Wu Yongye was the son of a concubine in the Marquis of Changxia’s house. His status was not high, but he was lucky. The Young Master of the Marquis’s house had died early, so he became the only male child and married Hua Shi, who came from a family of a General. Although he loved to play around, he was afraid of his wife and did not dare to bring those ladies back to the house.
Hua Shi was a regular customer of the Zhou family’s Herbal Store. Zhou Qing had specifically informed Yu Fu that if she came over, he should call her to the counter and light some herbs. Although Yu Fu was not sure what the younger sister was planning, he still nodded and agreed to the matter.
After waiting for three days, Hua Shi finally came over.
At this moment, Zhou Qing stood behind the counter, watching the red-clad Hua Shi slowly approaching. This woman was not as soft as those ordinary ladies. She had beautiful features, exquisite makeup, and faint stern eyebrows. And the way she stared at people was very unnerving. Zhou Qing had no idea how strong she was compared to Luo Xinyue. She also could not understand what Wu Yongye was thinking.
A faint smile appeared on Zhou Qing’s cheeks as she softly asked, “Could it be that Mrs. Wu uses rose flower dews? This kind of flower fragrance is really rare. Unfortunately, this small store is not profitable and does not have much strength. So we are not able to transport the rose flower dew.”
Looking at Zhou Qing in surprise, Hua Shi nodded and said, “Miss Zhou really has a keen sense of smell. Before I left home today, I dipped my fingernails into the flower dew and applied it to my ears. The fragrance lingered for a day, soothing the mood and dissipating the knots.”
Rose flower dew was indeed a rare commodity. Although the Zhou family did not have that kind of herb in their store, Father Zhou did his research for years and found a substitute – Wu Ye Soil.
Wu Ye Kingdom was rich in rose trees. Every year, during the flowering season, when the roses were in full bloom, the flower dew falling on the pistil would drip into the soil under the tree. Over time, the soil would become fragrant. The older the tree, the stronger the aroma. Although not as precious as the morning flower dew, it was also a fine herb.
Previously, Luo Xinyue had a smell of Wu Ye Soil. However, she did not have much silver money on hand. How could she be willing to spend them on herbs? Who bought it? No need to think carefully to be clear.
“There is Wu Ye Soil in the small shop. The scent is very similar to rose flower dew. But it’s a pity. It was sent from the Kingdom of Wu Ye, and only two or three of the products were sold. However, my sister-in-law used it.” Zhou Qing put the herbs in the wooden box and strangely said something unintentionally.
Hua Shi’s eyes gleamed. The reason she used the rose flower dew was that she smelled the scent of roses on Wu Yongye the other day. She originally thought that the warblers and swallows outside could not afford such expensive fragrances and Wu Yongye just unintentionally got the smell. But now, it seemed that there was something to tell.
The nails barely poked a hole in the handkerchief, while Hua Shi’s face remained unchanged. She took the herbs and left the store. After walking a short distance, she lowered her voice and ordered the maid, “Go and check on Ms. Zhou’s sister-in-law.”
The maid looked puzzled, “Why do you want to check on her sister-in-law?”
“There is only one Herbal Store in the capital that sells rose flower dew. And most of the general public can not afford it, but Wu Yu Soil is different. Very few people use this kind of herb, and the price is not high. Following this line of thought, my guess is that we can find out the identity of the woman who lived on West Street.”
While speaking, Hua Shi’s lips curled, and her eyes glinted. She was not a fool. How could she not know that Wu Yongye was raising a concubine in West Street? It was unfortunate that before she could have the time to deal with that woman, the place had long been empty. Hua Shi had a gloomy expression on her, unable to go up and down. It was simply unbearable.
Zhou Qing did not stay behind the counter for long; she walked to the study and lightly knocked twice.
Soon, the door opened, and when Zhou Liangyu saw his sister’s distraught appearance, he pulled her into the room and asked with a frown, “What’s wrong?”
Zhou Qing sat on her knees on the futon, her delicate fingers gently stroking the edge of the table, and asked in a low voice, “Brother, the sage said: Repay grievances with righteousness and virtue with virtue. If someone will do something wrong to me in the future, but he hasn’t done anything yet, and I act first, does that count as ‘repaying grievances with righteousness’?”
The Luo family was like a mire filled with sludge and emitting a rotten smell. Every day Zhou Qing stayed in that house, the resentment in her heart became heavier. After all, in her previous life, her mother’s family had fallen, she had suffered countless hardships, and even her child, who was connected by blood and bone, had been killed by Mother Luo. How could she not resent and hate?
Zhou Liangyu’s face was sullen. Patting his sister’s delicate back, he shook his head and said, “The world is unpredictable. How can you be sure that others will do harm?”
“He has already done something wrong to me.” She pressed both hands on her lower abdomen. Although she was looking forward to the arrival of Zheng’er, Zhou Qing was disgusted by Luo Yu’s move to borrow seeds to have a child.
“Has Luo Yu bullied you?” The handsome face was filled with anxiety. Zhou Liangyu took his sister’s hand, wishing he could rush to the Luo family to seek justice for Qing’er.
Zhou Qing was expressionless as she shook her head, “I just want a peaceful divorce.”
“Divorce?”
