Chapter 70 Reciprocity
"Who are these people?" A barely perceptible excitement flashed in Su Wanyu's eyes.
Siqi leaned close to her ear and whispered, "Not just one, but many."
Su Wanyu raised her eyebrows slightly, obviously surprised by this. "More than one? How many are they exactly?"
Siqi listed them one by one: "There is the shrewd accountant of the Guo family, Dr. Jiang, the private doctor trusted by the old lady of the Zheng family, the romantic and suave third master of the Pei family, and the shopkeeper Wang of the famous Ziyan shop on South Street."
When these words were spoken, both Su Wanyu and Yun Yi's expressions changed slightly, unable to believe it.
Guo had lived in the Zheng residence for many years. On the surface, she appeared to be dignified and serious, but in private she was so indulgent and had unclear relationships with many men.
Su Wanyu quickly grasped the crux of the problem, "What do these people have in common?"
Siqi pondered for a moment, "These four are all of similar age, with fair complexions, elegant manners, and a scholarly air."
Su Wanyu stood up slowly, her eyes deep, "Sure enough, they are all typical pale-faced scholars. Who would have thought that Guo usually looks virtuous, but deep down in her heart she hides a seed of love."
Siqi and Yunyi looked at each other, obviously confused about this secret past.
Su Wanyu continued, "Before Madam Guo married into the Zheng family, she already had someone in her heart. That person was the son of a fifth-rank official. The two of them were in love and were just waiting for the day to propose marriage. Unfortunately, in order to cling to the power of the Zheng family, the master of the Guo family ignored his daughter's wishes and betrothed her to the Marquis Zheng early on."
"Under family pressure, Mrs. Guo had to sacrifice her personal happiness and enter the Zheng family. Since then, her lover has also married someone else. Now he has many children and grandchildren, far away from the turmoil of the capital."
Siqi suddenly realized, "So, the men that the eldest lady is looking for are all similar to the old lover in her mind, and they all look like fair-faced scholars?"
"That's right." Su Wanyu nodded in confirmation. These old stories were what she occasionally heard from the old lady in her previous life. Others might have forgotten them long ago.
Upon hearing this, Siqi and Yunyi both sighed.
It turned out that Mrs. Guo's cruelty to her sister was due to her jealousy of her sister's ability to fall in love freely and marry her beloved.
Su Wanyu's gaze fell back on the bowl of "Snow Clam Soup" with a playful gleam in her eyes. "My mother-in-law has put so much effort into this, I certainly can't let her down. Siqi, the master's birthday is coming soon, please prepare some good herbs for me."
"Miss, medicinal herbs?" Siqi was puzzled.
Su Wanyu raised her eyes and said meaningfully, "I want to give my mother-in-law a surprise."
Siqi and Yunyi looked at each other knowingly, then retreated respectfully, "I understand."
On the other hand, after experiencing a series of disturbances, Mrs. Guo's character became more stable. She no longer argued with Marquis Zheng and showed her gentle and virtuous side again.
Not only did she order people to send nourishing foods to Su Wanyu, she also generously took out her meager dowry to buy new clothes for Mrs. Guo.
However, all this seems particularly ironic after knowing the truth.
Mrs. Guo didn't seem to care about other people's opinions. She copied Buddhist scriptures in the yard every day, looking otherworldly and as if she had really seen through the world.
"Madam, the snow clam soup has been delivered to the second young lady." The personal maid Zi Yan came back to report, with a hint of uneasiness in her tone.
Mrs. Guo smiled with satisfaction, "Okay, did you see her drink it with your own eyes?"
Zi Yan lowered her head and said nothing, obviously showing that she felt guilty.
The smile on Mrs. Guo's face froze instantly, and the hand holding the pen paused slightly.
Although she appears to be kind and amiable on the surface, she has her own way of disciplining her servants.
Once someone went against her wishes, she would secretly place needles on that person's bed. Over time, all the servants in the yard were in awe of her.
Seeing this, Zi Yan quickly responded: "Madam, the Second Young Madam did drink it."
Mrs. Guo smiled even brighter when she heard this. She put down the pen in her hand, walked to Zi Yan, gently held her hand, and said softly, "Okay, I'll continue to send it tomorrow, and make sure she drinks it with her own eyes."
Although Zi Yan nodded in agreement, she could not hide her uneasiness in her eyes, and asked cautiously: "Madam, what should we do if the Second Young Mistress finds out that it was you who drugged her?"
Mrs. Guo patted her hand gently, smiling warmly, "Even if she knew, what can she do? What can she do to me, her mother-in-law?"
In a prominent family like the Zheng family, it is normal for a daughter-in-law to respect her mother-in-law and not to complain even if she is punished.
Mrs. Guo had experienced suffering herself, so she had no hesitation in letting her daughter-in-law experience it as well.
What's more, in her eyes, Su Wanyu has never been a real person.
Now, giving the medicine is also a helpless act.
Zheng Chengyan's status in the Marquis' Mansion is declining. If he can have a child with Su Wanyu, he will not only be able to control the Su family's huge wealth in the future, but also consolidate his position within the Zheng Mansion.
If it wasn't for this purpose, what she gave would probably not be an ordinary aphrodisiac.
At this time, Mrs. Zhou, who came with the dowry, stepped forward and whispered, "Madam, the second young master's physical condition, I'm afraid it will be difficult to accomplish it in one or two times, right?"
Madam Guo chuckled, "As long as I can give birth to a legitimate grandson, it doesn't matter whose flesh and blood the child is."
When Mrs. Zhou heard this, her eyes slightly opened, as if she was surprised, "Madam, do you mean...?"
Mrs. Guo turned around and continued to focus on the Buddhist scripture in her hand, her strokes delicate and pious. "This medicine needs to be taken for a month before it can take effect. You should immediately find a strong young man and send him in when the second young master goes to her room."
"Yes, ma'am." Mother Zhou accepted the order with a barely perceptible tremor in her voice.
The smile on Guo's face was still gentle, but in the depths of her smiling eyes, a stern look gradually emerged that could not be ignored. Although her voice was soft, every word was powerful: "That girl is thoughtful and unfathomable. Not only did she secretly hide the dowry, she also quietly dealt with Jiang Yingying, the frivolous person. Let her enjoy her pride for now, and wait until Yan'er inherits the title, and see how I will teach her a lesson."
After she finished speaking, the air seemed to freeze for a moment. Then, she added, "You must be careful and cautious in your actions. There are many capable people around her now. Don't let her notice anything."
Upon hearing this, Madam Zhou quickly bowed and saluted, her voice full of awe: "Yes, Madam, I understand."
Mother Zhou had long experienced Guo's cruelty and ruthlessness, so she dared not disobey him in the slightest.
Guo lowered her head and continued copying the Buddhist scriptures. The tip of her pen jumped on the paper, and every stroke seemed particularly pious.
She thought to herself that presenting these hand-copied Buddhist scriptures as a gift to Lord Zheng on his birthday a month later might help ease the increasingly tense relationship between them.