After Chang Shuyin gave birth, all eyes in the Marquis's mansion turned to Zhi Tao.
This girl was originally just a result of Madam Xiao's kindness, and it wasn't directed at her, but rather for the sake of her son's bloodline. Who knew that by some twist of fate, her importance would increase several times over.
Despite the attention, no one except Madam Xiao could see her. Whether out of curiosity or some other purpose, when Madam Ruan came to pay her respects, her maid slipped to the window of the room where Zhi Tao was imprisoned. She peeked out for a moment and then told the old woman guarding her to report it. She was given twenty lashes. If Madam Ruan hadn't later gotten Lord Xiao to plead for her, Madam Xiao would have kicked her out.
After this incident, all the others who were eager to inquire gave up their plans.
The outcome will be decided soon anyway, so there's no need to provoke Madam Xiao. If you want to watch the show, just wait a little longer.
As the date drew closer, the servants began to gossip more and more. Although Madam Xiao was strict in managing the household, she could not stop everyone from having a gossip.
"Have you heard? That girl's belly is as big as a ball, even bigger than when the eldest mistress was about to give birth."
"Really? How do you know? You saw it?"
"Shh, don't talk nonsense. I don't want to get beaten up too. It's my old sister-in-law. She knows one of the old women guarding the place. I overheard her mention it, but I don't know anything else."
"Is Grandma almost out of her postpartum period? I wonder if she'll do anything about it."
"Who knows? Grandma is usually quite good-natured—"
"Even the best-natured person can tolerate this?" another said. "The eldest mistress isn't without a family. I just came from the front, and Madam Chang brought many things to see her."
"You mean, Madam Chang will come up with a solution for the eldest mistress—?"
"Who knows..."
In the north courtyard, the maids were also gossiping.
"Madam is really good at keeping secrets. Even now, we still don't know whether Sister Zhitao is carrying a boy or a girl."
Hong Liu, the number one onlooker, couldn't get any news and expressed her disappointment.
Bai Fu didn't want to talk about Zhi Tao, but she couldn't help but say, "It would be better if it were a girl."
Xin Cheng came later and had no blood relation to Zhi Tao, nor did she share their sentiments. She simply asked Xu Rong out of curiosity, "Grandma, if Zhi Tao gives birth to a son, can she become an aunt?"
Xu Rong was flipping through a book when she looked up and replied, "Perhaps. But she needs to save her life first."
"Is everything alright? I haven't heard anything from Grandma's side," Xin Cheng said.
Xu Rong remained silent.
Lady Zheng came to argue twice, but later, perhaps because the die was cast, she didn't make any further moves. When she came again, she mainly came to visit her daughter and didn't argue with Lady Xiao.
But Xu Rong was not so optimistic.
Sometimes, silence can be more frightening than activity.
Commonly known as the calm before the storm.
Bai Fu bit her lip: "Grandma, don't worry about her. Whatever happens, it's her fate. She chose this path herself."
Xu Rong snapped out of his daze and nodded.
She truly couldn't intervene. When Zhi Tao first entered the manor, she wasn't under such tight surveillance. If she wanted to, she could have contacted her. She didn't, and now, even if she sensed danger, it was probably too late…
On the evening of April 1st, Qiaoqiao and Chang Shuyin, two whole months apart, Zhitao was born.
Xu Rong's place was remote and not close to any other places, so the sounds of Chang Shuyin giving birth did not reach her. However, whether it was her imagination or because Zhi Tao's cries were indeed much louder, she vaguely felt that she heard a woman's scream that had changed tone.
It was late at night, and the eerie atmosphere made her feel unusually uncomfortable.
"Go and see how it is." Xu Rong couldn't sleep, and after pacing around the room a couple of times, she took the initiative to give the order.
Bai Fu went out for a moment and then came back: "Grandma, no need. Hong Liu has been staying there and hasn't come back. She probably hasn't been born yet."
Her complexion wasn't good either. She spoke harshly, insisting that Zhi Tao deserved it, but when the time came, she couldn't bear it in the end.
"Let her have a daughter, that's fine," she said softly. "That will be enough for her to rely on. I just hope she can live a peaceful life from now on."
Time passed, and as the night grew quieter, the screams gradually subsided, and then thumping footsteps crashed in through the door.
“Hongliu is back,” Bai Fu said hurriedly. “She’s so loud and boisterous again. Doesn’t she worry about disturbing the Second Young Master?”
She went to the door, lifted the curtain to greet Hongliu and scold her, but Hongliu rushed in without stopping: "Grandma, Sister Zhitao gave birth, it's a boy!"
Bai Fu's heart sank, and she swallowed back all the words that were about to come out.
Xu Rong waited a moment, noticing Hong Liu's appearance, and felt that she seemed to have something else to say.
Sure enough, Hongliu took a breath and continued, "But Sister Zhitao is bleeding heavily. The doctor said she might not survive. She wants to see Grandma one last time, and Madam... Madam agreed!"
She finished speaking in one breath, then gasped for air.
Xu Rong removed her hairpins and jewelry, but didn't take off her clothes. She didn't care anymore and walked out. As soon as she stepped out of the curtain, she saw Xiao Xin standing at the door of the east side room opposite, looking at her: "I'll go with you."
He wasn't asleep yet, but Hongliu's loud voice startled him awake.
Xu Rong: "No need, it's inconvenient for you to go. Second Young Master, you should rest first."
She hurried along without looking back. When she reached the main courtyard, she saw that the courtyard was brightly lit and that a baby was crying loudly from the side room that had been set up as a delivery room.
The area outside the delivery room was also bustling. An old woman was being dragged out, trembling and crying out her innocence: "Madam, I didn't do it! How could I dare to lay a hand on the young mistress? I'm innocent!"
"Gag her!" Madam Xiao's voice came from the delivery room.
A handkerchief was quickly crumpled into a ball and stuffed into the old woman's mouth. She was dragged down the steps, and another old man who looked like a doctor came out from inside, carrying a medical kit and shaking his head.
The area in front of the door finally became empty, and Xu Rong went inside.
The first thing she saw was not Madam Xiao holding the baby in the room, but two old women busily removing large patches of blood-stained bedding from the delivery bed. She closed her eyes and looked up again before she saw Zhi Tao's sallow, ashen face.
“…Miss.” Upon seeing her, Zhi Tao’s eyes lit up, and she seemed to regain a bit of vitality.
Xu Rong walked over.
The whole kang (a heated brick bed) reeked of blood. With nowhere to sit, she half-squatted down in front of it.
Zhi Tao's hand, which was hanging by the edge of the kang, moved with difficulty and moved a little towards her: "Miss, I didn't expect that you would still be willing to see me. In the past... I was the one who wronged you."
Xu Rong remained silent.
These were her dying words; she could only listen.
Zhi Tao was a little disappointed: "Is the young lady still blaming me?"
Xu Rong paused for a moment, then said, "Whether it's your fault or not, you'll find out later."
She couldn't answer that question for the original young girl, Xu Rong.
“The girl comforted me, but what future do I have?” Zhi Tao smiled bitterly. “It was my greed that led me to betray the girl… So, this is my retribution.”
"Wah..." the baby cried loudly.
Zhi Tao's gaze followed, lingering yet unwilling: "Girl, it's a boy."
She was determined to save the child.
It was this child who took her life.
"I thought I could make it through, but I never expected..."
The struggle within this secluded mansion was far more intense than she had imagined. Even under Madam Xiao's protection, she was still attacked.
After the child was born, all the riches and glory she had dreamed of became irrelevant to her.
"If only I hadn't been so blinded by love..." Zhi Tao murmured. "Back then, when I was with you, you trusted me the most. You would tell me everything. Those were such wonderful days..."
However, she misunderstood the situation, thinking that since the girl was going to marry Xiao Lun and she was trusted by the girl, it would be natural for Xiao Lun to take her as a concubine. Later, the girl's marriage to Xiao Lun failed, but she still hadn't woken up from this misconception. One wrong step led to another.
"Miss, could you... could you hold my hand?" Zhi Tao moved her arm with difficulty and moved a little closer to her. "We grew up together. When we were little, you always held my hand and we would stroll around the manor together..."
Xu Rong didn't have this memory, but she still raised her hand and touched her palm. It was sweaty and cold. At the same time, a wad of cloth slipped out from Zhi Tao's wrinkled sleeve and fell into her palm.
Xu Rong was taken aback, then quickly raised her hand, letting the wad of cloth slide into her sleeve.
"Are you done talking?" Madam Xiao, holding the baby, was getting impatient from standing. She walked over and said to Zhi Tao, "You wanted to see your former master, and I've let you. Now, you should tell me where your brother and sister-in-law are."
Xu Rong slowly withdrew her hand, realizing why Madam Xiao had allowed her to see Zhi Tao one last time—it was all for this matter.
Even after so long, and despite Madam Xiao's personal efforts, she still couldn't find out about Zhi Tao's brother and sister-in-law.
"Madam, please let me see the child one more time," Zhi Tao said calmly but weakly.
She was, after all, the birth mother. Madam Xiao frowned slightly, but still granted her request, bending down to reveal the baby's face from the bright red swaddling clothes.
After crying for a while, the baby must have cried itself out. Its swollen eyes closed into slits, and it fell asleep.
Zhi Tao stared intently.
Finally, Madam Xiao urged her again, "Is it ready yet?"
Straightening up, Zhi Tao could only see a swaddled baby.
She looked at him again before turning her gaze to Xu Rong: "Girl, this child has a hard life. I beg you, please take care of him for me. I don't want him to become rich and powerful, but at least don't let him end up like me."
Madam Xiao was taken aback: "What are you saying!"
But no matter how imposing she was, Zhi Tao was no longer afraid; she just stared intently at Xu Rong.
Xu Rong felt the wad of cloth in his sleeve and finally nodded.
Zhi Tao's expression relaxed, and she smiled: "I was foolish. I should have found a girl a long time ago. Maybe things wouldn't have come to this... Girl, I owe you something I can never repay in this life, but I hope there will be a next life..."
Her smile froze, vanished, and she closed her eyes.
"Wow……!"
The baby woke up, and its cries echoed throughout the delivery room.
**
Leaving Madam Xiao's furious voice behind, Xu Rong silently walked back, accompanied by a solitary lamp in the middle of the night.
Bai Fu, carrying a lantern and walking ahead, trembled slightly as she suppressed her sobs.
Xu Rong sighed and reached out to her, "Give me the lamp, don't let it fall."
Bai Fu wiped away her tears and shook her head: "No need, how can I ask Grandma to light the lamp?"
Xu Rong wasn't in the mood to talk, so she stopped arguing. With no one around, she carefully took the bundle of cloth in her hand, opened it, and took a look.
It was too dark. I could only see some lines drawn on it, but I couldn't make out what they were. The strong smell of blood was very clear.
She had a rough guess, but then she took it back.
The north courtyard is in sight, lit up, bringing a touch of comfort in the darkness.
Xu Rong dragged her feet over, and before she even reached the door, the gatekeeper saw their lanterns and exclaimed with delight, "Grandma's back!"
As Xu Rong stepped into the courtyard, a tall, slender figure came out to greet her. Seemingly sensing that something was wrong with Xu Rong, he stopped in front of her.
The boy's body already possessed some of a man's strength, and his gaze was focused on him. Xu Rong didn't look into his eyes, but felt exhausted all over. The shoulder that was so close to him seemed both within reach and very reassuring.
She lowered her head and leaned against him.
Xiao Xin: "..."
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