While Liu sent Cui'er off to deliver medicine, Shen Weiwan was practicing her trick of blinking tears in front of a bronze mirror. When Chuntao came in with water for washing her face, she saw her left eyelid twitching, then her right, as if she'd been stung by a bee. Her hand trembled in fear, and the bronze basin clanged against the blue bricks. "Miss, what kind of evil has befallen you?"

Shen Weiwan wiped away the non-existent tears and poked her cheek in the mirror with her fingertips: "I'm practicing. Wait until Liu's people come, and see how I can turn her basin of 'kind-hearted' medicine into the Huanglian soup that she asked for trouble."

Before he finished speaking, Cui'er's voice came from outside the courtyard gate: "Miss, my wife, in appreciation of your filial piety, specially asked me to bring you some medicine for your wounds!"

Shen Weiwan winked at Chuntao, and instantly switched to "innocent and ignorant" mode. She even deliberately stumbled when her skirt swept across the threshold: "Sister Cui'er! Is my aunt's hand feeling better?"

Cui'er looked at her sparkling almond-shaped eyes, then thought of her own wife's hands—red and swollen like steamed buns fresh from the steamer, with unwashed river sand still clinging to her fingers. Her mouth twitched. She handed the celadon medicine jar over, a forced smile on her face. "My wife said, Miss, your filial piety is commendable, but this 'Five Grains Hand-Cleansing Ceremony' is... a bit crude. This is the wound medicine from the Imperial Hospital. Keep it for your use."

Shen Weiwan took the medicine jar, her fingertips tracing across the cool porcelain surface. A faint sneer curled up the corners of her lips. Liu Shi had indeed harbored no good intentions. This medicine jar seemed so light it looked empty. It might still contain the same jar of mugwort paste from last time. Her face suddenly changed color, and her eyes flushed red. "Auntie is so injured, and she's still thinking about me..."

Cui Er was startled. Just as she was about to persuade her, she saw Chen Weiwan running out the door with the medicine jar in her arms, crying so hard that the parrots in the corridor flapped their wings and cried, "Aunt! I'm so sorry for you——"

Liu was in her room, having her maid apply an ice towel to her. When she heard the wailing, she was so angry that she threw the ice towel to the ground: "What is this little bitch doing again?!"

Before she could finish her scolding, Shen Weiwan had already plopped down on her knees in the main hall of Roulan Courtyard, the medicine jar in her arms making a crisp sound against the blue bricks. With tears in her eyes, she clutched the hem of Liu's skirt and refused to let go, crying until her nose and tears were all over her collar. "It's all my fault! It's all my fault for being so clumsy that I insisted on asking Auntie to help me rub the grains and clean my hands, and I rubbed your hands so hard that they were broken..."

The servants sweeping the floor, watering the flowers, and serving tea all gathered around, watching Shen Weiwan weeping heartbreakingly, then glancing at Liu's hands—red and swollen, with blood marks on her fingertips faintly visible under the ice handkerchief, as if they had just been gnawed by a wolf. One of the new maids couldn't hold back her laughter, and was immediately dragged behind the rockery by the housekeeper, twisting her ears.

"You, you get up!" Liu was held so tightly that she couldn't move. Her embroidered shoes left several mud marks on the blue bricks. "Who told you to kneel?!"

"I can't get up!" Shen Weiwan cried even harder, her voice suddenly rising. "Everyone in the mansion knows that my aunt rubbed the Yellow River sand three hundred times for my mother's hairpin! Now her hands are broken, and she still thinks about sending me medicine... Wuuuuu... How can I, Shen Weiwan, be so lucky to have such a good aunt like you!"

These words were like a crack of a whip, lashing the shoulders of those in the audience who were trying to hold back their laughter. Who didn't know that Liu coveted that red gold hairpin? Now that Shen Weiwan was crying and shouting, "I hurt my hand because of the hairpin," she seemed disrespectful and like a greedy woman.

Liu's face flushed the color of liver, and her nails dug deep into her palms: "Nonsense! When did I ever mention the step-shaking ornaments?!"

"Auntie, you're still being stubborn!" Shen Weiwan raised her head suddenly, tears streaming down her face like pearls from a broken string. "You didn't mention the buyao, so why did you come to my courtyard again and again? Either you wanted to see my mother's tablet, or you wanted to 'pray for me'? Now that your hand is injured like this, you still asked Sister Cui'er to bring you medicine - you're obviously afraid that I won't give the buyao to Sister Ruorou as an engagement token, so, so..."

She became increasingly "excited" as she spoke, and suddenly, pointing at Liu's hands, she cried out in tears, "Everyone, come and see! Auntie has rubbed her hands to pieces for my cousin's marriage! What a loving heart!"

"puff--"

"Hahaha……"

Suppressed laughter erupted like a flood. The servants in the corridor laughed so hard they squatted on the ground and slapped their thighs. Several maids turned around and covered their faces with their sleeves, their shoulders shaking like leaves in the autumn wind. Liu looked at the faces of those around her trying to suppress their laughter and listened to Shen Weiwan's "heartfelt" sobs. She felt a surge of blood rushing to her head and her vision went black.

"Enough!" Liu pushed Shen Weiwan away violently, her voice trembling with anger, "Chen Weiwan! Stop slandering me here! I, I just saw that you were alone and helpless..."

"Just what?" Shen Weiwan stood up while wiping her tears, stuffed the medicine jar into Liu's arms, and cried even more sadly, "Just want to snatch my mother's relics and give them to my cousin? Just want me, the legitimate daughter, to be unable to raise my head in the mansion? Aunt, please stop pretending!"

She suddenly bowed deeply to Liu, her voice choked with sobs but each word clear: "I appreciate your kindness, Auntie. You should keep this golden medicine for yourself. When your hand is healed, I'll prepare a 'grain hand-cleansing gift' to make amends for your mistake. This time, I'll sift the river sand seventy-four times to ensure you don't get hurt again!"

After saying that, she bowed, turned around and left with the stunned Chuntao, leaving Liu holding the jar of light medicine. Amid the servants' suppressed laughter, her face turned green and purple, and purple and blue, just like a crushed eggplant.

Back at Tinglan Courtyard, Chen Weiwan closed the door and laughed so hard that she couldn't straighten her waist. Chuntao laughed so hard that she squatted on the ground and beat her legs: "Miss! The crying you just now was more powerful than the Hua Dan in the opera troupe! The Second Madam's face was as red as a palette!"

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