“Old Madam, Hong Dou has brought food.”

Upon hearing Caixia’s report, Old Madam Sheng coughed with composure. “Serve the meal.”

Caixia first laid out the dishes sent from the main kitchen one by one. As it happened, there was also a portion of braised pork among them.

Old Madam Sheng glanced at it and lost her appetite.

It wasn’t that the appearance was poor or the taste bad—the cooks employed by the Sheng manor weren’t so incompetent. But after eating the same standard of food for so many years, she had long grown tired of it, sick of it.

Seeing Old Madam Sheng’s expression, Caixia quickly opened the food box Hong Dou had brought and took out a black pottery jar.

As soon as the black-based pottery lid painted with magpies perched on plum blossoms was lifted, a fragrant aroma burst forth.

Old Madam Sheng couldn’t help but crane her neck to look.

In the shallow-based black pottery jar, blocks of braised pork crystalline as amber were neatly arranged, topped with finely chopped emerald green scallions—a sight that immediately increased one’s appetite.

Old Madam Sheng raised her chopsticks and poked at it.

The amber-like meat block trembled, the chopsticks easily piercing through, revealing the seven alternating layers.

Old Madam Sheng’s eyes brightened, and she couldn’t help but praise, “Good meat!”

Then she took a bite. The lean meat was firm without being tough, the fatty meat moist without being greasy, the meat skin carried a sticky elastic texture, and the perfectly appropriate sweetness pushed the layered wonderful mouthfeel to its peak.

Old Madam Sheng closed her eyes and said nothing more.

The senior maid Caixia attending at her side had always been steady, yet at this moment couldn’t help but swallow.

How does it taste? Please say something!

Old Madam Sheng clearly had no interest or rather leisure to communicate with her maid, but instead quickly picked up another piece of meat.

Then another piece…

In a moment, the chopsticks grasped at empty air.

Old Madam Sheng blinked, murmuring in disbelief, “It’s gone?”

She could have sworn she had just started eating.

Caixia quickly said, “You’ve already eaten six pieces. Eating more might cause indigestion.”

Old Madam Sheng stared at the empty pottery jar, her mood heavy. What she had eaten was clearly already digested—what were these girls worrying about!

Fine, she’d just make do and fill her stomach.

Old Madam Sheng poured a bowl of white rice into the black pottery jar, stirred it with the thick sauce, and ate.

A moment later, the old madam instructed Caixia with full vigor, “Add another bowl of rice.”

Compared to Old Madam Sheng’s optimism, the atmosphere at the Su manor was currently gloomy.

Madam Su clutched her handkerchief, trembling with anger. “Could that Miss Luo be our Su family’s jinx? Why is there nothing good whenever we get involved with her!”

At this point, she glanced at her two daughters kneeling before her and said angrily, “You two as well—knowing Miss Luo is a devil incarnate, why did you still approach her?”

If the younger daughter hadn’t meddled, how would her second son have been implicated!

“It’s daughter’s fault. Daughter should have brought younger sister back to the manor earlier…”

Kneeling right beside Miss Su the Elder, Miss Su the Second said with reddened eyes, “It has nothing to do with Elder Sister. I’m the one who caused the trouble. If you want to punish someone, punish me.”

Su Yao spoke up, “Mother, don’t blame my sisters. Second Sister has been close friends with Second Miss Sheng since childhood and was only standing up for her. Who could have expected such circumstances?”

Madam Su sneered coldly. “I originally thought the Sheng family had proper household values. Now it seems they’re only gilded on the outside. From now on, you should visit the Sheng manor less frequently.”

Miss Su the Elder and Miss Su the Second both assented.

Madam Su wiped the corners of her eyes with her handkerchief, her gaze at her son full of heartache. “Mother just feels sorry that you’ve been dragged into such mess for no reason.”

Su Yao smiled with a hint of nonchalance. “Your son doesn’t mind these things. Moreover, your son is after all a man. These discussions will disperse in a few days and won’t affect me much.”

Madam Su reluctantly nodded, but being pointlessly involved in such vexing matters still affected her mood. That night she tossed and turned, and when getting up during the night, she caught a chill and actually fell ill.

Second Miss Sheng’s scandal quickly became the talk of Jinsha County’s people during their leisure time, causing even people from the Sheng manor to go out less frequently.

Luo Sheng had no reaction to the impact brought upon the Sheng manor.

Or rather, in her view, the one who brought this impact was Sheng Jialan. To turn around and blame the victim would be absurd and laughable.

Many people didn’t think this way though.

Hong Dou, carrying a pouch, stepped through the laundry room’s courtyard gate and happened to hear some gossip.

“The cousin is too inconsiderate of the Sheng manor. She’s caused us to be unable to hold our heads up when going out—”

Hearing the noise, several women who were hanging laundry all turned their heads in unison. Upon seeing Hong Dou’s fierce face, they all froze.

After a good while, a more quick-witted woman laughed dryly. “Big Sister Hong Dou, are you here to deliver laundry?”

Hong Dou swept her stern face across the several women and asked gloomily, “Who said those words just now?”

The several women involuntarily looked toward a long-faced woman.

The long-faced woman slapped her own mouth. “Look at my foul mouth, spouting nonsense. Big Sister Hong Dou, please don’t hold it against an old woman like me.”

Hong Dou carefully examined the woman and drawled, “So it was you.”

The woman’s heart jumped with fright. While slapping her own mouth, she admitted her fault. “It was me. You’re magnanimous—treat me like a fart and let me go…”

A few days ago, several servants had been punished for spreading rumors that Second Miss was bullied by the cousin. Though the Sheng manor’s servants were all on edge, such private discussions couldn’t possibly be eliminated.

The woman only cursed her own bad luck at being caught red-handed.

If this Big Sister Hong Dou made a fuss about it, her whole family would be finished.

Thinking this, the long-faced woman slapped her mouth with even greater force.

“Since it was you, I’ll let today’s matter drop.” Hong Dou coldly spoke these words, leaving several women including the long-faced woman stunned.

When had the maid by the cousin’s side become so reasonable?

They had heard that this Big Sister Hong Dou even dared to strike young ladies, let alone lowly laundry maids like them.

Hong Dou pulled out a plain pouch from her sleeve and tossed it into the long-faced woman’s arms, warning, “This is a reward from our miss. From now on, watch your foul mouth!”

Having said this, she glared at each of the women one by one, then turned and left.

The courtyard gate closed, and the several women’s gazes fell upon the pouch in the long-faced woman’s arms.

“Quick, see what the cousin rewarded you.”

The long-faced woman was also full of confusion and instinctively opened the pouch.

A pile of gold leaf squeezed together in the pouch, blindingly bright under the sunlight.

Several people stood dumbstruck. Only when the long-faced woman swiftly stuffed the pouch into her bosom did they react.

“Gold, gold, gold leaf! Ah, why did the cousin reward you with gold leaf?”

The long-faced woman, her legs weak from carrying such wealth, collapsed to the ground. After being dazed for quite a while, she forcefully pinched her thigh.

The pain came, making her mind work a bit faster, and she murmured, “Perhaps… perhaps it’s because that day I rescued the cousin from the lake…”

That day she happened to pass by and pulled the cousin ashore after the young master’s strength gave out. But after receiving a few words of praise from the Grand Madam and a reward of two taels of silver, she thought the matter had passed. Why would the cousin—

The long-faced woman suddenly forcefully slapped herself, harder than before, murmuring, “My foul mouth, my foul mouth…”