Meanwhile, Chen Qi was furious with Chen Yao in his mansion.
"Is this the person you found? So useless, a good-for-nothing!"
"Mother, please calm down. This person was recommended to me by Shen Jia. Zhao Ran is indeed a renowned physician in town, but his fame has dwindled since Lu Yu appeared."
"Vice Town Chief Chen, as long as Lu Yu is eliminated, the position of Town Chief will be easy to control." Zhao Ran walked into the front hall at some unknown time and bowed to Chen Qi.
That's right, after Zhao Ran was beaten, Chen Qi had quietly brought her back to the mansion to supervise her closely, lest she be loose-lipped and leak the matters he had instructed her to do.
"Then do you have a way? I'll tell you beforehand, after what just happened, if Lu Yu were to disappear out of thin air, you and I would be the first suspects."
"Since I dare to say so, I naturally have a way."
"I have a way to make Lu Yu voluntarily leave in broad daylight, and finally fall down the mountain. However, I need to personally visit the Shen Residence for this."
Chen Qi's eyes did not change in the slightest. He stared at Zhao Ran gloomily, and after a long while, a sneer came from him, "Do you think this official is a fool? To let you leave just like that."
"Sir, you hold my secrets. How dare I tell anyone else? It's just that A Zuo is Zhao Liu's person, and I need Zhao Liu's support."
Finally receiving Chen Qi's nod of agreement, Zhao Ran did not linger for a moment. She turned and left immediately for the Shen Residence.
"Lu Yu, I want you dead!" Every word was filled with frost-like hatred.
The next morning, Lu Yu took Afu to the medical clinic to get medicine for him. Shen Xuan had already gone to the academy.
"You're here." Gu Yitong and Wu Shao were reading in the medical clinic. Seeing Lu Yu approach, Gu Yitong casually greeted her. Just as she was about to lower her head, she saw Afu following behind Lu Yu.
"Why is Afu here?"
"Afu's cold is quite severe, so I brought him here to get some medicine." Lu Yu's answer seemed casual, but she intentionally or unintentionally made Afu's condition sound more serious.
More serious? "It's alright, the clinic has the most complete selection of herbs. See which one he needs."
"You'll help your master make medicine later. I'll go out for a bit." Gu Yitong turned and instructed Wu Shao again.
"Afu, go rest on the bed over there first. I'll get you medicine in a moment." Lu Yu didn't pay attention to Gu Yitong, who was leaving, and directly told Afu to rest.
Before Wu Shao could finish making the medicine, Gu Yitong returned from outside, her ears frozen red. She stood in the room, rubbing her hands. "This weather is truly cold!"
Afu heard her and looked up at her. It didn't seem that cold outside.
"Who told you to go out without wearing a cloak? What's so urgent?" Lu Yu looked at the bag Gu Yitong was carrying and spoke with a smile.
Gu Yitong ignored her. After warming up, she quickly walked to Afu's bed and placed the bag in his hand, while Lu Yu and Wu Shao weren't paying attention to her.
"What is this?" Afu recognized the packaging. The snacks the family head bought for the young master were always packaged in bags like this.
"These are preserved fruits. I heard that you men dislike bitterness, and you are Mr. Shen's attendant. It wouldn't be right for you to suffer while taking bitter medicine at the clinic without any preserved fruits." Before Afu could ask why, Gu Yitong, like a machine gun, blurted out all the excuses she had prepared.
"Thank you." Afu didn't know what else to say, so he just nodded and thanked her.
So sweet, it seems even sweeter than what the family head bought. It must be that the master accidentally added more sugar today.
...
In the past few days, perhaps due to the rapid changes in weather, it had become increasingly cold, and more people had caught colds. The number of patients visiting the clinic increased daily. Furthermore, Wu Shao's mother had passed away yesterday, and Wu Shao was urgently called back by Madam Li. Now, the clinic was even more short-handed.
Today was a rest day for the academy, and Shen Xuan finally had a day off at home. Lu Yu naturally wouldn't let this opportunity pass. She had been eating vegetarian for several days, and Shen Xuan was also eager to have a child. They hit it off immediately, and the two of them tossed and turned until late at night before falling asleep.
When Shen Xuan woke up today, Lu Yu had already gone to the medical clinic. Afu heard the movement inside the room and knew that Shen Xuan had woken up. He knocked and walked in, "Young master, A Zuo has something to report to you."
"A Zuo?" Shen Xuan hadn't reacted yet. He remembered that he didn't have any servants he frequently interacted with named A Zuo.
"It's the young servant who stole something on the first day he came to the mansion, was discovered by A Da, and was then punished by you to wash the carriages."
"Then you can call him over later."
"Young master, A Zuo is already waiting outside. He said he must report to you before you eat."
Shen Xuan was a little confused, but he still asked Afu to go out and bring A Zuo in, to see what he had to say.
"If you have something to say, say it now." Shen Xuan looked at A Zuo, who had been kneeling on the ground since entering the room, trembling as if afraid to speak. He urged him to speak quickly.
"You, you absolutely cannot eat this bowl of porridge!" A Zuo seemed anxious. He quickly took a few steps forward on his knees and crawled to Shen Xuan's feet.
Shen Xuan didn't speak, staring at A Zuo at his feet, waiting for his next words.
"This servant discovered this morning that the family head put contraceptive medicine in this bowl of porridge." A Zuo's voice trembled, and after speaking, he prostrated himself on the ground, not daring to look up.
"If you talk nonsense again, I'll sell you!" Afu strode forward, grabbed A Zuo's sleeve, and was about to drag him out. Shen Xuan had not spoken, implicitly approving Afu's actions.
"Master Husband! This servant is telling the truth! If you don't believe me, there are still medicine dregs thrown by the family head on the left side of the mansion gate! You can also find another doctor to verify. Master Husband, this servant is telling the truth!" A Zuo's shouts gradually faded.
"Young master, I've already handed him over to A Da and told A Da to lock him in the woodshed first to teach him a lesson." Afu's face was full of anger, clearly not taking A Zuo's words seriously.
Shen Xuan also didn't believe that his wife would give him contraceptive medicine. His wife knew how much he wanted a child of their own, but...
Shen Xuan stood up and walked to the bowl of freshly heated porridge on the table. As long as they had been intimate the night before, the porridge the next morning would have a different taste. However, his wife always said it was a tonic, so he hadn't suspected anything.
"Afu, go to the place he just mentioned and see if there are any medicine dregs."
"Young master, the family head would absolutely not do such a thing."
"Go and see." Shen Xuan also didn't want the medicine dregs to be found, but A Zuo's words just now were so certain. Perhaps it was a trap set by someone to sow discord between him and his wife. If that were the case, he would definitely investigate thoroughly.
"Ask A Da to bring the small pot that the wife usually uses for brewing medicine." Shen Xuan certainly wouldn't be foolish enough to only believe the external medicine dregs. The tools the wife usually used for brewing medicine were kept in a separate room and no one was allowed to enter, precisely to prevent tampering. By comparing the two, the truth would be immediately apparent.