Chapter 105: The Bloodstained Broth

“Second Miss, Second Miss!” Aunt Zhou seemed to have been lingering at the study door for a while, but found no way in. When she saw Qin Wanru approaching, her eyes brightened and she hurried over.

“Aunt Zhou, what is it?” Qin Wanru stopped and asked.

“Well, Second Miss, could you help deliver this to Madam? It’s a soup Madam prepared for the General in the small kitchen.” Aunt Zhou spoke as she opened the food basket in her hands, revealing a bowl of thick, fragrant soup that smelled quite appetizing.

“Can’t you deliver it yourself, Aunt Zhou?” Qin Wanru raised her eyes to glance at the young servant guarding the study door, puzzled.

“Well... the servant wouldn’t let this old hand enter, so I have to trouble Second Miss. Madam simmered this soup for a long time; every ingredient was handpicked by her. She even hurt her hand making it.” Aunt Zhou smiled apologetically.

“Did you have a doctor look at it?” Qin Wanru’s long lashes fluttered softly as she asked gently.

“No... not yet; we wanted to tell the General first and then call one.” Aunt Zhou’s eyes flickered.

“You can’t delay such a matter. I’ll send someone to fetch a doctor right away!” Qin Wanru said firmly.

A look of panic flashed across Aunt Zhou’s eyes. She set down the basket and waved her hands anxiously. “Second Miss, no need to rush. The General’s soup is the real priority. If it cools down, it won’t taste good. Please deliver it to the General yourself.”

“Madam’s hand is the real concern,” Qin Wanru said, glancing around. Seeing an elderly woman approaching, she instructed Yujie to call her over. “Go find a doctor outside and have him look at Madam’s injury — she hurt herself while cooking.”

“Yes, Second Miss!” The elderly woman responded and left promptly.

Aunt Zhou wanted to protest but couldn’t, her face flushing with irritation. She pointed at the departing figure, her tone accusing. “Second Miss, what kind of doctor do you plan to call? Does Madam even know this doctor?”

“Madam just cut her hand while chopping vegetables. Must she call the usual doctor for a minor injury to feel assured?” Yujie blinked in confusion and asked.

That remark made Aunt Zhou’s face burn with anger, yet she had no retort. She couldn’t reveal that this was a scheme she and Madam Di had conspired. They deliberately sent the bloodstained soup to the General, knowing he would ask about it. Then she could explain that Madam injured her hand while making the soup, which caused the mess. The General would surely suggest calling a doctor, giving her the chance to slip out. But now, with Qin Wanru’s interference, the door was barred again. How could Aunt Zhou not be furious?

“Madam’s health is beyond the understanding of a mere maid like you!” Aunt Zhou said coldly, clearly displeased now that her plan had failed. She gave Qin Wanru no courtesy.

“Madam’s health does need a doctor’s examination to be certain. Aunt Zhou, please leave for now. When the doctor arrives, no one is to mention Madam’s condition, lest it cause any trouble.” Qin Wanru spoke calmly.

Seeing Qin Wanru’s expression, Aunt Zhou knew her presence was pointless. She snorted coldly, picked up the basket, and turned away.

The young servant guarding the door chuckled at the scene. Aunt Zhou had been pestering him relentlessly before, glaring at him until he was thoroughly annoyed. But the General had already ordered that Aunt Zhou not be allowed in, so now she was finally gone.

“Is Father inside?” Qin Wanru asked as she approached.

The servant hurriedly saluted. “The General is inside attending to official matters. Second Miss, do you have something to report? I will notify him immediately!”

“No need. I just came back from outside with some delicious pastries for Father. You can deliver them to him later.” Qin Wanru smiled lightly.

Yujie stepped out from behind her and handed some pastries to the servant, who took them gratefully.

“Earlier, Father wouldn’t let Aunt Zhou in?” Qin Wanru inquired.

“The General instructed that no one from Madam Di’s courtyard disturb Madam Shui without cause. Even if there is an issue, they are to go find Madam Shui. The inner courtyard is under Madam Shui’s control now.” The servant replied.

So the Old Madam had already communicated with the General, forcing Aunt Zhou to resort to desperate measures, fabricating a story about a hand injury.

A faint smile curved Qin Wanru’s lips. The more anxious Madam Di and Aunt Zhou became, the better. A trip out would mean securing buyers for all the eight shops in Madam Di’s possession and negotiating prices.

Selling a shop was a substantial transaction. One trip was to find buyers and agree on prices, but the money wouldn’t be collected all at once.

The second trip would be to collect the payments.

When Qin Wanru left through the screen door, the elderly woman was surprised to see her going out, but since the Second Miss had been known to come and go like that several times before, she didn’t pay much attention. Perhaps she slipped out when the woman wasn’t watching.

Now, with Madam Shui and the Second Miss both in favor, no one would bother to interrogate her without reason.

Back in the courtyard, after freshening up, Qin Wanru sat by the window and took out a stack of papers. She carefully wrote down the items she needed to bring to the capital, along with some necessary purchases and medicinal herbs.

Some herbs were unique to Jiangzhou. Though available in the capital, good quality and suitable ones were not guaranteed. She planned to bring some with her this trip.

After setting down her brush, she fanned the papers to dry and then examined them again.

“Qingyue, these few sheets are for Aunt Yu. Help her pack up the things in the courtyard.” Qin Wanru pointed to the papers on the left. These were items originally in the courtyard, so packing them up would be easy.

“Yes, Miss!” Qingyue nodded, glanced over the sheets, and put them away. Aunt Yu was illiterate, but she could read, so helping Aunt Yu pack was best.

“Yujie, check if these medicinal herbs need any additions.” Qin Wanru indicated another pile of papers. Compared to Yujie’s knowledge of Jiangzhou herbs, Qin Wanru’s was still lacking, so she asked for help.

Yujie looked over the papers and said, “Miss, a few items are missing. When I go out to the pharmacy, I’ll add some. If I find anything good, I’ll buy it too. Although Jiangzhou is remote, it has many fine herbs.”

“Good!” Qin Wanru nodded.

The following days went smoothly. Especially after learning that Aunt Zhou’s trip was highly efficient—she had sold all eight shops from Madam Di’s hands. Surprisingly, Madam Di’s side caused no further trouble, seemingly preparing quietly for the trip to the capital.

Madam Dong and her daughter were taken into the mansion by Qin Wanru. She candidly told the Old Madam about opening a shop in the capital. Though the Old Madam doubted a young girl like Qin Wanru could manage it, Shui Ruolan supported her. After some persuasion, the Old Madam relented.

She reasoned that if Qin Wanru struggled, Shui Ruolan could assist. Their family needed to establish several shops in the capital anyway, so Shui Ruolan could look after Qin Wanru’s interests there.

Seeing Madam Dong and her daughter settled in, Qin Wanru felt reassured. In her past life, Madam Dong’s mother and daughter’s frog buttons and embroidery were highly esteemed in the capital, their prices rising steadily. Even the palace ladies favored their work.

This transformed a once unremarkable garment shop into the capital’s largest, supplying many high-end official offerings.

Madam Dong even earned the favor of the Empress Dowager.

However, Madam Dong’s previous fate was grim. The Eastern backers threatened her with her daughter's crippled leg, forcing her to carry illicit messages into the palace. Both mother and daughter eventually perished.

Qin Wanru was unaware who masterminded the scheme behind Madam Dong and her daughter. By then, she had already entered the palace to paint portraits of the palace maids, only hearing from others that Madam Dong, favored by the Empress Dowager, was involved in a major incident. The investigation yielded no conclusion, and Madam Dong and her daughter were scapegoated.

What puzzled Qin Wanru most was that when Madam Dong met her in the palace, she seemed eager to say something but was always interrupted.

Thus, until their deaths, Qin Wanru and Madam Dong never had a private conversation.

She sensed their troubles were complicated and somehow intertwined with her own fate. Later, she learned the mother and daughter were originally from Jiangzhou, seeking lost relatives in the capital, and took shelter in that garment shop.

Since they were connected to her, Qin Wanru decided to take action this time, bringing them along on her trip to the capital. Regarding Madam Dong’s daughter’s leg, Qin Wanru had examined it; it wasn’t congenital but injured a couple of months ago when the daughter fell from a carriage after being hit by another.

Though treated with medicine, the injury hadn’t fully healed and showed signs of worsening.

Madam Dong had urgently sought many doctors, all powerless. They suggested that a doctor in the capital might help, as Jiangzhou’s healers were ineffective. This only fueled their hope for the capital but their lack of funds forced them to wait.

Qin Wanru’s invitation was a godsend, and her promise to heal the daughter’s leg made Madam Dong and her daughter see her as their savior.

Madam Dong clasped her daughter’s hand and kowtowed to Qin Wanru several times, even deciding to serve her in the household. Qin Wanru politely refused.

If Madam Dong were merely a servant, she’d never gain the Empress Dowager’s favor, nor influence in the palace. Qin Wanru needed someone who had the Empress Dowager’s trust, who could speak on her behalf, and negotiate outside. A servant’s status would be limiting and compromise impartiality.

She had to prepare thoroughly for the journey to the capital.

The next few days remained peaceful, until Madam Di’s sudden “mad outburst” shattered the calm.

When Madam Di caused a commotion, Qin Wanru was attending to the Old Madam with medicinal soups. With Qin Wanru’s careful care, the Old Madam’s health improved steadily.

“Old Madam, Madam Di has stormed into Madam Shui’s courtyard with her people!” A maid burst in, panic-stricken, interrupting their cheerful conversation.