Granny Zhang and Granny Wang have always been the Second Madam's attendants. Because their mistress is the mistress of the Zhao family, they have always been treated well, eat well, and are strong and robust. They can keep order when necessary, so the Madam always has them accompany her when she goes out. Yanran has become a kind of bodyguard.

But today, both of them looked ashen-faced. They were exhausted after a long day and were still a bit dazed when their wives brought them here.

But when they heard they were going to be hit with forty strokes of the cane, they panicked immediately. At that point, they would be dead even if they were hit with twenty strokes, let alone forty.

"Madam, spare me! This old servant has not betrayed you. Heaven can see that this old servant is wholeheartedly loyal to you and has absolutely no ulterior motives."

The two old women kowtowed in fear and trepidation, begging for forgiveness, their eyes filled with tears and snot.

Looking at the two of them, Madam Zhao frowned. "Alright, stop with the nonsense. Tell me yourselves, you were fine when you set off, so why did you suddenly get diarrhea halfway through the journey?"

"Madam, please understand. This old servant is also unaware. We all ate breakfast together this morning. Everyone else is fine, but only this old servant and I have been suffering from severe diarrhea. At the time, I was worried about Miss Ying's mood, so I didn't think much of it and came back."

As they were talking, their faces suddenly turned pale. Had something happened to the young lady?

The two women were specially assigned by the madam to protect the young lady, but both of them encountered problems at the same time, and the consequences are too terrible to imagine.

"Did you eat anything on the way? You'd better think carefully, don't overlook anything?"

Seeing their expressions, Madam Zhao's furrowed brows relaxed slightly. "Miss just returned to the manor. Fortunately, she escaped unharmed; otherwise, you would have been beaten to death with sticks."

The two old women shrank back slightly, but felt relieved. As long as they could save their lives, that was all that mattered. They exchanged a glance. They ate and drank the same food and water together, and even shared the snacks they had on the way.

dessert?

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions turning even more grim.

“Madam, my husband and I ate two pastries on the way… At that time, Madam’s maid, Li Mama, and the others also ate some. I only dared to make a move because I saw them eating them.”

“Madam, that is indeed the case. This old servant thought that since we were all eating from the same plate, there would be no problem, so I let my guard down. I never expected to fall into such a trap. Please punish me, Madam. Just spare my life and I will continue to serve you in the future.”

As Madam Zhao listened to their accounts, her face darkened. Considering Yun'er's experience, the problem might lie with the pastries.

"You greedy fools almost ruined everything. I have plenty of food and clothing for you, yet you still made such a disgrace. Since you made a mistake, you must be punished. Each of you will receive ten strokes of the cane and be demoted to a lowly washing maid. Let's see how you behave."

Upon hearing this, the two women turned pale, but they were speechless. It was indeed their negligence; the fact that their mistress hadn't sold them out was already a great favor.

"Thank you for your kindness, Madam. This old servant accepts the punishment."

No matter how much commotion there was in the main courtyard, Mo Lan took a relaxing petal bath and sat on the chaise lounge, dozing off with her eyes half-closed.

The guest house where I live is called Lanting Pavilion. As I walked along, I realized that the Zhao family truly lived up to their reputation as a family of scholars. The garden was serene and the interior furnishings were elegant. Although the items were not expensive, they were tasteful and exuded a scholarly atmosphere.

I heard that the Zhao family is quite large, with four legitimate sons alone, and several other sons from concubines, big and small, living together. The second wife manages all of this, which is indeed not an easy task.