Chapter 123: Liu Lan’s Preference for Sons
Yu Zhengqing’s body trembled as he spoke, his eyes bloodshot, his voice choked with emotion.
Despair, helplessness, and lifelong guilt toward his daughter filled his tone.
Saying these words almost broke him entirely. Tears streamed down his face, and he used up all his strength just to utter them.
But he couldn’t collapse—not now. He had to be the one to sever his daughter’s leg.
The moment those words left his mouth, Old Madam Chen, who had been complaining non-stop, staggered backward and collapsed onto the ground.
Chang Huilan, already blinded by her tears, suddenly felt her vision go dark and fainted straight back.
Lady Lan, who had been trying to stay unnoticed, had no choice but to step forward. She hurriedly caught Chang Huilan and pressed down on her philtrum to revive her.
Though she had always been at odds with Chang Huilan, as a concubine, she knew her place. If she failed to act properly now, her own future would be in jeopardy.
“How could this happen? Father, is there really no way to save Yingying’s leg?”
Returning to see the ground covered in beast corpses, Yu Xiaoran had barely processed the scene before being struck by the horror of his sister’s injuries.
Seeing his mother unconscious, he could no longer hold back his disbelief.
This was his sister—the once-proud young lady of the Yu family. This was not how her life was supposed to unfold.
Yu Xiaoran had always believed that one day, the Yu family would return to the capital, reclaiming their former glory.
One day, Yingying would return to her rightful place as the second young lady of the marquis’s household.
But even if they regained everything, she would never be the same.
“You’ve seen it yourself. This is reality.”
Yu Zhengqing turned to Liu Mingsha and the others. “Start a fire. We’ll need hot iron to cauterize the wound and stop the bleeding.”
A heavy silence fell over everyone.
Especially the Bai and Liu families.
They had always relied on Yu Zhengqing.
Now, he had paid the price for protecting them—his daughter had suffered a fate worse than death.
They felt guilty, but more than that, they feared being abandoned.
Upon hearing Yu Zhengqing’s command, Liu Mingsha quickly gathered his family to collect firewood, lighting a bonfire without hesitation.
Even though everyone still feared another beast attack, no one dared to suggest leaving until Yu Zhengqing gave the order.
At this moment, they truly felt what it was like to be at someone else’s mercy—resentful yet powerless.
Meanwhile, Ye Jiamei was busy checking on Huang Xiaoju.
As she examined her, she quickly realized the situation was dire.
“This is dangerous. Her water has broken, but the cervix hasn’t opened. If this continues, the baby will suffocate inside her.”
At her words, the entire second branch of the Yu family turned pale with fright.
“No, no! This is my eldest grandson—my eldest grandson! Ye Jiamei, I beg you! You must save my grandson!”
“No! Aunt, please save my wife! She’s still so young! She’s endured so much through exile—she can’t die like this! Please, Aunt!”
Hearing Liu Lan’s words, Ye Jiamei nearly exploded with anger.
Fortunately, Yu Chunmu, Huang Xiaoju’s husband, was a good man. At least, when it truly mattered, he wasn’t as heartless as his mother—he still cared for his wife.
Just as Ye Jiamei was about to explain the situation, she was caught off guard by Yu Liang’s plea.
“Ye Jiamei, I know you’re skilled in medicine. Please, for the sake of our family, save my great-grandson!
This is my first great-grandchild. Our Yu family has suffered enough—I don’t want him to die before he even sees the world!”
“Second Uncle, save your breath. Do you think the Yu family has an empire to inherit? And how are you so sure the child is a boy? Listening to you all talk makes me want to walk away entirely!”
“Exactly! Sister Xiaoju carried this child for ten months while enduring exile. And now, when she’s about to give birth, all you care about is saving the baby! Does her life mean nothing to you? And how can you be so certain the baby is a boy? You act like the Yu family has a fortune waiting for an heir—it’s disgusting!”
Yu Luo couldn’t take it anymore. Seeing her mother’s pale, furious expression, she pulled her aside and directly confronted the second branch of the Yu family.
“N-no! In the countryside, sons are precious. A son is security, a son means labor! Ye Jiamei, Yu Luo—please don’t hold it against me! I beg you—save my eldest grandson!”
Liu Lan’s justification only made Ye Jiamei even angrier.
Huang Xiaoju sat behind them, supported by Wang Ying, tears streaming down her face.
She was already terrified of giving birth.
Now, she learned that her cervix hadn’t even started opening, and on top of that, her mother-in-law and grandfather-in-law only cared about the baby, not her.
At that moment, she felt utterly hopeless.
“Enough talking! I’m only doing this for Xiaoju and Wang Ying. I’ll help with the birth. But let me make one thing clear: This child isn’t born yet—no one knows if it’s a boy or a girl. And if complications arise, no one but Xiaoju herself will decide whose life to save! I won’t let anyone else make that choice for her!”
In this era, the preference for sons was everywhere.
Yu Liang was a practical man, and Liu Lan was a typical, old-fashioned mother-in-law.
Ye Jiamei made her stance clear in front of Huang Xiaoju—she would protect her at all costs.
“This… but she’s my daughter-in-law! Why shouldn’t I have the right to decide?!”
Liu Lan mumbled under her breath, completely unaware of how much her words infuriated Ye Jiamei.
Just as she was about to fetch a labor-inducing needle, she stopped abruptly, turning back to glare at Liu Lan.
“You’re sure about that? Then I should just stop interfering. Why should I help? If anything goes wrong, you’d probably blame me for delivering the ‘wrong’ child!”
“N-no, please! Aunt, don’t listen to my mother! Xiaoju is my wife—I want her saved! Aunt, I beg you! Whether it’s a boy or a girl, it’s still my child, and I love them both! But I love my wife more! Please—don’t abandon her!”
