Chapter 276: Is Erya My Dowry?

Chapter 276: Is Erya My Dowry?

Lady Zheng nodded, "They said they had no decent dowry for me, and the most valuable thing in our home was Erya. They wanted to emulate the custom of concubines accompanying the bride, so they decided to give Erya as part of my dowry, to be presented to Lu Shen as a concubine. Mother, wail, you've ruined me. I was always on guard against the maidservants at home and Wang Fuzhen, but I never expected Erya to steal him away."

Hearing her words, Lady Zheng's nose flared with anger.

She gritted her teeth and raged, "How dare Fang Dachuan and Zhao Zhaodi! This lady has hunted eagles all her life, only to have her eyes pecked out by one. Just wait, I'll ask them about this."

"Mother, I'll go with you."

Lady Zheng thought about how she had deliberately mistreated that family these past days, leaving them without coal in the freezing cold, reducing their food, and neglecting to wash their dirty clothes, which must have left them in a filthy state.

Jinxiu was pregnant, clearly unsuitable for such an environment.

She said, "No need. Call them here instead."

"Alo, take people to bind them and bring them here."

"Yes, Lady."

Zheng Jinyu had nearly finished eating and put down her chopsticks to watch the drama unfold.

Xiao Xuan watched as Lady Zheng panted with rage, occasionally patting her back to help her breathe.

Zheng Jinxiu sat in her chair, crying continuously.

After a while, the Fang family trio was brought over.

They were bound with ropes, like beasts.

Cloths were stuffed in their mouths, indicating that they had been foul-mouthed when captured, prompting Lady Luo to order their mouths gagged.

Upon entering, they saw the weeping Zheng Jinxiu and the furious Lady Zheng.

Zheng Jinyu and Zheng's eldest daughter-in-law sat on either side of Lady Zheng, facing a table laden with delicacies they had never seen before.

These three women were actually eating so well?

In Fang Dachuan's mind, women should be given just enough to eat to avoid starvation. That they were eating so well was beyond his comprehension.

Fang Dachuan, who had always looked down upon women, watched with red eyes.

Lady Zheng stared at them and questioned, "Was Erya sent to serve Jinxiu as a maid or to become some concubine?"

Lady Zheng gave Lady Luo a meaningful glance. "Let Zhao Zhaodi speak first."

Lady Luo removed the cloth from Zhao Zhaodi's mouth.

Zhao Zhaodi took deep breaths, moved her jaw, and then began speaking.

"To serve Jinxiu as a maid, to attend to her needs. And..." She glanced at the sobbing Zheng Jinxiu and continued, "Also as part of Jinxiu's dowry, to assist her in serving her husband. The two sisters can support each other, ensuring they won't be bullied by outsiders."

Though spoken gently, it confirmed what Zheng Jinxiu had said.

This couple had deceived her.

They claimed to send Erya to serve Zheng Jinxiu as a maid and spoke of wanting to secure a future for their daughter, which tugged at Lady Zheng's heartstrings for the young girl.

In reality, they had set their sights on Lu Shen, hoping to entangle both daughters with him through this method.

"Well, you even dared to deceive this lady? It seems you don't want to live anymore." Lady Zheng was livid.

Fang Dachuan made muffled noises.

Zhao Zhaodi knelt and kowtowed, making loud thuds.

"Lady, spare us. We only wanted to secure a good future for our daughter, hoping the sisters could support each other. A parent's heart is pitiful. Everything we did was for the sake of our children."

"Hmph, for your children? Look at what you've done, how you've angered Jinxiu. Is this for her own good?"

Zhao Zhaodi turned to Zheng Jinxiu, pleading incessantly.

"Jinxiu, dear child, everything we did was for you. Think about how long you've been pregnant. How could that man control his desires? Even if not Erya, it would have been someone else.

Isn't it more reassuring to have your own sister favored than a stranger? I thought that with the two of you working together, you wouldn't have to fear outsiders. Everything we did was for your own good."

"You... You arranged for a lowly woman to seduce my husband, and you think you're justified?" Zheng Jinxiu, rarely encountering such shamelessness, felt her belly ache with anger.

She then clutched her stomach and screamed, "Mother, my stomach hurts."

Lady Zheng was terrified and hurriedly sent for a physician, arranging for her to lie down and rest.

The Fang couple was also frightened. The child of a wealthy family was precious; there mustn't be any harm to the treasure in her womb.

Afraid that further words might provoke her, Fang Dachuan made muffled noises and used his eyes to signal Zhao Zhaodi to remain silent.

True to being a married couple, Zhao Zhaodi understood his meaning and watched silently as they bustled around.

The physician arrived, examined Zheng Jinxiu, and informed Lady Zheng that she had agitated her pregnancy and needed rest.

He prescribed numerous medications to stabilize her pregnancy.

The unsophisticated Fang couple watched as Lady Luo handed over a considerable amount of silver to the physician, leaving them staring in amazement.

So much silver, enough for their entire family to live off for a lifetime, was spent merely on medication for Zheng Jinxiu's pregnancy?

Why should a mere servant girl enjoy such luxuries, while their son couldn't even afford schooling?

Their hearts were filled with resentment and discomfort.

Lady Zheng looked at Zheng Jinxiu with a frown. "Jinxiu, the doctor said that you shouldn't be traveling in your current condition and should lie down to rest instead. Look at you now... Do you still want to return to the Lu family? If you do, I'll have them send someone to pick you up."

Zheng Jinxiu had a pained expression on her face as she whimpered, "Mother, I don't want to go back."

Lady Zheng heaved a sigh of relief. "It's better not to go back. I wouldn't feel at ease if you returned in this state. Stay here with me and take care of yourself and the baby. It will also give them something to think about."

"Alright, I'll listen to Mother."

"But..." Xiao Xuan stepped forward and said, "Mother, isn't it inappropriate for her to stay here while pregnant? What if people start talking..."

Lady Zheng replied, "Let them talk. But we can't afford to worry about that right now. If Jinxiu returns to the Lu family in this state and gets upset again, who knows what might happen?"

Xiao Xuan didn't say anything else. After all, if something were to happen to her sister-in-law's health, it could be dangerous given her pregnancy.

If there were to be two deaths for the price of one, her mother-in-law would surely hate her.

Zheng Jinyu, who had been watching the drama unfold, turned around silently and left without saying a word at the sight of how they treated Zheng Jinxiu.

Lady Zheng knew that she was upset again because she had been preoccupied with Jinxiu, so she called out to her.

"Jinyu."

Zheng Jinyu ignored her and left as if she hadn't heard anything.

However, she didn't expect Lady Zheng to come looking for her shortly after she returned to the Yusheng Courtyard.

She held a wooden box in her hand and wore a smile on her face as if nothing unpleasant had happened between them.

"Jinyu, these are some trinkets that I collected when I was young. See if you like them."

Opening the box, inside was a peacock feather hairpin and a pair of matching earrings.

Although they looked old, they were still exquisitely beautiful.

"I'll give them to you, alright." Lady Zheng placed the box on the table in a pleading manner.

Zheng Jinyu didn't refuse. She had gotten used to Lady Zheng favoring Zheng Jinxiu and then compensating her financially.