The fire started in Zhuijintang, where Madam Shen lived.
Because today is the Lantern Festival, lanterns and decorations are everywhere, and fireworks and firecrackers are going off one after another. So when the fire first started, no one noticed.
By the time the fire was discovered, it was already out of control.
Furthermore, the Shen family currently has few maids and servants, only Dafu who is responsible for guarding the gate. It is simply a pipe dream for him to put out the fire by himself.
Later, the neighbors discovered it and rushed over to help.
Unfortunately, it's still a drop in the ocean.
As everyone watched in horror as Madam Shen's house was engulfed in flames, they could not help but show their shock.
"Oh my, such a big fire! I wonder if anyone is inside?"
"I think that person is probably inside, otherwise it wouldn't be this late and we still haven't seen that family show up."
"I'm afraid it's more likely to end badly."
...
Shen Qiyin stood in front of Zhuijin Hall, looking at the towering flames before her, her expression inscrutable.
Dafu knelt at her feet, repeatedly begging for forgiveness: "It was all my carelessness and negligence that I failed to discover the fire in the old lady's courtyard in time. I deserve to die."
"The old lady and the others have not been seen yet, I'm afraid... I'm afraid..."
Although Dafu didn't finish his sentence, anyone could understand what he meant.
Those people are probably going to perish in the fire.
Shen Qiyin was uncertain about the safety of Madam Shen and Li Zhenzhu, but she was certain that Shen Cang would not die!
How could the instigator allow the fire to spread to themselves?
Even if he really does "get burned," it must just be a smokescreen he sets up to clear himself of suspicion.
And the truth was pretty much what Shen Qiyin had guessed.
These days, Shen Cang felt like he was living a life worse than death.
It is said that "three women make a drama," and he was caught in the middle of Madam Shen, Li Zhenzhu, and Shen Qiyin, and was almost squeezed to death by the three of them.
He was like that wronged young wife, stuck with an unfilial and never-home scoundrel son, a greasy husband who was no help at all and only made things worse, and a vicious mother-in-law who was always looking for trouble.
He's having such a tough time.
Today is the fifteenth, and Madam Shen started clamoring early this morning for a better meal. What could Shen Cang do? He could only bend over and keep busy around the stove.
When the food was served, she picked and chose for a long time.
This dish is too salty, that dish is too bland, this dish is too oily, that dish is too watery...
Shen Cang wished he could just dump all the kitchen swill into her mouth!
After Old Madam Shen made a fuss about wanting to eat braised pork knuckle, he completely broke down.
A dangerous and evil thought began to frantically grow in his mind.
Kill her...
He could be free once she was dead.
When this thought popped into his mind, Shen Cang's first reaction was not to be annoyed at himself for having such a heinous idea, but to hesitate about whether he should take Li Zhenzhu, that shrew, with him as well.
With those two troublesome women gone, once Shen Qiyin gets married again, my carefree days will finally begin.
Let's do it!
So he secretly developed a sleeping potion and put it into Madam Shen and Li Zhenzhu's dinner, watching them eat it without their knowledge.
After drugging the two women, he filled the area in front of and behind the house with dry grass and firewood, and poured wine on the bed curtains, tablecloths, and even on the women themselves.
Finally, he knocked over the candlestick without hesitation.
As he watched the fire rise with the wind, his eyes were filled with excitement.
Burn them, burn them, burn these two troublesome old devils to death!
Seeing that the fire was out of control, Shen Cang knew that even if a god came today, he couldn't save the two of them. That's why, when Da Fu ran over to put out the fire, he pretended to shout, "Fire! Fire!"
"Hurry and put out the fire!"
"Someone come quick!"
When he saw more people arriving, he even made a gesture as if he wanted to rush into the fire.
Those around them naturally tried to stop him: "Oh dear, Master Shen, you mustn't do that! Look how big the fire is, you won't survive if you go in."
Yes, yes.
The fire couldn't be extinguished; it could only be barely controlled to prevent it from spreading elsewhere.
For now, the only option is to wait for it to burn out on its own.
"You're the only pillar left in this family, so you can't afford to get hurt."
...
Everyone offered their advice in unison.
Shen Cang, however, didn't know when to stop. Instead, he became more and more insistent as he was persuaded: "Let me go! Let me go! My mother and wife are still inside. I have to go in and save them!"
He struggled fiercely, appearing as if he were "sharing life and death with them, going through thick and thin together."
Surprisingly, some people were actually moved by his appearance.
Shen Cang wept bitterly: "I only went to the kitchen to cook another dish for them, how could this have happened?"
"If anything happens to them, what's the point of my life!"
"Don't stop me, let go of me!"
At that moment, an unusually calm voice rang out: "Let him go."
Shen Qiyin looked at Shen Cang with a cold expression, her clear eyes revealing a chill.
Her voice wasn't loud, yet it seemed to drown out the clamor, gradually quieting the surroundings down.
Shen Cang, who was crying with snot and tears streaming down his face, stopped abruptly after hearing Shen Qiyin's words, which inexplicably revealed a hint of amusement.
Shen Qiyin stepped forward: "Now that no one is stopping you, why don't you continue rushing into the fire?"
"You..." Shen Cang's face stiffened, and he changed the subject: "Where have you been so late at night? Such a big thing happened at home and you're only just coming back!"
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