Chapter 111 - Young Master was poisoned
Chapter 111 Young Master was poisoned
The fake Feng Yang and Ning Yuan looked at each other, finding the confusion in each other’s eyes. The family was so united that they said the same thing. However, who was the murderer poisoning that kid? Not only Madam Luo who was the head of the family spoke to protect him, but also the mother of the “victim” was afraid to notify the Yamen to arrest him?
In fact, the reason why Madam Luo didn’t allow them to notify the Yamen was not that she was afraid of taking the responsibility of poisoning Zhu because the cubilose was sent by her order. Instead, she was afraid that the secret of jujube pit might be exposed. It was a big secret about the heirlooms of Luo’s Family!
Luo Baishao suddenly asked, “Sister-in-law, you are here to do justice for Nephew Zhu, aren’t you? Why don’t you let the officials take her away for questioning?” It sounded interesting that He Danggui was sent to prison.
Dong Xinlan felt that all the people in the wing-room, including Madam Luo, were staring at her. She smiled awkwardly and said, “Actually, I’m not cruel. I also can’t bear to send a little girl to prison... Well, if she is willing to be punished, and then I will give her a way out. After all, who dares to marry a girl who has ever been in prison?”
Madam Luo nodded, “That’s the truth. Xinlan is virtuous and considerate.”
Mammy Tang was troubled because she and Third Miss hadn’t told Madam Luo about their “Rescue Plan”. Just before, she led First Younger Mistress Luo to talk to Madam Luo, and left Third Miss to detoxify Zhu. However, after hearing that Dong Xinlan had brought Zhu here, Madam Luo led a group of people to come here. Mammy Tang had no time to talk to Madam Luo, and couldn’t find an excuse to stop them, so she had to see them entered the main hall one by one. Now Zhu was still in a coma. Obviously, the treatment of Third Miss was unsuccessful. Maybe it was because of the disturbance of these people. Was there any remedy at present?
Thinking of this, Mammy Tang came up to hold Dong Xinlan’s arm and said, “You should calm down, First Younger Mistress Luo. There are so many people here and Third Miss is timid. How can you let her come here and be punished? It’s better to let Dr. Ma and Dr. Wu treat Zhu. You can go back...”
“No way! A life for a life. Now I only ask her to kowtow to me to make amends, and then hit her by board as punishment.” Dong Xinlan screamed, “If my requirements are not allowed, is there any justice in the family? Mammy Tang, don’t protect her anymore. Her surname is not Luo, but Zhu is the legitimate son of Luo’s Family!” Dong Xinlan was going to give He Danggui a lesson in public. Certainly, the more people here, the more respect she gained. Now listening to Mammy Tang’s words, she found that Mammy Tang clearly wanted to smooth things over. Of course, she could ruthlessly teach He Danggui a lesson in private, but she was beaten in public by Luo Baiqian. How could she let it go?
The fake Feng Yang and Ning Yuan looked at each other again. Third Miss? It turned out that the murderer was one of the ladies of Luo’s Family? According to these people’s words, they all knew the murderer. Now they were just discussing how to deal with this person.
Ning Yuan drooped his eyes, “Since this is a family matter of Luo’s Mansion, and the murderer is a young Miss, it’s not appropriate for Feng Yang and me to be here, so see you later.”
At this time, his eyes had changed from brown to black. After He Danggui left, Ning Yuan remembered that Mr. Bai had said that when using Mo Tong Skill, one should keep his mind and have no emotions and desires. Otherwise, the skill would be naturally relieved. His pupils changed back to their original colors must be because he was disturbed by her face and fragrance. Therefore, Ning Yuan held his breath and collected his spirit to drive the annoying little girl out of his mind. Then he successfully used Mo Tong Skill again.
With Madam Luo’s permission, Ning Yuan and the fake Feng Yang turned to leave. Dong Xinlan suddenly whispered, “Miss? He Danggui is just a wild girl raised in the countryside?” Although her voice was not loud, everyone in the room hear it clearly.
The name “He Danggui” successfully stopped Ning Yuan. His right arm was behind his back. At the moment, it still could not move freely. The blood blister on his right hand didn’t get better, so he hid the whole hand in his sleeve. It was caused by the poison of that little girl. Now she also poisoned a kid? The woman also said that the little girl was not the Miss of Luo’s Family, but a “wild girl raised in the countryside”!
Ning Yuan stopped and turned around. Then the fake Feng Yang also stopped, which showed that he followed the order of the former.
When Madam Luo saw that the two youths stopped and looked at them curiously, she was annoyed by Dong Xinlan. She thought, “Ah! Lan is the legitimate daughter of a noble family, but she doesn’t know the truth that family scandals can’t be publicized. It isn’t a glorious thing to have an unorthodox young Miss at home. How can she say it in public! I just chatted with the guests for a long time, but I didn’t disclose it. They were clearly about to leave. But now, she used only a word to attract them to stay. It’s Luo’s Family that will lose face at last!”
Mammy Tang went to the tearoom and then came back. She didn’t find He Danggui. Therefore, she guessed that Third Miss had probably escaped before they came in. Now that the present situation was not good, as the old saying went, other ways wouldn’t work, and only the Third Miss who was clever and sensible was the most flexible and reasonable way. Mammy Tang said quietly to Shi Liu, “Go and call Third Miss to kowtow to First Younger Mistress Luo to make amends. Tell her that the new guests are also here. She’d better be sensible. After this, Madam Luo will love her more.”
Shi Liu was a maid of about 13 years old. A few years ago, she had a disease after eating the uncooked meat, so she was a little stupid. She liked laughing every day, but she didn’t know how to take her cue from others. She replied straightforwardly, “Mammy Tang, you are confused! Madam Luo ordered us to send the soup. Sister Pu Gongying cooked it by herself. Third Miss never showed up. It had nothing to do with her. Why should she kowtow to make amends? Maybe Sister Pu Gongying and I can kowtow to First Younger Mistress Luo to admit the mistake.”
Her voice was not so loud, but it was clearly heard by everyone in the room, including He Danggui who was outside. Imaging the faces of Dong Xinlan, Mammy Tang and Madam Luo in the room, He Danggui couldn’t help smiling. She had been dealing with Luo’s Family for so many years. The first fair words for her she heard in her two lives should come from a silly little maid.
Madam Luo saw the surprised or embarrassed faces of all the people in the room. Obviously, they all heard Shi Liu’s words. Therefore, she pondered for a moment and said, “I think my granddaughter-in-law had a little conflict with Yi. Originally, you girls always have a conflict with each other for a while and then make peace. I have nothing to do with this. But this time, I meddled in. I asked Pu Gongying to make the cubilose soup and send it in the name of Yi. I wanted you two to make up. Who knows that there should be something wrong with it? It was because of me.”
Mammy Tang stared at Shi Liu, and saw that the latter was still smiling and even didn’t know that she said something wrong. Madam Luo and Mammy Tang had always been partial to her. Every time they saw her carefree look, they feel that their troubles were reduced. Shi Liu seldom got scolded no matter what mistakes she made. Many maids often asked her to scapegoat for their mistakes when they damaged the master’s things. She also agreed happily, so she had the best relationship among the maids.
Mammy Tang sighed, “Well, call Pu Gongying here. We will ask her if she carelessly added something unclean when making soup.” Shi Liu replied and bounced away.
Dong Xinlan was really remorseful. She thought, “Now it becomes such a big deal. Luo Baiqian, who is rarely seen before, is here, and two handsome young guests are also here. If He Danggui could kowtow to me to make amends, and then be hit 40 boards, I can give vent to my anger and save face, and let Luo Baiqian see the ugliness of his dear cousin. Besides, it can provide a new topic for servants to talk about in Luo’s Mansion. With the embarrassment of He Danggui crying in public in pain, the “event of the ownership of a man’s belt” yesterday would naturally be inferior by comparison.”
Dong Xinlan couldn’t help biting her silver teeth. Three goals could be achieved at the same time by doing this good plan. But she seemed destined to be unable to implement it now. However, she wanted to fight for it, so she wiped her tears and said, “Even if this event has nothing to do with her, she can’t get rid of the fact that those things which hurt Zhu crawled all over her yard! Last night, I just came to ask for a reasonable explanation, but I failed. After I went back, I felt aggrieved, so I neglected to take care of Zhu. Wind blew his forehead and then he had a cold at night. Maybe he fainted due to the cold. Grandma, you love them most. Please give me and my children a justice!” She specially stressed the words “me and my children” to remind Madam Luo of the unfair treatment she received. She gave birth to three children for Luo’s Family, but she was unable to manage family affairs, and was beaten by Luo Baiqian. Therefore, Luo’s Family owed her a lot!
Madam Luo stroked the little face of Zhu on the couch and comforted Dong Xinlan, “You and Zhu suffered a lot from the mice. I am also distressed when seeing Zhu. Yi suffered a lot, too. Now she’s guiltier for Zhu. Don’t blame her too much. You just tell her the truth and let her correct it slowly later.” Then she said to Mammy Hua, “Call Yi here and ask her to kowtow to her sister-in-law as we said yesterday. Then it’s over.”
Dong Xinlan was very happy, and she tried not to show it on her face. But the corner of her eyes slightly raised. Luo Baiqian was very unhappy when he saw that. This shrew was the most aggressive, and she specialized in bullying kind people. This morning, she dragged him and didn’t let him go out. It turned out that she had such a plan. What a shame! Therefore, Luo Baiqian immediately framed Dong Xinlan, “You said that our son fainted after eating the soup sent by ‘Third Sister’. Later, hearing that the soup was sent by ‘Grandma’, you said that Zhu fainted because of the cold. Dong Xinlan, you are a mother. Don’t you know why your son fainted?”
“Oh! As long as I made trouble for He Danggui, Luo Baiqian was the first one to help her! That wild girl from countryside doesn’t have parents to teach her. She is born to be a coquette to seduce others’ husbands!” Dong Xinlan thought and sneered, “Hum. This time, I have already thought of how to deal with it!”
“So what? The San Qing Tang and Medicine Pavilion were not under my control. What’s wrong with me if I know nothing about the medical science?” Dong Xinlan wiped the tears that didn’t exist in the corner of her eyes with a silk handkerchief and complained, “You’re not at home all day. Dr. Wu and Dr. Ma can’t stay in Liu Li Tang all day. Every time you come back from the outside, as long as you see any doctor or manservant, you will be angry and pull your face as long as the horse.” Then she said with a little coquettish meaning, and snorted, “You have no conscience. You go outside all day, but you doubt me who take care of the children for you. Yesterday, just for the belt of a man from the Elder Sister...”
“Enough! Stop talking!” Luo Baiqian and Madam Luo stopped Dong Xinlan at the same time. Madam Luo trembled with anger. This time, she lost her face. How could Dong Xinlan speak so freely in front of the outsiders! She was a lady in a big family and also read a lot of books in Dong’s Family. Didn’t her know that the first chapter of the female virtues asked women to learn how to maintain the reputation of her family? Or did she never regard herself as a member of Luo’s Family? Ordinarily she knew what to say and what not to say. How could she act up and coquet in front of strangers now!
In fact, it was not Dong Xinlan’s fault. Her father was strict to her before she got married, and Luo Baiqian was also strict to her after marriage. Apart from the dusty menservants in family, she had seen no more than five decent men in her life. This time, she suddenly saw two handsome, elegant and noble young men, so she was excited and couldn’t help coquetting.
As for the scandal of Luo Baiying, although Luo Baiqian repeatedly exhorted her not to tell it out, and he also gave the hush money to every servant in the yard who heard it yesterday, Dong Xinlan got angry again after seeing Luo Baiying last night. She immediately made up her mind to find an occasion with the most people and speak out the scandal! Hum, it was obvious that Luo Baiqian wanted to keep it in secret. So many servants only heard that Luo Baiqian beat her because of a man’s belt, but they didn’t hear that Wei had said that the belt belonged to Luo Baiying. Those servants probably thought that she was dissolute and she was beaten by Luo Baiqian when she got caught. Thinking of that pair of dead fish eyes of Luo Baiying, she would be extremely angry. Why should she take the blame for Luo Baiying!
“Sister, let Dr. Ma and Dr. Wu see Zhu first.” Jiugu, who had not spoken all the time, came out to smooth things over and shook Madam Luo’s trembling hands.
Madam Luo nodded reluctantly, so Dr. Ma went up to feel Zhu’s pulse. After looking at the eyes and the coating on the tongue of Zhu, Dr. Ma said in a deep voice, “Young Master is poisoned!”