Chapter 481: Chapter 482: Eavesdropping

The traveling escort team knew they were the family of a government official, so they were exceptionally polite.

In fact, had Jin Qianqian’s group not been so well-prepared, the team would have insisted on taking care of all their meals.

In just a few short days, Jin Qianqian came to understand more profoundly why so many people strained every nerve to become a "parents official" for a region. The temptations involved were truly great.

* * *

The letter Ancient Wenheng sent home arrived in Fu County that day.

Hu Dong solemnly handed the letter marked for the Madam’s personal attention to Ou Qingshui. Since Nanny Ou was to be the steward in Fu County going forward, it was perfectly reasonable to entrust it to her.

As for the letter addressed to the old madam, Hu Dong made a point of setting aside his work to deliver it personally.

Just as he entered the village, he ran into Liu Heizi heading out.

"Chief Steward Hu, what brings you here today?" Liu Heizi asked, lowering the carrying pole from his shoulders.

Hu Dong glanced at the smoked fish in the basket. "Brother Liu, heading into the city, I see."

"Yes, we smoked some cured fish at home a few days ago, and I was thinking of going to the city to trade them for some silver. Chief Steward Hu, are you here to see Aunt Dashi? I just saw her heading to Le Di’s family’s place."

Hu Dong nodded to show he understood and told the carriage driver to head straight there.

Liu Heizi watched the carriage pass by, then sighed, shouldered his carrying pole, and continued on his way to the city.

Hu Dong simply wanted to deliver the letter to the old madam quickly so he could get back to his own work in the city.

But when he arrived at the gate of Le Di’s home, he sensed that something was amiss. ’Why are so many people crowded around the entrance in broad daylight?’

Someone recognized Hu Dong. "Chief Steward Hu is here."

"Why don’t you go in and tell them?"

"Go in now? No way. I’m not going to be the bad guy."

...

Seeing the awkward smiles on their faces, Hu Dong offered a polite smile of his own. "Ladies, why is everyone gathered here? Is something good happening?"

"No, no. Chief Steward Hu, you must be looking for the old madam, but you might have to wait here for a bit."

Everyone felt a bit awkward, having been caught eavesdropping at the door.

But he had asked them directly, so they couldn’t ignore him. They could only hem and haw.

Hu Dong could already hear the faint sounds of arguing from inside.

He spoke politely to the group of gossiping women, "It seems my masters are busy today, so I won’t be able to entertain you ladies. How about this? I’ll report to the old madam later, and we can invite you all over for a chat then?"

’That’s a terrible idea.’ They weren’t intimidated by Hu Dong, but they were terrified of Li Cuicui. Even now that she was the old matriarch of an official family, her fiery temper hadn’t changed in the slightest.

If she decided to block your door and curse you out, there was nothing you could do. In fact, people were even more afraid to offend her now than before; you probably couldn’t even talk back.

After weighing the pros and cons, even though they wanted to continue eavesdropping, the women could only depart resentfully.

Hu Dong stood politely at the gate, watching them leave, offering them a wide smile from time to time.

Meanwhile, inside the courtyard, Li Cuicui was rubbing her temples. Granny Song stood by holding a cup of water, carefully watching Li Cuicui’s expression.

"Grandma, what do you think we should do about this?" Gu Le Di felt like he was about to scratch his head bald with frustration. His wife was still lying in the inner room, and he didn’t know if their unborn child could be saved.

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"What do you mean, ’what should we do’? Since you claim Lejia’s wife is behind this, then you’d better show me some evidence.

"Do you expect me to play the villain based on mere speculation?" Li Cuicui took the water from Granny Song and took a sip. "You say Song Xiuyang did it, but did anyone see her with their own eyes?"

"Who else could it be?" Gu Le Di gritted his teeth. "She’s the one who stares at my wife’s belly all day with that gloomy look on her face and always says such passive-aggressive things. If it wasn’t her, who was it?"

"Have you asked your wife? She was walking along just fine and fell. How can you blame that on someone else?" It wasn’t that Li Cuicui was siding with Song Xiuyang; it was just that the accusation made no sense.

"My wife walks that path every single day. To prevent any accidents, I’ve cleared away all the little rocks on that path. So how could such smooth, round stones appear there this morning?"

Gu Le Di opened his hand, revealing several small, round pebbles in his palm.

"These aren’t common bits of gravel from the roadside. These are the kind of smooth, round stones you have to go looking for in the river!" The moment Gu Le Di thought of his wife and child suffering, he couldn’t stomach the injustice.

"And what does that prove? Did you find anyone who saw her throw them?

"People come and go on the village paths. It’s possible a mischievous child dropped them by accident." Gu Lejia pressed his lips together. Even if his relationship with Song Xiuyang wasn’t what it once was, she was still his wife, and he was willing to defend her in public when necessary.

"Lejia, don’t you know what kind of person your wife is?

"I’m not saying this to lecture you, but as your second brother, look at what a mess your life has become these past few years.

"With a heart that venomous, are you sure you still want to keep her by your side?"

Gu Lejia said, "Second Brother, don’t forget, our households are separate now.

"If you can find someone to prove that Mrs. Song threw them, I will bring her before you immediately and let you do as you please.

"But what if it wasn’t her? You’re ruining a person’s good name just like that."

Gu Le Di retorted, "I think she has a guilty conscience. Otherwise, when we sent for her just now, why did she make an excuse and refuse to come?"

...

Gu Lejia said, "...She and your wife don’t usually get along. She didn’t want to come over just to be snubbed, so I let her be."

"I say she’s guilty! If you’ve got the guts, bring her over here and have her tell us what she’s been up to these past few days."

Gu Lejia replied, "...I already asked her. She said she didn’t do it and had no reason to."

"Hmph, then why didn’t she dare to come over?" The more Gu Le Di thought about it, the more suspicious he became. All he could do now was hope that his wife and child would be all right.

"Is this really the time to be arguing about this?" Li Cuicui glared at them both. "We’ll discuss everything after the doctor comes out."

"Grandma..." Gu Le Di felt a surge of grievance.

"It’s no use calling for me. Can’t you tell what’s more important right now?" At that moment, Li Cuicui heard a noise and quickly stood up.

"Doctor Liu, how is she?"

Doctor Liu said, "The pregnancy is unstable. We’ll have her drink a few doses of medicine to stabilize the fetus first and see.

"From now on, you must be much more careful. No more bumps or falls."

Gu Lejia asked, "So she’s out of danger?"

Doctor Liu shot him a glare. "A fall like that can injure the muscles and bones of a normal person, let alone a pregnant woman.

"Make sure she gets plenty of rest from now on. Something like this cannot happen again. Otherwise, even if you brought an Imperial Physician, he might not be able to save the child."

After speaking, Doctor Liu slung his medicine box over his back and started to walk out. When he noticed no one was following, he turned back and asked, "Who’s coming with me to the pharmacy to get the medicine?"

Doctor Liu had fled here as a refugee along with them. He lived in a neighboring village, and the surrounding villages all went to him for medical treatment.

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