Chapter 51: Hibiscus Pastries
Lin Shuang didn’t know if Jiang Huaizhen was asleep. They had just blown out the lamp.
In the past, if she called her, she would have responded. But this time, she didn’t make a sound. She didn’t know if she hadn’t heard, or if she was deliberately not responding.
Could it be that she had seen her deliberately knock over the cup of water?
Lin Shuang’s romantic thoughts instantly faded, and her originally warm heart cooled in an instant.
She lay stiffly by Jiang Huaizhen’s side. Half an hour passed, and the other didn’t move, as if she were really asleep.
She didn’t know how to describe her feelings. She both wanted Jiang Huaizhen to know her feelings, and she was afraid of her knowing.
She was afraid that she would distance herself from her.
It wasn’t until she woke up the next morning that she saw that Jiang Huaizhen was acting normally. She had even thoughtfully brought her water to wash up, helped her get her clothes, and didn’t shy away from her linking her arm.
Everything seemed to be the same as before.
Lin Shuang couldn’t guess her thoughts and could only temporarily suppress her own feelings.
When the two of them left the inn, they bought a few pastries from the Hibiscus Pavilion.
Lin Shuang had a natural love for sweets, but unfortunately, she had no opportunity in her past life. The cook at the Qin residence was not good at making desserts, so she hadn’t been able to learn anything.
Thinking of Ping’er’s pitiful little eyes, and the three Caitou siblings she had occasionally run into on the road recently, she bought two extra boxes, thinking that if she ran into them on the way back, she could give them some to satisfy their cravings.
However, after she gave out the taro cakes, something happened.
The next morning, there was a commotion outside the house.
One of the voices was particularly shrill, shouting, “You little slut surnamed Lin, come out here! What poison did you feed my granddaughter? She’s dying now. You’d better come out and give us an explanation—”
Lin Shuang, who was washing up, was startled by this. She exchanged a glance with Jiang Huaizhen, and the two of them hurried out.
The newcomer was Ping’er’s grandmother, Old Woman Hao. She stood with her hands on her hips, cursing at the Jiang family’s main door. A circle of people had gathered behind her, pointing and gossiping.
Old Madam Jiang had also been woken by the noise. Her health was much better now, and she could walk without a cane. Hearing the cursing outside, she strode out of the room and cursed at Old Woman Hao, “Where did this wild chicken come from, chirping here? What does it have to do with us if someone in your family is dying?”
Being called a wild chicken, Old Woman Hao was furious. “How does it have nothing to do with us? Our Ping’er usually eats and drinks at home and is perfectly fine. But she got a stomachache after eating what she gave her, and now she’s unconscious. Tell me, does it have anything to do with you or not?”
Old Madam Jiang snorted. “Did you see my Shuang’er feed her with your own eyes?”
Hearing this, Ma Guihua, who was next to her, pulled out Lin Guo and Lin Xia from behind her. “Our two children saw it with their own eyes. They saw the two jinxes from your West Mountain Valley give Lin Ping something to eat. How can this be fake?”
Lin Shuang had already figured out their intentions by now and stepped forward. “What’s Ping’er’s condition now?”
“Don’t be a hypocrite,” Old Woman Hao pushed her hard. “She ate your things, and now she’s about to die!”
Seeing her push Lin Shuang, Jiang Huaizhen’s face showed displeasure. She took two steps forward and stood in front of her.
She said nothing, her face tense, her baleful aura fully released, scaring Old Woman Hao and Ma Guihua so much that they instantly took several steps back.
Lin Shuang said, “No matter what the reason is, Ping’er is sick now. We have to send her to the city to see a doctor immediately!”
Old Woman Hao sneered. “You make it sound so easy. How can we see a doctor without money?”
Lin Shuang said decisively, “Let’s send her to the clinic first. I’ll figure out a way to pay for the medical expenses.”
But Old Woman Hao wouldn’t have it. “You give us the silver, and we’ll go ourselves.”
Lin Shuang and Jiang Huaizhen exchanged a glance. “Ping’er is sick, and you keep saying it was the flatbread I gave her that caused it. I have to go and check if it was my flatbread that caused it.”
Old Woman Hao said shrilly, “She was fine yesterday morning. It was only after she ate your flatbread in the afternoon that she felt unwell. Who else could it be but you?”
Old Madam Jiang had also seen through them by now and sneered. “Alright, you’re really bold, daring to come to the West Mountain Valley to extort us. Have you forgotten what my son did for a living, and what my granddaughter’s identity is?”
Hearing this, Old Woman Hao’s eyes clearly flickered.
But Ma Guihua, who was next to her, said, “No matter what your identity is, even if you’re the Jade Emperor, if you’ve killed someone else’s child, you can’t just turn your back and not admit it, can you?”
Hearing her say this, Old Woman Hao became bold again. “Exactly. Pay up quickly. I have to take the money and take Ping’er to get treated.”
Lin Shuang narrowed her eyes and looked at the two of them, who were usually at odds with each other, but now they had learned to have each other’s backs like sisters.
“How much money do you want?”
Hearing this, a look of ecstasy appeared on Old Woman Hao’s face. She said with a trembling voice, “Ping’er’s illness is all because of you. Because of this, she almost lost her life. Ten taels of silver. You must compensate me with ten taels of silver.”
Hearing this, the surrounding crowd couldn’t help but gasp.
Lin Shuang clicked her tongue. “When Lin Mancang and his wife sold me, it was only for eight taels. You’re not asking for a small amount, daring to ask for ten taels of silver.”
As soon as these words were spoken, Lin Mancang’s face, who was in the back of the crowd, instantly turned the color of pig’s liver.
Old Woman Hao was now stimulated by the silver she was about to get and was so excited her face was flushed. She said quickly, “You go out and buy flatbreads, two or three taels of silver a day. Ten taels of silver is just a drop in the bucket, isn’t it?”
Lin Shuang shook her head. “I was selling flatbreads at the market before, that’s right. But after Ma Guihua and her sisters caused a scene, the business couldn’t continue. Where would the income come from?”
“How can there be none? You clearly have someone helping you sell them. A carriage comes to get the goods every morning. Who are you trying to fool?”
As Old Woman Hao spoke, she turned to the village chief’s wife, Matron Yan. “Village chief’s wife, just say it. Doesn’t that cart pass by your house every day?”
Matron Yan poked her head out and looked at Jiang Huaizhen. Her lips moved, but she didn’t say anything.
Although Jiang Huaizhen was already used to this kind of look of betrayal, seeing the scene before her, she still couldn’t help but feel a wave of disappointment.
But Dongzhi, who was in Matron Yan’s arms, suddenly struggled free and shouted, “No, there haven’t been any deliveries recently—”
Seeing this, Old Woman Hao stared at Matron Yan. “Village chief’s wife, when this old woman was about to die, the one surnamed Jiang begged and pleaded at your house and got two taels of silver. Now that they’ve struck it rich, they’d rather give the business to someone else and haven’t remembered your family at all. Can you swallow this?”
Matron Yan’s face turned yellow and white, but it soon darkened. She said to Old Woman Hao, “You do your own thing and don’t drag me into it. Our old Jiang family’s business is not something you can stir up with just a few words. My old man is not here today. Otherwise, he would definitely not let you act so recklessly.”
Hearing this, Old Woman Hao’s face was very ugly. She spat. “Fake and noble. What reckless? Ping’er got sick after eating the flatbread they gave her. That’s a fact!”
Dongzhi cursed, “You old hag! You’re just envious that my Sister Huaizhen has money. Maybe you’re the one who poisoned Ping’er—”
Before she could finish, Matron Yan covered her mouth.
Dongzhi struggled, and in the end, the grandmother and granddaughter pushed and shoved their way out of the valley.
Lin Shuang looked at their retreating figures and said, “That’s right. It’s been a long time since we’ve sent out any goods. The business has failed. What are you still jealous of?”
Old Woman Hao was furious. “Even if the carriage doesn’t come to get the goods, you’re still selling your old sauce flatbreads on the street. What do you have to say about that?”
Lin Shuang said, “There’s nothing I can do about that. I’m not the only one in the world who can make flatbreads. Besides, whether I have money or not, and how much I have, what does it have to do with you?”
“How does it have nothing to do with me? Hurry up and give me the money. I have to go back and treat my granddaughter.”
Lin Shuang said, “I’ll say this now. We’ll send the child to the Everlasting Peace Apothecary for treatment now, and I’ll pay for the medical expenses. If you want to extort a single coin from me, there’s no way!”
“You—you baleful star! You’re not willing to pay for the medical expenses? You’re so heartless. If my Ping’er dies, it will be because of you!” Old Woman Hao began to cry.
“Ping’er—my poor child! Why did you meet such a vicious woman who poisoned you and is unwilling to pay for your treatment—your father broke his leg, and your mother ran off with someone else. Why is your life so bitter—”
“That woman, she’s forcing you to your death—it’s her who’s forcing you to your death, my child—”
One cry after another, so mournful. The villagers probably saw something, but Old Woman Hao refused to budge. Ma Guihua, who was next to her, took the opportunity to fan the flames, and for a moment, they were at a stalemate.
Just then, Old Woman Hao’s crippled son, Wasong, came running, stumbling into the crowd, and said indistinctly, “Mother—Mother—Ping’er is probably not going to make it—it’s not good—”
His cheeks were flushed, but the rest of his face was frighteningly pale. It seemed that he was still drunk but had been sobered up by the shock. He was speaking incoherently.
Hearing that Ping’er’s life might be in danger, Lin Shuang didn’t dare to continue to argue with this old woman. She said to Jiang Huaizhen, “A life is at stake. You go and get the carriage and take the child to the clinic immediately. I’ll handle things here.”
Jiang Huaizhen gritted her teeth, turned, and ran to the stable.
Seeing this, Old Woman Hao shouted, “Stop her—stop her—why should you be the one to decide what to do with my granddaughter?”
A few of the village elders really couldn’t stand it anymore and stood up. “What are you doing? Your granddaughter is about to die, and you’re not letting her be sent to the doctor. Are you trying to kill her?”
Old Woman Hao cursed, “How am I trying to kill her? The one who’s trying to kill her is clearly this one surnamed Lin. If she’s willing to compensate me with silver, I’ll send her to the clinic right now.”
Ma Guihua also chimed in, “Isn’t that right? She’s so rich, but she’s not willing to pay for the medical expenses. She’s just heartless. Besides, she was the one who poisoned her!”
Lin Shuang looked at her and shouted sternly, “Shut up!”
Being reprimanded like this, Ma Guihua couldn’t keep a straight face and cursed, “What, am I wrong? You’re a jinx. After you jinxed your parents, you jinxed my Huan’er. Now you’ve jinxed Ping’er to death. You’re a scourge!”
In the plague that year, besides Lin Shuang’s parents, Ma Guihua and Lin Mancang’s eldest son, Lin Huan, had also died.
Hearing this, Lin Shuang’s face turned a little pale.
How could Old Madam Jiang hold back any longer? She said angrily, “You shameless, greedy woman who would dare to sell your brother-in-law’s daughter to a brothel! You’re good at turning the tables. I’m telling you, why don’t you say that your eldest son was jinxed to death by you? You’re the jinx!”
The two sides were arguing endlessly. Just then, a child’s voice interjected.
“Yesterday, Aunt Shuang gave us some flatbreads. The three of us also ate them, and we’re all fine.”
Everyone turned and saw that it was the widow Zhang from the end of the village with Caitou and her two daughters.
The widow Zhang looked at Old Woman Hao. “Auntie, accumulate some good karma. Lin Shuang is willing to treat your granddaughter. You should be burning incense. If you want to extort people, not only can I not stand it, but the other villagers can’t either. Do you want your children and grandchildren to be unable to live in this village in the future?”
Old Woman Hao said through gritted teeth, “I’m settling accounts with her. What’s it to you?”
The widow Zhang took a paper box from Caitou’s hand. “This is the pastry that Shuang’er brought back from the city yesterday. It’s a dessert from the Hibiscus Pavilion. Ping’er ate two, and the rest were given to Caitou, Dahua, and Erhua. The children couldn’t bear to finish them and saved two for me. I only ate one, and there’s still one left. It’s all here.”
“The four of us, mother and children, ate them and are all fine. But your Ping’er had a problem. Do you think it’s the pastry’s problem, or something else?”
Old Woman Hao hadn’t expected these three, mother and children, to appear. Her face instantly flushed red, and she said with all her might, “Who knows if you’re in cahoots? Who knows if she poisoned my Ping’er separately?”
The widow Zhang shook her head. “Our family has no grudge against her, and we’re not related. This is also my first time in the West Mountain Valley. What reason do I have to be in cahoots with them? As for her poisoning your Ping’er? Why would she?”
“It’s you who’s trying to stop them from taking Ping’er to get treated. You’re trying to kill your granddaughter!”
The crowd instantly exploded.
Old Woman Hao’s face turned from the color of pig’s liver to a deathly pale.
Only then did Lin Shuang speak. “The pastry I bought yesterday was from the Hibiscus Pavilion in the prefectural city. The packaging is still intact. If Ping’er’s life is in danger because of eating this, then I will definitely take her to the shop to get to the bottom of it. The Hibiscus Pavilion is said to be opened by a relative of the vice magistrate. If there’s really a problem, they will definitely give you an explanation. At that time, no matter how much compensation you want, I’m sure they will satisfy you.”
The crowd immediately gasped.
Old Woman Hao’s face was pale. How could she dare to provoke the relatives of a court official? She could only stammer, “Who knows if you tampered with the pastry on the way…”
Lin Shuang sneered. “You can rest assured about that. The yamen officials will naturally investigate it clearly. If I really did poison her, I will definitely not be able to escape.”
The more she said, the deeper it got, and it even involved the yamen officials. How could Old Woman Hao continue to be so bold? She just thought that she wouldn’t be able to get the ten taels of silver, and she was both angry and anxious. She threw a tantrum and rolled on the ground for a few rounds.
Seeing that no one was coming to persuade her, she had to get up herself, stomped her feet in hatred, and cursed, “I must have had eight lifetimes of bad luck to have met such an unreasonable person. My poor Ping’er—why is your life so bitter—”
Crying and wailing, she walked out of the valley.
Seeing this, the crowd knew that there was nothing more to see and also shook their heads and sighed, then left.
