Zhao Jiaqi sat on a stool, her heart filled with emotion. She wondered what her husband would think upon learning she was pregnant. Would he fly into a rage, or would he be overjoyed?
She suspected he would be furious, as this child was not one he had eagerly awaited. Of course, she hadn't deliberately planned it either; the child's arrival was purely an accident.
As she placed a hand on her belly, Zhao Jiaqi's smile radiated pure joy. Not long after, the herbal medicine for pregnancy arrived.
The sight of the dark, murky liquid made her stomach churn even more violently, and tears welled up in her eyes.
However, it was the village chief's kind gesture, and she felt too embarrassed to refuse. She said to the old woman delivering the medicine, "Please leave it here. I'll drink it once it cools down."
The old woman didn't say much and turned to leave.
After she left, Zhao Jiaqi went to bed to rest. She fell asleep within moments of lying down.
She slept through the night until dawn, not waking once. She hadn't even taken off her clothes or washed her face. A wry smile touched her lips as she wondered if the child in her belly was perhaps a bit lazy.
Getting out of bed, she saw that the bowl of pregnancy medicine had grown completely cold. Casually, she poured it into a nearby flowerpot.
After washing up, breakfast was brought to her by a dedicated attendant. Zhao Jiaqi seized this opportunity to begin her period of quiet recuperation, deciding she didn't want to leave her courtyard for at least the next two days.
Along with breakfast came another bowl of pregnancy medicine. Zhao Jiaqi felt a surge of amusement. The village chief was truly attentive, not missing a single dose.
After her meal, she still didn't drink it, pouring it into the flowerpot once more.
She then changed into clean clothes and went out to do laundry. There was a designated area in the courtyard for washing clothes, but she preferred to handle her intimate apparel herself.
As she walked towards the laundry area, she heard people chatting and laughing merrily as they approached her from around a corner. From the sound of their voices, they didn't seem to be the village chief or his wife.
So, she took her wooden basin and hid in a small storeroom. Upon entering, she was astonished to find an entire room filled with "Immortal Balm."
She was so startled that she almost screamed. What puzzled her was why the room was unlocked.
Just as she was pondering this, the voices outside grew louder. At that moment, Zhao Jiaqi realized that these people were here to pick up goods, which explained why the courtyard was unguarded and why the room had been opened beforehand.
Zhao Jiaqi wanted to flee, but the people had already reached the door. Escaping was impossible, so she had to hide.
But where could she hide in such a small room?
Sweating profusely in her haste, she looked at the basin in her hands and then at her intimate clothing. An idea struck Zhao Jiaqi: since she couldn't escape, she would create a diversion.
She found the back window and hurled the wooden basin out with all her might, creating the illusion that someone was behind the house. As expected, the people at the front heard the commotion, exchanged glances, and moved towards the back.
Seizing the moment, Zhao Jiaqi dashed out. She stopped about three meters from the door.
Turning back, she shouted at the people around her, "You shameless wretch, come out here!"
Her loud cries caused the two people who had gone to investigate the noise at the back window to return.
Zhao Jiaqi saw a man and a woman. The man was visibly older, while the woman appeared relatively young. Her face was heavily made up, and her clothing was somewhat revealing. Such an appearance would be highly unusual in an ordinary household.
Zhao Jiaqi boldly guessed that the woman was from a brothel. The two did not seem like husband and wife, but rather like old lovers.
She had no time to dwell on such matters. She immediately grabbed the man's collar. "You scoundrel! How dare you steal my intimate clothing? You shameless, base creature! Give me back my clothes, and I won't pursue this matter further, or I'll have the village chief chop off your dog paws!"
Her words were so commanding and forceful that they stunned the other two. Looking at this seemingly crazed woman, the man pushed her away about two meters.
His face clearly showed his displeasure as he angrily pointed at Zhao Jiaqi, "Who is this madwoman? Whose dog was untied and let loose?"
The woman accompanying him was also a bit bewildered by the situation but quickly understood what was happening. She immediately stepped in as a mediator.
She tugged at the man and subtly signaled him, "Alright, watch your mouth. This lady is likely a guest of the village chief."
Seeing that the man had fallen silent, she turned to Zhao Jiaqi. Her clothing didn't suggest she was a village girl, but they were well aware of the village chief's character.
The woman smiled flirtatiously and said to Zhao Jiaqi, "Madam, you must have misunderstood something. We are not thieves. Perhaps the stolen item belongs to someone else?"
Zhao Jiaqi dodged her hand and snorted, "Who knows? Some people these days are hypocrites who wear a mask of virtue."
"Furthermore, I was chasing the thief. Coincidentally, you are here. If it wasn't you who stole it, then who else could it be?"
In any case, as long as she insisted that she had followed a thief here, she could create a brief confusion, making them believe they had just arrived, not been there for a while.
The woman, deeming Zhao Jiaqi a troublesome shrew, was about to retort when the village chief arrived, his hands behind his back.
Seeing Zhao Jiaqi there, his heart skipped a beat. He glanced sideways at the two people beside him, his brow furrowed. Before he could ask, Zhao Jiaqi played the victim.
"Village chief, these two people stole my belongings, and I chased them here. However, they claim it wasn't them. You must investigate thoroughly."
Upon hearing this, the village chief frowned and looked at the two of them, "What's going on?"
Both were bewildered. They spread their hands and shrugged. "We don't know. We heard a noise from the back earlier and went to check. Then, this woman appeared here shouting that she had lost something."
The man added, "We don't know who threw the laundry basin to the back, but there was no one there."
Zhao Jiaqi pointed at the man and became even more agitated, "See? You're still saying it wasn't you!"
She lunged forward, about to grab his collar, but the village chief intervened, "It's a misunderstanding, a misunderstanding, madam. Please listen to me."
Seeing the village chief so protective of the man, Zhao Jiaqi stopped her aggressive advance. "Speak, I'm listening."
"This man is the wealthiest man in our town. He has no shortage of money, so he wouldn't stoop to stealing for a small..."
Wang Yuanzhi paused here, having forgotten to ask, "Madam, what was it that you lost?"
"My intimate undergarments. If it were something else, it would be fine, but losing something so personal... if my husband misunderstands, even with two mouths, I wouldn't be able to explain it clearly, especially since I'm pregnant right now."
Hearing that such private items were lost, the village chief's face reddened. He glanced at the wealthy man, thinking to himself, this old fellow is also quite lecherous; could he have actually stolen it?