CHAPTER 273: CHAPTER 273: RETURNING THEIR OWN MEDICINE

"Ahhhh—"

Her scream was incredibly tragic, even somewhat hoarse. She looked at her hands in horror, seeing them covered in redness with small rashes popping up like mushrooms after the rain. Those with sharp eyes could even see blisters breaking open, oozing pus and blood.

It was unbearable to see!

"My hands... my hands..."

"Ah, my hands too, they hurt, they itch... There’s something wrong with this fabric!"

The wealthy daughters looked at their hands in panic, some even bursting into tears. A few went to reason with the shop owner.

"Ladies and madams, there must be some misunderstanding. Our fabrics are definitely fine! This... ah, how could this happen?"

A steward came to mediate, only to be dumbfounded by the sight of the red rashes on the women’s hands.

This was too severe; the whole hand was deformed. Was this really a human hand? It was clearly a claw from hell!

"Look, look at our hands! It hurts so much. Your dishonest store, I’m telling my father to investigate you! It’s too much!"

"Yes, it must be searched and seized!"

"..."

Just as Long Yue had anticipated, those who came to see high-grade fabrics were all wealthy daughters—some from official families, some from the elite, some from wealthy merchant families—hardly people to be trifled with. A group of women clamoring immediately drew the attention of passersby.

More people gathered, and the steward felt things were going awry!

He hurried to call for guards to disperse the crowd, but everyone here was not to be offended. He was caught in a dilemma.

"Steward, what’s up with your fabric? How could our hands turn out like this? Tell me, is there something wrong with the dye in your fabric? Are you using the cheapest dye?"

Long Yue stepped forward, playing the role of a proper middle-aged woman. She spoke to the steward with a look of heartfelt distress.

The steward, seeing so many wealthy girls’ hands covered in blood, was scared out of his wits. Hearing Long Yue’s question, he immediately shook his head: "No, our fabrics are all produced by ourselves, using the best dyes. How could there be a problem?"

"Produced by yourselves? You wouldn’t be using inferior dyes to cut costs, would you? So you can make more money?"

"Madam, how can you say such things? Such words could cost lives. I swear to heaven, our dyes are absolutely fine!"

The steward was anxious and even sworn to the heavens.

Long Yue frowned slightly and looked at him with a suspicious gaze: "I was just asking casually, why are you so nervous?

Your reaction instead makes people think you’re guilty. After all, Xu Jinji is such a big fabric store, surely you wouldn’t skimp on dye costs. Just stand firm, this attitude..."

Long Yue didn’t finish the sentence, but those who heard her implied something different.

Because of guilt and fear, he was eager to rid himself of suspicion...

"Your Xu Jinji fabric ruined my hands, I don’t care, I want to report this, I need an explanation for myself!"

"Yes, report it, no negotiation!"

A group of delicate girls clamored and rushed out of Xu Jinji’s door to find a nearby doctor for treatment.

Long Yue silently watched the departing ladies and madams, squinted, smiled, then turned to leave.

Let them find a doctor to diagnose. The final diagnosis will be dye poisoning!

What had Long Yue been tinkering within the kitchen the past few days? It wasn’t food she was making; she was concocting poisonous powders! These powders were made from ordinary dyes, carefully blended with some subtle medicinal herbs.

In her past life, Long Yue learned to make some simple medicinal powders and poisons from her master. Having entered his school early, she learned even more.

Moreover, after reincarnation, she felt her brain seemed to work better than in her previous life, making this little poison concocting a minor trick.

Long Yue walked out of Xu Jinji’s door, looked back, and regardless of the final outcome, Xu Jinji’s reputation was likely to plummet after today’s events.

This was her aim.

Since Xu Jinji wanted to harm her Embroiderers’ Pavilion, wouldn’t it be remiss of her not to retaliate?

Returning courtesy is part of etiquette!

As for whether they would suspect her?

Even if they did, so what? You have no evidence, do you? No, right?

Since there’s no evidence, what can you do to me?

Long Yue was not worried about them coming for her at all, so she happily went home.

Li Qingmu was off duty today, which was essentially a holiday, but he was bored and in a foul mood.

After finally getting a day off, his little wife wasn’t around, who could understand that feeling of loneliness and emptiness?

His grudge-filled heart melted into softness as he saw Long Yue happily coming in, pulling her into a hug.

"Yue’er naughty, you went to do bad things without taking your husband. What about making me that Human Skin Mask you promised?"

Li Qingmu looked resentful.

Long Yue remembered she had promised him something but had yet to deliver, instantly feeling awkward. She stuck out her tongue sheepishly: "I forgot. Next time I’ll bring it... But this time I went to mess with Xu Jinji, you, a big man, wouldn’t have been convenient!"

Li Qingmu was silent for a while, then said, "I can dress up as a woman."

Long Yue, "..."

She looked at Li Qingmu in shock, you? A cross-dresser?

If Li Qingmu dressed up as a woman, it would surely be an eyesore... No, it would blind people’s eyes. This man was too handsome, almost like a demon. Thankfully, he usually tied his hair in a bun, or he would’ve looked even more demonic. If he switched to waist-length hair, it would be...

Countless young girls would fall head over heels for him!

"Pfft, haha, wife, why are you so scared? I was just joking!"

Li Qingmu was genuinely joking. He couldn’t learn to dress as a woman and imitate their movements.

After joking, Li Qingmu got a bit serious: "Seeing my wife so happy, the plan must have worked?"

"Mm-hmm, of course! Dare to mess with me? I’ll make him regret it till his parents won’t recognize him!"

"As long as my wife’s happy." Li Qingmu gently rubbed Long Yue’s little face and continued, "That’s the Lady of the Southern Country’s business. Now that she’s at a loss, she won’t just let it go. She’ll eventually trace it back to us."

The Lady of the Southern Country, as the Empress Dowager’s little sister, certainly has capable people around her. After analyzing, she’ll definitely find out that it’s the couple behind this.

At the Empress Dowager’s birthday banquet, the Lady of the Southern Country will surely cause trouble for them.

Li Qingmu said this, then shifted tone: "However, fortunately, the Lady of the Southern Country and the Empress Dowager are against the Emperor. Heh... It seems there will be a good show to watch at the birthday banquet."