Chapter Seven: Feigning Illness
Page (1/3)
Song Xirui’s face turned pale as paper, and she was too weak to respond: “I... I...” Tears welled in her eyes, clearly shocked.
“What ‘I’?! I told you to find a solution, did you hear me?” Madam Li was relentless.
A flicker of satisfaction passed through her heart—this daughter-in-law looked formidable but was easy to manipulate!
“Mother, I feel a bit faint today. Tomorrow—tomorrow I will give you an answer, alright?” Song Xirui raised her hand to her chest, her voice growing faint.
By her side, Hongdou supported her firmly, fearing she might actually collapse.
Madam Li smiled, then instantly changed her expression: “No!”
There was no way she would let Song Xirui slip away so easily.
She must teach her a lesson.
With her wrinkled hand, she slammed the table hard: “Go get your dowry and cover the deficit. Now!”
“Mother...” Song Xirui still pleaded.
Madam Li sneered coldly: “You won’t be able to escape today’s matter. Just hand over the money. If you can’t—”
Before she could finish, Song Xirui suddenly gripped her chest tighter, her eyes widening as a mouthful of fresh blood burst forth!
“Pfft—!”
Blood splattered everywhere, staining her clothes bright red.
Everyone in the room was stunned.
The young madam had been so angered by the matriarch that she vomited blood!
Madam Li opposite was even more dumbfounded, her cloudy eyes wide with disbelief as she stared at Song Xirui.
How could she suddenly vomit blood?
Hongdou screamed in alarm: “Madam! Madam! Someone, come quickly! She’s fainted!”
Song Xirui’s bleeding had thrown the entire Su household into chaos.
Hongdou shouted to a swift-footed maid, “Quick! Go fetch Doctor Song, the one who usually treats the young madam!”
Soon, Doctor Song was brought by carriage.
Hongdou was the first to greet him, and as he set down his box, she quickly whispered something in his ear.
Doctor Song’s brow twitched.
Quite an unusual request.
Hongdou winked at him, then turned and rushed back to Song Xirui’s bedside, crying out, “Doctor, please come see my madam!”
Doctor Song immediately took her pulse.
After a moment, he put away his medical cushion, his expression grave.
“How is it?” Madam Li’s heart clenched.
Please don’t let her die—she still depended on Song Xirui to lay golden eggs for the Su family!
Doctor Song shook his head: “Her pulse is faint, qi and blood severely deficient. Without some rare life-saving medicine, I fear she won’t survive past three months.”
Page (2/3)
“What should we do then?!” Madam Li was sweating profusely and vented, “I only spoke a few harsh words to her, and she’s reacting this way!”
The stolen money was a small matter—after all, she hadn’t taken everything.
But if Song Xirui died from this, the Marquis’s estate would surely have no mercy on the Su family.
Song Xirui must not die!
Doctor Song glanced at Hongdou and lied with a heavy conscience: “Only the extremely rare Ginseng King can save the young madam’s life.” After a moment, he added, “It’s not cheap—the market price is three thousand taels of silver.”
“What!” Madam Li’s vision darkened and her legs weakened.
Three thousand taels! It was like stabbing her heart with a knife!
But seeing Song Xirui lying there barely breathing, she hesitated.
In the end, with great anguish, she paid the exorbitant sum and bought the precious Ginseng King for Song Xirui.
After the medicine was administered, Song Xirui slowly regained consciousness.
The first thing she did was hand the pair of household account keys to Nurse Chen, the woman Madam Li had sent to care for her.
“Nurse, please tell Madam Li that my health is failing, and I can no longer manage the household accounts. Tell her to take back these keys.”
“Nurse Chen...” Chen wanted to speak, but Song Xirui closed her eyes and fell asleep again.
With no choice, Chen took the keys and returned to Madam Li.
Su Yun rushed home upon hearing the incident but hadn’t yet seen Song Xirui before being intercepted and confined to his room by Madam Li’s orders.
Madam Li’s anger was about to burst.
“Yun’er! You’re back! Don’t you know? Song Xirui is utterly useless! She vomited blood after only a few words, and now she’s using her illness as an excuse to return the keys!”
“What do you think she’s up to?” she suspected Song Xirui might be faking illness.
Su Yun glanced at his mother, helpless.
No matter how foolish Song Xirui seemed, she wouldn’t gamble with her life.
She was probably just overwhelmed with anger, but since she obeyed him, it could be resolved easily.
He pursed his lips and warned, “Mother, I know about this. Don’t provoke her anymore. The Marquis’s estate is not to be trifled with.”
“I’ll go see her and soothe her a bit; she’ll get better,” Su Yun promised.
Madam Li nodded, “You always have a way. But remember, you must make her return the household money. Only then will the Su family’s funds flow into the Su household.”
“I’ll remember,” he said.
Entering Song Xirui’s courtyard, he put on a tender expression and entered the room.
“Xirui, are you feeling better?” Su Yun’s tone was full of concern.
Song Xirui looked ill and pitiful: “Husband, it’s my fault—the storeroom was robbed, and I angered Mother. It’s all my fault.”
Her delicate demeanor stirred some pity in Su Yun.
“It’s not entirely your fault. There must be a traitor in the household. Since you just married in, it’s understandable you were unprepared.”
After some comforting, recalling his mother’s words, Su Yun began, “By the way, Xirui, about the household accounts...”
Before he could finish, Song Xirui interrupted.
“Let Mother manage them,” she said quickly, coughing lightly, her eyes full of admiration. “You are a fine man; how could you let your frail wife handle household affairs? That would be a joke, wouldn’t it?”
Su Yun, known for his impeccable reputation, accepted this compliment without further argument.
“Well... of course,” he stammered, swallowing the rest of his words.
After more comforting, he left with a heavy heart.
Hongdou watched his retreating figure, covered Song Xirui with a blanket, and said, “Madam, you seem different from before.”
“How different?” Song Xirui smiled faintly at the maid.
“Well... you used to be so nervous around the scholar lord—even if sick, you’d insist on seeing him off,” Hongdou said slowly.
Song Xirui nodded, a cold light flashing in her eyes. “I was naive before; now I won’t waste a sincere heart on a dog.” She asked, “Where is the silver?”
“Madam, my brother has a secluded courtyard with a cellar underground. The money is hidden there.”
At midnight, a woman disguised as a maid slipped quietly from the Su household’s rear courtyard.
It was Song Xirui, disguised as Hongdou.
She intended to find Hongdou’s brother to deal with the money.
Halfway there, her eyes flickered.
Someone was following her!
Zhou Wen had been tailing the madam at a leisurely pace but suddenly felt as if he’d encountered a ghost—no matter which way he went, he ended up back where he started.
Just as he panicked inwardly, Song Xirui appeared.
Her gaze swept coldly over him. “Who are you? If you don’t speak, I have ways to deal with you.”
Zhou Wen said nothing.
But Song Xirui recognized him.
He was Xiao Yunci’s trusted aide—someone who had died for him in a past life.
“Zhou Wen?” Song Xirui said quietly.
Zhou Wen was startled, knowing feigning silence was useless, and said, “I am Zhou Wen, serving under the general. Madam Su, I apologize for the intrusion.”
How could this woman recognize him?
“Let you go this time, but next time there will be no mercy,” Song Xirui warned, wanting to give Xiao Yunci some face.
She lifted the restriction and vanished into the night.
Zhou Wen did not pursue but returned to the general’s mansion.
“You say she trapped you in an array? And spoke your name?” Xiao Yunci sounded somewhat surprised.
Zhou Wen smiled bitterly, “I can’t explain it—like being caught in a ghostly maze, I kept returning to the same spot repeatedly. This Madam Su is strange. I’ve never seen her before.”
If she hadn’t deliberately let him go, he’d still be running in circles.
Xiao Yunci smiled faintly: “If she has such skills, I’m even more curious now.”