Pregnant? Who’s pregnant? Lin Fang was full of questions. Could it be that as soon as Second Grandmother arrived, she diagnosed someone as pregnant? Could it be Mother?
Before she could ask, a loud voice rang in her ears: “Why is it taking so long to greet someone? Fang’er, was that you shouting just now? Who upset you? Second Grandfather will beat them up for you.”
Blinking her big eyes, Lin Fang looked at Lin Zhongsi, who seemed even younger than two years ago. She stretched out her little hand and pointed at Tong Shi, her face full of grievance: “It’s Second Grandmother. She suddenly upset my friend and startled me. Second Grandfather, help me beat her up.”
“Uh, well… your Second Grandmother didn’t mean it. If she upset your friend, she must have had her reasons. Fang’er, don’t take it too seriously.”
“Hahahaha!”
As soon as Lin Zhongsi said this, Dalang, Li Cuimei, and Lin Cui’e behind him couldn’t help but burst into laughter. Lin Fang was clearly teasing him on purpose.
It was well-known throughout Liangping Town that Lin Zhongsi was “afraid” of his wife. While the family understood that there was no real fear between Lin Zhongsi and Tong Shi—it was just that Lin Zhongsi respected his wife for managing the household alone—it was true that he rarely went against her wishes and deferred to her in most matters. Lin Fang’s words were clearly poking fun at him.
“You little imp, the older you get, the naughtier you become.”
Pinching Lin Fang’s nose, Tong Shi took her little hand and headed toward the house. Lin Zhongsi hurried ahead, pushing aside Dalang, who was about to lift the cotton door curtain, and raised it high himself. Tong Shi shot him a sidelong glance and stepped inside. Turning her head, Lin Fang blinked at Lin Zhongsi and giggled as she was pulled into the house by Tong Shi.
Once everyone was seated again, Lin Fang, though sitting close to Tong Shi and answering her and Lin Zhongsi’s questions, kept glancing at Li Cuimei’s stomach, hesitating whether to ask outright if her mother was really pregnant.
Her blatant stares confused Li Cuimei, who finally asked, “Fang’er, is something the matter?”
“Oh, Second Grandmother said there’s a pregnant woman in the family.” As she spoke, her eyes still lingered on her mother’s belly, making her meaning obvious.
Amused, Tong Shi tapped the back of Lin Fang’s head and explained, “When I said there’s a pregnant woman in the family, I didn’t mean your mother. It’s your Sixth Aunt who’s pregnant. But the journey was rough and exhausting, and she’s already worn out. She’s taken some medicine to stabilize the pregnancy and is resting in your aunt’s courtyard. If you want to greet her, you’ll have to wait until tomorrow.”
Oh, so it wasn’t Mother after all. Disappointment flashed in Lin Fang’s eyes. Having lived two lives, she had always been the youngest in the family. How nice it would be to have a little brother or sister—she could finally experience being an older sibling.
A flicker of disappointment also passed through Dalang’s eyes. How wonderful it would be if his own wife were pregnant. But she was no longer young, and another pregnancy would be risky. Her life was more important. Resolving his thoughts, Dalang felt relieved and instead reminded Lin Fang, “Fang’er, your Aunt Wang from the Wang family also came with your Second Grandmother. She’s resting in your aunt’s courtyard now. Remember to be proper when you greet her tomorrow.”
Tong Shi waved her hand to stop Dalang from continuing. Impatiently, she said, “If her family looks down on Cui’e because of this, it only shows how narrow-minded and shortsighted they are. If that’s the case, Cui’e shouldn’t marry into their family at all—better to avoid suffering after entering their household.”
According to the laws of the dynasty, during the mourning period, one must not discuss marriage, hold lavish banquets, wear bright colors, make loud noises, or engage in marital relations. Yuan Li’s pregnancy occurred just three years after Lin Bosi’s death, meaning she must have conceived during the mourning period. If this were discovered, it would be considered a grave act of filial impiety.
Sixth Uncle was just a craftsman, not involved in officialdom, so it wouldn’t affect him much—at most, he’d be mocked for being unfilial, which was inconsequential. He could still make furniture and conduct business as usual. But if the child born during this time later pursued education or an official career, it would face severe consequences. The child would be seen as inauspicious, and even if exceptionally talented and granted an exception by the court, they would still be regarded with suspicion, becoming a figure others were reluctant to associate with—too valuable to discard but too unsettling to keep.
When Tong Shi noticed something unusual about Yuan Li, neither Yuan Li nor Sixth Uncle knew she was pregnant, and no one else suspected. After years of marriage, they had finally conceived, and though the timing was wrong, the child was still their flesh and blood—they couldn’t abandon it. After discussing with Tong Shi, they decided to send Yuan Li to Dalang’s place to hide. To outsiders, they would claim Yuan Li was ill, and even Tong Shi couldn’t cure her. They heard there was a highly skilled monk at Dalang’s place with extraordinary medical and mystical abilities who might be able to heal her.
They set off immediately. Tong Shi and Lin Zhongsi escorted Yuan Li to Baishui Town first, while Sixth Uncle stayed behind to settle affairs at home and planned to follow later. After the child was born, they would wait another year or so before returning. By then, even if someone suspected the child’s conception date, no one could prove it happened during the mourning period.
But just as they were about to leave, trouble arose.
The Wang family, knowing Tong Shi’s group was heading to Dalang’s place, happened to be preparing to propose marriage to Lin Cui’e. They approached Tong Shi, suggesting the two families travel together. Since the trip was meant to avoid attention, Tong Shi refused, citing Yuan Li’s illness and the risk of infecting others. But the Wang family brushed it off, saying that with Tong Shi, a skilled physician, traveling with them, there was nothing to fear.
Tong Shi made more excuses, and the Wang family reluctantly compromised but didn’t give up, insisting they would follow at a distance. Repeated refusals might arouse suspicion, so Tong Shi had no choice but to agree.
Given the long journey and the winter season, no matchmaker was willing to make the trip for business. The Wang family had no choice but to propose in person, planning to hire a matchmaker later for the wedding ceremony to avoid accusations of an improper union. A well-paid official matchmaker would suffice.
The Wang matriarch was too old for such a strenuous trip, and Wang Hongwen’s second brother, Wang Hongzhong, had a mental disability, so his wife had to stay home to care for him. The task fell to the eldest son’s wife, Tang Manyun. Midway through the journey, the Wang family’s hired carriage driver rushed ahead, saying his passenger was unwell and begging Tong Shi to examine her.
After diagnosing Tang Manyun as pregnant, Tong Shi faced a dilemma.
Sending Tang Manyun back to Liangping Town alone, now that her condition was known, was heartless and unreasonable. Escorting her back personally would leave Yuan Li in a bind—whether to wait at the inn or make the round trip, neither option was ideal. Letting Lin Zhongsi escort one of them was also worrisome. In the end, Tong Shi decided to bring both Yuan Li and Tang Manyun in the same carriage.
Tang Manyun, already a mother of two sons and a daughter, recognized Yuan Li’s symptoms immediately and deduced the situation. Along the way, she vented her frustration at the late Lin Bosi, sympathizing with Yuan Li and her unborn child. She repeatedly promised not to reveal the secret. But human nature is fickle—today’s ally could be tomorrow’s foe. How could Tong Shi trust the word of an outsider?
Lin Bosi had fathered ten children, but only three sons and two daughters survived. The eldest, Lin Dalang, was disowned on his deathbed. The seventh, Lin Cuiping, divorced two years after marriage. The tenth, Lin Shilang, was disabled in both legs. Only the sixth, Lin Liulang, fared relatively well—though he married late, he had no major flaws. But now, he had impregnated his wife during the mourning period, an even greater transgression.
All of this would affect Lin Cui’e’s marriage prospects.
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