CHAPTER 357: CHAPTER 0345 HIDDEN ILLNESS (1)

The Sister-in-law Chai, Eldest Young Master Chai, Chai Eying, and Li Yuzhu looked at each other, puzzled. What was going on?

Usually, the return gift was nothing more than a few dozen coins, not about the money but for the festive atmosphere.

Formal reciprocal gifts were delivered to the gift-giver’s home.

Return gifts for birthdays were generally not much.

But today, the return gifts were unusually abundant.

Everyone was taken aback by it.

Li Yuzhu glanced at Old Mrs. Zhao sitting at the head, then at the continuous stream of people coming to celebrate the birthday.

She whispered, "I wonder how much others received as return gifts. Sister-in-law Chai, could you ask around?"

Sister-in-law Chai was also curious.

She looked around, "Sure, I’ll go ask others."

The Zhao family was Sister-in-law Chai’s immediate grandmother’s home, so it was most appropriate for her to inquire.

Sister-in-law Chai took Chai Tianlang from Eldest Young Master Chai’s hands, holding her son as she headed in another direction.

Most of those standing there were younger members of the Zhao family, siblings, and cousins of Sister-in-law Chai.

She mingled with the crowd, chatting with everyone.

Soon, Sister-in-law Chai returned and shook her head at Li Yuzhu and the others, "Everyone else received only ninety-nine coins."

Ninety-nine is the most, it’s a custom for birthday return gifts.

"It seems we’re the only ones different?" Li Yuzhu said in surprise.

Sister-in-law Chai said, "Let’s hold onto it for now. When there’s time, I’ll ask Grandmother."

Receiving ninety-nine coins as a return gift was for the most ordinary guests, like neighbors.

Close young relatives could receive any amount.

It could even be a box of pearls.

But it was Li Yuzhu’s first visit to the Zhao family, and they were only distant relatives, so it was improbable to receive a return gift of ten gold leaves.

As for Chai Eying, she had no ties to the Zhao family either, yet she received a silver note worth fifty taels, which was also very unusual.

To reap benefits without any contribution.

Li Yuzhu wanted to get to the bottom of this.

After the birthday celebrations, next was the banquet.

The room was filled with kin who came to celebrate Old Mrs. Zhao’s birthday, while the servants and maids who came with everyone stood outside.

After the celebration, Old Mrs. Zhao called for rewards for the servants.

Regardless of which family they came from, each servant received twenty coins.

With the rewards given, the atmosphere immediately became lively.

The whole place was filled with festive joy.

Firecrackers were set off at the main entrance of the courtyard, followed by the sound of festive music.

A steward came to guide everyone into the banquet hall for the feast.

The Zhao family’s ancestors were officials, and now they were wealthy, so many people came.

Even the County Magistrate and his wife came in plain clothes.

However, they did not sit with Li Yuzhu and the others to drink; the County Magistrate and his wife, as honored guests of the Zhao family, shared a table with Old Mrs. Zhao and her sons in the main room.

Li Yuzhu, Chai Eying, and the Elder Young Master Chai and his wife, as distant relatives, sat in another hall.

The County Magistrate’s Maid Chun’er, and Sister-in-law Chai’s Maid Chuntao, sat with three children at the table by the wall in the hall, where a row of maids were watching over the children for their mistresses.

The other families’ children were all noisy, except those watched over by Chun’er and Chuntao, who were quieter, although only in their movements; the mouths of the three children were not idle.

Li Jing and Chai Tianlang, who was six months older, were chatting casually, speaking seriously like adults.

Guoguo would occasionally interject.

Their table was exceptionally quiet, different from the bustling others, frequently drawing envious glances.

Li Yuzhu had drunk a lot of tea today and felt a bit urgent; she quietly called over a Zhao family maid standing by the table and asked where the bathroom was.

The maid smiled, "Miss, please follow me."

Li Yuzhu informed Sister-in-law Chai and Chai Eying before following the maid to the bathroom.

The bathroom was quite a distance from the flower hall where they were dining.

The maid, worried she might be in a hurry, said, "Walk straight ahead for about a hundred steps, then turn at the pavilion ahead, and another ten or twenty steps, behind a row of osmanthus trees, is the bathroom."

Li Yuzhu thanked her.

The two walked forward, occasionally passing by Zhao family servants, some carrying things, others leading guests to the feast.

There were also members of the Zhao family passing by with their servants.

In short, the Zhao family’s residence was very lively tonight.

The maid of the Zhao family led Li Yuzhu to the osmanthus tree and pointed to a low house ahead, saying, "There it is, you can go in, miss."

Li Yuzhu asked her where she could wash her hands.

The maid pointed in another direction, "Walk twenty or thirty steps that way, and there’s a lotus pond with clear water to wash your hands."

Li Yuzhu nodded, "Thank you, sister."

She rolled up her sleeves, lifted her skirt, and walked into the outhouse.

The outhouse was of an old style, but it was cleaned thoroughly, with small lanterns hanging inside for lighting.

After relieving herself, Li Yuzhu fastened her skirt and went out to the lotus pond to wash her hands.

There were no lanterns nearby, and it was quite dark here.

Fortunately, the moon in the sky was bright, allowing her to see the path and the water in the pond clearly.

The lotus flowers in the pond emitted a strong fragrance as the evening breeze blew over them.

Li Yuzhu inhaled the fragrance of the lotus, washed her hands, and as she was taking out a handkerchief to dry them, she heard someone approaching saying, "The County Magistrate’s Wife is truly pitiful."

The voice sounded like an old woman’s.

Another person said, "But she is a wife, what’s so pitiful about that?"

This voice was also elderly.

Li Yuzhu peered through the gaps in the lotus leaves, seeing two people squatting ten steps away at the edge of the pond, washing their hands.

Li Yuzhu squinted her eyes and didn’t leave; instead, she hid better behind the lotus leaves, squatting there eavesdropping.

The lotus pond was a man-made pond, with a stone parapet about a foot high at the edge, and the lotus leaves grew outward large as umbrellas, concealing Li Yuzhu’s figure.

Moreover, with the dimness of the setting, the two old women washing their hands did not notice Li Yuzhu hiding nearby listening.

The first old woman speaking gave a slight humph, pointing to a part of her body, "The Lord County Magistrate’s... that part doesn’t work! He’s buying medicine everywhere and taking it! Just say, the County Magistrate’s Wife is so young and ends up with a man like this, isn’t she pitiful? She’s not even thirty, right?"

The other woman exclaimed, "Is it true? The Lord County Magistrate is tall and strong, how could... that part not work?"

"It’s hard to say, you know. Whether a man works or not, what’s it got to do with height?"

"How do you know?" The second speaking woman lowered her voice.

"I have a relative who’s a doctor. He told my old man. The Lord County Magistrate was afraid of being recognized, so he wore plain clothes and a fake beard to see him alone. My relative also came to the Zhao family banquet earlier and recognized the Lord County Magistrate; he told my old man about it." The old woman snickered, "Just say, this county’s so small, no matter how he disguises himself for a medical visit, he’ll still be recognized, right?"

"Ha, who wouldn’t say that?"

Li Yuzhu sneered in her heart, revealing a patient’s privacy, what a disgrace of a doctor!

She used the air in her mouth to hold against her throat, deliberately lowering her voice, "Ha, such audacity to slander the Lord County Magistrate behind his back. Off to the government office for a lawsuit!"

She picked up a stone from the ground and threw it at the tall old woman who exposed the County Magistrate’s secret.

"Ow!" the old woman cried out miserably.

The other equally old and short woman trembled with fear, "Who..."

"A maid from the County Magistrate’s Wife’s side." Li Yuzhu patted her sleeves and stood up, walking towards them.

"The... the County Magistrate’s Wife’s maid?" The two old women were so frightened, they thudded to the ground on their knees, crying, "Miss, spare us, we two old fools drank a bit too much and our tongues slipped, we don’t even know what we were saying."

Li Yuzhu in her long skirt and her head accessories still shone in the moonlight, making the two old women believe her identity without a doubt.

Because everyone knew, the County Magistrate’s Wife’s maids lived as well as a young miss from an ordinary family.

"Miss, spare us, we’ll set up a tablet for you and burn incense every day." The two old women kowtowed to Li Yuzhu.

Li Yuzhu chuckled angrily, placing her hands on her hips, "I’m not dead yet, why’re you burning incense and setting up a tablet?"

The two old women, "..."

Li Yuzhu glared at them sternly, "What are your names? Which family are you from? Speak truthfully!"

The two looked at each other, having no choice but to tell the truth.

Turned out, they were two cleaning women from the Zhao Mansion. After having a bit to drink, they took advantage of the crowd and chaos to sneak out for a breather and slacked off.

"Are you lying?" Li Yuzhu squinted her eyes.

"No, no, we wouldn’t dare lie even if it killed us." The two replied in unison.

Li Yuzhu thought for a moment and started searching them.

But she found nothing useful on them.

Finally, she took out scissors from her space, cut a lock of hair from each, and also cut a piece of fabric from their sleeves to wrap it up.

Li Yuzhu tucked the women’s things into her own sleeve.

She patted her sleeve and said, "Alright, I’ll keep this evidence for now!"