The moment she heard the wonderful news, all of Jiang Zhaohua's worries vanished into thin air!
The cramped house, the difficult mother-in-law—these were just temporary hardships she had to endure.
Her husband had just secured the top position in the provincial examination, and soon he would rise even higher—first in the metropolitan examination, then as the top scholar in the palace examination!
After that, his career would soar, and he would ascend to the rank of prime minister… A life of honor and prosperity as the wife of a high-ranking official awaited her in the near future!
Jiang Zhaohua’s face glowed with joy as she immediately ordered the servants to hang the firecrackers she had prepared in advance at the front gate.
The celebratory crackle of firecrackers rang out incessantly, and waves of well-wishers arrived one after another.
Jiang Zhaohua had already prepared red envelopes, and every visitor who came to congratulate them received one before leaving.
She had always looked down on the neighbors around the Duan residence, but on such a joyous occasion, she greeted every visitor with a bright smile. Perhaps word had spread among the neighbors, as more and more came to offer their congratulations…
When Duan's mother returned home, this was the scene that greeted her.
Jiang Zhaohua sat elegantly in the seat of honor in the main hall, dressed in splendid attire, beaming as she accepted everyone’s congratulations.
A surge of anger flared in Duan's mother’s heart.
Earlier, she had gone to see the results posted on the announcement board, unable to resist the urge despite Jiang Zhaohua’s warnings. She had pushed through the crowd herself.
But after struggling for hours, she hadn’t even caught a glimpse of the names on the golden list—only a sea of heads blocking her view.
Eventually, she heard from bystanders that Duan Jinxing had taken first place. His academy was already celebrating.
Duan Jinxing had left early that morning for the academy, and Duan's mother, awed by the institution, dared not disturb her son there. So she hurried home instead!
Once in the carriage, Furong helped her straighten her clothes, and only then did Duan's mother realize that her brand-new outfit—worn for the first time today—had been torn in a long, jagged gash!
One of her silver hairpins was missing!
Not to mention her new shoes, now filthy from being trampled, and her clothes crumpled from being jostled…
Her heart ached so much she could barely breathe, and she could only console herself with the fact that her son had achieved the highest honor in the provincial examination.
She had just managed to soothe her frustration on the way home, but the moment she stepped inside, she was met with another infuriating sight!
Jiang Zhaohua, adorned with jewels, sat in the place of honor, basking in the crowd’s admiration.
Why?
It was her son who had topped the examination—her son, whom she had raised through years of hardship! So why was everyone congratulating Jiang Zhaohua?
She had been shoved and jostled at the announcement board, left in such a wretched state, while Jiang Zhaohua sat comfortably at home, receiving endless praise!
By now, Duan's mother had completely forgotten Jiang Zhaohua’s advice not to go out. All she wanted was to drag Jiang Zhaohua from her seat and take her place!
But the moment she entered, Jiang Zhaohua stood up in surprise. "Mother, what happened to you—?"
"Furong, hurry and help Mother freshen up."
At the same time, every guest in the room turned to stare at Duan's mother, their faces filled with shock.
Under their gazes, Duan's mother suddenly became acutely aware of her disheveled appearance and fled to her room to tidy up.
By the time she had changed and fixed her hair, all the well-wishers had already left!
She waited and waited, but not a single new visitor arrived. All the congratulations had been directed at Jiang Zhaohua—Duan's mother hadn’t heard a single word of praise for herself!
Fuming, she felt dizzy with anger and retreated to her room to lie down. It wasn’t until evening, when Duan Jinxing returned from the academy, that she finally sprang up from bed and rushed to him, tears of joy streaming down her face.
"My son—my son!"
"My boy has made me so proud! Go and light incense for your father!"
Jiang Zhaohua approached with a radiant smile. "Congratulations, husband. Let us offer incense together."
Duan Jinxing’s rise to prominence was imminent, and Jiang Zhaohua was determined to seize this fleeting moment while he was still humble…
If she treated him well now, they would be a couple who had weathered hardships together, bound by deeper affection in the future.
Lost in these thoughts, Jiang Zhaohua knelt beside Duan Jinxing before Duan's father’s memorial tablet, holding three sticks of incense as they bowed in reverence.
The scent of burning incense filled her nostrils—a familiar smell, yet today it suddenly felt unbearably pungent, churning her stomach…
Duan Jinxing knelt beside her, eyes closed, face solemn, likely silently sharing the news of his success with his late father…
Jiang Zhaohua clenched her teeth, fighting the nausea, but the more she resisted, the worse it became.
Finally, she could hold back no longer. With a retch, she vomited right in front of the memorial tablet.
Duan Jinxing turned to her, stunned.
Mortified, Jiang Zhaohua stammered, "Husband, I don’t know what—" Before she could finish, another wave of sickness hit, and she bent over, vomiting again.
Suppressing his disgust, Duan Jinxing helped her up. "Are you unwell, my dear?"
Jiang Zhaohua shook her head. "I don’t know why this happened… Maybe I ate something bad…"
Though his heart was icy with fury, Duan Jinxing’s expression remained tender. He guided her back to their bedroom and helped her lie down. "I’ll fetch a physician at once."
The physician arrived quickly. After taking Jiang Zhaohua’s pulse, his face lit up with delight. "Congratulations, madam!"
"You are with child!"
Jiang Zhaohua froze, disbelief washing over her. "I… I’m pregnant?"
When the nausea had struck, she hadn’t even considered this possibility—after all, she and Duan Jinxing had only been intimate once, on their wedding night. Since then, he had devoted himself entirely to his studies, never touching her again…
Could she really have conceived from just that one time?
At that moment, the same thought flashed through both Jiang Zhaohua and Duan Jinxing’s minds.
But while Jiang Zhaohua was overwhelmed with astonished joy, Duan Jinxing was consumed by rage.
Jiang Zhaohua marveled at her incredible luck—conceiving after just one encounter.
Heaven truly favored her, granting her a second chance at life and ensuring everything went smoothly this time…
It must be compensation for the suffering she had endured in her past life!
Meanwhile, Duan Jinxing’s fury burned hotter than ever. His suspicions were confirmed!
They had only been together once—how could she possibly be pregnant from a single encounter?
Jiang Zhaohua must have already been carrying another man’s child before their marriage!
This scheming woman had even chosen today—the day he achieved first place—to reveal her pregnancy!
Duan Jinxing didn’t need to guess what would happen next.
Sure enough, the oblivious Duan's mother, upon hearing the physician’s diagnosis, beamed at Jiang Zhaohua with genuine happiness for the first time.
"Double blessings!"
"Today, our family has been blessed twice over!"
Jiang Zhaohua smiled radiantly, her hands gently resting on her still-flat stomach.
Duan Jinxing forced himself to feign stunned delight, his breaths quick and shallow as he struggled to contain his fury…
Finally, he steadied himself.
Turning to Jiang Zhaohua, his eyes brimmed with tender joy. "Thank you, my dear, for bringing such wonderful news to our family."
