine whether it was very effective.
The doctor glanced at her, replied with an "Mm," took the money, and left.
He never mentioned that he was carrying abortifacients.
All that effort for nothing, I vomited so much I felt like I was dying, and all I vomited was the medication I was supposed to take to prevent miscarriage.
Granny Zheng berated the doctor.
The doctor, furious, bristled and glared: "Who dares to carry abortifacients on them?!"
'What if something goes wrong with the food, and everyone dies? How will I, this old man, be held responsible!'
"Besides, she's just a relative of yours; she has no family from your husband's side. If she miscarries, her husband's family will come to my door demanding justice. Where can I even seek justice?"
'Nonsense!'
Practicing medicine under the emperor's nose requires a sharp mind; otherwise, you won't live long.
The doctor took Li Qu's pulse with a displeased expression, and only smiled after Li Qu bought his family's bird's nest.
Afterwards, she communicated with Granny Zheng, hoping to use her life-saving grace to ask Grandpa Zheng to help with the new household registration and transfer matters.
Having a deep understanding of her husband's personality and Li Qu's general situation, Granny Zheng advised Li Qu to play along with the plan.
That's how we achieved today's victory.
*
Li Qu picked up the sugar water and sipped it slowly.
Granny Zheng sat next to Li Qu, fanning herself.
“You’ve lost weight by eating vegetarian food with our family lately.”
"We're killing chickens today, so we'll eat a lot of them later."
Li Qu put down the bowl and held it in her hands, saying, "Thank you for your help."
Grandma Zheng said fearlessly, "Our family still owes you a favor."
"With that stubborn old man's temper, he absolutely won't help you with your household registration and transfer unless you threaten him a little."
"Now that we have the goods, what are your thoughts?"
Li Qu twirled the bowl of sweet soup: "I would like to trouble you, Grandma, to help me buy a clever maid from the slave market."
"Please ask the old lady to help me find out where there are houses for rent nearby."
"The baby is now over six months old, so long-distance travel is not advisable."
"We'll make plans after the baby is born."
Granny Zheng asked, "Don't you have any other relatives in Beijing?"
She had figured this out the day she arrived in the capital.
"If I don't show myself, they will be safe. But if I do, they could become a weapon to make things difficult for me, which would be detrimental to both of us."
She wants to flee far away.
Whenever I think of this, I feel empty inside.
Humans are ultimately social animals.
Seeing that she had lowered her long eyelashes and that her delicate face could not hide her loneliness, Granny Zheng quickly explained, "I didn't mean to send you away."
"Now only our family knows your whereabouts."
"We have new household registrations now, so we're not afraid of the authorities coming to our door to check our population."
"What I mean is, if you don't mind, you can stay at our house and we'll talk about it after the birth."
"No one dares to mess with us because we live in this alley."
"The old man became an official who offended people, and the neighbors on both sides would avoid him."
"I keep everyone in the family under my control, and they wouldn't dare to reveal a single thing about you."
"As long as you don't leave this door, the house will be safe."
Li Qu lowered her eyes, revealing a triumphant smile.
She looked up at Granny Zheng with longing: "Wouldn't this disturb your household?"
“Your esteemed household!” Granny Zheng quickly waved her hand, “There are no such rules.”
"We have a lot of family members, so please don't find it noisy."
Li Qu quickly stood up and bowed, saying, "This junior thanks you for taking me in, Grandma."
An excited old woman, Zheng, quickly helped Li Qu up, saying, "I was afraid you wouldn't want to stay!"
"I heard that the child's father is very handsome."
"You're good-looking too."
"This child will definitely be very beautiful when it's born!"
Beautiful people and things are always something people look forward to.
When life becomes an independent entity in one's eyes, it will unconsciously inspire respect and affection.
Li Quying: "That's about all the good things he has."
Grandma Zheng, a stickler for good looks, got excited: "My old man was handsome when he was young too."
"I'll get you the best midwife to help you give birth later."
"You absolutely must let me hold you when you're born!"
The two of them talked for a long time.
Grandma Zheng was forced to accept the rent and food expenses.
Li Qu then asked Granny Zheng to lead her to the door of Imperial Censor Zheng's room to apologize and thank him.
"This junior had no choice but to repay your kindness, but I will never forget your great kindness, Lord Zheng..."
The stubborn Imperial Censor Zheng sharply condemned Li Qu's act of deceiving people about household registration and transfer of residence.
Enraged, Granny Zheng yelled, "You blockhead! You can't be flexible at all!"
"They did save your life, after all..."
As the sun grew stronger, Li Qu smiled and waved to the children before sitting down in the shade.
She gently asked the children who had gathered around her, "Have you memorized the rhymes I taught you this morning?"
Three three-year-old children happily gathered around their beautiful aunt.
They chattered incoherently, reciting incomplete rhymes, some even reciting them in a completely nonsensical way.
Li Qu was amused.
Seeing this, Zheng's wife, who was busy in the courtyard, also smiled.
They were all very happy.
Only the screams of Imperial Censor Zheng being beaten by his wife seemed out of place in this scene.
"What! You let her stay!"
"No, absolutely not! I disagree!"
"Ah! Stop scratching my face, I still need to go out..."
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