Chapter 143: Wang Qingrui is with Child

Although the Old Madam had regained consciousness, her mind was still not entirely clear.

Shen Sisi came to check on her a couple more times. Seeing that the Old Madam was able to eat and take her medicine normally, and that her complexion seemed much improved, she finally set her mind at ease.

Every time she came to the Duke's Mansion, she wanted to show off in front of Shen Qingyun. Yet Shen Qingyun never took the bait, making Sisi feel it was rather boring, and she soon grew too lazy to make the trip to the mansion.

Seeing this, Wang Qingrui finally breathed a sigh of relief. She continued to serve the Old Madam normally every day.

On this particular day, while she was feeding the Old Madam medicine with a spoon, the latter mechanically opened her mouth to swallow it, but the black medicinal liquid streamed down her cheek and neck all the way into her collar. Wang Qingrui, however, was far too lazy to wipe it away, wishing only to finish feeding her quickly so she could leave.

A sudden, strange emotion flashed in the Old Madam's murky eyes, and she blinked. Just as Wang Qingrui set the medicine bowl down, the Old Madam abruptly grabbed it and hurled it straight at Wang Qingrui's forehead.

"Concubine Wang!" Xiaoqiu, who had just walked in, witnessed the scene and let out a shrill scream, dropping the bronze basin in her hands and running forward.

The basin hit the floor with a loud, clattering crash, splashing water everywhere and instantly drawing the maids and matrons from outside, who rushed in to see what had happened.

Concubine Wang covered her forehead and slowly sank to the floor. Fresh blood trickled down between her fingers, instantly turning her charming and delicate face somewhat ferocious. "It hurts so much..."

"Concubine, you're bleeding! Are you alright?" Xiaoqiu anxiously knelt down to check her injury. She pulled away Wang Qingrui's hand to reveal a bloody, gaping wound on her forehead where the bowl had struck. "Oh heavens, Concubine, don't move. This maid will go fetch the estate doctor right away."

A sharp-witted maid dashed outside, and within moments, the estate doctor was brought in.

"This... I'm afraid this is going to leave a permanent scar on your face," the doctor said, shaking his head. The Duke's Mansion was certainly never peaceful, with people getting injured every other day.

Upon hearing this, Wang Qingrui was struck with terror, and tears instantly streamed down her face, making her look truly heart-wrenching. "I absolutely cannot have a scarred face! Doctor, please help me."

"I shall do my best." The doctor prescribed some medicine, sighed, and left.

The Old Madam, who had remained lying in bed, suddenly burst out laughing. "You deserve it! A vile creature like you ought to be drowned in a pig cage."

Wang Qingrui was consumed with burning hatred inside, but in front of everyone, she only wept softly and weakly. "The Old Madam's mind must still be unclear. I do not blame her."

The maids and matrons murmured among themselves, and even the senior maidservant who had constantly attended the Old Madam felt a pang of sympathy.

During the time the Old Madam was bedridden, it was Concubine Wang who had constantly waited upon her. Everyone believed her to be a kind-hearted soul; though merely a concubine, her filial piety was beyond reproach. Who could have expected that the moment the Old Madam finally woke up, she would smash open Concubine Wang's head?

If this wasn't losing one's mind, what was it?

After making a scene for a while, the Old Madam likely realized that such behavior would only make people trust her words even less, so she finally grew quiet.

In the evening, Concubine Wang brought over a food box once more.

A maid looked at her in surprise. "Concubine, let this maid do it. Your head is still injured; what if the Old Madam acts up again..."

Wang Qingrui smiled gently. "The Old Madam has a misunderstanding about me. Let me go inside and speak with her."

The maid sighed, thinking Concubine Wang was simply far too good-natured. "Very well. If anything happens, just call out; this maid will be right outside the door."

"Thank you for the trouble." Wang Qingrui nodded, pushed open the door, and stepped inside.

Seeing that it was her, the Old Madam let out a cold snort. "Vile creature, was the beating today not painful enough that you actually dare to come back?"

Wang Qingrui smiled brightly. She set down the food box, slowly stroked her belly with her hand, and wore an utterly nonchalant expression. "Old Madam, go ahead and beat me, smash things all you like. But if you hurt your precious grandson, then this Duke's Mansion will have nothing left to hope for."

Hearing these words, the Old Madam widened her eyes, trembling all over with rage. Her lips were devoid of color, and her withered, sallow face was flushed with an unnatural, furious red. She swayed like a leaf in the wind, looking as though she might collapse at any second. "A bastard seed... you've actually gone and conceived a bastard seed..."

Wang Qingrui sighed mournfully. "Old Madam, think carefully: is this truly a bastard seed, or should I simply rid myself of it? What a pity, though; I have a feeling this child is bound to be a son."

The Old Madam's entire body stiffened.

Indeed. This child certainly did not belong to Shen Zhifeng. But if she refused to acknowledge it, not only would the Duke's Mansion be utterly disgraced, but even in death, Shen Zhifeng would be mocked. Most crucially, the Duke's Mansion would be left without an heir.

Yet forcing herself to personally acknowledge this incestuous spawn made her feel as though she had swallowed a fly in terms of sheer disgust.

"Where is my son? Is he still alive?" the Old Madam asked with a trembling voice.

Wang Qingrui's face displayed a mocking sneer, shattering the Old Madam's final shred of hope. "The Lord Duke has been gone for ages; otherwise, there would have been no need to find a fake one, would there? Ah, well, at least he left behind a seed. With the Wang family funding us and his two elder sisters supporting him above, he will be able to uphold the prestige of the Duke's Mansion in the future. From now on, you will still be the respected Old Madam of the Duke's Mansion, won't you?"

Hearing this, even though she knew full well that Wang Qingrui was merely painting a pie in the sky to comfort her, the Old Madam had no choice but to swallow her broken teeth along with the blood. Tears streamed endlessly from her murky eyes.

What could she do even if she refused to acknowledge this child? Was she supposed to let the declining Duke's Mansion become the complete laughingstock of everyone's idle chatter?

Besides, she did not want to die, nor did she wish to lose her current status.

Even if it was just an ornate façade rotting from within, she had to prop it up; anything was better than total collapse crushing her underneath.

Seeing the Old Madam maintain a silent acquiescence, Wang Qingrui knew she had completely grasped the old woman's mindset. She chuckled gently. "I've brought the food. If you are hungry, eat it yourself. I am rather tired and must go get a proper rest."

With that, she turned, walked out the door, and told the maid that the Old Madam did not wish to eat at the moment.

The maid understood completely and cast a sympathetic glance her way. Wang Qingrui smiled and walked away.

Before long, news of her pregnancy spread. The Old Madam stopped making scenes, and as her health gradually recovered, she resumed managing the household's internal affairs.

Of this, Shen Zhifeng, currently stuck in the countryside, remained completely oblivious.

Under the instructions of that matron, he had to chop wood, build fires, hoe the fields, and chop pigweed to feed the hogs...

Absurd. Utterly absurd. Never in the first half of his life had he ever imagined he would be reduced to doing such tasks. The hands that had once been meticulously maintained were now raw and blistered with calluses, and his heart was beginning to grow numb.

If he didn't do these chores, they wouldn't have anything to eat.

The only thing he still put genuine effort into was caring for Madam Jiang. After all, this unborn child was currently the sole hope left in his life. Once the child was born, he would find a way to escape.

As long as he returned to the Duke's Mansion and had the Old Madam adopt the child, the worst that could happen was that he would remain in the background, keep a couple of beautiful concubines, and live a leisurely life—which was still infinitely better than doing farm labor every single day.

As the days passed, Madam Jiang's belly grew larger and larger. On this day, without any warning, she was suddenly seized by violent cramps, looking precisely as though she were going into premature labor.