Gu Nian turned her head. “Little Sister Zhao, just now you said that on that day, you heard the sounds of Brother Qian and me being intimate. Is that right?”
Zhao Meili, who had been gazing dreamily at Gongsun Yu and fantasizing about the passionate love she would share with him as his principal wife, answered without thinking.
“Yes, I heard it with my own ears. It was positively seductive.”
Zhou Baozhu’s expression changed. “Zhao Qian, you make me sick!”
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
Mother Zhao was furious. She gave Zhao Meili’s arm a vicious pinch.
Zhao Meili came to her senses and burst into loud, pained sobs.
Annoyed, Mother Zhao yanked her behind her. She had just opened her mouth to explain to Zhou Baozhu when Gu Nian spoke.
“I’m pregnant. The child is Zhao Qian’s.”
Those eight words left the three members of the Zhao family scorched and dazed.
The surroundings fell silent. Everyone held their breath and pricked up their ears.
Gongsun Yu was experienced and worldly; naturally, he could tell that the young woman had deliberately said this.
She looked pure and innocent, yet she was actually so shameless. His disgust toward her deepened.
He had no interest in getting involved in the filthy squabbles between women.
It was a good thing for Younger Sister Baozhu to see Zhao Qian’s true colors. Better that she find out now than regret marrying him later.
After a long moment…
Zhao Qian shrieked in disbelief, “How is that possible?”
Gu Nian supported her waist with one hand and stuck out her flat stomach.
“Two months ago, that night, you said that if you got me pregnant, your principal wife wouldn’t be able to stop me from entering your household. Are you planning to abandon me after having your way with me now?”
Zhou Baozhu was stunned. Trembling, she pointed at Gu Nian’s stomach. “Y-you’re really pregnant?”
Her fiancé had gotten the woman he had originally been engaged to pregnant before his principal wife had even entered the household. It was an enormous humiliation!
“Yes. The three members of the Zhao family just said it themselves, and all the neighbors heard them. I have no face left to show anyone, but the child is innocent. As the child’s father, Zhao Qian must take responsibility. Otherwise, I’ll take the marriage contract to the authorities and bring a lawsuit against him.”
Aunt Wu hurriedly said, “That’s right. We all heard it. This common woman can testify.”
Uncle Wu quickly followed, “Yes, we can testify!”
They only wanted to protect Gu Nian. If she truly had a child, the Zhao family had to take responsibility.
Madam Zhao’s lips trembled with anger. “My son is a juren! How could he possibly do such a thing?”
Gu Nian stuck out her flat little belly and took a step toward Zhao Qian.
“If my parents hadn’t saved the lives of you and your mother and supported you both, you probably wouldn’t even have been able to pay your tuition fees. How would you have had the chance to pass the provincial examination? How would you have been qualified to seek marriage with a noble lady? If you dare forget our kindness…”
Gu Nian wore an expression that showed she was prepared to fight to the bitter end. “At worst, my child and I will throw ourselves to our deaths outside the government office! Let’s see whether you can keep your juren degree!”
Zhao Qian was so frightened that his face turned deathly pale. His lips trembled, but he had no idea what to say.
If she truly did that, his official career would be over too.
Mother Zhao was frantic.
She had never imagined that the shameless girl would have such thick skin. Not only had she accepted this basin of dirty water, she had even splashed it back at them.
Zhou Baozhu’s hands shook with rage, but she could not utter a single word.
The Zhou Family could not afford to suffer this humiliation!
Gongsun Yu frowned. He had come to search for the missing Crown Prince and his Cousin-Aunt and her daughter; he had no time to deal with this sort of sordid nonsense.
As the legitimate son of the Marquis of Jing'an, he absolutely could not allow such filthy affairs to tarnish the Gongsun Clan’s reputation.
He grabbed Zhou Baozhu by the arm. “This man is no good. Let’s go.”
Zhou Baozhu had no face left to remain either. Weeping bitterly, she followed Gongsun Yu away.
Zhao Qian panicked. He gathered up his robe and chased after them.
“Baozhu, it isn’t like that! It’s not what you think. There’s nothing between her and me! A-Zhu, A-Zhu, wait for me!”
Gongsun Yu flicked his hand. A pebble shot out and struck Zhao Qian squarely in the knee.
With a crack, Zhao Qian’s knee seemed to shatter. He dropped to both knees with a thud, then pitched forward stiffly onto the ground.
He landed in a textbook prostration, provoking uproarious laughter from the surrounding onlookers.
The carriage and mounted escort sped away, leaving Zhao Qian with a mouthful of dust.
Once they were gone, Gu Nian withdrew the hand supporting her waist.
Straightening up, she looked at the stunned Mother and Daughter Zhao with a half-smile.
“Three hundred taels still won’t be enough. I have to raise the child of the Zhao family, after all.”
Mother Zhao’s face turned livid. Trembling, she pointed at Gu Nian. “You shameless rogue! How dare you extort us!”
Gu Nian seized the hand pointing at her and yanked Mother Zhao toward her with a forceful tug.
She leaned close to her ear and whispered, “Wasn’t it you who created this child for me? A rogue? Extorting people? You taught me well.”
“You!”
Mother Zhao’s face twisted into a knot of rage.
Zhao Meili stamped her feet anxiously and tugged at her mother’s arm. “Let’s go! We have to apologize to the Zhou Family. Otherwise, Brother’s marriage is going to fall through!”
The dreams she and her brother had cherished were about to be shattered!
The mother and daughter hurried outside, only to see Zhao Qian sprawled helplessly on the ground. They rushed to help him up, at which point they discovered that one of his legs seemed to be broken.
Zhao Qian wailed, “Mother, if my leg is broken, then my official career and my marriage will be broken too!”
“Bring me the money soon. Once I have the money, I’ll give you your marriage contract.”
Gu Nian’s deadly reminder followed them. The two women, overwhelmed and frantic, struggled to help Zhao Qian up and climbed into the carriage in a thoroughly miserable state.
Aunt Wu looked at Gu Nian, who was grinning as though nothing in the world could bother her, and asked worriedly, “A-Nian, you… you really have a child?”
Just now, Gu Nian had made up her mind.
She absolutely had to have a child.
But until she succeeded, the child’s origins had to remain secret.
She smiled. “It’s my child. It has nothing to do with Zhao Qian.”
How could Aunt Wu believe her?
Gu Nian was a simple, kind-hearted girl who had loved Zhao Qian wholeheartedly. If she had a child, it had to be Zhao Qian’s.
Aunt Wu’s eyes reddened with distress. “That wretched beast!”
An unmarried girl who became pregnant before marriage could be drowned in spittle alone.
Gu Nian comforted her. “Now that I have a child, Uncle and the others can’t come force me for the time being. Isn’t that a good thing?”
Looking at the young girl’s bright, clear eyes, Aunt Wu could not stop wiping away her tears.
The child was too pitiful.
Gu Nian only wanted to hurry out and buy a black-footed chicken to make nourishing chicken soup for the handsome male courtesan. Otherwise, she would feel too embarrassed to keep asking him to provide the seed.
After reassuring and sending off Aunt Wu and Uncle Wu, Gu Nian picked up her vegetable basket and prepared to go to the market.
A half-grown boy rushed in carrying a bundle of firewood on his back and a sickle in his hand. He threw down the firewood and looked around angrily. Only after seeing that the courtyard was empty did he relax.
“Did they come bully Big Sister again? I heard about it just after I finished chopping wood and came down the mountain.”
The boy was Aunt Wu’s only son, Wu Dabao.
Gu Nian beamed and tugged at his sleeve to wipe the sweat from his forehead.
“It’s fine. I drove them away.”
Wu Dabao caught the sweet fragrance from the girl’s sleeve. The tips of his ears reddened, and he leaned his head back to avoid it. Gritting his teeth, he said, “From now on, I’ll guard this place every day. I’ll chop down anyone who comes!”
Gu Nian rapped him lightly on the forehead and scolded him, “If you guard this place every day, who will chop wood and carry water for me? Fighting and killing won’t solve the problem.”
“You came at just the right time. I need you to investigate something for Big Sister.”
Wu Dabao thumped his little chest. “Tell me, Big Sister. Dabao will definitely find out for you.”
Gu Nian glanced around and, after confirming that no one was nearby, lowered her voice. “A moment ago, a strange noble young master came here with Zhou Baozhu. Find out who he is.”
Wu Dabao’s eyes widened. “Zhou Baozhu came too?”
Gu Nian nodded. “Zhou Baozhu called him Brother. He might be from the family that the Zhou Family’s eldest paternal aunt married into in the capital.”
“Don’t worry, Big Sister. I’ll go find out right now.” With that, he turned and ran off.
Though Wu Dabao was young, he was the king of the children in this area. Whenever he wanted to dig up some news, he could always manage it.
Gu Nian knew that the Zhou Family was not someone she could afford to provoke. Now that such a major figure had appeared at Zhou Baozhu’s side, she had to find out who he was as soon as possible so she could prepare.
She did not want anything unexpected to happen before the shop and residence were transferred into her name.
The sun hung high in the sky. It was already the beginning of the Hour of the Snake.
If she waited any longer, the handsome male courtesan would be waking up.
She could not let the child’s father go hungry.
She quickly picked up her basket and left the house.