04 Whose Child Is It

Everyone's jaws almost dropped when they heard Su Xiaofeng's words.

Su Xiaofeng had said that the child in her belly wasn't Liu An's, raising the possibility that Su Xiaofeng, in order not to marry a simpleton, not only followed Liu An but also got involved with another man.

With this thought in mind, the villagers' gaze toward Su Xiaofeng shifted.

Tsk tsk, you just couldn't tell—Su Xiaofeng normally wouldn't let out a peep when poked with a stick, looking so gentle and fragile, but turned out to be quite the flirt, not only being with Liu An but also getting cozy with another man.

Indeed, the quietest dogs are the ones that bite the hardest when they eventually lash out.

"Did everyone hear that? Xiaofeng said that the child in her belly isn't Liu An's. My goodness, Xiaofeng, who have you gotten involved with now?" Hu Xiulan stood excitedly as she heard Su Xiaofeng's words, eyes sparkling with excitement. It was huge news, definitely sensational enough to shock everyone within miles. Once this news spread, Su Xiaofeng's reputation...

"Xiaofeng, you can be careless with what you eat, but you can't be careless with what you say. If the child in your belly isn't Liu An's, then whose is it?" He Ximei's brother, He Yong, was equally startled by Su Xiaofeng's declaration, his thoughts immediately wondering if it could be Pengzi's.

But then he thought, Pengzi was twenty-one this year, and although a bit slow in the head, he might not be clueless about matters between men and women. However, it was unimaginable that Pengzi would do such a thing.

Liu An's eyes roved. He, of course, knew that the child in Su Xiaofeng's belly wasn't his. That day, he had wanted to do something with Su Xiaofeng, but who knew this seemingly feeble woman would struggle fiercely like a madwoman, leading to both of them rolling down the slope.

He had taken quite a fall and had to recuperate for nearly two months before he felt somewhat better. He had thought of seeking out Su Xiaofeng to see if he could take advantage of the situation, but old man Su had discovered him and incidentally uncovered the news of Su Xiaofeng's pregnancy.

He was initially shocked, but it quickly dawned on him that since Su Xiaofeng was pregnant out of wedlock, if he approached the Liu Family to propose marriage at this time and announced to everyone that the child was his, Su Xiaofeng would have no choice but to marry him.

Of course, he wasn't stupid; marrying a woman who had lost her virginity and raising someone else's child was not something he was willing to do.

Su Xiaofeng was quite attractive, and once he married her, he could easily find a reason to get rid of her child. Then, after she'd stayed in his house for a while, he'd have her serve the Li Family brothers.

With Su Xiaofeng's beauty, simply having her stand in a crowd of men would make their eyes pop. Relying on this money tree, Liu An's life would become much easier.

Determined to marry her, he immediately dragged his father to propose, coming with sincerity. Now, hearing Su Xiaofeng say the child wasn't his, he sneered, "Su Xiaofeng, you better think carefully before you speak. Have you forgotten what happened between us on the hillside two months ago?"

If it had been the original owner of the body who heard Liu An mention the incident from two months ago, she would have been stricken with grief and indignation. However, the current Su Xiaofeng was no longer that timid woman. The Su Xiaofeng of today came from modern times, had dealt with all sorts of people in the process of starting a business, and certainly didn't take this thug seriously.

She glanced out of the corner of her eye at a corner of her home, where a broom and several hoes stood silently, including a new hoe made by old man Su that hadn't been used yet and shone with a cold metallic light.

Upon hearing Liu An's words, old man Su's veins threatened to pop again, but for the moment, what Xiaofeng said was even more shocking.

What did she mean by saying the child in her belly wasn't Liu An's? If it wasn't Liu An's, whose could it be?

With Xiaofeng's reputation on the line and so many villagers waiting for a spectacle, old man Su, who initially wanted to question Su Xiaofeng, forcefully swallowed his words back down: This wretched girl, once they got home, he would surely break her legs, to see what kind of trouble she had gotten into.

As Liu An finished speaking, everyone's eyes turned to Su Xiaofeng, eager to hear her answer about who the father of the child really was.

"Xiaofeng, you need to think carefully before you speak," He Ximei whispered into Su Xiaofeng's ear. "This is no joke. If you can't name the father of your child or admit you've been with more than one man, we'll put aside what your father would say. The villagers' gossip alone could drown you."

She harbored a selfish desire to have Su Xiaofeng marry off in a swap, but she didn't mean for Xiaofeng to end up with someone like Liu An, a ruffian.

She had made enquiries, and the Li Family living ten miles away was just as poor as theirs. The sister there was capable, but the brother was simple-minded and likewise unsuccessful in finding a wife.

If Xiaofeng agreed to marry the brother from the Li Family and they swapped the sister to marry Pengzi, then naturally, Pengzi would have a wife.

Returning home with a load of pigweed, Su Peng saw a crowd gathered at his doorstep and called out, "Make way, make way, you're blocking my path home."

Like He Ximei, Su Peng was tall and strong with a handsome exterior and eyes that resembled those of a bull; however, his intellect was lacking.

Upon seeing Su Peng return, Hu Xiulan taunted, "Oh dear, Xiaofeng, you say the child in your belly isn't Liu An's—could it possibly be that of the idiot standing before us?"

He Ximei wanted to spit in disdain, for her son would never do such a thing; however... her eyes involuntarily drifted towards Xiaofeng and she fell silent, choosing to remain quiet.

There's nothing good about marrying a rogue; it's better to marry the younger brother of the Li Family.

Witnessing He Ximei's expression and hearing Hu Xiulan's words, everyone began to speculate, "Could it really be the fool's child?"

"Impossible," Liu An snorted coldly. "You've forgotten how you moaned that day, how you begged me to marry you, haven't you? Su Xiaofeng, you whore, you have the gall to seduce me but not the courage to admit it, do you? Let me tell you, as long as I live, you can forget about marrying that fool with my seed."

The more Liu An spoke, the more vigorous he became, and the harsher his words grew. He was almost convincing himself that the child in Su Xiaofeng's belly was his.

"Young woman," the booming duck-like voice of Liu An's father proclaimed strongly, "if my son says you're carrying his seed, then it must be his. Rest assured and marry into our Liu Family; we will take good care of you. Tell us, did your stepmother mistreat you? If she did, tell us, and we'll stand up for you." The conviction in his voice made it hard not to wonder if the child in Su Xiaofeng's belly really was Liu An's.

Putting down the pigweed, Su Peng looked at the dense crowd, his eyes aching from the confusion, "Mother, why are they all crowding around our doorstep?"

Upon hearing this, Liu An smiled and said, "Big brother-in-law, take a good look. Your sister is already carrying my baby. I'm here today to propose marriage. From now on, we'll be one family."

As he spoke, he moved closer, trying to get Su Peng to stand by his side.

With a commanding wave of his hand, Su Peng's voice rang out powerfully, "Butterfly, don't come any closer."

Liu An instinctively froze. Simple as he might be, Su Peng's commanding voice was indeed frightening, almost cowing Liu An himself.

At the sound of Su Peng calling Liu An 'Butterfly,' Su Xiaofeng burst into laughter.

All eyes turned towards her.

Standing at the doorstep, Xiaofeng's clear and bright eyes sparkled with laughter, like peach blossoms that dazzled so mesmerizingly that it was hard to look away.