CHAPTER 437: CHAPTER 437 STEALING AND EXCHANGING

Qihao Hall.

The Old Madam’s patience was worn thin.

A maid rushed in, saying, "We couldn’t find Mrs. Li from Qingqiu Garden."

The Second Madam looked at the Old Madam and said, "Since Mrs. Li pleased Lv Xiu by gifting the ointment, it’s unlikely she would poison it."

The Old Madam shot the Second Madam a glance.

"Princess Nanzhang went to the palace to get Bihun Ointment and sent it to Yongcheng Bo Mansion. I had Lv Xiu send the ointment, merely as a gesture of goodwill, yet Yongcheng Bo Mansion has used it until now."

"It can’t be less than equal to Bihun Ointment. How could an old lady like Mrs. Li have such good ointment?"

This is indeed a valid question.

The Second Madam admired the Old Madam’s knack for solving problems.

Thinking that the Heir’s wife should have found Mrs. Li by now.

The Second Madam offered the Old Madam a way out, saying, "Lady Chi often makes brocade robes for Chenchen, who occasionally sends her scar-removing ointment. Could it be that the old woman has sticky fingers?"

"We’ll know once we find and question her," the Old Madam replied.

Mrs. Wang stood aside, looking at the Old Madam, saying, "We’ve been searching for so long and haven’t found Mrs. Li. Maybe she knows she’s in trouble and ran away."

"Instead of waiting in vain, why not call Lady Chi, or the Young Master, or the Heir’s wife to ask them?"

"Alright," the Old Madam agreed.

A maid went to deliver the message, and soon another maid hurried in.

The maid was beaming, saying, "Old Madam, Mrs. Li has been found."

"Where was she found?" the Second Madam asked.

"In a well not far from Qingqiu Garden," the maid replied.

"Mrs. Li is quite fortunate; she’s alive and already on her way here."

The Old Madam was sipping tea, and upon hearing this, her hand trembled, causing the teacup to spill all over herself.

Mrs. Wang quickly used a cloth to clean the Old Madam.

The tea wasn’t too hot, so no harm was done.

But the fact that the Old Madam spilled tea seemed unusual even to the Third Madam.

Lv Xiu was kneeling with a face turning ghastly pale.

How could Mrs. Li not be dead?!

She was the one who saw her fall into the well!

Soon, there were sounds of footsteps.

Su Jin entered first, followed by Mrs. Li.

Mrs. Li was escorted in by two maids.

The room was filled with ice basins, making her shiver incessantly.

Her teeth clattered, and she sneezed three times in a row.

Just as the last sneeze finished, a maid kicked her leg.

Mrs. Li fell onto the red carpet, feeling as if her knees shattered.

"And this is?" The Second Madam held back laughter.

"This brazen woman dares to say that the Old Madam and Princess Nanzhang ordered her to steal the ointment sent to Lady Chi," Su Jin said bluntly.

The Second Madam, "...."

The spectacle was fiercer than she had imagined.

No prelude, just the most exciting part right away.

After the Old Madam’s prolonged pretense, the Heir’s wife suddenly slapped her face figuratively.

The Second Madam seemed to hear a crisp, resounding slap.

The Old Madam’s face turned an unhealthy hue, trembling furiously.

She was too angry to speak.

Su Jin didn’t give her a chance to speak, directly saying, "This woman claims Lv Xiu pushed her into the well and openly said in front of several maids that Princess Nanzhang and the Old Madam instructed her to steal the ointment, stating it vividly. It’s spread quite far now."

"How could the Old Madam possibly condescend to instruct a servant to steal a concubine’s ointment—a disgraceful act?"

"Her slander was so infuriating that I sent her here directly for your judgment."

The Second Madam, "...."

Mrs. Wang, "...."

Never seen someone openly curse shamelessness to their face, while others praise her for being sensible.

The Heir’s wife was the first.

The Old Madam felt her body roil with anger, tasted blood in her mouth, yet had to agree with Su Jin’s actions.

"Drag this woman out and cane her to death!" the Old Madam trembled with rage.

The Second Madam said, "Old Madam, calm down...."

"The matter of the ointment still needs to be investigated through Mrs. Li."

"It’s not too late to decide her punishment after getting to the bottom of it."

Su Jin, having finished her scolding, found a spot to sit and watch the drama.

Whether the Old Madam killed Mrs. Li or not was none of her concern.

But trying to take advantage of her would certainly be wishful thinking.

The Old Madam’s vision blurred with anger.

After about half a cup of tea’s worth of time, Lady Chi arrived.

She wore a dress, her face veiled, showing only her eyes, beautiful as if not of this world.

If not for knowing her face was scarred, one would be envious.

But now, everyone felt only sympathy.

Xique supported Lady Chi as they entered, courteously greeting the Old Madam.

Lady Chi and Xique looked bewildered, in a state of not knowing what had happened.

Lady Chi held a box of ointment.

The Old Madam stared at her, unsure what to ask anymore.

With Mrs. Li in the well, she had completely exposed her and Princess Nanzhang.

The Second Madam inquired, "Let’s check if the ointment Lady Chi used is the same as Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s girls’."

Mrs. Wang approached Lady Chi, taking the ointment from her.

Comparing it with the one sent by Yongcheng Bo.

They were different inside and out.

The scent needed no explanation.

Su Jin was amazed by their intelligence.

If the ointments were the same, it’d be miraculous.

Comparing Lady Chi was less important than questioning her.

"Different," Mrs. Wang said.

"Show Lady Chi the ointment from Yongcheng Bo Mansion to see if it was swapped," the Old Madam tried to suppress herself.

Lady Chi sniffed the ointment, then shook her head.

Xique sniffed it too and said, "This doesn’t seem like my lady’s ointment."

"Seem like?!" The Third Madam frowned.

"It either is or isn’t; how can it be ’seems’?" The Third Madam reprimanded.

"No, this ointment definitely isn’t one my lady used."

"This ointment smells so good, you remember the scent after one sniff. If it were swapped, how could my lady not notice?" Xique insisted.

"I don’t know where Mrs. Li got the ointment she gave to Lv Xiu, but it’s definitely not my lady’s!"

Su Jin sipped her tea lightly.

With Lady Chi and Xique standing up to deny it.

The face lost by the Old Madam and Princess Nanzhang was certainly rescued.

However—

The girl from Yongcheng Bo Mansion would likely remain harmed.

Seeing how the Old Madam would have Mrs. Li steal ointment just to heal the eldest girl from Yongcheng Bo Mansion, she evidently cares deeply.

It’s uncertain which she would choose—face saving or antidote.

Su Jin was quite intrigued.

Rather than letting Mrs. Li point out the Old Madam and finally having Lv Xiu take blame, it would be better if the Old Madam was forced to admit fault.

Falling into her hands isn’t something a maid could easily handle.

With so many Dongzhu pearls, it’d be a shame to waste them.

Of course, if the Old Madam no longer cared about the hand of Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s eldest girl, then she wouldn’t care either.

Though in this affair, the eldest girl from Yongcheng Bo Mansion was quite innocent.

But Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s eldest girl took over the trap meant for Princess Nanzhang, leaving Su Jin quite helpless.

These days, even pits are fought over.

Times are indeed worsening.