Chapter 93

Transmigrated into a cat 15 (birth mother is the female lead of a women's conduct novel)

The news of Luo Lao Tai Tai's pregnancy was like dropping a deep-water bomb into the Luo family; everyone was left speechless by the shockwave.

More than thirty years later, Luo Lao Tai Tai became pregnant again, and at the advanced age of over fifty, not just the Luo family, but the entire populace of Pomegranate Flower Town was stunned.

Thanks to the Luo family constantly providing the townsfolk with after-meal gossip, life in Pomegranate Flower Town is wonderfully exciting, and the townsfolk enjoy their melon-eating to the fullest.

The last time so many people gathered in the restaurant to chat idly about gossip was when Luo Jia Ming became a eunuch.

At this point, even if Luo Jia Ming returned to Pomegranate Flower Town, there was no need to worry about becoming the subject of rumors, for his mother, out of motherly love for her son, took his place as the town's hot headline.

In the dim room, Xu Shi sat dazedly in a chair, maintaining that posture for most of the day.

Ever since hearing the news of Luo Lao Tai Tai's pregnancy, she hasn't been able to snap out of it.

Impossible! A woman in her fifties can get pregnant, so why is her belly flat at just thirty? Did the child implant in the wrong place? In this pitch darkness, if she didn't see clearly, it's even possible she bumped headfirst into the old lady's belly.

The more Xu Shi thought, the worse she felt, and she muttered, "Child, why is your eyesight so poor? Mother is here."

Da Ya looked at her with a worried face, wondering if her mother had gone mad from the news of Grandma's pregnancy.

But having a child isn't something you can just will into existence; it also depends on fate.

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Chun Hua was outside and couldn't come in right away; Xu Shi saw her eldest daughter accompanying her in the room and waved: "Da Ya, come help Mother, my feet are numb."

Da Ya had no choice but to go over, help her up, and look at her anxiously.

She knew her mother had been longing for a son to the point of madness, and now hearing that her grandmother was pregnant, she didn't know whether she would go mad again.

After Chun Hua came in, Xu Shi produced a silver dollar and pressed it into her hand, her expression serious: "I'll add more money; go find more people to look for the whereabouts of He San Niang."

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Madam is being too generous! No wonder she's the renowned virtuous wife and good mother of Pomegranate Flower Town; as long as it's her husband's child, even if it's not her own, she cares this much.

Er Ya also didn't understand; she asked her big sister and third sister in a dazed way, "Grandma isn't pregnant? Maybe it's a son, then the Luo family would have an heir—why is Mother so anxious to find He San Niang?"

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San Ya couldn't care less whether her parents were embarrassed, and she certainly wouldn't be kind-hearted like her big sister, feeling embarrassed for them.

"You're silly," San Ya said clearly, "just because there might be a son in Grandma's belly, Mother is all the more eager to find He San Niang." Her bright, clear eyes showed wisdom beyond her years.

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"Father is finished," San Ya mumbled, "If the next generation is our own son, Father could still maintain his status; if the next generation is Father's younger brother, that would make him an enemy splitting the estate with him… Oh, wait, he's incapacitated, no good, and hasn't borne a son—so even thinking of splitting the estate is out of the question; Grandfather and Grandmother will surely give the lion's share to the child in Grandma's belly."

Hearing her speak so frankly, Er Ya finally understood.

She also began to worry for her father; being someone who doesn't hold grudges, Xu Shi constantly told her how good Luo Jia Ming was, and this soft, kind child always forgot the hurt her birth father had caused her, genuinely worrying for her father.

Er Ya said anxiously, "What should we do? Father must be heartbroken."

His parents, who have always doted on him, want to abandon him and shift their focus to the younger brother—how could Father bear that?

San Ya snorted coldly, "Are you worrying about him for nothing, or should you be worrying about us?" Da Ya's heart jumped, and she forced a smile, "What nonsense is San Ya spouting? What does it have to do with us?"

San Ya held the Three-Colored Cat and sighed lightly, "I'm only stating the worst-case scenario! If Grandma gives birth to a daughter, our situation would be better—an late-born daughter, Grandfather and Grandmother would surely dote on the little girl; the idea of taking in a son-in-law should not be flaunted, lest we attract white-eyed wolves who would devour the estate; Grandfather and Grandmother would draw in the Luo family's business, lie low, and rest and recuperate. We sisters should marry when we ought to, not aspire to climb higher, and we could still marry into ordinary families…"

They might even receive a dowry, so they wouldn't marry too poorly.

Er Ya asked in a dazed manner, "Then why don't Grandfather and Grandmother want us to take in a son-in-law?"

Taking in a son-in-law may sound unpleasant, but for a daughter who can keep living at her natal home, it's far happier than marrying out.

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They don't even have proper names, always being called Da Ya, Er Ya, San Ya—showing how much Grandfather and Grandmother have neglected them.

In other families, even with just a few coins, they would give their daughters a proper, pleasant-sounding name, let alone a family like the Luo's, which is wealthy and prominent in Pomegranate Flower Town. Yet their sisters' names sound like country maids; if spoken aloud, who would believe they are Luo family misses?

San Ya gave a cold laugh, "It's not that we're not good enough; it's that we haven't won Grandfather and Grandmother's favor." She didn't care how hurtful it was to uncover the skin and expose the bloody truth, and said icily, "How can a granddaughter compare to a daughter born from one's own womb?"

Never mind that a granddaughter is also Luo family blood; with a layer of belly in between, she's nothing.

Er Ya couldn't help but lower her head silently, feeling a bit upset.

Grandma constantly calls them money-losers, yet the child she herself bore is a precious daughter—so is the only difference between a treasure and a money-loser just a layer of belly?

San Ya continued, "If Grandma gives birth to a son……" that would be hell!

If the Luo family had a son to inherit the estate, there'd be no need to lie low; they should go all out, and best let everyone know the Luo family has an heir, so more people would board that Luo family ship with a rudder.

At that point, what the Luo family would surely do is expand connections and open new territories, using any useful person or relation; they'd likely be treated as gifts sent off, using their own lives to brighten the glorious future of the Luo family heir.

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Only when the Three-Colored Cat's cry rang out did they come to their senses.

Da Ya forced a smile: "Things aren't that bad yet; this is just our wild imagination." She tried to comfort her two younger sisters, "Besides, if we find He San Niang and she gives birth to a brother, then the child in Grandma's belly won't be the only one…"

Da Ya didn't mention that the Luo family might split, with two male heirs and two inheritors, both surely wanting to seize the next generation's inheritance—no need to guess, Grandfather and Grandmother would surely favor whoever; a late-born child, of course they'd dote on.

Moreover, the elder is already incapacitated, while the younger, though just born, is physically sound; if they nurture him well, he'll surely surpass the elder.

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At this moment, the Three-Colored Cat rubbed its head against the little girl's hand.

Da Ya picked up the cat, skillfully kneaded it into a cat cake, and whispered, "Caocao, are you comforting us? Do you understand our words?"

The Three-Colored Cat extended its plum-blossom paw and tapped Da Ya's head.

Overthinking won't cause any trouble.

After staying a month in Pingjin City, Luo Lao Ye finally brought his son back to Pomegranate Flower Town.

Originally, regarding his son becoming a eunuch and the Luo family facing extinction, Luo Lao Ye was desperate; who would have thought that upon returning home, he would actually receive news that delighted him beyond expectation.

His old wife is actually pregnant?

Upon learning her son had returned, Luo Lao Tai Tai set aside other matters, supported her waist, and went to see him.

As for this son, she still cared, asking, "Jia Ming, how are you? Are you alright?"

Madam Huang stood beside the old lady as if guarding a treasure, watching over her carefully.

Luo Jia Ming lay in bed, feeling not good at all.

He stared at his mother's belly with a strange gaze, simply unable to believe it—his eldest granddaughter was already of marriageable age, and his mother was already a fifty-something old lady, yet she was pregnant again?

Luo Lao Tai Tai felt a chill in her heart under her son's gaze, and her maternal love instantly woke up.

Just like any mother who has a second child, she said earnestly, 'Jia Ming, Mother feels that there's an eighty percent chance the baby in my belly is a son; you've given birth to four daughters—who will you rely on in the future? Naturally, you'll have to rely on your brother!'

Luo Jia Ming, however, couldn't take it in; over the years he'd grown accustomed to the whole family revolving around him, the Luo family's property at his disposal, and he couldn't imagine a future where he'd have to live off his brother.

Seeing this, Luo Lao Ye's smile of joy froze, and his delight at his wife's third pregnancy diminished.

After returning to Pomegranate Flower Town, Luo Jia Ming kept to himself and rarely went out.

He was concerned about his reputation, dreading strangers' odd looks, so he basically refused to go out; whenever he had to go out, he did so furtively, darting about.

However, his matter was old news; in Pomegranate Flower Town, the news was Luo Lao Tai Tai's pregnancy.

Everyone in town wondered how a fifty-year-old old lady could have become pregnant.

Now, when people saw Luo Lao Tai Tai, they turned their gaze to her belly, then to her graying hair; no amount of powder could hide the wrinkles on her face.

The visitors said embarrassedly, 'Luo Lao Ye really is... vigorous in his old age.'

Luo Lao Ye was also embarrassed, but his heart was filled more with joy, feeling that heaven still favored the Luo family.

The several doctors he summoned all said Luo Lao Tai Tai's pregnancy looked excellent, much like a young woman's, and a safe delivery was no problem.

Luo Lao Ye's last trace of worry vanished; he began to anticipate and look forward to the child in his old wife's belly.

After seeing off the visitors, Luo Lao Tai Tai covered her face, just like her son, not really wanting to see guests.

At her age, having a child still mattered to her for face, but compared to the Luo family's heir, it was nothing.

Luo Lao Tai Tai gently rubbed her belly and said, 'Old Master, I've thought it over—if this child is a daughter, we'll find a son-in-law for her; we must take good care of our health, definitely live long enough to support our daughter.'

As for her daughter, she would certainly be doted upon.

'Maybe it's a son,' Luo Lao Ye couldn't help saying; he still wanted a son to carry on the line, and taking a son-in-law for a daughter was only a last resort.

Luo Lao Tai Tai nodded, 'A son would be better.' She also felt it was likely a son, after all her first two were sons; perhaps she was destined to bear only sons.

Unlike Xu Shi, who lacked fortune and bore a string of daughters.

Luo Jia Ming stood at the doorway, just hearing his parents' words, his face turning ashen.

He stumbled away, feeling his life was a joke—his mother's unborn child hadn't even been born, yet his parents were already making plans for him as if he didn't exist in the family.

Xu Shi saw her husband return listless and dispirited, her face full of concern.

'Jia Ming, what's wrong?' she stepped forward to support her husband, 'Don't be upset; I'll always be with you.'

Unlike Luo Jia Ming's irritability, Luo Lao Ye now felt refreshed upon happy events.

Er Ya showed a shy smile, rubbing her waist: 'It doesn't hurt anymore; I felt much better after getting up this morning—indeed, once it eases, it's fine.'

At that time, the Second Miss was in so much pain she couldn't even cry out.

Looking over Luo Jia Ming's life, he simply doesn't know how to write the two words 'responsibility'.

She quickly shook her head, flinging away such a treasonous thought.

Who would even notice him then? A man whose vital essence has been ruined and who remains sonless is, to the Luo family, practically a good-for-nothing.

Seeing that she could now sit up, she felt somewhat relieved, unwilling to let San Ya bear the guilt of patricide, and not wanting to be harsh on San Ya.

The two elders also understood deep down that this son was essentially a good-for-nothing; now they had other hopes, so naturally they no longer pinned their expectations on him.

Da Ya and Er Ya's expressions stiffened at the intermittent coughing from inside the house, leaving them with a bad feeling.

Now that Luo Lao Tai Tai's child hasn't been born yet, they have no patience for the good-for-nothing second son; he doesn't believe the couple can't see that Luo Jia Ming not only ruined himself out of despair, but also heartbroken over losing favor in his parents' eyes.

Luo Jia Ming thought of A Ming, still being sought in Peace Brocade City; his eyes turned gloomy—his parents now only cared about the unborn younger brother, ignoring his grudge, and he would not let it go so easily!

The system also didn't understand: 'Isn't it said that indulging a child is like killing him? Haven't the old couple of the Luo family taught Luo Jia Ming what responsibility is?'

You can brainwash, and I can brainwash too!

Da Ya was uneasy: 'Really not hurting? Don't lie to your sister.'

Before Er Ya could speak, Xu Shi, hiding in bed to recover from her injuries, called out: 'Da Ya, go check on your father.'

Luo Jia Ming tugged at the corner of his mouth, wanting to laugh but unable; his expression was utterly twisted.

He felt invigorated, like an old tree sprouting anew; to him, the child in Luo Lao Tai Tai's belly was the world's finest tonic for energy, and whenever he went out to collect debts, he was full of vigor.

The doctor who came over said that Luo Jia Ming's kick to Xu Shi's chest had damaged her heart and lungs; he told her to rest well, or else she'd cough endlessly when winter arrived.

'Er Mei, you're not in pain anymore?' Da Ya went to see Er Ya as soon as she woke up, finding her sitting there, stroking the embroidery frame.

That's why, early that morning, she hurried over to see Er Ya.

Xu Shi hung her head, dejected: 'Mother had everyone called back a few days ago, saying if they couldn't be found, they wouldn't keep looking… I don't want to give up; I've kept searching, and I've even prepared the dowry.'

She ached for her husband while also wanting him to regain his confidence.

Er Ya tried to comfort her, but as soon as she rose, she bent over in pain and collapsed onto the bed, only able to cry out in pain; her injured waist meant she could only sleep lying face down.

She now can't get out of bed; upon rising, a wave of tightness hits her chest, her vision darkens, she can't attend to her husband, and can only let her daughter take care of him.

Xu Shi looked at him helplessly; in fact she wasn't stupid, she naturally understood this principle, otherwise she wouldn't have reversed the dowry and also been searching for He San Niang. Luo Jia Ming then asked, 'Can't find Mu Dan either?'

Because of this, Da Ya was so worried she couldn't sleep, feeling intuitively that if Er Ya didn't recover, San Ya might really be able to commit patricide...

Luo Lao Tai Tai, having given birth to two, still felt insecure—she hadn't seen her eldest son die, and her second son was unreliable!

However, Luo Jia Ming didn't appreciate it; he roughly shoved her aside, his expression ferocious as he demanded, 'I'm asking you—any news of He San Niang?'

It's still a case of flaws not obscuring the virtues; when the three daughters managed affairs, minor issues existed, but the overall direction was correct.

Inside the room, sobs and the sound of furniture being smashed rang out from time to time; the maids and servants outside dared not speak, waiting for the second young master to drink himself into oblivion before they could enter to clean up, otherwise the drunken second young master would treat them as furniture to smash, with victims not just one but many, all lying in the clinic.

A grown man in his early thirties still has that piece of flesh, but it's unusable—what kind of talk is being utterly defeated?

Fortunately, San Ya simply ignored him, coldly pushing Xu Shi back into her room to recuperate, then turning to give her sisters a brainwashing.

He drank every day, ruining his body; naturally he just wanted more attention, but with Luo Lao Ye busy with work and Luo Lao Tai Tai occupied with preserving the pregnancy, they had come by a few times to advise him earnestly, and seeing no effect, they simply washed their hands of him.

Xu Shi anxiously said, "Chun Hua said, your dad keeps shouting in pain, seems he hurt his waist."

Xu Shi also collapsed and is still resting in bed.

Even so, she did not resent her father; her mind is too slow to handle resentment.

"Fang Dequan?"

If possible, she would love to have another ten or eight children; people worry about the Nine Dragons' succession struggle only if more than nine children were born!

No matter how good Luo Lao Tai Tai's pregnancy appearance, the pregnancy-specific drowsiness, fatigue, forgetfulness, etc., cannot be overcome; some trivial household chores can only be left to the three granddaughters.

In two years, Da Ya will be married off, and soon she'll become a maternal grandfather, still shouting and squabbling like a child, which would be embarrassing if spoken of.

As for Luo Jia Ming, he has been staying indoors, depressed and joyless, only able to escape reality with alcohol.

To Luo Jia Ming, alcohol is truly a good thing; as long as he gets drunk, all his dissatisfactions can be forgotten.

Xu Shi also hasn't given up, secretly frantically searching for He San Niang's whereabouts, scattering her dowry left and right.

"Really, it doesn't hurt at all," Er Ya said firmly, her hands itching to touch the unfinished embroidery frame.

Xu Shi also noticed her daughters' emotions were off; she endured the pain to comfort them, saying this is fate, a woman's fate, then began brainwashing the four daughters, telling them that gentle obedience is a blessing, enduring hardship is their duty, and someday they will see the clouds part and the moon shine.

She is not like those fox spirits who die without a man to sleep with; her feelings for her husband are the most sincere, not that base lust.

Faced with such a father, Da Ya also didn't know what to do, and she secretly shed tears toward her injured sister lying in bed.

"Second sister, what would you like to eat? Elder sister will make it for you," Da Ya said with a gentle face.

After this news spread, the people of Pomegranate Flower Town all said, "Surely a man without his manhood becomes deviant," and they sympathized endlessly with Xu Shi.

Luo Jia Ming directly went to find Luo Lao Tai Tai to inquire about this matter.

Compared to their mother, whose mind is not on them, Da Ya, Er Ya, and Si Ya obviously listen more to the sisters they grew up with.

"What's wrong with Dad?" Da Ya asked somewhat reluctantly; she is also now afraid, fearing her father might directly kick her.

When their eldest son was present, they only saw the outstanding eldest son, neglecting the younger son to the point of psychological issues; after the eldest son died, they excessively indulged the younger son, fostering a host of bad habits, and were unwilling to harshly correct him.

The night before sleep, San Ya suddenly said, "If Second Sister has any aftereffects, Dad is my enemy; I will hate him for life."

The strong resentment in her tone made Da Ya feel her heart pound with shock.

As for Fang Dequan, he ran too fast; the Luo family still needs a while to deal with him.

Jiang He said, "Probably it's overcorrected; the eldest son died from being too responsible, while the youngest son only has one demand: just to stay alive."

If it weren't for her, how would he have become a good-for-nothing?

The Three-Colored Cat watched coldly, realizing the Luo elderly couple truly don't know how to raise children.

"I heard he left Pomegranate Flower Town to join the army in Pingjin." Luo Lao Tai Tai was also furious; Fang Dequan's sister Fang De Li is favored and cannot be touched, so she can only resort to indirect means, using backyard tactics to deal with this woman.

Even the finest material is ruined by overindulgence, let alone Luo Jia Ming himself is not exactly fine material.

Some men remain boys till death; the Luo elders indulged their son so he never grew up, and now suddenly demanding he mature and be sensible—this day and age lacking a child psychologist, it's no wonder Luo Jia Ming is not decadent.

Luo Jia Ming strained his memory and finally recalled a man with a face full of acne, whose gaze at Mu Dan was like a starving person looking at a plate of red-braised meat. At the time he not only didn't get angry, but rather felt pleased, putting an arm around Mu Dan and striding past him with his nose in the air.

He finally regretted, for his own selfishness, not revealing He San Niang's pregnancy. He now urgently needs a son to stand as a pillar; otherwise, when his mother's little rabbit baby is born, he will be completely marginalized.

After nursing her wounds for several days, Er Ya was finally able to get out of bed.

Although she was also angry at her father for hurting Er Ya, as a child, how could she harshly blame her parents? If she spoke out, would others accuse San Ya of being unfilial, and would she still be marriageable?

Seeing Xu Shi again dizzy and collapsing onto the bed, both hands clutching her aching heart, a thought flashed in Da Ya's mind: Could this be karmic retribution?

Speaking of Mu Dan feels like another lifetime; Luo Jia Ming can no longer recall the deep affection he once had with Mu Dan, and now when he mentions her, he grits his teeth and hates her intensely.

Even if Luo Jia Ming is their father, seeing their mother suffer so much, they still harbor resentment in their hearts.

Since Fang Dequan dares to oppose the Luo family, given his mother's temperament, how could she possibly let him off?

Luo Jia Ming was furious, "A penniless, powerless nobody dares to oppose the Luo family?"

In these times, children easily die young; a single male heir is hardly a guarantee.

Luo Jia Ming has reached a dead end; he now feels everyone is an enemy. Luo Lao Tai Tai believes He San Niang has hidden backing, so she must give up searching for her, which does not mean she doesn't want a grandson.

"Mother certainly has to give up, after all she's pregnant." He sneered, "What's a grandson compared to a son? Besides, this grandson is coming to compete with her son for the family estate."

Bureau Chief Song is a bureau chief; he must be given face—can't he handle a little patrolman?

Luo Jia Ming seemed to have found a new way to vent, charging again to kick Er Ya; the arriving Xu Shi was shocked, hurried to shield Er Ya, and also received a kick to the chest from Luo Jia Ming.

Just like last time, the Second Miss personally went to call him for a meal, and he kicked her out the front gate.

He lifted the wine pot to his mouth and gulped, reeking of alcohol all over.

This Xu Shi truly has a brain like a pit, and she even strives to drag her several daughters into it.

Seeing this, Luo Lao Tai Tai finally felt at ease to nurture her pregnancy, and for the first time thought these granddaughters were not money-losers; they actually have some use.

Da Ya and Er Ya, seeing this, felt helpless; fortunately they still needed to help Luo Lao Tai Tai manage the household accounts, so they didn't have to constantly hover before their mother.

Xu Shi also hated Mu Dan intensely, saying, "She seems to have left Pomegranate Flower Town; it was Bureau Chief Song's brother-in-law Fang Dequan who helped."

San Ya is very angry; the older she gets, the closer she becomes to her pre-rebirth personality and appearance—a dissenter dissatisfied with the order and a rebel against feudal order.

Da Ya secretly sighed in relief; her worry had a reason.

The Three-Colored Cat almost exploded with fur; never expecting fate to have changed, Xu Shi actually remains unrepentant.

Whether the psychological issue went unnoticed or was simply ignored, Luo Jia Ming's adolescent phase has been endlessly prolonged; a thirty-year-old still argues with his elderly parents this way to prove his standing in their hearts.

In these days, even the crime of parents killing their children is not considered serious, let alone merely kicking someone and not killing them.

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