"Auntie, didn’t you tell them the truth? I’m sorry, you asked me to endure just until today, but my mother fainted, and I didn’t sleep at all last night. In my haste, I gave in, I just couldn’t bear it anymore..." Yang Ruxin, while coughing violently, looked apologetically at Feng Caie, "Auntie, I know the dowry they offered is generous, but I’m really helpless..." As she spoke, tears even fell.
"How dare you, Feng Caie, are you trying to deceive us?" Guo Dazui exploded upon hearing this, "Bringing a sickly creature to curse our house? What do you mean by this?"
"I..." Feng Caie immediately felt at a loss for words, but she did not want to be misunderstood, "Don’t listen to her nonsense, she isn’t sick at all, she’s just pretending..."
Cough cough... Yang Ruxin’s coughing grew even more violent, as if she was about to cough out her internal organs.
"Take a sip of water to calm it down." Zhao Feihu, however, showed no reaction, instead offering the bowl of sugar water considerately to her.
Yang Ruxin knew there was something wrong with the water, but she took it anyway. However, just after she took a sip, a violent cough made her spray the sugar water out, even dousing Zhao Feihu. In fact, if he had not dodged swiftly, it would have even sprayed his face.
Zhao Feihu’s expression changed instantly.
"Cough cough... I’m so sorry..." Yang Ruxin hurriedly reached out to wipe his clothes, "I don’t cough when I’m well rested, it’s just these few days..."
But Zhao Feihu quickly stepped back.
"Consumption is contagious," Guo Dazui said, covering his mouth with a handkerchief and waving his hand, "You better take her away quick."
Zhao Feihu also hastily took off his outer robe and threw it into the courtyard.
"Big Brother Zhao, you have silver, please cure me," Yang Ruxin said, reaching out to grab Zhao Feihu, "I can really work... cough cough... My mother is still unconscious, I need silver even more..."
"Get out!" Zhao Feihu became angry. Was consumption something to joke about? Anyone who caught that disease only had one path leading to death, and once a person got sick, the entire family would likely be infected, with almost everyone dying out in the end. Just last year, an old man in the alley up ahead died of consumption, and neither his wife nor his son were spared. He didn’t want to take that risk.
Tears suddenly fell from Yang Ruxin’s eyes, "The doctor said it could be cured with silver... really, once I’m cured, I’ll give you... give you a son..."
"Get out," Zhao Feihu glared at Guo Dazui.
Guo Dazui quickly came over with her mouth and nose covered, pulling Yang Dani away, "Let’s go, let’s pretend this never happened..."
"Auntie, listen to me..." Feng Caie felt there was a misunderstanding and tried to explain.
"Get out," Zhao Feihu’s mother glared and said, "There are plenty of girls in the world; why should we settle for someone like you who is sickly?"
Then she directly went over and pushed Feng Caie out of the courtyard gate.
Yang Ruxin was naturally no exception.
In the courtyard, Zhao Feihu was full of irritation. It was a good thing they found out in time, otherwise, if such a girl with consumption had been given to his son, he himself might as well have been reborn.
Feng Caie, however, was not willing to give up, banging on the door again, "Guo Dazui, give me my silver back..." Previously, in order to sell Yang Dani, she had given Guo Dazui fifty wen as a bribe.
But no matter how much she pounded on the door, there was no response from inside.