After hearing her gossip, all the civil and military officials went crazy.

Chapter 42 The Story of Snow
Fang Lingchu didn't notice the expressions on the faces of the others.

Suddenly, Fang Lingchu thought of a possibility and asked, "Could this Xue have been raised by someone in a brothel?"

Following Fang Lingchu's words, everyone also considered this possibility.

The system happily set off electronic fireworks, saying, "Ahhh, my host is so smart! Whose host is this smart? Aww, it's mine!"

Fang Lingchu was a little embarrassed by the system's praise and quickly interrupted her flattery. Although no one heard it, she was still very shy.

Alright, alright, let's talk about the gossip surrounding Xue!

Hearing that Fang Lingchu was about to listen to the gossip, the system quickly said: [Before Xue joined the Gu family army, his nickname was Gou Dan (Dog Egg), and his formal name was Bo Luo Xue. Because he was born dark-skinned, his mother hoped he would grow up to be fair-skinned and handsome like his father. So…]

Fang Lingchu asked curiously, "Then how did Bo Luoxue end up in the Gu family army?"

The system continued: "When he was five years old, something happened that led Bo Luoxue to meet General Gu."

【What's up? 】

The system reported: "[A fire broke out in the brothel, killing all 27 women inside and the guests who stayed overnight that night.]"

Upon hearing the system's words, Xue Yin vaguely seemed to see something, but it quickly disappeared.

Everyone was puzzled, as they had never heard of a brothel being burned down in the capital!

[Bolo Xue's mother died in that fire.]

Fang Lingchu felt a pang of regret, a reflection of her reverence for life.

Who started the fire?

Everyone wanted to know just how utterly depraved it was to burn so many people alive.

The system said slowly: [Mention Luo Xue's mother.]

When they heard that it was Luo Xue's mother who had put it there, everyone was puzzled.

Fang Lingchu didn't understand either. If Luo Xue was able to grow up in a brothel, it meant that the brothel must have treated her and her son quite well. So why did she set fire to the brothel?
Fang Lingchu also voiced the question on everyone's behalf: "Why? Did the people in the brothel treat them badly?"

The system cheekily indicated no.

After receiving a negative response from the system, Fang Lingchu considered one possibility: [Is her mother pregnant again?]

[You're half right; she had another daughter.]

Upon hearing the system's explanation, Fang Lingchu understood what was going on.

[Postpartum depression, is it?]

At this point, Fang Lingchu was puzzled. Shouldn't brothels give women contraceptive soup? Why was Bo Luoxue's mother pregnant again and again?

Everyone was also very puzzled.

Netizen #1: Don't those places give women contraceptive soup every day?

Netizen #2: He's definitely using the child to threaten his clients into buying his freedom. That's the kind of tactic he uses.

Netizen #3: Of course! Women from those places, besides knowing some seductive tricks to seduce men, what else can they do? How could they possibly genuinely love children? Netizen #4: Not necessarily! Children are flesh and blood of their mothers; how could anyone not love their own child?
Netizen #5: Yes, there is a woman in our village who went crazy and drowned her own child.

Netizen #6: I think he must have given birth to someone's child, and then realized that using the child to blackmail the other party didn't work, so in a fit of anger he killed everyone.

In an instant, opinions were divided.

Everyone gasped; they hadn't expected such a person to actually exist.

They say even tigers don't eat their cubs!

These teahouses are usually frequented by young ladies and women. When they heard that the courtesan had burned her own child and those who had been kind to her, they felt that the woman had repaid kindness with enmity.

However, what the system and Fang Lingchu said next shocked everyone's values.

The system responded: "Yes."

Fang Lingchu felt a little heavy-hearted. In her culturally advanced era, many people couldn't understand postpartum depression. In this closed-off dynasty, how many women suffered from postpartum depression because they didn't receive timely treatment, ultimately harming themselves and others?
Postpartum depression is a common condition among pregnant women, though some experience it more severely than others. With the support of family and husband, women can recover quickly.

By the way, Guagua, do you know what the symptoms of postpartum depression are?

Fang Lingchu's question is also the question on the minds of many who hear it.

The system said: [1. Poor sleep and poor appetite. Even when very tired, I am not happy to eat anything. Moreover, I cannot eat anything during breastfeeding. My mouth has no taste. I am physically and mentally exhausted, but I am still excited and cannot sleep.]

2. Become sensitive and extreme; over-interpret a single comment from someone, easily becoming depressed and overthinking. Get stuck in a rut, unable to listen to others, immersed in your own logic, and believing the other person has malicious intent.

Feeling sorry for myself, seeing no future, I felt like the most pitiful person in the world. During my postpartum period, if my husband was even slightly uncooperative, I was emotionally and physically vulnerable. All I knew was that he would only become more understanding and tolerant of me, and the worse I got, the less hope I could see.

Listening to what the system said, Fang Lingchu added: "At this time, pregnant women crave love and unconditional care. That's why Bo Luoxue's mother kept getting pregnant again and again."

Although everyone didn't understand what Fang Lingchu and Guagua were saying, they understood what she said next.

Pregnant women need a lot of care and patience when giving birth.

However, some people won't remember Fang Lingchu's words; they'll only complain that their daughter-in-law is being dramatic. It's just having a baby, what's the big deal?

The system stated: "Because she is highly fertile and in good physical condition, she is unlikely to miscarry, making an abortion difficult even if she wanted to."

Fang Lingchu was surprised; she thought that the concept of being easily fertile only existed in TV dramas and novels.

I never thought it would actually happen in real life.

The system continued: "This constitution is very suitable for men who have great difficulty conceiving, especially those with poor health and low sperm survival rates. They may have a chance to have a child with this type of woman."

Fang Lingchu now understood: [So it wasn't that she wanted to have the baby, but that she couldn't abort it.]

The system confirmed her words, saying: "Whether it's Bo Luoxue or the newborn girl, they are both children that Tao Hua tried many ways to get rid of, but unfortunately, as the months went by, they had no choice but to give birth."

Living in such an environment, Bo Luoxue grew to hate his mother more and more, as well as his aunts who were kind to him but used their bodies to please men.

But he was raised by them, fed bite by bite, so what right did he have to hate them? He grew up in this conflicted state until he was five years old.

Fang Lingchu nodded in understanding and said, "So, his fifth birthday was both a nightmare and a rebirth for him."

(End of this chapter)