Chapter 138: Feeling Insecure Inside
Han Yu pocketed the silver and returned home, his arms also full of items he had purchased for his daughter-in-law. The Han Family wasn’t that wealthy, and even though he could earn a substantial amount from hunting, much of it would go into household expenses. He didn’t have much silver on him, and since his daughter-in-law had married him, he had not bought her anything significant. So, having earned some silver this time, he was naturally unwilling to be stingy and ended up spending more than twenty taels of silver. Although it was a bit much, when he thought of how happy his daughter-in-law would be to receive the gifts, Han Yu felt that it was worth it.
Han Yu was dirty from his days spent in the mountains; his appearance was far from impressive, but his step was light. This trip had yielded more than he had expected, and when his daughter-in-law came to live with him, they would be able to enjoy better days,
As he approached his home, Han Yu smelled the scent of medicine before he even entered the door. It wasn’t coming from the kitchen but from the small kitchen set up by Xiao Xi temporarily. Han Yu’s originally gentle expression turned cold as he thought about the last time his daughter-in-law was accosted by robbers on the road. He had been away from home for only a few days, and he hoped nothing had happened to his daughter-in-law, especially since there was quite a commotion upon his return yet she hadn’t appeared, which was unusual. Normally, she would have run out to greet him by now. His heart sank even more.
Han Yu didn’t care about the dirt on his body and hurried into the room, only to see his daughter-in-law lying on the bed, seemingly asleep. As he got closer, he could see a trace of pallor on her face, which suggested something serious had occurred; otherwise, his daughter-in-law wouldn’t be lying in bed asleep during the day, and her complexion wouldn’t be so poor.
Han Yu wanted to know what had happened, but since Su Wenyue was asleep, he couldn’t ask her. Xiao Xi was nowhere to be seen, and Han Yu’s expression grew even colder.
“Uncle, you’re back!” Xiao Xi entered with a medicine bowl and saw that Han Yu had returned, her face lighting up with joy. With the master back home, things would be alright! Although the Miss didn’t have any serious issues, her complexion still looked rather poor. As a servant girl, she couldn’t be as thoughtful as the male master and, moreover, the master was the backbone of their family. With the backbone present, the Miss’s heart would also settle down.
“Xiao Xi, where have you been?” If Han Yu didn’t know that Xiao Xi was a loyal servant girl and not the type to slack off or deceive, he wouldn’t have asked so gently.
“Uncle, we were running low on eggs at home, so I went to the village to buy some more and also bought two hens. The Miss is pregnant and needs to nourish her body, so I need to make some delicious food for her,” said Xiao Xi, whose mind was entirely focused on how to get her Miss back in good health and give birth to a chubby young master.
“Hmm, Lady Yue isn’t well and could use more nourishment,” Han Yu nodded, thinking that Xiao Xi was indeed a thoughtful girl, knowing how to look after her master. After he spoke, he felt something was amiss.
“Xiao Xi, did you say Lady Yue is pregnant?” Xiao Xi spoke so naturally, and it slipped out in her conversation that Han Yu took a while to react because the news was so unexpected. In addition to being surprised, he also felt a bit foolish.
When it came to the matter of his Miss being pregnant, Xiao Xi was all smiles: “Yes, Uncle, the Miss is pregnant, for over a month now, and we only just found out about it.”
Xiao Xi knew that her Miss had kept the pregnancy from the Uncle, so she didn’t forget to add that detail, hoping to cover for her Miss. However, she forgot how shrewd her Uncle was. He wasn’t as easily fooled as other members of the Han Family. By adding that detail, she made it seem more like she was trying to hide something.
Han Yu thought back to the secretive behavior of the two servant girls and how they had been hiding something from him, likely this particular matter. At first, he feared that his daughter-in-law had fallen ill, and he was incredibly worried. It turned out that she was just experiencing the effects of pregnancy. Han Yu hadn’t thought of that before, but now everything made sense.
Han Yu asked Xiao Xi about what had happened during his time in the mountains. Upon hearing Xiao Xi’s recount, the joy on Han Yu’s face diminished a bit. Pregnancy was such a big deal, and yet his daughter-in-law had kept it from him, preferring to let him worry instead of telling him. If he had known about his daughter-in-law’s pregnancy, he wouldn’t have rushed into the mountains and would have ensured everything at home was in proper order. Thankfully, things turned out lucky this time; otherwise, if the child in his daughter-in-law’s stomach had been harmed, it would leave a knot in his heart for a lifetime, not to mention his daughter-in-law would certainly not feel at ease.
As for the Jiang family members, Han Yu’s face turned icy at the mere thought of them. Previously, Yang Juxiang and her daughter had always troubled his daughter-in-law, and Jiang Chunlan had done such a thing. Now a youngster from the Jiang Family had almost caused his daughter-in-law to miscarry. Although the kid was just a teenager and probably didn’t do it on purpose, even though Han Yu was annoyed, he couldn’t barge in over this matter. As for Jiang Chunlan, she could spend a few more days in prison. He had originally planned to let Jiang Chunlan out after she had learned her lesson, not to upset her mother, but it seemed unnecessary now.
Even if Su Wenyue hadn’t said anything, Han Yu could probably guess the reason. He was angry because his daughter-in-law didn’t trust him enough and because she was too reckless. Xiao Xi, too, played a part in this as an accomplice, a servant girl whose loyalty was too excessive, always following her Miss’s orders and not taking his, the master’s, words seriously enough.
Xiao Xi already felt insecure, and after being glared at fiercely by Han Yu, she felt a tingling in her scalp. The Uncle was so smart; he probably had already guessed the truth. She wasn’t worried about herself being punished, but now her Miss would really suffer. Her Miss used to be fearless and bold, and only the family’s uncle could somewhat control her. Since she married into the Han Family, the Uncle had been her nemesis. Her once highhanded Miss had been subdued by the Uncle into total obedience, but these were thoughts that Xiao Xi dared not voice.
When Su Wenyue woke up and opened her eyes, she saw Han Yu looking at her with a profound gaze, uncertain what he was thinking. It was different from his usually indulgent gaze, somehow deep and resigned, with something she couldn’t comprehend, making her feel uneasy.
“Husband, you’re back!” No matter what Su Wenyue felt inside, she showed a sweet smile and propped herself up to rise, unable to bear Han Yu’s intense gaze.
“Take it easy, what’s the rush to get up? You’re carrying a child inside. This is not the way a mother-to-be should act. You really are a concern,” Han Yu quickly supported her rising form, scolding her gently.
“Husband, you know I’m pregnant, that there’s a baby in my stomach. Are you happy?!” Su Wenyue asked cheerfully without inquiring how Han Yu had found out. It must have been Xiao Xi who told him, and considering what happened due to the accident, the news of her pregnancy was already known by the Han Family members, so it wasn’t strange for Han Yu to know. She had actually wanted to share the good news herself, but then this mishap occurred.
However, upon hearing Su Wenyue’s words, Han Yu didn’t reply, maintaining the same intense gaze on Su Wenyue, which made her feel increasingly anxious.