Everyone trembled in fear. “This humble one understands.”
Shen Yunhuai walked away leisurely.
“Stomach pain—why hasn’t the medicine arrived yet? What are those lowly servants doing!”
From inside the room came Madam Meng’s scolding voice.
Chun Chan had already reached the doorway, a flash of hatred in her eyes.
Her fingers tightened around the edge of the tray.
Butler Lin hurried out. Seeing Chun Chan, he became anxious. “Chun Chan, why did it take you so long to fetch the medicine? Hurry and give it to me. Don’t go in—otherwise Madam will punish you again later.”
As he took the medicine from her, his hand brushed against hers.
He gave her a meaningful glance.
Go wait outside.
Chun Chan silently withdrew.
“Madam, the medicine is here. I’ll feed you.” Butler Lin served Madam Meng the medicine.
But his thoughts were on Chun Chan’s smooth skin.
He could not wait to finish feeding Madam Meng and then go indulge Chun Chan.
Unexpectedly, after Madam Meng drank the medicine, her stomach pain worsened.
“Aah! My stomach! Cousin, my stomach hurts…”
Madam Meng clutched her abdomen tightly.
Her once charming face turned deathly pale from the pain.
“How could this be? Madam, don’t panic, I’ll get a physician… blood!”
“Ah!”
Butler Lin screamed in shock and dropped the bowl.
A large pool of blood flowed out from beneath Madam Meng.
It looked as if something inside her body had been forced out.
Madam Meng’s face was pale. “Cousin… the child…”
“Madam, bear with it! I’ll go get a doctor!”
Butler Lin said in panic.
The room fell into chaos.
Chun Chan stood in the corner outside the room, nervously picking at her fingers, a trace of satisfaction flashing in her eyes.
Serves her right!
……
“Third Master, there’s movement from the old madam’s side,” Mu Si reported.
Shen Yunhuai only gave a faint “Mm.”
“Third Master, I asked around. That medicine was for preserving the pregnancy!”
“Mm.”
Shen Yunhuai remained calm.
As expected.
“Third Master switched the medicine… will the old madam realize it was your doing?” Mu Si asked again.
Shen Yunhuai raised a slight mocking smile. “Would she dare confront me? The old madam of the Marquis household—a widow—yet pregnant. Does she still care about the Marquis household’s face?”
He had replaced the pregnancy-preserving medicine with abortion medicine. He was helping Madam Meng, after all.
“Then I’ll go pour this medicine out,” Mu Si said, looking at the bowl.
The original medicine had been replaced.
Shen Yunhuai thought for a moment. “Send it to Eldest Sister-in-law.”
Mu Si froze.
“It’s already been brewed. Throwing it away would be wasteful. She’s been working hard handling the household and arranging Father’s burial. Let her use it to nourish her body.”
“Yes.”
Mu Si turned and delivered the medicine to Wen Jiashu.
“For me?”
Wen Jiashu frowned slightly.
“Yes. Third Master said Madam has been working hard and asked me to bring it to nourish you.”
Wen Jiashu’s mouth twitched.
She smelled the medicine.
Not abortion medicine.
Pregnancy-preserving medicine?
Her expression turned complicated. “Thank your Third Brother for me.”
Mu Si nodded and left.
[This bowl of medicine was definitely not prepared by Shen Yunhuai. Could it be Madam Meng?]
Shen Yunhuai stood at the door.
Mu Si came out. “Third Master, the tonic has been delivered to Madam.”
Shen Yunhuai nodded slightly.
[Shen Yunhuai replaced Madam Meng’s pregnancy-preserving medicine… then what did she actually drink?]
[In the original story, Madam Meng also miscarried—but the reason was that she couldn’t restrain her desires and ended up having a violent hemorrhage in bed with the steward.]
[Afterwards, she claimed it was a cold. The entire Shen household of fools never discovered she had been pregnant and miscarried, and they kept sending her endless tonics thinking she was just ill.]
Shen Yunhuai’s expression darkened, then slowly turned into a smile.
“Let’s go.”
No more tonics would be sent.
Let Madam Meng suffer properly.
Thanks to Eldest Sister-in-law, he had finally come to his senses.
He now saw many things clearly.
This was just a small punishment for Madam Meng.
A family should be neatly arranged together.
No rush.
Once the illegitimate child raised outside was found, they would be reunited as mother and child.
In Madam Meng’s courtyard, chaos lasted until nightfall.
“Miss, I heard the old madam is sick—and quite seriously,” Yuan Bao said.
“What illness?”
“Seems like a cold.”
Wen Jiashu sneered.
As expected, that was the excuse.
Madam Meng would need to recuperate for at least a month after this miscarriage.
After things finally calmed down, Madam Meng weakly leaned on the bed while the physician prepared to leave.
She gave Butler Lin a look.
He stepped forward, holding the doctor’s hand. “Doctor, with your skill, the old madam should be fine now, right?”
While speaking, he slipped a pouch of money into the doctor’s hand.
The doctor weighed it and smiled. “The old madam is weak and has caught a cold. She just needs rest for a few days. Don’t let her catch a chill. Take her medicine on time, and give her some tonic foods—she’ll recover.”
“Thank you, Doctor. I’ll see you out.”
“If anything like this happens again, come find me.”
Butler Lin’s expression darkened, but he said nothing.
After the doctor left, he muttered happily, “The Marquis household’s old madam miscarried… this is really interesting. Maybe I can earn more money from her in the future.”
But as he was leaving, a sword was suddenly placed against his neck.
“You—who are you? I’m just a physician. Are you trying to rob me?”
He trembled in fear.
Mu Si said expressionlessly, “Stop talking. Move.”
By the lakeside, a tall figure stood waiting.
“Shen… Third Master?” The doctor nervously wiped his sweat, wondering why he was here.
“Don’t be afraid. I only brought you here to ask—how is my mother’s illness?” Shen Yunhuai smiled.
The doctor relaxed slightly. “Third Master is very filial. The old madam is fine—just a cold. She’ll recover in a few days.”
“Is that so?” Shen Yunhuai asked curiously. “Only a cold?”
Exactly as Eldest Sister-in-law said—using such a crude excuse to cover up a miscarriage.
If not for her, they would have all believed it.
No one would suspect the stepmother.
They would only care for her wholeheartedly.
Thinking of this, Shen Yunhuai felt disgust rising in him.
His expression turned colder and colder.
The doctor stammered, “Y-yes… just a cold.”
Shen Yunhuai smiled lightly. “It seems your medical skills aren’t very good—can’t even tell the difference between miscarriage and a cold. You shouldn’t be practicing medicine anymore.”
The doctor was stunned.
“You… you know?”
He tried to run, but Mu Si held him down.
His legs trembled as he begged.
Shen Yunhuai picked up the money pouch with a gentle yet unhinged smile.
“Don’t worry. This money is still yours. I’ll have it delivered to your family.”