Chapter 30: Old Friend 6: Master Du, can you smell the fragrance in this cave...
Mei Zi has been feeling very depressed these days.
She was a person who was favored by the old lady, and she was also the niece of Nanny Han. She could walk around freely in the Xie family, and she was many times superior to ordinary servants.
But she didn't expect that as soon as she entered Chunhua Courtyard, she was scolded by the young master, and then kicked out of the room, and fell into doing cleaning chores in the courtyard.
Now, she is no different from the kitchen maid, and is looked down upon everywhere.
So, she hated Chunhuayuan and everyone in it.
So, when she caught Chunlan secretly dumping the medicine residue, she concluded that there must be some shameful thing going on.
It is even more possible that the young lady has contracted some shameful and serious illness.
So she dodged and hid in the corner, watching for a while. After confirming that no one saw her, she crouched down, scooped up a handful of medicine residue, turned around and disappeared into the darkness...
The night is dark and the dew is heavy.
From deep in the streets came the distant sound of clappers.
The candles in Xie's house were gradually extinguished, and the night fell into silence.
A new day is coming soon!
The next day, Xie Wuhen got up early to go on duty. He tiptoed as he got up, fearing to disturb the sleeping Su He. Before leaving, he also instructed the servants on night watch, "Don't disturb the young lady unless it's necessary."
The servant murmured "yes".
It was still dark and the morning mist was lingering everywhere.
Xie Wuhen walked through the corridor to the gate of the mansion to take a carriage. As he walked, he rolled up his sleeves, deliberately revealing the five-colored silk thread on his wrist.
Wu Sheng, who was following behind, took one look and asked, "What's that on the boss's hand?"
He replied: "Longevity thread."
Wu Sheng didn't understand: "What is a longevity thread?"
He said with a hint of pride: "During the Dragon Boat Festival, family members must bless each other by tying a longevity thread."
Wu Sheng suddenly realized: "No wonder the boss is so proud, it turns out that it was tied by the young lady."
Xie Wuhen glanced at him: "When did I become complacent?"
Wu Sheng replied, "Boss, I wish I could just cut off that sleeve. Isn't that enough to make me proud?"
He growled, "Get out."
Wu Sheng did not "get out", but lowered his head and chuckled, then continued to stick to his master like a tail.
In Chunhua Courtyard, Su He also got up and called Zhang Xiuhua: "Can Xie Wuhen leave the house now?"
Zhang Xiuhua replied, "Don't worry, my dear, my son-in-law has already left the house in a carriage."
She then ordered, "Replace all the servants outside and leave only you and Chunlan."
Zhang Xiuhua replied "yes" and turned around to make arrangements.
After a while, she and Chunlan came into the house together.
Su He had finished washing up and changed into the maid's dress sent by Liu Dabao.
She looked at her face in the mirror and told Chunlan, "Du Yuting has seen me before, so your makeup must be changed drastically today."
Chunlan nodded: "Don't worry, Miss."
She had a pair of skillful hands. In addition to being an excellent needlework artist, she was also quite good at dressing up. Even though Li Shuli was disgusted with her at the time, she was reluctant to sell her.
She looked at Su He in the mirror for a moment, then made several adjustments to her hairstyle and makeup, turning the noble wife of a young nobleman into a lowly maid.
Finally, she did not forget to put a bright cinnabar mole on her chin.
Zhang Xiuhua was still worried, "Could it be that Du Yuting really couldn't recognize me?"
Su He replied, "Don't worry, Du Yuting is an imperial merchant now after all, he definitely won't stare at a maid in public."
Zhang Xiuhua asked again, "Miss, are you serious... can you do this?"
"It will definitely work."
Su He said in a firm voice: "Remember, you must guard this room well and don't let anyone in."
Zhang Xiuhua and Chunlan both answered "yes".
Then Su He left Chunhua Courtyard from the back door, walked along a secluded path to the courtyard wall, and crawled out of Xie Mansion through the dog hole in the wall.
No one in the mansion saw her.
Even if someone saw her, no one would have thought that this was the honorable Madam Shaoqing.
There is an alley outside the mansion, and through the alley is Xishui Street in the city.
It was still early, there were not many people on the street, and the vendors had just set up their stalls.
Su He bought a can of milk and then called a donkey cart to go to the Textile Chamber of Commerce.
It only took a few cups of tea to arrive at the gate of the Chamber of Commerce.
Two guards with swords were standing in front of the door.
Although they were carrying knives, they were bored. One of the guards was yawning, while the other was eating buns with relish.
Su He stepped forward and respectfully handed over the badge.
The yawning guard took it, glanced at it casually, and then pointed at the pottery jar in her hand and asked, "What's in this?"
Su He bowed her head and said, "My Lord, it is milk. The Chamber of Commerce is having a banquet today, so I bought some specially."
The guard was too lazy to ask any more questions and said, "Go in quickly."
Su He replied "yes" respectfully, took the badge and stepped into the door of the Chamber of Commerce.
The internal structure of the Chamber of Commerce is not complicated, but it has two large halls in the front and back, with a corridor in the middle leading directly to the Chamber of Commerce's kitchen.
Su He walked and observed, and soon he crossed the corridor and arrived at the kitchen.
Because there was a banquet at noon, the kitchen was already busy at this time.
The fireman was shouting orders at people to work: "Hey, have you cut the meat? Hurry up." "You, stop hanging around here and go pick some vegetables."
"And you..." He pointed at Su He and paused, feeling unfamiliar for a moment: "New here?"
Su He lowered his head and replied "yes".
"What are you holding?"
"It's milk."
"Where did it come from?"
"Someone... someone brought it to the door, saying it was a banquet drink, so I brought it."
The fireman muttered, "Today's drink is peach wine. Why drink milk? Just leave it there for now." Then he ordered impatiently, "What are you still standing there for? Go help pick the vegetables."
Su He replied timidly, "Yes," and then went to the steps outside the house to pick vegetables.
She had been a slave before, and she played the role of a slave so realistically that the fireman naturally had no suspicion.
In this way, Su He was busy in the kitchen until 15:15.
At 12:00 PM, the Chamber of Commerce manager entered the room and loudly ordered, "The meeting in the back hall has concluded. The dishes will be served immediately. The feast will begin."
There was a commotion in the kitchen and the maids hurried over with trays to serve the dishes.
Su He was secretly delighted. She had finally waited for this moment.
But just as she was carrying a plate of bamboo shoots out of the kitchen, the manager's harsh voice suddenly came from behind her: "Wait, stop."
Su He didn't stop and continued to walk forward quickly.
The steward quickly caught up with her and blocked her way: "Why are you running?"
The manager was called Li Ming, he was tall and thin with a gloomy face.
Su He was startled, stopped walking, and lowered her head to explain: "I didn't know...you just called me a slave."
Li Ming ordered in a deep voice: "Raise your head."
Su He looked up as ordered, and her face, which was deliberately made ugly, was filled with fear and panic.
Li Ming asked: "Who recommended it to you?"
Su He replied in a low voice: "Du...Master Du."
When he heard it was Mr. Du, the president of the Chamber of Commerce, Li Ming's expression softened a little: "When did you come?"
She replied: "Today."
Li Ming looked at her again with an inquiring look: "Since it was Mr. Du who recommended her, then Mrs. Du should know about this, right?"
Su He's chest tightened. If this man confronted Liu, wouldn't everything be exposed?
She pretended to be timid, "Sir... could you please keep this a secret for me and not tell Madam Du?"
Li Ming asked back: "Why?"
Su He lowered his head even more and remained silent.
At this time, the fire master who had been standing in the dark came out, smiled flatteringly at the steward, and whispered a reminder: "Sir, you may not know that Madam Du is a jealous woman. The president is probably hiding someone with us. Why do you have to ruin her good fortune?"
Li Ming paused, as if waking from a dream, and smiled meaningfully.
Then he ordered Su He: "In that case, you don't have to work in the kitchen today. Just stay by Mr. Du's side and serve him wine."
Su He felt relieved, thinking that even God was on her side.
She bowed and said "thank you", then turned and left with the tray.
Leaving behind the two men with intriguing gazes...
At this time in the back hall.
Dozens of independent banquet tables were set up along both sides of the hall, and the Chamber of Commerce members were already seated.
Du Yuting naturally sat at the head of the table, but without any guards behind him, he seemed quite alone.
Everyone was chatting and socializing.
Maids came and went, serving delicacies and drinks, and the hall was extremely noisy.
Su He calmly walked through the noise and came to Du Yuting's side. He respectfully placed bowls and chopsticks for him and filled his glass with wine.
When no one was paying attention, she had already sprinkled some powder into the wine cup.
Du Yuting barely even glanced at her, and was completely unprepared for the drink in front of him.
He raised his glass to everyone in the hall and said, "Today is a big day for my Textile Chamber of Commerce. Thank you all for gathering here, and thank you all for your suggestions for the future of the Chamber of Commerce. Here, I, Du, would like to offer a toast to everyone." After saying that, he raised his head and drank the wine in one gulp.
A chamber of commerce member took the lead in responding: "It's everyone who should thank Mr. Du. Without Mr. Du's support, we wouldn't be able to eat this bowl of rice with peace of mind. Cheers to Mr. Du."
So everyone shouted, "Thank you, Master Du, and toast to Master Du."
The hall was filled with the aroma of wine and the atmosphere was full of joy.
Su He filled Du Yuting's glass with wine again, and Du Yuting drank it again.
This was repeated many times until Du Yuting's face turned red and veins on his forehead bulged.
She knew the time had come.
So he secretly put a piece of paper under the wine cup, then stood up and walked out of the hall through the side door.
But after a moment, Du Yuting found the note.
Written in small characters on it was: "I have evidence of your iron trafficking. If you want to know the details, please come out of the hall and discuss it."
Du Yuting was already feeling extremely unwell at this time, with a headache and difficulty breathing, but this note was like a bolt from the blue, and he woke up instantly.
He hurriedly stood up, took two steps at a time, and left the hall through the side door.
As soon as I stepped into the corridor outside the palace, I saw a maid walking hurriedly in front of me.
The maids of the Chamber of Commerce all wore the same dresses, so he couldn't tell who was who.
After hesitating for a moment, he instinctively followed the maid.
Su He knew that Du Yuting was following her, and she couldn't help but quicken her pace.
Walk through the long corridor, turn left, and go around a pond.
When she came in in the morning, she noticed that there was a rockery behind the pond, and there were two caves under the rockery.
Su He walked into the stone cave and quickly lit the soul-devouring incense she made herself.
The cave was filled with smoke, and a faint soul-devouring fragrance spread with the smoke.
A moment later, Du Yuting followed him into the cave. He walked slowly, his brows slightly furrowed, not used to the dim light inside the cave. He even rubbed his eyes vigorously until he could clearly see the woman standing in the dim light.
He suppressed his physical discomfort and murmured, "Who are you?"
Su He smiled slightly, and there was something inexplicably strange in his smile.
She answered the question irrelevantly: "Master Du, can you smell the fragrance in this cave?"
Du Yuting looked around, sniffed a few times, and suddenly felt a splitting headache and it became increasingly difficult to breathe through his nostrils.
He raised his hand to his forehead and leaned against the cave wall: "What...what on earth is this smell?"
Su He stared at him and replied in a deep voice: "This is the smell of killing you!"
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