I was divorced because I got pregnant during the lean years, so I went back to my parents’ home and

Everyone looked at each other, and an old lady wiped her tears.

Qin Zhuangtou suddenly knelt down with a plop, and a group of people followed suit.

Ji Xiaobei: What are you doing? Isn't this shortening my lifespan?

"Hey, get up quickly, what are you doing?" Ji Xiaobei said.

Qin Zhuangtou choked up and said, "Miss Ji, my Miss Liang, no, Miss Bai... or, my Master Bai..."

The skinny old man sobbed.

Qin Zhuangtou's wife knelt down and took two steps forward. She touched Qin Zhuangtou's head, wiped her tears and said, "Let me tell you..."

She turned to Ji Xiaobei and spoke haltingly and hesitantly for a long time.

With the additions from the people behind him, Ji Xiaobei finally understood.

This farm belongs to Liang Yuyao's maternal grandfather, whose surname is Bai.

At that time, there was a drought in Qin Zhuangtou's hometown. The village chief Lao Qin took a group of villagers to escape the famine and met Old Man Bai. Old Man Bai took them in and let them manage the village. Village chief Qin became Qin Zhuangtou.

Later, the girl from the Bai family married into the Liang family, and this farm became her dowry.

Miss Bai was Liang Yuyao's mother. After Miss Bai died, Liang Yuyao had been managing the manor for the past few years. Unexpectedly, the Liang family sold it without Liang Yuyao's knowledge...

Qin Zhuangtou said that he would work hard. The Bai family had been kind to them and they wanted to repay the favor.

Ji Xiaobei was relieved now. He gave Xiao Xuzi some change and sent him away.

The village was big and beautiful, but Mrs. Lin had no interest in seeing it.

Qin Zhuangtou took her around the garden for a while, and she was in a hurry to go back.

Mrs. Lin, Mrs. Huang and Mrs. Hu urged Ji Xiaobei to get on the donkey cart and hurry back to Mingyi Lane.

Ji Xiaobei felt his stomach dropping slightly, and subconsciously tried to support it, but it didn't hurt at all.

She kept complaining about the three women making a fuss out of nothing. The baby in her belly hadn't even started yet, so why were they in such a hurry?

The three women worked together to push Ji Xiaobei onto the donkey cart. They quickly jumped on the donkey cart and urged Xiaozhuo to move quickly.

Ji Xiaobei: Are you trying to capture me and take me back to have a baby?

It’s not time yet!

Grandma Lin: What do you know? I gave birth to four or five children. Don’t I know more than you?

Mrs. Huang: Our Huang family has been barefoot doctors for eight generations. We have walked the streets and seen many women. Don’t I know more than you?

Madam Hu: I was the one who gave birth to more than half of the precious young masters in the capital. I know more about this than you do!

Three pairs of eager eyes stared at her.

Ji Xiaobei could only give in: Okay, I’ll do whatever you say!

I'm leaving my life in your hands, is that okay?

Ma Debiao and Xiao Zhuo looked at the old women with serious faces, not knowing what had happened. Xiao Zhuo drove the carriage diligently and Ma Debiao drove seriously.

The little curly-haired boy and Ji Deyan lying at Ji Xiaobei's feet were extremely well-behaved. They snored cautiously, fearing that they would disturb their master's rest.

Fu Jichang watched Ji Xiaobei and the others leave from afar.

He then rushed towards the capital.

Ma Debiao galloped all the way to the entrance of Mingyi Lane before slowing down.

The little table muttered, "The maid of Mrs. Gui next door ran to our door again to peek in."

Ji Xiaobei pulled open the curtain.

I happened to see Lan Dian hurriedly entering the Magnolia Courtyard.

She had heard from Caixia that every time she came to clean the yard, Landian would wander around the door. Once, Caixia saw her sneaking around the door.

Caixia picked up a basin of water and poured it out.

"What kind of trouble can a little girl cause? Besides, with Xiaoyao and Old Madam Fu around, how much trouble can Madam Gui cause?" Mrs. Lin said disdainfully.

The donkey cart stopped at the door of the house and several people entered the yard.

Ji Xiaobei instructed Xiaozhuo to ask Aunt Song to go to Nanjiao Market to deal with the embroiderer's matter.

Caixia had already come over to clean the place, and the small quilts and mattresses were hung out to dry and put away.

Ji Xiaobei sat in his room, eating melon seeds out of boredom.

In the Magnolia Courtyard next door.

Lan Dian ran in in a panic.

Mrs. Gui was applying kohlrabi on her nails when she was startled by the indigo and the paint went outside her nails.

"What's all the fuss about?"

Mrs. Gui rebuked with dissatisfaction.

Lan Dian steadied herself, leaned over and said, "Madam, I looked carefully this time. What they were drying out in the sun were indeed children's quilts. I just saw some children's clothes. They were just this tiny..."

Lan Dian gestured with his hands.

Mrs. Gui put down what she was holding and looked up with interest.

"Oh really?"

"It's absolutely true, ma'am! Ji Xiaobei is not fat, she is pregnant..."

Mrs. Gui showed a hint of delight, and then asked doubtfully:

"But I've never seen her husband? She still has her hair done like a girl, and everyone calls her Miss Ji. Where is her husband?"

Lan Dian sat down, drank a sip of tea, thought for a while and said:

"The consequences of an affair? Or maybe she was kicked out by her husband's family. If she was pregnant, her husband's family would not let her bring the child out. Besides, according to the laws of the Great Northern Dynasty, even if she gave birth, the child would belong to her husband's family..."

Mrs. Gui was not popular with Mrs. Song and Mrs. Liang, and could never integrate into their circle.

She blamed it all on Ji Xiaobei.

Madam Ruo is close to Madam Liang and Madam Song. It must be that Madam Ruo gossiped about me behind my back, so they look down on me.

Mrs. Gui thought angrily.

However, Mrs. Gui has no time to deal with Mrs. Liang and others recently.

She had just made friends with Mrs. Lei, and was invited to visit the Lei family's farm yesterday.

Madam Gui sneered and said:

"Ji Xiaobei, you rented my yard because you wanted to have a baby secretly. If you don't want me to have an easy life, then you don't want to have an easy life either!"

Lan Dian added fuel to the fire, "That's right, this Ji Xiaobei is so annoying. He got a bunch of poor relatives together, and they quarreled in the alley all day long. He even embarrassed the lady at the Ruo family banquet.

The country woman in her family sets up a stall in the Nanjiao Market to make money by treating patients. I guess her textile workshop can no longer operate. Maybe she can’t even pay the rent next year…”

"No need to wait until next year. I will make it impossible for her to rent this yard now. Go to the brokerage firm to find that young man, give him double the money, and ask him to take back the yard. Then tell him that the Fu family has other uses for it. If the tenant disagrees, just give her more money..."

Mrs. Gui and Landian chattered for a while.

"Madam, your trick is really amazing. It is to prevent her from giving birth smoothly! Humph..."

Lan Dian turned around and went out.

Nothing happened all night.

The next morning, the three old women surrounded Ji Xiaobei and asked him all kinds of questions.

Ji Xiaobei answered while eating.

Suddenly, she felt a warmth beneath her body...

"Ah... my period is coming!" She screamed and put down her bowl.

Mrs. Lin looked outside. There was no one in the yard. She had an older sister who had died many years ago...

The three old women looked at Ji Xiaobei in surprise.

"It's broken, it's broken..."

She was wet underneath...