Chapter 3

Chapter 3

That night, my breasts were neither aching nor swollen, and I slept peacefully.

The next day, the pain and swelling started again.

I felt I couldn’t go on living like this, so I went to find my Second Grandaunt, who worked as a servant broker.

I handed over the silver hairpin my father had given me as part of my dowry.

“Second Grandaunt, please find me work nursing a child. It hurts too much.”

Second Grandaunt often helped wealthy households purchase servants. Hearing this, she looked me up and down.

“Mm. Girl, you’re pretty, you’re young, and you lost your child less than a month ago. You’re the perfect fit.”

“It’s just your in-laws and your husband…”

I wiped the corner of my eye. “They despise me for failing to bear a son, and now my daughter is dead too. As long as the money is right, they’ll agree a thousand times over…”

Second Grandaunt nodded and patted my hand.

“Don’t you worry, girl. Leave this to me!”

A few days later, Second Grandaunt found me a respectable position and came to my house herself.

“The madam of Zhenguo General’s Mansion has been blessed with a child in her later years-a second-born son! She specifically ordered that they find a wet nurse with a clean background, decent looks, and a healthy body. In my eyes, your Lianniang is just right.”

My mother-in-law was startled when she heard this.

“But…”

Second Grandaunt immediately took out an ingot of silver.

“This is a ten-tael deposit.”

My husband’s eyes lit up at once.

I seized the chance to lean close to his ear and say, “Husband, haven’t you been wanting Widow Wang to bear you a son? With these ten taels of silver, she’ll surely agree.”

“It doesn’t matter if I can’t give you a son. As long as someone can give you one, that’s enough.”

My husband looked at me, then at the ten taels of silver, so moved he could hardly contain himself.

“Lianniang, you…”

I said, “Husband, there’s no need to say more. You and I are deeply bound as husband and wife. If it weren’t to help support the family, I would never be willing to leave you, or leave this home.”

“In the future, when I serve at the General’s Mansion, if I earn some favor in front of the Second Young Master, I naturally won’t forget to give our family a helping hand.”

“Who knows? Once the Second Young Master grows up, the son you and Widow Wang have might even be able to enter the mansion as an attendant or study companion.”

“Your son is my son. What does it matter whether he crawled out of my belly or not…”

I fed my husband bowl after bowl of sweet delusion.

It was as if my husband could already see wealth and glory right before his eyes. He urged me to set off at once.

“Go, go! Don’t delay the Second Young Master’s feeding!”