Lin Qiao had now confirmed that when the Yuan family sold her to Liu Xiangyang, it wasn’t just about the bride price and ration coupons. Liu Xiangyang must have agreed to some additional request from Old Master Yuan.
Exactly what that request was, only Yuan Dewang and Liu Xiangyang knew.
Lin Qiao didn’t know, but Old Master Yuan was afraid she’d go back and whisper in someone’s ear!
Well, that made things easy!
Before she could make her next move, Lin Juncai, who had just entered the house, rushed out with a panicked expression.
“Dad, it’s bad! Mingzhu’s showing blood—she might be going into labor!”
Old Master Yuan’s heart tightened. His daughter was only seven months pregnant—how could she be bleeding already? He shot Lin Qiao a slightly reproachful glance.
Lin Qiao rolled her eyes. What was he looking at? She hadn’t done anything.
As a principled person, she hadn’t even touched a hair on Yuan Mingzhu just now. Don’t pin this on her—it was clearly Mingzhu’s fiery temper!
“Go get Xiao Cui’s wife to help deliver Mingzhu!” Yuan Dewang looked disdainfully at the flustered Lin Juncai. This man was useless. He already had several children and still didn’t know what to do in an emergency!
“Second daughter-in-law! Third daughter-in-law! Mingzhu’s going into labor—hurry over and help!”
Hearing Old Master Yuan, Lin Juncai seemed to snap out of his daze and dashed toward the yard entrance in a panic.
Lin Qiao called out: “Dad, come back!”
“What time is it? Lin Qiao, don’t add to the chaos!” Old Master Yuan was slightly angry. At such a critical moment, his daughter’s labor could not be disrupted by her antics.
Lin Qiao looked at Yuan Dewang earnestly: “Old Master, you’re really wronging me. Stepmother’s baby is only seven months, and Auntie Cui is just a midwife. What if something goes wrong during delivery?”
Hearing Yuan Mingzhu’s pained cries from inside, Old Master Yuan asked anxiously: “What exactly are you suggesting?”
Lin Qiao: “Quick, get someone to carry her to the county hospital! It’s a matter of life and death—no room for carelessness!”
Old Master Yuan hesitated. These days, rural women typically relied on midwives. Why would someone go straight to a hospital? And besides, this wasn’t Mingzhu’s first childbirth.
Hearing the conversation outside, Yuan Mingzhu wailed: “Dad! I want to go to the hospital! I worked so hard to carry this son—he can’t have anything happen!”
Old Master Yuan, feeling his daughter’s pain, hardened his heart: “Fine! Jun Cai, go call your second and third brothers—we’ll take the ox cart to the hospital.”
Before long, Yuan Minghui and Yuan Mingyao, the Yuan family’s two sons, had rushed back.
Knowing their sister was about to give birth prematurely, they were anxious. They quickly got ready and followed the ox cart.
The two daughters-in-law stood at the gate, exchanging glances. It’s just giving birth—why such fuss about going to the county hospital? Isn’t the family paying for it?
Wang Caixia snorted and turned back to her room.
Qian Dingxiang tugged at the corner of her mouth at Lin Qiao, then shut the door and returned to her room as well.
The old Yuan family courtyard quieted down. Lin Qiao entered the two somewhat familiar rooms of Yuan Mingzhu, and from a crack between the sisters’ walls, she retrieved over two hundred yuan in cash—a little stash Lin Juncai had secretly hidden. She had known about it for a long time, but hadn’t dared touch it before.
Now the money was hers, and even her father wouldn’t dare make a fuss.
Through the window, she spotted Wang Caixia snacking on melon seeds on the kang and headed toward Qian Dingxiang’s room.
“Auntie, you’re home!” Lin Qiao acted as if she weren’t an outsider, lifting the door curtain and walking in without waiting for a greeting.
Qian Dingxiang was also a pitiable person—dull, unremarkable, with a husband who was blindly filial. When the little sister-in-law bullied her, no one comforted her.
Old Master Yuan doted on his daughter. Yuan Minghui had learned from his father, treating his younger sister better than his own sons.
Despite having two sons, she hadn’t received any preferential treatment in her in-laws’ house.
Before Lin Qiao came to the Yuan family, most of the courtyard work fell to this second daughter-in-law.
Qian Dingxiang had no sympathy for the original owner coming home to complain. In fact, seeing someone worse off than her secretly delighted her.
She was more than happy to see the original owner complain.
Seeing all the scratches and bruises on Lin Qiao, she could be happy for days.
But pity often came with resentment.
Seeing Lin Qiao, she didn’t ignore her this time. A bitter expression twisted into an awkward smile.
“Lin Qiao’s here. It’s already dark—aren’t you going home?” She didn’t want to deal with Lin Qiao, whether before or now.
But Lin Qiao seemed oblivious to her meaning.
“Auntie, don’t worry about me. I’m not afraid of walking at night. I haven’t seen you for a long time, and I just wanted to chat.”
Qian Dingxiang: … Did she really think that? She only sent this girl out this morning—what long time?
Lin Qiao kicked off her shoes and sat cross-legged on the kang, grabbing Qian Dingxiang’s hand and pulling her up.
“Auntie, I’m really worried about my dad and stepmother!” Lin Qiao placed Qian Dingxiang’s hand in her own, a look of sincere concern on her face.
Qian Dingxiang: … Yeah, right.
Lin Qiao ignored whether she replied and continued listing her worries for Lin Juncai.
“Stepmother is about to have a little brother, and it’s premature. She’ll need a long rest after delivery.
You know my dad—can’t do anything right.
Sister Qingmiao is in the county’s cultural troupe, probably can’t come home to help.
Little sister Qingxia is only seven and still in school.
I’m married and can’t go home to help stepmother either.
So the confinement chores will probably fall to you, Auntie. Don’t complain that stepmother is demanding!”
Qian Dingxiang felt waves of panic in her heart. How had she forgotten this?
Remembering the little sister-in-law’s stubborn temper and the pile of dirty clothes at the door, Qian Dingxiang shivered.
For years, she had cared for her mother-in-law, cleaning and helping her. The older children had grown up, and now the younger son could help with farm work. The older son was away in the army.
Finally a few peaceful years—why should she now care for her little sister-in-law during confinement?
But Qian Dingxiang also understood. In this family, her opinion didn’t matter. Her husband was blindly filial, and if she didn’t find a way, she’d indeed have to take care of the confinement.
Lin Qiao watched Qian Dingxiang’s expression shift constantly, waiting a while before speaking again.
“Hmm? I’ve been back for a while—where’s little sister Qingxia?”
Qian Dingxiang snapped back to reality, her expression still sour: “Qingxia is in your third aunt’s room doing homework with her little Bao.”
“Then I’ll go see her.” Lin Qiao didn’t waste time and went to the next room.
Arriving at her third uncle’s house, she saw Wang Caixia snacking on melon seeds, rolling her eyes at her.
“What are you doing here?” Wang Caixia had never liked this tagalong Lin Juncai brought into the family.
“I heard Qingxia was in your room studying with Xiao Bao.”
After saying that, Lin Qiao perched on the edge of the kang and grabbed a handful of melon seeds.
“Qingxia’s in Xiao Bao’s room—you go see her.”
Lin Qiao didn’t move a foot. Why waste time on a girl who only spoke nicely when she wanted something? She spat out the melon seed shells.
“Auntie, I just came from second aunt’s room. She said she plans to stay at her parents’ house for a while—did you know about this?”
Wang Caixia froze mid-shell, anger rising in her chest.
When did Qian Dingxiang even think for herself?
Was she trying to sneak away?
Through the window, she saw Qian Dingxiang clutching a bundle, hurrying toward the gate.
Wang Caixia watched her leave, angrily spitting out the melon seeds from her mouth.
Running so fast!
Want her to take care of that little brat during confinement? Dream on!