Tang Nian walked around them for the first time and felt like she was just an extra.
Aside from the fact that everyone's attention was focused on Song Shiyi, this place seemed no different from an ordinary town, and you could even see happy people everywhere.
After the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn, Tang Nian had not received any useful information and realized that lingering here was an unwise decision.
“Madam Song, my attendant has been at the inn for the past two days. All my magical artifacts are on him. I need to go to the inn.”
She interrupted the two people in front of her who were glowing, and waved her hand with a smile: "With Young Master Cui protecting me, my staying here would only be a disturbance."
"What are you saying?" Song Shiyi said with a smile and a hint of reproach, but she didn't deny it. "You go ahead, we'll wander around a bit more and then head back."
Tang Nian nodded and successfully separated from the two people.
However, as soon as she reached the next street, she realized something was wrong.
Many people lined the roadside, mostly pregnant women and their husbands, clinging to each other, whispering sweet nothings and flirting.
Isn't this way of getting along just a template from the Cui family?
What's even stranger is that there are so many of them, they're everywhere, suddenly appearing without a sound.
They simply stood by the roadside, talking to each other, without interacting with anyone else, and showed no intention of attacking Tang Nian.
Tang Nian didn't understand the meaning, but her bad premonition grew stronger, so she quickened her pace.
She entered the inn, and the innkeeper, who was standing behind the counter, looked up and smiled at the person by the door: "Please come in, guest. You look unfamiliar. You're not a local, are you? Would you like to stay here?"
Tang Nian was already cursing in her heart, but her smile widened.
Wow, you can play like this? That's really interesting.
"I'm here to find someone."
Seeing that the shopkeeper wanted to strike up a conversation again, Tang Nian quickly sent him away and turned to go upstairs to Ming Huan's room.
After knocking on the door three times without receiving a response, she pushed the door open and discovered that Ming Huan was fast asleep in bed in broad daylight.
What catches the eye is that, around his waist and abdomen, the bedding is pushed up into a semi-circular bulge.
Tang Nian sensed something was wrong and lifted the covers. Sure enough, she saw that Ming Huan was already six months pregnant, his belly as big as if he were at least seven or eight months along.
She took out a pre-made eye-brightening talisman, and in the instant she flipped her hand, the talisman was ignited with a spell, flashing with dark blue flames.
The talismanic fire approached the swollen belly, illuminating the skin until it was almost transparent, revealing the outline of a black infant inside.
This is not only a child, but judging from its skin color and appearance, it is also a stillborn.
Despite all precautions, the people around me still fell victim to the virus.
Having seen all those pregnant birds before, Tang Nian wasn't too surprised that Ming Huan, a male bird, was pregnant.
She sighed, casually lit an incense stick with the talisman fire, and watched the smoke drift into Ming Huan's mouth and nose.
A few seconds later, Minghuan frowned, opened his eyes, and shook his head blankly: "Sister Tang? What's wrong with me..."
Tang Nian extinguished the incense stick, put it away, and casually said, "Pregnant women shouldn't nap for too long."
"How could this be..." Minghuan sat up, supporting his back, staring in shock at his belly. "How did it get so big!"
Tang Nian replied dismissively, "Ask me? Shouldn't I be the one urging you?"
"Alright, tell me in detail what's going on with this thing, what happened to you?"
She wanted to find the right solution, which was also a crucial step in gathering information.
However, Ming Huan simply shook his head.
"I didn't encounter anything particularly strange, and I didn't even feel anything..."
He placed one hand on his belly, a kind smile unconsciously spreading across his face, and murmured, "Could it be that because so many little ghosts have drowned recently, I was accidentally attacked while killing water ghosts?"
Tang Nian stroked her chin and remained silent.
She inexplicably recalled the information she had gleaned earlier: the seemingly loving couple's claims about their child's cycle were inconsistent.
Cui Wensong went even further, claiming that according to the timeline he mentioned, Song Shiyi's child should have been born a month ago.
But the truth is, even now, Song Shiyi is still busy every day and shows no signs of giving birth.
In addition, the bizarre scenes witnessed along the way, and the almost ingratiating expressions of those husbands...
Tang Nian had a bold idea in her mind.
She stood up, staring at Minghuan's swollen belly: "I'll go think of something now. You should know your own body. Stay in the inn and rest to make sure you're not affected. Can you do that?"
She couldn't possibly actually induce labor for Minghuan.
We're completely clueless right now, and staying here will only increase the risk of total annihilation. We should hurry out and find more clues to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
Ming Huan nodded with concern: "Be careful."
Tang Nian meticulously analyzed the information she had and decided to start with the most important figures in the city.
Pregnant women, pregnant women everywhere.
She had already prepared a smile as she walked out of the inn, and sure enough, a few minutes later she saw a pregnant woman walking towards her.
She greeted him with a smile: "You look so happy. Your family must treat you very well. How many months pregnant are you?"
"It's only been five months, but my belly looks a bit big. Everyone's saying it might be twins!"
The pregnant woman chuckled, quite familiar with the situation, "Finding a good man is very important; what's there to worry about for the rest of my life?"
After exchanging a few polite words, Tang Nian sent the man away and went to find other pregnant women ahead.
She tried three different approaches and asked many pregnant women, but the results were all pretty much the same.
Regardless of the size of their bellies, they all said the baby was already five months old.
It's worth noting that Song Shiyi's earliest account was four or five months.
Tang Nian remembered those people's faces and found an opportunity to approach their husbands again, saying that she was working for Madam Song and had come to ask what month their wives were in and whether they needed new medicine.
The men's opinions were varied and strange, but none of them matched up to their wives.
Some men even speak while standing right next to their wives, yet neither of them seems to notice anything amiss.
After investigating the matter here, Tang Nian had been wandering around the city for quite some time. Deciding not to ask the pregnant woman any more questions, she turned and went into the brothel she had just visited.
She hadn't forgotten what Song Shiyi had said when they first met.
The brothel was bustling with activity; men and women sat in the private rooms, drinking and enjoying themselves everywhere.
But whether it was the dancers on stage or the people serving drinks to customers offstage, they were all men with supple bodies; not a single prostitute was to be seen.
When Tang Nian returned to the Cui residence, there was only one person in the entire house.
Song Shiyi was humming a little tune as she made clothes for the child, and she seemed to be in a very good mood.
Seeing Tang Nian come in, she smiled and waved: "Come and see how this little dress is? I specially chose the pattern, saying it symbolizes blessings and hope."
"It's so beautiful, I love it!" Tang Nian echoed.
Song Shiyi beamed with delight: "You're such a sweet talker, young lady. Hey, you're not getting any younger, when are you planning to have a child?"
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