The cat leaped to the ground and sniffed at the spilled noodles. As it meowed and was about to lick them, Xiao Qiao quickly picked it up and released it outside the door. When she raised her head, she glanced at Wet Nurse Jiang waiting in the corridor, taking note of her expression before turning back into the room, her face betraying nothing.
The room fell silent. Madam Zhu stared at the mess of noodles among the broken bowl shards on the floor, her face contorted with anger. She glared at Xiao Qiao, seemingly about to lash out but forcing herself to hold back. Wet Nurse Zhong, suppressing her doubts, hurried to smooth things over: “This cat is truly mischievous and spoiled. It was squirming even while being held, and suddenly jumped out, unfortunately knocking over the tray. Madam, please don’t be upset.”
Lady Xu glanced at Xiao Qiao. Seeing her calm demeanor, as if nothing had happened, and not offering any explanation to Madam Zhu, she found this reaction unusual but didn’t dwell on it. Noticing Madam Zhu’s severe expression, seemingly wanting to explode but holding back in her presence, she sighed inwardly, thinking, “Her temperament is still too narrow-minded.” She then said aloud, “Let it be. It’s just a mindless animal. What’s spilled is spilled. I appreciate your thoughtfulness. Next time I want to eat, I’ll ask you to make it again. I’m tired this morning, you may go now.”
Madam Zhu secretly resented Xiao Qiao, suspecting she had deliberately released the cat to knock over her tray, preventing her from showing filial piety to Lady Xu. But with Lady Xu speaking this way, her tone clearly showing some favoritism, Madam Zhu felt even more indignant. She struggled to maintain her composure, responded with a sound, and left with Wet Nurse Jiang, who kept looking back.
Wet Nurse Zhong called a servant to clean up the spilled noodles and liquid. She then helped Lady Xu back to bed. Xiao Qiao watched, and as the servant finished cleaning and was about to leave, she said to Wet Nurse Zhong, “Mother Zhong, may I have a word with you?”
Wet Nurse Zhong looked at her and agreed. After informing Lady Xu, the two of them left the room.
Once outside, Xiao Qiao instructed the servant who had cleaned up to bring the remnants of the spilled soup and noodles along. Wet Nurse Zhong was puzzled but refrained from asking questions, following Xiao Qiao to an empty spot in the courtyard. Xiao Qiao dismissed the servant after having her put down the remnants. When they were alone, she said, “Mother Zhong, you must have noticed earlier that I deliberately let the cat knock over the tray in Madam’s hands.”
Wet Nurse Zhong had indeed noticed. Although puzzled at the time, she had still smoothed things over. Seeing Xiao Qiao bring it up, she asked, “Why did the Young Lady do this?”
Xiao Qiao replied directly, “I suspect there was something unclean in the soup and noodles.”
Wet Nurse Zhong was slightly startled. She looked at Xiao Qiao, “Does the Young Lady realize the implications of what you’re saying?”
Xiao Qiao took a deep breath and said, “Of course I do. To be honest, I’m not entirely certain. But given my suspicions and considering Grandmother’s safety, even knowing this action was inappropriate, I had to do it.”
Wet Nurse Zhong looked at her for a moment, her expression gradually softening. She nodded, “The Young Lady did the right thing. If there’s any doubt, clean or not, it shouldn’t be given to the Old Madam. The Young Lady is usually very principled. Since you took action today and called me here, there must be a reason. Please explain.”
Xiao Qiao said, “As you know, Mother Zhong, I’ve never been in my mother-in-law’s good graces since I arrived. That Wet Nurse Jiang, who’s in her favor, constantly instigates her against me. I won’t hide it from you – I’m aware of my Qiao family background and the past grievances between the Qiao and Wei families. Believing it’s better to be cautious, I had my wet nurse befriend Wet Nurse Huang from the east room, asking her to keep an eye on Wet Nurse Jiang’s movements and report any unusual activity so we could be prepared. A few days ago, Wet Nurse Huang reported that Wet Nurse Jiang had secretly left the manor through the back door, gone to Earl Li’s mansion in the west of the city, and entered through their back door instead of the side entrance. She came out after just a short while, her behavior very suspicious. I inquired and found that my mother-in-law doesn’t have much contact with the Earl’s wife. I became vigilant and had someone keep an eye on the Earl’s wife. This morning, I received news that she possesses a rare and deadly snake venom from Sindhu, capable of killing with just one drop. Thinking of Wet Nurse Jiang’s possible secret contact with the Earl’s wife behind Madam’s back, I felt uneasy and rushed home. As I was coming here, I happened to see Wet Nurse Jiang outside the door and noticed my mother-in-law passing food to Grandmother. Fearing the worst, I acted on impulse and let the cat go, knocking over the tray.”
As Xiao Qiao spoke, Wet Nurse Zhong’s expression grew increasingly grave.
Xiao Qiao continued, “Mother Zhong, as I said earlier, I don’t know for certain if Wet Nurse Jiang obtained the snake venom from the Earl’s mansion, or if she did, who she intended to drug. My actions were based purely on intuition. That’s why I didn’t dare speak up in front of Grandmother and only called you out to talk. Whether this bowl of noodles was clean or not, we must keep a close eye on Wet Nurse Jiang from now on!”
Wet Nurse Zhong stared at the remnants of noodles and soup in the basket on the ground. Suddenly, she picked it up and quickly walked to the fish pond in the corner of the courtyard, where golden carp were kept. She poured the remnants, including the broth, into the pond.
Xiao Qiao stepped forward, holding her breath, and together with Wet Nurse Zhong, they watched intently.
The fish in the pond, seeing food, initially swam over to compete for it. After a moment, their movements became sluggish. Soon after, one by one, the five or six large golden carp that had been raised for many years slowly floated to the surface, belly-up.
Xiao Qiao looked at Wet Nurse Zhong.
Wet Nurse Zhong stared intently at the upturned fish, her face suddenly turning ashen. Her eyes blazed with anger as she abruptly turned and rushed back towards Lady Xu’s room.
…
Wet Nurse Jiang followed Madam Zhu back to the east room, her heart pounding with anxiety.
She never imagined that just as the bowl of soup and noodles was about to be handed to Lady Xu, it would be knocked to the ground by a cat that suddenly flew out.
Remembering the glance that Young Lady Qiao had given her when sending the cat out, she couldn’t help but feel every nerve in her body tense up.
There was no way the Young Lady could have known about the bowl’s contents.
But why, at that exact moment, did the cat she was holding fly out and ruin their carefully planned scheme?
According to their previous arrangement, someone should be waiting outside the back door right now for her to deliver a message.
She felt restless as if a cold wind was blowing on her back. She wanted to hurry out and pass on the message. But Madam Zhu kept talking to her, cursing Young Lady Qiao for her malicious intent and inability to bear seeing Lady Xu favor her even slightly.
Wet Nurse Jiang patiently persuaded her, finally managing to calm Madam Zhu down a bit and send her back to her room. Just as she was hurrying towards the back door, she heard footsteps in the courtyard. Looking up, she saw Wet Nurse Zhong entering with seven or eight servant women.
Wet Nurse Zhong stood there, her gaze like icy daggers covered in barbs, scanning Wet Nurse Jiang from head to toe. Without saying a word, two servants behind her came forward and seized Wet Nurse Jiang, who stood frozen at the door.
Madam Zhu, lost in thought in her room, suddenly heard a commotion of footsteps outside, as if many people had arrived. Irritated, she was about to go out and scold them when the door was pushed open, and Wet Nurse Zhong appeared.
Madam Zhu was startled. “What are you doing here?”
Wet Nurse Zhong stared at Madam Zhu and said, “The Old Madam has asked me to invite you over. She has some questions.”
Madam Zhu was bewildered. She had a vague feeling that something unfavorable to her had happened. Her mind immediately went to the cursed doll hidden in her room. Her heart began to race. But then she thought, this matter was so secret, there was no way anyone could know about it. Finally, she managed to calm herself, slowly stood up, and said with a smile, “Do you know what it’s about?”
Wet Nurse Zhong replied flatly, “Madam will know when you get there.”
As Madam Zhu anxiously made her way to the north room, Wet Nurse Zhong scanned the room and ordered the servants: “Take everyone in this room into custody. Search thoroughly, don’t miss a single corner.”
“And keep this quiet,” she added as a final instruction.
…
Zhu Shi arrived at the northern quarters. Initially, she wasn’t allowed to enter the main room. A maidservant led her to a side chamber instead. She waited for a long time, gradually growing impatient. Several times she tried to leave but was blocked by the maidservant at the door.
After being stopped for the third time, Zhu Shi finally lost her temper. “How dare you! Is my son not the male heir of the Wei family? How can you treat me with such disrespect!”
“Madam, please come this way,” a maidservant attending to Madam Xu suddenly approached and said.
Zhu Shi glared resentfully at the maidservant blocking her way and headed toward the main room.
As she entered, she saw only Madam Xu sitting on the couch, eyes closed as if in deep meditation. Zhu Shi stopped a few steps away, next to a table. She watched her for a moment, not daring to speak first. After waiting a while longer, she could no longer contain herself and carefully asked, “May I inquire why Mother-in-law has summoned me?”
Madam Xu slowly opened her eyes. Her single eye fixed on Zhu Shi, yet she remained silent.
Zhu Shi’s heart pounded with fear.
“Since you don’t know, this old woman will tell you. Zhong Mao, bring everything in and show her,” Madam Xu said flatly.
Zhong Mao immediately responded and entered, placing the items on the ground in front of Zhu Shi.
On the left was a plate with dead fish, and on the right was a human-shaped doll. The doll’s forehead was marked with a dark red spot of blood, giving it an eerie and sinister appearance.
Zhu Shi’s face turned pale the moment she glimpsed the doll.
“These fish have been in the courtyard pond for several years. When I poured the vermicelli you brought this morning into the pond, the fish were poisoned and died,” Zhong Mao’s voice came, cold and deliberate. “This voodoo doll was just found in your room, and the birth date on it matches exactly with the Old Madam’s! Your plot to harm the Old Madam is so vicious, it’s beyond comprehension!”
Zhu Shi’s eyes widened. Her gaze shifted from the stiff, dead fish to the doll, then back to the fish, repeating this several times. She began to tremble, shaking more and more violently until she could barely stand. Suddenly, she let out a sharp cry and fell to her knees.
“It wasn’t me! Mother-in-law! How could the vermicelli I sent to poison the goldfish? There must be a mistake! I’m being framed for the birth date on this doll! It wasn’t you I meant to suppress! How could I dare to harm you, Mother-in-law? I never intended to harm you, you must believe me—” Zhu Shi wailed incessantly.
Madam Xu’s face showed no anger. Her expression remained calm, looking at Zhu Shi with an almost pitying gaze.
“I didn’t make that vermicelli! I didn’t put poison in it! It was Maid Jiang who told me to bring the vermicelli for you to eat!” Zhu Shi suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly said, “Quick, call Maid Jiang here! She must know! She can testify for me!”
Zhong Mao replied, “Maid Jiang has already confessed. She said you instructed her to get the poison from Madam Li, the wife of the local Marquis and put it in the vermicelli to harm the Old Madam. Maid Jiang also admitted that you were afraid the poison might not work, so you ordered your niece to get this voodoo doll from a powerful shaman to cast a spell! What else do you have to say?”
Zhu Shi was thunderstruck. Her face turned deathly pale, and she couldn’t catch her breath. She suddenly collapsed to the ground. After regaining consciousness, she made a choking sound and rasped, “Bring that old hypocrite here! I’ll tear her apart! How dare she frame me like this! She told me to bring the vermicelli to you, Mother-in-law! I remember clearly, that the birth date on the doll was that Qiao girl’s, not yours! That old hypocrite is framing me!”
Suddenly, as if struck by inspiration, Zhu Shi scrambled to her feet.
“I never intended to suppress the Qiao girl either, it was that old hypocrite who instigated me! I would never dare to harm you, Mother-in-law! You must investigate this for me, I can’t bear this false accusation…”
When Madam Xu heard her mention the intention to suppress the Qiao girl, a shadow flickered across her eyes.
She waved her hand towards the door.
Zhong Mao understood. Two maidservants quickly entered and forcibly carried away Zhu Shi, who was still rolling on the ground, crying out her innocence.
Even after she was taken away, her wails seemed to linger in the rafters, echoing endlessly.
Madam Xu sat there motionless, silent. Suddenly, she closed her eyes and swayed slightly.
Zhong Mao, who had been watching her, hurriedly went to support her.
“Let me help you lie down! I’ll call for Physician Yue Ling!”
…
As night fell, the Wei manor appeared as peaceful as ever.
Physician Yue Ling had visited during the day.
Madam Xu woke up, and Zhong Mao helped her drink some water. Her spirit seemed to be slowly recovering.
A cat was curled up at the edge of her bed, eyes closed, still drowsy.
Madam Xu reached out to stroke the cat and asked Zhong Mao, who stood nearby, “Before Maid Jiang took her own life out of fear of punishment, did she still insist it was on Zhu Shi’s orders?”
Zhong Mao replied, “I had applied severe torture. She insisted to the end that it was on Madam Zhu’s orders. I also had Zheng Shu arrested, and she confessed that she sought out the shaman for the suppression spell on Madam Zhu’s instructions.”
“It was my oversight. I never imagined Maid Jiang would take her own life so quickly,” Zhong Mao said, full of self-reproach.
Madam Xu’s hand lingered on the cat’s back for a moment before she suddenly asked, “Do you think Zhu Shi would have the courage to plot against me like this?”
Zhong Mao hesitated, then said, “Maid Jiang confessed that she was acting on Madam Zhu’s orders, obtaining snake venom from Madam Li, the local Marquis’s wife. However, from what the Young Madam said, it seems Maid Jiang might have been manipulating Madam Zhu.” Seeing Madam Xu look over, she continued, “I sent people to apprehend Madam Li this afternoon, but we learned that she hadn’t risen this morning. Her maids initially thought she was still asleep, but when they entered her room, they found her eyes open and seemingly lucid, yet her limbs were paralyzed and she couldn’t speak, as if struck by palsy. They hurriedly called for a physician, but even he was at a loss. She now lies there like a living corpse.”
Madam Xu frowned, “Could there be such a coincidence?”
“I found it suspiciously coincidental as well. I’ve ordered the Yuyang Magistrate to investigate the case.”
Madam Xu’s hand slowly continued to stroke the cat. The cat woke up, stretched lazily, and leaped off the bed, leaving the room.
Madam Xu watched the cat’s retreating figure, her gaze gradually softening.
“Where is my granddaughter-in-law?” she suddenly asked.
Zhong Mao replied, “The Young Madam stayed with you until dusk when you fell asleep after taking your medicine. I finally persuaded her to return to her quarters not long ago. She said she would come back in the morning.”
“If it weren’t for her timely arrival this morning and her vigilance, I might have already perished at the hands of my vicious and foolish daughter-in-law!” Madam Xu said, lost in thought for a moment.
“Old Madam, please try not to be upset. Anger will only harm your health.”
Madam Xu slowly shook her head, “You don’t understand. What is there to be angry about? Although I’ve lost both my son and grandson, bringing misfortune to the family, in my old age I not only have Shao’er but also such a granddaughter-in-law as Qiao. For every loss, there is a gain. The Wheel of Dharma always turns. I should be grateful.”
…
This day, from morning onwards, too many events occurred one after another.
Xiao Qiao dragged her tired legs back to her room, took a bath, and fell onto the bed, closing her eyes.
Grandmother’s life-and-death crisis from her previous life had finally passed, with a scare but no harm done.
After this ordeal, Grandmother and Zhong Mao would surely be more vigilant. The dark hand that had reached into the Wei family would find it much harder to strike again.
Although the outcome still had its regrets, Xiao Qiao was already satisfied that she would no longer have to constantly worry about Grandmother being harmed in the future.
She closed her eyes and quickly fell asleep.