Liu Shi intended to remarry—and to take the child in her womb along with her.
Under Zhang Shi’s relentless questioning, the truth finally emerged, causing Yu Zhen, the genuinely honest eldest son of the main branch, to become anxious and lose his composure.
“What?! How dare she! This is outrageous!” Zhang Shi sprang up with a shriek, tore off her apron, and stormed out. But as she reached the main gate, she seemed to remember something, turned back, and slammed the door shut with a loud “bang” in the main branch’s room.
Yu Hongdou craned her neck to peer inside, then glanced at her bewildered eldest cousin standing frozen in place, and couldn’t help but sigh.
According to Yu Sanlang and Xu Shi, the uncle and aunt of the main branch were both “wolf in sheep’s clothing”—outwardly honest but inwardly cunning. They acted as if they were hardworking and bullied all day outside, but at home, they were lazy and full of schemes, always wanting everything and never satisfied with what they had.
Yinxing from the main branch was no better than her mother. She often put on an innocent, weak willow in the wind act, pushing others to the forefront in every matter while secretly taking all the benefits behind their backs.
As for Liu Shi, who had married into the family, she was even worse than her mother-in-law at pretending. The only exception was Yu Zhen, the sole son of the main branch, who was a truly honest and straightforward person.
But Yu Hongdou wasn’t familiar with this honest cousin!
The age gap between them was too large, and coupled with Yu Hongdou’s poor health, she rarely had the chance to leave the third branch’s quarters.
Yu Zhen was also dull and reticent. At most, the cousins would occasionally cross paths, and the number of times they had spoken didn’t exceed the fingers on Yu Hongdou’s hands.
After Liu Shi pushed Yu Hongdou into the water, Yu Zhen knelt outside the third branch’s door all night, praying for his cousin’s safety and apologizing on Liu Shi’s behalf. His mother slapped him several times, but he refused to get up. It wasn’t until Yu Silang returned that he was dragged back to the main branch.
Truth be told, Yu Hongdou felt that if Liu Shi really did remarry, her eldest cousin’s life might actually become easier.
“Hongdou, are… are you feeling better?” Yu Zhen finally noticed his cousin sitting at the third branch’s doorway and asked awkwardly, his expression full of embarrassment.
“I’m fine, Eldest Cousin. Have you been to the Liu family to see Sister-in-Law? Shouldn’t she return after giving birth? Why does she want to marry someone else? Is she just trying to scare you?” Yu Hongdou’s confusion was practically visible above her head. To put it bluntly, Liu Shi’s circumstances were mediocre at best—who would marry her with such a large belly?
“Well, your sister-in-law… no, Liu Shi… she is pregnant, after all. I…” Yu Zhen didn’t know how to explain it to his young cousin. The whole situation was humiliating, and he felt deeply guilty toward the third branch and his little cousin.
“Zhenzi, let’s go!” Just as Yu Zhen was at a loss, his mother burst out of the room, grabbed his arm, and dragged him away.
“?” Yu Hongdou stared in disbelief at her aunt, who had been rosy-cheeked and full of energy moments ago but had now transformed into a sallow, haggard old woman after just one trip into the room.
She never would have imagined that her drama-queen aunt even knew how to disguise her appearance!
Yu Hongdou watched as the mother and son from the main branch walked away. After a moment’s hesitation, she picked up the cloth in her hand and the miniature sewing basket her mother had prepared for her, went inside, and closed the door behind her.
She had no intention of following them to watch the drama unfold. Right now, she was just a defenseless child who needed to cherish her hard-won life.
By the time Xu Shi returned, bursting with gossip about the main branch, Yu Hongdou had nearly finished embroidering the small piece of cloth in her hands.
“Hongdou, did you embroider all these?!” Xu Shi saw her daughter sitting obediently on the kang playing with embroidery. She felt comforted that such a young child could remain so patient, yet her heart ached knowing the girl had no playmates and must feel lonely. But when she saw the cloth covered with intricate patterns in Hongdou’s hands, her jaw nearly dropped in astonishment.
“Mother, did I do it right? I’ve seen this pattern before.” Yu Hongdou raised the finished handkerchief with feigned innocence, her face full of expectation for praise.
“Heavens~ Sanlang, come quick! Our daughter is extraordinary!” Xu Shi took the handkerchief from her daughter and brought it close to examine every stitch in detail.
Five plump, embroidered bats encircled a round longevity character at the center. The stitches were exquisite, the pattern complete and beautiful. She had even matched colors – the five-colored bats each in different hues, making the somewhat flat design suddenly come alive.
“Did Hongdou embroider this?” Yu Sanlang entered upon hearing his wife’s exclamation. Seeing the embroidery in her hands, he found it hard to believe, remembering how their daughter had pestered her mother for a piece of cloth that very morning.
“Of course I did! I want to sell it for silver to buy clothes for father, mother, and brother.” Yu Hongdou puffed out her chest proudly – she too could help support the family now.
“Haha, how can our daughter be so delightful!” What parent wouldn’t be pleased hearing such words? Yu Sanlang stepped forward and tossed his daughter into the air before catching her. Both their children were far too sensible and clever!
Yu Hongdou screamed at her father’s action but couldn’t suppress her laughter. Was this what it felt like to be lifted high by one’s father? So exhilarating and joyful.
While the third branch of the family rejoiced, they completely forgot about the commotion in the main branch. In the main room, Yu Dalang and his wife wore faces as if attending a funeral, their son beside them. On Zhang Shi’s sallow face, tears had carved channel after channel.
“Father, mother, we can’t just let this be. Though Liu Shi is wicked, the child in her womb is the Yu Family’s next-generation eldest grandson~” Zhang Shi covered her face and wailed, secretly applauding Liu Shi in her heart. This daughter-in-law hadn’t been chosen wrongly – the family shouldn’t all act cowardly. They must fight for what should be fought for. The only flaw was Liu Shi being too ostentatious, allowing others to see her intentions.
“Father, I know this matter was decided earlier – that Liu Shi would return after giving birth. But given the current circumstances… We’ve wronged third brother, his wife, and Hongdou. I beg father to plead for us. We can’t let Zhenzi’s child call another man father.” Yu Dalang also scratched his head. He felt no regret over Liu Shi as a daughter-in-law, even thinking her too foolish to be the Yu Family’s eldest daughter-in-law. But he couldn’t bear to lose the grandson in her womb.
“Did Liu Shi say that if we refuse to take her back, she’ll marry someone else and take the child with her?” Yu Laoyezi’s gaze skipped over his eldest son and daughter-in-law, landing directly on his eldest grandson’s face.
“She… she said since the family has already divided, why can’t she return? If the child isn’t born in the Yu Family, can it still be considered a Yu child?”
“Then she said her brother knows a traveling merchant who can’t have children. The merchant said he’s willing to marry her and treat the child as his own after it’s born.”
“If the Yu Family refuses to take her back, she’ll make sure the child doesn’t acknowledge the Yu Family, calling another man father instead.”
Yu Zhen dared not lie, truthfully recounting everything to his grandparents. When he reached the end, he hesitated for a moment, glanced at his parents, then gritted his teeth and continued: “She said… if she’s to stay at the Liu Family for childbirth, she wants twenty taels of silver sent to her. She can’t let her maiden family support her and become a laughingstock.”
“Twenty taels? That’s enough to marry three more wives!” exclaimed Yu Laotaitai in astonishment. Back when they betrothed Liu Shi, the bride price was only four taels, and even with miscellaneous expenses, the total barely reached five or six taels.
“Zhenzi, what are your thoughts? As your grandmother said, twenty taels is enough for remarriage. Although Liu Shi carries the Yu Family’s child in her womb, her offense is grave. Letting her return unscathed without punishment would not only wrong your third uncle’s family but also risk emboldening her. If she commits greater mistakes in the future, our entire Yu Family could face calamity.” Yu Laoyezi looked at his eldest grandson, his heart aching slightly, so his tone softened, though his meaning remained unequivocal.
“Grandfather, grandmother, father, mother… I… I don’t care if Liu Shi marries someone else, but I want the child. I don’t want my child calling another man father.”
After stammering for a long while to express his stance, Yu Zhen cautiously glanced at his mother before steeling himself to meet his grandfather’s gaze. He uttered words that made Yu Dalang and his wife tremble with dread: “I want to find the child a new mother.”