CHAPTER 450: CHAPTER 450 DISGUST

It’s all fate, really.

Others dig pits for the Heir’s wife, but regardless of their size, she always evades them.

When the Heir’s wife digs a pit for others, she catches whoever she wants, leaving them unable to climb out.

Thinking about it makes the Old Madam angry, causing her to cough incessantly.

Mrs. Wang hurriedly helped to pat the Old Madam’s back and ease her breath.

Outside, a delicate maid walked in and said, "Old Madam, Lady Yongcheng has arrived."

"Let her in," the Old Madam said coldly.

Su Jin was watching the Old Madam, not missing the trace of disgust in her eyes.

Su Jin, "...."

It’s real.

She was a bit bewildered.

The Old Madam treated Yongcheng Bo Mansion so well that she didn’t mind lowering her stature to have Mrs. Li steal ointment for Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s eldest daughter.

She should be very fond of Yongcheng Bo Mansion.

But that recent look in her eyes—

It had nothing to do with liking.

Wasn’t Lady Yongcheng’s marriage arranged by the intervention of the Old Madam?

Lady Yongcheng comes from Duke Chong’s Mansion; she’s Duke Chong’s half-sister.

If the Old Madam was acting for the sake of Duke Chong’s Mansion, why did she steal ointment to save Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s eldest daughter?

Yet that ointment was snatched from Princess Nanzhang.

Even ten Lady Yongchengs wouldn’t equal one Princess Nanzhang.

The more she thought about it, the more confused Su Jin became.

But people’s subconscious reactions are often the truest reflection of their feelings.

The Old Madam simply despised Lady Yongcheng.

Yet when Lady Yongcheng entered, the Old Madam treated her with warmth, as if Su Jin’s perception had been an illusion.

Lady Yongcheng entered, curtsied to the Old Madam.

The Old Madam looked at her and asked, "Has Jiaojiao improved after taking the antidote?"

"She’s much better," Lady Yongcheng replied.

"Then why have you come?" the Old Madam asked.

Lady Yongcheng said, "Jiaojiao’s hand had almost healed before the poisoning relapsed, and now it’s worse than before the injury."

"I asked the Imperial Physician, who said there’s no medicine that can restore Jiaojiao’s hand."

Lady Yongcheng’s eyes dimmed.

"The only possibility is the ointment you sent Jiaojiao, Old Madam."

"Except for the poison, that ointment is indeed excellent."

Though Lady Yongcheng was resentfully gnashing her teeth against that ointment.

But with her daughter’s hand in such a state, if the scars couldn’t be removed, her daughter’s life would be ruined.

She only has a son and a daughter in this life and can’t let anything happen to them.

So she came to find the Old Madam.

Her daughter’s hand was scalded by the Old Madam’s granddaughter, Liao Xue from Nanning Bo Mansion, and then deteriorated further due to the ointment.

They couldn’t ignore it.

The Old Madam’s eyes flashed with cold glints.

She gripped tightly the Buddha beads in her hand.

Just one box of ointment already ruined her reputation, and they still dared to ask for more!

Thinking of the hand of Yongcheng Bo Mansion’s eldest daughter...

The Old Madam looked towards Su Jin.

Su Jin said nothing.

To get medicine from her, there wasn’t even a door or window open.

The Old Madam clutched the Buddha beads in her hand tightly.

"Someone bring Lady Yongcheng to see the Old Prince," the Old Madam waved her hand.

"...."

How ruthless!

She threw her mess onto the Old Prince to clean up.

The ointment from Prince Zhenbei Mansion didn’t cure the girl’s hand; it only worsened it.

For the sake of Prince Zhenbei Mansion’s reputation, the Old Prince couldn’t just ignore it.

The Old Madam didn’t want to ask for help.

Besides, if she did ask, she would surely ask for a hefty sum.

But could she ignore it if the Old Prince asked her?

The Old Madam couldn’t handle this tough matter, so she found someone who could.

Good.

Very good.

Indeed, older gingers are spicier.

The Second Madam looked at Su Jin, wanting to know how she would get through this.

Claiming urgency to visit the Great Buddha Temple to pray for the Old Prince, the Old Madam had Mrs. Wang help her up.

The Old Madam went to the Great Buddha Temple, but Su Jin wasn’t sent off, at least not to the Prince Mansion’s gate.

But Su Jin was never easy to bully.

She always avenges any wrongs.

The Old Madam set her up, so she would surely return the favor.

Sure enough, the Old Madam sat in the soft sedan chair to the Great Buddha Temple.

Just entering the Great Hero Hall, preparing to offer incense, her stomach rumbled, turning her face pale and forehead trembling.

She hastily inserted the incense into the burner.

But used too much force, breaking the incense.

The Old Madam, being a pious believer, knew that broken incense is an unfavorable omen.

She left with a gloomy expression supported by the maids.

Leaving behind several little monks holding their breath, faces flushed red, finally raising their hands to cover their noses.

This is a story for another time, not to be discussed further.

After seeing off the Old Madam, Su Jin was preparing to return to the Agarwood Pavilion.

But she had barely turned and walked a few steps before a servant invited her to the Wutong Garden.

Inside, Lady Yongcheng hadn’t left, and the Imperial Physician was also present.

Su Jin went forward, curtained before the Old Prince to pay her respects.

"Did the Old Prince call Su Jin here to issue some instructions?" Su Jin asked.

The Old Prince looked at Su Jin and asked, "How much is that ointment per box?"

Su Jin raised her eyebrows slightly.

She looked at Doctor Chen, "Has Doctor Chen seen that ointment?"

Doctor Chen paused.

Not understanding why Su Jin was asking him, he nodded, "I’ve seen it."

"How does it compare to Bihun Ointment?" Su Jin asked.

"It’s beyond comparison with Bihun Ointment."

"Roughly how many times more effective is it compared to Bihun Ointment?" Su Jin asked.

"At least five times," Doctor Chen replied.

Su Jin asked again, "What is the price of Bihun Ointment?"

Doctor Chen, "...."

He roughly understood what the Heir’s wife meant.

But Bihun Ointment is a tribute item, priceless in the market.

"At least one thousand silver taels per box," Doctor Chen replied.

"Then selling my ointment for five thousand taels isn’t expensive," Su Jin said.

Doctor Chen, "...."

The Old Prince, "...."

The price was set rather arbitrarily.

Yet it couldn’t be refuted.

You get what you pay for.

"Give ten thousand taels to the Heir’s wife," the Old Prince instructed Manager Li.

Su Jin blinked and said, "The Old Madam went to the Great Buddha Temple to pray for the Old Prince. She’s just left, isn’t it inappropriate to ask her for money now?"

Manager Li, "...."

The Old Prince meant for him to take ten thousand taels from the common funds.

The Heir’s wife’s meaning was for the Old Madam to pay?

The Old Prince raised his hand to his forehead.

"There’s nothing inappropriate."

"Get five thousand taels from the Old Madam and the other five thousand from Madam Nanning," the Old Prince decided.

Lady Yongcheng saw that buying two boxes of ointment for her daughter cost ten thousand taels, which was enough.

She curtsied and excused herself.

As Lady Yongcheng left, Xingxing pulled Su Jinyun’s cloud sleeves and said, "Lady Chi got the medicine, and my lady’s hand got worse instead of recovering."

Xingxing was the most protective one.

However, Old Prince and Manager Li were taken aback by Xingxing’s comment.

The Old Madam was punished to reflect at the Great Buddha Temple, while Princess Nanzhang, whose ointment led to the worsening of the girl’s hand, should also not remain blameless.

"Go and get five thousand taels from Princess Nanzhang," the Old Prince instructed.

Madam Nanning was dismissed with a bow.

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