As expected, the Liu Family sent someone to the Spring Leaf Lane to give their thanks.
Su Zhi refused, but the present was from the steward of the Liu residence. After much discussion, she finally accepted the gift and sent out an invitation for her to attend Old Master Liu's birthday feast.
Su Zhi originally did not plan to go, but after asking Xiao Qian for his opinion, she finally decided to go —
After the tea garden incident last time, Lu Huan had said that they would meet again in three days. Su Zhi was worried that meeting that bottle of plague would be the best. However, the Liu Estate had sent an invitation to the General's Estate.
She thought: I can't not give face to the Liu Family. Besides, with Xiao Qian around, there's no harm in going.
It was the start of winter and the moon, and the weather was getting colder and colder. As the end of the year approached, every household in Spring Leaf Alley began to paste in the Spring Festival Couplet Slicing Window Flower.
Early in the morning, Mama Ding took the two maidservants to the market and bought some rare things for the two children.
Seeing that Su Zhi had no intention of waking up, she knocked on the door and reminded her, "Madam, you should wake up. The Liu Manor's people will be arriving soon."
Today was Old Mr. Liu's birthday. The Liu Estate had spread the word that they would specially send a carriage to meet her. This could be considered the most honorable day for a savior like her.
Su Zhi rolled over and mumbled to herself, she was really not willing to leave. Seeing that it was indeed getting late, she decided to get up from her bed.
Mama Ding, carrying a box of food, entered the room with a pleasant face and said with a smile," Bi Yue made rice wine and dumplings for the madame. "How can a banquet at a high-class mansion be enough to fill one's stomach? A banquet usually has an extravagant amount of extravagance, so it's best for Madam to eat more before you go.
"In that case, thank you, mother Ding."
Su Zhi stretched for a while before she slowly got off the bed to wash up and put on her clothes. Just as she finished messing around, Dan Xue hurriedly reported that the Liu Family's carriage had arrived before she even had time to eat the rice wine and dumplings on the table.
"Madam, you should go first. Just come back earlier and I'll keep the stove for you."
Su Zhi did not expect that the Liu Family would arrive so early. She ate two mouthfuls of the Soup Dumplings and went out.
Outside the door stood a green-clothed attendant. When he saw her come out, he respectfully greeted her, "Greetings, Lady Su. I've come under the orders of the Patriarch to bring you to the estate to eat wine."
She nodded and smiled, "Sorry for troubling you, little brother."
Just as she was about to get on the carriage, someone called out to her, "Su Zhi, wait!"
Hearing the sound, Su Zhi looked over to see He Qi Niang, who had not appeared for a few days, jogging over. Seventh Madame? What business do you have with me? "
After not seeing her for a few days, He Qi Niang had become much more haggard. Her originally thin cheeks had become sunken even more, and her lifeless eyes were empty. She looked at Su Zhi with hesitation, her sallow face filled with panic and worry.
Su Zhi looked around and saw that no one was around, so she waved for her to follow him to the carriage. She then explained to the attendant, "Little brother, please wait a moment. I have something to say to this big sister."
"It's fine. Lady Su is an esteemed guest, it's all right for you." The attendant replied politely and consciously moved to the side.
He Qi Niang had been pulled up the carriage by Su Zhi, but before she could even ask for the reason, she was already shocked by the sound of her kneeling down.
She quickly pulled up the woman on her knees and comforted her, "What's wrong with Seventh Madame? "Hurry and get up."
"No, I'm not getting up. Su Zhi, help me. If I didn't have no other choice, I wouldn't have come to trouble you."
He Qi Niang refused to get up. She pulled Su Zhi's hands as if they were grabbing onto the last straw of hope.
Her hand was very cold, and the feeling of her touch was cold and clammy. Su Zhi frowned.
Remembering the last time they had parted, He Qiniang's ruthlessness, Su Zhi could not help but withdraw her hand and sit down to ask her, "Did something happen to you?"
She knelt inside the carriage, and after a few moments of hesitation, she finally revealed the reason, "I …" I got it. "
Su Zhi's eyebrows jumped as she grinned in surprise, "You got it?" You mean you're pregnant? "
He Qiniang nodded slightly as a reply.
"Are you sure?"
"There's no mistake. The monthly matters have been postponed for a long time. I have always been quite accurate."
Su Zhi's heart was thumping non-stop as she broke out in a cold sweat for her.
A woman that had been a widow for so many years actually had a child. If anyone knew that she was going to enter the pig cage, they would definitely have committed an unforgivable crime.
"Does he know?"
He Qiniang shook her head again, "He probably doesn't know. Ever since you broke him last time, he never came to find me again."
Su Zhi shook her head, feeling that it wasn't worth it.
It was clear that the man wanted to take advantage of her. He lied to her to avoid being caught, so he hid and refused to come out.
Now that he had a child, he was a coward when it came to choosing.
"Then what do you think? Do you want this child? "
He Qiniang let out a sigh of relief as she sobbed while covering her face.
She had lost more than ten years of her youth, and hoped that her children would be happy with her. Now that she was pregnant with a child, how could she not want to keep it? However, she was a widow.
Seeing her expression, which was filled with pain and depression, Su Zhi helped her up and comforted her, "Everything depends on your decision. If you don't want to keep this child, I can get you some birth control medicine. However, this is your first child after all. Even if it is for this little life, you should clearly explain it to your child's father. Whether you go or stay, is up to you. "If he truly loves you and is willing to take great risks to marry you, then this child can legitimately land on the ground. If …"
She did not continue, but the meaning was clear.
His lonely appearance was no longer as gloomy and cold-blooded as before. She twisted her fingers and bit her pale lips, as if he was a lost person who had lost his way.
Su Zhi could not bear it and said, "Don't worry too much. It's better to go and explain things to him." If he doesn't want it, then come back and don't let him touch you again in the future. "
"Alright, I understand."
She lowered her head and dried her eyes. Her ice-cold hands unconsciously stroked her stomach with a complicated expression on her face.
Only when He Qiniang got off the carriage did the green-robed attendant approach and steered the carriage out of Spring Leaf Alley.
She did not know if that man she had never met would actually want this child. If she was willing to risk her life and marry He Qi Niang, then it would be fine, but if she was spat on by a neighbor, after a long period of time, when she was no longer fresh, she would finally let go of her grudge.
If he did not want to marry, and did not want that poor child, then what awaited He Qiniang Niang would be a shadow for the rest of his life.
Su Zhi sighed faintly. What was there to do? If he had known that he would not be able to control his emotions and desires, why would he have needed to set up that chastity memorial archway?
"Madam, we're almost there."
After an unknown period of time, the attendant finally reminded him.
Only then did Su Zhi realize that they had arrived in the capital.
She lifted the curtain and saw that the carriage was passing by the general's manor. Suddenly, she thought of Xiao Qian.
They were both widows, and both of them had relationships that couldn't be shamed. However, Xiao Qian had the courage to act recklessly, and more than once asked the matchmaker to hire him.
Thinking of this, Su Zhi finally relaxed her eyebrows and smiled.
The carriage continued to move forward and soon, the area outside was bustling with noise and excitement.
He had arrived at the Prime Minister's Estate.
Su Zhi got off the carriage and saw that there were more than ten carriages parked outside the Liu Manor. There were many guests coming and going, and it was bustling with activity.
There were a group of servants standing outside the door. When they saw the carriage stop, they walked up to it and led it into the mansion.
Only she stood where she was and didn't know where to go. The people around her saw her but most of them didn't know her and didn't want to greet her.
When he looked for the attendant, he found that there was no trace of him.