181 Xie Sangou
Lu Jiao didn't decline. Since she decided to teach him, she was going to teach him everything.
"Sure, I will go with you."
The two of them headed out the trellis. Behind them, Lady Ruan watched them leave in excitement. She snuck back into the east bedroom and looked for the contract.
In the living room, Xie Yunjin saw how Xie Erzhu asked Lu Jiao to go check out the pond while his mother stayed in the east bedroom.
He frowned a little but quickly realized that his mother must be looking for the signed contract.
Xie Yunjin found this hilarious. He had given the contract to Lu Jiao and he knew Lu Jiao didn't hide it in the east bedroom.
Despite this, Xie Yunjin was very exasperated at Lady Ruan's actions. What kind of mother was she to look through her son's room?
Xie Yunjin lowered his head and asked the First Born, "First Born, go to my desk and get me "Great Learning"."
Though the four children just started learning the Hundred Surnames, they were aware of four books and five classics. They knew of the Great Learning book since Xie Yunjin often talked to them about it. The First Born ran to the east bedroom right away.
When he went inside, he saw Lady Ruan searching through the room. The First Born's expression changed and shouted, "Grandma, why are you searching through our stuff?"
Lady Ruan was caught red-handed and her face froze. She quickly pretended to be cleaning and organizing, "What are you talking about? Searching through your things? I'm organizing for you."
The First Born was not a clueless idiot. On the contrary, he was sharp and observant. He didn't believe Lady Ruan at all.
He turned around and ran outside, "Daddy, grandma's looking through our stuff!"
The Second Born jumped up after he heard those words and ran into the east bedroom, "Grandma! To take things without telling is stealing! You're a thief!"
The Third Born chimed in, "Grandma, are you stealing from us?!"
The Fourth Born also yelled, "Are you stealing our yummy food?"
The four little ones' words alerted all the other children, "Oh my, the First Born's grandma is a thief."
"She's so old yet she's here stealing?"
"She's a bad person. Bad people steal."
Lady Ruan's face turned dark and she rushed out and stood by the door. She crossed her arms and glared at the children as she cursed, "* stealing! This is my son's house! I can take whatever I want! Stealing is not a thing!"
The First Born reminded Lady Ruan, "Grandma, you have to say something when you take something. If you say nothing, then you're stealing."
Lady Ruan's face twisted from anger. The more she looked at the First Born, the angrier she got. She raised her hand to slap him.
The Second Born screamed, "First Born, she's trying to hit you! Get away!"
The First Born turned around and dodged the slap. She then snapped at Xie Yunjin, "Xie Sangou, this is how you educated your kids?!"
All the children were stunned, including the four little ones.
Everyone here thought of Xie Yunjin as an idol figure. Not only was he good-looking, and smart, but even his name sounded refined. Why was Lady Ruan calling him Xie Sangou?
The children were in shock. The four little ones exchanged glances. Who was Xie Sangou? Was that their dad?
Xie Yunjin's face was unspeakably cold as he glared at Lady Ruan, "It looks like you really want to be shunned out of the village."
Lady Ruan's expression dropped and she ran out the gate. As she ran, she yelled back, "Xie Sangou, you're a heartless man! If I knew you'd be so unfilial, I would've drowned you in the manure bucket!"
Lady Ruan then ran away, leaving behind a frigid Xie Yunjin.
The children were too scared to speak.
The four little ones, however, weren't afraid and went to comfort their old dad.
"Daddy, don't be mad, grandma left."
"We won't let her come into our home anymore."
"Yeah, if she comes again, we will keep an eye on her to make sure she's not stealing."
Xie Yunjin's eyes softened after he was comforted. He was about to ask the children to continue reading when the Fourth Born spoke up, "Daddy, so your name is Xie Sangou?"
Xie Yunjin's warm face froze up. It took him some time to finally grit through his teeth, "Go read."
Before Xie Yunjin was sent to school, he was named Xie Sangou. In school, his teacher changed his name to Xie Yunjin.
When he first started studying, many people still called him Xie Sangou. Only when he became a child student, did the Village Leader ask the villagers to stop calling him by that name. Xie Yunjin was someone who will take the scholar exam and the name Xie Sangou just didn't make sense. After so long, people have forgotten all about his previous name.
Today, he had been exposed by Lady Ruan and it made him feel so uncomfortable.
The children inside the room were very surprised. So their scholar of an uncle had similar nicknames as them, ahahaha.
Though the children studied seriously, they would occasionally look up and peek at Xie Yunjin, as if checking out something strange.
Xie Yunjin felt weird but he wasn't mad. To be peeked at by a bunch of kids for so long did annoy him, however, and so he decided to finish up early today.
The children cheered and closed their books.
They left the Xie home happily, but their excitement about their finding today could still be heard.
"Third uncle Xie is named Xie Sangou."
"He's just like us! He has a nickname."
"That means I should go study. Maybe I can get a better name then."
"I think that's how it works."
The four little ones noticed that Xie Yunjin wasn't in a good mood and went to comfort him, "Daddy, Sangou is a nice-sounding name."
"Yes, Sangou sounds better than 'Second Born'."
"I'm 'Third Born', you're 'Sangou'. Our names are similar."
The Fourth Born peered at his brothers and then back at his daddy. What should he do? He wanted to laugh! He shouldn't. Laughing would make his dad unhappy.
The father and sons were still chatting in the living room when Lu Jiao came back home.
Xie Yunjin was facing outward and saw her right away. He whispered to the children, "Don't tell your mom my nickname. Got it?"
The four little ones exchanged glances and looked back at Xie Yunjin with difficulty.
They didn't want to lie to their mom.
Xie Yunjin saw that Lu Jiao was about to enter and frowned at his sons, "If you dare to tell her my nickname, I will get angry."
His threat made the four little ones promise, "Daddy, we got it. We won't tell mommy."
Note:
Sangou's literal meaning is "third dog".
182 Don't be a Good Person
Lu Jiao marched into the living room and found an adult and four children staring at her. They looked guilty.
Lu Jiao asked, "What is it? Why are you acting strange?"
Lu Jiao noticed the empty living room and asked, "You ended the lesson this early?"
The four little ones' eyes flicked to their dad, who asked a question in response, "Did my brother ask you to go check out the leech pond?"
Lu Jiao nodded. The Xie Village had cleared off an area to use as the temporary space for leech keeping.
Since the opportunity to keep leeches was rare and no accidents should be allowed, Lu Jiao would make time to provide Xie Erzhu with guidance every day. By now, Xie Erzhu had learned a lot.
"Yes, he was scared the leeches would die so he's being very careful."
Xie Yunjin asked caringly, "Do you think my brother can handle everything?"
Lu Jiao smiled, "Your second brother is very by the rule. He's great at leech-keeping. He remembers everything I taught him. Without accidents, he'll learn everything in no time."
Xie Yunjin couldn't help but feel ecstatic for his brother. His second brother's life will now improve gradually.
Since it was late, Lu Jiao decided to bring the four little ones into the mountains.
She said to the children, "Since your studies finished early, let's go up the mountain. We can play for longer today."
Unexpectedly, Xie Yunjin said, "There's no need to bring them today."
Xie Yunjin was terrified that the four little ones would let it slip and tell Lu Jiao his secret so he stopped her.
Lu Jiao raised an eyebrow, "What is it? Is something the matter?"
The four little ones curiously stared at Xie Yunjin. Why didn't their dad want them to climb the mountain? They only recently learned how to climb trees and shoot arrows. They were expected to practice more up there.
Xie Yunjin spoke directly to Lu Jiao, "Don't you have matters to discuss with Aunt Guihua? Aunt Guihua is harvesting herbs right now. It'd be inconvenient for you to bring the children with you."
Lu Jiao got the message right away. He wanted her to go to Aunt Guihua and hint at her to keep an eye on the neighbor.
Lu Jiao's eyes sparkled and she agreed right away, "Okay, then I will go up the mountains alone."
The four little ones felt much disappointment and with their puppy eyes, they stared at Lu Jiao. It was obvious how much they wanted to go.
Lu Jiao felt bad and was about to offer to take them when Xie Yunjin asked, "I'd be too lonely at home. Can you stay with me just for today?"
The First Born was the first to accept that. The others wanted to go to the mountains but found their dad to be too pitiful. Oh well, they should stay at home with their dad.
"Okay, we'll stay with you, dad. Mommy, you can go alone but promise to come home early."
Lu Jiao thought Xie Yunjin suggested this all because of Aunt Guihua and didn't think too much.
She smiled and patted the children's heads. After she got her basket and ax, she went up the mountain.
Since she didn't bring the children, she was able to move far more efficiently. On the way up, she ran into numerous people who were harvesting herbs and politely chatted with them. It didn't take a lot of effort for her to find out where Aunt Guihua was.
Lu Jiao casually walked around the mountain, harvesting herbs along the way. The medicinal herbs in her space had all been cleaned up. She will save those that could produce seeds and make medicine out of those that could not produce seeds.
These days, after the children go to sleep, she would go into her space and busy herself for two hours.
"Huang Qin, go home first with that basket. I'll go soon after."
Lu Jiao heard voices and looked up to find Aunt Guihua giving orders to her daughter-in-law, Huang Qin.
Huang Qin put the basket on her back and started to descend the mountain. When she saw Lu Jiao, she happily greeted, "Lu Jiao, you're here to harvest herbs as well?"
Lu Jiao nodded. Aunt Guihua was over the moon to see Lu Jiao and greeted her while laughing, "Jiaojiao! You're here for herbs too?"
Lu Jiao nodded, "People come and ask me for treatment these days so I want to have some stuff stocked up."
Aunt Guihua pulled her aside and whispered, "Jiaojiao, there's something I've been wanting to talk to you about but I'm worried you'd think poorly of me. You are such a good person with a good heart, however, it doesn't mean you should share your kindness with everyone. You should not treat those who do not pay you and even give them medicine. Some people cross the line once they get a taste of what's free and nice. There are people out there who would go to you for advice even when they're not really sick.
You have a whole family to take care of and you shouldn't spend all your time treating people for free. Aren't you tired? Sometimes, even when you do help them, they have nothing nice to say about you."
Lu Jiao recalled the two old people from this afternoon.
"Aunty, you're right. Let me tell you, this afternoon, two troublemakers came to my home and made a scene. I was furious."
Lu Jiao acted very pissed off.
Aunt Guihua's energy was fueled by this piece of gossip and she grabbed Lu Jiao, "What happened? Tell me."
Lu Jiao told her what happened.
"I may know some medicine, but I cannot cure every illness. Just because I didn't know how to cure him, they made a scene at my home. It's hard being a good person sometimes."
Honestly, Lu Jiao knew what that old man had – he had rheumatism.
Rheumatism was already hard to treat. Given how arrogant and entitled they acted, Lu Jiao got annoyed and decided not to provide treatment.
Aunt Guihua slapped her own leg, "I told you! This was bound to happen. Some people are just like that. Don't just treat everyone like you did before."
Aunt Guihua suddenly remembered the villagers and changed the subject, "Of course, you should still take care of the Xie villagers. Us villagers all know you treat us with kindness and we will repay you. Those outsiders don't deserve your consultation. You shouldn't do it for free! They really think you have nothing better to do with your time."
Lu Jiao answered with a smile, "Then I will do as you suggested. I will not treat those people anymore. They are truly maddening."
Aunt Guihua thought she managed to convince Lu Jiao and her mood was over the moon. The two of them chatted and searched for herbs.
As they strolled, Lu Jiao taught Aunt Guihua a few types of herbs, which successfully boosted Aunt Guihua's happiness level to the max.
183 Xie Sangou, are you Asleep?
Lu Jiao casually started a conversation, "Ah, right, this morning, I went to check out the leech pond and heard someone say that Widow Wang has gotten close to someone. And that someone has been going to her place every night to fool around. Auntie, do you know who they were referring to?"
Aunt Guihua's eyes widened into balls and said with regret, "Because I've been busy harvesting herbs, I've been too tired to keep an eye on her."
She then gritted her teeth, "That's no good. Tonight, I must keep an eye on her and find out who she seduced."
Lu Jiao glanced at Aunt Guihua, "It must be worrisome to have a neighbor like that. If she could marry someone and move away, it would make you feel better."
Lu Jiao stopped talking about this but Aunt Guihua's mind had been opened.
That vixen had to go. To live next to her made Aunt Guihua live in worry every day. Not only was she worried about her husband, but she was also worried about her son. She was very aware of the fact that Widow Wang frequently winked at her son.
There was no way she would allow her son to fall in love with that widow. She was a vixen and was fueled by men's blood. If her son got involved, he may end up losing everything.
No, no, no… she had to figure out a way to get rid of that woman.
No matter what Lu Jiao tried to talk about next, Aunt Guihua couldn't focus anymore.
After a while, the two of them descended the mountain together.
Lu Jiao took a look at her half basket full of herbs and decided to dump it all into Aunt Guihua's basket as thanks for what she was about to do next.
"Auntie, you take these."
Aunt Guihua was ecstatic but still stopped her, "It's okay. It took a lot of effort for you to get all that."
Lu Jiao shook her head, "It's okay, I will get more next time. I got these herbs for the patients I was going to treat but you have enlightened me to stop treating people who don't pay. They don't appreciate what I do anyway. I'd like to give all this to you instead."
Aunt Guihua's lips stretched into a wide smile, "That's exactly right."
She happily took the basket and went home. She ended up with such a profitable trip today.
Lu Jiao went home with an empty basket. However, she had already snuck in the rare herbs into her space and didn't give them to Aunt Guihua.
Back at home, the four little ones were skateboarding with Gousheng and others. When they saw Lu Jiao, they ran to her.
"Mommy, you came back!"
"I'm back. Why are you sweating so much?"
Lu Jiao used her handkerchief to wipe the sweat off the boys' foreheads. She then went to get some cold water for the four little ones.
For the boys, Lu Jiao pre-boiled the water, mixed it with sugar, and cooled it down.
"This is sweet."
"Ah, yummy."
"Mommy, you have some too. You must be tired."
The Third Born offered his cup to Lu Jiao.
The Fourth Born did the same, "Mommy, drink mine, drink mine."
Lu Jiao didn't decline and took a sip from each of their cups, "Okay, you guys play. I will cook."
"Okay, okay."
At dinner, Xie Yunjin asked Lu Jiao, "Did you run into that person today?"
Lu Jiao nodded and smiled, "I did. We chatted as well."
The two were talking in codes and the four little ones naturally had no idea what they were talking about. The Second Born excitedly suggested, "Mommy, can we go hunting tomorrow? I have perfected my aim."
The Second Born used a rather masculine tone in order to make himself appear capable and ready to hunt animals.
The Third and Fourth Born chimed in, "Mommy, we can set up traps tomorrow. We can maybe get a wild boar."
The mention of wild boars reminded Lu Jiao of how she wanted to make some toothbrushes. She's been so busy with patients she's had no time. In the future, she was determined to spend more time on her own business.
"Sure. Let's go hunting in the mountains tomorrow. If we can capture a boar, I will make each of you a toothbrush."
"What is a toothbrush?"
The First Born asked with interest.
Lu Jiao smiled, "It's used to brush your teeth. You know how some villagers use willow leaves to wipe their teeth? I will make a brush so you can brush your teeth."
As for toothpaste, she had to make that with medicinal herbs. If she had baking soda, she could add salt to that and make a paste. Sadly, baking soda didn't exist yet so she had to make something with medicinal ingredients.
The four little ones were very interested in Lu Jiao's toothbrush and indicated their determination to get a boar tomorrow.
Since it was late, Lu Jiao asked the four little ones to eat and then shower.
After dinner, Xie Erzhu arrived.
These days, he was very free. Xie Laogen and Lady Ruan still weren't nice to him but they didn't dare to cross the line anymore.
Therefore, Xie Erzhu was now a free body and came nightly to help Xie Yunjin with using the washroom and washing up.
Lu Jiao would bathe the children and then tell them a bedtime story in the west bedroom.
After storytime, the First and Second Born obediently went to sleep with their dad in the east bedroom.
Back in the west bedroom, Lu Jiao was going to sleep with the Third and Fourth Born. However, the Fourth Born was unsettled tonight and kept on moving around. Beside him, the Third Born fell asleep a long time ago.
Lu Jiao wanted to go into her space to organize the herbs but she couldn't get away until all the children fell asleep.
Lu Jiao asked the Fourth Born, "Fourth Born, how come you are not sleeping? Is something on your mind?"
The Fourth Born turned to look at Lu Jiao. He wanted to tell her about his dad's nickname. But he felt like he'd get in trouble given his dad's threat.
He felt like he had to hide it, resulting in him feeling anxious and unable to sleep.
Lu Jiao cuddled him and patted his back, "Go to sleep now. It's late."
The Fourth Born's eyes were opened wide and he leaned into Lu Jiao's ears, "Mommy, I have to tell you a secret that you cannot tell anyone else."
"Sure, tell me. I will listen to it."
The Fourth Born responded in lightning speed, "Today, grandma cursed at dad and said, 'Xie Sangou, if I knew you'd be so unfilial, I would've drowned you in the manure bucket.'"
The Fourth Born's secret stunned Lu Jiao. She wasn't surprised that Lady Ruan cursed, she was surprised that the future First Assistant had such a cheap name. Xie Sangou…
Lu Jiao couldn't help but laugh. She wanted to shout into the east bedroom, "Xie Sangou, are you asleep?"
Since the Fourth Born asked her to keep it a secret, she stopped herself.
She promised the Fourth Born, who nestled against her, "I won't tell anyone. Go to sleep."
The little guy must be losing sleep over having to keep a secret.
Lu Jiao patted his back to comfort him and he fell asleep quickly. Lu Jiao got ready to go into her space.
Before doing so, she suddenly recalled how Xie Yunjin asked her not to bring the children into the mountains today. She thought it was because he didn't want the kids to be around when she talked to Aunt Guihua but now, she realized it was because he didn't want the four children to tell her his nickname.
184 They got Caught
Lu Jiao couldn't help but giggle. Once she was inside her space and alone, she could no longer endure it and burst out laughing. As she chortled, she said, "Xie Sangou, you better not provoke me in the future. If you piss me off, I will make sure everyone learns of your nickname."
Lu Jiao had to take a few minutes to laugh before she began to clean up.
After two hours, she exited her space. If things go smoothly today, there's going to be an exciting event later. She wanted to make sure she was there for it.
Lu Jiao went to sleep. However, she didn't get to sleep for too long when someone came in and woke her up.
"Third uncle, third aunt, wake up."
Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao were both mentally prepared. When they heard the noises, they opened their eyes and became filled with thrill.
It was happening.
Lu Jiao got up right away, which startled the children. They nervously called out, "Mommy."
Lu Jiao comforted them, "It's okay. Someone's asking to see me. Likely someone got sick again and wants treatment."
The four little ones stopped feeling anxious. Their mother's been treating people regularly and there was nothing for them to be afraid of.
Lu Jiao looked outside and saw that it was Xie Tieniu from the Village Leader's household and Aunt Guihua's son, Xie Dongdong.
When Xie Tieniu and Xie Dongdong saw Lu Jiao, they greeted, "Third aunt."
"Yunjin's wife."
Lu Jiao pretended to be clueless, "What happened? Why are you here in the middle of the night?"
Xie Tieniu's expression dropped and he didn't know where to start.
Xie Dongdong had fewer boundaries given that he's always been spoiled. He answered Lu Jiao's question right away, "Uncle Xie and Widow Wang were fooling around and my mom caught them red-handed. They're at the Village Leader's house now. The Village and Clan Leaders asked us to get you and Yunjin."
Lu Jiao was afraid the four little ones heard and glared at Xie Dongdong, "Fooling around? Watch what you say."
Xie Dongdong chuckled and was about to say more when Xie Tiniu stopped him.
Lu Jiao turned and went to the east bedroom. There, Xie Yunjin was awake and so were the First and Second Born. They asked Xie Yunjin, "Daddy, what's fooling around?"
The Second Born answered quickly, "It means to play together. When we play with brother Mutou, it would mean we are fooling around."
Lu Jiao was speechless and said to Xie Yunjin, "We better go and see."
Xie Yunjin agreed but he was worried about the children. If they all went, who would look after them?
Naturally, Lu Jiao thought of that, "How about I stay and watch the children and you go."
Just then, Xie Hu and Xie Xiaobao walked in, "Third aunt and uncle, we can help you watch the kids. You should go if you need to."
The First and Second Born wanted to tag along and shouted, "Daddy, mommy, let's go together."
Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao had no guts to let the children witness the scene that was about to unfold today. If things go according to their expectations, Lady Ruan was going to cause a scene and skin Xie Laogen alive.
They didn't want the four children to see that but they themselves were happy to go and watch the show.
Lu Jiao said to the First and Second Born, "You guys stay home. Mom and dad will come back soon."
The First Born wanted to argue but Lu Jiao patted his head, "Be good. Listen, we are going because we need to help out. If we are going out to have fun, we would definitely bring you."
The First Born finally stopped persisting. Xie Xiaobao walked towards the children and comforted them, "First Born, let's just go to bed together. I will tell you guys a story, how about that?"
The First Born agreed and nodded. Lu Jiao went and found a new set of clothes and helped Xie Yunjin change into them. After he was done, she carried him into the wheelchair.
Xie Yunjin naturally wrapped his arm around Lu Jiao's neck. Since the room was dark and the faces were blurry, Xie Yunjin felt much more relaxed. Not only did he wrap his arms around Lu Jiao's neck, he even inhaled deeply to get a taste of her scent. Her scent put him at ease.
Lu Jiao, on the other hand, was uncomfortable with Xie Yunjin's actions. She almost threw the man against the ground. However, in the end, she put him in the wheelchair.
Afterward, Lu Jiao went to bring out the Third and Fourth Born from the west bedroom.
"Brother Xiaobao will keep you company. Mom and dad need to go help out with something and we will be back soon."
The Third and Fourth Born were still hazy but now, they were fully awake. They reminded Lu Jiao, "Then, come back soon."
Lu Jiao nodded and pushed Xie Yunjin outside. When they passed Huzi, she said to him, "Thank you, you two."
Huzi shook his head, "Don't worry and go."
Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao went to the Village Leader's place with Xie Tieniu and Xie Dongdong.
On the way there, Xie Dongdong excitedly told them about what happened, "My mother didn't sleep and kept her eyes on the neighbor's house all night. Who knew she would actually catch them red-handed? She didn't make a sound at first until the guy went into the house and was with Widow Wang. Only then, did she start screaming for people to come.
My mother honestly is so smart. She didn't say Widow Wang was having an affair and instead, said she saw a thief break into Widow Wang's place. In the end, several people burst into Widow Wang's home and caught Uncle Laogen and Widow Wang red-handed. I heard when they were caught, Widow Wang wasn't even fully dressed yet."
Here, Xie Dongdong sounded regretful, "I missed the opportunity to see her undressed."
Xie Yunjin coldly glanced at Xie Dongdong while Lu Jiao rolled her eyes.
It was after midnight yet many people gathered at the Village Leader's home. There were noises of cursing, chatting, and wrenching desperation.
"Xie Laogen, you dare to fool around with other women!"
Lady Ruan was so enraged she acted like a delirious person. After she screamed, she jumped up to scratch Xie Laogen's face.
Beside Xie Laogen, Widow Wang screeched and asked in distress, "Laogen, are you okay?"
The caringness in her tone was obvious.
Lady Ruan heard it and instantly lost all logic. She lunged at Widow Wang, who chose not to defend herself.
Lady Ruan grabbed Widow Wang's hair with one hand and scratched her face with the other.
Xie Laogen watched as Lady Ruan attacked Widow Wang's face and lost it. He leaped over and grabbed Lady Ruan's hand to stop her.
Lady Ruan stopped moving as she struggled to gain back control of her own body.
Xie Laogen was tall and sturdy while Lady Ruan was thin and small. She was no opponent of his and couldn't get away from his grasp.
In the end, she gritted her teeth and cursed in fury, "Xie Laogen, you're a piece of sh!t! How dare you protect that woman?! I am going to end you!"
185 Drown her in the Pond
Xie Laogen felt rather guilty when he was caught. When Lady Ruan showed up tonight, he was full of regret. However, when Lady Ruan decided to make a scene, he lost his patience.
"Shut up.'
Lady Ruan ignored him. She felt like she had lost everything, including her pride and her face. Her man went to sleep with another woman and her son refused to listen to her. Her life was full of darkness.
Lady Ruan continued to cry and scream. In the end, he decided to curse, "You're a skanky and shameless b!tch! How dare you seduce my man?! I am going to drown you in the pond!"
Widow Wang started crying. Different from Lady Ruan's howls, she teared up silently. As her tears fell, she begged pitifully, "Sister, don't get mad. I don't want to steal what is yours. I am going to treat you and Laogen well. You'll forever be my older sister."
Lady Ruan straight up spat on Widow Wang's face. Everyone watching this found that to be disgusting. However, Widow Wang still didn't defend herself and only cried quietly.
The more she acted this way, the more sympathy she was able to earn from others.
Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao arrived then. When they walked by the Village Leader's living room, someone saw them and called out to them.
Other than Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao, there were Xie Daoqiang, Xie Erzhu, Xie Lan, and others.
The entire Xie family arrived.
When Xie Laogen saw that his children were here, he guiltily let go of Lady Ruan's arms.
Lady Ruan used the chance to grab Widow Wang's hair, pinned her down against the ground, and proceeded to beat her.
Xie Laogen wanted to protect Widow Wang but his children were staring at him, scaring him away from blatantly breaking up the fight.
All he ended up doing was shouting on the sidelines, "How shrew of a woman! How shrew!"
Lady Ruan was beating Widow Wang like a crazy person, "You b!tch, you sl*t! You are a wh*re who sleeps with every man you see! If you need men so badly, why not open up your legs and let thousands have a go at you?! Why do you look at my man?!
I am going to hit you to death! How dare you seduce my man!"
Widow Wang covered her face to protect it as she curled up and begged pitifully. She didn't hit back. Even if she did, she wouldn't be able to overtake Lady Ruan.
Inside the room, the Clan and Village Leaders watched in terror. They were worried that Lady Ruan would end up killing the woman – the Xie Village didn't preach beating people to death.
The Clan Leader, "Stop! You've hit her and cursed at her. Are you really going to keep going until she's dead?!"
The Clan Leader asked people to restrict Lady Ruan. Lady Ruan was small and not that strong. She already lost much of her strength from beating up Widow Wang and had no power to fight off others.
Despite this, she continued to curse at Widow Wang. There were no uglier words than the words she used to curse, everyone in the room felt uncomfortable.
The Clan Leader growled, "Shut up! We are going to deal with this now. Stop cursing!"
Lady Ruan fixated her gaze on Widow Wang and screamed, "Drown her! She needs to be drowned."
Widow Wang shuddered and tearfully looked up at Xie Laogen.
Xie Laogen's heart ached and said to the Clan Leader, "This isn't Wang Yue's fault. It's mine."
The Village and Clan Leader's head hurt, "Just what is this…"
They then glanced at Xie Yunjin, "Yunjin, how do you think this should be dealt with?"
Lady Ruan looked at Xie Yunjin and yelled, "Third son, that woman is a scourge! You need to ask the leaders to drown her!"
Xie Laogen yelped back, "No, I object!"
Xie Loagen said to Xie Yunjin, "That woman's also your father's woman. If you dare to drown her, you'd be unfilial."
Xie Laogen had lost logic after the scene Lady Ruan caused. Now, he didn't care at all about Lady Ruan and only cared about protecting Widow Wang.
He thought Widow Wang was far too pitiful. They got together willingly and he was not seduced.
Xie Yunjin looked at Xie Laogen and Lady Ruan as if he had a hard decision to make. In the end, he said to the leaders, "Let's just let this be?"
The leaders thought that was appropriate. These two fooled around for a night, and that was all. Plus, Widow Wang had no husband.
The leaders exchanged glances and were about to nod when Widow Wang knelt down. She stared at the Clan and Village Leaders, "We could've left it as it was if we didn't get exposed, but now that we did, where do I find the face to see people going forward?!"
Widow Wang started to cry before she added, "Clan Leader, Village Leader, since everyone now knows about this, I am willing to become Laogen's concubine."
"Huh."
Inside the house, from the leaders to the villagers, everyone stared at Widow Wang in shock.
Be his concubine?
Xie Laogen was first shocked before it turned into happiness.
Compared to Lady Ruan, Widow Wang was young and beautiful. Plus, they just started hooking up and he felt everything to be new and exciting.
He originally thought they wouldn't be able to be together anymore, who knew she would offer to be his concubine?
Xie Laogen thought this woman must've truly loved him to want to be his concubine.
Inside the room, Widow Wang gaped at Xie Laogen and her eyes reddened, "Laogen, I am willing to be your concubine, are you willing?"
Xie Laogen couldn't help but answer joyfully, "Yes, I agree to this."
This conversation made Lady Ruan's eyeballs go green. She viciously stared at Xie Laogen like a female wolf ready to kill.
She snapped towards Xie Laogen and scratched his face.
Xie Laogen was defenseless and ended up with a long red cut on his face.
It hurt and he pushed Lady Ruan away while shouting, "You're a shrew! All these years, you've always acted like a tiger and you made me listen to you for everything! When I didn't want to listen to you, you would cry and fight! I've had enough!"
Widow Wang saw the red cut on Xie Laogen's face and crawled up to comfort him.
"Laogen, does it hurt? Wait for a while and I will apply medicine to it."
Widow Wang was naturally pretty, her face coupled with her soft voice stole Xie Laogen's heart.
Lady Ruan watched those two and wanted to drown both of them.
She turned to the leaders and glanced at her son, "Drown them. Drown both of them."
The room was annoyed by her constant threats. They didn't understand how Uncle Laogen was able to endure her for so many years. If it were them, they wouldn't be able to last even a year.
Xie Yunjin frowned at Lady Ruan and responded, "He's my father. As his son, I cannot disobey his wishes."
Everyone here thought Xie Yunjin was being filial.
Lady Ruan stared at Xie Yunjin in rage and gritted her teeth, "I object to that woman becoming a concubine. I do not agree with it!"
Lady Ruan then suddenly remembered the contract Lu Jiao made everyone sign. She started to shout excitedly, "Xie Laogen signed the contract that said nobody from the Xie Village is allowed to take a concubine! He agreed that if he ever takes a concubine, he would have to leave the Xie Village!"
186 Indenture
On the side, Aunt Guihua chimed in, "Jiaojiao's contract clearly states that nobody is allowed to use the money earned from leech keeping to get concubines. We haven't started keeping leeches yet so it's okay for Xie Laogen to get a concubine."
She then looked at the crowd, "Since they've announced their wishes and want to be with each other, I think it's something to be celebrated."
Aunt Guihua was close to setting off fireworks. However, since she was the person who exposed this today, she didn't want to make her intentions too obvious.
She truly didn't think the person who snuck into Widow Wang's place was Xie Laogen. If she did, she would've told Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao first.
Aunt Guihua peeked at Lu Jiao, worried that she would be mad.
Lu Jiao appeared normal.
Aunt Guihua's words did speak to the villagers. Many people nodded, "I think that's the best way to do it. If others find out that we have people fooling around, it would affect our reputation."
The leaders nodded and felt that was appropriate.
The Xie family's eldest daughter-in-law, Chen Liu, was not happy. How did this family randomly get a concubine? One for her father-in-law at that? That would mess up the entire family dynamic.
"No, I object to this."
Xie Daqiang pulled Chen Liu aside.
His dad wanted a concubine, and objecting to that would put them on his dad's bad side.
As expected, Xie Laogen angrily glared at Chen Liu.
Xie Daqiang interrupted timely, "Shut up, this is my dad's business."
Xie Laogen looked at his eldest son in satisfaction. He liked his eldest son the best because he always knew what to say and do.
Inside the room, Lady Ruan started to curse again after she heard that her eldest son accepted Widow Wang.
Xie Laosi and Xie Lan were not married and couldn't say much. However, they could tell that their dad wanted Widow Wang.
Xie Erzhu wanted to speak but he didn't know where to start.
Lady Ruan glanced at the family and saw that nobody was taking her side. She cursed endlessly and called everyone names.
The Clan and Village Leaders saw how crazy Lady Ruan was acting and said to Chen Liu and Xie Lan, "Take your mother home."
Chen Liu and Xie Lan were too scared to get close to Lady Ruan. However, Lady Ruan was far too emotional and ended up fainting.
Chen Liu and Xie Lan went to help her out and brought her home.
With Lady Ruan gone, the entire area quieted down.
The Clan and Village Leaders said to Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao, "Well, you saw what happened. What do you two think?"
Xie Yunjin raised an eyebrow and stared at Xie Yunjin and Widow Wang.
The two were a little scared after they saw how emotionless he was.
Xie Laogen did his best to be supportive, "This isn't her fault. It's mine."
Xie Yunjin snickered. His dad must think Widow Wang liked him. He didn't even question why this woman would like an old man? Of course, she only wanted him because she wanted an easier life.
However, that woman was dreaming.
Xie Yunjin said to the leaders, "She can come into the family, but she must sign an indenture. Once she enters the Xie family, she's considered a cheap concubine."
Widow Wang's expression changed and she spoke quickly, "I'm not signing that."
She knew what it meant to sign an indenture and be a cheap concubine. If she signed it, she would be considered a servant, and the family would treat her however they wished. She would also be giving up the right to marry Xie Laogen and be his wife. Her plan was to get into the Xie family as a concubine and get rid of Lady Ruan when Xie Laogen's had enough of her.
Then, she will manipulate the old man to make her his wife. That way, she would be considered the mother of a scholar. She may even get an honorable title in the future.
Widow Wang had it all figured out and didn't expect Xie Yunjin to ask her to sign an indenture. There was no way she was willing to do that.
Xie Laogen also didn't want Widow Wang to sign that and started to yell, "Why would she need to sign that?"
Xie Yunjin's eyes sharpened and Xie Laogen got so scared he stopped speaking.
Xie Yunjin continued to speak to Widow Wang in a calm manner, "You have three choices right now, one, sign the indenture and be my father's concubine. Two, leave the Xie village with my father and live elsewhere. Three, drown in the pond."
Widow Wang's face paled. She stared at Xie Yunjin and opened her mouth but no words came out.
Xie Yunjin scanned the room, "We have to severely punish the parties involved in this matter. Or else things like this will keep happening. Our village would be a mess if that happened"
Xie Yunjin's words earned the villagers' approval, and the leaders also nodded in agreement.
Everyone was a commoner here and having concubines was not normal practice. If this couple here were just let off the hook, many more people will think that similar actions would be tolerated. Therefore, it was important to punish them.
The leaders nodded, "We'll do as Yunjin suggested."
Everyone turned to Xie Laogen and Widow Wang.
Right now, Widow Wang was truly afraid. Her face was white and she shook like a lotus in the wind.
Xie Laogen thought of the options Xie Yunjin listed and said to Widow Wang, "How about you sign the indenture?"
She was going to be a concubine anyway, signing that indenture made no difference.
Widow Wang stared at Xie Laogen in disbelief. How did she end up picking such a weak man?
Couldn't he take her away and live elsewhere? If they moved, they could've found some work and made enough to stay alive.
He was Xie Yunjin's father. Once Xie Yunjin becomes an official, he'll still be the father of an official.
Looking at Xie Laogen, Widow Wang knew then that there was no way he was going to leave the Xie Village. It was because Xie Yunjin knew that, that he even gave them the option to leave. He knew for certain that his father would never leave this village.
Therefore, though on the surface he gave them three options, there were only two. One, she signs the indenture and moves into the Xie family, or two, she drowns in the pond. Neither option would hurt Xie Laogen.
Widow Wang started to cry out of hopelessness.
Inside the room, Xie Yunjin's gaze was cold, "Have you thought it through? Are you going to sign, leave the village…"
Before he could finish, Xie Laogen asserted, "I'm not leaving this village."
Xie Yunjin slowly spoke, "If she doesn't sign, then we have to drown her."
Widow Wang cried harder. The leaders started to lose patience and urged, "Which option do you choose?"
Aunt Guihua and the others started to talk loudly, "Hurry and sign the indenture."
This woman was an eyesore to everyone in the village. Because she wasn't married, many men had been seduced by her. She must be a fool to think the others didn't know.
If she kept her single status, everyone had to stay on guard every day.
The fact that she was about to enter the Xie family was a huge relief to everyone.
187 Your Father is not a Man
Now that things were unfolding unfavorably for her, Widow Wang tried to think of ideas, including pretending to faint. Lu Jiao noticed how her eyeballs were starting to roll and quickly interfered, "Hurry up, it's late and we all need to sleep. It looks like she's not willing to sign the indenture. If that's the case, then…"
Before Lu Jiao could finish, Widow Wang gritted her teeth, "I'm willing to sign the indenture."
Until she signed the indenture today, there would be no rest. She decided to sign it first and later on, do her best to get it back from Xie Laogen.
Xie Yunjin gestured for the leaders to bring him a brush and paper. The Village Leader happened to have some lying around since his grandsons have been studying.
Xie Yunjin wrote the indenture and asked Widow Wang to leave her thumbprint. The leaders then acted as witnesses and also left their thumbprints.
In the end, he took the signed indenture and announced, "I will ask someone to get it registered with the county government."
Widow Wang gaped at him in shock. Xie Yunjin mockingly added, "Once registered, you're the Xie family's concubine. If you ever attempt to escape, we have the right to report it and send people after you."
Widow Wang thought this indenture was something she could sign and then get rid of later. Who knew it had to be registered? The stress of it all made her vision go blank.
XIe Yunjin said to Xie Laogen, "Dad, you can take her home."
Xie Laogen went to get Widow Wang. However, before he left, he looked at Xie Yunjin with the intention of getting the indenture.
However, Xie Yunjin acted like he didn't see and put away the indenture. He scanned the room and said to everyone, "Okay everyone, go back and rest now. If you don't sleep soon, it'll be morning."
He finally said to Lu Jiao, "Let's get back too."
Lu Jiao nodded and pushed Xie Yunjin outside. Behind them, the villagers slowly left as well. What happened tonight was very entertaining to most people. Most of the men were jealous of Xie Laogen. Somehow, he managed to gain a concubine. How lucky was he?
Though Lu Jiao was happy to witness the internal battle amongst the Xie family, she felt much disdain towards Xie Laogen.
"Your father isn't a man. He had options yet he made Widow Wang sign the indenture."
A real man would've left with Widow Wang.
Lu Jiao was interested and asked Xie Yunjin, "Did you already know that there was no way your father would leave the village? Is that why you gave them the option to? Doing so would make Widow Wang see what kind of person your father is and she'll always look back at this."
Xie Yunjin ridiculed, "My father spent his whole life in this village. The furthest he's gone is the town of Qili. He's never even been to the Qinghe District. How could he ever leave this place? Leaving here creates fear in him."
Lu Jiao sighed, "Widow Wang deserved this. She's never had good intentions. If she simply found someone suitable to marry, she would be living a pretty good life right now."
Xie Yunjin was sarcastic, "She asked for this."
Behind them, Aunt Guihua continued to follow them. Lu Jiao sensed it for a while now and finally stopped.
"Auntie, why are you following us instead of going home to sleep?"
Aunt Guihua rushed over and said to them, "Yunjin, Jiaojiao, it wasn't my intention to reveal all this. I didn't know the guy was your father and that was why I screamed. If I knew, I wouldn't have done that."
Lu Jiao and Xie Yunjin exchanged glances. Lu Jiao sighed, "Auntie, what happened happened. It was all because of my father-in-law's choices, not yours. If he hadn't gone to Widow Wang's, this wouldn't have happened."
Aunt Guihua asked carefully, "You are not mad at me, are you?"
Lu Jiao shook her head, "Not at all. Aunty, go home and sleep."
Aunt Guihua was finally relieved, "Thank god. I will go home and sleep then."
She headed straight home as Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao watched. They shook their heads. Even now, Aunt Guihua had no idea that they had used her to roll out their plan.
Xie Yunjin said, "Let's go home and sleep as well. It's still dark out."
"Okay."
When they arrived home, Xie Hu heard noises and came out to greet them.
"Xiebao and the four children are asleep. I'll go home then."
Lu Jiao and Xie Yunjin thanked Xie Hu and went into the living room.
They realized something.
Xie Xiaobao and the four little ones were all sleeping in the east bedroom. Where does that leave Xie Yunjin to sleep? What about Lu Jiao?
Lu Jiao didn't care and said, "Can you sleep in the west bedroom?"
Xie Yunjin was a little uncomfortable but it was mixed with excitement. This meant they were going to share a bed? Honestly, at his age, he's never slept with a woman before. That night with the original host was one that he blacked out on.
Xie Yunjin thought it over and responded softly, "Okay."
They were going to have to sleep together sooner or later. It'll just take him some time to adjust.
Lu Jiao pushed Xie Yunjin to the west bedroom, then carried and placed him onto the bed. She then got up to leave.
Behind her, Xie Yunjin scrooched in to make room on the bed. When he saw that Lu Jiao was about to leave, he asked, "Where are you going?"
Lu Jiao said, "There's that old bed in the west wing room. I'm going to lie down for a bit. The Sun's rising soon."
Xie Yunjin's expression dropped. There was a perfectly good bed here so why would she go sleep on the old broken one? How could that one be more comfortable than this one?
"There's room to sleep here, why would you sleep on the broken bed?"
Xie Yunjin gaped at Xie Yunjin in awe and saw that he had already made room for her on the bed. It was obvious that he made room for her.
Lu Jiao was unspeakably shocked. This guy made room for her on the bed to sleep in? When did they get this close? It was not a good idea for two people who will soon separate to sleep together.
Lu Jiao declined, "It's alright. I will use the old bed."
She gave no chance for Xie Yunjin to speak and left.
Xie Yunjin was angry and watched her leave. What was wrong with her? Why would she give up this spot to sleep on a broken bed?
It didn't take long for him to silently comfort himself. Perhaps Lu Jiao was shy. That's okay. They'll have time to adjust.
Lu Jiao didn't think so much. She went into the room in the west wing, looked at the broken bed, then went into her space to sleep in her bamboo room. Though she couldn't stay in her space too long, she could at least have a nice and peaceful nap.
In the morning, the space kicked Lu Jiao out and threw her onto the old bed. What could she do but to keep sleeping there?
Lu Jiao had her eyes closed but soon heard the noise of horses galloping. The sound went from far to close and it didn't take long for it to land right before her home.
188 Dystocia
Lu Jiao was jolted awake and she did not like that. She figured that Baohe Tang sent someone here on a horse. They must have accepted an emergency patient or else they wouldn't have rushed over here before sunrise.
Lu Jiao yawned and walked outside.
Inside the east bedroom, Xie Xiaobao and the four little ones had woken up from the noise as well and they ran outside.
Lu Jiao ran into them and the children happily greeted her, "Mommy, you're back!"
"Yeah, I came back a while ago."
As they chatted, someone got off the horse carriage. Unexpectedly, the person who came today was Baohe Tang's Manager Li.
When Manager Li saw Lu Jiao, he started to shout anxiously, "Lady Lu, hurry, come with me to Baohe Tang. We have with us a pregnant woman with dystocia. The mother's water broke last night but still has not given birth. If this drags on longer, the child may die in her stomach."
Lu Jiao's expression dropped and she headed outside. Worried about the four little ones, she turned to go to the west bedroom first.
There, Xie Yunjin had already sat up. Last night, he didn't even take off his clothes and was still fully dressed.
Lu Jiao glanced at him, "Baohe Tang has a patient with dystocia. I'm going to check it out."
Xie Yunjin frowned. Dystocia was difficult to deal with. Lu Jiao may get entangled in something she didn't want to be.
Xie Yunjin offered, "Let me go with you."
Lu Jiao stared at him in shock, "What are you talking about? If you come with me, what will the four children do?"
The children ran inside then and heard Xie Yunjin's offer. They were rather happy, "Mommy, we and daddy can go with you."
Lu Jiao didn't know whether to laugh or cry. She was going to save a life. It would be odd to bring four children.
"No, you guys stay home with dad. I will come back soon."
She then turned to leave. Behind her, Xie Yunjin remained stubborn, "We will go with you."
Xie Yunjin then said to the children, "We can bring you, but you have to be obedient."
The four little ones nodded aggressively to show their commitment to being good.
Lu Jiao was speechless. What was wrong with him? Why was he so determined to go with her?
Xie Yunjin persisted on going because he was worried that if anything happened, the pregnant woman's family would blame it on Lu Jiao. He must go and make sure everything is handled appropriately so that Baohe Tang has no way of making Lu Jiao the scapegoat.
In addition, he wanted to go check out Baohe Tang and see what was up with that place. Dr. Qi already made Xie Yunjin feel unpleasant, and now, the owner of Baohe Tang was also involved with Lu Jiao. He wanted to go and check out just what kind of person that owner was.
Of course, Xie Yunjin wasn't about to tell Lu Jiao all that.
Like normal, he looked at Lu Jiao, "Let's go."
Lu Jiao glared at him and wanted to object more. However, the Fourth Born wrapped his arms around her neck and pleaded, "Mommy, take us, we haven't even been into town."
There was no time to argue more. There was a pregnant woman trying to give birth.
"Okay, let's go, let's go."
In the end, the entire family of six got into the carriage headed to Baohe Tang.
In the carriage, Manager Li didn't even know what to say. He came to ask Lady Lu to help them with a patient and her entire family ended up coming along?
What could he do though? Everyone was now in the carriage.
The carriage hurried its way to Baohe Tang. After Lu Jiao carried Xie Yunjin and the four little ones off the carriage, Zhao Lingfeng and two of his men rushed out to see her.
Zhao Lingfeng didn't notice Xie Yunjin at first and breathlessly said, "Lady Lu, you're finally here. Hurry and come in. The mother isn't doing well."
Before Lu Jiao could say anything, Xie Yunjin spoke up first, "Is her husband around?"
Only then did Zhao Lingfeng notice him. He lowered his gaze to look at the man in the wheelchair. Since it was still dark outside, all he could see was a set of bright and sharp eyes.
Zhao Lingfeng responded, "The mother is here to visit family. Her husband isn't around. Her mother and her brother are here though."
He paused before he added, "The mother is the eldest daughter-in-law of the magistrate of Qinghe County."
Xie Yunjin raised an eyebrow, "Hu Shan's wife…"
Hu Shan was one of his classmates in Qinghe County. However, since his father was the magistrate, he was crowded with others who constantly tried to butter him up. His school group never hung out with Xie Yunjin's group, who all grew up in poor families.
Hu Shan frequently criticized Xie Yunjin. However, Xie Yunjin was too lazy to pay attention to him. Since it was difficult for him to get where he was, he chose to be lowkey.
Zhao Lingfeng didn't expect Xie Yunjin would know the pregnant lady's husband, "That sounds right."
Xie Yunjin said to Zhao Lingfeng, "Go and draft up a contract and get Hu Shan's wife's thumbprint. If she refuses, Lu Jiao won't help her."
Hu Shan was not a friend. If he knew Xie Yunjin's wife failed to save his wife, he may accuse Lu Jiao of intentionally harming his wife. If that happened, they would have to deal with another pile of mess.
Zhao Lingfeng stared at Xie Yunjin in shock. Then, he looked at Lu Jiao.
Lu Jiao knew Xie Yunjin intended to help her. Based on the fact that he knew the patient's husband and still suggested a contract meant that the husband was hard to deal with.
Lu Jiao said to Zhao Lingfeng, "Go draft it. I will examine the patient first."
"Okay."
Given the time constraint, Zhao Lingfeng didn't dare to waste time and took everyone inside.
Lu Jiao entered the patient's room. Outside, Xie Yunjin and the four children followed Zhao Lingfeng and ordered, "Hurry and write the contract."
What else could Zhao Lingfeng do but follow? He wrote the contract and went to the patient's room.
Inside, Lu Jiao was examining the pregnant woman's belly. She found the mother to be having irregular contracts and had only dilated two fingers. For a pregnant lady whose water broke last night, the baby may be suffocating.
The mother's face was drained of blood as she begged Lu Jiao, "Please, save my child. Save him."
Lu Jiao comforted her, "It's okay. I will do my best. You'll be okay."
The woman's eyes lit up, "You're saying the child will be fine?"
Lu Jiao softly responded, "I will do whatever I can to protect him."
Lu Jiao turned to the midwife and an older woman, "Her contractions are behaving oddly and she's only dilated two fingers. She's not able to give birth like this."
Even if she had oxytocin, they didn't have sufficient time. The child's been inside too long and may suffocate any second now.
"You two, get out. Ask Dr. Qi to come and help me."
The midwife and the older woman's faces dropped. How could a man help out with a birth?
The older woman was the pregnant woman's mother. She quickly objected, "No way. How can a man be here for a birth?"
189 The Four Little ones are Ready to Battle
Lu Jiao's face turned cold. What kind of mother was this? She didn't care about her daughter and grandchild's lives. All she cared about was reputation.
Before Lu Jiao could speak, the pregnant lady screamed, "mother, I want my child to live. I want him to live."
The mother persisted, "If a man comes in, what will happen to your reputation? If Hu Shan found out, he would leave you."
Lu Jiao wanted to curse. Seeing how gray the pregnant woman's face was, she knew there was no more time. She leaped over and shoved the midwife and the mother out, "Get the * out of here."
Lu Jiao was strong and the two women's struggles were futile against her strength. They got thrown out real quick.
Before the door, Xie Yunjin handed Lu Jiao the contract, "Ask her to leave a thumbprint. If anything were to happen, Hu Shan wouldn't just let it be."
Lu Jiao knew Xie Yunjin meant well and took the contract. She then glanced at Qi Lei, "Dr. Qi, whether or not the mother can make it will depend on you."
Qi Lei knew right away that surgery was needed. There was excitement and fear on his face. Were they going to cut open the stomach? Was his master sure of this treatment plan?
Qi Lei didn't have time to think too much and walked in. Behind him, the mother of the pregnant woman's face dropped and she tried to push inside.
Outside the room, Xie Yunjin knew that surgery was likely needed and she needed Dr. Qi to perform it. Xie Yunjin sighed in relief. As long as Lu Jiao didn't get entangled in all this.
The mother of the pregnant wife tried to bust in and Xie Yunjin ordered Zhao Lingfeng, "Stop them."
Zhao Lingfeng gestured for his men to block them. The pregnant lady's mother yelled, "Yuyao, you cannot have a man in there! If your reputation is ruined, Hu Shan will leave you!"
Inside the room, Li Yuyao's face got dustier and dustier. She had lost all strength at this point. As if she had lost the will to live, she asked Lu Jiao, "Don't mind me. Please save my child."
Lu Jiao efficiently put some pants on her first. She could tell that Li Yuyao had lost her will to live and only wanted to save her child.
Lu Jiao said to Li Yuyao, "There's something wrong with your contractions and you are not dilating. I have to open up your stomach and deliver the baby that way. You and your child will both be fine and your reputation will be fine. If needed, I can tell your husband that."
A C-section doesn't expose the bottom private parts and only reveals the belly. If her man couldn't even deal with that, then she was better off alone.
Before Li Yuyao could answer, Lu Jiao added, "However, I hope you don't tell anyone but your husband about this."
Though surgeries started happening in the military forces in the Zhou Dynasty, C-Section was not yet established. She didn't want this news to circulate and shock too many people.
Li Yuyao gained some energy after she heard that. She struggled, "I, I promise you. But, if you cannot save both of us, save my child, please. Don't mind me."
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you."
Given how out of it Li Yuyao was, Lu Jiao took out some ginseng from her sleeve. She put it there earlier when she was cleaning up her space. There wasn't much left.
Li Yuyao happened to need it right now. Lu Jiao took out a piece and asked LI Yuyao to put it in her mouth.
"Don't say anything anymore."
Lu Jiao took out her surgical tools and was now ready for surgery. Beside her, Qi Lei whispered, "Master, the contract. You need her print."
Lu Jiao saw Li Yuyao's worsening condition and knew she had no time. Her eyes became focused, "We cannot drag this out any longer. Let's start the surgery."
Ignoring Qi Lei, Lu Jiao injected Li Yuyao with anesthesia. She decided to do local numbing for this surgery given that full body numbing may damage the baby's brain.
Beside her, Qi Lei said, "Master, if anything happens, you can blame it on me. I'll be okay."
Lu Jiao couldn't help but exclaim how kind Qi Lei was. He was willing to take the blame if necessary.
"Don't worry. Everything will be fine. Cooperate with me later."
Lu Jiao then injected Li Yuyao's stomach and waited for the drug to take effect.
Outside, Xie Yunjin and Zhao Lingfeng were checking each other out.
The way Xie Yunjin was looking at Baohe Tang's owner was eerily dark. He noticed how nonchalant Zhao Lingfeng was when he saw Lu Jiao. Even if Lu Jiao was a doctor here, shouldn't the owner keep his distance from the doctors? How come they acted like a family?
That thought made Xie Yunjin cold.
Zhao Lingfeng spoke first, "You are Lady Lu's husband, scholar Xie?"
Zhao Lingfeng felt that Xie Yunjin and Lu Jiao didn't have the best relationship. Or else Lady Lu would've told him about the surgery and the businesses she had planned.
Zhao Lingfeng decided not to say anything about his partnership with Lady Lu just in case he says too much.
Xie Yunjin nodded gently and smiled, "That's right. You must be the owner of Baohe Tang. My wife has mentioned you once or twice. I've been wanting to thank you. Thank you for having her as a doctor here."
Zhao Lingfeng was a little flustered. Was this man trying to assert dominance right now? It sounded like he cared about Lu Jiao a lot. If that was the case, why didn't Lady Lu tell him about the surgery?
Zhao Lingfeng then looked at the four children. He noticed that all four of them wore the same-looking clothes and they were similar in height. Out of the four, two of them looked very much like Lu Jiao.
Zhao Lingfeng knew right away they were Lu Jiao's children and he grinned, "Are you Lady Lu's sons?"
The four little ones could tell their dad didn't like this guy so their faces were straight and serious.
"That's right."
Zhao Lingfeng couldn't help but be jealous of Xie Yunjin. Most families have trouble giving birth to boys yet Xie Yunjin managed to have four exceptional ones at the same time. How amazing.
Zhao Lingfeng liked the four little ones a lot and asked Manager Li to get them some food.
The manager brought over the food and placed them on the table. Sadly, the children didn't touch the food and only silently sat by their father. They sat with their backs straight as if they were preparing for a battle.
190 More Scared than the Pregnant Lady
Zhao Lingfeng laughed and asked Xie Yunjin, "Scholar Xie, I wonder if you have any misconceptions about me?"
Though this man was merely a scholar right now, when Zhao Lingfeng looked into Lu Jiao, he found out that the scholar was very talented. He was young and who knew where he would end up in the future. Therefore, it would be better not to offend him.
Xie Yunjin couldn't help but chuckle as if a breeze had blown by, "What are you talking about? I am very appreciative of how well you've been taking care of my wife."
By calling Lu Jiao "his wife", he has displayed again and again how possessive he was. Zhao Lingfeng only realized a little later that the scholar was worried that he was into his wife.
He was overthinking it. Though he admired Lady Lu, he truly didn't have that kind of intention toward her.
Zhao Lingfeng couldn't help but feel playful, "Lady Lu is such a great person. Not only is she good-looking, but she's also a great doctor and a great cook."
He then looked at Xie Yunjin in disappointment, "Scholar Xie is so lucky. If you didn't get there first, I'm sure many people would want to marry her."
Xie Yunjin's heart felt stuffy and his face showed disdain.
Very quickly though, he noticed the playfulness in Zhao Lingfeng's tone. His expression turned gloomy and he coldly glared at Zhao Lingfeng, "It appears to me that you are not a reliable guy. I don't see the need for my wife to continue helping out Baohe Tang."
Zhao Lingfeng's expression slightly changed. Though he knew it was likely that Lu Jiao didn't have a good relationship with Xie Yunjin, she was still his wife. If he bans her from coming, he may lose his money-making goddess.
Zhao Lingfeng instantly laughed then looked at Xie Yunjin, "I'm joking. Scholar Xie, don't be annoyed."
He then waved at the four little ones, "You must be hungry. Come and have some snacks."
This time, Xie Yunjin didn't stop them and gestured for them to go ahead.
The four little ones slowly extended their hands to grab the food.
Zhao Lingfeng watched the four well-behaved children and was full of jealousy.
Inside the private room, Lu Jiao had opened up the mother's stomach and pulled out the baby.
On the side, Qi Lei's face was more pale and terrified than the mother's. He sweated profusely and continued to shudder. If he didn't bite down on his lips with all his might, he would've passed out.
It appeared that his master was correct. He needed to be exposed to surgery slowly. This was truly terrifying.
Lu Jiao glared at Qi Lei and gave him the baby. In a low voice, she said, "Hold him upside down and hit his butt."
A newborn normally doesn't know how to breathe when they are born. Hitting the baby on the butt is to force them to open up their mouths and cry. Only then does the air enter their lungs and they can learn how to breathe.
If the baby does not cry, the doctor must check the airways for signs of obstruction. If there are any foreign objects, the doctor must extract them at once.
Qi Lei struggled to take the baby per his Master's orders. He held the baby upside down and hit the baby's bum. The baby didn't cry. He hit it again and the baby still didn't cry.
Lu Jiao was worried and looked over. She discovered that Qi Lei was hitting without any power.
Lu Jiao was speechless. She ended up scolding, "Use some strength!"
This time, he succeeded and the baby cried. His cries were a little weak from being inside his mother for too long. Lu Jiao prayed there was nothing wrong.
Inside the room, Li Yuyao started to cry. This time, she cried with joy.
Lu Jiao started to stitch her up. As she stitched, she said, "Don't worry, you'll be okay. The surgery was a success. You and your baby are both safe."
It took Li Yuyao all her might to stay conscious until now. After she heard that her baby was safe, she lost all her strength and passed out.
Lu Jiao continued to stitch. She, too, was so tired that she might pass out. She originally thought that with Qi Lei's help, the operation would be easier on her. The result was that it was more tiring than if she did it all alone.
Qi Lei was more scared than the mother who underwent the operation. What was that about?
The crying inside the room startled everyone. Li Yuyao's family shouted, "The baby is here. She gave birth."
"Oh my goodness, finally."
"I wonder if it's a son or a daughter?"
Inside the room, Lu Jiao ordered Qi Lei, who was helplessly carrying the baby, "Hurry up and bundle up the baby. Give him to the family outside."
Qi Lei asked, "Can I get out then?"
He felt like he would pass out if he stayed here any longer.
Lu Jiao ordered harshly, "No, you need to come back in. In a bit, you must tell the family that you performed the surgery and tell them to keep this a secret. I think they wouldn't want to tell anyone about this anyway."
Qi Lei's vision went dark and he almost collapsed.
Outside the door, the Li family saw that Li Yuyao birthed a son and was over the moon. They forgot to even ask about Li Yuyao.
Qi Lei didn't know how to react and simply went back inside the room.
The two doctors finished their postoperative work. Worried that Li Yuyao's wound may get infected, Lu Jiao rubbed the wound with her spiritual stream water. That way, her wound will heal fast and be less prone to infection.
Lu Jiao also gave Li Yuyao two units of antiinflammatory medicine before she left.
By now, both of them appeared pale. It was because of exhaustion for Lu Jiao and fear for Qi Lei.
Outside, Li Yuyao's mother finally remembered to ask about her own daughter, "How's Yuyao, is she okay?"
Lu Jiao looked over to Qi Lei, who had no choice but to answer, "She's fine, but she cannot go home yet. We need to keep her under observation here for a few days."
Li Yuyao's mother wanted to argue but Qi Lei dropped his face, "If you want her dead, you can bring her back."
That shut her up.
Lu Jiao walked on until she saw Xie Yunjin and the four little ones.
The four little ones saw the condition Lu Jiao was in and got scared.
"Mommy, you don't look well. Are you sick?"
"Mommy, sit down. Drink some water."
The Second Born went to fetch water and even grabbed some snacks.
The Third Born pulled Lu Jiao's hand and led her to a chair.
The Fourth Born grabbed her other hand and said softly, "Mommy, sit and I'll rub your hands."
The four little ones' actions made Zhao Lingfeng and Manager Li compliment them, "How did Lady Lu raise her children so well? How did they know to be so filial?"
"Comparison is the thief of joy."
Xie Yunjin pushed his wheelchair around to follow Lu Jiao. When he saw how sick she looked, he asked, "What happened? Are you too exhausted?"
Lu Jiao shook her head, "It's from fear. I supported Dr. Qi in the operation and I'm scared half to death."
Behind her, Qi Lei overhead and almost fainted. His master had it all backward. He was the one who was scared half to death.
However, he had to keep his mouth shut. Whatever words his Master spoke, that was the truth.