Just as the gong rang at the hour of Mao, Liu was awakened by a stomachache. She stumbled out of bed, her nails scraping harshly against the carved bedposts. She looked into the bronze mirror at her sallow face, a flicker of resentment in her eyes. Yesterday, when Shen Weiwan and her servants had taken away her last box of dowry, the smile on her lips had pierced her heart like a needle.
"Green calyx!" Liu grabbed the jade hairpin beside her pillow and slammed it against the door. "Go call Wang San! And bring a bowl of ginseng soup!"
Lu'e came in rubbing her sleepy eyes. Seeing her unhappy face, she whispered, "Madam, Wang San is a servant. It's so early..."
"Just go!" Liu grabbed the rouge box on the dressing table and threw it at him. "If you keep talking nonsense, I'll sell you to a brothel!"
Half an hour later, Wang San crouched at Liu's door, his neck hunched, his sleeves still stained with horse fodder. Liu opened the curtain and thrust a silver ingot into his hand: "See? Ten taels left after this is done."
Wang San stared at the silver and swallowed his saliva: "Madam...what do you want me to do?"
"Poison that little bitch Shen Weiwan." Liu lowered her voice and took out an oil-paper bag from her sleeve pocket, "Mix this medicine powder into her breakfast and make her unable to get out of bed!"
Wang San was so frightened that he almost dropped the silver on the ground: "Madam! This is a matter of life and death..."
"Stop talking nonsense!" Liu grabbed his ear, "Chen Weiwan has withheld your mother's monthly allowance for half a year. Have you forgotten? As long as she falls, I will be the one who calls the shots at the General's Mansion from now on, and you will definitely get some benefits!"
Wang San thought of his bedridden mother and gritted his teeth as he took the powder. "I will obey Madam..."
Liu looked at his hurriedly leaving back, a sinister smile curled up at the corner of her mouth. Shen Weiwan, aren't you powerful? Wait until you have diarrhea and see who can still manage the warehouse!
At the same time, Shen Weiwan was drawing her eyebrows in front of a bronze mirror when Chuntao came in with a basin of water. Her brows were furrowed so tightly that they could kill a fly. "Miss, I just saw Wang San acting sneaky, holding a paper bag in his hand. He hid when he saw me."
Shen Weiwan paused, remembering the evasive look Wang San had given her when he collected his monthly allowance yesterday—that was Liu's spy planted in the kitchen. She put down her eyebrow pencil, her fingertips tapping rhythmically on the dressing table. "Go, call the old housekeeper, and have the kitchen prepare a bowl of bird's nest porridge. I want to personally pay my respects to Auntie."
Chun Tao blinked: "Miss, what are you doing..."
"How else can I repay my aunt's kindness?" Chen Weiwan picked up a red gold hairpin and inserted it into her bun. The phoenix tail feathers shone coldly in the morning light. "Go tell Wang San that I want to try the locust flower cakes made by his mother today."
Half an hour later, Wang San walked into Shen Weiwan's courtyard with a food tray, the powder in his palms soaked with sweat. He saw Shen Weiwan talking to the old housekeeper and quickly lowered his head: "Miss, the locust flower cake you asked for..."
"Put it down." Chen Weiwan said without turning her head. "By the way, I'm not feeling well today. I want to drink the ginseng soup from my aunt's yard. Go and bring me a bowl."
Wang San's heart skipped a beat; the powder was still in the food dish! He hesitated and said, "Miss, the Madam..."
"What?" Shen Weiwan turned her head, her eyes sharp as a knife, "Auntie is still reluctant to give up a bowl of ginseng soup?"
The old housekeeper coughed at the right moment and said, "Wang San, why don't you go quickly? If you dawdle any longer, I'll deduct your monthly salary!"
Wang San shuddered with fear, leaving his plate on the table and running back to the Liu family's courtyard. Shen Weiwan watched him from behind and winked at Chuntao. Chuntao immediately stepped forward and used a silver hairpin to pick up the filling from the locust flower cake—sure enough, it was mixed with some unremarkable gray powder.
"Old housekeeper," Shen Weiwan picked up the food tray, "come with me to visit my aunt's courtyard."
Liu was sneering at the ginseng soup. Seeing Shen Weiwan coming in with a food tray, she deliberately frowned: "Wanwan is here? Why don't you rest more if you are not feeling well?"
"Thank you for your concern, Auntie," Shen Weiwan put the food tray on the table, "I heard that your ginseng soup is good for the body, so I came to ask for a bowl." She picked up the spoon, "I also brought you a piece of locust flower cake, would you like to try it?"
Liu looked at the cake and thought that Wang San must have gotten it, so she pretended to refuse: "How could my aunt bear to eat your food..."
"Aunt, why are you being so polite?" Shen Weiwan stuffed the cake into her hand. "Look at this filling. It was specially made by Wang San's mother. She said she wanted to thank you for your care."
Liu couldn't refuse any longer. She had just taken a bite when she heard Wang San running in breathlessly: "Madam! The eldest lady asked me to bring the ginseng soup..."
When he saw the cake in Shen Weiwan's hand, his face turned pale instantly. Liu also reacted and suddenly spit out the cake: "You...you are plotting against me!"
Shen Weiwan pretended to be surprised: "What's wrong, Auntie? Is this cake not delicious?" She picked up the spoon and scooped a mouthful of ginseng soup, "Or is there something wrong with this ginseng soup?"
Liu looked at the spoon in Shen Weiwan's hand, then at Wang San's pale face, and suddenly felt a severe abdominal pain. She staggered back, holding her stomach, and pointed at Shen Weiwan: "You...you drugged me!"
"Auntie, you're joking," Shen Weiwan put down the soup spoon, "This cake was brought by Wang San, and the ginseng soup is from your courtyard. Why are you talking about me?"
Wang San was so frightened that he fell to his knees: "Madam, please spare me! You made me..."
"Shut up!" Liu screamed and tried to cover his mouth, but she bent over in pain.
Shen Weiwan looked at the cold sweat on her forehead and nodded to the old housekeeper: "It seems that my aunt has a stomachache. Please call a doctor quickly. By the way," she deliberately raised her voice, "take Wang San with you as well, so that he won't give my aunt any more good things."
The servants rushed over after hearing the news and saw Liu rolling on the ground holding her stomach, and Wang San kneeling beside her trembling. They immediately started to talk:
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