Cui Huaiyin looked at her daughter hesitantly and asked, "For your grandmother?"
Rongyao nodded and blinked her big bright eyes at her mother. "Yes, Mother, you always teach me that as children, we must be filial and respect our elders. Grandmother is old, so of course I should show her more devotion."
Cui Huaiyin: "……Fine, that's a good idea too."
It was nothing more than a plate of sweet lotus root, sending it over with a servant would be enough to fulfill her daughter's filial wish.
Cui Huaiyin handed the plate of sliced sweet lotus root to Chenxiang and instructed her, "Send the fried white jade tofu and steamed glutinous rice lotus root slices to Old Madam together."
Chenxiang: "Yes."
After that, Chenxiang went off to attend to the errand.
Rongyao, looking as if she was bored, suddenly pointed at the fresh bamboo shoot and perch soup made by Concubine Liu and said, "Daughter remembers that Father loves eating fish very much, so let's send this dish over for Father to enjoy."
Cui Huaiyin squatted down and gently tapped the tip of her daughter's nose. "What made you think of them today? Weren't you upset that they don't dote on you?"
Rongyao puffed out her chest, tilted her head, and spoke in a serious, earnest tone. "As children, we shouldn't nitpick over small matters with our elders. All we need to do is stay true to our filial duties."
"You little clever thing." Cui Huaiyin pinched her daughter's chubby cheek affectionately, then smiled and instructed the maid Daoxiang, "Take this fresh bamboo shoot and perch soup over to the Master. If he asks about it, don't take credit for it. Just tell him Concubine Liu specifically sent you to deliver it."
Daoxiang: "This servant will go at once."
Rongyao watched Chenxiang and Daoxiang carrying the food boxes and about to leave, she leaned her little body forward and pretended to speak with a stern air, "Aunt Chenxiang, Aunt Daoxiang, be careful when you deliver the dishes. Don't let Concubine Liu see you, or she'll overthink and get sad. And you two must not sneak a bite on the way!"
Chenxiang and Daoxiang just smiled and agreed, then hurried out of Hidden Grace Courtyard.
Rongyao watched the two maids leave, and clapped her hands in satisfaction.
Now that there were only mother and daughter left in the room, Cui Huaiyin closed the door, looked down at her daughter and asked, "Yao Yao, now you can tell Mother why you were so out of the ordinary today, sending food to your grandmother and father, right?"
Rongyao peeked around to make sure no one else was nearby, then stared straight at Cui Huaiyin and spoke very seriously, "Because all those dishes were poisoned!"
Cui Huaiyin's smile froze on her face, she thought she had misheard. She squatted down to get as level with her daughter as she could.
"What did Yao Yao say? What poison? Does Yao Yao even know what poisoning means?"
Rongyao blinked her bright eyes, and the rims of them turned slightly red. "Poison is put in food, and it can take a person's life. Once your life is gone, everything is gone. When a person is gone, everyone who cares about them left in the world will be extremely sad and hurt."
Cui Huaiyin felt a chill run all over her body.
Her daughter was still so young, she had never mentioned life and death to her, let alone anything about poison. Even Chenxiang and the other maids would never dare say such nonsense in front of the child. Even though Rongyao was exceptionally bright, able to read and write at the age of three and had read countless books, she still should not know these things!
Cui Huaiyin stroked her daughter's still chubby face and forced a smile. "Who told you all this, Yao Yao?"
Rongyao buried her face in her mother's palm and nuzzled it. The touch tickled a little, but it was also very warm. "No one told me. I dreamed it. I had a very, very long dream. In the dream, Concubine Liu put poison in the food, and she killed Mother. She also killed Aunt Chenxiang and Aunt Daoxiang. And I was poisoned into a fool, a big silly girl who washed the enemies' feet every day!"
Rongyao's eyes grew even redder, and her soft, waxy voice turned tearful. "Mother was gone, and I was left all alone as a little fool. That father of mine refused to avenge you, refused to report it to the authorities. Grandmother called me a bastard, said I wasn't Father's child, and they wanted me to die. They even wanted to harm my maternal grandfather, grandmother, and uncles!"
Cui Huaiyin's ached sharply. She had no idea her daughter had such a terrifying nightmare. No wonder the child had been acting so strange today. She quickly pulled Rongyao into her arms to comfort her. "It was just a dream. Dreams can't be real. My Yao Yao is a little prodigy, who could read and write at three years old. How could you ever become a fool? All of that was fake. Don't be scared, Yao Yao. Mother is right here, and I will protect you for the rest of my life."
Rongyao nuzzled her tears away against her mother's chest, feeling extremely aggrieved.
She knew her mother wouldn't believe her. But once that fake father Zhu Wangbei and that fake grandmother Wang Cuiyun were poisoned, Mother would believe her sooner or later.
Very soon, she would get her revenge!
……
Chenxiang carried the fried white jade tofu and steamed glutinous rice lotus root slices to Old Madam's courtyard, while Daoxiang headed for Zhu Wangbei's courtyard.
It took no more than half a joss stick's time for them to return, both having delivered the dishes smoothly.
When Chenxiang came back, she reported what had happened during the delivery. "Old Madam only took a couple of casual bites at first, but when she heard the dishes were made by Concubine Liu, she ate quite a lot more."
Daoxiang said discontentedly, "The Master was the exact same way too."
Before Cui Huaiyin could speak, Rongyao's eyes lit up and she asked first, "Really! Grandmother and Father both ate them?"
Chenxiang and Daoxiang exchanged a glance and nodded.
"Old Madam finished the entire plate of steamed glutinous rice lotus root slices, and ate half of the fried white jade tofu too."
"The Master had a small bowl of the fresh bamboo shoot and perch soup. He said he would save some more to eat after he finished his reading, and even praised you for being such a thoughtful, filial girl."
Rongyao's eyes sparkled brighter and brighter.
It worked!
A wide smile spread across Rongyao's face, and she was just about to ask for more details when an urgent shout came from outside, "Madam! Madam, it's terrible! Old Madam has suddenly passed out!"
Cui Huaiyin had been watching her daughter, and was just about to smile back when she saw Rongyao light up at the Master's praise. Then she heard the shout from outside.
What did the servant boy who ran over to report say?
Old Madam fainted?
How could she suddenly faint when she was perfectly well just a moment ago?
The young servant rushed over, gasping for breath.
"Madam! Hurry, come to Zhu'an Hall quickly! Old Madam suddenly collapsed, her lips are purple, she looks exactly like someone who has been poisoned!"
A tight string in Cui Huaiyin's mind snapped all at once. She sharply turned to look at her six-year-old daughter, who was standing beside her, looking perfectly innocent with her big bright eyes wide open, as if she knew nothing at all.
Poisoned.
How could her mother-in-law be poisoned?
Just now, her daughter said that she dreamed those dishes were poisoned!
So her daughter's dream……
Cui Huaiyin steadied herself, took a deep breath, wrapped her arm around her daughter, and said with a hasty but firm tone, "Go call for a doctor at once! The best doctor in the whole city!"
"Yes!"
Cui Huaiyin kept a solemn face and gave more orders. "Go fetch several more reputable doctors. And on top of that, make sure you bring the doctors from the Cui family's Yisheng Hall too."
Yisheng Hall was the medical clinic that Second Master Cui, Cui Huaiyin's own older brother, had newly opened in the capital. The doctors working there were the most trusted people she knew. Chenxiang took the order and rushed off immediately.
Cui Huaiyin then pointed to several quick-witted, trusted personal servants, and told them to come with her to Zhu'an Hall.
She held her daughter, who was brimming with obvious excitement, by the hand and hurried out.
But right after they stepped out of the courtyard gate, another young servant came running over in a flurry.
"Bad news, terrible news! Something huge has happened! The Master has suddenly lost consciousness too! Madam, please come quickly and see him!"
