Chapter 260: Chapter 260: Two Dilemmas

Wang Qiao’er’s expression faltered.

She wailed and repented, "It was all my fault. I shouldn’t have forced Fugui to call another man ’father’."

"Old Sir, at your age, you can’t possibly still hold a grudge against your own grandson, can you?"

Deng Fugui’s fists were clenched, but he didn’t say a word.

His eyes were bloodshot, and he was filled with shame and remorse!

Uncle Deng opened his mouth to speak but hesitated. He wanted to persuade the old village chief, but he knew his own father’s temper.

The old village chief looked at Deng Fugui. "As long as this child is with you," he said to Wang Qiao’er, "the Deng family will absolutely not take him back."

"Unless Fugui says it himself—that he disowns you as his mother. Then I’ll take care of him. As long as I have a bite to eat, he won’t starve."

"But Fugui, do you dare to say it?" the old village chief pressed.

He had given Deng Fugui this choice before.

But that time, Deng Fugui had said he wanted to accompany Wang Qiao’er back to the Ba Family.

Uncle Deng grew anxious. "Father, you’re putting the boy in an impossible position."

"Shut up!" the old village chief snapped harshly.

His gaze was grim, filled with the complexity and weariness of old age.

’If Deng Fugui stays with Wang Qiao’er, he’ll be ruined.’

’He had to be ruthless and separate the boy from Wang Qiao’er.’

Hearing this, Wang Qiao’er immediately shoved Deng Fugui forward.

"From this moment on, I sever all mother-son ties with him! I’m no longer his mother! Old Sir, even if you don’t care about me, please take care of the child."

"Fugui is still so young. You can’t just stand by and watch him freeze to death outside," Wang Qiao’er said, wiping her tears.

She stood up. "I’ll leave."

Unexpectedly, Deng Fugui lowered his head, knelt before the old village chief, and kowtowed several times.

But he said, "Grandfather, I beg you to give my mother and me a few steamed buns. We’ll leave right away. I won’t ask to be taken back by the Deng family either."

"My mother and I have wronged you and Father. We will never come back again. But asking me to abandon my mother? That’s absolutely impossible. Filial piety forbids it!"

Wang Qiao’er’s face turned pale with shock.

She grew frantic. "You foolish child! You’re so stubborn!"

"Do you want to die following me?" Wang Qiao’er hit and kicked Deng Fugui, but tears streamed endlessly down her face.

Finally, she sobbed, "Between the two of us, as long as you can live, your mother isn’t afraid of death. Don’t you understand?"

But Deng Fugui clung tightly to Wang Qiao’er’s hand and cried along with her. "Mother, I can’t let you die!"

Seeing the mother and son crying in each other’s arms, the old village chief’s expression grew complicated. In the end, he just shook his head and sighed.

He said to Uncle Deng, "Go get them two sets of clothes and a bag of steamed buns."

"From now on, never come back." With that, the old village chief turned and walked away, his figure looking ancient and frail.

The villagers began to leave as well. Sister-in-law Liu glanced hesitantly at Deng Fugui.

Although she had her conflicts with Wang Qiao’er, they were all parents.

Unable to bear it, Sister-in-law Liu took off her own scarf and gloves and stuffed them into Deng Fugui’s hands.

"Take these." After saying that, she turned and hurried away, as if afraid Deng Fugui would chase after her to return them.

The villagers of Xiangyun Village offered what they could. Some gave felt hats, others gave cloaks.

Back then, Shen Ningning had constantly drilled into them the need to hoard clothes and grain. As a result, every household was now living without pressure.

The snowstorm had little effect on them.

They all pitied Deng Fugui, knowing he was caught in a difficult position between his parents.

Deng Fugui felt the kindness of Xiangyun Village, and tears streamed down his face like rain.

Wang Qiao’er was filled with even deeper regret.

She had left with her head held high, looking down on this bunch of villagers.

She had always felt that marrying into the Ba Family made her superior to everyone else.

Who would have thought that in her time of need, it would be the very people she once scorned who would offer a helping hand.

As the villagers left one by one, Deng Fugui knelt and kowtowed to thank each of them.

Finally, Uncle Deng hurried over with the clothes and food.

Seeing how thinly Deng Fugui was dressed, he took off his own thick cloak and wrapped it around the boy.

Stroking Deng Fugui’s frozen little face, Uncle Deng’s eyes grew red.

"My son, you’ve grown taller."

Deng Fugui glanced at Wang Qiao’er. Seeing her nod with tears in her eyes, he finally dared to burst into tears and cry out, "Father!"

Deng Fugui threw himself into Uncle Deng’s arms.

His life in the Ba Family had been worse than that of a servant.

He held the title of "Young Master," but everyone said he was the son of a concubine.

He wasn’t Ba Deshun’s biological son, and even the legitimate wife’s children treated him like a dog.

Wang Qiao’er stood up and brushed the snowflakes from her and the boy’s clothes.

"Fugui, we have to go."

Uncle Deng reluctantly held his son’s hand.

Deng Fugui said, "After this disaster passes, if I’m still alive, I’ll come back to see you, Father."

Hearing this, Uncle Deng’s heart melted completely.

He watched as he and Wang Qiao’er trudged away through the deep snow.

"Wait!" Uncle Deng chased after them and gave Wang Qiao’er a string of keys.

He glanced back at the village entrance; no one was paying attention.

Uncle Deng said hurriedly, "I have a small woodshed in Guangyang County."

"I’ve stored grain and wood there. It was meant for emergencies. You two can go stay there for now."

Wang Qiao’er’s eyebrows shot up in pleasant surprise. "Really? For us to live in? But... what if the Old Sir finds out?"

Uncle Deng sighed. "I won’t tell Father for the time being. Besides, I’m doing all this for the child."

Wang Qiao’er quickly agreed, "I know. For Fugui’s sake, I’d give my life. Don’t you worry."

Deng Fugui, remembering Uncle Deng’s kindness, was about to kowtow to him.

But Uncle Deng stopped him, wiping his tears as he said, "You are my own son. It’s my duty to take care of you. Fugui, take good care of yourself and your mother."

Watching the mother and son leave, Uncle Deng returned to the village, content.

Sister-in-law Liu returned home to find Uncle Liu sewing quilts for their son to use.

She sighed. "I should have listened to you. I sold more than half of our things. With the few quilts and padded jackets we have left, it won’t be enough if the weather gets any colder."

Uncle Liu didn’t look up, saying calmly, "We’ll sew all the quilts together. It’ll be enough for our family of three."

A wave of sadness washed over Sister-in-law Liu.

She sat down next to Uncle Liu and tugged on his sleeve.

"Do you think... we could ask Ningning...?"

"No!" Before she could even finish, Uncle Liu snapped harshly.

He glared with his fierce eyes. "You’re the one who didn’t listen to Ningning and insisted on selling our things."

"Now that you regret it, you can’t go begging Ningning to pity you. This is a hardship of your own making, and we’ll bear it ourselves!"

Sister-in-law Liu’s eyes reddened, and in her agitation, she began to lash out.

"I was only trying to get some Silver to buy medicine for our child! And now you have the nerve to blame me!"

"Everyone else in the village is living comfortably, while we’re freezing! Watching you and our child suffer with me, don’t you think I’m already blaming myself?!"

Wiping her tears, she said, "Asking Ningning for help isn’t going to kill us!"

Uncle Liu threw the quilt onto the kang bed.

His tone was severe. "In any case, I will not agree."

Watching Uncle Liu go to the kitchen to light the stove, Sister-in-law Liu felt a dull ache in her chest from anger.

「Meanwhile, in the Imperial Kitchen at the palace.」

All the Imperial Chefs and kitchen maids stood at the entrance, watching Shen Ningning as she stood on a stool, busy at the stove.

The little one put a wok on the fire to heat water. When the cool water hit the hot wok, it let out a SIZZLE and sent up wisps of white steam.

She expertly tossed in a few medicinal herbs and some ginseng whiskers, stirring them gently.

Then, she opened the small pouch she carried with her, which contained some spices.

The Imperial Chefs’ eyes widened, hoping to learn her secrets, only to find that Shen Ningning was only adding the most ordinary ingredients.

Salt, white sugar, pepper powder, and she even threw in two handfuls of small herbs that looked like scallions.

Finally, the little one cut a white radish into chunks, added two fried eggs, and let it all simmer into a pot of soup.

When she was done, the kitchen maids hurried forward to untie the little one’s apron and gently kneaded her small arms to help her relax.

An Imperial Chef called out, "The soup is ready! Send it to the Crown Prince!"

Eunuchs and palace maids filed in. They first tested the soup for poison, then had an Imperial Physician inspect it. Once confirmed safe, it was sent to Zichen Palace.

The Chief Imperial Chef quietly stopped Shen Ningning.

He rubbed his hands together, his breath forming a white cloud in the cold, and asked ingratiatingly, "Commandery Princess, is that all you put in the soup?"

"That’s right. It’s that simple," Shen Ningning nodded.

The Chief Imperial Chef was astonished.

’A soup this simple could alleviate the Crown Prince’s cold ailment in just two days?’

’They had tried to replicate it before, but when the Crown Prince drank it, it had no effect at all.’

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