Chapter 906 Seven Days of Despair

Wang Binglan insisted on having the pills, saying generously, "I can only feel more at ease if they are with me."

"Oh well."

Lin Yuesha thought for a moment and then agreed.

"Has the jade been found?"

There were also military dependents' residences around the camp. The area was too big, so you couldn't wander around aimlessly, because you never knew who you might run into. It was better to be a little cautious.

"This girl is sulking with me."

Wang Binglan's smile was somewhat forced, and she gave a perfunctory reply. She left in a hurry, and Lin Yuesha noticed that something was wrong with Wang Binglan.

After waiting in the courtyard for a while, Bai Cha returned.

Lin Yuesha stood on tiptoe and looked back, but didn't see Xu Da's shadow.

Where is my cousin?

Lin Yuesha wasn't too surprised that Xu Da didn't come.

During their last casual conversation, Xu Da mentioned Wu Ya, and there was a hint of awkwardness in his words. After Lin Yuesha inquired from various sources, Xu Da finally revealed the reason for his awkwardness: he was afraid that Wu Ya would take advantage of his kindness.

That's a really unique reason.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, a day for paying New Year's visits, Xu Da made several excuses to avoid doing so, all for the sake of his reputation.

“Tell my cousin that he’ll have to give in sooner or later, so wouldn’t it be better to give up and struggle and suffer less?”

The most important thing in life is to be open-minded; those who are pragmatic are wise.

"Miss, you have misunderstood Lord Xu. Lord Xu really cannot go."

Bai Cha immediately defended Xu Da, simply because he was already bedridden.

"He was perfectly fine last night, always on the front lines watching the excitement, full of energy and boundless vitality. How come he's sick this morning?"

Falling ill before going to Wucheng seems like a poor choice of timing, and could be seen as an attempt to evade responsibility.

"Then this servant must speak up for Lord Xu and say he is innocent. Lord Xu is truly ill."

Bai Cha wiped her sweat with a handkerchief. Despite the freezing weather, she was sweating as she jogged back and forth. Ultimately, it was because her down jacket was too warm.

"Are you really sick?"

Now Lin Yuesha was anxious. She had overlooked one thing: Xu Da was being tortured terribly in the dungeon of Helian City.

Xu Da refused to say exactly how much suffering he endured, always glossing over it with jokes to make others forget that he was also made of flesh and blood.

Lin Yuesha felt sorry for him. Since Xu Da wasn't going, she sent someone to Wucheng to inquire after him, as visiting her cousin was the priority.

"Yesterday, the young general opened a street that never sleeps. Lord Xu followed behind you, eating and eating all the way. This morning, he woke up with a stomachache and bloating. Doctor Yan prescribed him hawthorn pills, but said they were ineffective, so he has to take croton seeds."

Bai Cha sipped his tea, no wonder Xu Da was sick; his overeating had upset his stomach.

Although she was with Miss last night, Bai Cha noticed Xu Da because the man's mouth never stopped.

"Miss, when shall we go see Lord Xu?"

When visiting a patient, one should prepare some gifts. However, since Lord Xu is suffering from severe indigestion, it is inappropriate for my young lady to send him food.

"We'll see."

This is the price a foodie should pay. The heartache she felt just moments ago vanished, and Lin Yuesha instead wanted to mock Xu Da and rub salt into his wounds.

Despite verbally expressing her disdain for Xu Da, Lin Yuesha still went into the small kitchen. After using croton oil, she needed to replenish her food, so she could only cook porridge.

There was a large fish left over from making the New Year's Eve dinner. Lin Yuesha cut it into thin, translucent slices, marinated it with ginger powder and a little Shaoxing wine, and planned to make a fish porridge.

A few small dishes of pickled vegetables, plus a preserved egg—simple, clean, and refreshing.

The preserved eggs were made by Lin Yuesha when I first arrived in Northwest China, and they turned out to be very successful.

The duck eggs were prepared in a different way, mixed with chili oil as a side dish, and received unanimous praise.

After finishing her preparations, before Lin Yuesha could even leave with the white tea, the old woman from the kitchen came over with a message: "Young Madam, the Young General requests your presence."

"I was just about to go over when he asked what was wrong."

Qi Heng will stay in the army tent today and will not go to Wucheng with her.

An hour had passed, and it was almost dark in Wucheng by then. Lin Yuesha decided to wait a few days before going.

"Today is the first day of the Lunar New Year, and the soldiers have come to offer their New Year's greetings."

The old woman took the basket and brought white tea to deliver food to Xu Da. In order not to delay the time, Lin Yuesha went to find Qi Heng.

Upon entering the tent, Lin Yuesha discovered that Wang Binglan was also there.

"Happy New Year, sister-in-law."

Wang Binglan was no longer in a hurry to ask for the pills. She took out a key from her purse and said, "This should have been handed over long ago."

The ledgers for military supplies over the past year are all in the warehouse, and this is the key to open the warehouse.

"I haven't been feeling well lately, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, sister-in-law."

Wang Binglan deliberately implied that she hated Yang Zhutou to the core and did not want to get involved in the Yang family's rice business, so she pushed it to Lin Yuesha.

Having easily obtained the key, Lin Yuesha smiled and said, "It's alright, taking good care of your health is the most important thing."

The appearance of Wang Binglan and her brother Wang Jinhu, delivering the account books in front of Qi Heng, seemed overly deliberate.

Lin Yuesha didn't know if the two of them were up to something again, so she decided to observe from the sidelines and wait and see.

The brother and sister exchanged New Year's greetings and offered a toast to Qi Heng and Lin Yuesha.

Lin Yuesha glanced at Qi Heng, and Qi Heng nodded slightly.

Ever since she got drunk and lost control, Lin Yuesha has been afraid to drink strong liquor. After just one glass, her stomach feels hot and uncomfortable.

To avoid being impolite, Lin Yuesha pretended to wipe her mouth with a handkerchief, spitting all the wine onto the handkerchief. Her action was so discreet that no one noticed.

Just as Bai Cha came in to serve tea, Lin Yuesha stuffed a handkerchief into Bai Cha's hands, and Bai Cha quietly withdrew.

The wine the young lady vomited smelled terrible; the handkerchief must be taken out with her.

After exchanging New Year's greetings, the Wang siblings left the military tent together.

"I feel like the Wang siblings are a bit strange."

Lin Yuesha didn't think much of it at first. She asked the old woman who delivered the letter, and she learned that Biyu hadn't returned to Wang Binglan's place, but Wang Binglan had kept it a secret.

She was perfectly fine when she suddenly disappeared in the military camp. She even suspected that the brother and sister had gotten rid of Biyu.

"My wife is still the best."

Qi Heng sat by the fireplace, warming himself, and asked, "Did you drink the wine just now?"

Wang Jinhu had laced something in the wine.

"Could it be that they're having sex?"

Lin Yuesha turned pale at the mention of it. Although she hadn't drunk any, she had still been affected by it, and she felt like she wanted to gouge her throat out.

After drinking it, he became even more unable to control himself, turning into a lewd and shameless person.

"no."

Wang Jinhu administered a slow-acting poison that typically takes three to seven days to take effect.

"You've planned all this, why didn't you say so sooner!"

Lin Yuesha was extremely angry, but thankfully she didn't want to drink and was careful.

If you drink it, won't you get poisoned?

"I've switched the poisoned wine, don't worry."

Qi Heng had been keeping an eye on Wang Jinhu. After learning of Biyu's disappearance, the brother and sister were like ants on a hot pan, determined to find another way out, and should be taking action soon.

With time running out, Qi Heng had no choice but to replace the poisoned wine without informing Lin Yuesha beforehand, just to make the act more convincing.