Chapter 16: Stunned into Silence

At that moment, an unusual tension filled the Wang family courtyard.

Wang Chengzhi hurried back and forth, taking away the two men of the household, which stirred a troubling premonition in Old Mrs. Liu’s heart.

The entire afternoon, the women of the house lost all desire to work; after laboring for hours, they managed to craft only six silk flowers.

Wang Lanyue, Wang Yaoyue, and the other young ladies barely dared to breathe, cautiously attending to the elders.

Wang Xuezhou was feeding the chickens with captured insects when he suddenly heard Old Mrs. Liu exclaim, “They’re back!”

Wang Chengyao descended from the carriage and immediately removed the threshold so the carriage could enter the courtyard. Without hesitation, he shut the gate behind them. This abrupt action made Old Mrs. Liu’s heart pound fiercely.

Madam Zhang looked at him in puzzlement. “Third brother, what are you—”

Before she could finish, they all caught sight of what was on the carriage.

Madam Gao’s pupils dilated, and she froze as if struck by lightning.

Madam Ma and Madam Zhang gaped in shock, disbelief etched on their faces.

Old Mrs. Liu’s trembling hand pointed toward the pair tied together but still leaning on each other—a man and a woman. Her voice quivered as if seeking confirmation: “Old man, is this… is this my eldest son?”

The patriarch cast a glance at the family, then spoke sternly, “If you don’t want to be laughed at by others, bring them inside and speak there.”

Wang Xuezhou, shocked, dropped the insects he was holding.

Was his eldest uncle caught red-handed in some scandalous act?

Wang Xuexin and Wang Xuewen had yet to grasp the meaning. Seeing his father tied up sparked anger in Wang Xuewen. “Grandfather, what are you doing? Why tie up my father? I’m going to find him!”

With that, he stormed forward in fury.

Wang Xuezhou offered him a sympathetic look. This boy had no idea how he would react once he learned his father had taken a concubine.

Soon, the entire family gathered in the main hall.

Before the elders could speak, Wang Xuewen burst in, shouting, “Grandfather, why are you tying up my father? Isn’t he your most cherished son?”

Seeing her son enter, Madam Gao let out a mournful, furious roar from the depths of her throat. She lunged forward, grabbing Liniang’s collar and raising her hand to strike. “You vile woman! Did you seduce my husband?”

Liniang studied Madam Gao’s tanned skin, darkened by fieldwork, and her plain, ordinary appearance. A flash of disdain crossed her eyes. She collapsed weakly against Wang Chengzuo, instinctively caressing her belly. Her voice betrayed a hidden fear: “My lord, who is this shrew? She’s frightening.”

A flicker of tension flashed in Wang Chengzuo’s eyes. He sharply reprimanded, “Madam Gao, what are you doing? Since coming in, Liniang hasn’t uttered a word, yet you pounce on her with blows!”

Madam Gao’s anger deepened. She shoved Wang Chengzuo aside and, with a heavy hand, struck Liniang across the face.

Her blows were fierce, as if she wished to kill the woman with a single slap. “You lowly harlot! You’ve seduced my husband to abandon his own family! I’ll beat you to death!”

“Madam Gao! Stop it!” Wang Chengzuo roared, eyes blazing as he faced her down.

Hearing her husband’s protest, Madam Gao’s grip only tightened. Several slaps landed on Liniang’s face, leaving her cheeks burning with pain.

After years of comfort, she had never suffered such humiliation. Bound hand and foot, she endured the blows with mounting rage. Straightening up, she retorted, “You can’t control your man because you’re powerless! Taking it out on me won’t help! If you harm the child in my womb, can you bear the consequences?!”

Her words struck like thunder.

The old patriarch had thought it scandalous enough that his eldest son was keeping an improper woman outside the family. He never imagined they intended to bring a bastard into the world.

“I’ll kill you—”

Madam Gao screamed, losing all reason. She turned and dashed toward the kitchen, swiftly returning with a cleaver in hand.

“Eldest uncle!”

“Sister-in-law!!!”

The others could not stand by anymore and hurried to intervene.

Wang Xuewen was stunned, frightened beyond words.

He seemed to partly understand the gravity of the elders’ exchange, yet also not fully.

Seeing Madam Gao’s bloodshot eyes brimming with tears, her expression wild and desperate, his gaze shifted.

Like an enraged young bull, he let out a low, fierce roar: “Ah—”

Lowering his head, he charged, knocking Liniang to the ground. His eyes blazing red, he glared at her with deadly intent. “You dare bully my mother? I’ll kill you!”

Liniang thrashed across the floor before halting. Before she could steady herself, punches and kicks rained down upon her.

“Bastard! Stop!” Wang Chengzuo’s face twisted with rage. Staggering forward, he summoned all his strength to kick Wang Xuewen aside.

“Coward!!”

Madam Gao, held back, watched the scene unfold in stunned silence.

“Doctor! Hurry, call a doctor—”

Chaos erupted throughout the Wang household.

A stream of fresh blood flowed beneath Liniang. Her eyes squeezed shut, her face pale as death. Wang Chengzuo knelt beside her, anxiously calling her name, but there was no response.

Wang Xuewen lay sprawled on the ground, unable to rise after his father’s kick. Madam Gao clutched him, sobbing bitterly, her grief wrenching the heart.

Wang Lanyue knelt by her brother and mother’s side, crying uncontrollably. The scene made the old couple’s vision blur with dizziness.

Soon, Wang Chengzhi summoned the barefoot doctor from nearby.

Wang Chengzuo rushed over. “Doctor, please, quickly check Liniang’s condition. Can the child in her womb be saved?”

“Shut up!” the old patriarch snapped, turning to the doctor. “See to my eldest grandson first!”

Without delay, the doctor examined Wang Xuewen’s injuries. He hissed, “Rib fracture. If it were any deeper, it could have punctured the lung. This is beyond my skill. I’ll prescribe something to ease the pain, but you must take him to the city for proper treatment at dawn.”

Madam Gao’s face drained of color.

Wang Chengzuo hadn’t expected the injury to be so severe and felt a pang of guilt.

The old patriarch shot him a scathing glare, then addressed the doctor, “There’s another patient over there. Please examine her too.”

The doctor showed no emotion and moved to Liniang’s side, feeling her wrist. Soon his furrowed brow relaxed. “It’s just a case of uterine hemorrhaging. I’ll prescribe something to stop the bleeding, but she must keep warm. To fully recover, she’ll need long-term care from a highly skilled physician.”

“Uterine hemorrhaging? Is it due to a miscarriage?” Wang Chengzuo’s mind reeled.

“She’s not even pregnant. This lady’s womb is congenitally weak, causing unbearable pain and heavy bleeding during her monthly cycle. How could she carry a child?” The doctor shook his head in pity.

Wang Xuewen stood there dumbfounded.