Chapter 329: So, This Child... Is He Cousin’s?
Chapter 329: Chapter 329: So, This Child... Is He Cousin’s?
When the auspicious time arrived, Ouyang Zhenzhu departed amid a crowd.
After seeing her off, Zhi Wan did not go with them.
Publicly, she was only three months pregnant, but in reality, she was already three and a half months along.
What’s more, after three months of nourishing meals, a small baby bump had already begun to show.
The wedding banquet would be festive, lively, and crowded, and she was afraid of being jostled.
Besides, there was a superstition that pregnant women shouldn’t attend weddings, as it could steal the bride’s good fortune.
Although neither Ouyang Zhenzhu nor Duan Ling minded, the elders of the Huainan Prince Mansion might, and she couldn’t be so thoughtless.
Princess Chang Le, however, did join the wedding procession to the Huainan Prince Mansion.
So, Mrs. Ouyang arranged for someone else to escort Zhi Wan home.
As soon as she returned to the mansion, Nanny Fang hurried over to greet her. "Heir’s wife, you’re finally back."
Seeing her haste, Zhi Wan’s heart tightened, and she quickly asked, "Nanny Fang, has something happened?"
"Heir’s wife, please go to the side hall first. The Madam is already there waiting for you," Nanny Fang replied.
Hearing this, Zhi Wan hurriedly followed her to the side hall.
She had assumed some disaster had struck, but when she entered, she saw her mother-in-law sitting in a chair, holding a small infant in her arms.
Zhi Wan was utterly astonished.
’Where in the Duke Dingguo Mansion did such a small child come from?’
Seeing the loving expression on her mother-in-law’s face as she gazed at the child, Zhi Wan’s heart sank. She slowly walked over and asked, "Mother, who is this...?"
Seeing her return, Lady Wei said with delight, "Wan’er, come quickly and look at this child. This child is so fair and clean, and absolutely beautiful."
At these words, Zhi Wan’s heart grew heavier. With a grave expression, she looked at the baby in her mother-in-law’s arms.
The baby was indeed beautiful. Fast asleep with eyes closed, the infant lay quietly and contentedly in her mother-in-law’s arms, looking quite endearing. It was just that the baby’s features... they seemed somewhat familiar...
’Could this child be...?’
At the realization, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but clench the handkerchief in her hand. Her voice strained, she asked, "So this child... is he the Princely Heir’s?"
At her words, both Lady Wei and Nanny Fang gave her a peculiar look.
When they processed what she’d said, they didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.
"Where did your imagination run off to?"
"How could this possibly be the Princely Heir’s child?"
Zhi Wan relaxed slightly. "He’s not the Princely Heir’s?"
"Of course not!" Lady Wei said, amused. Her gaze shifted to Zhi Wan’s belly. "Isn’t the Princely Heir’s child still in your belly?"
"Then this child is..." Zhi Wan was confused.
’If the child isn’t the Princely Heir’s, then where did he come from? Who does he belong to?’
’Surely it couldn’t be another illegitimate son my father-in-law has produced, could it?’
Only then did Lady Wei seem to remember something. She turned her head to one side and said, "Old Sir, it’s better if you explain."
Only then did Zhi Wan notice that another person was sitting in the hall—an elderly man with graying hair.
The old man was sitting there quietly and hadn’t said a word. As Zhi Wan’s attention had been captured by the baby the moment she entered, she hadn’t seen him at all.
Zhi Wan was very surprised. ’Did the old man bring the baby?’
The old man stood up, bowed to Zhi Wan, and said, "This old one was entrusted by another to bring this child to your esteemed mansion. This child is your... paternal cousin."
Zhi Wan was stunned. "My paternal cousin? H-How is that possible?"
She only had one paternal uncle, and she’d never heard of him having any children. Besides, her uncle had passed away a few months ago—she herself had arranged his funeral.
’How could a paternal cousin suddenly appear out of nowhere?’
"Heir’s wife, do you remember Miss Liu?" the old man suddenly asked.
"Miss Liu?" Zhi Wan remembered her, of course. She was a female pirate who had once disguised herself as a pitiful, abused wife who had fallen into the river and been rescued.
Later, in order to find the pirates’ lair, Chen Jiu had been ordered by the Princely Heir to deliberately get close to Miss Liu and feign affection for her.
But after that, she had never seen Miss Liu again.
Her gaze fell on the baby’s face. "Are you saying... this child is Miss Liu’s?"
"Yes." The old man nodded, then sighed. "She was a pirate and had committed many wicked deeds. She should have been beheaded long ago, but the Government, seeing that she was pregnant and quite far along, granted her a reprieve of several months. They waited until the child was born to carry out her execution.
"Before her execution, Miss Liu had the Government Prison officials find me. She entrusted this child to me, asking me to bring him to you in the Capital City.
"She told me the child belongs to Zhi Ye, but since Zhi Ye was likely no longer among the living, she couldn’t find anyone else to adopt the boy. So, she thought of you, and begged that you might adopt him, seeing as he is of the Zhi family bloodline."
Zhi Wan was utterly stunned by this revelation.
She had never imagined that Miss Liu was her uncle’s woman.
No wonder the baby’s features had looked so familiar.
He was the spitting image of her uncle.
For a moment, Zhi Wan was overcome with complex emotions.
She truly never expected that her uncle still had a descendant left in this world.
"And you are...?"
"This old one is Zhi Ye’s father-in-law," he said. "My daughter was ill-fated. A few years after marrying Zhi Ye, she and her child both died during a difficult childbirth." As the old man spoke of his daughter, his already world-weary face seemed to grow even older and more haggard.
Zhi Wan was taken aback to hear this.
’So the old man was her uncle’s father-in-law.’
She paused for a moment before saying, "My uncle... he passed away several months ago."
The old man froze for a moment, though he didn’t seem entirely surprised. He sighed. "I tried to persuade him, but he was always set in his ways. Miss Liu had already guessed he was likely gone."
Hearing this, Zhi Wan couldn’t help but add, "By the time my uncle passed away, he had repented."
The old man let out a long sigh at her words.
After a long moment, he spoke with sincere earnestness. "Heir’s wife, I know my coming to your door with this child today puts you in a difficult position. Zhi Ye... he wasn’t a good uncle to you, nor did he ever offer you any help. But I am old, and I don’t know how much time I have left. If this child stays with me, he will only suffer. And when I am gone, he will be left all alone, an orphan.
"Therefore, I can only be so bold as to beg you to adopt this child." With that, he knelt and made to kowtow to Zhi Wan.
"Old Sir, please don’t! Get up, quickly!" Zhi Wan cried, rushing to stop him.
Lady Wei and Nanny Fang also came forward to help the old man to his feet.
"Honestly, old sir," Lady Wei chided gently. "We were just talking. Why would you kneel and kowtow to my daughter-in-law? You’ve given the girl a fright."
The old man looked both ashamed and helpless.
Lady Wei sighed. "Alright, then. Since this child is truly my daughter-in-law’s paternal cousin, I will make the decision for us. We will adopt him."
The old man was both shocked and overjoyed. He looked as if he wanted to kneel and kowtow again but, fearing he would displease her, he simply stammered his thanks with a trembling voice, "Thank you... thank you, Madam. Thank you, Heir’s wife."
Lady Wei turned to Zhi Wan and asked, "So, this child... we’re adopting him?"
Zhi Wan didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. ’My mother-in-law already agreed, so why is she asking me now?’
But she knew in her heart that her mother-in-law had agreed entirely for her sake.
No matter how terrible the sins of Zhi Ye and Miss Liu, the child was innocent.
Besides, the old man was indeed too old, and truly unable to raise the child on his own.
Zhi Wan thought she could send the child to the Zhi Mansion for Daniu and Qiao’e to help care for, so she nodded and said, "Alright."