Sun Qirong's face was not good either. He immediately issued an order: "Throw them in jail first, and after a thorough investigation, if it's true, send them directly to the mines for hard labor! Release them after one year."
How outrageous, this old woman's tongue was sharper than a knife.
A single cut would expose bone, and this old woman's words were aimed at taking a life!
"Sister-in-law, don't worry, I will never allow them to tarnish your reputation like this. This afternoon, I will immediately issue a public notice to clear your name!"
Soon, a notice proving her innocence was posted in the town and distributed to various villages. This was the first time the village had received such an insignificant notification.
At the same time, Wang Zhenzhu and Bai Damei were sentenced to one year of hard labor for intentionally slandering others. When the notice was issued, they had already been escorted away by the yamen runners.
The ten villages in the town were all in an uproar, and Zhao Jiaqi from Nanling Village immediately became famous.
Someone not to be trifled with.
For minor offenses like slandering others, the most they would get was a verbal reprimand, followed by an apology and clarification. They never expected that the two of them would receive such severe punishment.
In the evening, Zhao Jiaqi, with her bulging belly, deliberately loitered in front of Fan Zhang's house. Fan Mingyue, thinking of the miserable state of her brother and mother, wished she could tear Zhao Jiaqi to shreds.
Fan Mingyue suppressed her anger, but Fan Fu was not so clever. He rushed out intending to beat her, but before he could even touch her, Fan Guangping kicked him to the ground.
"This person is trying to kill me, take her to the town mayor!"
Zhao Jiaqi was also skilled at lying with a straight face. She usually didn't act ruthlessly because she was accumulating virtue for the child in her womb and praying for good fortune for her husband on the battlefield.
But if they were going to kill her, she would strike first. She couldn't be blamed.
In the Fan family, only Fan Fu, Fan Mingyue, and Cao Meihua remained. These two elders and one youngster would all have to wait, not a single one would escape.
In town, three restaurants had all chosen auspicious dates and were scheduled to reopen in the same month.
The customers were not to the point of queuing, but the seats were all occupied, which was already quite good. Especially in the middle of winter, a hot pot was enough to warm one's body and make them feel invigorated.
The food from the pit roast had always been as popular as stir-fried dishes, and it was a novel way of eating that was also recognized by the general guests.
The last item was iron pot stew. In the middle of winter, a pot of pickled cabbage stewed goose, accompanied by a small drink, was very pleasant.
They say competitors are enemies, but it was rare to see the owners of four restaurants sitting together, drinking tea, chatting, and smiling.
Just as Zhao Jiaqi had said, there were no common enemies, only common interests.
As the New Year approached, heavy snow blocked the mountains.
Her due date was in February, and it was already mid-January. She might give birth any day now, but there was still no news from someone.
She didn't know if the war in the distance had ended, whether it was a victory or a defeat.
At night, lying in bed, her mind was full of thoughts. It took a long time for her to fall asleep, and she was startled awake only when a hand was placed on her belly.
"Who?"
Zhao Jiaqi cried out in alarm. The room was dark, and she couldn't see anything. She only heard a low chuckle in her ear, a feeling that was very familiar.
"Husband, is that you?" she asked incredulously.
A moment later, a kerosene lamp was lit in the room. Her vision blurred for a moment, and when she focused, she saw the man she had been longing for.
He had lost weight and was tanned, but he looked sturdier.
"It really is you! That's great, I thought you wouldn't be back in time for my delivery!" Zhao Jiaqi hugged his neck, acting spoiled.
Fan Zehao patted her head affectionately and smiled, "If it's not me, who else would it be?"
Besides him, who else could approach this room in the middle of the night?
Even if his wife agreed, the two wolves he kept wouldn't.
Inside the room, the couple, separated for a long time, chatted. Most of the conversation was about the events that had happened at home.
Occasionally, Fan Zehao would respond, but he rarely talked about the battlefield.
"Wife, I'm escorting the Emperor back to the capital this time, and I'm passing through our county. I rushed back overnight to see you. I have to leave at dawn. You have to take good care of yourself while I'm away, understand?"
Zhao Jiaqi's mouth fell open in surprise. She thought the war was over.
"Then... when will this war end?" Zhao Jiaqi was most concerned about this.
Fan Zehao shook his head, "Things on the battlefield change rapidly, but I think it will be soon."
She chuckled. As a mere soldier, how could her husband know the specifics? As long as he was alive, that was good.
The two of them snuggled together and talked for a long time, mostly about the child in her belly. It took them a long time to come up with a name, and the one he finally uttered almost made her laugh herself unconscious.
Fan Tong?
Rice bucket?
"Don't let your child unite the martial world. Fan Tong, rice bucket, the more I listen, the more uncomfortable I feel!"
Fan Zehao scratched his head and repeated "Fan Tong" a few times. He felt it was indeed not a very pleasant name.
He grinned sheepishly, "I haven't attended formal schooling, how would I know these things? You can name our child."
Unconsciously, the sky began to show the first light of dawn.
Reluctantly, Fan Zehao had to leave.
He was the person in charge of escorting the Emperor back to the capital this time. If he were absent and something went wrong, ten heads wouldn't be enough to pay for it.
His return this time was too short, and he hadn't told his wife about his merits. He planned to surprise her after everything was over.
The man left as quietly as he had arrived.
On New Year's Eve, the last day of the lunar year, there were quite a few firecrackers and fireworks. Each household in the village symbolically set off some.
This signified prosperity in the coming year.
On the evening of the fifteenth day of the first lunar month, just after setting off firecrackers and preparing to eat, Zhao Jiaqi went into labor.
After a night and a morning of struggle, Zhao Jiaqi finally gave birth as she was about to faint from exhaustion.
On the sixteenth day of the first lunar month, at noon, she gave birth to a baby girl weighing six catties and eight taels. Although she was two months younger than Xueyao, she was a year younger in terms of age.
Both daughters-in-law in the family had given birth safely, which made Zhang Cuihua overjoyed. After taking care of Wang Zhaodi during her postpartum confinement, she immediately rushed to care for Zhao Jiaqi.
During her confinement, Zhao Jiaqi became much plumper and her complexion was radiant.
Zhao Jiaqi did not want a lavish celebration for the full moon banquet.
Because her husband was not at home, and she was a woman, it was inconvenient.
However, her foster father and brothers would not allow it. Even if Zehao was not home, they would not let her be wronged.
On the full moon day, Wang Lifeng, Xie Kun, the town mayor, Mu Rongcheng, and the owners of the other three restaurants all came with heavy gifts.
Even the county magistrate, whom she had never met or contacted, came. Nanling Village became lively again.
Village head Li Wencai busied himself greeting the guests. The county magistrate was a high-ranking official, and even the town mayor was fawning over the county magistrate at the banquet.
Wang Zhaodi had never seen such a scene.
In private, she asked, "Sister-in-law, who invited the county magistrate to our child's full moon celebration?"