Chapter 154 The Wicked Stepmother and the Poor Child 47
After waiting for about an hour, the door finally opened, and the midwife came out with a pale face, her hands still stained with blood, and a panicked expression.
"She was born, she was born."
However, they did not hear the baby cry, and the midwife looked very unwell.
Gu Hongjian's heart sank.
"Where is the child? Why isn't he crying?"
The midwife knelt down with a thud, her voice trembling and her expression filled with fear.
"My lord, Madam, my aunt... she gave birth, but... but that child is an ominous sign!"
"I've been a midwife for so many years, and I've never seen anything like this."
"Nonsense! What ominous thing!"
Madam Gu rebuked her sternly, but she already had a bad feeling.
The midwife led them into the inner room in a panic. The room reeked of blood. There was a swaddled baby lying beside the bed. The midwife lifted a corner of the swaddled baby with trembling hands.
Gu Hongjian and the old lady peeked out and both gasped. The old lady couldn't help but scream, and was so frightened that she took a step back and almost fainted!
The baby in the swaddling clothes was much smaller than a full-term baby, and its skin was bluish-purple.
Even more terrifying was that the baby's face was distorted, and its features seemed to have failed to develop normally. Although it appeared to have a nose and eyes, they were arranged haphazardly, and its limbs were also strangely curled up, making it look extremely horrifying!
Where eyes should be, a nose should be; where a nose should be, a mouth should be; where ears should be, eyes should be.
Moreover, the baby had already stopped breathing and was clearly stillborn.
"It's a midwife," the midwife whispered.
"The child was gone while still in the womb."
Judging from its shape, it must have been disturbed by something during pregnancy, or perhaps it committed some unclean act, damaging its virtue, which is why it suffered this retribution and failed to grow.
It's really bad luck to receive a baby like this during delivery; neither the midwife nor the family will be happy.
"What bad luck! What terrible luck!"
Old Madam Gu glanced at it again, still shaken, clutching her chest, both shocked and angry, waving her hands repeatedly.
"Quick! Get rid of this monstrosity! Don't let a word of it get out! Anyone who dares to utter a single word will have their tongue ripped out!"
Gu Hongjian's face was also ashen. Looking at the deformed stillborn child, he felt nauseous. He had been looking forward to it for so long, only to give birth to a monster. The Zhou family would not acknowledge this monster, and neither would he.
Just then, Zhou Jingxuan, who was on the verge of death on the bed, heard the noise, struggled to sit up, and said weakly.
"My child, my child, let me see, let me see my child."
The midwife hesitated and looked at Gu Hongjian, who looked away in disgust and waved his hand. The midwife had no choice but to take the baby to Zhou Jingxuan's bedside.
Zhou Jingxuan strained to turn her head, and just one glance was enough to make her brain throb with blood, causing her to let out a heart-wrenching scream.
"ah--!!!
This isn't my child! It's a monster! A ghost! Take it away! Take it away now!!!
Childbirth is already exhausting, and it had already drained all her strength. Now, seeing such a monster, Zhou Jingxuan was shocked and terrified, and her eyes rolled back and she fainted completely.
The family disliked the child and knew that such a child could not be kept. The midwife, who was experienced in childbirth, consciously took the child and withdrew. However, Shen Ci suddenly spoke up.
"Mother, I see a slight movement in this child's chest. Is he still breathing?"
You usually enjoy vegetarian meals and chanting Buddhist prayers; this child's life can probably still be saved.
Under the swaddling clothes, the baby's chest rose and fell very slightly.
"shut up!"
Like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, Old Madam Gu interrupted her sharply, her face filled with fear and disgust.
"There's no life left! It's a stillborn! A monster! It's not even a child of the Gu family!"
Hurry! Clean it up! Everyone present today, keep your mouths shut! Anyone who dares to utter a single word will be beaten to death!
The official story was that Aunt Zhou gave birth prematurely, and the baby died shortly after birth!
What bad luck! It's our own bloodline, yet this thing was born.
The kind-faced old lady, who loved vegetarianism and chanting Buddhist prayers, spoke with unwavering resolve, taking the child's life without allowing any doubt. She would never allow such a monstrous child to have any connection with the Gu family.
The Gu family cannot become a laughing stock. Having such a monster in our family is a curse and will also affect our son's career. It must not be allowed to exist!
Shen Ci understood and said no more.
She pondered that the child's deformity was due to the developmental drugs she had previously added to the bird's nest.
It's likely that Zhou Jingxuan's extreme emotional fluctuations during her pregnancy, the absurdity of her night with Gu Hongjian which nearly led to a miscarriage, and the daily torment she endured at the hands of the old lady, were all important reasons for the abnormal fetal development and eventual stillbirth.
This pregnancy was never properly cared for from the start, so it's unlikely to survive.
Shen Ci did not feel soft-hearted. If Zhou Jingxuan gained power, her own child would be harmed beyond recognition. Mercy to the enemy is cruelty to oneself. There are too many opportunities to kill an infant.
The old lady mustered her strength and gave instructions to Shen Ci.
"You handle the rest here."
After Zhou woke up, she gently comforted her—no, she cautioned her to watch her mouth! "You are the mistress of the house; you should shoulder your responsibilities."
The old lady was quite frightened by the baby's appearance. After only a few glances, the image lingered in her mind and wouldn't leave.
I can remember it as soon as I close my eyes. I have no heart to deal with the rest of the things now. I just want to go back and rest as soon as possible.
Shen Ci immediately clutched her chest and coughed violently, refusing to breathe.
“Mother, cough cough, you know my health. I was frightened today and I'm already at my limit. If I get involved in such an unlucky thing, I'm afraid my illness will relapse and I won't be able to get out of bed!”
Now that Mother is in charge of the household, she is swift and decisive, and will surely handle things properly.
"Daughter-in-law, cough cough, daughter-in-law needs to hurry back to check on Mingzhang and Mingzhu. The two children are young and their souls are unstable; they absolutely mustn't be harmed by anything unclean."
Just a moment ago he was full of energy watching the commotion, but now he's coughing like he has tuberculosis. The old lady knows perfectly well what's going on.
But what she said made perfect sense, and I couldn't refuse.
Upon hearing that it might affect her precious grandson, the old lady immediately changed her mind and waved her hand impatiently.
"Alright, alright, you should go back now! You don't need to worry about this place anymore!"
Shen Ci slipped away quickly, leading Dan Gui and the others away from Shuyu Pavilion as if they were being chased by evil spirits.
Upon returning to the main courtyard, she instructed the servants to thoroughly fumigate the courtyard inside and out with mugwort to ward off evil spirits and ensure the safety of the two children. She believed it was better to be safe than sorry.
Even if it can't ward off evil spirits, it's still good to fumigate insects.
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