Chapter 94 Miscarriage
Rong Yin was only ready to kiss her once and then let go, but Zong Zheng Xiao grabbed the back of her head and hugged her and kissed her for a long time.
Rong Yin was so angry that she stuffed all the oranges into her mouth and said in a vague voice: "I won't give you any more. The more you eat, the more arrogant you become. Hurry up and continue talking."
Zong Zhengxiao, who had already eaten his fill, showed a satisfied smile, pinched Rong Yin's bulging cheeks, and only calmed down after being slapped in the face did he continue to gossip.
"Cui Lao Er quietly revealed the true identity of the aunt. Although it was only circulated among the rich and powerful, it also caused quite a stir. Now everyone is watching the excitement of the Cui and Li families."
"Tsk tsk, is this a shocking scandal? The Cui and Li families are almost being laughed at." Rong Yin felt that this kind of explosive gossip was worthy of being a hot search even in modern times.
To the head of the Li family, it was just that the son of the neighboring Cui family slept with his wife, and his wife was pregnant. This cuckoldry was so outrageous that it was about to burst through the sky.
The topic of human ethics is always a hot topic.
"Although no one will say it openly for the sake of the Cui family, discussions behind the scenes are inevitable." Zong Zhengxiao's face was also full of mocking smiles.
"It seems that Cui Laoer really hates his father and the entire Cui family." Rong Yin couldn't help but sigh.
As the saying goes, family disgrace should not be made public, but Young Master Cui was willing to go this far in order to get revenge, which shows how much anger he has been holding back over the years.
Zong Zhengxiao said: "Revenge means to make the other party feel pain. The Cui family cares about the reputation of their century-old family. Cui Lao Er has ruined the reputation of the Cui family, even though he is also a member of the Cui family."
Rong Yin was curious: "If he does this and is discovered by Patriarch Cui, I wonder what will happen to him?"
"Who knows? Cui Lao Er is not a good guy either. But we are the ones who benefit from their dog-eat-dog fight. I hope Cui Lao Er can hold on for a while longer and not be discovered by Old Man Cui too early."
Rong Yin swallowed the orange in his mouth and said, "It would be better if they could die together."
As New Year's Eve approaches, every household buys New Year's goods, hangs lanterns and posts Spring Festival couplets, creating a lively scene.
Several of Rong Yin's stores are about to close. They close on time every year, and customers who are familiar with the pattern rush to buy everything they want in the last few days before closing. The customer flow of the bakery and milk tea shop has increased sharply in the past few days.
Since biscuits have a longer shelf life than bread, they became the bulk of New Year's shopping. It would be a good opportunity not to make some money from them. Rong Yin immediately designed several gift boxes, carved auspicious designs out of fine wood, and put a box of biscuits in them. They immediately became the best choice for New Year's greetings and gifts.
The value of the gift box far exceeds the cookie itself. It looks high-end and classy, and the price is worthy of its status. It is specially designed for wealthy people.
Looking at the sales volume of the biscuit gift boxes and touching the white silver, Rong Yin couldn't stop smiling.
Although the hot pot restaurant has only been open for a few months, Rong Yin provides the same benefits to its employees as it does to the bakery and milk tea shop.
Rong Yin especially took special care of the little monkeys and other special employees. In addition to the year-end bonus, she also gave them a big New Year red envelope, hoping that they would have a good year.
"Then let us wish Boss Rong a happy New Year's Eve in advance! May you live in harmony and happiness in the coming year! Make a lot of money every day!" A group of little monkeys stood in front of Rong Yin and clasped their fists to him to express their blessings.
Rong Yin smiled and said, "I wish you all a happy new year, too! May you have this day every year!"
After settling the employees' wages, Rong Yin left after giving his instructions, leaving the matter of closing the store to the manager.
The paper-making workshop closed earlier than them. Two days ago, Rong Yin met the Zhao family of three who went to the city to buy New Year's goods.
Tian Xiaocui looked more cheerful than the last time he saw her. Although she had to work every day in the workshop, she was not listless at all. She was in much better spirits than usual and even seemed to have straightened her back.
After the female workers entered the workshop to work, the problems that everyone had worried about before did not occur. The male and female workers were fed, lodged and worked separately, so they rarely met each other under normal circumstances. There were also special people patrolling, so not only the female workers, but also the male workers had never encountered any danger.
The year-end bonus from the workshop was more than what the Rongyin store gave out. Add to that Tian Xiaocui's usual savings, and the family's life had visibly improved.
Tian Xiaocui also told Rong Yin that now everyone in the village envied her for being able to work in the workshop, and they always kept asking her when the workshop would start recruiting people.
Those guys who spread the rumor that her entering the workshop would damage her reputation have long since shut up. Some even came with gifts to apologize, begging Tian Xiaocui to forgive them for spreading the rumor and to tell them if there was any news about job openings.
The Zhao family became famous in the village, even more prosperous than those wealthy families. No one dared to mock them for sending Juan'er to school anymore, and they all praised them for their foresight.
Knowing that thanks to Zong Zhengxiao and his own efforts, more and more people are living a good life, Rong Yin is content and feels that his life is getting more and more promising.
After returning to the palace, Zong Zhengxiao also showed him this year's account book. Whether it was ice, rice paper or sanitary paper, the performance was very good, and the net income was about 20,000 taels of silver more than last year.
Not only did Zong Zhengxiao and Rong Yin's small treasury have new members, but the group of heroes who got a share of the profits from these businesses also had bulging pockets. Their faces, which were already rosy because of the New Year, became even more radiant and they were as happy as gods.
It was lively outside, and the Cui family's inner house was no less lively. However, except for Cui Laoer, no one in the Cui family could laugh.
He had just come out of his concubine's room when the servant came to tell him that his aunt had gone to Young Master Cui's courtyard.
Cui Laoer was dressed neatly and had a calm expression. There was no crying or wailing in the room.
Seeing this, the servant breathed a sigh of relief silently. It seemed that the Second Young Master did not use those means to torture his concubine today.
Although he was not the one being tortured, the servant had followed the Second Master Cui since he was young, and he knew that the Second Master Cui would always get very angry when he used abnormal methods on his concubines.
Rather than saying that torturing people in bed was his hobby, it was more like a way for him to vent his anger. He made his concubines who were in pain scream and cry in order to divert his own powerlessness and helplessness.
He regarded these people as his enemies, and poured out all his hatred, which he had nowhere to vent, on them.
At this time, the Second Master Cui basically attacked everyone indiscriminately, including his servant, so the servant actually did not want the Second Master Cui to be angry, just like his concubine.
But perhaps because he had recently avenged himself, the resentment in Cui Ershao's heart was released. He had not gone mad at his own people for a long time, which made the servant very happy.
Hearing the servant's words, Mr. Cui sneered and strode out.
"It's the New Year, it's the best time to watch a good show."
The second young master Cui calculated the time deliberately. When he arrived, the first young master Cui's courtyard was already crowded with people. Someone said that they wanted to invite the master and the mistress to come over. There were also sounds of pulling and struggling from inside, and the scene was extremely noisy.
However, Young Master Cui knew that his father had gone out to meet guests today, and his mother's health had deteriorated after giving birth to several children. She was now only meditating and chanting Buddhist scriptures in her own yard, and it was estimated that she would not come over.
That leaves only my grandmother who lives in Qingshui Pavilion. However, she is old, and even if she wants to help take charge of the situation, it will take some time to get her to come over.
Roughly speaking, this amount of time is enough for my aunt to make trouble.
After the incident in the garden, the head of the Cui family did not allow the aunt and the young master Cui to meet again. He also comforted the aunt and said that he would give her an explanation. However, no matter how the aunt begged and cried, the head of the Cui family kept delaying and refused to give her an explanation.
Seeing that her belly was getting bigger, the aunt couldn't sit still any longer. She had to ask the father of the child for an explanation.
So with the help of her servant, the Second Young Master Cui, she picked today, a good day, and regardless of the order of the head of the Cui family prohibiting the two from meeting, she went straight to the yard of the First Young Master Cui.
She used the same old trick again, crying all the way, attracting many people to watch.
Young Master Cui saw his third brother and several illegitimate sons and daughters in the crowd. It seemed that no matter how cold the weather was, it could not stop everyone from coming to see the excitement.
He pushed through the crowd and walked in. The first person he saw was the aunt who was tugging at Master Cui's sleeve. Her eyes were red and she was crying.
"Cui Lang, I had a dream last night. I dreamed that I was pregnant with a boy this time. If the baby is born successfully, he will be your first son. Are you really willing to abandon us?"
Although Young Master Cui got married early, he was destined to have no son. His first wife and two concubines each gave birth to a daughter for him, but he still has no son.
He had told his aunt before that he wanted a son, and now his aunt's words hit him right in the sore spot.
Speaking of which, Young Master Cui has a similar personality to Master Li, so when it comes to dealing with Young Master Cui, Auntie is very familiar with him.
After hearing what his aunt said, Master Cui, who originally felt embarrassed and wanted to hurry back to his room, hesitated.
Seeing his emotion, the aunt continued: "You don't want our son to be born as a wild child without status, do you? I don't ask for a high status, even if I am just a concubine, I am willing to stay by your side, serve you for the rest of my life, and raise our son at the same time."
Her repeated use of "our son" gradually won Master Cui's heart a little closer to her. Looking at his aunt who was crying pitifully, Master Cui's eyes softened a little.
However, whether or not he can keep his concubine by his side is not up to Young Master Cui. His father is still the one who makes the decisions in the Cui family.
Young Master Cui pursed his lips and said, "When Dad comes back, I'll go with you to see him and ask him to help us, okay?"
Young Master Cui had some resentment towards the head of the Cui family, but he was more afraid of him. The aunt was very clear about this, so when she heard what he said, she knew that he was very determined. It seemed that her plan was successful.
Auntie suppressed the corners of her lips from rising, pretending to be weak and leaning into the arms of Master Cui, "Mr. Cui, it took me a long time to get here, and the weather is so cold. I feel a little uncomfortable. Can you help me go into the house and rest for a while?"
The aunt has made up her mind. She is not going to leave today. As long as the head of the Cui family does not agree, she will live with the young master Cui and see who can annoy her more.
Young Master Cui had no idea what his aunt was thinking and thought she was really feeling unwell, so he wanted to be obedient and helped her into the house.
But although Mr. Cui agreed, his wife disagreed.
Before, when Aunt Ren Ping and Young Master Cui were flirting with each other, she just stood by and watched expressionlessly, as if she didn't care at all that her husband was flirting with another woman.
It was not until my aunt said she wanted to go into the house that something seemed to have touched her scaly area and made her angry.
She led two concubines to stand in front of Master Cui and his aunt, raised her chin, and said in a serious and cold tone: "My husband, if you want to take a concubine, I won't stop you, but you can find anyone except her. You said in front of father before that it was she who seduced you and led you astray. Now you bring her in to tell father that you lied that day?"
When Auntie heard Young Master Cui say that about her, a hint of hatred flashed across her eyes, but she quickly hid it.
She raised her head, her eyes filled with tears, and questioned the wife of Master Cui: "Madam, I know I am pregnant with Cui Lang's son, and you don't like me, but whether you agree to Cui Lang taking me as a concubine is up to the head of the family and Cui Lang. You said no, do you think you have more say than these two in the Cui Mansion? And I just feel unwell and want to go into the house to rest for a while, how can you blame Cui Lang for lying? Could it be that you are defending Cui Lang and you are jealous of me?"
The lady could see that the aunt was trying to sow discord between them, so she did not argue with her. She just said, "You can go somewhere else if you want to rest, but as long as I am here, don't even think about stepping into this house."
"Mr. Cui..." Seeing that the mistress did not respond and her attitude was still so tough, the aunt realized that it was meaningless for her to get entangled with her, so she turned her target to Mr. Cui.
"Madam, please move aside first. Let's go inside and talk."
In fact, Young Master Cui was already somewhat unhappy at this moment. With so many people watching, his wife did not give him any face and stood in front of him with a tough attitude.
So rather than saying that he was standing up for his aunt, it would be more accurate to say that he was trying to save his own face.
However, his wife still maintained the same attitude: "I told you, she can't come into our house!"
Young Master Cui's tone also changed: "What if I insist on her coming in?"
The lady showed no fear: "Then just step over my dead body."
Ever since the affair between Mr. Cui and his aunt was discovered, Mrs. Cui's heart has fallen to the bottom. Not only does she have to face the pain of her husband's infidelity, but she also has to endure the ridicule of outsiders.
She didn't do anything, but she had to endure all this for no reason. Now her husband even brought another woman to pretend to be in love with her. How could she tolerate this?
"Okay, then I'll do as you wish!" Young Master Cui was so angry that he raised his hand and pushed his wife, regardless of the fact that his pregnant aunt was still by his side.
The Madam was no pushover either. She was also furious. When Young Master Cui was rude to her, she no longer cared about etiquette and after a roar she started fighting with him.
"You bastard, you dare to stand in my way, aren't you afraid that I will divorce you?"
"If you have the guts, then just divorce me. I've had enough of you!"
"Madam, Master, please stop fighting!"
The servants and concubines nearby hurriedly tried to stop the fight, and the crowd that had been watching also ran over, wanting to separate them, but with so many people around, the scene inevitably became chaotic.
The aunt was squeezed into the crowd, and the servant who had been following her was also pushed to the outside. She tried to protect her belly and was about to squeeze out of the crowd when suddenly someone bumped into her. She lost her balance and fell to the ground.
Coincidentally, at this moment, Master Cui and his wife moved towards her while fighting. When they moved, the people who were trying to separate them also moved, and no one noticed the aunt under their feet.
My aunt was pushed around and stepped on several times. She shouted for everyone to get out of the way and not step on her. Only then did someone notice her on the ground.
"Move back, move back, you're stepping on someone!" someone shouted loudly, squeezing back at the same time.
But the people behind didn't react in time. One went forward while the other went backward. Naturally, they bumped into each other, and there was chaos again.
The couple was still pulling each other's hair and didn't hear the aunt's scream or other people's reminders. They were caught up in the crowd and if one of them wasn't careful, they would fall to the ground together.
Unfortunately, where they fell was where my aunt was lying.
Even more unfortunate was that the two of them fell on their aunt's belly.
Two grown men just smashed straight down, and a sharp wail echoed in the courtyard, instantly covering up all the chaos and frightening everyone so much that they froze in place.
Young Master Cui, who was watching the show nearby, also frowned.
…
When Mr. Cui returned home, the doctor had already prescribed some nourishing medicine for his aunt.
In the end, the aunt finally moved into Mr. Cui's yard as she wished, but this was exchanged for the child in her belly.
She was an advanced pregnant woman, the fetus was very unstable, and she was still in the early stages of pregnancy, when she was most vulnerable. Not only did she fall, but her stomach was also crushed by a heavy object, or two people.
Even if a god came, he couldn't save her baby.
My aunt had a miscarriage and suffered heavy bleeding. She almost died along with the newly formed fetus.
When Patriarch Cui heard the news, he felt as if he had been hit on the back of the head with a club. His vision went dark and he almost fainted.
He was away from home for only a short while, yet those people had made such a big mess of things for him. Did they think their life wasn't miserable enough this year?
Young Master Cui and his wife were forced to kneel, and the head of the Cui family almost used family law to punish them. In the end, it was Old Lady Cui who pleaded for them, and the two escaped.
In addition, those who were watching the excitement, including the Second Young Master Cui, were reprimanded by the head of the Cui family.
Because the eldest and second young masters Cui had an old grudge, when the eldest young master Cui and his aunt were discovered by guests in the garden, the second young master Cui was also present. At that time, the head of the Cui family began to suspect the second young master Cui.
However, he asked people to investigate and found out that Young Master Cui and his aunt were hooked up by himself and it had nothing to do with Young Master Cui.
Coincidentally, Cui Ershao was at the scene of the accident this time, but the investigation still found that Cui Ershao was innocent.
The steward said that the Second Young Master Cui just watched like everyone else and did not do anything, so even though the head of the Cui family had doubts, he had no evidence and could only let it go for the time being.
While other families were celebrating the New Year with joy and happiness, only the Cui family was filled with gloom and sadness. The depressing atmosphere even made the bright red window paper-cuts dim.
When the news that the aunt had given birth and was still ill in bed reached the Li family, Li Chu, who was originally feeling depressed because he was about to be driven out of the capital by Zong Zhengxiao, suddenly laughed and said, "My aunt is really good. She knew that I was in a bad mood recently and specially did something big to make me happy."
Madam Li was still worried about her son being abandoned by the emperor. She didn't pay much attention to what happened to her aunt. She just said to Li Chu, "The Cui family will probably talk to you in a few days. Remember to try to gain more benefits for yourself."
"Yes, mother."
In the palace, the Cui family's misfortunes had long been passed on to Zong Zhengxiao by the secret guards, and he told Rong Yin about it as gossip.
"I really didn't expect this development." Rong Yin stroked Xiao Ai's head and said unhappily, "Li Chu, that bastard, is so lucky. If my aunt hadn't had a miscarriage, the Cui family could at least delay the matter between my aunt and Young Master Cui until he left the capital. By then, Li Chu would be outside and out of reach, and the Cui family could do whatever they wanted. But now my aunt has had a miscarriage and her life may be in danger, forcing the Cui family to deal with this problem urgently. Otherwise, if my aunt dies in the Cui family, the Li family can turn the tables on him."
Although the powerful and wealthy now know the aunt's true identity, they probably also understand why the aunt appeared in the Cui family.
So even if one thinks it is ridiculous that the concubine of the Li family is having an affair with the eldest son of the Cui family, as long as the concubine is alive, she can threaten Li Chu, and the initiative is still in the hands of the Cui family. As long as it is handled properly, the head of the Cui family can even delay the matter until the concubine gives birth.
But the situation is different now. Once the aunt dies, the secret of Li Chu killing his brother and father will lose a strong witness. If Li Chu is cruel enough to kill the head of the Li family, there will be no evidence.
On the contrary, Li Chu could sue the Cui family for hiding his father's concubine and allowing Young Master Cui to bully his aunt, causing her to become pregnant, and now she has died in the Cui family.
After all, when the concubine disappeared from the Li family's manor, it meant that it was the Cui family who took her away, and she has not yet escaped the status of the Li family's head concubine.
Not only that, if Li Chu spread the news and let the people of the entire capital and Dasheng know about Young Master Cui’s “great deeds”, the reputation of the century-old family would be ruined.
Therefore, in the current game between the Cui and Li families, it is the Li family, or to be more precise, Li Chu who holds the initiative.
Zong Zhengxiao combed Xiao Ai's hair and replied, "Maybe this is what we call a disaster that will last for a thousand years."
Rong Yin curled her lips and said, "Then I was right to call him a bastard. Bastards can indeed live for a very long time."
Zong Zhengxiao chuckled. Rong Yin always spoke in a humorous way.
In the evening, the two took a bath together, and Rong Yin reached out and plucked a dog hair from Zong Zhengxiao's hair.
"Fortunately, I have sharp eyes, otherwise your hair and that of classmate Xiao Ai would be the same color and I wouldn't be able to tell them apart." Rong Yin showed the dog hair to Zong Zheng Xiao.
Zong Zhengxiao looked at his arrogant expression and suddenly felt a little itchy. He pulled Rong Yin into his arms and whispered in his ear, "I think there are still some dog hairs on my body. Ah Yin, can you help me find them?"
Rong Yin hadn't realized that this was Zong Zheng Xiao's trick yet, so he asked honestly, "Where?"
"It seems to be the top of the head, take a look." Zong Zhengxiao held Rong Yin's waist, hugged him and lifted him up so that he could see the top of his head.
Rong Yin held Zong Zhengxiao's shoulders, stared at his head for a few seconds, and finally reacted.
"You don't have eyes on your head, how do you know there is a dog above your head... Ugh!"
There was a sudden sharp pain in my chest, and a slight tingling sensation. It was obvious what Zong Zheng Xiao had done.
"Zong Zheng Xiao!" Rong Yin gritted her teeth, "You're teasing me again."
Zong Zheng Xiaoan caressed the two frightened spots and kissed Rong Yin's neck. "It was just a joke, Ayin, don't be angry."
Rong Yin said in a cold tone: "If you put me down, I won't be angry anymore."
Zong Zhengxiao was shameless: "Then I allow you to be angry for a while."
"Get out!" Rong Yin pushed Zong Zhengxiao away, swam to the side, turned around and transformed into a mermaid, looking at him fiercely.
Zong Zhengxiao thought Rong Yin was unhappy and had turned back into a mermaid to protect him. He was about to explain to Rong Yin that this was not necessary, but Rong Yin waved at him and said, "Come here."
Zong Zhengxiao was puzzled, but he swam over anyway. As soon as he got in front of Rong Yin, Rong Yin grabbed his shoulders and pushed him hard into the water.
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