The Zhao family.
The old doctor emerged from the room with a look of sheer bad luck on his face. It seemed the coptis root from last time wasn't bitter enough, so he had added a few more doses this time!
The situation inside the room was also different from before.
On the bed, Old Madam Zhao looked increasingly weak, her face pale and her lips dry and peeling. However, her children and grandchildren standing nearby showed no signs of worry; instead, they recklessly complained and vented their frustrations:
"The fertilizer was actually produced. I heard business was so good that it sold out in no time. We shouldn't have listened to the old madam earlier; we just ended up making a wedding dress for Su Ning's benefit."
"Our family's old friends and relatives by marriage are also blaming us."
The Zhao family members exchanged glances and sighed in unison.
The daughters-in-law, who had no right to speak on such occasions, gritted their teeth even more. As for why? Su Ning was someone who liked to implement strict guilt by association. Anyone related to the Zhao family was strictly forbidden from buying the fertilizer.
That would have been fine on its own.
But after Su Ning put the word out, those who had business interests with her or wanted to curry favor began to trample all over the Zhao family and their relatives and old friends.
The ones most deeply implicated were their own maiden families!
"Old Madam, your daughter-in-law is here to serve you." The eldest daughter-in-law walked over through gritted teeth. She pretended to tuck her in, but actually pinched the soft flesh under the blanket hard.
They were all used to surviving in the inner courtyards, so who was she trying to fool by playing dead!
Sure enough.
With a startled cry, the person woke up.
"Come look quickly, the old madam is finally awake." The daughter-in-law struck first, drawing everyone's attention. Pretending to be worried, she wiped her tears with a handkerchief: "You're finally awake. The whole family is waiting for you to make a decision."
"What... what should we do next?"
Old Madam Zhao's lips trembled with anger, but seeing her descendants gathering around the bed, she knew that if she fainted again, this vicious woman would just pinch her awake once more.
She had no choice but to weakly hold her forehead and say:
"You all are just too impatient. Su Ning has only produced the fertilizer; we don't even know how effective it is yet. If it's useless or even ruins the crops, that's when disaster will truly strike her!"
Someone already understood.
Smiling, he clapped his hands and said to the others:
"That's right! We are the ones who have dealt with the land for generations. Not only is her fertilizer highly likely to be useless, but even if it does work, it can't withstand our words!"
Now everyone understood.
They were going to spread rumors.
They had been landlords for generations, possessing vast tracts of land and many tenant farmers. Their friends and relatives were mostly landlords too. If they united, how could they not smear a little fertilizer?
"There's one more thing," Old Madam Zhao said with a smile. "By producing this fertilizer, Su Ning has threatened the foundation of imported fertilizers. Foreigners and compradors are not so easy to deal with."
"If we just give it a little push, we'll be able to watch a good show."
"Great idea."
"Ginger gets spicier with age. The old madam thinks of much more than us young people. Even if we can't bring Su Ning down, she shouldn't dream of getting much benefit from the fertilizer."
Hearing this, Old Madam Zhao sighed with mock compassion:
"Why did the fertilizer production line have to fall into the hands of someone like Su Ning? She throws her weight around and doesn't know how to restrain herself. The number of people she has offended is uncountable. Even if it's not us, others will trip up her fertilizer business."
"What a pity."
"If it were our Zhao family, things would be different. Our family is always kind to others and would never act like this. Sigh."
The other members of the Zhao family also expressed their regrets.
The daughter-in-law who had pinched her agreed verbally, but in her heart, she thought they were truly oblivious to their own flaws. If the Zhao family got the production line, who knows, they might be wiped out on some dark, windy night.
Suddenly, a thought moved her heart.
Thinking of her kind parents and brothers in her maiden home, and then of the Zhao family's hypocritical nature, and most importantly, the fact that she had no biological children of her own, she instantly made a decision.
Meanwhile.
Old Madam Zhao beckoned Zhao Xuewen, who was standing at the edge of the room, to come over. She touched his face with concern: "Good child, why have you lost so much weight? Your grandmother has been sick all the time lately and neglected you."
"I don't blame Grandmother."
Zhao Xuewen blurted out. As soon as he said it, his sensitive heart skipped a beat. He carefully observed Old Madam Zhao and caught a fleeting flash of displeasure.
He felt both terrified and deeply wronged.
He truly wasn't doing well.
Before, when he only stayed for a few days, he didn't notice it. But after staying long-term, he found that not only did his uncles and cousins ostracize him, but even the servants were perfunctory and cold. Sometimes he was even the last one to receive his meals.
"I miss my mother!"
The blood rushed to Zhao Xuewen's head. After saying that, he pursed his lips and said stubbornly: "Send me back." At worst, he would just force himself to apologize to his mother first this time.
"You child..."
Old Madam Zhao tried to persuade him again and again. After finally coaxing him, she used the excuse of wanting some peace and quiet to shoo all her children and grandchildren out. Lying back on the bed and drinking ginseng soup, she said faintly after a long time:
"A child not raised in this house simply cannot be tamed."
"Young Master Xuewen is still young, how could he understand your painstaking efforts? He is Fifth Master's only heir. This servant sees clearly that you dote on him the most."
"Sigh, if only Hao'er were still here..."
Old Madam Zhao's old tears flowed freely. Her trusted servant saw this and knew that mere persuasion was useless; she would inevitably cry for half a day, tormenting them for just as long.
After thinking for a moment, the servant took out a letter stuffed in a small box.
She said it was from abroad.
The old madam's attention was indeed diverted. Although the envelope was in English, the contents were written in Chinese characters. She was originally nonchalant, but after reading the first few lines, overwhelming joy poured from her eyes.
Hao'er, Hao'er was not dead!
However, extreme joy turns to sorrow.
Upon reading the last few lines, Old Madam Zhao's eyes widened. Her trusted servant sensed something was wrong and went to support her. The moment she touched her, the old madam opened her mouth and vomited a mouthful of blood.
"Someone come quickly, the old madam is throwing up blood!"
...
"I heard your cheap son has been sent back again."
Su Ning was so busy her head was spinning, but during a moment of free time, she received this long-awaited gossip. She called Shang Wenyun over and asked with great interest.
Not afraid in the slightest of stinging someone's feelings.
"Yes, he's back."
After not seeing her for many days, Shang Wenyun had changed drastically. First, her clothing had shifted from gentle and mild to sharp and neat, yet without losing its elegance. She was still feminine, her demeanor was calm and firm, and a warm smile permanently hung on the corners of her mouth.
During this period, she had done a very good job dealing with the outside world on Su Ning's behalf, saving her a lot of trouble.
She was a useful person.
"Was he sent back, or chased back?" Su Ning did not hide her wickedness at this moment, fully displaying her attitude of treating this matter as the spice of life in front of Shang Wenyun.
The other party, however, was very happy.
This meant that Su Ning treated her as one of her own. So she looked at Su Ning with a tolerant gaze and said with a smile:
"Xuewen didn't tell me, but I can guess he was chased back. Apart from the clothes on his back, he brought absolutely nothing with him."
Understanding the unspoken implication.
Su Ning understood in seconds:
"Does he already know that he isn't a child of the Zhao family?"
"Most likely." The smile on Shang Wenyun's face grew increasingly cold as she told Su Ning that after he came back, he actually apologized and started trying to curry favor with her, while simultaneously competing with her daughter for affection.
Now that was very interesting.
Su Ning thought, the original novel was probably like this too. The only variable was whether Shang Wenyun knew the truth or not. In the original story, she didn't know, so Zhao Xuewen just stayed with peace of mind?
It seems the innocent child wasn't so innocent after all.
But this time.
It was going to be different!
"I don't care what you do." Su Ning rested her chin lightly on her right hand, her tone slow and deliberate as she offered a reminder. "But you had better look into how the Zhao family found out about the situation. There might just be a surprise waiting for you."
A surprise—
Your husband has come back to life!
Hearing this, Shang Wenyun nodded hesitantly. If the young lady said so, she must have her reasons... just like that time they verified the blood types.
Suddenly, there was a knock on the door.
Su Ning knew she was about to get busy again. Ever since the fertilizer hit the market, there had been an endless stream of phone calls and people showing up at her door to curry favor. Even top-tier figures were calling her directly, and some of these matters required her personal attention.
The web of relationships was incredibly complex.
Therefore, she made a decision. "I won't burden anyone else with this. I'll leave the matter with the Zhao family entirely in your hands." Su Ning stood up in annoyance, her expression as cold as crushed ice.
Those reckless fools who didn't know what was good for them.
She had originally planned to finish her current work before sending them to their graves, but they just had to come courting death right now!
"I hope you won't disappoint me."
Her soft, ethereal voice carried a gaze as heavy as a thousand pounds that landed squarely on Shang Wenyun. Smiling, Shang Wenyun looked up, shook her head solemnly at Su Ning, and replied with absolute certainty:
"You can rest assured."
That settled it.
Su Ning walked out the door without looking back. Unsurprisingly, there was indeed an urgent matter awaiting her, but it had nothing to do with the fertilizer.
"Are you saying the last emperor of the previous dynasty wants to see me?"
