Tian Zhuniang disliked her third daughter-in-law to begin with, and the slow pace of their journey into the city, coupled with the hot weather, made her extremely irritable.
Tian Wangshi wanted to avoid the carriage, so she moved a little closer to her. Then, for some reason, Tian Zhuniang pushed her.
Lady Tian sensed it at the time, but before she could even be surprised, the speeding carriage startled her.
In the emergency, the carriage was moved to the side a bit; otherwise, even with Ning Yao there, she would have been killed on the spot!
The carriage didn't hit her, but it startled her. Her body was very heavy, and she lost her balance and fell to the ground, rolling over once.
This is a summary of the entire incident.
Tian Zhuniang pushed Tian Wangshi in front, and the speeding carriage startled Tian Wangshi behind.
These two events just happened to coincide; if either one had been missing, the current situation wouldn't have arisen.
Ning Yao sighed again upon hearing this. Should she go and find fault with Tian Zhu Niang?
They had no substantial evidence. In that situation, not only did no one see Tian Zhuniang push the person, but there were probably no eyewitnesses to whether the carriage had even touched Tian Wangshi.
All people saw was a pregnant woman, eight months along, lying on the ground after being hit by a speeding carriage.
But the carriage sped away, as if it were deliberately running away.
Rather than saying that Tian Wangshi pushed someone, people are more willing to believe what they see!
Furthermore, Master Ma couldn't find fault with the carriage; it had only startled people, and the coachman who made the mistake had been punished.
Master Ma even personally went to their door to collect one hundred taels of silver as a gesture of appeasement. From both a moral and legal standpoint, they had done a very good job.
Ning Yao placed the bag of silver in front of the two of them and said, "This is one hundred taels of silver from Master Ma, the owner of the carriage yesterday, as compensation for you..."
Seeing the rather large money bag, Tian Zhu immediately stood up and said, "Miss, this is too much. What happened yesterday can't be blamed on them. Now that my wife and child are safe, I'm already content. Please return this money to him!"
Ning Yao was speechless. This person was too kind and too straightforward.
These kinds of people are also the most likely to suffer losses.
"This was given to you by someone else, not to me. I don't want to keep running around for you!"
Tian Zhu stood there, frozen, his lips pressed tightly together, unsure of what to say.
“Take this advice: take the money! They were wrong to ride their horses in the street, and your wife was indeed frightened. Since he is willing to compensate you with this money, it means he is not forcing you.”
"Secondly, you should also consider your family of four. These two children were born prematurely. Although they survived, as a doctor, I can tell you clearly that premature babies are more or less weak and very prone to illness. If you want to raise them safely, besides the effort required, money is also the most important thing!"
"And your wife, she has to rest in bed for a month after giving birth via C-section. She can't skimp on food and drink. Fortunately, it's summer now, so we don't have to worry about charcoal for heating, but we still can't be careless."
“Her body didn’t give birth naturally, so she’s much weaker than others. If you want to have another child, you’ll have to wait at least three years. During those three years, she’ll need to take good care of herself before she has the chance to have children for you again. Doesn’t all of this cost money? Think about how heavy the burden on your shoulders is. Why would you refuse to give money that can help in an emergency?”
Ning Yao took a deep breath: "Finally, you're not stupid. You absolutely cannot let your family know about this money, or you know what the consequences will be. If you can't keep it safe yourself, then find another way to manage it. Don't flaunt your wealth, understand?"
Tian Zhu nodded and said in a low voice, "I understand what you're saying, young lady. I will no longer have any hope for the Tian family. From now on, my family consists only of my wife and children. As for this money... I'll accept it!"
Tian Zhu bowed deeply to Ning Yao: "Thank you, young lady. I, Tian Zhu, will never forget your great kindness and will repay you with my life if I have the chance!"
Madam Tian leaned against the headboard, looking at Ning Yao with gratitude: "Your kindness is immense, you are a living bodhisattva. Once we settle down, we will light a longevity lamp for you and pray for your well-being every day!"
Ning Yao raised an eyebrow. She always felt that Tian Wangshi's speech and behavior were not like those of an ordinary rural peasant woman.
The idea of lighting an ever-burning lamp and praying for blessings every day doesn't sound like something a rural peasant woman would say.
However, Ning Yao didn't pay much attention to it. Perhaps someone had seen it in a storybook or opera?
"Those things are unnecessary. I don't like to meddle in other people's business, but I've gotten involved in your family's affairs today because I care about your two children. I hope you won't let my good intentions go to waste!"
"You can stay in this room for now. We'll move out once we find a place in the city."
Ning Yao was about to leave after speaking when Tian Zhu stopped her: "Miss, could you please keep this silver safe for us?"
Ning Yao smiled and said, "I won't get involved in your family's affairs. Now that you've separated your families, you still need to stand on your own two feet. If you need anything, just ask Manager Lou."
After Ning Yao left, Tian Zhu and his wife stared at the one hundred taels of silver in their hands in silence for a long time.
Madam Tian said, "Husband, put the money away and pay for a month's medicine first. We have no connection with the family now, so why don't we settle down in the city? Be careful with the hundred taels of silver. Once I'm better, we'll find work together. I'll definitely be fine."
Tian Zhu sniffed and nodded heavily: "Yes, wife, I will treat you well from now on. Don't worry, I won't let Mom and the others bully you!"
Tian Zhu took the silver and left.
He found Lou Shanjing, explained his purpose, and paid for a month's worth of medicine.
"Manager Lou, could you do me a favor?"
Lou Shanjing said, "Go ahead."
"This is the money the carriage owner paid yesterday. I want to leave it with you. We don't want to keep any money for ourselves. You can deduct the cost of the medicine yourself. We'll get the rest of the money back from you once my wife and child have recovered and we've found a place to stay."
Lou Shanjing asked, "Why is that?"
Tian Zhu replied, "You know my family situation. I'm not afraid to admit it, but I'm worried they might cause trouble. I don't feel safe leaving this money with me."
Lou Shanjing thought for a moment and then nodded in agreement: "Okay, I'll manage it for you. I'll keep track of every penny deducted from the medicine costs and won't cheat you."
"Thank you so much, Manager Lou!"
——
In the evening, Ning Yao hosted a banquet for the Zhou family father and son at Shuiyun Pavilion. After returning to the Ning family manor, Ning Lang delivered a letter.
"Third Miss, your letter."
Ning Yao took it and glanced at it; there was nothing on the envelope.
Who delivered it?
Ning Lang said, "The capital city."
Ning Yao paused in her act of opening the letter: "You only gave this to me?"
"Yes, this is the only letter I have sent. Please make sure it is delivered to you!"
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