Duan Yanzhou raised his hand and gave her forehead a gentle tap. “Go, take the prepared medicine to Mother.”
The third sister let out a yelp of pain, but her eyes were full of smiles.
She knew that her second brother was likely about to have his iron tree bloom.
Since childhood, her second brother had been cold-tempered, icy toward everyone. In earlier years, when some maidservants tried to become his concubines, he drove them all out.
But when he looked at his second sister-in-law, his expression was gentle, as if a thousand-year-old frost were melting away.
After Duan Qinzhou delivered the prepared medicine to Madam Jiang, not long after she drank it, her complexion gradually became rosy.
She was immediately delighted. “Mother, do you feel any better?”
Madam Jiang was stunned for a moment, then slowly smiled. “It seems I feel a bit better.”
Duan Qinzhou beamed with joy. “Second sister-in-law’s medicine is truly wonderful. I didn’t expect it to take effect right after drinking it.”
Madam Jiang nodded. “Yes, I didn’t expect a single bowl of medicine to take effect.”
“Mother.” Duan Qinzhou lowered her voice and continued, “Do you know who poisoned you? Those people from Dafang?”
Madam Jiang shook her head. “It wasn’t them.”
Duan Qinzhou frowned slightly. “If not them, then who?”
Madam Jiang’s gaze slowly darkened. “If I’m not mistaken, it was your aunt.”
“My aunt? Mother, aren’t you the only daughter of the Jiang family? Why would you have an aunt?” Duan Qinzhou asked.
Madam Jiang let out a long sigh. “She was an adopted daughter of the Jiang family. In my early years, my health was poor, and your grandfather and grandmother wanted to accumulate merit for me, so they adopted an orphan girl as their foster daughter.”
“Unfortunately, your aunt never appreciated the Jiang family’s kindness. When she came of age, she blamed your grandfather for not giving her a dowry equal to mine, and she bore a grudge against us.”
“She stole the heirloom your grandmother left me, took part of my dowry, and left the Jiang family. We had no contact for many years, and I didn’t know where she went. But since she learned some time ago that your father had been promoted, she suddenly appeared and brought me bird’s nest.”
“I suspect that bird’s nest must have been the problem, because since that day, my condition has noticeably worsened. I never thought she would hate me to this extent.”
After hearing this, Duan Qinzhou was deeply moved.
Madam Jiang continued, “As luck would have it, if we continue on our way today, we should reach Wanhexian, where your aunt lives, before dark.”
“Your uncle-in-law is the Xiancheng of Wanhexian.”
Duan Qinzhou frowned. “Mother, should we take a detour?”
Madam Jiang fell into thought. “The wind and snow are fierce right now. A detour would likely make the journey too difficult. Instead, let’s stop in the county. First, we can feed the horses, and second, I need to get back your grandmother’s heirloom.”
Meanwhile, in another carriage, Lin Shutang had also heard Duan Yanzhou’s speculation, which matched what Madam Jiang had said—the poisoner was most likely their aunt.
The aunt took the Jiang family surname and was called Jiang Yan.
She was originally just an orphan girl cruelly abandoned by her own parents, and the Jiang family had given her the position of second young miss.
Unfortunately, they had raised an ungrateful wolf.
Lin Shutang’s eyes lit up. “No need to take a detour. Didn’t you say your uncle-in-law is the Xiancheng of Wanhexian?”
“Why don’t we go pay them a visit and stock up on some supplies while we’re at it?”
Duan Yanzhou was taken aback, looked at her, and nodded. “That works.”
After resting at the village entrance, they continued on their way and arrived at Wanhexian before dark.
Duan Feng held the Tongguanwendie, which allowed them to stay at the postal stations in any county.
However, they did not stay at the official post station but went directly to Lord Yang, the Xiancheng’s residence.
Lin Shutang and Duan Yanzhou had come with the intention of mooching off him, determined to take away his grandmother’s keepsakes and his mother’s dowry.
Duan Qinzhou, on the other hand, had come seeking revenge. Since they didn’t know how long they’d be away, he naturally couldn’t let this opportunity slip by.
When the carriage stopped at the gate, the servant boy at the entrance cast a cold glance and sneered, “What mangy dog dares to park a carriage at our lord’s doorstep?”
Wanhexian wasn’t far from the capital and sat right on the main road, so it was naturally prosperous.
But prosperous as it was, the common folk didn’t fare well at all.
When Lin Shutang pulled back the carriage curtain, she noticed passersby walking barefoot in the freezing snow, while the household servants swaggered about, throwing their weight around like bullies.
She couldn’t help but sigh at the sight.
Just then, Duan Yanzhou remarked, “This uncle-in-law of ours is said to be quite fond of wealth. I’d wager there’s plenty of good stuff stashed in this manor.”
Lin Shutang’s eyes curved in perfect understanding. “Looks like we’ll need to stock up on quite a bit today.”
Meanwhile, inside the manor, Lady Yang, née Jiang Yan, was so startled when she heard her sister had arrived that she bolted upright from her seat. They still had no idea that Chongguo Fu had been raided and confiscated.
She assumed Madam Jiang had come specifically to see her.
Pacing back and forth across the room, she asked the young maid beside her, “Do you think she knows I poisoned her?”
The maid reassured her, “Milady, that poison is colorless and odorless. No physician, no matter how skilled, could ever detect it.”
Jiang Yan patted her chest and let out a long sigh of relief. “That’s good, then. Go—hurry and welcome them inside.”