The weather has been getting colder these past few days, and the chilly winds of Kyoto are piercing to the bone, making it too cold to get out of bed.
Yang Shuhuan sat in front of the stove, warming herself by the fire while eating a peeled orange.
Before long, the curtain was lifted, and Zhou Fusheng came in carrying a basket of wild ginseng like a lackey.
"May you be blessed, Miss."
He bowed to Yang Shuhuan and hurriedly presented the wild ginseng.
Yang Shuhuan glanced at it lazily and waved her hand.
"I have plenty of rare things, you can keep this one for yourself."
Zhou Fusheng chuckled, then handed the basket to Ruyan with a fawning look in his eyes.
“Miss, my grandmother dug this up the mountain before dawn today. It’s only available this season. Wild ones are much more nutritious than cultivated ones. They’re great for making soup or stewing chicken.”
"I'm just worried about your hand. You need to get better soon, otherwise how will you deal with that bitch?"
The wild ginseng was indeed dug up by the old woman today, in order to earn more money for Zhou Fusheng to get married.
These past few days, Zhou Fusheng has been poisoning her medicine daily, though in small doses.
If there are no symptoms in the short term, it is difficult for even a coroner to determine the cause of death.
Yang Shuhuan instructed that it must be done secretly and without anyone finding any evidence against them.
When the old woman finally dies, carry her to Ningyin's place.
As Yang Shuhuan listened to Zhou Fusheng's flattery, she casually stretched out her well-maintained hands and looked at them again and again.
Suddenly, I remembered the last time I saw Ningyin's hands; they were rough and cracked, and they were nothing compared to mine.
Seeing Zhou Fusheng's eagerness, she chuckled, "Then accept it. This matter must be handled flawlessly. After it's done, you will be the chief steward of my Marquis's mansion."
"Thank you, Miss. I will do my utmost to clear all obstacles for you."
Zhou Fusheng was secretly pleased. He kowtowed to Yang Shuhuan again, and before leaving, he gazed longingly at Ruyan's graceful figure.
After Zhou Fusheng left, Yang Shuhuan suddenly let out a cold laugh, "Ruyan, make chicken soup with this thing and send it to the old lady."
"Yes, Miss."
Yang Shuhuan glanced at it with disdain. How could she possibly eat such a thing? It would be more like feeding it to a dog.
Do you really think she's a noblewoman from a wealthy family begging for food, accepting all sorts of junk?
At noon, Yang Shuhuan specially delivered chicken soup to Wang's room. Wang's health had not been very good recently, so she had people bring her meals to her room.
After having dinner with Mrs. Wang, he massaged her shoulders and back.
Wang was overjoyed and looked forward to Shen Yun's return so she could propose marriage to him at the Marquis's residence before the New Year.
This daughter-in-law makes her happy in every way.
I took a sip of the chicken soup, and it was truly delicious.
Thinking back, Ning Yin had also personally stewed chicken soup for herself before, but the taste was far inferior to Yang Shuhuan's.
"Huan'er, you've really had a hard time these past few days. Your own hand isn't even healed yet, and you still have to take care of this old woman."
“Aunt, it’s only right that I take care of you. You are my future mother-in-law. What daughter-in-law is not filial to her mother-in-law? I have always treated you as my own mother.”
Yang Shuhuan has a sweet tongue, just like her younger brother; the two siblings both take after Mo Jinxiu.
Upon hearing this, Wang could no longer contain herself and burst into laughter.
"This child is so lovable. Granny Qin, quickly bring me the headdress I wore when I got married. I want to give it to my daughter-in-law."
"Oh, Madam..."
Granny Qin went to look for him after being ordered to do so for a long time, and Madam Wang was getting a little impatient.
"Granny Qin, what's going on? Bring it here quickly!"
Granny Qin came out of the inner room empty-handed, her expression strange. The next second, she knelt down in front of the two of them.
"Madam, I've searched all the chests, but the headdress is gone, even the phoenix crown bestowed by the Emperor is missing. Besides these few items, all the other jewelry is also gone..."
Granny Qin was Wang's personal nanny, and only she and another maid were allowed to enter the inner room to serve her.
Now all of the old lady's jewelry is gone, even the imperial gifts are gone. This is a capital offense.
It's all her fault for being negligent lately and not checking on things regularly.
Upon hearing this, Wang was immediately enraged.
"Granny Qin, you're not joking, are you? You're the one who usually keeps these things safe, how could they be lost!"
Granny Qin trembled and shook her head helplessly: "Madam, I really didn't know. Ever since I married into the General's Mansion with you, I have been loyal and devoted without any disloyalty."
Wang was so angry that she couldn't breathe. Yang Shuhuan quickly patted her back and handed her a glass of water.
“Aunt, why don’t we search every nook and cranny of the room? If all else fails, we’ll have to resort to family discipline. Sometimes it’s inevitable that servants will be dishonest.”
Yang Shuhuan coldly looked down at Qin Mama on the ground, and Qin Mama almost fainted from fright when she heard this.
She had witnessed Yang Shuhuan's methods before; they were incredibly ruthless.
The last time, the cleaning servant spilled water on Shen Yun's clothes, Yang Shuhuan ordered someone to pull out all ten of his fingernails the next day.
The servant fainted from the pain, and Yang Shuhuan ordered someone to pour a basin of ice water on him.
After the servant woke up, he was forced to kneel all night as punishment, and then had to continue working the next day.
Yang Shuhuan's tactic of making an example of someone to scare the others truly terrified the servants.
They worked more efficiently, and no one dared to gossip.
When Ning Yin was alive, she always persuaded people with reason. Although the servants said behind her back that she came from a humble family, she was still very hardworking.
Because Ningyin would not punish her servants arbitrarily, nor would she withhold their monthly wages; she would even help them receive free medical treatment.
Now that Yang Shuhuan has taken over, to be honest, all these servants are angry but dare not speak out.
After catching her breath, Wang finally calmed down.
"In that case, let's do as Huan'er says. Granny Qin, you and Huan'er go and search the room carefully. If you still can't find it, then I can't protect you either!"
When Madam Wang gave the order, Granny Qin had no choice but to follow Yang Shuhuan and turn the inner room upside down, even searching Madam Wang's chamber pot.
"How is it, Huan'er? Did you find it?"
Supported by her maid, Madam Wang stood anxiously at the door and asked.
"No, Aunt, it seems there really is a traitor within!"
Yang Shuhuan's words were like the last straw that broke the camel's back. Wang almost fainted from anger, but luckily her maid supported her.
These jewelry pieces, along with the imperial phoenix crown, must have been worth at least 100,000 taels of silver, and they just vanished without a trace.
This was her life savings.
Moreover, when the emperor celebrates his sixtieth birthday after the New Year, she, as a titled lady, will wear the phoenix crown bestowed by the emperor to offer her congratulations.
Now that everything is lost, she doesn't know how to explain it if His Majesty asks.
The more she thought about it, the angrier she became. Besides Granny Qin and her maid Zisu, there was probably no one else.
"Guards! Seize Qin Mama and Zisu!"
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