Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Liu Wenying came out of the house, just as Granny Wang brought over some ginger soup.

"Have a drink. You're carrying two babies now. Think about yourself and your children."

Drinking some ginger soup in early pregnancy is beneficial to health.

Liu Wenying took it, took a sip, and said, "Thank you, Granny."

"Just warm yourself up, Master Zhuang, take good care of yourself."

After finishing her drink, Liu Wenying held up the empty bowl and corrected, "Granny, I'm no longer the head of the estate."

Granny Wang smiled and said, "Look at me, I'm used to calling you that, I can't change it in a short time."

Liu Wenying didn't blame her. She spoke softly, "I've already obtained the employment contract. I'll gradually hand over the affairs of Zhiyun Manor."

Granny Wang's smile slowly faded, her lips turned down, and her eyes reddened.

She lowered her head, wiped her eyes, and muttered to herself.

"So be it. I'm just a laborer anyway, what difference does it make who's the head of the estate..."

He said he didn't care, but his voice was already hoarse.

Liu Wenying held her aged hand and said, "Don't be sad, Granny. I will move to the nursing home. There are still a few empty rooms there. I can still see you from time to time. It's not like I won't see you at all."

Besides, she has now found Xiao Yiheng.

Granny Wang wiped her face haphazardly with the back of her hand, and burst into laughter through her tears.

"That's great! The almshouse isn't far; it's just a short walk away."

Liu Wenying's whereabouts have been tentatively decided, but there's still one more thing...

Granny Wang looked at her lower abdomen. "Wenying, about that matter... what do you plan to do?"

Liu Wenying placed her hand on her abdomen and lowered her head without saying a word.

Seeing that she didn't speak, Granny Wang hurriedly moved closer, "It's not that I'm being nosy, but you're still in the early stages of pregnancy, so it's not obvious yet."

"But in a few days, when your belly gets big, who in the village is blind? When the gossip starts spreading, won't you still care about your reputation?"

After she becomes pregnant, people will inevitably gossip about her. The villagers may respect her, but there are many people who will talk.

Liu Wenying's eyelashes trembled, and she frowned in thought.

"I do have an idea. Why don't you leave Zhiyun Manor and go live somewhere further away?"

"After the child is born, you can lie and say that the child is an adopted orphan. No one will know and no one will gossip."

Liu Wenying looked up at her.

Granny Wang spoke earnestly, and her method was indeed comprehensive, preserving her reputation and allowing the child to stay by her side legitimately.

But she hesitated; the best solution shouldn't be like this.

Granny Wang grasped her hand, "Listen to Granny, do it this way."

"I have a relative in Jizhou, which is neither too far nor too close to the capital. Nobody there knows you."

"I'll go with you, and we'll come back after the baby's one-month celebration..."

"Granny." Liu Wenying shook her head.

Granny Wang was stunned. "You don't mean to...have an abortion?"

Her voice trembled, "That won't do! It's too harmful to my health. What if I develop a chronic illness later..."

"You're overthinking it, Granny. I won't do that," Liu Wenying interrupted her.

"On the way back, I was thinking, this child is very well-behaved and has never made me feel bad. I will keep him."

Granny Wang breathed a sigh of relief, but her brows were still furrowed. "It's good that you think that way, but you should also listen to what I'm saying. Your reputation is important, Wenying!"

"But I don't agree with the old woman's method."

"Why?" Granny Wang asked, puzzled. "What other way is there?"

In the twilight, her silhouette was gilded with a pale gold, concealing an unyielding spirit.

Liu Wenying said slowly, "No matter who the child's father is, I will always be his mother. I will raise him to adulthood and do everything in my power."

"He is Luo Luo's sister or brother, a blood relative born of the same mother. If I were to adopt him, it would be harmful to him. How heartbroken he would be if he found out the truth in the future?"

"Therefore, I cannot use that method."

Granny Wang opened her mouth, but after a long pause, she finally said, "This won't work, that won't work, what else can we do? The month won't wait!"

"I want to find a man to marry into my family."

"We agreed beforehand that we would only be husband and wife in name only, and would divorce after the child was born."

She figured this out on the carriage ride back to the village.

Too many things have changed on Pei Zeyu's side. It's unknown when we'll see him again, or how he'll react when he finds out.

She couldn't wait; she had to plan for herself and her child.

Granny Wang was completely stunned: "Marry into the family? Who would be willing to do that so soon? We can't delay any longer!"

"I can."

The sound came from the courtyard gate.

Liu Wenying and Granny Wang turned their heads at the same time.

As dusk approached in late winter, a light mist enveloped the eaves of the corridor. Xue Bi stood before the corridor, his blue cloth robe faded from washing, simple and austere.

He walked slowly closer, the afterglow of the setting sun illuminating his face.

Like the moon reflected in a cold pool, its noble character remains unchanged.

"Master Xue?" Granny Wang exclaimed in surprise, "When did you...?"

Xue Bi bowed with his hands clasped in a gesture of respect, his demeanor composed.

"I was just passing by when I overheard you two talking."

He turned to Liu Wenying, "Wenying runs an orphanage, taking in orphans and widows, and she shares the same interests as me, teaching children to read and write in my private school. Besides..."

Xue Bi's Adam's apple bobbed as he continued, "I have no parents and am all alone. After I marry into the family, I will not have any relatives to bother me."

"After the child is born, the divorce will be clean and simple, which is the most suitable option for Wenying."

Before Granny Wang could say anything more, Xue Bi interrupted her.

"Granny, you've had a hard day. Please rest early. There are many things to do at the manor, and I'll need your help tomorrow."

This means he doesn't want others to interfere.

Granny Wang glanced at Xue Bi, then at Liu Wenying who remained silent with her eyes down, and finally sighed.

"Alright, you two discuss it."

She turned and left, her footsteps fading into the distance.

Only two people remained in the courtyard, their shadows, one tall and one short, cast close together on the wall.

Xue Bi took two steps forward, their shadows merging together.

The warm glow of the setting sun fell on his shoulders.

Liu Wenying's acquaintance with Xue Bi was neither long nor short.

He was always gentle and composed, always knowing when to advance and retreat, like a ruler whose edges had been smoothed by time, measuring everything just right and never overstepping boundaries.

He seems different today.

Xue Bi looked at her, her lips moved as if she wanted to say something.

"Me too."

The door to the room was pushed open.

Lu Ye stood at the door, his dark gold eyes fixed on Liu Wenying.

"Wenying, what Master Xue can do, I can do too," Lu Ye said in a low voice, his voice roughened by the wind and sand of the borderlands.

Xue Bi glanced sideways and met Lu Ye's gaze.

The two people, one slender and elegant, the other robust and heroic, made Liu Wenying seem to be sandwiched between two mountains.

"I have no parents, only a grandmother. She likes you and will definitely not object to me being good to you."

"I am strong enough to protect the village, and I can protect you too."

His gaze swept over Liu Wenying's lower abdomen. "Once the child is born, I will raise it as my own. Whether we divorce or not... it's up to you."

Lu Ye's words were not as logical as Xue Bi's, but they were direct and passionate.

Liu Wenying looked at them and suddenly felt a tightness in her throat.

One of these two people taught her daughter to read and write, and the other saved her life.

Now they're all standing here, saying they want to marry into the family.

Even if it's just in name only, it's to help her out of her immediate predicament.

"You...don't need to do this."

"I'm willing," Xue Bi said.

"Me too!" Lu Ye chimed in.

Now it was Liu Wenying's turn to struggle. After a moment, she finally said, "Let me think about it."

Xue Bi nodded: "Of course."

Lu Ye nodded: "No rush."

…………