Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 317 Poisoned_1

Chapter 317: Chapter 317 Poisoned_1

Cui Tian was sent to prison, and his wife no longer continued to work at the San Wei Residence.

Nanzhi knew she was upset. After settling her wages, she let her go.

"Boss, we need to recruit some dishwashers again," Uncle Ping said, watching Cui’s wife’s retreating back for a moment before turning to Nanzhi.

"Uncle Ping, could you write a sign for the door? We’re getting busier now. It would be better to hire two people. We can offer them the same wage as Cui’s wife," said Nanzhi.

Nanzhi rubbed her temples, somewhat troubled.

Cui Tian was now in prison, and Zeng Family along with several female customers were waiting for her explanation.

The status of women in Xia Country had gradually improved, but there were still families who were untrusting. If their teahouse could not resolve the problem, then there was no purpose in continuing its operation.

Currently, the daily revenue of San Wei Residence could reach fifty taels of silver, out of which fifteen taels could be earned by the women’s lounge.

It was necessary to close for repair, but the duration couldn’t be too long, otherwise, it would affect the restaurant’s profit.

Just as she was thinking, she suddenly heard footsteps behind her.

Nanzhi turned around swiftly, only to see Aze with a hint of hesitation. Realizing that she had noticed him, he summoned his courage and approached her.

"Aze, what’s the matter?"

"Boss, I want to ask about Shen Miaomiao." Aze started, three days had passed without Shen Miaomiao returning to San Wei Residence.

He knew he shouldn’t be questioning this but couldn’t help feeling restless.

Nanzhi was curious about Aze’s visit when she heard him asking about Shen Miaomiao, she understood and said, "Miaomiao is dealing with some family issues, I’m not sure when she’ll be back."

"Thanks, boss." Aze didn’t inquire further but thanked her before leaving hastily. Nanzhi couldn’t help being puzzled by his behavior.

Less than a quarter of an hour later, Liao Da came looking for her.

"Boss, Aze said he wanted to take a day off and asked me to inform you," Liao Da scratched his head, not quite understanding Aze’s behavior.

Didn’t Aze come to see the boss just now? Why didn’t he mention it then?

Why did he make me run this errand?

"Alright, let him be," Nanzhi nodded, without saying more.

She noticed some changes since the opening of the women’s lounge.

The look in Aze’s eyes when he looked at Miaomiao was caring.

It seemed that she hadn’t interpreted him wrongly.

The question now was, how would Miaomiao handle it?

Not thinking about their matters anymore, Nanzhi started surveying the women’s lounge again.

This floor was designed and decorated by her and Miaomiao. It was a bit complicated to renovate.

As she evaluated the layout, her attention was caught by a small courtyard next door.

Next to San Wei Residence was a teahouse on one side and a small courtyard on the other.

The teahouse was two stories high. The business was moderate, neither good nor bad. However, the courtyard seemed to be unoccupied.

The courtyard seemed bleak now, except for some graceful bamboo which grew healthily in the yard.

As she was observing, an idea popped into Nanzhi’s mind.

She should buy the courtyard.

After Aze asked for leave, he left the restaurant and headed straight for the Shen family’s residence.

When Aze reached the alley where Shen family was staying now, he saw two people standing at the door, a man and a woman, knocking.

Curiosity sparked, he didn’t approach directly but hid behind a tree to see what was happening.

The two visitors knocked at the door and Aunt Guihua welcomed them in. Immediately after, she closed the door.

Just as Aze was about to approach, he saw another person going towards the house.

Wang Jingzhi, carrying his medicine box and looking doubtful, hesitated for a while, before knocking on the door.

Upon hearing the noise, Shen Miaomiao hurried out to open the door, and when she saw Wang Jingzhi, she let out a sigh of relief, "Please come in."

"Has your elder brother come back?" Wang Jingzhi didn’t step inside right away but asked with a frown.

He didn’t join the Shen family in their escape two years ago, but he remembered some things from that night.

He had been riding in Uncle Lin’s cart, but during the escape, he saw Mrs. Li trying to flee amid the chaos. Shen Zhong left Shen Miaomiao and Guihua behind to chase after her. That’s how they got separated.

Why did he suddenly reappear now?

At that time, they were only a month’s journey away from Yan City. If he were still alive, why did he take so long to find them?

Shen Miaomiao’s countenance turned grim, she just shook her head not saying much.

Yesterday, her mother and father had discussed and decided to welcome her brother and his wife back home.

She wanted to say something, but in the end, her parents were the head of the family, and she couldn’t object.

Now that they were back, she had to follow her parents’ wishes and invite Wang Jingzhi over.

Aze watched them converse and then enter the house. When the gate closed, he quietly left the tree.

He shouldn’t have had any special feelings for Shen Miaomiao.

When he was first chosen to be bought by her, he felt something was off.

Both bosses seemed taken aback when they first saw him.

Eventually, he was bought to work as a waiter in the restaurant. But initially, Shen Miaomiao often avoided looking him in the eye; only after some time did it improve.

Gradually, he noticed that now and then, Shen Miaomiao would stare blankly, seemingly not at him, but through him, as if seeing someone else in him.

Until some days before, he realized that his feelings for Shen Miaomiao had changed.

Perhaps, it was when he saw her drinking with those women, flushed from alcohol, and appearing lost and confused that his heart was moved.

After standing outside the Shen’s house for a long time, Aze eventually didn’t knock on the door but just looked at the gate before leaving.

"It’s all a pipe dream," He muttered, shaking his head. His spirited demeanor evaporated immediately.

Wang Jingzhi, frowning, looked at Shen Zhong’s severely twisted leg. When he examined Shen Zhong, he could not help but chill at the symptoms.

After stowing away his medicine box and noting Aunt Guihua’s hopeful expression, Wang Jingzhi, refrained from direct confrontation. Instead, he gestured for Shen Miaomiao to follow him into the yard.

"Jingzhi, my older brother.... what happened?" Miaomiao could not help but ask, guessing something based on his grim demeanor.

"Shen Zhong’s leg can be treated, though it will require amputation and reconstitution," Wang Jingzhi looked at Shen Miaomiao before addressing the good news first.

"Can his leg really be treated?" Shen Miaomiao was a bit taken aback.

"Yes, it can be treated. Although after treatment, he can’t do heavy work." Wang Jingzhi nodded. Noticing Guihua peering at them, he lowered his voice, "But your brother’s health is depleted. I’m afraid he won’t survive until winter."

Shen Miaomiao’s joy immediately froze and she looked utterly lost.

"Your brother has been poisoned. The poison is slow-acting, but too much time has passed. Now, the poison has deeply penetrated his organs and there’s no cure," Wang Jingzhi maintained a solemn demeanor.

This was a slow-acting poison; it wasn’t cheap either. For the poison to have such a profound impact, it must have been ingested over a long period.

His guess was, Shen Zhong’s poison came from someone close to him.