Green Lotus Peasant Girl

120

Why won't she return?

It wasn't that she disliked her mother, but there was a child between her and Mr. Zhang. Their relationship could not be broken so easily.

"They promised to return this time," Mrs. Xu said with a smile. "I told them that I would come first and stay with you for a while, but who knew that a few days ago... my master took in a concubine who is now pregnant."

He took a concubine again?

"When did this happen?" Li Qinghe couldn't help but ask, "I didn't hear about it from my third sister-in-law."

If the concubine was there when she went to visit her parents, it made no sense for Zhang Haiyao not to tell her.

"He took the concubine in after she left. At that time, I wrote him a letter saying that I will come to live with him for a while. Part of the reason was that I was angry with him, but mostly I missed you," Mrs. Xu explained calmly. "But things changed quickly. After they found out she was pregnant, the master told me to stay longer with you. Maybe he won't think of taking me back. I asked for some money from him. It's enough for Bin'er to study. After two years, I'll send him to take the county exam."

Li Qinghe was at a loss for words. Just then, the meal was ready, so she asked Mrs. Chen to bring it to the dining table. They didn't discuss the matter during the meal, and it was already getting late, so let them stay there first.

Mrs. Xu had been in Zhang for many years. Even if she was used at the beginning, Mr. Zhang should have developed feelings for her after being together for so long. However, she didn't expect that he would have a change of heart. It was true that some men run after lust. As he was having a child in his old age, he would likely care more for his young concubine and their child.

Mrs. Xu felt sad because of Mr. Zhang's suspicion of her. Even though he made it seem like he wanted her to stay longer with her daughter, it was possible that he was afraid she would harm the concubine.

It was now autumn, and the next morning, as usual, Zhou Chengkang took Xiyu up the mountain to hunt. This time, he also took Bin'er with him. Watching them leave, Mrs. Xu smiled and said, "Bin'er has been studying hard for the past two years, and he always sits in the room. I'm afraid he might hurt himself, so I might as well go out for a walk."

Mrs. Xu changed into comfortable clothing instead of her usual silk and satin attire and helped to feed the chickens and fish. It had been a long time since she had done such tasks, so her daughter had to teach her.

During autumn, every family was busy cutting firewood. Since the incident happened because of the people invited by the Xu family, everyone was cautious about unfamiliar visitors. As it had already gotten dark, some people were enjoying the cool air at the entrance of the village when they saw a carriage approaching from afar. Upon closer inspection, they recognized that it was Mrs. Xu. Many people were now aware of Mrs. Xu's visit. After moving to the county, she had returned to see her daughter.

Unexpectedly, Mrs. Xu had been staying for a while and it seemed like she wasn't planning to leave anytime soon.

However, upon further consideration, it made sense as the journey to and from the county took five days, so staying longer was reasonable.

With not much to do, Mrs. Xu relied on the help of the old woman she brought along and Bin'er's book boy to assist with the household tasks. Li Qinghe found herself with little to occupy her time. One chilly morning, as she was getting dressed and planning what to cook for the day, she suddenly felt nauseous.

Li Qinghe was taken aback by the sudden onset of nausea, and her gaze turned towards Zhou Chengkang, who was already dressed and in the room, and saw surprise in the other's eyes: No way!