Chapter 220 I'll Play Along With You to the End
Every detail has been meticulously analyzed, and every step points to that one and only ending—revealing Qiao Wanyin's true colors and leaving her nowhere to escape.
From then on, Song Yazhi seemed to have undergone a complete transformation, her personality changed drastically, and she took meticulous care of Qiao Wanyin.
As soon as it was dawn, she got up early and busied herself in the kitchen, personally cooking a bowl of hot brown sugar eggs for Qiao Wanyin.
The eggs must be fried to perfection, with a soft yolk and not overcooked, and the brown sugar syrup must be thick, sweet, and steaming hot when served.
At noon, the kitchen was filled with the rich aroma of chicken soup. Song Yazhi personally selected a fresh old hen, paired it with red dates, goji berries, astragalus and other medicinal herbs, and simmered it over low heat for two hours to ensure that the soup was golden in color and nourishing.
She would carefully ladle the soup into a thermos, place it in front of Qiao Wanyin, and say with a smile, "Drink it while it's hot, don't let it get cold."
Even when she was exhausted from a long day, she never refused to help. She would squat down, roll up her sleeves, and reach out to massage Qiao Wanyin's swollen calves, which were becoming increasingly painful due to her pregnancy.
The massage was gentle and the pressure was just right. Every now and then, she would ask with concern, "Does it hurt? Is it sore?"
Qiao Wanyin spoke politely, repeatedly saying "Thank you, Mom" in a respectful and courteous tone.
But deep down, she remained constantly on edge, extremely vigilant, and dared not relax for a moment.
This old woman, who used to be cold and harsh and prone to scolding, has suddenly become so attentive and considerate; it's really too abnormal.
The change came too fast and too abruptly, like a carefully rehearsed play.
Qiao Wanyin knew in her heart that the more warm and affectionate someone appeared on the surface, the more likely they were hiding some unspeakable scheme.
She silently reminded herself: He's probably up to no good...
We must not let our guard down.
"Mom, you take a break, I can do it myself."
When Qiao Wanyin saw her mother-in-law about to bring in the foot-washing water again, she quickly stood up and reached out to take the foot-washing basin from her hands.
Her tone was sincere, tinged with unease and reluctance, as if she feared the other party might take the opportunity to do something underhanded again.
Song Yazhi refused to let go, instead holding on even tighter, her face still bearing a kind smile: "You're not alone anymore, you have a baby in your belly, you have to be careful. When I was pregnant with Adong, no one took care of me, no one taught me, and I didn't pay attention to my health, so I ended up with a lot of health problems, and I still haven't recovered."
As she spoke, she looked down and carefully checked the water temperature in the basin, repeatedly testing it with the back of her hand.
After confirming that the water temperature was suitable, he gently squatted down, carefully lifted Qiao Wanyin's ankle, and slowly lowered it into the water.
The movements were gentle, as if handling a rare treasure.
The moment the warm water touched her ankles, Qiao Wanyin suddenly felt a chill run down her spine, making her fingertips go numb.
The feeling came without warning, making her almost instinctively want to pull her foot back.
This mother-in-law's acting was so convincing!
Every glance, every word, every movement was natural and fluid, without any flaws, just like an elder who truly loves his daughter-in-law.
If it weren't for the fact that one rainy evening she had witnessed Song Yazhi speaking viciously on the phone, saying "This woman will have to get out sooner or later," and even cursing her with a cold laugh, "Being unable to conceive means you have a bad fate," Qiao Wanyin would almost have been fooled by this daily display of thoughtfulness.
"By the way, Qingqing."
While gently massaging her feet, Song Yazhi casually asked, as if in a chat, "You mentioned last time that you were anemic and your complexion was always pale. Are you feeling better now?"
Qiao Wanyin's eyelashes trembled slightly, her eyes flickered, and then she smiled gently: "I'm much better, and I have more energy. It's all thanks to Mom making me nourishing soup every day; I've even gained weight."
"That's good."
Song Yazhi nodded in satisfaction, her wrinkles smoothing out as she smiled kindly. "I specially asked someone to bring some authentic Dong'e donkey-hide gelatin from Shanghai a couple of days ago. It's purely handmade and has no additives. Starting tomorrow, I'll prepare a little for you every day, dissolved in warm water. It's especially good for the baby in your belly, helping to stabilize the pregnancy and replenish blood."
"Thank you, Mom."
Qiao Wanyin responded sweetly, her lips curving into a gentle, obedient smile.
But her heart was pounding like a drum, one beat after another.
When did her mother-in-law become so considerate?
They actually went to Shanghai to ask someone to buy donkey-hide gelatin for them?
How could someone who haggles over the price of even a bag of milk suddenly become so generous?
Could it be that they secretly tampered with the donkey-hide gelatin?
Perhaps it was laced with labor-inducing drugs, or perhaps it contained toxins that could harm the fetus; all that was needed was for her to take it daily, and for the symptoms to slowly manifest...
When the night was deep and quiet, the moonlight shone through the curtains onto the floor, and the room was completely silent.
Qiao Wanyin listened intently and confirmed that Song Yazhi could hear even breathing coming from the next room, indicating that she had clearly fallen asleep.
She then quietly closed her eyes, focused her mind, and successfully entered her private space.
This is a mysterious realm independent of reality, known only to her, and undetectable to anyone else.
We need to prepare some self-defense items in advance.
With a solemn expression, she thought to herself that if one day the other party completely tore off their mask and revealed their fangs, she absolutely could not surrender and be slaughtered at their mercy.
The space was brightly lit, and the goods were neatly arranged on the shelves in their respective areas, organized in an orderly manner.
She walked straight to the medicine section, her steps steady and her gaze calm.
She picked out a few small poison test strips from the counter. The pale yellow strips had a faint fluorescent edge and would change color to warn her if they came into contact with any unusual substance.
They also took three sealed antidotes. The small glass vials had a bluish luster and the labels read "Broad-spectrum antidote - can neutralize seventy-two common toxins".
After hesitating for a moment, she then casually took a palm-sized black recorder from the tool rack.
This thing may look unassuming, but it's incredibly powerful, featuring remote voice pickup, automatic noise reduction, and unlimited battery life.
This was a high-end item she had specially exchanged from her spatial dimension to deal with Lin Zhiming, that scheming man.
It cost a considerable amount at the time, but it proved to be worthwhile – it was through this recording that evidence was obtained of Lin Zhiming's collusion with outsiders to frame her.
Now, perhaps it will come in handy again.
“Mother-in-law, since you want to play dirty tricks, then I’ll play along with you to the very end.”
She spoke in a low voice, almost as if squeezed from the depths of her throat, carrying a hint of suppressed anger and determination.
A cold smile slowly crept onto his lips, a smile that was chilling and sharp, like a knife hidden in the shadows, waiting for the right moment to be drawn.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking and the courtyard was still filled with the dampness of the early morning, Song Yazhi brought over a bowl of dark, greasy donkey-hide gelatin soup.
The broth was thick and glistening with an eerie sheen, emanating a faint, indescribable medicinal aroma.
"Drink it while it's hot for better absorption."
She handed over the bowl with a loving smile, her eyes so tender they seemed to melt, and her tone so considerate, just like a mother who truly loves her daughter-in-law.
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