Chapter 20: There Was a Bird

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Jiaoyue was cradled in Meng Wenxuan’s arms. Seeing their daughter crying so bitterly over the bowl of goat’s milk, even pointing at it and babbling, Meng Wenxuan’s face darkened instantly.

There was something wrong with this goat’s milk.

The nanny goat had been gifted by the mother. Later, after discovering Liu Ma’s affair, he had even instructed the household physician to examine the nanny goat thoroughly once more. Only after confirming it was fine did he allow their daughter to drink the goat’s milk. So how could there still be a problem?

Where did the problem lie?

It had to be in the process of boiling the goat’s milk.

“Husband, what’s wrong with Yueya?” Lin Yuntang, who was being assisted with her washing, immediately asked upon hearing their daughter’s cries.

Their daughter understood what they were saying; she wouldn’t cry without reason.

“She probably doesn’t want to drink the goat’s milk,” Meng Wenxuan said vaguely.

Upon hearing this, Lin Yuntang understood — the goat’s milk was tainted.

She had woken up once last night and was startled to find their daughter missing beside her. Fortunately, Meng Wenxuan had been alert; the moment she woke, he came over.

Knowing their daughter had woken once without feeding, she had instructed Zhang Ma to keep the goat’s milk warm, ready at any time.

The goat’s milk had been diluted and processed; it wasn’t pure goat’s milk, as an infant’s spleen and stomach couldn’t tolerate that.

Even so, the milk couldn’t be given at every feeding; it had to alternate with rice gruel and oil.

Only when their daughter grew older could she drink more.

Therefore, the processing took a considerable amount of time. Everyone in the courtyard was part of her dowry, so those who could come into contact with the nanny goat and the milk were all trusted.

Who could be hiding so deeply?

The couple exchanged a glance and saw the gravity mirrored in each other’s eyes.

They both knew well that anyone capable of tampering with things under such strict protection couldn’t be an outsider.

Lin Yuntang asked Meng Wenxuan to hand their daughter to her. Holding Yueya gently, she felt her daughter’s grievances and unease, causing a sharp pang in her heart.

Meng Wenxuan spoke slowly, his voice low: “I’d like to see who’s so capable.”

His words felt like a frost, instantly chilling the entire room.

Lin Yuntang held Jiaoyue close, who responded with a couple of soft cries, as if she too wanted to know who was so skilled at repeatedly striking at her.

She had clearly seen a layer of gray aura on the goat’s milk, something between poison and medicine, which was deadly for a newborn.

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“Yueya, don’t cry. We’ll have the household physician take a look,” Meng Wenxuan soothed their daughter.

He didn’t speak plainly because Zhang Ma, Qingguo, and several other maids were still in the room.

Jiaoyue, nestled in her mother’s arms, was extremely distressed; she was hungry but knew crying now was useless, so she could only wait, sniffling pitifully.

Meng Wenxuan’s heart ached for her.

“Qingguo, go fetch the household physician immediately,” he ordered, pausing before adding, “Tell him the young mistress may have a stomach ache.”

Qingguo looked at the young mistress in confusion; she had only cried a few times. How did Seventh Master know she might have a stomachache? Wasn’t she just hungry? But Qingguo said no more and hurried off to summon the physician.

Meng Wenxuan stepped outside and snapped his fingers, a shadow slipping out behind him.

On the way, Qingguo met Liu Ma from the madam’s courtyard, who seemed about to leave. Seeing Qingguo in a rush, she asked anxiously, “Qingguo, what’s the matter?”

“The young mistress may have a stomach ache; I’m going to fetch the household physician,” Qingguo replied without slowing her pace.

Liu Ma was the madam’s most trusted elderly maid and the one she favored most closely. Seventh Master hadn’t asked to keep this secret, so there was nothing to hide.

Upon hearing this, Liu Ma urged, “Then hurry. Newborns have weak digestive systems.”

Qingguo nodded and quickened her steps.

Watching her retreating figure, Liu Ma thought to herself: This morning, the madam’s shops back at her natal home had problems. The madam had asked her to return and handle them. She had been worried whether her task was finished or not and uncertain if she could leave. Now, it seemed the mission had succeeded; her departure at this moment would be a good way to avoid suspicion.

Liu Ma’s footsteps grew brisk as she walked away.

The household physician was led in a breathless rush to Seventh Master’s courtyard. He looked at the lively infant with wide, curious eyes, silently baffled.

Seventh Master pointed to the bowl of goat’s milk. “Uncle Chen, check this goat’s milk. Why is Yueya crying and refusing to drink?”

The physician, Chen Ming, was stunned. Goat’s milk had a problem? He had checked the nanny goat yesterday, and it was fine.

Wiping the sweat from his brow, he approached the table and took out a silver needle for testing. The needle didn’t darken.

“No poison,” Chen Ming declared.

“Keep checking,” Meng Wenxuan said firmly. If their daughter sensed something wrong, there must be something wrong.

Chen Ming furrowed his brow. If it wasn’t poison, what else could it be? Looking at the two-day-old infant, he knew something other than poison could still be fatal.

His eyes narrowed as he opened his medicine box, taking out a silver bowl. Pouring the goat’s milk into it, he stared intently.

Jiaoyue, watching the household physician’s actions, relaxed slightly. This physician had some skill; no wonder he was the Meng family’s household doctor.

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After a while, the goat’s milk in the silver bowl changed color, turning gray—the exact same ominous hue Jiaoyue had seen.

Meng Wenxuan’s expression turned cold.

Chen Ming took a deep breath. “Seventh Master, this is a purgative. Adults can tolerate it, but for a newborn…”

Though his words were unfinished, Meng Wenxuan understood perfectly. For a newborn, ingesting this could be fatal.

It was truly impossible to guard against everything.

He turned to Zhang Ma, who stood nearby looking confused. “Zhang Ma, bring the goat’s milk drawn this morning for the physician to inspect.”

Zhang Ma snapped out of her daze and quickly replied, then promptly went out. Soon, she returned carrying a small basin of goat’s milk.

The physician examined it by the same method and confirmed that the milk Zhang Ma brought was fine.

Meng Wenxuan said to Qingguo, “Bring a stove here and boil the milk. Chen Uncle, please help supervise. Yueya hasn’t eaten since last night.”

Chen Ming nodded. “Rest assured, Seventh Master. I will check carefully.”

Meng Wenxuan didn’t want their daughter to go hungry any longer. He prioritized her meal above all else for now.

After inspecting the charcoal, pots, ladles, and water to be used for boiling, Chen Ming personally supervised Qingguo as she prepared the goat’s milk.

Only then did Meng Wenxuan ask Zhang Ma, “Who handled this bowl of goat’s milk? Or who else had contact with it?”

Zhang Ma’s expression turned serious. “Seventh Master, I personally boiled this milk. No one else was in the kitchen.”

This was also Zhang Ma’s confusion—she had handled the milk herself to prevent mishaps. How could there still be a problem?

Meng Wenxuan frowned. “Did anything unusual happen when you were boiling the milk?”

Zhang Ma thought carefully, then suddenly recalled something. “A bird flew into the kitchen through the window, then flew out through the door.”

“What kind of bird?” Meng Wenxuan’s eyes narrowed. Their adversary’s methods were truly boundless, even resorting to such means.

Zhang Ma pondered and described the bird she saw. “About the size of a sparrow, but with a ring of white feathers around its eyes, and dark brown plumage.”

Meng Wenxuan picked up a pen and sketched a bird on a piece of paper. “Zhang Ma, was it a bird like this?”