Chapter 375: You Reap What You Sow (3)
Translator: Henyee Translations Editor: Henyee Translations
Concubine Meng’s heart skipped a beat. She quickly bowed. “Master.”
For the past few days, she had been worried about Xiao Zilin. She was already haggard, but she looked even more pitiful. Eldest Master Xiao instantly threw Eldest Madam’s warning to the back of his mind and pulled Concubine Meng into the courtyard.
He might still pay attention to the rules with his first wife, but there was no need to do that for a concubine. Eldest Master Xiao planned to have sex with his concubine after lunch.
Since he had made up his mind, Eldest Master Xiao hurriedly got someone to rush the dishes.
Eldest Master Xiao’s aide went to the kitchen. The kitchen was preparing lunch for Xiao Ziyue and the young ladies. This was what Eldest Mrs. Xiao had instructed them to cook hers and Eldest Master Xiao after they had taken care of her daughter and the guests. No one expected Eldest Master Xiao to get the servants to deliver the dishes in advance.
“This, this, and this.” The attendant picked a few dishes, put them in a food box, and took them away.
Those few dishes were steamed vegetables. There was still a lot in the steamed pot. It didn’t matter if they took them away. Unfortunately, the plate of sweet potato leaves that had just been cooked was also gone. It’s fine if the other dishes were gone, but the sweet potato leaves were what Xiao Ziyue wanted to eat.
The chef had no choice but to get someone to pick another basket and stir-fry it for Xiao Ziyue and the guests.
Eldest Master Xiao was from the city, and Concubine Meng was also a young lady who was born and raised in the Capital. Even if her family had fallen, she had never suffered the hardships of ordinary people. The only people who could make her lower herself to serve them were the two masters of the Xiao family’s eldest branch. As for the Great Madam and the people from the second branch, it was not her turn to serve them.
“Let me do it. You guys can leave.” Concubine Meng took the food box and placed the bowls and chopsticks virtuously.
Xiao Zilin was very happy that her father had come to see her.
Concubine Meng was also happy. Even if her daughter made a mistake, as long as Master doted on her, she and her daughter would still have a good life.
The family of three walked down to eat. It was unknown if it was because they were in a good mood, but the few of them ate very well. Especially the plate of stir-fried vegetables. It was unknown what kind of dish it was, but it was refreshing and smooth, with a faint spicy taste. It was spicy but not dry, which was very to Eldest Master Xiao’s liking.
Concubine Meng saw that he liked it, so she picked up more for him.
In the Bluecloud Pavilion, the sweet potato leaves that Xiao Ziyue wanted were also served to the dining table.
The young ladies had worked all morning and were already hungry. After washing their hands, they began to eat.
“Which one is the sweet potato leaf?” Xiao Ziyue asked.
Lingzhi pointed to the plate in the middle. “This, Miss.”
Xiao Ziyue picked up a piece for everyone and tasted it herself. It was indeed better than cabbage.
Princess Consort Cheng was born in the Prairie Court and usually ate a lot of mutton. There were not many types of vegetables. At least, she had never eaten such “vine” before. It looked no different from ordinary vegetables!
However, she tasted it. It did not have the bitter taste of other vegetables. It was smooth, tender, and delicious!
One plate was not enough for the few young big eaters. They told the kitchen to stir-fry another plate and make a cold dish with it.
In Concubine Meng’s courtyard, Eldest Master Xiao had also eaten to his heart’s content. However, he was not in a good state after having his fill. He suddenly had a stomach ache, and soon, it was a sharp pain. It was super painful!
He covered his stomach and ran to the private room.
“Aunt…” Xiao Zilin’s stomach hurt too.
“You guys…” Concubine Meng frowned strangely. Just as she was about to say something, her stomach began to churn.
The servants in the courtyard did not understand what had happened. Why did Master, Concubine Meng, and Third Miss all go to the toilet? They did not have enough space and even occupied the servants’ space!
At first, everyone thought that it was purely diarrhea, but after a while, they gradually realized that something was wrong.
“Quick! Report to Eldest Madam!”
Eldest Master Xiao’s aide went to Eldest Madam’s courtyard and told her about the three of them having a stomachache. When Eldest Madam Xiao heard that the bastard actually went to his concubine’s courtyard again, she was furious. “Serves him right!”
The attendant lowered his head and did not dare to make a sound.
Although Eldest Madam Xiao was angry, he was still her husband and the father of her children. She could not really sit back and do nothing. She brought the doctor to Concubine Meng’s courtyard. The three of them were so weak that their faces were pale.
The doctor quickly took some bentonite and let them eat it.
The bentonite had an extremely strong anti-diarrhea effect. Concubine Meng and Xiao Zilin ate little and their diarrhea quickly stopped. Eldest Master Xiao was not so lucky. Concubine Meng saw that he liked that dish and picked up most of the plate to please him.
The huge commotion shocked Xiao Zhenting and Shangguan Yan.
“Sister-in-law, what happened?” Shangguan Yan asked.
Eldest Master Xiao’s backyard was not peaceful. All these years, it was either this concubine who caused trouble or that concubine who made a scene. Eldest Madam Xiao felt embarrassed and did not want to see Shangguan Yan. She said vaguely, “They ate something bad.”
This was Shangguan Yan’s business. The manor’s food was in Shangguan Yan’s hands, and her people’s incompetence had caused her brother to have a diarrhea. She immediately asked Xingzhu to call the servants in the kitchen over. “What are you doing? Did you do something dirty?”
The servants knelt on the ground. The chef in the lead said, “Second Madam, we’ve been wronged! The dishes we made are all clean! Second Miss and the others also ate them! They’re fine!”
These words were true. Today’s dishes came from the same pot. If they were not clean, then all the dishes would not be clean.
“What dishes did you make today?” Shangguan Yan asked.
The chef listed the dishes one by one.
Shangguan Yan frowned. “Sweet potato leaves? Can this be eaten?” Could this be what made her brother’s stomach upset?
“It’s edible! Second Miss and the others ate a few plates!” The chef said.
Shangguan Yan asked Xingzhu to go to the Bluecloud Pavilion. The pavilion was remote, and the news had yet to reach here. The few of them were eating happily. It was obvious that there was nothing wrong.
Xingzhu asked Fu Ling about it. The ladies indeed asked for three plates of sweet potato leaves.
It seemed that it was not that pot of sweet potato leaves.
Shangguan Yan instructed, “Doctor Jiang, please investigate the dishes that Eldest Master and Concubine Meng had just eaten.”
The doctor tasted the dishes on the plate one by one. There was only soup left on the plate with the sweet potato leaves, but the doctor could taste the spicy taste. “Second Madam, there’s croton powder here, and the dosage is not small.”
It was originally a medicine, but if the dosage was too high, it would also cause diarrhea and dehydration to death. It had to be said that it was a little intriguing that someone had drugged the vegetables in the kitchen.
Chef’s face turned pale. “I didn’t! Master and Madam are wise! I don’t know anything!”
Eldest Madam Xiao stood up coldly. “Do you think you could be let off with just those words? Then tell me, who drugged Eldest Master with croton powder?!”
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