Wang Hongxia entered with a cheerful demeanor, making it seem as if she had stumbled upon found money.
Upon entering the room, she immediately began searching for Zhou Yunru.
"Yunru, Mom has some good news for you."
Zhou Yunru dodged her hand and replied indifferently, "What is it?"
"Your sister-in-law, she's pregnant!"
Zhou Yunru's expression remained unchanged, "Pregnant? Congratulations."
Wang Hongxia had longed for a grandson for so long, and finally, he was coming.
Wang Hongxia's smile was so wide it showed all her teeth. "Congratulations for what? This is good news for our family."
"Mom specifically came to tell you, but there's also something I want to discuss with you."
Zhou Yunru let out a soft laugh. She knew it wouldn't be that simple.
"Get to the point. You must be tired of talking like this."
Wang Hongxia inwardly despised her lack of deference, yet she had to appease her.
"Mom was thinking, you're due soon, and with another child, this small room won't be able to hold all the things. Why don't you switch back to the big room for Yunlin, and you can take the larger room."
Zhou Yunru chuckled. Her calculations were rather shrewd.
The room was indeed large, but it was also dark and damp, never seeing sunlight all day and emitting a musty odor.
No one would willingly live in such a room, no matter how spacious.
"Mom, thank you for your consideration, but there's no need. I'm perfectly fine in my current room. If I truly wanted a bigger house, my maternal family has an even larger one for me."
Wang Hongxia stiffened, shocked and angered.
This was a subtle threat!
Zhou Yunru picked up the medicinal herbs and moved aside. Seeing her silence, she asked, "Mom, do you need anything else?"
Wang Hongxia snapped back to attention. "No... nothing. If you're unwilling, that's fine. I'll be going back."
Watching her storm away, Zhou Yunru knew without a doubt how she would be scolded upon returning home.
However, instead of feeling angry, she found herself quite pleased to see Wang Hongxia so infuriated by her every day.
Cheng You walked up to her and asked, "Is Cheng Tao really pregnant?"
Zhou Yunru said dismissively, "I'm not sure, but it's probably true. She wouldn't dare lie a second time."
Cheng You murmured, "What a coincidence."
With this child, Cheng Tao would have a lifesaver.
From now on, no matter what she did, as long as she had the child in her womb, the Zhao family, including Cheng Tianhua, would protect her.
...
Wang Hongxia ranted at Zhou Yunru for a long time at home, to the point where Zhao Yunlin's ears were filled with her complaints.
Zhao Yunlin seized the opportunity and said, "Mom, if that's the case, then let's build a house in the commune?"
Wang Hongxia readily agreed, then after a moment, looked at him with utter bewilderment.
"What did you just say?"
"Our supply and marketing cooperative director has connections and can help me get a piece of land. It's not big, but I can build a two-story house."
Once he had a house in the commune, though not yet considered a city dweller, he would no longer be a villager.
Wang Hongxia laughed in exasperation and pushed his head a few times.
"What nonsense are you talking? Dreaming! A two-story house? We can't even afford one story, and you want to build two? Do you think we're some wealthy family!"
Zhao Yunlin quickly placated her, "I'm doing this for our own good! Cheng Tao isn't well right now, and this damp, humid house is certainly not good for the baby in her womb. You and Dad are also getting older, and I want to bring you to the commune to enjoy yourselves."
Wang Hongxia's anger subsided slightly. He did have some conscience, after all.
However, she still disagreed with the idea. Building even a single-story house would drain their family's resources.
"Mom, my future child cannot be toiling in the fields like you and Dad. I want to send him to school, junior high, high school, even university! In the future, our family could have a top scholar, wouldn't that be an honor!"
Wang Hongxia was somewhat swayed.
What she had longed for was a house full of grandchildren and for them to be successful.
If they could truly have a college student, wouldn't that be wonderful!
"I need to discuss this with your father."
Zhao Yunlin smiled and nodded. Of course.
...
Before the old Zhao family could decide on building a house, Zhang Fuhai arrived with others.
This is why they say Cheng You is smart; she seized every opportunity to take advantage of Cheng Tao.
For the sake of the ginseng wine, he was willing to help.
"Uncle Hai, what is this? I sold you ginseng, so shouldn't we at least have some goodwill between us?"
Zhao Yunlin shielded Cheng Tao behind him. "Director Zhang, let's talk calmly. Please don't lay hands on a pregnant woman."
Zhang Fuhai threw the remaining half of the Phyrrhic drugs at his face.
"I spent fifty yuan buying ginseng from your wife, and it's fake! Not only is it fake, but this stuff is also poisonous! My friend ate it and is still in the hospital, fighting for his life!"
Zhang Fuhai hadn't expected that at his age, he would act as an actor once more.
If Lin Changhe had truly ingested this substance, given his current physical condition, he would have likely been dead already.
Cheng Tao clutched Zhao Yunlin's clothes tightly, her expression panicked.
"Impossible! This is ginseng!"
Zhang Fuhai sneered and snorted heavily.
"Take it to the hospital for testing yourself. This is called Phyrrhic drugs! My friend ate it, he vomited and had diarrhea, and was in critical condition that very night! Do you know who he is? He's Lin Changhe, the former county magistrate of our Xing County!"
He was so angry his chest heaved, his face ashen, wishing he could tear Cheng Tao apart.
"I'm telling you, this isn't over! Don't even mention that Magistrate Lin is critically ill; even if he recovers, you, pregnant as you are, will go to jail!"
Cheng Tao broke out in a cold sweat. "I didn't know that was Phyrrhic drugs, I didn't! Cheng You said it was ginseng, so I went to dig it! Yunlin, please help me. I didn't know it would harm people, I didn't want to kill anyone."
The thought of having a life on her hands sent her into near collapse.
She hadn't even considered making money from this ginseng; she just wanted to please Zhang Fuhai.
Zhao Yunlin's face turned extremely grim, and he panicked.
With a potential death on their hands, he didn't know what to do.
Cheng You entered from outside, her expression cold.
"So, the ginseng that San Leng and I discovered was secretly dug up by you?"
Cheng Tao immediately pointed at her, trying to shift the blame. "Yes, she discovered the ginseng, it has nothing to do with me! Nothing!"
Cheng You asked coldly, "Did I tell you to secretly dig it up? Did I tell you to give it to Uncle Hai? Do I have the ability to know the future, or to order you around? You were greedy and dug up the ginseng yourself, what does that have to do with me."
"But if you hadn't said it was ginseng, I wouldn't have gone to dig it!"
Cheng You smiled. "You believed me just because I said it? Then I'll say this is gold, do you want to take it to buy things? I never thought you were so obedient before."
Zhang Fuhai impatiently interrupted their argument. "I don't care if this has anything to do with Cheng You. I'm going to the police station to report this shortly, you just wait!"