Chapter 112 Silver: Kneel and kowtow to thank the Lord and Lady.

Chapter 112: Silver: Kneel and Kowtow in Thanks to the Lord and Lady

The moment this thought crossed her mind, Nanny Chen was startled, a chill running through her. If Tian Qin were indeed pregnant, then this small family would be utterly destroyed. Tian Qin would be dragged back to the Xie Mansion to give birth, and Bo Ge's hope of staying with her would be shattered forever.

Nanny Chen, flustered and uneasy, absent-mindedly dropped the torn cabbage leaves in her hand and urged Tian Qin, "Tian'er, go see a doctor and get examined. Spending a little money is fine. You can't go on vomiting like this."

Tian Qin's complexion was pale, and she tried to explain it was the Love Gu, but Nanny Chen refused to listen, insisting on dragging Tian Qin to the clinic. Money wasn't the problem; there was still some silver left over from selling the old ox a few days ago. If Tian Qin were truly pregnant, she needed to come up with a plan quickly.

The clinic was crowded, and they waited a long time before being seen. The physician, noticing their shabby attire, he was dismissive. After taking Tian Qin's pulse, he said, "Not pregnant. She's just a bit weak. Eat more nourishing food."

He then prescribed an expensive tonic.

Nanny Chen asked repeatedly, "Doctor, are you sure she's not pregnant?"

The physician grew impatient, mistakenly assuming Nanny Chen was the mother-in-law. This mother-in-law was much too anxious, urging a newlywed young couple to have children without considering if her own son was capable.

"No. Do you doubt my medical skills?"

Nanny Chen felt a huge weight lift off her heart.

"Thank heavens."

The physician frowned and sighed, thinking the old woman had gone mad—thanking heaven her daughter-in-law wasn't pregnant.

Not wanting to stay in the awkward atmosphere any longer, Tian Qin paid the consultation fee and hurried out. Nanny Chen's actions humiliated her, making her feel like an animal on display. She had indeed been a plaything for the powerful and wealthy, but that didn't mean she was so promiscuous as to be pregnant.

Every time they had intercourse, Xie Tanwei kept his promise to take birth-control medicine, and she had personally watched him.

The chills, dizziness, and other symptoms she'd had over the past few days were just typical signs of the Love Gu acting up, unrelated to pregnancy.

It wasn't just since leaving the Xie Mansion; this discomfort had always been there. It was just that previously, with Xie Tanwei around to soothe her and tend to her symptoms, the symptoms had been milder.

Nanny Chen hurried to catch up, knowing she had hurt Tian Qin's pride. She kept apologizing, "Miss, please don't be mad. I didn't mean anything by it."

In her panic, she broke into a cold sweat.

Tian Qin didn't want to argue with Nanny Chen any more than necessary. Silently, she picked up the broken cabbage leaves and headed home. On the way, Nanny Chen tried to talk to her, but she replied gloomily, the tightness in her chest never going away.

The Love Gu was elusive; she never knew when it would strike again.

This thing was truly hateful, obstructing her new life. In the cage before, it was bearable, but now that she was free, the Love Gu still clung to her inappropriately, like a barb embedded in her flesh, bound to her bones, impossible to pull out.

No physician could save her. She could only endure its attacks, a permanent mark of shame, constantly reminding her that she was a discarded toy someone had grown tired of.

...

The next day, Tian Qin went alone to the pawnshop to sell the bamboo-ribbed umbrella.

The fat shopkeeper examined it closely through his spectacles, marveling at the exquisite craftsmanship, but ultimately offered only twenty taels.

"Although the jade is of fine quality, there are obvious signs of use. There are scratches on the ribs. It's an old item. Twenty taels, no more."

Tian Qin sneered, "Shopkeeper, you're driving the price down too ruthlessly."

After days of simple, frugal living, she was no longer the young lady who had never dirtied her hands, easily fooled by unscrupulous merchants.

She picked up the umbrella and walked away. The fat shopkeeper called after her repeatedly, "Miss, please stay!"

This pretty girl knew her stuff. The fat shopkeeper had to add ten taels: "Thirty taels. I'll take a loss."

Tian Qin paused and said, "Fifty taels."

The fat shopkeeper slapped his thigh, sighing deeply, "I absolutely can't give that price!"

Tian Qin started to leave again, and the shopkeeper called her back again. After several rounds of haggling, they settled at forty-five taels.

Forty-five taels was merely the value of the craftsmanship. If she had revealed that the bamboo-ribbed umbrella had belonged to Xie Tanwei, the most powerful minister in the court, and came from the renowned Xie family, the price could have doubled or tripled. But Tian Qin didn't want any more entanglements with the Xie Mansion, so she kept this information hidden.

"Miss, here you are." The fat shopkeeper weighed out the heavy silver and handed it to Tian Qin. Tian Qin immediately poured the silver into the simple cloth bag she carried, tied it securely around her waist—a full forty-five taels.

The fat shopkeeper was secretly surprised. This woman, with her plain face, couldn't hide her natural beauty—skin smooth and fine, noble as the moon, eyes clear and bright. She looked like a pampered young lady—how had she ended up pawning her personal belongings?

Perhaps she was a concubine who had run away from a wealthy family.

He made a mental note, recording it for future reference. He also temporarily hid the bamboo-ribbed umbrella, not selling it carelessly.

Tian Qin emerged from the pawnshop with the heavy silver, feeling joyful and carefree, with a sense of security. She had money now. Enough to buy some of her favorite foods, flour, rice, two new sets of clothes. She wouldn't have to go hungry anymore.

The dirty cloth bag was chosen intentionally to hold the silver, and she dressed in rags so that thieves wouldn't target her. The warm summer sun shone kindly on her face, and she couldn't help but smile, two dimples faintly appearing.

How wonderful. How wonderful it felt to be alive.

Only today did she truly experience the feeling of being alive.

Instead of going straight home, Tian Qin wandered the streets for a while. When the time seemed right, she walked into a tavern.

Seeing her disheveled appearance, the waiter was reluctant to serve her. Tian Qin said she was waiting for someone, and only then did the waiter reluctantly bring tea, all the while secretly watching to see if she could pay.

Tian Qin waited alone for a while, but no one came. The other diners eyed her curiously and pointed, wondering how this pretty girl, who looked like a beggar, could set foot in a place like this.

Tian Qin bore it in silence, taking a few sips of tea. After a moment, the waiter said to her, "A lady invites you to the private room on the second floor."

Tian Qin nodded and went upstairs. She had come to see Xian Qiu.

Inside the private room, Xian Qiu wore a veiled hat to conceal her face and a mink cloak—understated yet lavishly luxurious. She looked like a sickly noblewoman, thoroughly spoiled by her husband. Tian Qin's shabby attire was in stark contrast.

Xian Qiu did not remove her veiled hat, nor did she order tea, signaling that this meeting would be brief.

"Tian'er, I've come to see you today out of consideration for our former sisterly bond, not because I forgive you for the arson. Say what you have to say. This is the last time. After this, we go our separate ways."

Xian Qiu's tone was harsh; she didn't even want to look at Tian Qin, as if it would dirty her eyes.

Tian Qin got straight to the point: "The Gu affliction on me—I beg you to ask your husband to remove it. From now on, I will not disturb you."

"No one can cure the ailment on your body. It's better if you stay clean and pure." Xian Qiu was impatient, believing Tian Qin had brought a dirty disease upon herself through debauchery, with no understanding of the Love Gu. "And you still call him 'brother-in-law'? He will never see you again."

Tian Qin abandoned all pretense and threatened, "You two threw me out like trash. Unless you kill me, I will certainly spread the word about your good deeds. The so-called family of benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom—the Xie family—let the world see your true faces."

Those with nothing have nothing to fear from the wealthy. Tian Qin had nothing left and was willing to go all out.

Xian Qiu's eyes shot cold daggers, her face flushed with anger, cycling through shades of pale and purple. Inwardly, she cursed Tian Qin a thousand times, but in the end, she let out a cold, contemptuous snort. "Isn't it just money? Name your price."

What Tian Qin really wanted wasn't money, but the antidote to the Love Gu. Seeing the situation slipping out of control, she had to settle for money instead.

"A thousand taels."

Xian Qiu threw the banknotes she carried with her at Tian Qin, finally tossing her a small sum, far from a thousand taels. The richer you are, the stingier you become. "Take this and disappear immediately. Since you still call him 'brother-in-law,' you should know his methods. Killing you would be as easy as crushing an ant."

The banknotes fluttered to the floor like snowflakes, trampling Tian Qin's dignity. But Tian Qin was numb and didn't care. She crouched down, picked up the dusty notes one by one, and stuffed them into her pocket.

"These are not enough," she said.

"You've tormented me for years. A thousand taels is a pittance."

Xian Qiu snapped, "Go."

Tian Qin taunted, "Isn't sister the one who cares most about sisterly bonds?"

"Sisterly bonds..." Xian Qiu sneered darkly. "They vanished the moment you climbed into his bed."

But Tian Qin struck at the heart: "Yet it was sister who personally sent me to his bed."

"Ha." Xian Qiu let out a contemptuous snort.

They had nothing more to say. Tian Qin finished picking up the banknotes and rose to leave. Unexpectedly, Zhao Ning stood at the door—he who once guarded her was now guarding Xian Qiu, lest the mistress be harmed by someone like her.

Zhao Ning stepped forward, holding two thin banknotes in both hands, and said emotionlessly, "Miss Tian, the Lord has two more banknotes for you, totaling ten thousand taels—enough for you and your little family to live comfortably for the rest of your lives."

Ten thousand taels—a dizzying sum, far more than mere subsistence; it would instantly lift her from poverty to minor wealth, far more than the thousand taels she had complained about.

Tian Qin hesitated, unsure what to do. This money came from Xie Tanwei, and she suspected it might hide a deadly trap.

Zhao Ning read her hesitation, cleared his throat, and relayed the command: "The Lord said you chose to leave the Xie estate that held you. You're free now. But if you still want money from that same family, you must kneel and kowtow to the Lord and his wife to express your thanks."

It hit her like a thunderbolt.

She knew it couldn't be that easy.

She turned to see Xian Qiu, who was casually folding her hands.

Zhao Ning had been sent specifically to protect the mistress.

Xian Qiu said, "Sister, don't think what I gave you is all there is. This is the real prize, specially bestowed by your brother-in-law. He couldn't come, so you only need to kowtow to me, just once. Just one—so long as I hear a thud, the ten-thousand-tael banknote is yours."

Tian Qin's face went ashen. She refused to back down or show weakness in front of them. Facing their deliberate humiliation, she said, enunciating each word, "I don't want it, and I will never kneel."

She didn't give the ten-thousand-tael note a second glance.

Xian Qiu signaled to her maidservant, who swiftly stepped forward and gave Tian Qin a hard shove. Tian Qin stumbled, and the silver she got from pawning her bamboo-handled umbrella scattered across the floor, along with the banknotes she had just picked up. Her knees hit the cold, hard ground with a painful thud.

"Remember this," Xian Qiu said, walking through the mess, stepping on Tian Qin's scraped hand. "This is what we're giving you."

Darkness swam before Tian Qin's eyes. She stubbornly pushed herself up from the ground, her already tattered clothes now torn in two or three large rips. Tears finally fell, trailing deep or shallow streaks down her cheeks.

Zhao Ning let out a barely audible sigh. He didn't bother to help Tian Qin gather her things, but said indifferently, "Miss Tian, don't go looking for the Lord or the mistress again. The Lord said he's done with you. From now on, fend for yourself."

With that, Zhao Ning pulled ten taels from his own pocket, tossed them on the ground, and turned to leave.

Because Tian Qin hadn't kowtowed, she couldn't take the ten-thousand-tael note.

Tian Qin gritted through the pain, gathered the scattered silver and banknotes, bundled them up, and tucked them into her robe. Tears blurred her vision, falling to the ground and splattering.

She had to survive.

She'd survived the worst days at the Xie estate. Now, with hope ahead, how could she give up?