kingnovel Chapter 167 Things Have Gone Wrong
Chapter 167 Things Have Gone Wrong
After Fang fell to the ground, she couldn't get up again. The officer ordered Wang Huang to pull Fang over and make her kneel down, then began to question her. But no matter what questions the officer asked, Fang kept clutching her stomach and saying she was in pain, asking someone to fetch a doctor.
Everyone initially thought she was just acting, so no one paid her any attention. But as Fang's groans grew louder and her breathing became more rapid, Li Xiaonuan, standing to the side, sensed something was wrong.
"Quickly, a few of you come and help me. Help this woman to lie down under that tree over there. Aunt Zhou, tell your brother to quickly call the old doctor over. That woman is in serious trouble." Li Xiaonuan felt that things had gotten a bit out of hand, and her family couldn't bear the blame for murdering someone else's offspring.
"Mom, please go inside and get a mat and some sheets. Ladies, if any of you are midwives or have experience, could you please check on her first? It's urgent, so thank you in advance," Li Xiaonuan called out to the crowd.
"Yes, yes, everyone please help us. We can't let those scoundrels use this as a pretext to leech off our family." The old lady was, after all, the one who saw things most clearly.
Soon, the women who had come to watch the commotion helped Fang to a plum tree outside the courtyard. The women formed a circle to block the gazes of the men who were eager to see what was going on. Two or three experienced older women examined Fang and worriedly said there was a risk of miscarriage, as Fang had already started bleeding.
After Su came out carrying the mat and bed sheet, everyone spontaneously spread out the bed sheet, completely surrounding Fang. From beginning to end, Wang Huangshi stood detachedly to the side, occasionally revealing a sinister smile.
Brother Zhou was indeed very fast; in no time, he carried the old doctor back, his head covered in sweat.
The old doctor was put down on the ground, took a few deep breaths, and said with dissatisfaction, "My old bones are almost broken by all this. Quickly, let me see which troublemaker is causing trouble for no reason. Do they have a death wish?"
Beneath the sheet, a fair hand reached out. Li Xiaonuan placed a small stool she had prepared beforehand behind the old doctor and invited him to sit down. After the old doctor sat down, he bent over to take her pulse.
The old doctor was probably really old; he held the wrist without moving for a long time. Just when everyone thought he had fallen asleep, the old doctor finally spoke.
"This young lady is perfectly healthy. She just ate something wrong before, which caused the imbalance. However, she has a naturally cold and stagnant constitution. If she doesn't take good care of herself, she may have difficulty conceiving in the future. I'll prescribe a medicine to clear the blockage first. Then I'll add some warming and nourishing herbs. Once her body is in good condition, she won't be in so much pain next time."
The old doctor's words left those present completely bewildered. However, those with experience immediately discerned the underlying meaning.
"Doctor Qin, are you saying this woman isn't pregnant? She's just here..." Aunt Zhou asked tentatively.
The old doctor, with a "you doubt me" look on his face, replied unhappily, "Who said this girl is pregnant? With her current poor health, it would be difficult for her to conceive. If my diagnosis is correct, she has taken a lot of medication to prevent miscarriage. Judging from the current situation, if she doesn't take care of her health, she won't be able to have children in the future."
"What did you say? Contraceptive pills? I took contraceptive pills? No, no way, Jinlang said they were for preventing miscarriage, for the baby's good. Hehehe, I'm so stupid, I've been tricked by this family time and time again. And I, I even framed someone else for that runaway bride." Fang Shi angrily threw off the bed sheet, pushed aside the women surrounding her, and said in disbelief.
Wang Huangshi watched with amusement. The anger in her heart finally subsided somewhat. But she still felt it wasn't enough; she wanted to see Fang Shi even more pathetic. It was all that wretched woman's fault that she and Tu'er had become the laughingstock of the whole village.
Now that Madam Fang was alright, things proceeded much more smoothly. Under the officer's swift and decisive action, Madam Fang quickly explained the whole story clearly.
Perhaps because of the immense psychological trauma Fang had suffered, she made no attempt to be discreet or conceal anything. Only after Fang finished speaking did everyone realize that there was a mastermind behind this affair. However, the person was well-hidden, and it wouldn't be possible to identify them immediately.
Just when everyone thought the matter was over, Xu Yan's sister-in-law suddenly appeared. She held up a letter high and shouted:
"Someone gave me twenty taels of silver to deliver this letter to this lord. That person also said that the Li family is truly a traitorous spy, and if the lord does not believe it, he can search the Li family and surely find evidence."
Li Xiaonuan was shocked by the persistence of the person who framed her family. Even at this point, that person still had a backup plan. In particular, Li Xiaonuan had just learned that her uncles and aunts' families were also currently under the control of the government troops.
The officer had someone bring the letter over, unfolded it, and began to read. Li Xiaonuan stood nervously to the side, watching the officer's unpredictable expression. From the officer's deeply furrowed brows, it was clear that the contents of the letter were entirely detrimental to the Li family.
Finally, the officer finished reading the letter and immediately ordered a search of the house. Li Xiaonuan felt as if the world had turned dark. The maps and crop catalogs in her room might be deadly.
Not to mention, she also drew up a complete and detailed set of nautical charts to keep in case she needed them in the future.
The search party quickly emerged. Two soldiers carried out the box containing Li Xiaonuan's sketches and art supplies, and solemnly placed it in front of the officer. One of the soldiers leaned close to the officer's ear and whispered something.
The officer first frowned, then looked incredulous, and finally gave Li Xiaonuan a meaningful look. He stepped forward and examined the box for a few moments before ordering his men to seal it up.
"Men, take all the Li family members back to their quarters and imprison them temporarily in the military camp's restricted area. As for the matter of colluding with the enemy, that still needs to be investigated. Those who came out to report it, take them back to me as well and tie them to the wooden pole in the military camp square," the officer ordered in a deep voice.
Li Xiaonuan was stunned, not expecting things to develop this way. She was a little curious about who wrote the letter and what deep-seated hatred they had for her family. But now, she didn't have the energy to think about those things anymore.
As she was being led out, Li Xiaonuan took off the jade pendant from her neck and handed it to Jingjing, instructing her, "Jingjing, take this pendant and hurry to Cangbaicao Medical Clinic. Tell them you're looking for Doctor Jing. No matter what Doctor Jing asks you, just answer accordingly. Remember, Jingjing, this is our family's lifesaver."
The officer realized the seriousness of the situation and told two people to follow Jingjing: "You two hurry up and follow her, don't let anyone harm that little girl."