Chapter 1139 - 1141 Return as it was_1
By this time, Madam Huang had realized that she’d been made Madam Zhou’s pawn, which inevitably infuriated her.
Eager to make amends, especially considering Madam Ye was the one with the highest status, she spoke up.
"Madam Zhou, from the moment someone went to fetch the midwife to the examination, your maids were all by your side. Madam Ye didn’t have the chance to bribe the midwife. Besides, the midwife and Cao Lingling don’t know each other at all; she has no reason to frame her. If you really don’t trust her, there’s no need to argue further. Didn’t the midwife just say she could determine when someone lost their virginity? Let her examine all our maids to find out the truth. They are all of an age, and we are all women here, there shouldn’t be anything for us to feel embarrassed about. What do you say?"
Mrs. Liu might have been outspoken, but she wasn’t blind to the situation, quickly saying, "That’s a good idea, let’s trouble the midwife to make another visit." Then she hurried to have her maid be the first one to go.
"Not at all a bother! I must also thank all the ladies here for giving me this opportunity to clear my name."
With that, the midwife went down with Mrs. Liu’s maid.
Then came Mrs. Hong’s maid, followed by Madam Huang’s, and even Madam Zhou’s own was taken down for examination. At this point, even if she didn’t want the check, she had no choice.
And as expected, the midwife confirmed every single one of them correctly.
"Madam Zhou, how can you still accuse the midwife of lying now? Don’t forget that these people have all confessed. It’s impossible for me to have bribed them all. Mrs. Hong is your close confidant; I couldn’t sway her even if I tried," Yang Chuxia’s bluntness made everyone seated inside break into a sweat.
Without regard for Madam Zhou’s expression, she continued, "Madam Zhou, it’s clear that Cao Lingling belongs to Principal Clerk Zhou of your household. I must say a few words too. A woman should show generosity. Isn’t she just a concubine? Your Zhou Residence already has one; breaking the rule once shouldn’t stop you from breaking it a second time. Why not just accept her graciously? That way, Principal Clerk Zhou would only have gratitude for you."
Cough cough, she was simply returning Madam Zhou’s earlier words back to her!
After finishing, she turned to Cao Lingling, who was stunned, "Cao Lingling, see, Madam Zhou doesn’t want to accept you. I think you should go find Principal Clerk Zhou. I believe a man of his stature wouldn’t shirk his responsibilities. He wouldn’t ruin a lady’s reputation and then refuse to take responsibility. How could we Mianyang citizens trust such an irresponsible man with our taxes?"
This was precisely the heavy accusation that Madam Zhou had pinned on Brother An earlier!
"I... I..." Cao Lingling didn’t know what to say. She had never expected the midwife to be so adept at detecting everything.
With the facts laid bare, surely no one would believe her anymore. Now she couldn’t enter the Ye Family, and once Ye Zi’an learned about her lost virginity, he would be even less inclined to accept her.
However, the idea of being with Principal Clerk Zhou wasn’t particularly appealing to her either.
"Cao Lingling, you went through so much trouble to climb into bed, just to become a concubine and enjoy wealth, right? Now that the opportunity is right in front of you, why hesitate? You should know that even if it’s not ideal, Principal Clerk Zhou’s status is still better than yours. If you don’t go to him today, you’ll completely miss your chance at a life of wealth. Look at all of us here; Madam Zhou doesn’t even want to let you in. If you don’t go to Principal Clerk Zhou today, who will acknowledge you tomorrow? If you don’t enter the Zhou Residence today and your virginity is already gone, what will you do in the future..."