Chapter 234: Rotten Peach Blossom
Su Yaoguang saw off the customers properly, then turned around to look, but did not see Zhou Wangshu’s figure.
“Maternal aunt, where is Wangshu?”
Zhang Yingdi smiled at her: “You really are a young couple; you can’t stand being apart for just a moment.”
“No.” Su Yaoguang denied embarrassedly. “Maternal aunt, how come even you are teasing me?”
“Look, hasn’t he come back?” Zhang Yingdi nodded her mouth toward the doorway.
Su Yaoguang turned around and saw Zhou Wangshu entering the door with a cold face.
She felt it strange and went up to meet him, but saw a young girl following behind Zhou Wangshu.
That young girl had delicate features and wore luxurious clothes; after entering the door, she looked around.
“You really are something; I said I’d pay three times the price to buy the thing in your hand, giving you so much silver for free, and you’re still not willing.”
“I don’t need it, and I won’t let it go.” Zhou Wangshu impatiently slapped away the hand the young girl stretched over.
“What’s wrong?” Su Yaoguang pulled Zhou Wangshu’s arm. “Who is this person?”
Zhou Wangshu held Su Yaoguang’s palm and looked displeased at that young girl: “Don’t know her; some crazy woman who came out of nowhere.”
“You call me a crazy woman?” Yang Qingyan said angrily. “I just took a fancy to the same thing as you and wanted to buy it from you.”
“I already told you, I bought this thing with no intention of selling it, no matter if you pay three times the price or five or ten times. Stop pestering me.”
After speaking, Zhou Wangshu took out the box from his bosom, removed the jade step shake from inside, and inserted it into Su Yaoguang’s hair.
“This is the thing I bought for my wife; how could I possibly give it to someone else?”
“Wife?” Yang Qingyan was stunned and sized up Su Yaoguang; seeing that Su Yaoguang was no less than her in either appearance or attire, jealousy flashed in her eyes.
A merchant girl, how does she have such a handsome husband?
“Is there a problem?” Su Yaoguang said, beckoning with her hand.
The shop assistants noticed the commotion here and came over one by one, looking at Yang Qingyan with unfriendly eyes.
Yang Qingyan retreated a few steps, glared fiercely at Zhou Wangshu, and cursed: “Ungrateful.”
After cursing, she ran off.
Once Yang Qingyan left, Su Yaoguang smiled at the people around: “Sorry, we disturbed everyone; please continue.”
“Yaoguang, I just wanted to buy some jewelry as betrothal gifts; who knew I’d run into this crazy old woman. I originally wanted to take my time picking, but ended up only picking one thing before she ruined my mood.” Zhou Wangshu held her hand and said, “Another day we’ll go pick together; buy whatever you like.”
“It’s fine. Didn’t you hear what Mom and them said? This is your maternal family and also your marital family; since it counts for both sides, what’s the big deal about betrothal gifts or not? It’s just left hand in, right hand out anyway—all family things. If there’s something I like, I’ll still have you buy it for me. Anyway, you’ll have plenty of chances to spend money on me in the future.”
“Good.” Zhou Wangshu smiled after hearing her words. “You must wear this jade step shake.”
“Mm.”
Zhang Zhaodi felt a bit boring today and went out for a walk without telling the others at home.
She had just reached the doorway when a person staggered over and fell at her feet.
Zhang Zhaodi: “…”
Such a novel scamming by feigning injury—she had never seen it before.
She glanced at him, and the steps she had prepared to leave with stopped.
That face…
She slowly moved over, squatted down, and brushed away his messy hair.
How could it be so similar?
No, impossible.
It’s been over a dozen years; he never came back, definitely died outside.
Zhang Zhaodi let go of his collar, wanting to remove his clothes to verify his identity, when she suddenly heard someone running this way.
“He was just ahead earlier; how did he suddenly disappear?”
“Quick, find him.”
Zhang Zhaodi helped the comatose Su Rende up and dragged him toward Peach Blossom Workshop.
“Shop owner, this is…”
“Quickly help me support him.”
The shop assistant hurriedly took over the man.
“Shop owner, where to send him?”
“Um… send him to the guest room!”
The shop assistant helped him inside.
Just as they had helped him away here, several household servants were searching nearby for something.
“The general has been drugged. If we don’t quickly find him and send him to Madam, I’m afraid it will be cheap for other women. That drug is extremely potent, without an antidote.”
“Search quickly.”
Zhang Zhaodi settled him properly and had someone summon Jiang Jing.
Jiang Jing took the pulse of the comatose Su Rende and said, “Mother, he has been drugged with a very potent Joyful Union Powder. Without an antidote, the only way is… cough…”
Zhang Zhaodi understood and looked at the man in front of her, feeling utter disgust.
“Tie him up first.” Zhang Zhaodi said, “This man looks like a martial artist. If he wakes up and goes berserk, we won’t be able to control him.”
“Mother, if you find him troublesome, just send him away!”
“I still want to figure out one matter.” Zhang Zhaodi said, “Once I figure it out and confirm my suspicions, I’ll throw him out.”
“Then I’ll stay by your side.”
“No need, you go out first. I’ll be quick.” Zhang Zhaodi didn’t dare undress a man in front of a young lady.
“What if he suddenly wakes up?”
“He won’t, not so quickly. Don’t worry, I just need to figure out one matter, then I’ll call you right away.”
Seeing her insistence, Jiang Jing could only go out the door and wait outside for Zhang Zhaodi.
Zhang Zhaodi undid Su Rende’s clothes and looked toward his chest.
Her husband had a birthmark there.
However, his body was covered in many scars from various weapons. Almost no patch of skin was intact, let alone a birthmark—no unbroken skin could be seen.
“There must be other ways to identify him.” Zhang Zhaodi muttered to herself, pulling a pair of shoes from the nearby drawer and comparing them to his feet.
Su Rende groaned and opened his eyes.
His eyes were blood-red.
Zhang Zhaodi was measuring his foot when he felt a tingling sensation. He grabbed her arm and pulled her onto the bed.
Zhang Zhaodi was startled by him and looked up to see those fierce beast-like scarlet eyes.
“You… let go of me!” Zhang Zhaodi lowered her head and bit hard into his arm.
“Ah…” Su Rende cried out in pain.
He released Zhang Zhaodi and regained a bit of reason.
“Where am I now?”
“This is my home. You passed out at my home door earlier, and I brought you in. Now that you’re awake, you can leave.”
Since he wasn’t her man, there was no need to keep him.
She had just measured, and his feet were too big to fit into the shoes she made.
“I… I feel very uncomfortable.”
“That’s because you’ve been drugged.” Zhang Zhaodi said, “You’ve been given a very potent Joyful Union Powder. Find whoever drugged you for the antidote. In any case, don’t go berserk here.”
Su Rende was drenched in cold sweat.
There was a wild beast in his body, and now that wild beast was charging outward. If he didn’t think of a way soon, it couldn’t be contained.
He grabbed the vase beside him and smashed it against his own head. With a bang, the vase shattered, and he fell down.
Zhaodi: “…”
Jing heard the noise and ran in: “Mom, what happened?”
