Free Web NovelChapter 140: Chapter 140: You’re Not Even Worthy of Being a Concubine’s Daughter
The moment Nanny Yan was brought forward, she fell to her knees, trembling in fear.
Her lips trembled as she said, "Back then, the Qin family’s daughter-in-law came to me and asked me to help her hide the true age of her child."
"The son she gave birth to wasn’t actually premature. He was full-term."
"But she was afraid her affair would be exposed, so she gave me a sum of silver and begged me to lie that the child was premature."
Hearing this, Grandma Qin closed her eyes, her heart aching with pain and regret.
She remembered arguing with Wang Guihong back then. She never expected Wang Guihong would become so distraught as to try and hang herself.
During the struggle to get her down, she started bleeding.
When the child was later born prematurely, Grandma Qin was overcome with guilt, believing it was all her fault.
But she never imagined it was all part of Wang Guihong’s scheme!
She had planned it all out long ago—how to pull the wool over their eyes and ensure the Qin Family never suspected the child’s true origin.
Grandma Qin looked at Wang Cuizhi. "If you calculate the time of Qin Gaozheng’s conception, it was right after you gave birth, during the period your younger sister came to your residence to take care of you."
"No... How is that possible? It’s impossible!" Wang Cuizhi couldn’t accept it.
’So, Wang Guihong was so desperate to marry a farmer just to find a father for the son in her belly?!’
Grandmaster Wang’s face was ashen. He glared at Nanny Yan and Grandma Qin.
"You expect us to believe you based on a few nonsensical words from this crazy old woman? Don’t even think about it! I see you’re just here to cause trouble."
"Housekeeper, throw them out! If they don’t leave, I’ll report them to the government!"
Grandma Qin raised a hand. "My former in-law, don’t be so hasty. Whether we’re talking nonsense or not, you’ll know the truth once you’ve seen this."
After she spoke, Nanny Yan took out two slightly faded silver ornaments from her sleeve.
Nanny Yan said, "This is the payment the Qin family’s daughter-in-law promised me. Besides these two, she also gave me five other silver ornaments, but I’ve pawned and sold them over the years. Only these two are left. There’s no mistake."
Wang Cuizhi looked as if she had been struck by lightning.
She stared blankly at the two items, unable to speak for a long time.
Standing beside them, Qin Fangmei finally began to panic.
She had seen her mother’s dowry, which did include a set of silver ornaments, but a few pieces were missing.
At the time, Wang Guihong had told her they were sold for silver, which was why some were gone.
She never thought they would be in the midwife’s hands.
"Auntie..." Qin Fangmei hurried to Wang Cuizhi’s side. "Even if my mother gave birth to my brother in secret, that doesn’t prove it’s the same for me!"
Grandma Qin sneered. "The day you were born was in the dead of winter. You weren’t born at home, but in Landlord Du’s private garden."
"We all thought your mother had returned to her family’s home for a visit. But the next we heard, she had gone into labor in that private garden."
"I didn’t suspect anything at the time. It was only after I questioned Nanny Yan that I learned the truth."
Nanny Yan quickly lowered her head and said, "That day, when I was called to the private garden, I saw..."
She trailed off, as if the words were too difficult to say.
Wang Cuizhi was already on the verge of collapse. She shrieked hysterically, "Speak!"
"I saw Landlord Du with his arm around the waist of the Qin family’s daughter-in-law, comforting her and telling her not to be afraid. He also said that if the child was a girl, they should privately call her Du Siyun." Nanny Yan confessed everything.
Si Yun...
Wang Cuizhi staggered back two steps.
Grandmaster Wang rushed forward to support her. "Daughter!"
A bitter, tear-streaked smile spread across Wang Cuizhi’s face.
She once discovered that Landlord Du had bought a small orchard in an outer county and named it Siyun Garden.
She had even specifically asked him about the origin of the name.
Back then, Landlord Du had brushed her off, saying he just thought of it randomly.
’So, the real fool... was me!’
Seeing Wang Cuizhi’s expression, Qin Fangmei was terrified.
’If Auntie doesn’t adopt me, I’m really going to die!’
"Auntie!" She threw herself at Wang Cuizhi’s arm, crying, "This is all fake! It’s not true! They... they caused the deaths of Uncle and my parents, and now they want to harm me too!"
However, Wang Cuizhi was already lost in her own immense breakdown and had no capacity to pay her any mind.
Grandmaster Wang pointed at Nanny Yan and cursed, "Just how much silver did that Mrs. Qin Sr. give you to dare and stir up trouble between my two daughters like this!"
"Grandmaster Wang, please see the truth! I didn’t dare take a single piece of silver!" Nanny Yan kowtowed repeatedly.
She said, "Mrs. Qin Sr. told me the government was going to investigate Landlord Du’s crimes. If I didn’t confess, and the government found out that I had been bribed by him and Wang Guihong, my life would be forfeit."
Finished, Nanny Yan looked at Grandma Qin, trying to curry favor. "Ma’am, I’ve said everything I was supposed to. The government won’t come after me now, right?"
Qin Fangmei was furious. "You stupid old woman!" she screeched. "You were tricked! My uncle has been dead for so long, what could the government possibly find? You’ve completely ruined me!"
Nanny Yan was stunned.
’So there’s no government investigation into Landlord Du?’
’No wonder I thought it was strange. Why would the government care about a mere Landlord bribing a midwife?’
Realizing this was all Grandma Qin’s scheme, a chill went down Nanny Yan’s spine.
She lowered her head, not daring to speak another word.
Grandma Qin said coolly, "If you all hadn’t pushed things too far and invited me here today, I would have kept this matter buried in my heart. But since you insisted I come, I can’t just play blind. If someone is not from my Qin Family, I will not acknowledge them."
"As for whether you adopt Qin Fangmei or not, that’s your business. From now on, it has nothing to do with me or Ningning."
Shen Ningning watched from the side, completely in awe.
’Grandma is such a great role model!’
’With just a little cleverness, she scared these guilty people into spilling the truth.’
Qin Fangmei turned and knelt crying before Wang Cuizhi. "Auntie, I only acknowledge you as my mother! Auntie, you can’t abandon me!"
Wang Cuizhi snapped back to her senses and violently threw off Qin Fangmei’s hand.
"Get out! Get out of my house!"
She had thought her younger sister, Wang Guihong, had come to care for her out of genuine sisterly love.
But in reality, Wang Guihong and Landlord Du had started their sordid affair long ago, while she was gravely ill!
No wonder he was always so personally involved in the Qin Family’s affairs. At the time, Wang Cuizhi thought Landlord Du was only helping the Qin Family so often out of respect for her.
’I never would have thought... ’
’My own sister was my husband’s mistress!’
And to think she had been about to gamble her own son’s future to save the lives of Qin Gaozheng and Qin Fangmei.
The faintly mocking gazes of the surrounding guests felt like knives stabbing into her.
Wang Cuizhi exploded, "A bastard like you can forget about ever entering the Wang family’s doors."
’You want to be the legitimate daughter? You don’t even qualify as an illegitimate one!’
Qin Fangmei froze on the spot, the blood seeming to flow backward in her veins, her eyes filled with disbelief.
Shen Ningning lifted the teacup with her small hands and took a calm, leisurely sip.
’Qin Fangmei probably finally understands how awful it feels to be called a bastard, huh?’
Grandmaster Wang hesitated for a moment. He wanted to plead for Qin Fangmei—after all, she was still his granddaughter. That part wasn’t a lie.
But Wang Cuizhi’s mind was made up. She called for her head maid. "Drag Qin Fangmei to the government. I will not adopt a criminal as my child. She deserves to die!"
Qin Fangmei wailed and begged for mercy the entire way, but she was dragged off all the same.
Shen Ningning set down her teacup.
’Now that the farce is over, it’s time for Grandma and me to go home.’
Just then, the gatekeeper ran in frantically from the entrance—
"Grandmaster Wang, this is terrible! There are a lot of government soldiers outside. They said... the Crown Prince himself has given an order..."
