Chapter 90 Shaking
He Xingniang told He Xing what she had found out, and then asked doubtfully, "Son, could it be that the son that Hua Niang brought is really from the Jiang family?"
When He Xingniang found Hua Niang, she was stunned to see the little one. How could they look so alike if they weren't related by blood?
Even though she knew that He Xing had deliberately set this up to annoy the Jiang family, she herself was starting to believe it.
No wonder Madam Xu fainted from anger without investigating Hua Niang's background; if it were her, she would have fainted too.
Anyone with eyes can see what's going on.
"It shouldn't be."
He Xing revealed a sarcastic smile, but what difference did it make? The truth didn't matter.
The situation is clear now. He Xing asked his mother to discuss with Hua Niang about arranging for the child to be born to Jiang Huai, who would benefit as the only son of the Jiang family. Once the child inherits the family business and receives the Jiang family's wealth, He Xing would receive half of it.
He orchestrated everything, knowing Hua Niang's background and details, and surmised that Hua Niang wouldn't dare to keep the money for herself.
The two people are currently in a cooperative relationship.
“Mother, I met Hua Niang when I went to the county to participate in a literary gathering with my classmates.”
Scholars enjoy romance and beautiful women, and women from respectable families wouldn't associate with them. Brothels are a good place for this.
He Xing was a regular at the brothel, and the moment he saw Hua Niang's son, he had a scheme. If Jiang Huai hadn't been so ruthless, he wouldn't have needed to plot against her.
"Jiang Huai has also been to brothels?"
Thinking about it this way, even if he wasn't a member of the Jiang family, Jiang Huai still couldn't explain it away.
"Zuifenglou is the largest brothel in the county. Jiang Huai has been there many times to do business. He has even booked the courtesan named Magpie."
Even though there was no real relationship, if you went to that kind of place, drank too much, and something happened, who would remember!
"If you're going to put on a show, you have to go all the way. That magpie is quite clever; she named her son Pipi, and the Jiang family is in the fur business."
He Xingniang began to think things through and finally realized that the plan was foolproof.
The mother and son bought wine and meat to celebrate, especially He Xingniang, who was already fantasizing about moving to a large mansion with a large number of servants.
Before long, it was noon, and the crowd gathered at the entrance of the Jiang residence gradually dispersed.
Magpie had already fainted once, but she refused to leave, holding her breath, and persisting despite losing feeling in her legs.
Those who work in the sex trade have it easy when they're young, with tender skin and plenty of customers. But at her age, she can't compare to the new young girls; she's old and faded, and business isn't much anymore.
Magpie had thought about leaving home and getting married, but she couldn't even get into a respectable family. The poorest old bachelors in the village looked down on her. Besides, unlike her sisters, Magpie had a son, making it even harder for her to find a husband.
When He Xing mentioned this plan, Magpie agreed almost without hesitation. As long as she could get through this ordeal, she would live a life of luxury and wouldn't have to serve anyone anymore.
"Young lady, why are you doing this to yourself!"
An older woman nearby advised Magpie that it would be better to wait for the head of the Jiang family to return before discussing the matter, as kneeling in the freezing cold would ruin her legs.
"Auntie, Pipi is getting more sensible now, and he keeps asking me for his father. I'm doing this for my son..."
The magpie had learned a little tune and put herself in the role of a tragic mother who was thinking of her son. As she spoke, tears began to fall.
It was truly difficult for her, a courtesan raising her son in a brothel.
Some time ago, someone took a fancy to her baby Pipi and offered a hundred or so taels of silver to buy the child.
The magpie inquired and learned that the other party had a peculiar fetish, preferring to buy and abuse young boys.
Magpie wept bitterly. She was a lowly flower girl, yet she did not want her son to have anything to do with such filth.
Once Pipi is adopted by Master Jiang, she might be able to study and learn to read and write in the future. This is also her main reason for going against her conscience and taking such a risk.
Before Madam Xu had fully recovered, as evening approached and snow began to fall again, the servants of the Jiang household began to waver.
"Why don't we let them in?"
After thinking it over, the butler decided that if the madam was angry, he would wait for the master to return before apologizing.
Just now, the housekeeper looked out from the doorway and saw that the little child was dressed in thin clothes, shivering from the cold, and his face was bluish-purple.
If the child is indeed the master's flesh and blood, and something happens to him, all the servants will be punished.
The servants readily agreed to the steward's suggestion. Judging from the child's appearance, they were fairly certain that he was a child the master had been raising outside.
Otherwise, if the woman came to the door to stage an accident, the truth would be revealed as soon as the master returned.
Although the servants in the household sympathized with Madam Xu, they secretly thought she was not virtuous and that a woman should not be so selfish, causing the Jiang family line to end.
The day's farce came to a complete end when Magpie and her son were brought into the Jiang family's home.
After washing up and having a hearty dinner, Magpie took her son to the main courtyard to pay her respects to her sister, Madam Xu.
"Who let you in? You're trespassing!"
Jiang Baozhu was kept in the dark. She was brewing medicine in the tea room when she saw the mother and son swaggering around the mansion, and her expression changed drastically.
Lin Yuesha narrowed her eyes. This woman was resourceful; she couldn't wait to show off as soon as she arrived.
Mrs. Xu is not in her right mind right now. If she wakes up and sees the mother and son, she might suffer even greater shock.
"You must be Miss Baozhu. This is Pipi, your younger brother."
The magpie didn't introduce itself, but instead pushed its own son to the front.
Even though Jiang Baozhu disliked women, she couldn't do anything to the little boy, so she could only say coldly, "My mother only gave birth to one daughter, I have no younger brothers or sisters."
“Miss, it doesn’t matter if you don’t admit it. Once the master returns to the manor, the truth will come out.”
The magpie was bold; she lied without batting an eye, as if it were perfectly natural. She smiled slightly and said, "I heard my sister is unwell, so I..."
Magpie intended to serve Madam Xu; this was the custom in wealthy families, where concubines would establish rules before the matriarch.
"Get out! This is not a place for you!"
Jiang Baozhu was furious and heartbroken; her worst fears had come true.
Having been reborn, her biggest fear was that her parents would marry her off to He Xing, allowing him to squander the Jiang family's wealth. Therefore, Jiang Baozhu actively sought to change her fate.
However, things didn't go as planned. A woman claiming to be her father's mistress came to the door, and she even brought a son with her.
From then on, the Jiang family had a son to inherit the family business. However, Jiang Baozhu was heartbroken, and she didn't know if she had the right to be sad.
She hated that she was a girl, which outsiders used against her, and she also hated that her father didn't tell the truth and kept a mistress outside. She also felt sorry for her mother.
“Auntie, now that you’ve entered the Jiang residence, you’re a guest. There’s a saying that goes, ‘When the guest is in the host’s place, the guest should follow the host’s lead.’ It’s not appropriate for a guest like you to barge into the main courtyard like this, is it?”
"It's not appropriate for outsiders to interfere in the private affairs of the Jiang family." Seeing that Jiang Baozhu was deep in thought and had no interest in dealing with the woman, Lin Yuesha had no choice but to interject.
She thought it best to tie up the woman and her son and lock them up first, and then make a plan after Jiang Huai returned to the mansion.
The child is five or six years old. In all those years, didn't the woman ever think of coming to their door? Her sudden appearance without any clues is itself very suspicious.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
