“I know you’re trying to get back at me. You failed to frame me and ended up suffering the consequences—that’s what you deserved. Don’t you dare try to pin it on me or my sister.”
She expressionlessly slapped away Cuique’s hand.
“Stay away from me and my sister from now on, or else…”
“Or else what?” Cuique sneered. “A little blind girl like you wants to fight me? Watch out or you’ll get bitten to death by a dog outside.”
Across from the Charity Orphanage, there was a household that kept a large black dog, taller than a person when standing on its hind legs.
Cuique had probably heard from someone that she was often chased by that dog.
“You’re the one who should be careful.”
She said seriously.
“Big Black and I are quite familiar.”
Cuique naturally didn’t believe her.
When she went to the orphanage gate to see her sister off as she went out to sell embroidery, Cuique took advantage of the servant from across the street taking the dog for a walk, deliberately tripping them. The black dog, like a runaway horse, charged toward her.
Hearing the commotion, she sighed and stood still.
The black dog rushed up to her, then abruptly stopped, sticking out its long tongue and licking her face all over with slobber.
—This was exactly why she always ran whenever she encountered it.
Who wanted to be covered in dog drool from head to face?
Cuique cursed angrily from across the street: “Stupid dog!”
She took off one of her shoes and threw it in the direction of Cuique’s voice.
The black dog immediately turned and chased after it.
The shoe happened to hit Cuique’s arm, and the black dog opened its mouth wide, biting down on both her arm and the shoe.
“Ah!—”
Cuique nearly had her arm bitten off, and the servant from across the street lodged a fierce complaint against her: “She deliberately bumped into me, making me fall and lose hold of the leash. She deserved to be bitten by the dog!”
The orphanage supervisor was already displeased with her over the theft incident. After hearing the full story, she had Cuique locked in a dark room for two days and refused to treat her injuries.
When Cuique emerged from the dark room, she appeared much more docile and gentle.
But at night, Feng Qingsui always felt a sinister aura nearby, as if a venomous snake were lurking.
She went to the supervisor and had Cuique moved to another room.
For the next month, everything was calm and peaceful.
She and her sister adopted a little kitten, born to a tabby cat outside. There had been three in the litter, but two froze to death. The remaining one was carried by the tabby cat into their room.
Perhaps because they had fed it a few times, the cat thought they were qualified to be servants to its offspring.
Or maybe it was because this kitten had white fur, and the mother thought it would struggle to survive in the wild.
Feng Qingsui adored this little kitten and named it Little White, carrying it with her wherever she went.
Yet, despite all precautions, they couldn’t prevent it.
Little White was bitten to death by a venomous snake.
No one knew when the snake had been placed in their room. It was likely hibernating at first, but after waking up, it began searching for living creatures. Little White was the first to discover it. The kitten had just let out a meow when it was bitten.
Her sister, terrified, quickly pulled her away, then grabbed a nearby stool and smashed it down.
The snake was killed.
Little White died from the venom.
Shaking with anger, she went straight to confront Cuique—no one else could have harbored such malicious intent.
However, the supervisor told her that Cuique had just left the Charity Orphanage. She had been chosen by a family looking to adopt a child a few days earlier and had stayed a little longer before leaving with her adoptive parents.
“What’s the name of the adoptive family? Where do they live?”
She pressed the supervisor.
The supervisor only patted her head. “You know the orphanage rules.”
Children of the Charity Orphanage were forbidden from inquiring about the whereabouts of those who had been adopted, as there had been previous incidents where children who were not adopted deliberately caused trouble at the homes of those who had adopted children.
She had no choice but to set aside her hatred for the time being.
Placing her hopes on growing up, finding Cuique, and then avenging Xiaobai.
At this moment, hearing Cuique’s voice again, her heart trembled, but she quickly calmed down.
A thought flashed through her mind.
Was Cuique related to Xiao Yu’s death?
She glanced sideways at Madam Wei and saw her clutching her handkerchief tightly, her expression dark with suppressed anger.
“Was that the Heir and his noble concubine passing by outside just now?”
She asked without a change in expression.
Madam Wei gritted her teeth: “What noble concubine? She’s just a shameless little wretch, seducing her man in broad daylight and parading around the mansion, afraid that no maid or servant would know she’s a skinny horse from the south!”
A skinny horse from the south?
Feng Qingsui was slightly taken aback. She had overheard the orphanage supervisor and matrons discussing privately that Cuique had been adopted by a merchant from the capital who ran a silk shop with thriving business.
They also said that Cuique, despite her wicked nature, had good fortune. The merchant originally intended to adopt her older sister, but the sister insisted on bringing her, the burden, along, so he reluctantly chose Cuique instead.
“That girl is too good at putting on an act. She told the merchant about Cuique’s background—her biological parents were both involved in theft and fraud, her mother was killed by her father for adultery, and her father was sentenced to death for killing his wife—he was about to back out, but that girl acted sweet, shed a few tears, and he changed his mind.”
The orphanage supervisor had said indignantly at the time.
“She’ll definitely ruin him someday.”
Adoptive parents for orphans from the Charity Orphanage underwent strict screening. They not only had to have a clean background but also a stable source of income, and either no children or only one child.
After adoption, the orphanage would continue to follow up, conducting visits one month, three months, half a year, and one year later. After two years, the visits would become irregular until the child reached adulthood.
Since Cuique could easily manipulate her adoptive parent, why had she ended up as a skinny horse?
“Madam, please calm your anger,” Feng Qingsui comforted her. “Anger harms the liver. It’s not worth damaging your health over a concubine.”
Madam Wei finished the tea in her bowl and said gloomily, “You’re right. Let’s continue.”
As if suddenly infused with immense strength, she strode forward again, walking swiftly.
Feng Qingsui followed behind her, glancing toward Moon Lake. In the distance, she saw a slender, willow-like figure being helped onto a small boat by a man, his arm around her waist.
That figure was probably only half the size of Madam Wei.
Feng Qingsui smiled slightly and followed.
After accompanying Madam Wei, she took Wuhua and left the Rongchang Marquis Mansion. She found a brokerage firm and selected two houses with large courtyards to rent.
Snow was about to fall, and she planned to make a batch of fur and down jackets to send to the Charity Orphanage.
To comfort the children there… and incidentally investigate Cuique’s original adoptive parent.
The broker asked eagerly, “Does Madam need to rent furniture?”
“Furniture isn’t necessary,” Feng Qingsui replied. “I need a female steward and over a dozen women skilled in weaving.”
“A female steward?” The broker frowned. “That’s quite uncommon… Wait, a few days ago, Ningguo Gongfu sent over a woman in her forties. She used to manage the late madam’s dowry shops but was caught with dirty hands by the young lady who recently returned to the capital. She was sent to us, with orders to sell her as far away as possible…”
Wuhua chuckled. “It’s rare to find an honest broker like you.”
The broker scratched his head and grinned sheepishly. “Well, the seller told me to find a buyer far away, and they weren’t counting on you folks buying anyway, so I’m just telling it like it is.”
Feng Qingsui, however, grew somewhat intrigued.
“Can we meet her?”
As the former Duke’s wife’s personal maid and an external steward, she might know more about the nobility than Madam Qi—after all, Madam Qi had just returned to the capital, kept to herself, and knew less about the city’s gossip than she did.
Though a bit puzzled, the broker led the woman over.
Upon seeing Feng Qingsui, the woman froze as if struck by lightning, standing rigidly in place, her eyes wide and unmoving.