Who took the bird's nest first?

"Mistress, do you remember where your bird's nest soup came from?" asked Qingyue.

"My mother's bird's nest was newly procured by the estate, intended to nourish Aunt Shui. Aunt Shui specially had the kitchen prepare an extra portion for me," Qin Wanru said in surprise, not understanding why Qingyue was asking this.

"That's right, not just one extra portion, but a total of four!" Qingyue said angrily, her temper flaring as she recalled the four bowls of porridge simmering in the kitchen just moments ago. "It was clearly Madam Shui's nourishing bird's nest soup, paid for out of the Old Mistress's private funds specifically for Madam Shui's health. How did it suddenly become one portion for everyone?"

"Did you ask?" Qin Wanru's long eyelashes fluttered twice as she asked.

"This maid asked. When I asked whose they were, the kitchen steward said they belonged to Madam Di and the Eldest Miss. By what right are they both using Madam Shui's bird's nest? That was the Old Mistress's private money! Even for you, Mistress, it was only because Madam Shui personally agreed to give it to you. She even said she dislikes drinking it plain and prefers bird's nest porridge, which stretches the supply!"

The more Qingyue thought about it, the angrier she became. Remembering how that old woman had handled that bowl of bird's nest, she felt so mad her lungs almost burst.

"Qingyue, were you really that angry at the time?" Qin Wanru blinked and suddenly smiled.

"Of course I was angry! Madam Shui deliberately saved that for you to eat. Why should they take advantage of it?" Qingyue protested indignantly.

"And what if they didn't take advantage?" Qin Wanru smiled, her eyes as clear and limpid as autumnal water.

"What do you mean they didn't take advantage?" Qingyue was momentarily baffled.

Yujie, standing to one side, understood. "Could it be that Madam Di and the Eldest Miss bought their own, and then had the kitchen cook them all together?"

This possibility made Qingyue's eyes widen in disbelief. "Madam Di would spend her own money to buy it?"

"Anything is possible. Why couldn't she?" Seeing Qingyue's expression, Qin Wanru smiled, the corners of her lips curving slightly. "Just because it wasn't possible in the past doesn't mean it's impossible now!"

Startled, Qingyue bit her lip and grew uneasy. "Mistress, just now this maid was *this* close to getting angry and intentionally knocking over two of their bowls."

"It's a good thing you didn't. Or perhaps someone was deliberately trying to provoke you," Qin Wanru reminded her with a faint smile.

This made Qingyue recall what had happened in the kitchen. Her brows furrowed in hesitation. "Mistress, this maid really... feels like that might be true. That old woman was also getting bird's nest porridge, and as she scooped it, she kept smiling and looking at me, looking utterly triumphant. Afterward, she even slipped a purse to the kitchen matron. Although she tried to be sneaky and avoid people, this maid saw it!"

Qin Wanru had initially been guessing wildly, but now her gaze turned serious.

"Who took the bird's nest porridge first?" Qin Wanru's smile deepened.

"This maid did. Earlier, when I saw that old woman looking like she wanted to go up to the attic, I blocked her. She said she was going to the kitchen and had lost her way. Figuring the bird's nest porridge should be about ready, I followed her to the kitchen to prevent her from sneaking back and discovering you upstairs, Mistress. Before we reached the kitchen, she didn't know who I was!"

Reflecting on how things had gone along the way, Qingyue also found it suspicious. At first, the old woman had merely stolen glances at her and only asked for some ordinary pastries. But as soon as Qingyue requested the bird's nest porridge, the old woman's smile had turned much smugger, and she then announced she wanted bird's nest porridge too.

It was because of that remark that Qingyue had noticed the four identical bowls of bird's nest porridge.

Afterward, she had seen the old woman hand the purse to the steward, leading her to assume that Madam Di had bribed the kitchen steward to turn the two portions into four.

Thinking of this, Qingyue had almost lost control at the time. If she hadn't been worried that Qin Wanru was still up in the attic and that making a scene might expose her young mistress, she would never have held back.

Thinking about it now, it had been a narrow escape. Clearly, once the old woman recognized her identity, she had gone with the flow and provoked her on purpose—what a cunning old woman!

Having recounted the whole sequence of events to Qin Wanru, Qingyue understood everything now and said anxiously, "Mistress, what should we do now? When I left just now, that old woman hadn't left yet, and on my way back, I ran into Qionghua!"

Qionghua must have been going to fetch Madam Shui's bird's nest porridge.

"Where did you run into her?" The smile faded from Qin Wanru's face, her gaze turning cold. She placed her spoon back into the bowl and gently wiped her mouth with a handkerchief.

"By now, she should have reached the kitchen!" Qingyue's face turned pale. "Should this maid go find her right now?"

"It's too late," Qin Wanru said softly, a deep glimmer flashing in her eyes. Madam Di truly gave no peace; she was bent on destroying the child in her mother's womb. Failing one plot, she had immediately hatched another!

However, this probably wasn't the final, fatal stroke; she was merely testing the waters...

"Then what should we do? If Qionghua reacts like I did and angrily smashes Madam Di and the Eldest Miss's bird's nest, Madam Shui will surely be blamed!" Qingyue spun around in circles, frantic. She had been just a hair's breadth away from lashing out in anger; if Qionghua thought the same way, she would definitely do it.

Whether it was provoking her or someone close to Madam Shui, at least Madam Di and the Eldest Miss would appear innocent in the aftermath. And if the bird's nest really had been paid for out of their own pockets, Madam Shui would have even less way to explain herself.

Even though Madam Shui was pregnant, she would still face punishment this time.

And with Madam Shui carrying a child, if she were truly punished and something went wrong, it would spell disaster!

"Mistress, what should we do? What should we do?" Qingyue was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan, staring fixedly at Qin Wanru, hoping to find a solution from her.

"Mistress, this maid runs faster. Let me go instead. Maybe Qiongzhi is steadier and hasn't made a move yet!" Yujie also panicked.

"It's too late," Qin Wanru said again, then analyzed slowly, "That old woman arrived before you, yet didn't leave after giving the purse. She was clearly waiting for Qionghua to arrive. And that old woman is cunning; knowing what Qionghua dislikes hearing, she will likely provoke her on purpose. If no one else hears it, and everyone only sees the final result, Qionghua will definitely be the one in the wrong!"

"Then... then what should we do now?" Qingyue was dumbfounded, cold sweat beading on her forehead. Everyone knew Qionghua was Madam Shui's trusted confidante; Qionghua's actions essentially represented Madam Shui.

"Go find out where Madam Di's bird's nest came from! Why did they want to stew bird's nest porridge just like us? In the past, Madam Di always preferred drinking it as a sweet soup; why did she suddenly want porridge just like Mother and me?" Qin Wanru looked through the window toward the direction of Yulan Pavilion and said calmly.

Procurement for the estate was unified. Even if Madam Di wanted something privately, she had to give the money to the procurer first and have the purchasing steward bring it into the estate.

To leave solid evidence, Madam Di certainly wouldn't use leftover bird's nest or something gifted by others; she would definitely have purchased it through proper channels.

Yet there was a flaw: when Madam Di had visited the Count Yongkang's Mansion previously, she had brought back some return gifts, among which bird's nest was reportedly included. At the time, when Madam Di showed the return gifts from Count Yongkang's Mansion to the Old Mistress, she had worn a rather haughty expression, and Qin Wanru had caught a glimpse of it.

There was plenty of bird's nest, and it was entirely in Madam Di's hands.

Madam Di and Qin Yuru shared the same taste for bird's nest soup—a fact well-known to the older servants in the estate!

That left only one final question: why were the four bowls for the porridge prepared in an identical manner? How were others supposed to tell which belonged to Madam Di and her daughter, and which to Mother and herself?

"This maid will go find the purchasing steward!" Having heard Qin Wanru's analysis, Qingyue turned to dash out as soon as she finished speaking.

"Find the outer courtyard's purchasing steward!" Qin Wanru added.

Qingyue wanted to ask more, but there was no time, and her growing trust in Qin Wanru made her drop further questions. Without hesitating about why it had to be the outer courtyard's steward, she bolted straight out the door.

"This maid will go to the kitchen to take a look and see how things are there. Maybe Qionghua hasn't been provoked yet!" Yujie decided she should head to the kitchen. Regardless of whether anything had happened there, her young mistress was completely in the dark, and she needed to move fast.

With their tasks properly divided, the two maids hurried away. Qin Wanru picked up her spoon, took another bite, then set it down, her eyes dark and profound.

Madam Di moved swiftly, and judging by this pattern, she intended to slice away bit by bit. Of course, if some intermittent chaos could be stirred up in the process, that would be even better!

It seemed Count Yongkang's Mansion had not only sent people over, but they were also scheming and plotting for her!

Qingyue returned very quickly. Procurement was split between the inner and outer courtyards; the inner courtyard procurement was managed by Shui Ruolan, but the outer courtyard procurement was handled directly by Qin Huaiyong himself.

Qingyue had gone straight to the outer courtyard's purchasing steward. Luckily, he happened to be there. Hearing that she was asking about bird's nest, he checked his ledger and told Qingyue that such a matter did indeed exist. It was at Madam Di's behest; she and the Eldest Miss had said they also wanted to eat bird's nest, so they had asked him to bring some back during his procurement trips and settle the account with her directly, bypassing the estate's public ledger.

Such matters were hardly major affairs in any noble household. The mistresses all had their fixed allowances, but if a mistress desired something extra to eat or use, she had to pay for it out of her own pocket, bypassing the public accounts.

Qingyue had deliberately kept her wits about her and asked when Madam Di had made this request. The purchasing steward had given the exact date: the very night Madam Shui's pregnancy was discovered, the night the Old Mistress decided to use her private funds to buy bird's nest for her. On that exact same night, not only had Shui Ruolan and Qin Wanru gotten their bird's nest porridge, but Madam Di and Qin Yuru had gotten theirs as well!

One right after the other, on the exact same day!

Hearing this, Qin Wanru understood everything. This matter had not been improvised on the spur of the moment; it had been conceived the moment her mother's pregnancy was discovered! A fierce glint flashed in her eyes!

She pressed her hands against the table, intending to stand up, when suddenly she heard the panting voice of a maid reporting from outside the door: "Second Miss! Quick, quick, something is wrong! Please go have a look! A real fight has broken out in the kitchen, and a lot of things have been smashed!"