The old man was at home studying poisons.
A pile of bottles and jars lay before him. He was engrossed in his work. Hearing footsteps, he impatiently said, "I've told you, no one is to disturb me. I'm not receiving guests today."
"What are you so busy with?"
Shen Qingqing stood behind him, having watched for a long time, and asked out of the blue.
The old man thought she had left. He was startled by the sudden question, but seeing it was her, he didn't get angry. Instead, he excitedly pulled her over to look.
"See, this is a poison I just developed..."
When the old man talked about poisons, he became garrulous.
Shen Qingqing listened patiently. When the old man finished with lingering enthusiasm, she asked, "You're here to get the results, aren't you? The results are out. Wait for me!"
He turned and hurried into the nearby laboratory, soon returning with two verification reports.
One was a paternity test for A Lang and Chairman Feng.
The other was a paternity test for Chairman Feng and Feng Yilian.
The results of both were identical.
These two girls were both Chairman Feng's biological daughters.
Seeing her staring at the test reports, the old man grumbled, "You're something else. Getting paternity tests done, you go to the hospital, but you come to me? Isn't that overkill?"
Shen Qingqing put away the reports and said, "It's because I trust you."
While hospital reports were certainly more professional, their trustworthiness was greatly diminished. But it was different with the old man; no one would make him falsify anything.
"I like hearing that."
The old man's smile grew brighter. Stroking his beard, he looked very pleased.
Shen Qingqing added, "Did you forget something?"
The old man blinked. "Huh?"
"That drop of blood."
The old man suddenly remembered, patting his forehead. "Look at my memory, I forgot about that. The test results are all in my head. That drop of blood does indeed contain poison, and it's a slow-acting one."
He paused, his expression turning grim.
Shen Qingqing mused, "Could it be that it originated from your place again?"
The old man's face darkened. "He's really becoming more active lately."
Shen Qingqing connected everything that had happened recently: A Lang's poisoning, her aunt's poisoning, and the poison she was born with. All of them came from the same person.
"I'll have people investigate thoroughly to see if we can find any trace of him. Old man, do you have any clues, like photos or names?"
"I have photos, but they're from many years ago."
The old man led Shen Qingqing to his bedroom. The room was simple and uncluttered, the furniture almost as old as he was. He thought for a moment, then opened the wardrobe and dug out a small box from deep within the clothes.
The small box was locked with a small golden padlock.
The old man took a key from his pocket, unlocked it, and revealed the contents: old items, grain coupons, fabric coupons, and some old photos.
His, his family's, his wife's, and... his disciple's.
The photos were old, their edges slightly yellowed. The people in them weren't very clear, but it wasn't difficult to make out their faces.
Shen Qingqing picked up the photo of the disciple. He looked young, with a delicate face. His smiling expression made him seem bright and cheerful.
Who would have thought that such a person would eventually betray his master and steal so many poisons?
"Tell me when you find him. This is also my fault for not teaching my disciple properly. I'll deal with him personally." When the old man was young, he was proud and arrogant. His disciple left, and he didn't bother looking for him. Who knew that unfilial disciple would become more and more rampant?
He could no longer tolerate it.
Shen Qingqing didn't know how to comfort him, nor did she think he needed it. "Don't worry, I'll have people investigate."
At this point, all the examination results were out.
Shen Qingqing decided to go back and have a good talk with her uncle. She also wanted to see if there was any ginseng left, and if so, bring it for the old man to examine.
Upon returning, she learned that the ginseng was gone.
"It's all eaten?"
Chris nodded, also very vexed. "I never expected ginseng to be poisoned..."
He only knew ginseng was very nourishing but hadn't expected anyone to tamper with it.
"I'm going to have a good talk with him!"
The moment he thought of the person who sent the ginseng, he became furious. Hatred welled up from his heart, and without another word, he turned to leave. His slightly ferocious expression suggested he wanted to tear that person to shreds.
Shen Qingqing quickly stopped him. "Wait a moment!"
"Why are you stopping me?"
"Asking is necessary, but you can't ask like that." Before they knew for sure if that person had tampered with it, or if they had been used by someone else, such an aggressive confrontation would ensure they wouldn't tell the truth.
And they had no evidence; the ginseng was already eaten.
Chris gritted his teeth. "I have plenty of ways to make him tell the truth!"
Shen Qingqing had forgotten that her uncle was no ordinary person. "Alright, then you go."
Chris left.
Shen Qingqing went to see her aunt and examined Xiao Yuying's body. After taking the antidote pills and nourishing medicinal meals she had given her, her body began to gradually improve.
Xiao Yuying was very grateful to her. "Thanks to you, otherwise, I don't know how long my frail body would have lasted."
Shen Qingqing comforted her, "Take it slow, you'll get better."
"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to see my mother."
When Xiao Yuying thought of her mother living with her now, she couldn't stop smiling. She had originally thought she might never see her mother again in this lifetime.
Shen Qingqing smiled and said nothing.
"Girl, meeting you is my good fortune, and it's also my sister watching over me from heaven."
Speaking of Xiao Qing, Shen Qingqing paused slightly, her eyes lighting up.
"Aunt, tell me about my mother."
"Your mother was a very good person. A good daughter, a good sister, and a good mother. It's a pity she met the wrong man... But even so, your mother's capabilities are beyond doubt..."
In Xiao Yuying's words, Xiao Qing's image became more three-dimensional and vivid.
Shen Qingqing rested her chin on her hand, listening intently. She only knew that after she was born, her mother became much quieter. Although she would still smile at her, it was different from the unmarried mother described by her aunt.
Her mother in her youth was more vibrant, spirited, and decisive – a very capable woman.
Just as the two were reminiscing about the deceased, a loud bang suddenly came from downstairs.
Xiao Yuying was startled and quickly went downstairs with Shen Qingqing. They saw Chris standing in the living room, his face extremely grim, his eyes filled with rage.
Xiao Yuying was not afraid, only concerned. "What's wrong? Why are you so angry?"
Seeing his wife, Chris suppressed his anger and comforted her, "It's nothing, just some matters at the bureau. You go back and rest. I have something to discuss with Qingqing."
Xiao Yuying knew her husband was hiding something from her, but she didn't pry. "Alright, you two talk."
She went upstairs. Only then did Chris slam the table and say in a suppressed, angry voice, "I truly didn't expect Chairman Feng to be the one working behind the scenes!"