"Madam, you're awake! I've brought a physician back with me." The maid Xijin was followed by an elderly physician with white hair and beard, yet his eyes remained clear and bright.
"Since you've brought him, let the physician examine me." Shen Qingqing had a suspicion in her heart that needed verification through this physician's diagnosis.
The physician began taking her pulse.
"Madam, please don't be nervous. Relax, otherwise the rapid heartbeat will interfere with the diagnosis."
After taking several deep breaths, she gradually calmed down. Since heaven had granted her this chance at rebirth, she must make the most of it.
The physician then examined her eyes and tongue.
"The cold has entered your body after falling into water. You need proper rest and recovery, otherwise your body will ache whenever the weather turns cold, and it may trigger coughing fits."
Listening to the physician's words, Shen Qingqing wondered if her deteriorating health later in life was actually the aftermath of the drowning incident.
"However…" The physician hesitated slightly while looking at Shen Qingqing.
Her heart skipped a beat. "Please speak frankly, physician."
"It appears that Madam has been poisoned."
"What? Poisoned?" Xijin was shocked and immediately looked at Nanzhi, who was equally bewildered. Since Nanzhi was responsible for her daily care, how could Madam have been poisoned?
Shen Qingqing felt a buzzing in her head as countless images exploded in her mind.
No wonder she had always felt unwell later on. The Fu Doctor would only tell her to rest well and not overwork herself. Every time she was about to meet her maternal family, her condition would improve slightly, only to worsen afterward. By the time she became critically ill, it was already too late.
"Physician, please examine carefully. Has Madam really been poisoned?" Nanzhi asked, both worried and anxious.
"It's a slow-acting poison, but the toxicity isn't deep yet. It can be cured."
"Is this poison difficult to detect?" Shen Qingqing inquired.
"Yes, if one hasn't encountered this poison before, it's not easy to detect. When the poisoning becomes severe, it's even harder to identify, making people think it's physical damage caused by overwork."
"In the later stages, no more poison needs to be administered. The already damaged organs will gradually deteriorate until medicine becomes ineffective."
"Madam, I didn't poison you! I don't know how this could…" Nanzhi knelt down, her face full of confusion.
Shen Qingqing asked Xijin to help Nanzhi up. "I believe you. You're my dowry maid who grew up with me. You wouldn't harm me."
She knew exactly who had poisoned her.
"Physician, please help me detoxify and regulate my body."
Good health is the foundation for revenge. She needed to strengthen her body properly. As long as she didn't worry about her children, she could live to ninety-nine!
"What poison has Madam been exposed to?" Xijin asked.
"Pokeweed. Originally a medicinal herb used to reduce swelling, promote urination, detoxify, and dissipate nodules, its roots are poisonous. Long-term consumption can cause nausea, headaches, confusion, and in severe cases, respiratory paralysis."
No wonder she had always felt drowsy later on, frequently short of breath and physically weak.
"Since the poisoning is still shallow, about a month of regulation should lead to full recovery. Please avoid overexertion in the coming days," the old physician advised.
"Xijin, accompany the physician to get the medicine," Shen Qingqing instructed.
After they left, Nanzhi still looked terrified. "Madam, how could you have been poisoned?"
"From now on, pay attention and see if anyone behaves unusually." Shen Qingqing knew it was Song Lingxiao who had poisoned her, but she currently had no evidence, and it would be difficult to explain in just a few words.
Nanzhi racked her brains but couldn't figure out who might be acting strangely. Why did everything feel different since Madam had fallen into the water?
Not long after, Xijin returned with the medicine, and Nanzhi personally went to decoct it, not daring to entrust the task to anyone else.
"Madam, here are two hundred taels in silver notes for this month's household expenses," Xijin handed two silver notes to Shen Qingqing.
"There's no need to subsidize the household expenses anymore. Yang Wanqing is now in charge of managing the household," she returned the silver notes to Xijin. "Record these two hundred taels back into the accounts."
"What? Why is she in charge? Aren't you the mistress of the Marquis Manor?" Xijin immediately grew angry. "What does the Marquis mean by this? Doesn't he know how poor the Marquis Manor is? If it weren't for you using your dowry to cover household expenses, how could they live so comfortably?"
When Shen Qingqing married Song Lingxiao, she brought a generous dowry, including two shops. These two shops were now managed by her and Xijin, and the income naturally belonged to her personally, unrelated to the Marquis Manor.
However, she would subsidize the Marquis Manor with two hundred taels each month to ensure everyone lived more comfortably.
The Marquis Manor had no other sources of income and relied almost entirely on the Fenglu. Their family wealth was meager, and without Shen Qingqing's subsidies, they would only appear prosperous on the surface.
"Don't be angry. Being the mistress is exhausting. From now on, we can enjoy our leisure. The money we earn doesn't need to be used for subsidies, so our days will be comfortable," Shen Qingqing said with a smile.
In her previous life, she had worked herself to death for the Marquis Manor, only to meet such a tragic end. Now that she had been reborn, aside from ensuring she would have no heirs, her goal was to live as well as possible.
"Madam, why do you seem different?" Xijin felt that her mistress seemed to have regained the mindset of her maiden days. She had witnessed Shen Qingqing's transformation firsthand—after marriage, she had devoted herself entirely to the Marquis Manor, suppressing her true nature, no longer playful or lively, but strictly adhering to the role of a proper mistress.
Just as Shen Qingqing was about to speak, she saw Song Lingxiao approaching.
"Greetings, Marquis," Nanzhi and Xijin bowed and then withdrew from the room.
"Qingqing, are you feeling better?" Song Lingxiao asked with a face full of concern.
"I'm still very weak. The Fu Doctor advised me to rest more and avoid exertion. I need to recuperate for a while," Shen Qingqing suppressed her disgust and hatred for him, speaking weakly.
"Then I will stay at Qinmian Hall these days so as not to disturb your rest. Once you're better, I'll move back."
Qinmian Hall? Wasn't that very close to Yang Wanqing's Song Zhu Study?
Was this to avoid disturbing her rest or to secretly rendezvous with Yang Wanqing?
"Alright, I'm sorry to inconvenience you, husband," she said gently.
"Not at all, not at all. I only hope you recover soon."
But Shen Qingqing could see that his delight was almost impossible to conceal.
"I'm tired and would like to rest," she truly did not want to see his hypocritical face, afraid she might lose control of her resentment and stab him to death in a fit of rage.
"Alright, rest well. By the way, these days I won't let the children disturb you. I'll have Sister-in-law take care of them for a few days. And you mustn't say those things to Sister-in-law again. She became a widow at such a young age—it hasn't been easy for her."
Shen Qingqing clenched her hands under the quilt.
Forcing a smile on her face, she said, "Mm, once I'm better, I will properly thank Sister-in-law for taking care of the children." She emphasized the word "thank."
She would definitely "thank" Yang Wanqing properly!
Seeing her agreement, Song Lingxiao felt relieved, stood up, and left.
Xijin had already learned from Nanzhi what had happened during the day. Watching Song Lingxiao's retreating figure, she fumed, "Yang Wanqing has no children of her own, so she comes to snatch Madam's children? Ugh! Shameless whore!"
"What does her widowhood have to do with you, Madam? She insists on coming here to disgust you! I think the Marquis is also confused—brothers and sisters-in-law should maintain proper distance, yet he still protects her like this!"
"Xijin," Shen Qingqing called out.
"Madam, I am here."
"Have someone investigate the past between the Marquis and Yang Wanqing."