Chapter 189: Skills Never Go Amiss
In the morning while Xiao Huan was washing bowls, Chu Xu spontaneously went to deliver breakfast to the two men in black.
He had slept like a log last night and had no idea at all that thieves had entered the house; he was very curious.
Black-clothed Man Number Two had secretly untied the rope and suddenly attacked when Chu Xu got close, wanting to grab Chu Xu as a hostage.
Unexpectedly, a six-year-old child was as slippery as a mud eel and dodged this surprising strike.
Young Master Chu indicated that this was nothing compared to Elder Brother’s sneak attacks. Didn’t they know he was the best at escaping?
He yelled at the top of his lungs and called Xiao Huan and Shi Tou over; they blocked the two men in black and beat them up.
No technique, all strength.
After beating them, they tied them up again and threw them in the courtyard to sun while the weather was good.
Chu Xu chattered on with his little mouth about what had happened and then scampered over to the two men in black, placing a bowl of water just out of their reach.
—Heh heh, you can see it but can’t drink it; this’ll teach you for sneaking up on this young master!
The two men in black, who were sunstruck, dizzy, and parched: “…”
Not long after, Shang Wan came out holding the sweetly bathed Yuan Yuan and sat on the swing to wipe the soft fuzz on her head.
Yuan Yuan felt itchy but couldn’t dodge in her mother’s arms, so she puffed out her white tender cheeks, looked up with her big eyes, and pursed her little mouth to blow away the stray hairs that had fallen onto her forehead.
“Puff—puff—”
The soft strands of hair floated up like feathers.
Shang Wan smiled and pinched her. “Good girl, have you talked it over with your friends in the mountains?”
“Yes!” Yuan Yuan stopped blowing her hair and answered resoundingly.
Mother’s assigned task was successfully completed.
“Then tomorrow morning, go to the field for land reclamation with your uncle. Keep a close eye on him so he doesn’t get chased around by animals again.”
Yuan Yuan nodded her little head. “Yes!”
“Shi Tou, come here.”
Shi Tou was repairing the hoe. Hearing Shang Wan call, he quickly set down the thing and hurried over. “Sis, what’s up?”
Shang Wan briefly explained the land reclamation matter to him and finally pointed at the two men in black in the courtyard. “There, two ready-made laborers.”
The two men in black were tall and sturdy with bulging muscles; it would be a pity not to use them for labor.
Shi Tou glanced at the half-dead pair and said troubledly, “Sis, they tried to run this morning. What if they escape during work?”
He was just stronger, but he didn’t have his sister’s speed.
Shang Wan pondered and said, “How about we cripple their martial arts?”
“No.” Xiao Huan brought over a small bowl of mung bean paste to feed Yuan Yuan and said upon hearing this, “Crippling martial arts takes a long time to recover from; they’d be worse off than ordinary people and could only eat idle rice.”
There was sugar in the mung bean paste, chilled in well water beforehand; it was sweet and cool, and Yuan Yuan loved it—her big eyes curved into crescents.
Shang Wan pinched her soft little face, her gaze sweeping over the two men in black in the courtyard.
—Labor delivered right to the door; we can’t let it go, so we need to think of a good way.
“What are you talking about?” Chu Xu came over holding a bowl of mung bean paste to join in the fun, his cat-like eyes full of curiosity.
Shi Tou told him about it.
Chu Xu’s eyes darted. “I have a way.”
Everyone looked at him, waiting for what came next.
Chu Xu chuckled. “We can use poison. Make them take the antidote every month, or if they don’t, they’ll die in agony.”
“How do you know?” Shang Wan raised her brow at him. The child was only six; his family probably wouldn’t teach him these things.
“A Western Xia captive told me.” Chu Xu ate a spoonful of mung bean paste and licked the juice from his lips. “I gave him a chicken leg and he told me. He said the spies Western Xia sends out all take poison beforehand to prevent them from disobeying and running away.”
Shang Wan remembered that the assassin who chased Chu Xu had taken poison in advance; the child had mentioned it at the time.
But what use was knowing the method? They didn’t have that kind of poison.
Chu Xu blinked. “Isn’t it in the medical book?”
Shang Wan: “You said it yourself—that it’s a medical book.”
How could a medical book teach poison-making? It wasn’t some poison recipe encyclopedia.
“I think Brother-in-law might have a way.”
Shi Tou’s words drew everyone’s attention. He pursed his lips and said softly, “Brother-in-law knows how to make sleeping potion.”
Everyone: !!
“Back when we were still in the mansion, Brother-in-law read a lot of medical books and often consulted Old Mister Sun when he came to the mansion. Somehow he made sleeping potion and used it a few times—a little bit could make someone sleep all night.”
Shang Wan was curious. “Who did he use it on?”
Shi Tou remembered clearly. “On the gatekeeping servants. Brother-in-law didn’t want the mansion folks knowing he went out at night. I secretly asked around; after being drugged, they had sweet dreams and the servants didn’t notice a thing.”
Shang Wan thought this was probably no ordinary sleeping potion; it likely had hallucinogenic effects too.
“Brother-in-law also knows how to make laxative.” As he spoke, Shi Tou remembered another thing. “He put it all in Lu Chengyuan’s food. Diarrhea medicine didn’t work, acupuncture from the doctor didn’t work; he suffered through half the night and was completely weakened.”
Shang Wan: Mm, that’s something that fox would do.
Shi Tou smacked his lips regretfully. “Too bad it was only that once; never found another chance after.”
Lu Chengjing, who had just finished reviewing in the study room alone if there was anything else he’d hidden from his wife, came out and immediately faced the baptism of everyone’s gazes.
Lu Chengjing: ?
He calmly asked, “Why’s everyone staring at me?”
Shang Wan smiled sweetly. “Husband, do you know how to make poison?”
Lu Chengjing: ??
“Let’s talk while eating.” Xiao Huan called Shi Tou to help her carry the mung bean paste to the main hall so everyone could have a bowl to beat the summer heat.
Yuan Yuan and Chu Xu had already finished a small bowl; now their two pairs of big eyes stared eagerly at Xiao Huan, indicating they wanted more.
Xiao Huan’s heart softened at their looks but she firmly refused. “No, mung bean paste is cooling; can’t eat too much.”
A moderate amount clears heat and summer heat, but too much might cause stomach trouble—not worth it.
The two little ones immediately showed matching wilted expressions.
Xiao Huan turned her head, silently chanting to herself: Can’t see, can’t see, can’t see…
The two little ones: T^T
Clinking of bowls and spoons sounded in the main hall. Shang Wan tilted her head and softly told Lu Chengjing about her and Shi Tou’s plan.
Labor delivered right to the door; no reason not to use it.
Lu Chengjing now understood why Shang Wan had asked him that question. He considered and said, “The sleeping potion and laxative were total accidents. The poison A Nian mentioned is specially made; without the recipe, I can’t make it.”
He read medical books only for self-rescue, to better regulate his body through diet; he hadn’t delved into anything else.
Hearing this, everyone felt a bit disappointed.
Shang Wan glanced sideways at the man beside her, feeling his potential could be tapped.
If accidents could produce such potent sleeping potion and laxative, with some effort, making poison was just a matter of time, right?
As the saying goes, more skills don’t weigh you down. If not chicken yourself, then chicken others.
Lu Chengjing felt a chill down his back from her gaze, his fingers unconsciously gripping the porcelain spoon tighter.
Shang Wan curved her almond eyes. “Husband, I think you could develop toward becoming a divine doctor.”
Lu Chengjing: “…”
