Shen Qingqing broke out in a cold sweat, her vision darkening intermittently.
She clenched her fists tightly, using the pain from her nails digging into her palms to stay conscious. She had thought being poisoned to death in her previous life was the most tragic thing, never imagining an even crueler truth awaited her.
If Song Xinyin wasn't her child, but Lvyun was her child…
Then how could Song Yu and Song Xinlan be confirmed as her children?
If that were the case!
Their motive for wanting to poison her would make sense.
"But Miss Lan looks so much like you, Madam," Nanzhi murmured softly, equally puzzled about what was really going on.
Shen Qingqing felt the world spinning around her, barely able to remain seated.
"Madam! Are you alright?"
"Help me lie down." She needed to sort through her thoughts.
The shock was too overwhelming for her. Her mind was in chaos, and her body seemed to revert to its state from her previous life, suffocating as if on the verge of death.
She fell asleep but had many dreams, recalling numerous events from her past life, including details she had previously overlooked.
When she woke again, her clothes were soaked through with cold sweat.
She asked Nanzhi to prepare hot water for a bath.
"Mother, mother! Yin'er has come to apologize!" Song Xinyin's voice rang out.
She entered, followed by Yang Wanqing.
At the sight of Yang Wanqing, Nanzhi's expression darkened.
"Little Miss, please sit here and have some snacks. Madam is bathing and will be out shortly." Nanzhi lifted Song Xinyin onto a chair to sit.
The thought that this child might not be her mistress's daughter, but Yang's, made her reluctant to hold her. However, nothing was certain yet, and she guessed only Yang and the Marquis knew the truth.
"First Madam, please have a seat." She truly wished she could shove Yang's head into a spittoon—what a shameless whore!
An adulterous man and a promiscuous woman—they deserved to die horribly!
"Where… where is Lvyun?" Song Xinyin picked up a snack and asked casually.
"She is assisting Madam with her bath," Nanzhi lied.
Song Xinyin frowned. "How is she worthy of assisting my mother with her bath?" She was furious that her mother would treat a servant so well!
"How can such a young child assist with bathing?" Yang Wanqing found it strange. Why was Shen Qingqing paying special attention to Xiaocao?
"Madam said she must be properly taught so she can serve Little Miss better." After saying this, she curtseyed. "This servant will check if Madam is done. First Madam, please rest here for a moment."
Shen Qingqing heard the commotion outside and, having finished her bath, got up, changed into clean clothes, and went to find Lvyun.
"Speak less later. Don't say anything you shouldn't, understand?" she said gently to the little girl. The thought that this might be her own daughter made it hard to control her emotions. She must not dwell on the suffering the child had endured, or she would be tempted to rush out and slice Yang Wanqing into a thousand pieces.
"I understand, Madam." Lvyun nodded earnestly, her small face full of seriousness.
Just then, Nanzhi arrived, and Shen Qingqing stepped out.
"Mother, I was wrong. Please forgive Yin'er. Yin'er won't hit servants anymore." Song Xinyin immediately jumped off the stool, ran over, and clung to her legs.
Shen Qingqing resisted the urge to push her away, only creating a slight distance.
Then she smiled at Yang Wanqing. "Eldest Sister-in-law is truly capable, managing to teach Yin'er so well in such a short time."
"I was just telling her that you did it all for her sake, though perhaps a bit too sternly. Yin'er is so clever—she'll understand if you explain it properly."
Hah, was that a jab at her inability to raise a child?
She studied Song Xinyin carefully. Truth be told, the child did bear some resemblance to Yang Wanqing, though she looked even more like Song Lingxiao. That was why she had never noticed the issue before—after all, who would suspect that the child they carried for ten months wasn't their own?
Who would have thought Song Lingxiao could be so depraved!
"Yin'er, I'll keep Lvyun here with me for now to learn proper etiquette. Once she's trained, she can return to serve you. That way, she won't upset you anymore."
"No!" Yang Wanqing suddenly raised her voice, reacting strongly.
Shen Qingqing frowned. "Why is Sister-in-law so agitated?"
"No, what I meant was… your health hasn't fully recovered yet. How could you have time to train a young maid? Besides, a child this age should be keeping Yin'er company," Yang Wanqing hurriedly explained.
"It's fine. Mama Zhao and Nanzhi can teach her. Since she's about the same age as Yin'er, she'll be better suited to care for her once properly trained. In families like ours, it's customary for young ladies to have a personal maid who'll eventually accompany them into marriage. She must be well-trained."
Her reasoning was sound, leaving Yang Wanqing no room for rebuttal.
"Mother, how long until Lvyun can return to me?" Song Xinyin asked, burning with jealousy. She felt her mother was treating Lvyun too specially.
"About half a month."
Yang Wanqing wanted to say more but couldn't find the words, forcing out a dry laugh. "Qingqing, you certainly think deeply about the children's welfare."
"Parental love means planning for a child's long-term future," Shen Qingqing replied with a faint smile. "Sister-in-law, if you ever wish to remarry, just let me know. I still hope you can have children of your own."
"That won't be necessary," Yang Wanqing said, her expression darkening. She then beckoned to Song Xinyin. "Yin'er, come play with your aunt."
"Mother, I'm leaving," Song Xinyin said, following Yang Wanqing without a curtsy.
In the past, Shen Qingqing would have called her back to teach her manners, but now she let it go.
Lvyun secretly breathed a sigh of relief. Staying with the mistress meant no more beatings. She really liked the mistress—so fragrant and gentle, she made Lvyun feel safe.
"Madam, should we send someone to investigate that couple?" Nanzhi asked.
Shen Qingqing nodded. "Lvyun, do you remember where you lived before?"
"Yes!"
"Inside the city or outside?"
"Inside."
"That makes things much easier." If it were outside the city, nighttime operations would be inconvenient.
Going during the day risked alerting their targets.
"Go out and have Xijin prepare two unfamiliar faces to accompany us tonight."
**
Song Lingxiao returned from his duties, had dinner, and came to see her.
As usual, he brought a bowl of bird's nest soup.
"You're looking much better," he said, though a calculating glint flashed in his smiling eyes.
"Probably because I haven't been overworking lately." Not managing household affairs truly was much more relaxing—being the matriarch was mentally exhausting and thankless work.
"I heard you hit Yin'er today?" Song Lingxiao brought it up as if casually.
Shen Qingqing curled her lips. So he was here to confront her.
"I was teaching her."
"She's still young. You should just talk to her properly—how could you hit her?" he said disapprovingly.
She looked up at him, making him uneasy under her gaze. "What is it?"
"If you want her to marry into a good family in the future, don't interfere!"
"Yes, yes, I'll listen to you in everything, my dear. You have experience in these matters." His tone clearly carried a hint of pride, obviously recalling that Shen Qingqing had married beneath her status, which gave him a great sense of accomplishment.
The humble Yong'an Marquis Estate had actually managed to marry the legitimate daughter of the Guogong Manor—and the only legitimate daughter at that!
Could he not boast about it for a lifetime?
"Here, drink this Bird's Nest Soup."
Shen Qingqing took the bowl, scooped a spoonful, but before drinking, she looked up and asked, "Does my elder sister-in-law have Bird's Nest Soup over there?"