Chapter 225 Working Hard Without Complaint
Song Yazhi scrubbed a bowl vigorously, her tone filled with barely suppressed frustration, her brows furrowed into a deep frown.
Fang Xiaoju stood beside her, holding a rag in her hand, slowly wiping another bowl.
She was also quite angry inside, feeling a tightness in her chest; but she had to put on a gentle and considerate tone and softly advised, "Auntie, don't worry, just wait a little longer, she'll leave eventually."
She and Song Yazhi had already discussed their plan—to seize any leverage over Qiao Wanyin before Fu Li'an returned, even if it was just the slightest suspicious action.
If we can prove that she has bad intentions and behaves improperly, we can justifiably kick her out of the house.
But right at this critical juncture, Qiu Zishu inexplicably showed up and stayed for most of the day, causing no peace of mind whatsoever.
Fang Xiaoju was extremely annoyed, her nails almost tearing the rag in her hand. She wanted nothing more than to rush out and yell at her, "Go home right now!"
But she couldn't show it; she could only suppress her emotions, swallow her anger, and endure it little by little.
She lowered her head and twisted the corner of the cloth in her hand, her knuckles turning slightly white from the force, but her eyes kept glancing uncontrollably into the yard, as if being drawn by something invisible.
Looking out from the small kitchen window covered with fine gauze, Qiao Wanyin and Qiu Zishu were sitting under the old locust tree, very close together, their shoulders almost touching.
They laughed out loud from time to time, their voices clear and crisp like bells, as if they were completely unaware of the undercurrents swirling inside the room.
The sight made Fang Xiaoju feel a tightness in her chest, her breathing became heavier, and her anger surged upwards, making her temples throb.
"Auntie, should I go and urge them?"
Fang Xiaoju finally couldn't hold back any longer and said in a low voice, her tone tinged with anxiety.
Her gaze darkened, as if shrouded in a cloud. "Just tell her you're not feeling well and want to rest for a while, and ask her to go home early."
She really couldn't sit still any longer. If things continued like this, she wouldn't even have a chance to get close to Qiao Wanyin, let alone find any leverage against her.
Song Yazhi slowly shook her head, carefully wiping the water off her hands. Her movements were unhurried, as if she were pondering some profound plan.
“No,” she said in a low voice. “That girl is very clever, with sharp ears and keen eyes. She knew something was wrong as soon as she heard those words. We can’t alert her.”
She squinted, her gaze piercing through the gauze window, fixed on the two intimate figures in the courtyard. Watching them so close and listening to their unrestrained laughter, a chilling smile suddenly crept onto her lips.
“However,” she paused, lowering her voice even further, “I do have a solution.”
Fang Xiaoju's eyes lit up immediately, and she quickly took a few steps closer, almost touching her shoulder as she asked, "What idea? Tell me quickly, don't keep me in suspense!"
Song Yazhi did not answer immediately. Instead, she turned around, walked to the old five-drawer chest in the corner, bent down, and pulled open the innermost drawer.
She rummaged through a pile of clutter for a while before carefully pulling out a small paper packet.
She held the paper package in her palm, her fingers trembling slightly, as if she were holding some secret that could not be shown to others.
He opened it with extremely gentle movements, his expression revealing a hint of mystery and smugness.
“This is something I specifically asked for from an old doctor.”
She said in a low voice, almost a whisper, "You don't need much. Just a little bit mixed into water or tea will make people drowsy and they'll sleep for a whole day without waking up."
Fang Xiaoju gasped sharply, her eyes widening, and her heart skipped a beat. "Auntie, you wouldn't be thinking of... using this medicine against Qiu Zishu, would you?"
“Don’t be afraid,” Song Yazhi sneered, her eyes sharp as knives, “It won’t kill anyone, it’s just to let her sleep.”
She paused, then added in a chilling tone, "Once that girl from the Qiu family falls asleep, we can then get our hands on Qiao Wanyin properly."
Fang Xiaoju's eyes lit up instantly, like a flame suddenly igniting in the dark night.
But she quickly frowned, her face showing worry: "What if she falls asleep in our house? How will we explain it when the Qiu family asks? We can't just say she ate our food, can we?"
Song Yazhi waved her hand, a confident expression on her face. "What's there to be afraid of? Just say she suddenly felt dizzy and her face turned pale. We were all terrified and advised her to stay and rest. Once she wakes up, she can walk back by herself. Who can find fault with that?"
She spoke lightly and confidently, as if everything was under her control.
As the two were whispering and plotting, a burst of cheerful laughter suddenly came from outside the kitchen, like a bucket of cold water being poured into the oppressive room.
Fang Xiaoju's heart skipped a beat, and she quickly looked up outside.
In the courtyard, Qiao Wanyin was holding Qiu Zishu's hand, their heads close together. They were laughing so hard they were almost falling over, their shoulders shaking, their faces beaming with undisguised joy.
The scene was like countless fine needles, piercing her eyes and her heart.
She gripped the rag tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white, her lips pressed into a pale line, her whole body frozen in place, unable to move.
She gripped the apron tightly, her fingers turning white from the force, her knuckles almost breaking, her nails digging deep into the flesh of her palms, leaving crescent-shaped bloodstains.
Why is Qiao Wanyin always so popular?
From childhood to adulthood, wherever she went, everyone would surround her, smiling brightly and speaking gently, as if she were someone who was born to be favored by fate.
Where is Fang Xiaoju?
Despite working diligently and without complaint, he couldn't even earn a sincere compliment.
Why is everyone so nice to her?
Just because she's pretty?
Or was it because of her harmless smile?
Ironically, no one sees how much she has sacrificed behind the scenes; instead, they only want to focus their attention on Qiao Wanyin.
"Xiaoju?"
Song Yazhi reached out and pushed her, her tone impatient, "What are you standing there for? Go make some tea."
Her voice was like a whip lashing at her ear, pulling Fang Xiaoju back from her chaotic thoughts.
Fang Xiaoju snapped back to her senses, her shoulders trembled slightly, and she quickly lowered her head and reached out to take the paper package that had been prepared beforehand.
Her fingers trembled slightly as she held the paper package, and she said in a very low voice, "Auntie, don't worry, I will definitely take care of this."
He spoke each word with extra force, as if he were encouraging himself.
She carefully opened the paper package, revealing a small pinch of fine white powder inside.
With a gentle flick of the fingertip, a speck of powder silently slipped into the teapot, like snow falling into an abyss, without causing the slightest ripple.
She quickly closed the paper package and hid it in her sleeve, then poured boiling water into the teapot and slowly stirred it with a spoon.
The rising steam blurred the light that shone in her eyes.
The tea remained unchanged in color, clear and transparent, and even had a faint fruity aroma; there was absolutely nothing unusual about it.
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