After Churi Huaizhu returned to the mountain villa, she had been busy dealing with the things left from her previous pregnancy. At the same time, she delivered medicinal cuisine to Wangquan Baiye every day to nourish his body.
After that, she always stayed by Wangquan Baiye's side, watching him handle the affairs of the Wangquan Mountain Villa. Before she knew it, the whole afternoon had passed.
At night, when Churi Huaizhu returned to her room, she saw a familiar figure sitting on her bed. From time to time, there came stifled sobs.
It was Dongfang Qinlan whom she had just met in the morning. Standing beside Dongfang Qinlan was Mei Sanniang, who had brought her here. Mei Sanniang shrugged at Churi Huaizhu, showing her helplessness.
"Sister, you said Sister Zui was very busy recently. Why do they all say Sister Zui is dead?" When Dongfang Qinlan saw Churi Huaizhu come in, she threw herself into her arms and cried.
Churi Huaizhu looked at Mei Sanniang with her eyes, asking what had happened. Why was Dongfang Qinlan crying like this after just an afternoon's absence?
Mei Sanniang shook her head and motioned to Churi Huaizhu with her lips that someone had told Dongfang Qinlan this news, and she couldn't stop Dongfang Qinlan, so she could only bring Dongfang Qinlan to find her.
"Qinlan, tell sister, do you believe sister or others?" Churi Huaizhu held Dongfang Qinlan's shoulders and looked into her eyes seriously.
Dongfang Qinlan sobbed and wiped away her tears from time to time, while Churi Huaizhu waited for Dongfang Qinlan to calm down.
After a while, Dongfang Qinlan calmed down. "Then tell me, sister. Where has Sister Zui gone? Why do others say she is dead!"
Churi Huaizhu looked at Dongfang Qinlan with a complicated look in her eyes. She gently patted Dongfang Qinlan's back, with a gentle look on her face. She comforted Dongfang Qinlan softly.
"She's not dead. She's just missing. After a while, she will come back with your favorite food and give you a big surprise."
Churi Huaizhu wiped away the tears on Dongfang Qinlan's face with a handkerchief and listened to the sounds outside at the same time. Dongfang Qinlan couldn't stay in the Wangquan Mountain Villa for long.
Mei Sanniang also understood Churi Huaizhu's concerns. She took Dongfang Qinlan's hand from Churi Huaizhu. There was a serious look on her usually bright face.
"Go back quickly now. Don't worry. She'll be okay. When she comes back, I'll send someone to inform you, okay?" Churi Huaizhu gently tucked the stray hair beside Dongfang Qinlan's cheek behind her ear.
Dongfang Qinlan nodded to show that she understood. Mei Sanniang observed the situation outside, waiting for the right time to take Dongfang Qinlan away.
"Let's go!"
Dongfang Qinlan obediently followed Mei Sanniang and jumped out of the window. Then the two disappeared into the night.
Churi Huaizhu looked at the direction where the two had left. There was a bit of heaviness in her heart. She closed the window and thought about what to do next. She lay on the bed fully dressed and listened to the sounds outside quietly. Not hearing any sound indicating that Mei Sanniang and the others had been discovered, Churi Huaizhu let out a sigh of relief and fell asleep peacefully.
But this night was destined to be a sleepless one. Although Churi Huaizhu fell asleep, those elders didn't sleep well all night.
"What did you say? Her child was miscarried before?" Exclamations like this came from the elders' rooms one after another. Everyone was waiting for dawn.
Early the next morning, many elders came to the door, asking to see Wangquan Baiye and Churi Huaizhu. At this time, they had already forgotten their previous concern for Churi Huaizhu. All they could think about was how to leave an heir for the Wangquan Mountain Villa.
"Young master, you can't decide this matter alone. Why didn't she say anything when the child was miscarried? Why did she only say it now?" An elder sat below Wangquan Baiye with a cold face.
Churi Huaizhu, who was sitting beside him, turned pale when she heard this. She looked at Wangquan Baiye, and Wangquan Baiye didn't let her down.
"That's enough! I'm the one who made this decision. I hid this news to make her feel at ease. There's no need to be in a hurry about having a child. We'll have children in the future."
When the elder heard this, he was so angry that his face turned red. He sat there huffily, ignoring what Wangquan Baiye said.
The doctor sitting below had been silent all the time, but when he heard that they would have children in the future, he suddenly looked up at Wangquan Baiye hesitantly.
Then, as if he had made up his mind, he stood up. "Master, this concubine suffered from cold in the uterus when she fell into the water last time. Even if she is well - nourished every day, it will be very difficult for her to conceive."
When the elders around heard this, they couldn't sit still anymore. They all stood up and bombarded Wangquan Baiye with words. Churi Huaizhu turned pale. She felt cold all over, as if it was the coldest winter.
"Very difficult to conceive." These four words were like cutting off Churi Huaizhu's possibility of becoming the mistress. Those elders would never allow a woman who couldn't bear children to sit in the position of the mistress.
"Master, the matter of selecting the mistress can't be delayed any longer. Since she can't bear children, find someone else. I think Liu Xiayun is a good choice." An elder advised Wangquan Baiye earnestly.
Spittle kept spraying on Wangquan Baiye's face. He wanted to get angry, but he endured it because those people were elders. He endured it until their words became more and more excessive.
"Yes, that Liu Xiayun has a noble status. She is just suitable to be the mistress. In a few days, we can go to the Liu family to propose marriage. It's a perfect match!"
"That's enough!" Wangquan Baiye slapped the table and stood up from his chair. The elders all took a step back, with surprised expressions on their faces. They looked at Wangquan Baiye as if he was a heinous criminal.
"Don't mention this matter again. I will never agree to it!" Wangquan Baiye, full of anger, left this sentence behind, grabbed Churi Huaizhu's hand, and rushed out of the door.
He left those elders sighing in the room. The two of them then went to the garden. They looked into each other's eyes, and their eyes contained different emotions.
Churi Huaizhu had a bitter look on her face. She was just about to persuade Wangquan Baiye not to confront those elders when she was tightly hugged by Wangquan Baiye. The burning temperature spread where their bodies touched.
"Huaizhu, I, Wangquan Baiye, swear to heaven that in this lifetime, you will be the only one for me. I only recognize you as my wife. There will never be any other woman!" Wangquan Baiye's muffled voice came from beside Churi Huaizhu's ear. The voice contained Wangquan Baiye's dissipated anger and his affection for Churi Huaizhu.
Churi Huaizhu reached out and hugged Wangquan Baiye back. There were tears in her eyes. Her heart was beating rapidly. She thought that maybe she could be a bit greedy and love the man in her arms. And the man in her arms was Wangquan Baiye, her husband, who loved her.