"Grandmother, I don't think Miss Shen is that kind of person. It's that girl Yingying who's gone mad. Miss Shen has been very considerate of Yingying out of their childhood friendship and in consideration of General Shen," Qi Zhenzhen explained. "If Miss Shen had responded to Yingying, then it would show that Miss Shen..."
The Old Madam thought about it and realized she was right. It would be too unfair to judge Miss Shen's character poorly based on this.
"You are right. Grandmother shouldn't be so hasty in judging Miss Shen. Zhenzhen is a grown young lady, discerning right from wrong and capable of her own judgment. We shouldn't interfere too much. If nothing else, General Shen is a great general who protects the country. It is said that the Tartars never dared to invade the northwestern border he guarded. Children taught by such a man cannot be too bad," the Old Madam said. "As for Miss Yingying's matter, that is the Shen family's private affair, and it's not for outsiders to judge."
Qi Zhenzhen breathed a sigh of relief. "Granddaughter will pay close attention when interacting with Miss Shen in the future. If she behaves inappropriately, I will certainly stay far away."
"I know you have good judgment," the Old Madam smiled. "By the way, the Qian family sent some rare items today. Try them."
Green seedlings were adorned with fist-sized, bright red fruits. What else could they be but tomatoes? The seedlings Gu Sinian sent last time were only just bearing fruit, yet the Qian family had already cultivated them. What speed!
"They said it was for me, this old woman, to admire. I think the main purpose was for you to see it," the Old Madam teased. "I've never seen this thing before. They call it 'wolf peach,' an imported product, said to be brought back from overseas by the Qian family's fleet. It truly looks quite beautiful."
Under the Old Madam's gaze, Qi Zhenzhen plucked a ripe wolf peach.
"You girl, why did you pick it? The Qian family said these are ornamental plants. What is there to look at if you pick them?"
"Something so beautiful must be delicious," Qi Zhenzhen said playfully.
"Oh, the Qian family didn't say this thing is edible," the Old Madam quickly stopped her. Often, the more beautiful something looked, the less edible it was. Just like mushrooms, the prettier and brighter they were, the more poisonous they tended to be.
Taking a bite, a sweet and sour taste bloomed on her tongue, a long-lost flavor that brought back memories.
To the astonishment of the Old Madam and others, Qi Zhenzhen quickly finished a wolf peach.
"Quick, go invite the household physician! Go quickly and invite the household physician!" the Old Madam anxiously ordered. "Nanny Fang, send someone to the Qian family to invite Young Master Qian. Zhenzhen, sit down quickly and tell Grandmother if you feel unwell anywhere. You child, you are usually steady and dignified, why are you acting so recklessly today!"
"Grandmother, I don't feel unwell. Please don't worry. Perhaps this thing is meant to be eaten," Qi Zhenzhen said, trying to comfort the Old Madam for fear of upsetting her. "Look, I'm fine, aren't I?"
"What if the poison takes effect slowly? Some people who mistakenly eat poisonous mushrooms don't show symptoms immediately; many only develop them after a night. We cannot be careless, cannot be careless."
Before long, the household physician was summoned and, at the Old Madam's urging, took Qi Zhenzhen's pulse.
"Second Miss is in excellent health and shows no signs of any discomfort," the physician concluded after a careful examination. "Moreover, Second Miss does not appear to be ill at all."
"If she mistakenly consumed something harmful, would it be visible?"
The physician shook his head. "Symptoms would have to be present."
After dismissing the physician, the Old Madam still wanted to ask Nanny Fang to invite an imperial physician. Qi Zhenzhen felt a surge of emotion. The Old Madam was so worried about her, which truly showed her deep affection.
"Grandmother, don't worry, nothing will happen," Qi Zhenzhen held the Old Madam's hand. "Didn't you ask someone to invite Qian Yuanbao? He must know something about this. It's not too late to make a judgment after hearing his account."
That was the only way. Imperial physicians served the noble members of the court, and she couldn't invite someone only to have them leave without reason. The household physician's skills were not bad, and if he saw no problem, an imperial physician would likely reach the same conclusion. Da Feng Novel Network
After two quarters of an hour, Qian Yuanbao hurried into Chaohui Hall.
He hadn't wanted to come. If Ah Nian found out, he didn't know how they would quarrel. He had just emphatically stated that he had no feelings for Qi Zhenzhen, and running over like this would surely lead to misunderstandings. But he had no choice. The Old Madam of the Marquis's mansion had sent for him, and his own grandmother was watching him intently. If he didn't come, his days would be difficult.
He respectfully bowed to the Old Madam, his gaze straight ahead, not even glancing at Qi Zhenzhen.
The Old Madam nodded secretly, thinking him a gentleman. However, she had not summoned him for a potential match.
"Yuanbao, Zhenzhen mistakenly ate this thing today. Is she alright?" the Old Madam asked, pointing to the wolf peach.
Mistakenly ate? The person who brought the wolf peaches must have explained that they were ornamental plants. How could she have mistakenly eaten them then? This young lady grew up in the countryside and was wild and untamed. Could it be that she ate it simply because it looked good, without any regard?
Seeing Qian Yuanbao remain silent, the Old Madam grew anxious. Did this mean the fruit was poisonous and not meant for consumption?
"I did not eat this thing, but the person who brought it back said that people from Persia eat it. However, those people do not look quite the same as people from Da Feng. Just because they can eat it does not mean we can," Qian Yuanbao said cautiously. "Why did Second Miss eat this thing?"
Hearing that people from Persia ate it, the Old Madam breathed a sigh of relief, but as soon as she heard that Persians were different from Da Feng people, her heart tightened again.
"She went out to visit a guest earlier. Upon returning, she saw this thing, thought it was edible, picked one, and ate it," the Old Madam said. "What should we do? Will there be any problems?"
Qian Yuanbao muttered to himself. He had lied when he said he hadn't eaten it. After bringing it back, he had tried it. Of course, he had first fed it to a rabbit and observed it for two days. The rabbit was still lively and well, so he ate it himself. The taste was quite good.
"There should be no problem. I fed it to a rabbit. Although the rabbit eventually died, it was bitten to death by a wolfdog raised on the estate," Qian Yuanbao added.
"Really?"
Qian Yuanbao nodded. "Every word is true."
The Old Madam finally felt reassured. "You mischievous girl, competing with a rabbit for food. If this got out, wouldn't people laugh their heads off?"
"Grandmother, rabbits eat carrots too, and people eat carrots. Does that mean everyone is competing with rabbits for food?" Qi Zhenzhen pouted and mumbled, "Besides, this is your courtyard. Everyone listens to you. Without your orders, who would dare to spread rumors outside?" As she said this, Qi Zhenzhen's eyes flickered towards Qian Yuanbao, her meaning clear: if anyone else found out, it would be Qian Yuanbao who leaked it.