Chapter 314 Settling Accounts After the Autumn Harvest
After resolving Uncle Sun's matter, Su Wantang rested at home for several days.
Lu Jingyan completely transformed into a stalker, wishing he could keep her tied to his waistband 24/7.
A series of clattering and banging sounds came from the kitchen, mixed with a man's suppressed low curses.
Su Wantang leaned back on the sofa, holding a medical book in her hands. Listening to the sounds from the kitchen, the corners of her lips unconsciously curved up.
A moment later, Lu Jingyan came out carrying a stew pot. His tall figure looked somewhat comical in the small kitchen. His military green vest was covered in flour, and there was a streak of black ash on his face.
"Here, drink it."
He placed the stew pot on the table, his tone stiff, but his eyes were tense.
Su Wantang leaned closer and took a sniff; a rich aroma of chicken soup mixed with the fragrance of medicinal herbs filled the air.
"Did you make this?"
"Hmm." Lu Jingyan sat down beside her, his tall body sitting upright, as if he were being inspected.
“Wang Ma taught me this, you should try it.”
Su Wantang scooped up a spoonful, blew on it, and carefully took a sip.
The soup was simmered to perfection, with a rich and mellow flavor, but a little too much salt was added.
"How is it?" Lu Jingyan's eyes were fixed on her.
"It's delicious." Su Wantang took another big gulp, her eyes crinkling into crescent moons with laughter.
"It tastes especially good. Our Commander Lu is truly capable both on the battlefield and in the kitchen."
A single compliment made the tips of the man's ears turn red.
He cleared his throat, picked up the palm-leaf fan beside him, and fanned her gently.
"Drink more if you like it, I'll make it for you every day from now on."
Su Wantang felt a warm glow in her heart; the coldness and loneliness of her past life were soothed away at this moment.
She was sipping her soup when Wang Ma came in from outside.
"Miss, Aunt Fang is here."
Su Wantang put down her spoon and wiped her mouth: "Tell her to wait for me in the study."
Lu Jingyan's brows furrowed immediately, and he stopped fanning himself.
"What is it now?"
"It's nothing, I'll be right back." Su Wantang patted the back of his hand to reassure him, "Don't worry, I know what I'm doing."
She stood up, and Lu Jingyan immediately followed, supporting her arm.
"I'll stay with you."
"No need, you wait for me here, I'll be right away."
Su Wantang insisted, and Lu Jingyan didn't say anything more. He simply helped her to the door of the study before letting go of her hand.
He didn't leave; he leaned against the wall by the door, like a silent guardian.
In the study, Aunt Fang was standing awkwardly. When she saw Su Wantang enter, she immediately greeted her respectfully, "Miss."
"Please sit down, Aunt Fang." Su Wantang sat down behind the desk, gently placing her hand on her stomach. "How's the matter going?"
Aunt Fang's face was filled with barely suppressed excitement.
"Miss, you're amazing! Brother Sun has recovered about 70-80% of his health and has now taken back control of the Chamber of Commerce's accounts. Those scheming guys are now like mice in front of a cat when they see Brother Sun."
Where is Sister Lan?
"As for Sister Lan, she is now completely devoted to you."
"She pretended to continue contacting Qian Hao, saying that she needed more precious medicinal materials. That idiot Qian Hao believed her and even revealed some of Derentang's shady business to Sister Lan, hoping to win her over."
After listening, Su Wantang tapped her fingers lightly on the table, making a tapping sound.
The study was quiet, with only the rhythmic tapping sound.
Looking at Su Wantang in front of her, Aunt Fang saw that she still had that young and beautiful face, but the calmness and sharpness in her eyes made her hold her breath involuntarily.
She is no longer the naive young lady she once was.
This is the true leader of the Bai family.
After a long while, Su Wantang stopped knocking.
"pen and ink."
Aunt Fang immediately took out the prepared paper and pen from her cloth bag and respectfully laid them on the table.
Su Wantang picked up the brush and dipped it in ink.
The moment she put pen to paper, her entire aura changed.
If Su Wantang was the one who was pampered by Lu Jingyan just a moment ago, now she is Bai Shu, walking on the edge of a knife.
She didn't write any threatening words, nor did she mention the Haitang Chamber of Commerce at all.
On the letter was a prescription.
A fragment of a prescription for treating "black gold poison" lists only seven ingredients, all of which are potent and rare medicines that most people have never even heard of.
Below the fragment, she wrote in an extremely detached style.
"This poison originated from an antique personal item, which accumulated over time and invaded the internal organs. It cannot be cured by decoctions."
After writing that sentence, she paused, and then added another sentence at the end of the letter.
"The ring on your father's hand seems to be a bit darker in color than it was last month. Take care of yourself."
A letter was written just like that.
There was no upward gaze, no signature, only an arrogance that chilled to the bone.
She folded the letter, put it in an envelope, and handed it to Aunt Fang.
"Find a way to personally hand it over to Qian Hao."
"Yes!" Aunt Fang took the letter, her palms slightly sweaty.
Although she couldn't understand the prescription, the last sentence terrified her.
What kind of tactic is this? To find out everything about the other party from thousands of miles away.
This is no longer medical skill; this is attacking the heart!
Two days later, in the backyard of Derentang.
The young master, Qian Hao, was embracing a young female apprentice with a slim waist and round buttocks, groping her all over.
"You little hussy, you've grown quite a bit in just a few days."
The female apprentice blushed as he touched her, and playfully pushed him away, saying, "Young Master, it's broad daylight, it's not good if someone sees us."
"What's there to be afraid of?" Qian Hao reeked of alcohol. "In this Derentang, I am the king!"
Just as he was about to take the next step, a waiter rushed in in a panic.
"Young...Young Master, there is a letter for you."
"What kind of stupid letter is this? Can't you see I'm busy? Get out!" Qian Hao waved his hand impatiently.
"But...but that person said it must be handed to you personally." The waiter stammered as he handed over the envelope.
Qian Hao reluctantly released the woman in his arms, grabbed the letter, and opened it.
"What the hell..."
He glanced at it, saw it was a prescription, and a disdainful sneer appeared on his face.
"Who is this conman again, trying to swindle your young master? Don't you even know where you are..."
Before he could finish speaking, his eyes froze.
"Black Gold Poison," "Ancient Artifacts"... these words were like a bucket of ice water poured over his head, making him shudder.
He abruptly pushed the woman away from him and stared intently at the last line of the letter.
"The ring on your father's hand seems to be a bit darker in color than it was last month. Take care of yourself."
Antiques!
His father had been bedridden for almost half a year due to serious illness. He had consulted famous doctors all over Beijing, but they all said it was due to overwork and deficiency of both qi and blood. However, after taking countless tonics, there was no improvement at all, and he became weaker day by day.
The strangest thing is that since last month, the knuckles of my father's ten fingers have been turning black, as if he were possessed!
On his hand, his father always wore an ancestral black gold thumb ring, a symbol of the Qian family's status, which he never took off for decades!
This letter... the symptoms described in this letter are exactly the same as my father's!
"Get out, all of you!" Qian Hao suddenly looked up and roared at the people in the room.
The crowd was so frightened by his ferocious expression that they scrambled out of the room.
Qian Hao was the only one left in the private room.
His hands trembled as he read the letter again. When he saw the last sentence, "Your father's pulse is quite similar to this ailment. Take good care of yourself," he felt a chill run from the soles of his feet to the top of his head.
This isn't extortion, it's a warning!
It's a trial!
He jumped up, rushed to the door, and shouted, "Quick! Call Dr. Liu here! Quick!"
Not long after, an old man with a goatee was dragged over by the waiter.
"Young...Young Master, you wanted to see me?" Doctor Liu asked breathlessly.
Qian Hao slammed the letter in front of him, his voice trembling: "Dr. Liu, please take a look! This prescription... what's going on with this prescription?"
Dr. Liu is the resident physician at Derentang Hospital and the person who knows Mr. Qian's condition best.
He adjusted his reading glasses and leaned closer to examine the incomplete prescription.
His expression changed after just one glance.
"These...these three herbs are like tiger and wolf medicines! Each one alone is highly poisonous, yet they are written according to the formula of monarch, minister, assistant, and guide...hiss..."
Dr. Liu gasped, "Was the person who wrote this prescription a god or a devil? The danger and ingenuity of this medicine are unprecedented in my forty years of medical practice!"
Qian Hao's heart sank inch by inch, as if he had fallen into an ice cave.
What kind of being did he provoke?
The other party could not only easily discover his family's secrets and the root cause of his father's illness, but also deliver this death warrant to him without anyone noticing.
The feeling of being completely seen through and having his fate in someone else's hands terrified him, sending chills down his spine and making his hair stand on end.
For the first time, he felt a deep-seated fear of his own cleverness and his scheming against the Begonia Chamber of Commerce.
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