Servants then pushed mother and son out, while Xu Qiaoqiao cursed loudly. The commotion attracted the attention of onlookers.
Today was different. They had heard that Huang Shijie was a prodigy, possibly destined for an official career. As neighbors, they naturally felt inclined to support him. Seeing the scene, some busybodies immediately stepped forward to reprimand Xu Qiaoqiao. "Madam Liu, you've remarried with your son. Why are you still here at the Huang household?"
"Exactly. I heard you and Liu Ziqing were already together long ago. Now you show up, won't it be because you heard Master Huang is about to pass the Xiucai examination?"
"This is ingratitude. Your family was poor back then, marrying into the Huang family was a step up. Yet you were unfaithful. You took all the houses and shops, and now you want to come back? How can you have all the good things?"
...
Xu Qiaoqiao saw that the accusations were becoming more outrageous, and Huang Shijie offered no protection. Tears streamed down her face. Although she knew she had gone too far, didn't he understand how important reputation was to a woman?
Even if he didn't care about her, was her son not his child? She didn't believe he was unaware. How would her son hold his head up in the future? Everyone would likely consider him a bastard.
Huang Shijie understood this. He quickly waved his hand, silencing the crowd, and looked at Xu Qiaoqiao. "I told you last time not to come looking for me. You took all the Huang family's assets when you divorced. If you bother me again, I'll go to the magistrate and have him reclaim our family's property."
Xu Qiaoqiao looked at his cold eyes, her heart sinking to the bottom. She knew Huang Shijie was serious this time. While he had been serious before, she had still held onto a sliver of hope. She couldn't imagine Huang Shijie was unwilling to acknowledge her and her son. If he took back the family's assets, they would be on the streets, as the three of them were living in the Huang family's courtyard.
Finally, she left dejectedly with her son. If Huang Shijie wasn't mistaken, that ungrateful child actually showed hatred towards him. Hadn't he been the one to recognize a traitor as his father first? With a mother like Xu Qiaoqiao guiding him, he believed that child would never achieve much in life and would not cause any significant trouble.
The couple tacitly avoided mentioning the mother and son. In their eyes, they were mere passing figures. They tidied up their belongings, as they had the final examination the next day.
They chatted about everyday matters, laughing and talking. Soon, dusk approached, and dinner was served. As they sat down, both involuntarily frowned and exchanged a glance.
They ate as if no one else were present. A maid standing not far away began to look anxious. Seeing that they had eaten half their meal without touching a few specific dishes, she nudged Wu Caiwei's personal maid.
The maid hesitated for a moment, then smiled and stepped forward, moving the fish soup closer to them. "Master, Madam, please try the fish soup. Mama Li bought it especially from the market today. Master, you have an exam tomorrow. People say fish soup is good for the brain and makes one smarter. Master will surely win the top prize again."
"Unfortunately, neither Master nor I wish to drink fish soup today. We only want some vegetarian dishes. This fish soup is so good; I'll give it to you later."
As soon as Wu Caiwei finished speaking, the maid's face showed a flicker of embarrassment. She quickly thanked them and dared not speak further, fearing suspicion.
After the meal, they sat leisurely at the table. Wu Caiwei smiled and looked at the maid beside her. "Cha Xiang, how much silver did someone bribe you with?"
Cha Xiang was stunned and asked blankly, "No one."
Seeing that her expression seemed genuine, Wu Caiwei quickly inquired, "Then why did you urge us to eat the fish just now?"
Upon hearing this, Cha Xiang immediately knelt down, trembling. "Your servant is guilty. Your servant and Mama Li from the kitchen are in love. I only wanted to speak well of her."
"Then do you know there's something foul in it?" Wu Caiwei stared at her, her eyes unblinking.
Cha Xiang immediately looked up, staring at her madam in disbelief. Knowing her madam wouldn't trick her, she stammered, "Inside... what's inside?"
"I advise you to tell the truth. You're being used without even knowing it. It contains a laxative. Think about what would happen to Master if he drank it. Would he be able to participate in the imperial examinations tomorrow?" Wu Caiwei said this not because she thought Cha Xiang had ill intentions – the medicine was her own doing – but because she believed there was something she didn't know. She hadn't been told the full truth.
"Your servant truly didn't know. If I had known, I would never have let Master and Madam drink the soup. It was Fei Yun. Fei Yun just signaled me to remind you." Cha Xiang was not foolish. Being Wu Caiwei's personal maid, she had her wits about her. She no longer concealed anything for Fei Yun.
While the Madam and Master were interrogating Cha Xiang, Fei Yun knew trouble was brewing. But she dared not make a move. Leaving at this moment would be too obvious. Seeing the Madam look at her, she broke out in a cold sweat. Before administering the medicine, she had tested it in another soup, and it had no taste at all. She couldn't understand how the Madam and Master had found out.
She quickly knelt beside Cha Xiang and defended herself, "Your servant meant well. I happened to be close to Sister Cha Xiang, so I reminded her. It was just a lucky coincidence. I'm from the countryside and inexperienced. I had no idea the medicine was put in it. If I had known, I wouldn't have dared, even with a thousand lifetimes."
Wu Caiwei looked at her with a half-smile. "Look how scared you are. I merely asked casually, and you're breaking out in a cold sweat. It seems you've hidden the money and destroyed the medicine, hoping for no evidence. You plan to play dumb."
Fei Yun stiffened and quickly cried out her innocence, "Your servant is being framed. I beg Madam to investigate thoroughly and give me justice."
Wu Caiwei said sinisterly, "You've made your calculations well, but unfortunately, someone saw you administering the medicine just now. They had already quietly informed us. Otherwise, how would Master and I have detected the medicine? We are ordinary people. Even a master physician couldn't detect it by smell, let alone taste. Speak, who is the mastermind?"
Fei Yun no longer held out hope and was on the verge of tears. This time, she believed her Madam was telling the truth. After all, she had clearly seen them precisely avoid those few dishes when they were served. Yet, when she administered the medicine, there was no one around.
"Your servant made a mistake, but Madam cannot inflict corporal punishment without cause. I forgot to mention, my slave status has been revoked, and you cannot beat me arbitrarily." Fei Yun looked up, forcing a calm demeanor.
"Your deed of sale is still with me, yet your slave status has been canceled. If I am not mistaken, it must be Assistant Magistrate Li who pulled some strings. He is the mastermind, isn't he?" Wu Caiwei said calmly. She had been probing Fei Yun bit by bit since the medicine was administered, and she had finally broken her defenses.
"If you think it's him, then it's him. Guess whatever you want. Anyway, I'm not under your control now." Fei Yun lost her composure for a moment, then quickly regained it.