With that, he flicked his sleeves, ready to leave. Suddenly, he remembered something, turned back, and said viciously to Hou Tianbao, "If you go out and cause trouble again and get yourself killed, I won’t care!"
With that said, he flicked his sleeves again and departed.
Lady Hou sank to the ground in disappointment, sobbing softly.
Hou Tianbao was so frightened he remained stunned for a good while before coming to his senses.
"Mother... Mother, please don’t cry anymore!"
Lady Hou, her heart aching for her son, finally dabbed at her tears and, with the help of her maid, climbed to her feet.
Just as she had wiped her tears, someone came in to announce, "Aunt Mei is here!"
Lady Hou gave a cold laugh and said, "Just tell her my son has taken his medicine and is asleep. Tell her to leave!"
She truly didn’t want to see that vexing woman for even a moment.
However, the words had barely left her mouth when Aunt Mei entered uninvited, a gift box in her hands.
"Sister, Mei’er is here. Why don’t you welcome me?"
When Lady Hou turned, she indeed saw Aunt Mei dressed in vibrant reds and greens, extravagantly adorned and smiling triumphantly.
Lady Hou was filled with disgust at the sight.
"Welcome you for what? To gloat over my son’s misfortune?"
Aunt Mei’s brows furrowed slightly, and she said with a touch of feigned sorrow, "Oh, Sister, how can you say such things? Mei’er came with the best intentions. How can your words make it seem like Mei’er is at fault?"
As she spoke, she brought out the gift box, placed it on the table, and gently opened it with her slender, jade-like hands.
"Look, Sister. It took Mei’er a very long time to find these excellent tonics!"
Then, pointing to each item, she said, "This is deer penis stewed with ginseng, and this is tiger bone stewed with kidneys!"
"I heard the Young Master had his muscles and bones injured, and even... his manhood was affected. Your younger sister was so heartbroken, I couldn’t sleep night after night. I immediately sent people out with silver to search the entire city..."
"This is all I could find, and it cost a good one or two hundred taels of silver! The tiger bone is top quality, and the deer penis is *this* long!"
Aunt Mei gestured emphatically as she spoke.
This infuriated Lady Hou so much she rolled her eyes and nearly coughed up blood!
Hou Tianbao felt both ashamed and furious, spitting to the side in disgust.
"Get out! Shameless woman! Who wants your things?!"
Aunt Mei was an expert actress and immediately burst into tears.
"Young Master, although I am just a concubine, I am still your elder. How could you..."
Lady Hou sneered. "Pah! An elder? What kind of elder do you think you are? Take your things and get out of my sight, you shameless hussy!"
"Stay out of my son’s affairs!"
With that, Lady Hou smashed the gift box into Aunt Mei’s face.
Aunt Mei cried out and was knocked to the ground.
Old Master Hou had returned at some point and witnessed this scene the moment he entered.
"Mei’er, are you alright?"
Aunt Mei looked up, her eyes brimming with tears. "Old Master, I’m fine. Sister didn’t mean it. It’s all Mei’er’s fault!"
Lady Hou smirked viciously. "Aunt Mei, you truly have your methods. If I had known then what I know now, I should have killed you long ago!"
Hearing this, Aunt Mei immediately put on a frightened expression. "Old Master, Old Master, I’m scared! Sister, what are you saying? Mei’er doesn’t understand!"
As she spoke, she burrowed into the portly Prefectural Magistrate Hou’s embrace.
The tonic soup had spilled on her, drenching her clothes. The delicate, petite woman trembled in his arms.
Old Master Hou wished he could lay her down and lavish her with affection that very instant.
Seeing the woman he favored being bullied, he was instantly enraged.
"Audacious! Do you take me for dead? You jealous shrew! If you dare act so outrageously again, I will divorce you immediately!"
Provoked repeatedly, Lady Hou was on the verge of a mental collapse, her reason long since thrown to Java.
She stepped forward, snatched up the items Aunt Mei had brought, and hurled them in front of Old Master Hou.
"Old Master, Tianbao was beaten so badly! I just barely managed to calm him down, and now this woman sends these things. What are her intentions?"
"Is she trying to drive Tianbao mad? Won’t his heart break seeing these things?"
Aunt Mei, nestled in Old Master Hou’s arms, whimpered pitifully. "Old Master, Mei’er didn’t know anything! Mei’er only heard the Young Master was injured and had people search for these tonics overnight. Who knew Sister wouldn’t appreciate them!"
With that, she continued to weep.
When Old Master Hou saw the beauty crying so pitifully, like pear blossoms in the rain, his heart ached for her.
He then roared at Lady Hou again, "You virago! You’re utterly unreasonable!"
Aunt Mei looked up and quickly tried to stop him. "Old Master, don’t blame Sister... HUUARGH..."
"Mei’er, what’s wrong with you, Mei’er!"
"Someone, quickly, fetch a physician!"
Old Master Hou was extremely anxious.
Lady Hou was also extremely anxious.
That slut, she couldn’t be pregnant again, could she?
From the looks of it, it seemed likely.
The physician arrived quickly. Right there in Lady Hou’s courtyard, he diagnosed Aunt Mei with a "joyful pulse," indicating pregnancy.
Old Master Hou was so overjoyed he was at a loss, holding Aunt Mei and not knowing where to put his hands or feet.
Lady Hou felt a stabbing pain not only in her heart but also in her eyes. It was an unbearable sight.
She couldn’t be bothered to feign magnanimity and stormed out with a flick of her sleeves.
Naturally, Aunt Mei had no desire to linger. Carefully escorted by Old Master Hou, she returned to her own courtyard.
Lady Hou locked herself in her room and wept inconsolably.
Hou Tianying heard the news and rushed over immediately, knocking urgently on the door.
"Mother, Mother, what’s wrong? Please don’t be !"
Lady Hou cried for a long time before finally letting her daughter in. Follow current ɴᴏᴠᴇʟs on noveⅼfire.net
"Mother, you nearly worried me to death! What happened?"
A maid had urgently summoned her but hadn’t explained what had happened.
Lady Hou’s eyes were red and swollen.
"That slut Aunt Mei is pregnant again!"
"What?!" Hou Tianying was dumbfounded.
Then Lady Hou added viciously, "Hmph! Aunt Mei, it seems... you’re determined to fight me to the bitter end!"
Hou Tianying quickly advised, "Mother, don’t be impulsive. At least not now. We must find the right opportunity, and Father must not find out!"
Lady Hou gave a sinister smile. "I have committed many sins, and I am facing retribution. But what has my son done to deserve such humiliation from her? Her coming here today – wasn’t it deliberate?!"
As Lady Hou spoke, the maids standing by all lowered their heads.
They all shared the same unspoken thought:
Madam, your son has committed far more sins than you.
At most, you’ve harmed a few concubines in the rear courtyard and caused the deaths of a few unborn children. But your son, he directly drives entire families to ruin and death!
Think of how Aunt Mei suffered under your hand back then, barely surviving those bitter days. Now, she can finally hold her head high!
Heh, in any case, Prefectural Magistrate Hou’s rear courtyard was certainly never a peaceful place.
Hearing her mother’s words, Hou Tianying felt a pang of sorrow.
Sons and daughters, Mother, you gave birth to us all, yet you treat us so differently.
Even with Big Brother in this state, he’s still the one Mother constantly worries about. But what about me? Mother never gives me a thought.