Chapter 6: Forcing the Mother-in-Law to Strangle the Sister-in-Law by Hand

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Mrs. Chen carefully helped Ji Yunhuan up, guiding her to bend over and lean on the ground.
“Huan’er, slowly, try to vomit out the medicine!” Mrs. Chen said tremblingly.
Ji Yunhuan did not respond or dare to make any sound.
Fearfully, she reached a finger into her throat, trying to dig out the medicine packet.
Mrs. Chen squatted beside her, gently patting her back.
“Huan’er, slowly, just keep vomiting it out, it’ll be fine once it’s out!”
“Ugh—”
Ji Yunhuan pushed her finger deeper.
“Ugh—”
She kept digging and retching, but the poison stuck in her throat refused to come out.
“Ugh!”
After an indeterminate amount of time, Ji Yunhuan finally vomited up the medicine packet!
Her small face was already puffed red and bluish, showing a terrifying liver-like hue.
The packet, soaked with saliva and torn, revealed white poisonous powder inside that had turned green, with strange bubbles forming at the edges.
“Oh my god, it’s really arsenic!”
Someone in the crowd gasped in fright.
One stone stirred a thousand waves.
Immediately, many began pointing fingers at Mrs. Chen and Ji Yunhuan.
“I never thought it would really be Ji Yunhuan trying to poison her own sister-in-law!”
“What a vile mind. I remember Shen Ningyuan was quite kind to this little sister-in-law!”
“Exactly! When Ji Yunhuan came of age, Shen Ningyuan even specially had a pure gold bracelet made for her, set with rubies. That bracelet is right there, glaringly on Ji Yunhuan’s wrist. What a cruel heart to wear a bracelet made by your sister-in-law while poisoning her!”
“...”
The crowd’s gossip left Mrs. Chen and Ji Yunhuan at a loss.
At this moment, Shen Ningyuan approached slowly, looking down on the two with a lofty gaze.
“Mother-in-law, the die is cast. What more is there to say?”
Mrs. Chen’s face stiffened, glowering darkly at Shen Ningyuan.
“Shen Ningyuan, you almost killed Huan’er!” Mrs. Chen snarled through clenched teeth.
Shen Ningyuan shrugged nonchalantly. “What do you mean I almost killed Ji Yunhuan? Didn’t you all insist that this wasn’t arsenic? That’s why I gave her the medicine.”
“Besides, if you want evidence, I’ve already produced it, haven’t I?”
Her gaze fell on the medicine packet on the floor.
Mrs. Chen glanced over and, seeing the packet, her expression instantly soured.
The evidence was undeniable; no matter how many words she had, she couldn’t explain it away!
At this moment, Ji Yunhuan’s condition eased slightly.

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Her mouth still contained blood, but she clenched her teeth, her face full of resentment as she asked, “Shen Ningyuan, how did you know I hid the poison behind the ancestral tablet?”
Mrs. Chen was shocked, staring at Ji Yunhuan in disbelief.
“Huan’er, you hid the poison?”
Ji Yunhuan did not answer Mrs. Chen but fixed her eyes tightly on Shen Ningyuan.
She couldn’t understand.
At first, when Mrs. Chen told her to destroy all the evidence, she had considered it.
But after poisoning, worried the dose wasn’t enough and afraid one dose wouldn’t kill Shen Ningyuan, she secretly hid the packet behind the tablet.
Thinking if Shen Ningyuan wasn’t truly dead, she could secretly administer more poison and send her straight to the underworld.
Who would have thought she’d hide the poison at the scene, behind the ancestral tablet?
Yet only she knew about it.
Moreover, it was a decision made just half an hour ago.
So how did Shen Ningyuan find out?
Seeing Ji Yunhuan’s puzzled expression, Shen Ningyuan’s lips curled into a cold smile.
She certainly knew why Ji Yunhuan was so surprised.
Because no one else but Ji Yunhuan knew there was a backup packet behind the tablet.
So how did she know?
In her previous life, after death, her soul was trapped at the chastity archway, where she overheard it herself!
Countless times, Ji Yunhuan, dressed in her embroidered clothes and wearing her treasured hairpins, had shown off beneath the archway.
She even vividly boasted about secretly hiding backup poison behind the tablet, fearing Shen Ningyuan hadn’t died completely.
Otherwise, how else could Shen Ningyuan so easily obtain the evidence proving Ji Yunhuan poisoned her?
Seeing Shen Ningyuan silent, Ji Yunhuan became anxious.
“You wretch! Tell me, how did you know?”
Shen Ningyuan looked down coldly at the hysterical Ji Yunhuan.
Images of her previous life floated to mind—hovering above the chastity archway, looking down on Ji Yunhuan.
The pride Ji Yunhuan had then was now her disgrace.
With that thought, Shen Ningyuan coldly said, “Evil deeds will bring their own demise.”
“If you hadn’t feared I wasn’t dead, you wouldn’t have hidden backup poison here.”
“Ji Yunhuan, you have only harmed yourself.”
No sooner had she spoken than Ji Yunhuan’s face froze.
She lifted her head in terror, staring wildly at Shen Ningyuan, lips trembling uncontrollably.
Yet at this moment, Shen Ningyuan no longer cared about her reaction; her cold eyes turned to Mrs. Chen.
Suddenly, she said, “Mother-in-law, you said just now that if I present evidence proving Ji Yunhuan poisoned me, you would righteously kill her on the spot, right?”
“Y-you want me to strangle Huan’er with my own hands?”

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Mrs. Chen’s face paled again, eyes wide as she stared at Shen Ningyuan.
Shen Ningyuan remained expressionless. “Many people heard what you said just now. You’re not thinking of going back on your word, are you, mother-in-law?”
“I...” Mrs. Chen was left speechless by the confrontation.
When she said those words earlier, she hadn’t expected Ji Yunhuan to be so foolish as to leave backup poison behind the ancestral tablet!
“For the sake of the Ji family’s reputation, mother-in-law, it’s better to personally strangle Ji Yunhuan. After all, the eldest brother’s body is barely cold, yet she dares poison her sister-in-law. If this gets out, the Ji family’s standing in the capital will surely plummet.” Shen Ningyuan added ominously.
Her words echoed like a curse in Mrs. Chen’s ears.
Mrs. Chen looked at Ji Yunhuan’s bloodstained face, trembling as she slowly raised her hand toward Ji Yunhuan’s neck.
Seeing this, Ji Yunhuan shook her head in disbelief.
Her voice choked, “Mother, you’re not really going to listen to Shen Ningyuan and strangle me right here, are you?”
“Huan’er...”
Mrs. Chen’s voice trembled.
Her hand was already touching Ji Yunhuan’s neck.
Ji Yunhuan shook her head violently, voice quivering with tears.
She begged endlessly, “Mother, don’t, I’m still young, I don’t want to die!”
Hearing this, a chill swept through Shen Ningyuan’s heart.
Ji Yunhuan!
You’re still young, and you don’t want to die.
What about me?
I’m only a year older than you—should I be the one to die?
When you poisoned me, did you ever think that I didn’t want to die either, that I shouldn’t die?
Thinking this, hatred surged in Shen Ningyuan’s heart as she grit her teeth and demanded, “Mother-in-law, are you still hesitating because you want to ruin the Ji family’s reputation?”
Those words struck Mrs. Chen’s heart.
The Ji family’s reputation...
Yes, compared to the family’s reputation, what is Ji Yunhuan’s life worth?
A woman should marry into her husband’s family; when he dies, she follows his sons. She is already married into the Ji family.
The Ji family is her sky; she must protect everything about it!
Only if the Ji family flourishes can she secure her position as marchioness!
Sacrificing one daughter to save the family’s reputation is worth it!
With that thought, Mrs. Chen’s heart hardened; she gritted her teeth and suddenly applied force.