Tianliangyuan

Chapter 3 Vitality

Xu Zhaozhao nodded. She knew that this matter couldn't really put Sun Qian to death. After all, she was her grandmother's own granddaughter, and it was already difficult for her to lose a trusted confidante.

However, Xu Zhaozhao also knew that after this incident, her grandmother would probably resent her.

After all, she herself said that she noticed something was wrong with the tonic soup and even ate it by mistake, which meant she was deliberately setting a trap for Sun Qian.

In her grandmother's eyes, she was probably already a scheming junior.

It doesn't matter. The reason she said she noticed something was wrong with the tonic soup was just to find an excuse to investigate the kitchen and Furong Courtyard.

Now that it's been found out, it can be considered as collecting some interest for the original owner.

However, her fake sisterhood with Sun Qian should be coming to an end. It's just unknown whether her cousin will try to harm her again.

Unexpectedly, Sun Qian came to visit again with gifts.

"It's all my fault for misjudging people, sister. You almost harmed your younger sister. Fortunately, I'm alright now. Otherwise, I would truly be guilty beyond redemption."

Xu Zhaozhao originally thought that the two of them would be irreconcilable enemies after this incident, but she never expected that her cousin would be so shameless. Even after things had come to this, she still thought of apologizing.

Is this for my own benefit, or for the old lady's benefit?

"Cousin, don't blame yourself. In the end, it was your sister who was deceived by bad people, and it's also my fault for not being careful enough."

Seeing that she was still willing to talk to her more, Sun Qian concluded that her simple-minded younger sister truly did not doubt her.

"I'm glad you don't blame me, sister. I specially selected these things, and I don't know if they will meet your standards. I hope you will accept them and not refuse them."

Xu Zhaozhao glanced at it briefly, then said gratefully, "Sister, how did you choose so many good things? You're making me feel so bad!"

Sun Qian had been observing her, and seeing that her expression seemed genuine, she explained, "They're just little trinkets, I'm glad you don't mind. As long as we sisters have a good relationship, what do these material possessions matter!"

Her words made her seem quite sentimental and affectionate.

Xu Zhaozhao knew perfectly well that she had ulterior motives, but when benefits were offered to her, how could she refuse?

"Cousin, please don't say that. That lowly maid Chunliu committed a serious crime and has been dealt with by Grandmother. That's fine. How can you, cousin, bring these things to apologize on behalf of the lowly maid? If I don't accept them, I'll seem petty. Alright, alright, Shaoyao, put these things away and prepare some fruits and snacks. I want to have a private talk with you, cousin."

"Yes."

Sun Qian's expression kept changing after hearing Xu Zhaozhao's words; she felt that Xu Zhaozhao was deliberately mocking her.

Moreover, she emphasized the words "lowly servant" very much, which made Sun Qian feel that she was alluding to her.

A quarter of an hour later, Sun Qian led her people back to her residence, Furong Courtyard. As soon as the door closed, her face turned ferocious.

"You, Xu Zhaozhao! You're lucky to be alive after all this. I'd like to see if you can marry Xie Sanlang while you're still alive!"

Although he made some harsh remarks, he still felt somewhat awkward when he thought about how his head maid Chunliu had been punished and how the newly promoted head maid was from the Marquis's mansion, and how he dared not rely on her.

During her short stay at the Marquis's residence, she only brought two head maids and two errand girls. Now that she has lost one spring willow, she only has one autumn chrysanthemum left.

After hesitating for a long time in the room, Sun Qian quickly wrote a letter and called Qiu Ju over, ordering her to personally deliver it to the mansion.

What Sun Qian didn't know was that Xu Zhaozhao had already sent people to keep an eye on Furong Courtyard.

“Well done, Dingxiang, reward him with a string of cash.”

"Yes, ma'am."

The servant, overjoyed at receiving the reward, expressed his loyalty once more before withdrawing.

"Miss, in your opinion, is there anything wrong with the Sun family?"

Xu Zhaozhao shook her head. Some things are not easy to say right now.

Xu Zhaozhao remembered that the book mentioned that not long after the Xie and Xu families broke off their engagement, someone wanted to arrange a marriage between the Sun and Xie families, but it did not work out in the end.

Could the Sun family girl mentioned in the book be her dear cousin?

What a traitorous ingrate!

If it weren't for the help of the Xu family, the Sun family would probably have been wiped out and exterminated a few years ago!

It's truly despicable that Sun Qian is so ungrateful and even conspires with outsiders to scheme against the Xu family!

After dinner, Xu Zhaozhao asked Dingxiang and Shaoyao to accompany her for a walk in the garden.

Ostensibly, it was to aid digestion, but in reality, Xu Zhaozhao was looking for a suitable place to repair her body.

There are too many problems inside!

Xu Zhaozhao saw two pots of peonies placed at the bottom of the steps. In her memory, they were sent by Sun Qian. They were not particularly rare varieties, but they were in full bloom, so they looked festive.

When no one was looking, Xu Zhaozhao lightly touched a leaf with her finger.

In an instant, Xu Zhaozhao drained nearly half of the peony's vitality, and the blooming flowers were already withered.

Xu Zhaozhao was certain that Sun Qian would cause more trouble. Since she wanted to marry into the Xie family, she would have to sabotage her marriage with Xie Zheng first, so she would not give up easily.

I just don't know where she'll start.

Xu Zhaozhao originally thought that Sun Qian would come up with some underhanded means to force her to break off the engagement with the Xie family, but she did not expect that Sun Qian would take a different approach and learn to gossip.

The fact that Xu Zhaozhao had fallen ill was originally only known to people in the mansion, but unexpectedly it spread outside.

The rumors about her illness spread like wildfire, with various versions emerging.

“Miss, there are all sorts of rumors going around. Some say you are cursed by Xie Sanlang and will soon die young. Others say you are frail and breathless, and that you will not be able to have children in the future, and may even have a short life.”

The more Dingxiang talked, the more she felt these people were malicious. Wasn't this tantamount to cursing her mistress?

Peony was getting impatient listening to it, but the person in question was completely absorbed, like someone watching a play.

"What kind of talk is this? I feel like punching someone when I hear it!"

Xu Zhaozhao looked at her and chuckled: "Why are you in such a hurry? I, the one who's about to die, am not in a hurry at all!"

Peony was both angry and upset, but she couldn't argue with her master, so she could only stomp her feet in frustration.

Dingxiang was slightly more astute: "Miss, in my opinion, this rumor was clearly spread by someone in our Marquis's mansion. It's most likely that it was that hussy from Furong Courtyard who used this underhanded trick."