Половины жизни, посвященной музыке и макияжу

Глава 26

The craftsman blinked. "Sixty-one boxes. Not counting the box Miss Si took, it's exactly sixty boxes. Put them on that table over there." As he spoke, the craftsman pointed to the long table.

“Manager Zhang, you said yesterday that Miss Zhu Qiaosi was unwell and unable to receive guests. But judging from the situation, we must see her today no matter what.” Zhan Yun shook his folding fan, his handsome face slightly darkening, and glanced at Xiao Duan and Zhao Ting.

The three had just turned around when the door was pushed open with a "bang." Zhu Fangqing, dressed in plain white, stood by the door with slightly red eyes and said in a hoarse voice, "There's no need to see me. I poisoned him, I killed him. Take me back to the yamen!"

Author's Note: About this article:

The first requirement is to solve the case, which involves suspense and deduction, requiring both creating suspense and planting clues along the way.

Secondly, it's important to consider the emotional aspects, since this isn't a purely detective story but a romance novel. Therefore, the emotional entanglements between the main characters must be clearly explained.

Thirdly, it involves Xiao Duan's background, a case from ten years ago, and the entanglements between their parents, which directly affects the relationship between the female protagonist and those three people.

In addition, we also need to consider family ties, friendships, teacher-student relationships, and all kinds of relationships between people.

Occasionally, the author even indulges in describing delicious food and drinks to satisfy their personal desires.

It's inevitable that there will be some disproportionate parts in the content arrangement of each chapter. This is also my first time writing this kind of article, and I'm still exploring and moving forward.

Therefore, I ask for your understanding, and I will try my best to make each chapter and the chapters feel more balanced.

I've done my best. Also, TING, I'm correcting my previous assessment of Qingzi; it wasn't "very cunning," it was "somewhat cunning."

However, even this bit of cunning can be deadly.

27

Chapter Eight: A Sudden Turn of Events...

"Madam just said that you poisoned her. Can you explain what the poison is and how it was mixed into the rouge?" Zhan Yun asked gently.

Zhu Fangqing clasped her hands tightly and said in a trembling voice, "It's a poppy. A few days ago, when I went to 'Yandang Valley' in the southern suburbs to collect flower petals, I secretly dug up a plant and put it in my basket. After returning, I planted it under a 'Jade Hall Rose'. I've always been responsible for taking care of the flowerbed in the backyard, and the flower was planted in that inconspicuous spot, so no one noticed it. A few days ago, when the rouge was finished and about to be packaged, I picked that fully opened white poppy, crushed the petals in my room, put the extracted juice into a small box, and then, when the masters weren't looking, I brushed a layer of poisonous juice into three empty boxes. That's how it is."

"Why do this?" Zhao Ting glared at him, and Manager Zhang, who was about to shout angrily, immediately fell silent. Xiao Duan calmly asked the question that was on everyone's mind.

Zhu Fangqing's beautiful eyes were brimming with tears, yet she still stood tall, meeting everyone's gaze: "Because I've long harbored feelings for my brother-in-law. There's no longer any affection between my brother-in-law and sister, but my sister stubbornly refuses to divorce." Zhu Fangqing's lips twitched, her smile tinged with sorrow, "I was jealous that my sister was clinging to my brother-in-law, so I resorted to this drastic measure. I thought that if my sister died, I could..."

"Fangqing, what nonsense are you talking about!" Before Zhu Fangqing could finish speaking, a light gray figure rushed in front of the crowd, grabbed Zhu Fangqing's hand, and dragged her outside. "Are you crazy! This has nothing to do with you. Let the government investigate; right and wrong will be judged in the end. Even for the sake of the shop's business, you can't be this stupid!"

Zhu Qiaolian and her daughter, who arrived shortly after, stood by the door, watching Xu Shilan and Zhu Fangqing's tug-of-war with complicated expressions. Zhu Qiaolian stepped forward and covered Xu Shilan's sleeve: "Let go! Don't you think our Zhu family is chaotic enough? Aunt is dead, 'Drunken Beauty' is closed, and now you want to make your aunt bear the stigma of being unfaithful?"

Xu Shilan, realizing her mistake after being reprimanded by Zhu Qiaolian, quickly released her grip, took two steps back, and stood aside, her face flushed. "I'm sorry, I... I didn't mean it... But you heard what she just said. Qiaolian, stop your aunt! Don't let her talk nonsense! She's going to her death!"

“I’m not lying,” Zhu Fangqing said, tears streaming down her face. “Brother-in-law, Qiaolian, sister-in-law, I’m so sorry. I not only caused my sister’s death, but I also ruined the shop’s business. I am a sinner to our Zhu family…”

Zhu Qiaolian's mother sighed, took out a handkerchief, and was about to step forward. Zhu Qiaolian reached out and took the handkerchief, walked to Zhu Fangqing, and wiped away her tears: "Aunt, things should be left as they are. Our Zhu family doesn't need to sacrifice you to get the shop back on its feet."

Just then, a maid's scream came from not far away, startling everyone. A servant rushed towards them in a panic, tripping over the threshold just before entering the house, stammering incoherently, "No, it's terrible! Miss Si, Miss Si..."

When the group arrived at Zhu Qiaosi's room, they found the door wide open, and two young girls kneeling on the ground, trembling and sobbing. Zhu Qiaosi lay on the ground, her face flushed red, with many small white blisters on her cheeks, some of which were gradually ulcerating. She was already delirious.

Xiao Duan quickly walked over, reached out to check Zhu Qiaosi's pulse at her neck, then lifted the girl's eyelids and said urgently, "Quickly get some warm water, add some salt, and bring it over. Do you have any burn medication at home? Bring that too. Hurry, or her face will be ruined!"

Upon hearing this, Zhu Fangqing and Zhu Qiaolian rushed out of the house at the same time, and everyone inside busied themselves. Xu Shilan stood there stunned for a long time before realizing what had happened. She quickly knelt down beside Xiao Duan, softly calling Zhu Qiaosi's nickname twice, then looked at Xiao Duan helplessly: "She, she..."

“There’s no danger to her life,” Xiao Duan said softly. Zhao Ting stood to the side, frowning as he examined the wounds on Zhu Qiaosi’s face. Zhan Yun squatted down, glanced at the wounds, and then looked up at Xiao Duan: “Is it a blister beetle?”

Xiao Duan's expression darkened slightly, and he nodded gently. At this moment, Zhu Qiaolian had already walked over with the warm salt water. As Xiao Duan reached out to take it, he glanced at Zhu Qiaolian and her mother and said softly, "You'd better not look."

Zhu Qiaolian was taken aback, then glanced at Zhu Qiaosi's cheek, seemingly understanding something. She pulled her mother aside. Xiao Duan held the bowl, tilting it slightly so that the warm salt water would slowly flow down the rim and splash onto Zhu Qiaosi's face. Zhu Qiaosi frowned, then groaned, raising her hand to touch her face. "Hold her hand down!" As Xiao Duan spoke, Zhan Yun had already pressed down on one of the girl's arms, and Xu Shilan reacted quickly, pressing down on the other arm as well.

"Bear with it, it'll be over soon." Xiao Duan continued to slowly pour the water. Zhu Qiaosi struggled constantly, and Xu Shilan had no choice but to reach out and press her head down to prevent her from reopening the wound on her cheek in her struggles. A shrill scream echoed throughout the backyard. Zhu Qiaolian tightly gripped her mother's hand, and both mother and daughter soon had tears in their eyes. Zhu Fangqing stood to one side holding a box of medicine bottles and jars, her hands trembling uncontrollably, the box almost slipping from her grasp several times.

Zhu Qiaosi's consciousness gradually faded, and she collapsed to the ground, letting Xiao Duan apply ointment to her face. The girl's eyes were tightly closed, and her lips moved slightly as she murmured something. It was impossible to hear clearly what she was saying, but the words that occasionally popped out and the ferocious expression on her face suggested that she was cursing someone.

After applying ointment to the girl's bruises, Xiao Duan stood up, wiped his forehead with the back of his hand, let out a soft sigh, and turned to the Zhu family: "Call the doctor over and examine her again." Servants had already rushed out to find a doctor. Xu Shilan struggled to lift her daughter from the floor to the bed, while a maid helped remove her shoes and carefully covered her with a blanket. Zhu Fangqing, her eyes red, thanked him repeatedly, and Zhu Qiaolian also nodded slightly to Xiao Duan in gratitude.

At this moment, Zhao Ting had already walked to the dressing mirror near the bed, picked up an open rouge, and quickly walked back, handing it to Xiao Duan: "Take a look and see if this is it?"

Before Zhan Yun could stop him, Xiao Duan had already plucked a grain-sized amount of rouge from his little finger. At the same time, he pulled a snow-white silk handkerchief from his robes. In no time, pomegranate-red rouge spread across his fingertip. Xiao Duan quickly rubbed the rouge onto the handkerchief, but his fair fingertip remained a bright red and slightly swollen. Zhao Ting and Zhan Yun both frowned. What was wrong with this person…? Xiao Duan, however, didn't seem to care. He picked up a bowl from the ground, dipped his fingertip into the remaining half-filled salt water without blinking, and then, after a while, lifted his fingertip. He then picked up the medicine bottle, smacked his palm, and applied some ointment to the tip of his little finger.

Everyone in the room clearly saw Xiao Duan's actions. Xu Shilan reached out and took the rouge box from Zhao Ting's palm, her face instantly turning from deathly pale to ashen. She turned to look at Zhu Fangqing standing beside her: "This rouge..."

Zhu Qiaolian frowned as she examined the box of rouge: "Uncle, give me the rouge."

Xu Shilan handed the rouge to Zhu Qiaolian with trembling hands. Zhu Fangqing stared incredulously at the fan-shaped box painted with gold lacquer, shaking her head slightly as tears streamed down her face. She covered her mouth and cried out.

Zhu Qiaolian took the rouge and walked to the dressing mirror. She picked up the finely crafted box lid from the ground, closed it, and then turned the rouge upside down to look at the bottom. A very strange smile gradually appeared on her face. Holding the box, she walked back to the group, spread her hands, and turned to look at her bewildered mother: "Mother, do you remember the box of rouge I mentioned to you? This year during the New Year, Auntie gave Auntie the 'Golden Wind and Jade Dew' box. It's our 'Drunken Beauty' brand of rouge. Only ten are made a year. It's a top-grade product that even our own family rarely gets to use."

A look of realization gradually appeared on the woman's face, then she shook her head and smiled bitterly, tears streaming down her face: "What a tragedy! What a tragedy!"

Xiao Duan, Zhan Yun, and Zhao Ting, standing to one side, also sensed something amiss. Zhan Yun's expression darkened slightly: "Are you all implying that this box of rouge was originally a gift from Master Zhu to his wife?"

Zhu Qiaolian smiled sarcastically and nodded slightly. Xu Shilan's face remained ashen, his hands trembling slightly. Zhu Fangqing remained silent, but tears streamed down her face. Zhao Ting couldn't help but sneer, "Your Zhu family's rouge is truly exquisite!"

Xiao Duan glanced at Zhu Fangqing and said softly, "Madam, you don't need to come back to the yamen with us. There are other people who should come with us."

Upon hearing this, Zhu Fangqing's beautiful eyes widened in shock, and her body trembled violently: "No! Take me back! I really did poison her, please don't..."

Xiao Duan turned to look at the door: "After she's seen the doctor, we'll take everyone and leave. 'Drunken Beauty's' rouge has already been checked a couple of days ago, and there are no problems. We can resume business as usual tomorrow."

"Sir, may I ask what you meant by what you just said?" Xu Shilan was so shocked that he could hardly speak.

Xiao Duan coldly swept his phoenix eyes over the person lying on the bed: "Everything will be clear once we get to the yamen."

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After the doctor arrived, he examined Zhu Qiaosi's facial wounds, took her pulse for a while, and then began writing a prescription: "Fortunately, the wounds on this young lady's face were treated properly and are no longer a problem. The child is still young, and in three to five months, the marks will disappear. Remember to apply the medicine on time, and be careful not to get the wound wet." Zhu's family stood by the bed, nodding repeatedly.

"However, this young lady has probably been quite frightened, and the blister beetle poison is very potent, so she has a fever now. The prescription I've given is a general fever reducer, with the addition of a few herbs to clear heat and detoxify. Drink it for two days, and the fever should subside." The old doctor put down his pen, gave Zhu Fangqing a few more instructions, and then took the money and left.

Xiao Duan stood to one side, his expression somewhat unpleasant. Zhao Ting, unable to bear the pleading looks on Zhu Fangqing and the others' faces, turned and left the room to wait in the courtyard. Da Fang had already arrived with several constables and was waiting outside. But the current situation was somewhat difficult. Zhan Yun glanced at Xiao Duan, his folding fan closing slightly: "Gentlemen, Miss Zhu Qiaosi is indeed unwell, but the authorities cannot wait to arrest her. How about this: you each find someone to go with her and take care of her. Until she recovers, we will temporarily house her in the backyard of the government office. What do you think?"

Zhan Yun's words were reasonable and insightful, already representing a significant concession. His final question, while seemingly a request for opinions, actually left little room for negotiation. Zhu Fangqing nodded tearfully, "I'll pack my things; I'll be done soon."