After being jilted, the entire neighboring village was filled with deep regret.

Chapter 99 The Amazing Secret
"This is outrageous! They can't treat a pregnant woman like this!" Shi Liu said indignantly. "Come on! I'll take you to see my mistress and have her stand up for you!"

Cuilan shook her head. "Forget it. It's the New Year, I can't afford to upset my master. I'll stay here for one night and go back to the manor first thing tomorrow morning to ask the young master and mistress to stand up for me! At worst, I'll just divorce that good-for-nothing Su Chuan!"

Shiliu was shocked. "You can be angry, but you can't talk nonsense! After all, there's a child in your belly. Even if you don't think about yourself, you have to think about the child. You can't just abandon the child, can you?"

"That's impossible! This is my precious baby. You want me to abandon him for those bastards from the Su family? Dream on!" Cuilan clenched her fists in anger.

He seemed to resent people associating his child with the Su family.

Shi Liu felt confused, thinking that perhaps the pregnant woman's temper was unpredictable, so she didn't bring it up again.

She knew she had to get up early the next day to serve her master, so she and Cuilan, who was seething with anger, went to bed early.

Cuilan had been restless all night and was already annoyed. On top of that, she couldn't sleep well in the new place and had nightmares and talked in her sleep all night, which woke up Shiliu.

Shiliu was tossing and turning restlessly when she suddenly heard Cuilan talking in her sleep. Startled, she sat up abruptly and couldn't fall back asleep.

The next day, Shiliu got up before dawn and rushed to the Bai family's courtyard before Cuilan woke up.

Bai and Ma Xingteng hadn't gotten up yet, but she couldn't wait any longer, so she had no choice but to bite the bullet and knock on the door.

"What is it?" Bai asked, letting Shiliu in with a displeased expression.

Shiliu glanced at Ma Xingteng, who was lying motionless with his back to them, and said in a low voice, "Young Madam, Cuilan came to seek refuge with me last night. She is married to Su Chuan and is pregnant. She said she was kicked out of the house by her mother-in-law and has nowhere to go."

"I took her in for the night, and Cuilan started talking in her sleep. I overheard some things I shouldn't have heard."

Shi Liu glanced at Ma Xingteng and dared not continue speaking.

Bai turned her head following her gaze, then quickly turned back, quite calmly saying, "Just say what it is."

She wanted to see what terrible thing had happened that made her personal maid act so recklessly.

Shi Liu clenched her fists, took a deep breath, and finally said, "The child in Cui Lan's belly is not Su Chuan's, but the eldest young master's."

Madam Bai frowned instantly, slowly sat down, and fell into deep thought. "Does my sister-in-law know about this?"

Shi Liu shook her head nervously, "This servant doesn't know. This servant only overheard it by chance last night. If this is true, it is no small matter! After all, that child is of the Bai family bloodline. He can't possibly recognize a servant as his father! But if this matter gets out, not to mention how furious the eldest young mistress will be, I'm afraid the Bai family will have another laughing stock."

Also, Cuilan was wronged at the Su family's house in Dongmen Village last night, and she keeps saying she wants to go back and complain to the eldest young master and mistress. If we neglect her, I'm afraid she'll tell on us too.

The two women, mistress and servant, didn't care at all whether it was a joke or not; they were more concerned about their own interests.

Bai was born out of wedlock, and she wouldn't have been able to marry Ma Xingteng if it weren't for her concubine's favor. Now that he has leverage over Young Master Bai, he naturally wants to maximize his own interests. After thinking for a moment, she calmly instructed, "When Cuilan wakes up, prepare a good meal for her, arrange for a carriage to take her away properly, and also give her two taels of silver from me. Don't say it's from me; just say it's a token of your goodwill. As for everything else, just pretend you know nothing about it."

Shiliu didn't understand Bai's intentions, but that didn't stop her from obeying.

When she returned to the courtyard, Cuilan was already awake. Upon seeing Shiliu return from outside, her first reaction was to question her, "Where did you go so early this morning? You didn't go to see Su Chuan's family, did you?"

"How could that be!" Shi Liu smiled kindly and walked over quickly. "Today is the first day of the month. It's the first time my young lady is in charge of the household. She has to be careful in everything she does. I have to go and make arrangements early."
I also asked the kitchen to prepare some hot food. After you've had breakfast later, I'll have the driver take you back to the county.

Cuilan was fairly satisfied with Shiliu's arrangements, but she was more concerned about Bai Shi taking control. "Your young lady's parents-in-law are still alive, and the Ma family hasn't split up yet, so how come Miss Rong is in charge of the household?"

"It's a long story."

Shi Liu brushed it off with a few words, then took out two taels of silver and gave it to her, saying earnestly, "You are pregnant and still being treated like this by your in-laws. It makes me feel bad too. We are from the same family after all. Take this silver for now, in case you need it on the road. When you get to the county town, ask someone to send me a message so I can feel more at ease."

Cuilan was somewhat shocked and touched as she received the two taels of silver. "I never expected you to help me like this. The Su family doesn't even treat me as well as you do!"

Shi Liu smiled even more kindly, "We're all sisters, no need to be so polite."

After Shiliu saw Cuilan off, she immediately went to report to Bai Shi.

Bai was having tea with Ma Xingteng when she heard this. She nodded slightly and looked at her husband beside her, "Do you think this is inappropriate?"

"What makes you say that?" Ma Xingteng raised an eyebrow.

Madam Bai sighed and casually glanced at Ma Xingteng's injured leg. "Although I am now in charge of the household affairs, I am still a daughter-in-law. If my mother-in-law makes things difficult for me, I will not be able to handle it. My father-in-law seems to favor my younger brother-in-law now, so we should make plans as soon as possible."

The Bai family name sounds prestigious, but I'm just an illegitimate child. My stepmother doesn't like me, and my father doesn't concern himself with the affairs of the women in the inner quarters, so I can't ask him for help. If I can get hold of my elder brother's weakness, I might be able to use it if things get really desperate in the future. Don't blame me then.

Ma Xingteng silently grasped Bai's hand, his face full of emotion, "What you've done is all for our family, how could I blame you? When I was injured before, if you hadn't had someone notify the Bai family, and if my father-in-law hadn't sent people over to visit and put pressure on me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to live peacefully until now."

Lady Bai breathed a sigh of relief and smiled, "I have no other wish than for my husband to understand my good intentions."

With the coachman's escort, Cuilan returned to the Bai family mansion in the county town after noon.

As soon as she entered, she pitifully went to Qiufeng Courtyard. Seeing Young Master Bai and Young Madam Bai together, her face stiffened. She took a deep breath to suppress her jealousy and entered with her head down, saying, "This servant greets Young Master and Young Madam Bai."

"Cuilan? Didn't you go back to the countryside with Su Chuan's family for the New Year? Why are you back so soon?" Zhu asked in surprise, putting down her teacup.

Cuilan immediately burst into tears and knelt down with a thud. "Young Madam, you must do justice for me!"