Dream warnings and such, even though they are quite rare, would undoubtedly draw more attention if coupled with the Cao Family’s drama.
But this patron, gossipy as he may be, still had some principles: he couldn’t just make up unfounded stories.
Moreover, a person who had received favors from others and took the initiative to write a letter of caution, although not very legendary, definitely had a sense of "positive energy."
In fact, most people do like stories where "virtue is rewarded."
Even Mr. Qian and Mrs. Qian felt such matters were worth bragging about.
When someone asked, "Master Qian, how did you know?" Mr. Qian or Mrs. Qian would openly share the story.
Qiao Zhenbang: ...It wasn’t a dream!
How is it not a "dream warning"?
"Really no dream? Master Qian didn’t have one, his daughter didn’t, neither did his wife?"
Qiao Zhenbang’s mind was a tangled mess, and his recently organized thoughts became muddled once more.
"Really not! Master Qian didn’t have one, his wife didn’t, and his daughter even less so!"
The patron was somewhat curious, this man looked quite young, how could he be as superstitious as an old lady from the countryside?
It was clearly someone sending a letter of warning, so why did he insist on tying it to something as mystical as a "dream warning"? Check latest chapters at NovєlFіre.net
While internally puzzled, this didn’t stop the patron from continuing to share gossip.
Well, the Cao Family’s issues had truly become the talk of the town.
Colleagues and relatives of the Qian Family were not few, all having first-hand information which they shared with others immediately.
But in a small town this size, after two or three days the news had reached nearly everyone who should know.
To find someone who hadn’t heard the details of the incident yet kept asking repeatedly was truly not easy.
The patron’s gossipy heart fluttered a little, and without regard for Qiao Zhenbang’s odd behavior, he continued to prattle on—
"Goodness, and to think that Master Qian’s son-in-law wasn’t actually born to the Cao Family!"
"When he was born, it was during tumultuous times. The Cao Family had some money back then, and the men went out to do business."
"The Cao Family’s daughter-in-law, having not given birth for several years after marriage, had already drawn criticism from the in-laws. More than once, they said that if the son came back with money and his wife’s belly was still quiet, they would buy a concubine."
"It was still the old society then, where buying a concubine wasn’t illegal!"
"The Cao Family’s daughter-in-law panicked, secretly went to see a doctor, and guess what? She was infertile due to a cold uterus!"
"The Cao Family’s daughter-in-law was terrified. It wasn’t just about her husband buying a concubine to have children, she worried that one misstep could get her cast out by the in-laws."
"As luck would have it, her cousin had become pregnant, and the cousin’s husband had been conscripted. The cousin then planned to give the child away after giving birth, so she could remarry!"
"The Cao Family’s daughter-in-law, upon hearing this, hurriedly found her cousin, and arranged a scheme. She would return to the in-laws and claim that she became pregnant during the few days before her husband left."
"When the in-laws heard, they were overjoyed, not for a moment considering that the docile, silent daughter-in-law in front of them could actually lie."
"The Cao Family’s daughter-in-law kept up the pretense of being pregnant, and when it was nearly time to deliver, she returned to her parental home early and found an excuse to stay."
"Her cousin gave birth to a boy, and the Cao Family’s daughter-in-law brought the child back, claiming it as her own..."
The patron didn’t need Qiao Zhenbang to set him up; he went on and on by himself.
With the story up to this point, Qian Xiue’s mother-in-law’s many odd actions were now explainable.
She clung to her son not just because he was an "only child."
More importantly, the child was not even her own flesh and blood.
And her reason for keeping a cousin’s daughter by her side and scheming to have her sleep with her son also came from threats from the cousin.
After handing her son to Mrs. Cao, the cousin was ready to remarry, but then her conscripted husband managed to escape and return.
The cousin dared not tell the truth, claiming that after becoming pregnant, due to extreme shock and malnourishment, the child was stillborn.
The cousin’s husband felt deep remorse and was exceptionally good to his wife.
You see, in their same village there was another young man, conscripted just like him.
After a few months, they finally escaped back home; he found his wife still waiting, but the other man’s wife had long since taken their daughter and remarried!
With such a stark comparison, the husband felt his wife was even more virtuous, kind, and loyal.