Xiao Feng pouted and hummed, saying obediently, "I want Mother to be happy."
As long as Mother was happy, nothing else mattered.
Tao Lengshuang's heart ached for him even more. "Our Xiao Feng is so good, Mother must treat you even better."
"I've decided, tonight we're having meat dumpling soup, okay?"
Even his favorite meat couldn't lift Xiao Feng's spirits. He listlessly replied, "Okay."
Tao Lengshuang patted his head and sighed inwardly.
She didn't want to hide this from Xiao Feng; the consequences of hiding it would be even worse.
She hoped the child could slowly accept this fact.
Children were just children.
By evening, Xiao Feng was already looking forward to the meat dumpling soup.
Tao Lengshuang handed the task of picking vegetables to Xiao Feng.
What were called vegetables were actually some preserved vegetables and wild vegetables from late autumn, frozen in winter.
Looking at the wilting wild vegetables, Tao Lengshuang lamented the rarity of vegetables and wild vegetables in the dead of winter.
There was some meat at home, but only a little bit of vegetables left. They had to eat sparingly.
"Xiao Feng, shall Mother make you a steamed egg, okay?"
As soon as he heard steamed egg, Xiao Feng's mouth watered so much he almost drooled. He nodded vigorously.
"Mother, let's just steam one egg. We'll save the rest of the eggs to sell for money, to buy delicious food for Mother."
Eggs and meat were among his favorites.
However, Tao Lengshuang took out three eggs and a preserved egg.
There were still quite a few eggs at home, and since the chickens laid eggs almost every other day, there was no shortage of eggs.
The problem was, they couldn't sell them.
If she could treat people in nearby villages or in the town, there would be an income.
Perhaps she could ask Zi Cheng for help with this matter.
Trying was better than just waiting like this.
With an idea, Tao Lengshuang decided to ask Zi Cheng for help the next time he visited.
Just as dinner was ready, a hidden guard appeared.
Tao Lengshuang invited the hidden guard to eat with them.
The hidden guard nervously refused, not daring to dine at the same table as the doctor and the young master. It was too much of an honor.
Tao Lengshuang understood the strict hierarchy of ancient times and did not force the hidden guard. "Have you found out the identity of that middle-aged man?"
"Yes."
According to the hidden guard, the middle-aged man was known as Brother Zhang San, a notorious local thug in Lotus Town.
Brother Zhang San made a living by collecting protection fees and doing favors for others.
Because he had connections, was ruthless and insidious, and could basically get things done, many people sought his help.
He owned several houses in town and had countless wives and concubines, but only one son and one daughter, whom he doted on like his own eyes.
Anyone who dared to harm his children, he would take their lives.
"Doctor, we haven't found out yet who paid Brother Zhang San to target you."
Tao Lengshuang narrowed her eyes and pondered, then said coldly, "Brother Zhang San values his children so much, he would likely do anything for them."
The hidden guard understood. "Doctor, don't worry, I will handle this properly."
"Do not harm the children; the children are innocent."
"Doctor, those two children are not innocent at all. At such a young age, they are capable of all sorts of evil, even murder and arson."
He had seen many young masters from noble families, but he had never seen one like the Zhang family, who acted so recklessly with their wealth.
Upon hearing this, Tao Lengshuang no longer felt pity for the children. "Just provoke Brother Zhang San a little."
The hidden guard replied with an "Yes" and retreated to carry out the task.
"Xiao Feng, let's eat."
Tao Lengshuang, while thinking about Brother Zhang San's affairs, served Xiao Feng meat dumpling soup and filled his bowl with plenty of meat.
She wondered if she could find out everything through Brother Zhang San.
Furthermore, who was protecting Brother Zhang San, and was that person related to her?
Things seemed to be getting more complicated.
...
Meanwhile.
Brother Zhang San, finally recovered from his illness, was getting dressed with the help of his favorite concubine when he heard the panicked voice of his steward.
"Master, it's bad! It's bad!"
The steward stumbled in, breaking out in a cold sweat. "Master, the eldest young master and the eldest young lady are missing, leaving only a letter."
"What!?"
Brother Zhang San snatched the letter from the steward's hand and read it, his eyes growing increasingly sinister. "How dare they capture my children, Brother Zhang San! I will make them..."
The rest of his words were silenced when he finished reading the letter.
His eyes showed fear, and his hand holding the letter tightened. How could the person who wrote this know everything he had done?
If these things were exposed, even that person couldn't protect him.
Not to mention, his children would be killed by the other party.
He only had these two children, and he had to protect them no matter what.
He burned the letter and menacingly ordered, "The eldest young master and the eldest young lady have gone out to play. Do you understand?"
The steward and his favorite concubine, knowing Brother Zhang San's temperament, repeatedly said they understood and dared not say another word.
Brother Zhang San regretted taking on the task of dealing with Tao Lengshuang.
He thought it would be easy to deal with a village woman and he would get three hundred taels of silver soon.
Who knew such a major incident would occur.
After thinking for a long time, Brother Zhang San decided to temporarily ignore the Tao family and investigate who had hired him to do his work, in order to get his children back.
Meanwhile, a significant incident had also occurred at the Tao family's residence.
It attracted countless villagers to watch, and naturally, Tao Lengshuang brought Xiao Feng to see the spectacle.
"You good-for-nothing Tao Laosan, you tried to poison my daughter so that your daughter could marry a noble young master!"
Tao Laoda was riding on Tao Laosan, beating him ferociously. "If I hadn't accidentally found out that you put rat poison in my daughter's chicken soup, my daughter would have died at your hands."
"And my daughter!"
Tao Lao Er viciously kicked Tao Laosan's head, filled with hatred. "How cruel you are, worse than an animal."
Not only was Tao Laosan screaming in pain from the beating, but his wife and children were also pinned to the ground and beaten.
They were in a truly miserable state.
Yet, no one sympathized with Tao Laosan's family.
"Tao Laosan's family is too wicked. That's rat poison that can kill people, and their family tried to poison their own niece."
"I heard that a noble young master wanted to choose a concubine from the daughters of the first and second branches of the Tao family, and Tao Laosan's family was jealous."
"No matter how jealous they were, they shouldn't have harmed anyone. This is a capital offense."
Hearing this, Tao Lengshuang's lips curved slightly, and she looked coldly at the commotion in the Tao family.
It was she who had instructed the hidden guards to pretend to be villagers and leak the information about Tao Laosan's family putting rat poison to Tao Laoda and the others.
With this incident, the Tao family would be in constant turmoil from now on.
Tao Laosan's family kept saying they were framed and falsely accused, and that they hadn't done such a thing.
However, when Tao Lao Er's wife forcefully tried to make Tao Laosan drink a bowl of chicken soup,
Tao Laosan tightly shut his mouth and refused to drink it no matter what.