"Agreed," Wu Caiwei immediately stated when she heard it was about this matter. She was a little curious why the Zheng family was willing to let her marry out.
"I am your only relative in this world. Thinking that you are about to get married, I am reluctant to part with you. There were many mistakes in the past. Today, I offer you a cup of tea instead of wine. All grievances will be settled." Bai Jinxiu had the wet nurse beside her hand a cup of tea to her.
"I'll drink first, and you can do as you please." After Bai Jinxiu finished speaking, she picked up the tea in front of her and drank it all in one gulp.
Wu Caiwei lifted the lid and took a sniff, knowing immediately that she had no good intentions.
"Aunt owes me a lot. Not to mention anything else, just the complete annexation of the Bai family's assets. I don't know if you'll face my deceased parents in the afterlife. You indeed should apologize to me, but I don't accept this kind of apology." Wu Caiwei looked at her with a half-smile.
"What are you talking about? I didn't annex the Bai family's assets. I was just temporarily keeping them for you. As an elder, you should be more lenient with your juniors. I will consider your disrespectful words as unintentional. I can only say that I have done my utmost for you. Since you feel I have made mistakes, then tell me, how can I gain your forgiveness?" Bai Jinxiu was startled by these words. It seemed she wasn't completely oblivious.
"My request is very simple..." Wu Caiwei slowly walked towards her, holding the teacup. Bai Jinxiu looked at the approaching Wu Caiwei, still curious about her request, and waited for her to speak.
Taking advantage of Bai Jinxiu's inattention, Wu Caiwei hooked her neck and poured the tea forcefully into her mouth. Before Bai Jinxiu could react, she quickly pressed several pressure points on her neck.
This scene felt familiar, but she couldn't recall where it had happened. Having experienced too many worlds, time had faded many memories.
Bai Jinxiu frantically reached for her throat, trying to spit out the tea she had swallowed.
Wu Caiwei calmly watched her futile efforts. How could she so easily spit out the tea she had drunk herself? Adding fuel to the fire, she said, "It seems Auntie didn't have good intentions towards me. But all the tea you prepared has gone into your own stomach. We are even now."
"You... you... How dare you?" Bai Jinxiu was about to cry. This was something she had meticulously prepared for Wu Caiwei. This medicine was a treasure her mother had given her when she married, explicitly telling her that anyone who drank it would become increasingly weak and die within half a month. The greatest advantage of this medicine was that there was no antidote, and no doctor could detect it.
Her mother had given her this medicine to deal with troublesome concubines.
Even doctors couldn't detect it, so how did she know? What was worse, it had gone into her own stomach.
Bai Jinxiu didn't have time to argue and ordered a servant to call for a doctor.
"If I were you, Auntie, I would use such medicine directly on Uncle, so he would never gamble again in his life." Wu Caiwei truly didn't understand her. She would rather kill the innocent Bai Xue and cause the Bai family to have no descendants, trying to fill the bottomless pit every day, than solve the problem at its source.
"Why would you have such thoughts? A man is heaven, the pillar of the family. If he falls, what will happen to the Zheng family?" Bai Jinxiu was shocked by her thoughts, which completely subverted her worldview. Su Dan Novel Network
"Without him, the Zheng family would be better off. It's not like now, where even filling the Bai family's assets can't plug this hole," Wu Caiwei said dismissively.
"We have different paths, and cannot plan together. I don't want to discuss this with you. I just want to ask, how did you realize there was medicine in it?" Bai Jinxiu had used it on concubines before, and the doctors really couldn't detect it. Had someone around her leaked the information? She couldn't help but ponder, but besides her son, no one else knew about this matter.
"Do you want to know?" Wu Caiwei asked playfully. Seeing her nod, she beckoned her closer.
Bai Jinxiu quickly stepped forward. Wu Caiwei leaned in and whispered in her ear, "I'm not telling you."
Bai Jinxiu turned her head, glaring angrily. "You're toying with me."
"So what if I'm toying with you? Didn't I not say anything when you toyed with me before? Those who treat others as fools often suffer the consequences."
"The biggest mistake of my life was taking you in. If I had known this would happen, I should have let you sleep on the streets." Bai Jinxiu said exasperatedly after trying to vomit for a long time without success.
"Your biggest mistake was attacking us. If you hadn't attacked first, would this situation have arisen? You took us in back then for half of the Bai family's fortune. You weren't satisfied with just half the fortune. As the saying goes, 'a covetous heart is like a serpent swallowing an elephant.' Reflect on your own greed, don't blame others," Wu Caiwei said calmly.
Just then, the doctor arrived, and they stopped arguing. Naturally, the doctor couldn't detect anything. Even if Bai Jinxiu told him what poison she had taken, he would still be at a loss and unable to provide an antidote.
She didn't give up. Doctors from various medical clinics came and went, making it quite lively, but none could help.
Thinking that she only had half a month left to live, Bai Jinxiu was overcome with grief.
Lying in bed at night, she reflected on her life. Her husband was debauched and a gambler. In her youth, she constantly struggled with his concubines. In her old age, she was always patching up holes, living her days in exhaustion.
The happiest times of her life were before she was married, when her parents doted on her and her elder brother spoiled her. But for the Zheng family, she had sacrificed all of the Bai family's foundation and even almost caused the Bai family to have no descendants. All of this was retribution.
After enduring for so many years, she was tired. She decided to let go and let them, father and son, do as they pleased. What was destined to come would come. Even if she prevented it now, after half a month when she was gone, she didn't believe they would change for the better.
The next day, Bai Jinxiu couldn't get out of bed. The stewards all sought out Master Zheng. Zheng老爷 never managed these trivial matters. Upon hearing that his wife was ill, he felt it was bad luck and told them to find their son.
Zheng Yiming found himself surrounded by stewards, their clamor buzzing in his ears. In summary, they needed money, but he had no money either.
Dejectedly, he went to his mother's courtyard and anxiously asked, "Mother, what should I do? They are all asking me for money. Where can I get money to give them?"
"My son, your mother is ill and only has half a month to live. I am willing but unable!" Bai Jinxiu's heart eventually softened. After all, he was her son, whom she cherished. She couldn't bear to see him in trouble.
"How can Mother say such a thing? You still need to see your son get married and give you a grandson. I know you are ill, but as long as you listen to the doctor and take your medicine on time, you will be fine in a few days." Zheng Yiming felt his mother was making a fuss and quickly tried to comfort her.