A Good Country Wife
Chapter 287 - 281: Troublesome _1

Chapter 287: Chapter 281: Troublesome _1

"Yes, mother, I’ll go now," Zhao Quan said obediently with his lips, but his heart was not quite at ease. Zhao Xing had already spent a considerable amount of silver on his wedding, and now his mother wanted to find him another wife in the city. No wonder Erhu said mother was biased; it seems he was right.

There was a big commotion in the old Zhao Family house because of the Chen Family’s issue. Originally, the Wei Family wanted to divorce Chen and send her back to her parental home. But Zhao Xing, as if bewitched by Chen, would only recognize her as his wife and refused to agree to anything else. In the end, the matter was left unresolved. However, after this incident, Chen’s reputation in Zhao Family Village was utterly ruined. Everyone in the village knew that Zhao Xing’s wife was dishonest and no longer wanted to associate with her.

Some people who were close to Chen had a lot of their things taken by her, though they were items of little value. At the time, they thought their children had misplaced them, but now, knowing Chen’s reputation, they all started to have doubts.

The Wei Family was really troubled by the recent events. Remembering the pregnant Zhao Lingxiang, Wei found some relief. Taking advantage of some free time, she grabbed two chickens and went to the city’s Wei Residence to see Zhao Lingxiang.

Although Master Wei had confined Zhao Lingxiang to the residence, he still cared about the child in her belly, worrying her emotions could affect the baby. The doctor had said that pregnant women should avoid being emotionally agitated. Therefore, it was good for Lingxiang’s mother, Wei, to come and persuade her, and so the servants were allowed to let her visit.

It was only upon seeing Zhao Lingxiang that Wei realized that not only had their household experienced troubles, but her daughter at the Wei Residence had also gone through such a significant ordeal. She quickly grasped Lingxiang’s hands, asking anxiously about her well-being, fearing any harm might come to the child in her belly. To Wei, the child was not just a baby but also a golden egg; with this child, not only Zhao Lingxiang herself, but also their entire family could rise to glory and live good lives. It was paramount that nothing went wrong.

"How could this happen, did the doctor really say that? The last time at home, the doctor we invited said you were healthy and both you and the baby were fine. How could it change so much in just a few days? Lingxiang, you didn’t eat anything unclean, did you? Mother knows about the intrigue in the backyards of wealthy families. It’s possible that those with ill intentions have tampered with your food. You must be cautious."

Although Wei was a rural woman, she had quite some insight. Pondering ’schemes and conspiracies’ every day and thinking about how to take advantage of others, she began to suspect a lot upon seeing Zhao Lingxiang’s condition.

Upon hearing Wei’s words, Zhao Lingxiang thought back slowly, "Mother, now that you mention it, I also feel something is not right. That day I felt perfectly fine; I didn’t notice anything wrong. But after eating a bowl of bird’s nest soup sent from the kitchen, my stomach started to hurt not long after. I panicked, afraid the child would be harmed, and didn’t think much of it. But now, looking back, it seems very suspicious."

Wei slapped her hands together, "That’s it then, the food you eat comes from the main kitchen, where there are many workers and it’s easy for someone to be bought off and tamper with something. My daughter, you have been tricked by someone else’s scheme."

"But the doctor clearly said that I am physically weak, and the implications of his words were clear, suggesting that it was my own reckless behavior that caused harm to the child in my womb. That’s why the master was so angry he confined me to my room. Now, I dare not be careless, lying in bed all day long, for fear of any mishap with the child. Forget about me, our master wouldn’t spare me either. The doctor never said that it was because I consumed something I shouldn’t have." Zhao Lingxiang didn’t harbor any suspicions back then and didn’t think much about it after hearing what the doctor said.

"What’s so certain about that? The doctor’s words aren’t necessarily true. Maybe someone has bribed the doctor to deliberately hide the truth. If someone could bribe the kitchen staff to poison you, they could certainly bribe the doctor as well. Lingxiang, now that you’re pregnant, you must be more careful for the sake of the child in your belly. Otherwise, if someone harms you, not to mention the child, you yourself might not stay safe. Women are most vulnerable when they’re pregnant."

"Mother’s right, I’ll be more careful from now on. I’ll have my personal maid oversee everything that I eat. I’m sure the doctor was bribed. It must be the doing of that venomous woman, the madam. The doctor who treated me that day often visits the madam to check her pulse and has received many favors from her. If there really was something wrong, he would likely help the madam conceal it." Zhao Lingxiang said this, her face full of anger. She wouldn’t mention how the madam had tormented her before; now, the madam even wanted to harm her child, which was intolerable. She wouldn’t let that wicked woman get her way.

Wei Family was also worried. It is said that the mistresses of great households are kind in appearance but ruthless at heart, and she had truly come to understand this. "If your madam really wants to harm you, it will be even harder to guard against. Lingxiang, you must be extra careful from now on."

"I know, but I wonder how the child in my belly is?"

"Worrying is useless. We’ll think of a covert way to invite a good doctor to examine you another day. Only then can we be at ease. I’ve heard that Doctor Zheng from Jimin Hall is quite good. When Zhao Erhu’s family has any sickness, they always seek out Doctor Zheng. When Zhao Erhu’s wife first arrived, she was so ill she nearly died, but it was Doctor Zheng who saved her. Doctor Zheng also learned a few tricks from the Divine Doctor who once revived Zhao Erhu. He’s the best doctor in Xin’an City, even though his consultation fee is much higher than average. But your child is precious, and spending a bit more doesn’t matter!"

"That’s for sure. My master treasures the child in my womb so much; otherwise, he wouldn’t have confined me to my room out of anger. As long as Mother says that Doctor Zheng is reliable, I’ll find a way to persuade the master to invite him over. If I speak to the master properly, he wouldn’t disagree for the sake of the child in my womb."

After speaking with Zhao Lingxiang for a good while and instructing her on what to pay attention to, Wei Family left the Wei Residence, bearing the task given by her daughter and pondering how to help her accomplish it. Zhao Erhu and his spouse were not easy to deal with.

Although Zhao Lingxiang was pregnant, she hadn’t forgotten about the prescription matter, especially since the incident with the child in her womb had caused Master Wei’s attitude toward her to become much colder recently. Zhao Lingxiang feared that if this continued, Master Wei might lose interest in her. To increase her and her unborn child’s importance in the master’s heart, she must obtain the prescription at all costs. This time, to ensure success, Zhao Lingxiang was willing to part with a hundred taels of silver for Wei Family.