Su Changdong was also furious. He turned to look at his mother, Shao Shi, and said, “Mother, if this is true, what should we do? Didn’t you say you could give us a good life? If Su Ying ends up with He Changchun, what will happen to our Miao’er?”
Shao Shi glared at her second son, and Su Changdong immediately fell silent, not daring to say another word. If there was one person he feared most in his daily life, it was his mother. With just one glare from her, his legs would go weak, and he wouldn’t dare move an inch. His mother was incredibly capable, and she was usually stern and unsmiling. No one could ever guess what she was thinking from one moment to the next. Recalling his childhood mischief—like the time he encountered several large snakes chasing him—sent a chill down his spine. If he provoked his mother, he might end up as snake food.
Seeing that he had quieted down, Shao Shi snorted coldly and spoke, “He Changchun is no good man. If Su Ying ends up with him, she won’t have a good life. But you are not to pair Miao’er with him either!”
Her words left Mrs. He and Su Changdong stunned. Choosing between Du Chenyu and He Changchun for Miao’er had been an unspoken agreement between the couple. They hadn’t discussed it much with the rest of the family, so Shao Shi’s blunt statement left them puzzled.
“Mother, since He Changchun is not a good match and Su Ying won’t have a good life with him, shouldn’t we just push Su Ying onto him? That way…” Mrs. He tentatively suggested.
Shao Shi shook her head. “No! This He Changchun has poor character. Taking Su Ying isn’t just about making her a concubine. He’s definitely after the Su family’s property. That girl Su Ying must not be given to him!”
“Then what should we do? Should we just kill her? Wait, Mother, why don’t you use your snakes to bite her to death? That way, He Changchun would have no choice!” Su Changdong said ruthlessly.
“Those three siblings are already on guard against snakes. The snakes can’t easily get close to them. Besides, the matter of Su Ying and He Changchun has already spread. Using snakes to kill her is out of the question!” Shao Shi’s cold eyes were as emotionless as a serpent’s.
“Then I’ll just kill her myself! Burn her to death! I’ve done it before, after all!” Su Changdong said impulsively, rising to his feet.
“Stop! Can’t you use your brain? What good would killing her do you? If you leave any clues behind, wouldn’t the life I exchanged for Miao’er be in vain?” Shao Shi scolded him harshly, and Su Changdong quickly sat back down, calming himself.
“Then, Mother, since Su Ying has lost her virtue, can we use this as an excuse to have her Drowning in a pond?” Mrs. He, ever clever, had hit the nail on the head.
“That’s exactly what I meant. However, this is still just a rumor. We don’t know if that girl is really pregnant. To be safe, go and investigate. If it’s true, I’ll have people stir up trouble about it!”
“Mother, you’re so thoughtful. I’ll go right away to find out the truth!” Mrs. He replied with a serious expression.
After her actions, Su Ying went straight back to her room to lie down. She hadn’t discussed this with Su Mo beforehand. When Su Mo was about to go to the back hill, he overheard the villagers gossiping and immediately turned back. Furious, he told Su Ying and Su Juan about it.
Su Ying merely smiled, but Su Juan told Su Mo to keep quiet, stay in the room, and watch over Su Ying, without doing anything else.
Su Mo was puzzled, unable to fathom what schemes his two sisters were concocting in their minds.
“Sister, it’s about time. Go fetch the physician,” Su Ying said with a faint smile. Usually, the three siblings were at others’ mercy, but now she would strike first to show them she wasn’t to be trifled with!
Su Juan nodded and promptly went to invite Sun Langzhong from the village.
Mrs. He had intended to confront Su Ying directly about her alleged affair with He Changchun, but upon arriving at the Su family’s old courtyard, she discovered Sun Langzhong was also there.
Inside the room, several people were whispering anxiously: “Grandpa Sun, please, you mustn’t reveal this matter. Otherwise… where would I hide my face?”
It was Su Ying’s voice, tinged with tears, and Mrs. He recognized it instantly.
Hah! That little harlot was indeed pregnant—what a shameless slut!
Mrs. He stood quietly outside, saying nothing, but inwardly she was utterly convinced Su Ying was no longer a virgin.
“Exactly, Doctor Sun. My sister is very modest. Please be merciful and keep this quiet. I thank you on her behalf!”
“Don’t worry, I won’t speak of this. However, you must be cautious with your diet. Without adults to guide you, you surely don’t understand. I’ll prepare a prescription for you when I return—it’ll ensure no signs remain in a few days!”
“Thank you, Doctor Sun! Thank you!”
The two sisters repeatedly expressed their gratitude.
Hearing this, Mrs. He hurried away.
It seemed Sun Langzhong had been bribed by the sisters. She needed to return and inform her mother, urging her to prepare early. Meanwhile, she would hire an outside physician to examine that girl, ensuring she’d be exposed and humiliated before everyone.
She could have openly asked Sun Langzhong about Su Ying’s condition, but she was known for her impeccable reputation. If she inquired, Sun Langzhong would likely cover for Su Ying. To ensure Su Ying’s downfall, she must bring in an external doctor. Otherwise, Sun Langzhong might accuse her of distrust, potentially offending him and tarnishing her carefully maintained image.
Thus, it was better to pretend she hadn’t overheard anything. Hiring an outside physician would straightforwardly reveal the truth.
After Sun Langzhong left, Su Juan noticed Mrs. He sneaking away and couldn’t help but smirk slightly.
When Mrs. He relayed the news, Mrs. Ge had just entered and overheard her report about the Su sisters bribing Sun Langzhong. Mrs. Ge was nearly ecstatic with excitement.
How capable her son was—he’d succeeded in one attempt! With Su Ying’s bulging belly, wasn’t she likely carrying twins?!
At this thought, Mrs. He quickened her pace. She rushed to the main hall and called out in a drawn-out tone, “Dear in-laws…”
Everyone in the room was startled and turned to glare at Mrs. Ge with displeasure.
Though Mrs. Ge feigned reluctance, she had no choice but to speak. Addressing the Su elders, she said, “Dear in-laws! Years ago, your eldest made a marriage arrangement with us, betrothing Changchun to Su Ying. We should have visited sooner, but we postponed to avoid conflicting with the anniversary of Changchun’s father’s passing. Yet, unexpectedly, this has happened. You must have heard the village gossip—what are your thoughts on this matter?”
“Hah! How to view this matter—since it has already happened, and you’ve come with such sincerity, why not choose an auspicious date for the two children to marry!”
Shao Shi said directly.
She had calculated that Mrs. Ge before her would not marry Su Ying with the full rites of a principal wife, so she deliberately spoke this way.
On one hand, it was to protect the Su family’s reputation; on the other, no one could appropriately suggest drowning Su Ying in a pond outright—they could only slowly negotiate with her.
“But… but… dear in-law, my Changchun has already become a Successful candidate in the imperial exam at the provincial level. If Su Ying were fine, we would certainly marry her into our He family with great fanfare. It’s just that now… she… she… this is difficult for us to handle!
My Changchun is destined for an official career in the future. If people were to know that his betrothed became pregnant before marriage, wouldn’t they point fingers at his back…”