Page 205

"Yes, yes, I remember now, and I certainly won’t talk nonsense again!

" She quickly promised not to speak out of turn, and only then did Li Chang let go of her chin. Lin Siyu dared not make any rash movements or indirectly inquire about Xia Zheng’s identity, but by intuition, she knew that Xia Zheng was more than just the Young Master of the Fuman Building.

With timid, soft hands, she caressed Li Chang’s chest, slowly stirring up his fighting spirit for another round.

Having spent some time in this residence, Lin Siyu was well aware that clinging to the Madam County Magistrate’s coattails was far from enough; it was Li Chang’s support she needed, along with a son.

Only a son could serve as her firm foundation within the grand mansion.

Just like Mrs. Liu from the neighboring courtyard who drank pregnancy tonics daily—despite her brothel origins, wasn’t she causing Madam County Magistrate to fret daily over her due to her pregnancy?

Lin Siyu looked at the drool oozing from his mouth and retched in disgust. She got up and thoroughly bathed twice before leaving the bathroom, but she didn’t want to lie down next to that old man again, so she simply sat at the table, slowly sipping tea and spacing out.

As she daydreamed about Xia Zheng worshipping at the hem of her pomegranate skirt, a few urgent shouts suddenly came from outside the door. Annoyed by the interruption of her sweet dreams, Lin Siyu frowned and stopped drinking her tea, calling out, "Panpan, Panpan."

The little girl called Panpan tiptoed into the room.

Seeing Lin Siyu in her undergarments, sitting at the table drinking tea, she knew her mood was foul.

Panpan, only ten years old, was bought to serve Lin Siyu when she first entered the house, and because she wasn’t born into the Li Mansion, Lin Siyu valued and trusted her a lot.

The girl’s face was round, and her eyes were exceptionally bright, clearly revealing her cleverness.

Glancing at Li Chang, who was snoring like thunder inside the room, a flash of resentment unexpectedly appeared in her eyes.

She then bowed and whispered in Lin Siyu’s ear, "Miss, it’s Ying Tao, Mrs. Liu’s maid.

She says Mrs. Liu suddenly has stomach pains and spotting.

I’m afraid, I’m afraid she can’t hold on. "

Stomach pains, spotting?

Even though Lin Siyu had never been pregnant, her experience with worldly affairs helped her understand what these signs meant. A touch of joy flickered across her beautiful face, and she couldn’t help but chuckle softly, "It seems that side can’t hold out anymore."

She still remembered the "lessons" Madam County Magistrate had given her when she first arrived: win Li Chang’s favor, supplant Mrs. Liu in his affections, and, ideally, deal with the little disaster in her womb along with it. Lady Jin was also in a hurry. Now that she had barely won over Li Chang’s heart, she was hastening to act, truly swift.

"Knowing they can’t hold out, yet they still didn’t send for the doctor?

What do they expect by coming to my courtyard?

Do they think I can help her keep the baby?

" The elation of nearly defeating her rival made Lin Siyu’s previous annoyance at her disturbed dreams vanish.

She poured herself a full cup of tea and leisurely savored it.

Panpan disdained her delight in others’ misfortune, but thinking of her own purpose for entering the Li Mansion, she skillfully masked her feelings, "I said the same thing, but Ying Tao says she can’t leave the mansion or call for the doctor without the master and madam’s permission."

"The master is asleep, and you can’t wake him even if you call. Tell her to go beg the madam," Lin Siyu said, glancing at the man on the bed who slept like a dead pig and shifted her buttocks in disgust, turning her back on him.

"Madam, the madam is also asleep."

Lin Siyu sneered, "Asleep? She’s fooling the devil; she must be too excited to sleep tonight indeed."

With a roll of her eyes, Lin Siyu took another sip of tea and then slowly said, "Go out and tell Ying Tao that this young lady sympathizes with her mistress’s weak body, who is precisely trying her hardest to wake the master up.

However, as someone who has served the master, she surely knows it is not easy to wake him after he has just doted on the little concubine. Tell her to wait a while longer."

Panpan bit her lip, having no choice but to agree, and went out to send Ying Tao away.

Having followed Mrs. Liu for two years, from her time in the brothel to being redeemed and serving in Li Mansion, Ying Tao had been loyally attending to her mistress.

Not finding anyone to turn to in her mistress’s time of hardship made her tremble all over.

She clutched the hand of the girl who was three to four years younger than herself and knelt down with tear-filled eyes, "Little Sister Panpan, I beg you, please plead with the master to find a doctor for my mistress, okay? My mistress has fainted from pain several times. If no one comes to save her, not to mention the child, even the adult’s life might not be saved. "

If the child was lost, it was lost; her mistress didn’t care, or rather, was even glad to see the child gone. But, she couldn’t just watch her mistress die like this. No matter how hard life was in Li Mansion, it wasn’t worth losing her own life over it!

Panpan, who also came from a poor family, was very kind-hearted, but what could she do?

Lin Siyu and Lady Jin were in cahoots to get rid of Mrs. Liu’s child.

Mrs. Liu’s pregnancy had been unstable from the start, and now that an opportunity had arisen, they would surely be happy to let the events take their course, why would they offer help?

However, thinking of her own plight, Panpan picked at her fingertips.

Risking punishment from Lin Siyu, she whispered to Ying Tao, "Your mistress’s pregnancy is surely doomed, but don’t forget, the master still cares deeply for your mistress.

If something happens to her, the master will definitely not let the madam off tomorrow. "

Her words carried an implicit warning. Ying Tao, who had spent two years scrabbling in the brothel, naturally understood the implications. She wiped her tears, thanked Panpan, and turned to run towards Lady Jin’s courtyard.

Panpan watched her hurrying figure disappear in the distance and silently prayed that Mrs. Liu would be okay.

Although it had only been a little over a month since she entered the Li Mansion, the things she had witnessed and heard far exceeded her imagination.

She resolved to leave as soon as possible once everything was settled.

It took only the time it takes to drink a cup of tea before there was noise in the neighboring courtyard of Mrs. Liu.

Lady Jin, maintaining her dignity, wouldn’t personally visit a little concubine’s quarters, but she did send her most capable maid to do so.

They called for the doctor and scolded the servants, making quite a commotion.

Panpan listened at the entrance of the courtyard for a while, sneered to herself, and thought, Lady Jin indeed picked the perfect time to come, acting only after Mrs. Liu’s miscarriage was certain.

She then pretended to have just woken up and sent someone over.

By the time Li Chang inquired about it tomorrow, she would have appeared to try her best, even looking like she attempted to save the pregnancy.

After all, Li Chang couldn’t fault her for anything.

It was just a little concubine, and since the adult was saved, why worry about a second pregnancy with the elder one still alive?

Just as Panpan predicted, Mrs. Liu lost the baby, and the adult was close to dying from excessive blood loss.

Luckily, Lady Jin had sent for the doctor in time to barely save Mrs. Liu.

Nevertheless, after this episode, Mrs. Liu’s health deteriorated further, and falling out of favor was only a matter of time.

When Lin Siyu heard Panpan’s report, she couldn’t help but laugh aloud.

With Mrs. Liu out of the way, didn’t she have Li Mansion all to herself?

What was Lady Jin? She was nothing but a successor and not the original wife.

Once she gave birth to a son, Lin Siyu would see how Li Chang would dote on her!