Reborn as a Tough Army Wife-Chapter 719 - 714: The Only Bargaining Chip

Duan Fenghua was indifferent, immediately replied, "Let the villagers say what they want. You were discarded by Luo Zhiming, and the blame falls on him."

Xu He curled her lip, feeling that her mother’s mind was beyond comprehension. If this matter really got out, the focus wasn’t about her being discarded by Luo Zhiming at all.

She continued, "It’s not just that. When the time comes, it’ll definitely be exposed that the child isn’t Luo Zhiming’s. Given Zhou Yunmei’s nature, she certainly won’t let me off. She’s likely to spread that I’m an indecent woman, indiscriminately seducing men everywhere. Then, it won’t be just me losing face, but you and dad too. Just think about it; dad still doesn’t know about this. Once he finds out, who knows how angry he’ll be."

"This..." Speaking of her own husband, Duan Fenghua didn’t know how to continue.

Their Xu family wasn’t considered a prominent household in Luojia Village, as their ancestors had married into the village. It wasn’t until Xu He’s generation that children started taking their father’s surname, and people in the village inevitably looked down on them.

However, their family’s finances were better than most in Luojia Village at the time. Although they only had one daughter, he had always believed that a daughter was no less valuable than a son. Not only was she beautiful, but she was also more educated than most, which had always been a source of pride for him.

To be honest, Xu He’s marriage to Luo Zhiming was seen as a great shame by Mr. Xu. Ever since then, Mr. Xu’s affection towards Xu He had also cooled, because his daughter was no longer the pride that he once boasted about as before.

If the villagers knew about Xu He’s disgraceful matters, he might disown his daughter.

Therefore, even though Duan Fenghua strongly disagreed with Xu He’s actions, recalling the potential reaction from her husband once he found out, she could only nod her head, "Then you make the decision on your own, do what you think is best." 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

"Alright, I understand."

Since Xu He had Duan Fenghua come to help her deliver the baby, she also knew that staying in the guesthouse for a long time wasn’t feasible. So the next day, she went out with Duan Fenghua to rent a house.

Thinking of keeping a distance from the Luo family, she rented a house in a rather remote location. Conveniently, Xu He also deliberately chose a place closer to Shuanzi.

Xu He had already planned that since Shuanzi was eager to see the child within a month, and with half a month left until the deadline, she decided to wait another ten days or so before going to the hospital to see if she could find a doctor who could help her give birth to the child prematurely.

Now that she had some money in hand, she wasn’t worried about not finding someone to arrange these matters.

However, as someone with some education, Xu He was concerned. Even if the child waited another half a month, it would still not be a full nine months, and she wondered if it might pose a problem if the child was forcibly induced to be born prematurely.

Overly worried, she went to the hospital to specifically consult a doctor.

Since it was not a very large hospital, Xu He gave the doctor a red envelope, first ensuring the child’s gender. The doctor confirmed with her that it was a boy.

Xu He was overjoyed upon hearing this, but she also inquired in detail about the potential consequences of forcing the birth.

After hearing Xu He’s request, the doctor really didn’t understand why anyone would be so irresponsible towards their child and themselves. But with all kinds of strange things in the world, she couldn’t manage them all.

However, considering that she had accepted Xu He’s red envelope, the doctor still seriously warned her, "Comrade, if the child is only more than eight months old and is artificially induced, it is considered premature. The child born may face many unexpected problems; I suggest that you do not take this risk."

After hearing this, Xu He replied casually, pretending she was just asking and had no real intentions.

The doctor advised and Xu He did feel some fear; after all, it was her own child. As a mother, she naturally hoped for her child to be healthy. Besides, this child might be her only bargaining chip to stay by Shuanzi’s side. If there were problems with the child, her life might be over.

But Shuanzi had made it very clear that the deadline had to be met.

Worried, Xu He returned home.

Duan Fenghua noticed that Xu He had been out alone all morning and returned depressed, so she asked with concern, "Girl, what’s wrong?"

Xu He looked at Duan Fenghua and suddenly asked, "Mom, among all the women who have given birth in our village, has anyone given birth to a child before nine months?"

Duan Fenghua didn’t suspect anything else and immediately laughed, "Oh, there are plenty. They are just born prematurely. It’s not unheard of during the time we were having babies."

In Duan Fenghua’s time, medical standards were low, coupled with being in a rural area, anything could happen.

After hearing her mother’s reply, Xu He felt a glimmer of hope, "Really?"

"Of course. And back then, it was popular to have ’Seven Stars’ babies—those born around seven months. They say those children are promising and will grow up to be high officials," Duan Fenghua said, and remembered the circumstances of Luo Zhiyong’s birth, laughing, "Well, not to mention others, Luo Zhiyong from the Luo family was a Seven Stars baby. I don’t know if it was exactly seven months, but he was definitely born prematurely. The whole village says he was a Seven Stars baby, and look, isn’t he successful in the village now?"

Remembering Luo Zhiyong’s background, Xu He forced a smile. The Seven Stars baby wasn’t really a thing, but she was too preoccupied with her own struggles to delve into it further. She said, "Leave Zhiyong out of it. Are there any other examples?"

"Yes, there are several," Duan Fenghua continued, citing several examples from the village, speaking with conviction.

Hearing this, Xu He felt slightly more at ease, yet she still asked, "The children are okay, right?"

"They’re all fine, healthy and grown up, and have their own families now," Duan Fenghua finished, then suddenly felt it odd that Xu He was asking such detailed questions, puzzled she asked, "Why do you ask?"

Xu He certainly didn’t dare to let Duan Fenghua know her thoughts, worried that her concern might disrupt her plans. She put on an act as if nothing had happened and shook her head, "It’s nothing, I was just asking."

Xu He felt relieved by Duan Fenghua’s words, or perhaps she had already decided in her heart to have the child for Cui Sheng. It was just the doctor’s words that caused her some worry. Duan Fenghua’s comments now gave her more confidence and affirmed her decision.

Thus, Xu He was now determined, regardless of anything, already resolved to make arrangements. But while she was busy with these preparations, there had been an uproar at the Luo family due to Xu He’s sudden disappearance.