The farmer's virtuous wife

Chapter 1

She felt a flurry of footsteps in the house. She was in pain ,her mouth felt dry and her limbs heavy as well. But most importantly she felt a heavy burden on her abdomen .Her body was sweaty and sore, but the heavy thing on her belly made it hard for her to breathe.

She heard a panicked voice said ",She started breathing, thank God. Let us make haste to save the baby."

That sentence made her confused. What baby? Why is the world not making any sense? She let out a whimper when contractions again tore through her tired limp body. She felt rough hands pull her legs apart.

"She has dilated enough ,let her push....Someone wake her up and let her push. Quickly before the child suffocates." She heard an older but gentle female voice say. She couldn't understand anything .

When did she marry? When did she get pregnant? But because she knew the child might suffocate she willed her body to push. And with a mighty push she felt a swish out of her body. Instantly she felt relieved. Her raised head and her eyes which were closed remained closed as she fell unconscious ,but what worried her was the noiseless room and stagnant air. She was too tired to keep her head up. But the quiet awkward air made everything seem deary and gloomy.

Meanwhile while she fainted, woman in the room looked at the blue baby. The little boy was not responding. The older lady ,took the child in her arms and put him against her chest willing him to live.

"My great-grandchild ,please leave". She sighed looking at the still baby. While the other dark skinned ,thin woman continued with pulling the placenta out since she has already fainted. They, sighed in great sadness ,they knew this child will be the only child Ning Xiao Gua has with Li Xining. She looked at the young girl who was pale and placid. She is glad she survived though. She stopped breathing for a while back, she was very scared. What would she have said to her family, to her grandson.

Outside the small room stood few men . Off which one of them was the most anxious. He was tall with heroic features. A proud nose, thin upturned lips and phoenix eyes, tan skin and slightly feminine jaw. He looked especially handsome even in his course clothing. His hair cut choppily just above the shoulder blade, with wide shoulders and narrow waist. But even with how handsome he looked, he knew he was just slightly above average looking. But his wife still did not like him due to lack of money. His wife although from an equally poor family ,was spoiled from birth unlike other village girls. She never worked and the most chores she did was embroidery ,making pastries and making trouble. She loved to dress up as a noble woman and expected everyone to treat her that was as well. She was very proud.

The poor man named Ning Xiao Gua knew his wife didn't like him and even more so she didn't like the fact that one day while she was pursuing the village prince ,the village prince  played a prank on her and instead of her trapping him,he made her trap herself and unfortunately or rather fortunately the man who was drugged along with her was Xiao Gua. And when she saw the after math she blamed Xiao Gua without prejudice. Mean while he went and confessed to her parents and asked to responsible. Her father Li Zhei knew that Xiao Gua was not that type of man and while he was poor ,he and couldn't afford dowry ,he also never visited any brothels. He worked hard honestly. He offered her family all of his savings to marry her. And since someone who was jealous of her beauty told the villagers ;she reluctantly had no choice but to marry the usually dirty and unkept man.

She was angry and often screamed at him. Him and his grandmother never found fault with her. They continued to give her the best meals in the house. The best clothes and all other good things. She was just spoiled . The when she found out she was pregnant she wanted to kill the wild seed in her belly,but poor Xiao Gua who was over the moon begged her and promised to release her as soon as she gives him the child , when she was eight months pregnant she found out that the Village PRINCE Xie Dong was married the person he married was the same woman who caused her current predicament ,her former best friend, Xie Dong's secret lover Lu Mei,or rather Mei mei. She was was every boy's dream girl except for Xiao Gua. His sights never strayed far from his fairy. The same fairy who ran with her eight months old belly to accuse Lu Mei at her wedding of trapping her in a loveless marriage.

And the result was everyone's scorn as they were receiving meat ,so they naturally stood by Lu Mei and Xie Dong's side . She was so angry that she struggled to breath,stepping on the hem of her dress, she fell head on with her pregnant belly.

It was when she was not moving and they saw blood that they started panicking and someone ran to the port to call her husband. Old Madam Ning ,heard from her neighbour what happened to her grand-daughter in law and thus asked for a few woman's favour ,and asked Mr Hu to use his donkey cart to pick up the girl.

Seeing her full of blood old madam Ning cried", My great grand child!". She walked quickly to the girl and with the help of her female companions hoisted her up and they quickly took her house were they proceeded to try to facilitate the labour but she was unconscious with an unhealthy blotch of blood on her forehead.

Luckily she woke up in time to give birth.