Chapter Four Retribution in This Life?

At that moment, a middle-aged woman sneered in a sharp voice, “Shameless hussy! When your father died, who lent you the money for his burial? If it weren’t for Pingyi all these years, you would have gone hungry more often than not—how else could you be so fair and plump, luring after someone else’s husband? Shameful! She treated you like her own sister, and in the blink of an eye, you ran naked into your brother-in-law’s bed!”

Though the woman’s words were caustic, every sentence was true, and a chorus of agreement rippled through the crowd. Lu Ying recognized this woman as well—she was known as Sister Zhang, a straightforward sort who especially loved keeping dogs. Even now, two yellow-haired dogs trailed at her heels.

The young woman being scolded only wept harder under Sister Zhang’s reproach, sobbing so bitterly that she seemed almost afraid of her, her eyes darting everywhere except toward the woman. Watching closely, Lu Ying realized the fear was not for Sister Zhang herself, but the two dogs by her side. Each time the dogs moved, the young woman instinctively shrank away.

Meanwhile, the brother-in-law, feeling the piercing stares of neighbors all around, wanted to speak up for his lover, but before he could utter a word, his courage failed and he swallowed them back.

Amid the accusing looks of the crowd, the young woman’s sobs only grew more intense, to the point of breathlessness. Seeing her on the verge of collapse, the brother-in-law’s heart ached, and he couldn’t help but call out to his wife, “Ay, you’ve always treated A Jiao like your own sister. She’s carrying our child now—can’t you just let her go?”

He should not have spoken. At his words, Second Cousin’s face, previously vacant, turned deathly pale, and she staggered back a step before a torrent of blood poured from her lips.

Gasps of alarm erupted all around at the sight, and several women hurried forward to support her. The brother-in-law moved as well, but just as he did, his lover collapsed helplessly to the ground. Reflexively, he caught her in both arms. Though he ached for his wife, faced with the woman carrying his child, he could only look on with pity, unable to leave his lover’s side for his ailing wife.

Second Cousin’s spurt of blood ignited the righteous anger of those around them. That a husband could ignore his wife’s suffering for another woman was more than they could stomach. A fair-skinned young woman raised her voice, “Wu, you were just a lowly clerk in the Ping family’s shop. Ay married you against all odds! All these years, she honored your parents and supported your two brothers. Of all the women you could have chosen, why take up with this faithless wretch?”

“She’s right! The two of you are shameless!”

“A Jiao, Ay was just saying the other day that she wanted to marry you to a good family—she even prepared your dowry. Is this how you repay your benefactor?”

“Utterly shameless!”

Most of those come to burn incense on the mountain were women. No matter how virtuous they appeared before others, all women despised this sort of home-wrecker. Thus, one biting remark followed another, growing ever more venomous and cruel.

Before long, Second Cousin’s husband’s rustic face turned a sickly mix of blue and white, sweat beading on his brow. Raised in the countryside, he owed all his current fortune to marrying the gentle and capable Pingyi—without her, he might never have found a wife, let alone amassed such a household. Now, under the barrage of reproach, his earlier bravado withered, and he hung his head lower and lower.

Feeling her lover’s grip slipping away, and seeing the struggle on his face, A Jiao turned pale. The man before her was honest, hardworking, and wealthy; Pingyi, for all her good sense, was easy to fool. Given a few more years, A Jiao believed she could surely become mistress of the entire estate. What’s more, pregnant and disgraced as she was, if Wu were to abandon her now, she’d have nowhere to go.

In her panic, A Jiao suddenly broke free from Wu and staggered to Pingyi, falling heavily to her knees. She looked up, eyes brimming with tears, and cried, “Sister, don’t blame me! I only loved Wu too much, I couldn’t bear to lose you. I lost my mother as a child, then my father died—I always wanted to be your sister, to be family forever!” In the end, her wail was so sharp and desperate that even the heavens might have wept with her.

The crowd quieted slightly, all eyes fixed on A Jiao’s grief-stricken, remorseful, and helpless demeanor. Some even began to wonder—perhaps she truly meant it? After all, she was just a young girl, perhaps simply foolish in the moment.

Sensing their wavering, A Jiao was overjoyed. She lifted her right hand high and swore, “Sister, I swear to heaven, I will serve you as a mother all my life and always obey you. If I ever harbor disloyalty or speak falsehood, may I—may I…”

She hesitated, and Sister Zhang cut in sharply, “May your whole family perish!” Then, recalling A Jiao’s only family was her sister, she added, “Including the child in your belly!”

“Yes, may your child meet a bad end too!”

To swear upon an unborn child was truly venomous for a mother. A Jiao turned ashen, her lips quivering as she looked pleadingly at Pingyi. When no rescue came, she gritted her teeth and cried, “Fine! Heaven above, if I am not true to my sister, may the child in my womb never be born!”

At this, the tense atmosphere eased, and two women who had always been friendly with A Jiao stepped forward to support her.

But it wasn’t just those two—at that moment, A Jiao’s right arm was also supported by a serene, aloof young girl.

This girl was none other than Lu Ying.

Yet after A Jiao’s oath, the women’s animosity faded and their desire to quarrel disappeared; no one noticed this detail.

Feeling the warmth of Lu Ying’s hand on her arm, A Jiao, tears streaming down her face, turned to her gratefully. “Thank you, Lu Ying.”

Facing A Jiao’s fawning gratitude, Lu Ying offered a gentle smile and nodded, then said quietly to the two women, “Brother Wu is coming. You’re both here to offer incense as well, aren’t you? It’s getting late—we should hurry on.”

The two women, still holding A Jiao, nodded and released her, turning away with Lu Ying.

No one noticed as two small bits of pork bone slipped from Lu Ying’s hand onto the wide hem of A Jiao’s skirt.

By then, some people had gone to Pingyi, others had left, and Lu Ying herself was already five steps away.

At that moment—

A sudden commotion of barking broke out. The crowd turned to see Sister Zhang’s two dogs racing straight for A Jiao.

What did A Jiao fear most? Dogs.

Having just won a victory and letting her guard down, she looked up to see the dogs charging at her. Terrified, clutching her pregnant belly, she screamed and tried to dodge aside.

Though this was a mountain hollow, the ground was strewn with rocks and covered here and there with moss. Heavily pregnant and already awkward, she stumbled—her left foot tripping over her right, her right catching on her long skirt—then crashed heavily to the ground.

First came the barking, then her own sharp screams. When the crowd rushed over, they saw A Jiao sprawled on the ground, clutching her belly, face white as paper, groaning in agony.

At the same time, a crimson stain rapidly spread across her white skirt, growing larger and larger...