Transmigration: The Little Chef Calls The Shots
Chapter 904 - 126 Child gone?_5

Chapter 904: 126 Child gone?_5

Lin Yuan pursed her lips and gently stroked Panpan’s trembling shoulders, agitated from crying. She understood that although the young girl couldn’t abide by Jin Lingling’s usual arrogance, she bore no resentment toward the unborn child, even though it was Li Chengzhi’s.

And Panpan was especially kind-hearted; otherwise, she wouldn’t have reminded Ying Tao to find Lady Jin when Mrs. Liu’s child was in danger.

"Panpan, don’t be like this, maybe it was just an accident. You said you didn’t lay a hand on her, right? Maybe it’s just the heavens seeing Li Chengzhi’s wrongdoing and thus not allowing his child to be safely born. It has nothing to do with you," Lin Yuan tried to comfort Panpan.

But Panpan suddenly raised her tear-streaked face and said with certainty, "No! Someone did it on purpose!"

Wiping away her tears, Panpan said with conviction, "After she fell, I sneakily went to where she fell when it got dark and found that the floor tile that tripped her had been pried open. Plus, that path is the one Jin Lingling often takes for her garden strolls. How could it be such a coincidence? It’s Lin Siyu; she must have taken matters into her own hands after seeing me fail so many times. How could I not have noticed her? If I’d known she pried up the tile, I would have fixed it again. Then, then the baby wouldn’t have died."

"It’s not your fault; it’s not your fault. Since Lin Siyu did this secretly without you knowing, she certainly wouldn’t let you find out. You are too kind-hearted, Panpan, that’s why she guarded against you," Lin Yuan squeezed Panpan’s shoulder, her eyebrows furrowing, "The child, is dead?"

Panpan sniffled, her mouth twisting in self-reproach and sorrow, "Yes, even though Jin Lingling was more than seven months along, the midwife said she fell too hard and landed on her stomach, resulting in a premature and difficult birth. The baby was born all bruised and suffocated to death. It was a boy! Li Chengzhi went weak at the knees the moment he saw the child. The Boss and Madam were devastated, but what’s the use of saying anything now that the child is dead."

"What about Jin Lingling?"

Panpan bit her lip, "She bled heavily during childbirth. The midwife was out of options; finally, it was the chief doctor from Shande Hall who personally prepared a medicine for her. They forced down three big bowls before she was out of danger. But, I heard that she, she probably won’t be able to, to have children anymore."

Pausing, Panpan continued, "But the Boss and Madam don’t want to tell her about it, for fear she won’t be able to take it and might do something rash out of despair."

Hearing about Jin Lingling’s plight, Lin Yuan couldn’t help but fall silent. Jin Lingling, although somewhat clever, ultimately met her downfall at Lin Siyu’s hands. Yet, for a woman, the blow of never being able to conceive again was the cruellest, especially for a woman living in a great house like hers.

If Jin Lingling knew Lin Siyu was behind the death of her child, she certainly wouldn’t let her off easily.

"What about Lin Siyu? Was she found out?"

Panpan made a face and shook her head, "Everyone in the garden saw when Jin Lingling fell, and Hong Mei was right by her side, not leaving her for a second. Who do you think Li Chengzhi and the others will blame? Humph, they just pushed the blame onto the old woman who sweeps the garden. And that old woman is a long worker, not a bonded servant of Li Mansion, so even if they wanted to, they couldn’t kill her for it. What happened in the end? They just drove her out."

After giving Lin Yuan a glance, Panpan sneered, "As for Lin Siyu, huh, she’s finally gotten rid of the thorn in her side. She’s too happy to care! These past few nights, Li Chengzhi hasn’t had the heart to seek her out, and Li Chang has brought in a new Little Concubine, so he’s even less willing to pay attention to her. She pretends to be sad during the day, but at night, she’s singing and laughing, often enjoying a little drink by herself. She’s thoroughly pleased with herself!"

Lin Yuan scoffed. That was very much Lin Siyu’s style.

"And to think, how could Lin Siyu be so cruel? She wouldn’t even spare a child! Although it was Madam who took action against Mrs. Liu’s child initially, Lin Siyu had a hand in it too. And now with this child, is it just because she can’t bear children, so she takes out her frustration on another’s? Sister Yuanyuan, tell me, has she gone mad?"

Lin Yuan clenched her fist. Lin Siyu was more than mad; she was a monster. From the moment Lady Ma sold her to the Li Mansion, resentment had grown in her heart, turning to deep-seated hatred. How could she not be insane?

"There, there, Panpan, you’ve done all you can. Haven’t you repeatedly warned Hong Mei to be careful of Jin Lingling’s pregnancy? Lin Siyu is at fault, but Jin Lingling also has thin luck; it’s not the fault of others. You should stop being so hard on yourself. However, with Lin Siyu’s cruel and ruthless nature, you must protect yourself, especially ensuring she doesn’t discover that you’ve realized it was her doing. Otherwise, you will certainly be in danger."

Hearing Lin Yuan’s admonition, Panpan’s lips curled into a scornful smile. "Her? She’s long been distrustful of me, and even when she did trust me, she never treated me well. At the slightest disagreement, she would threaten to beat or kill me, and she constantly warned me not to speak out of turn, or she would sell me to the lowest brothel! I’m not bonded to serve her; what right does she have to sell me? Once my term is up this year, I’ll be free, and I won’t have to take her nonsense anymore! Don’t worry, I’ll be careful."

"Mm." Lin Yuan patted her hand gently, feeling sorry that Panpan had such a miserable life in the Li Mansion.

"Also, when you go back, tell Mrs. Liu to hold off on revealing Lin Siyu and Li Chengzhi’s affair to Lady Jin for now. Jin Lingling is unlikely to let Lin Siyu off the hook." Since this incident, Hong Mei would surely inform Jin Lingling of Lin Siyu and Li Chengzhi’s affair. What follows would be a battle between the two of them. They just needed to sit back and watch the tigers fight.

"Okay." Panpan nodded. The exposure of Lin Siyu and Li Chengzhi’s affair by Hong Mei was indeed something she had intentionally let slip. Hong Mei would keep the secret for the sake of Jin Lingling’s child, as they had calculated from the start.

But despite all the planning, they had not anticipated that Lin Siyu would hate Jin Lingling enough to take matters into her own hands. It seemed that fate also played a role here.

After seeing off Panpan, Lin Yuan mulled over much. Since Jin Lingling could no longer have children, if she were clever enough to win over Li Chengzhi’s heart and voluntarily take in concubines, raising the children of these Little Concubines herself, like Jin Yuyu’s mother had done, then her future wouldn’t be so bleak.

But if she persisted in retaining her spoiled ways and her position as his legitimate wife, once Li Chengzhi tired of her novelty, her life would become truly difficult.

Regardless, one thing was for certain—she would not let Lin Siyu off the hook. Once Lin Siyu and Li Chengzhi’s affair came to light and upheaval ensued in the Li Mansion, it would be easier for Mrs. Liu to extricate herself.

"The Li Mansion, huh, it looks glamorous on the surface, but it’s disgustingly dirty on the inside!" Lin Yuan snorted contemptuously and buried her head back in her accounts.