She got pregnant after the swap marriage, and the scumbag's family regretted it so much they cr

How could things have turned out like this, with the entire academy knowing about it?

Unfortunately, it was all too late.

Gao Zhongbao didn't say another word and turned to go inside.

Zhou glared at Yuzhu a few times, then shouted towards the study, "Caidie, what are you still doing hiding in the room! Hurry up and come out to serve me!"

She didn't realize that her words were ambiguous at all. Carrying the bundle in her hand, she pushed open the door to the east wing.

"Zhongbao, you have to tell your mother what happened!"

There wasn't a single oil lamp lit in the room. Gao Zhongbao sat sideways on the edge of the bed, supporting his head with one hand.

The sunlight outside the window peeked into the room through the window frame, just enough to illuminate the edge of Gao Zhongbao's black boots.

Zhou couldn't see Gao Zhongbao's expression clearly, but she could sense that he looked gloomy.

"Zhongbao, don't scare your mother!"

"mother……"

Zhou and Gao Zhongbao entered the house one after the other, less than half an incense stick's time apart. His voice had lost its previous crispness and become very hoarse and unpleasant.

Zhou's heart ached.

Her son, who has always been the envy of others, has never been so dejected!

"My son, don't be afraid! Tell your mother!"

Only Gao Zhongbao and his mother were in the room. He took a deep breath and mustered his courage to say, "Mother, they all know!"

"Who?"

"The people in the academy."

"what do you know?"

"I...I have kidney deficiency and weak yang."

"What!" Zhou felt like the sky was falling.

Gao Shangzhi had this problem before; he loved to play and ruined his health at a young age.

As a result, she couldn't conceive for several years after marrying into the family, and suffered a lot of humiliation from her mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

Later, it cost a lot of money, and it was only with great difficulty that she was cured and gave birth to Zhongbao.

Now my precious son has the same problem.

Zhou loosened her grip, and the bundle fell to the ground, rolling several times and leaving shallow mud marks.

A sentence suddenly popped into my mind: "It's all retribution, the retribution for mistreating Gao Yan."

Instead of reflecting on her past actions, she turned around and stormed out.

After Gao Zhongbao spoke his mind, he felt much more relaxed.

What followed was a sense of powerlessness and confusion.

The academy is gone forever.

It's only a matter of time before such rumors spread.

It won't be long before the news reaches Gaojia Village.

In the past, he often took advantage of his status as a scholar to ignore his peers in the village.

When they find out, will they come to laugh at him?

Definitely!

Gao Zhongbao grew increasingly desperate.

The darkness and cold almost swallowed him up.

Zhou rushed back to her room, grabbed Gao Shangzhi by the ear, and twisted it almost completely.

"Ouch! Ouch! Ouch!" Gao Shangzhi cried out when he was suddenly attacked. "What's wrong with you, old woman?!"

"Am I going crazy?" Zhou's eyes were bloodshot, and she looked like a man-eating demon.

"What sins did I, Zhou Xiulan, commit to have met such a useless man like you! In the end, I've even dragged my son down with me, and he has to suffer like this too!"

"Have you lost your mind, woman!" Gao Shangzhi clearly didn't understand what Zhou was talking about. "Who implicated Zhongbao? What happened?"

"It's you!" Zhou said through gritted teeth.

Worried that Lu Ruyi's two maids might hear, she deliberately lowered her voice.

Unbeknownst to them, a dark shadow shifted slightly on the floor through the crack in the inner room door.

Gao Shangzhi looked guilty. "What did I do? I didn't do anything! Don't try to pin this on me!"

"Still saying it wasn't you! If you weren't so useless, why would Zhongbao have gotten the same disease too!"

It became widely known, and people said they could never go back to the academy!

After finishing her accusations, Zhou sat down next to Gao Shangzhi and began to wipe away her tears.

She rambled on, saying, "After giving birth to Zhongbao, I never got pregnant again. I thought that as long as I raised Zhongbao well, everything would be fine, but who knew..."

Waaaaah—Heaven is blind! Why does Zhongbao have this problem too!

So that's why!

Gao Shangzhi's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down.

"This isn't a serious problem; it'll get better with medicine. I thought it was something serious!"

He curled his lip indifferently.

To be honest, having this problem isn't entirely without its advantages.

At least there's no need to worry about having an illegitimate son or a son from a concubine who comes back and fights with Zhongbao for the family property!

“This is a minor matter!” Zhou’s eyes widened.

With that fierce look, if Gao Shangzhi dared to say anything unpleasant, she would definitely scratch the old man's face until it was covered in bruises!

Gao Shangzhi awkwardly turned his head away, arguing, "I didn't say that..."

Zhou snorted coldly, "Don't forget, Zhongbao is your only child..."

"I haven't forgotten, I haven't forgotten!" Gao Shangzhi hurriedly interrupted her, "Then what should we do now?"

Zhou wiped away her tears, stood up, and straightened her slightly wrinkled dress.

"Let's go! Let's ask Zhongbao first if he has any clues."

Lu Huan was extremely curious about what happened in the backyard.

But Zhou was walking back and forth in the courtyard, and He Niang didn't have a chance to get close and eavesdrop.

Shi Liang sneakily approached He Niang and said, "Mother, how about I go outside the courtyard to eavesdrop?"

There was no better solution at the moment, so He Niang could only nod in agreement, "Go ahead! Be careful!"

A short while later, Gao Yan also entered the courtyard.

As soon as he entered the room, he saw Lu Huan pacing back and forth inside.

Her brows were slightly furrowed, and her hands were clasped together in front of her lower abdomen, her fingers occasionally pinching her palms.

"Huan'er, what happened?"

Lu Huan pulled him into the inner room.

Turning around, her previous anxiety instantly turned into a smile, "Ayan, you have no idea who's back!"

"Gao Zhongbao?"

Lu Huan put on a stern face, "How did you know? You guessed so quickly, that's not fun at all!"

"I'll definitely guess a few more times next time!" Gao Yan said with a smile, trying to please him. Then he asked, "Why did he come back?"

Lu Huan shook her head. "I don't know. Shi Liang went to eavesdrop. He just went there a little while ago."

"Then I'll go listen too!"

He could watch Gao Zhongbao's antics and satisfy his wife's curiosity—such a great thing, he definitely had to go and listen.

Lu Huan grabbed his arm, "Ayan, I want to go too!"

"That won't do!" Gao Yan instinctively refused.

Lu Huan simply acted spoiled, "I don't care, I'll just follow behind you!"

She didn't want to wait for news inside!

Gao Yan couldn't persuade Lu Huan otherwise, so he had no choice but to take his men.

As soon as they stepped out of the courtyard, they saw a horse-drawn carriage slowly approaching from the direction of the village.

Lu Huan felt a surge of anxiety and shoved Gao Yan, "Lead the way! Someone's coming!"

At this time, the only person still outside who hasn't returned is Lu Ruyi!

Gao Yan took Lu Huan's small hand and led her around to the outside of the courtyard wall of the east wing of the backyard.

Instead of hiding in the passage between the two walls, they stood directly outside the east courtyard wall.