Thrown out of the house, the wet nurse enters the noble household and becomes a person of high statu

Zizhu's eyes lit up, and she quickly pressed, "Nanny Liu, tell me quickly."

Liu Wenying didn't keep you in suspense, "Apply fresh eel blood to the old lady's face while it's still hot, three times a day, for several days. This may help alleviate her facial paralysis."

"Alright, come quickly and come with me to talk to the Madam."

Zizhu pulled her forward.

"No, no, no," Liu Wenying refused. "Just tell the First Madam about this method, but remember, don't say it was my idea."

Why?

"I am of low status and my words carry little weight. If I were to suggest this idea, some people might not believe me. Miss Zizhu is a senior servant of the First Madam. It would be safer for you to speak to her."

Being too sharp is not a good thing; Liu Wenying learned to conceal her sharpness.

She wanted to help Wen Jingshu, but she didn't want to take all the credit for herself.

Zizhu hesitated, "If it really works, then it's your doing, how can we not mention it?"

Liu Wenying shook her head, "It's alright, as long as it relieves Madam's worries."

Zizhu nodded, indicating her understanding.

Upon returning home, Zizhu immediately told Wen Jingshu about the folk remedy of applying eel blood to the face.

Wen Jingshu still had doubts, so she summoned the family physician to inquire about the matter.

The physician was quite cautious when he heard it was a folk remedy.

"If the First Madam insists on trying this, she must be careful. The eel blood must be fresh, and the application time should not be too long. If redness, swelling, or itching occurs, stop using it immediately."

With the approval of the imperial physician, Wen Jingshu ordered people to buy live eels from the market every day to extract blood for applying to her face.

For the first two days, there was no improvement.

By the third day, the old lady's crooked mouth seemed to have straightened a bit.

On the fifth day, his right eye was able to close completely.

On the seventh day, although his speech was still slurred, a few words could be made clear.

The changes were subtle, but the condition had improved, and the whole family breathed a sigh of relief.

Wen Jingshu smiled and rewarded Zizhu with a pair of red gold bracelets. She also increased the monthly wages of the servants in the old lady's courtyard.

When the servants of Tinglan Courtyard saw that Zizhu had received a reward, they all gathered around to congratulate her.

Liu Wenying happened to be passing by on her way to work and stood quietly outside the crowd watching.

The maid Hongyu leaned over and whispered her grievances.

"I was there that day. You were the one who gave me this remedy, so how come Zizhu got all the benefits? You're really at a disadvantage."

Liu Wenying smiled upon hearing this, "There's no such thing as losing out. Being able to truly help the old lady and reduce her worries is better than anything else."

Seeing that she looked calm and showed no sign of jealousy, Hongyu could only purse her lips and say nothing more.

Liu Wenying also bypassed the crowd and went inside to take care of the young master.

Zizhu, standing in the middle of the crowd, glanced around. She had noticed Liu Wenying the moment she stepped into the courtyard.

Originally, feeling guilty, she would have stepped forward to expose her and steal the credit, but unexpectedly, she said something to Hongyu and then left on her own.

The anxiety that had been hanging over Zizhu eased somewhat.

She didn't mean to steal the credit.

Ever since Liu Wenying entered the mansion, she has always attracted the attention and trust of the madam, which has overshadowed her as her personal maid, making her feel somewhat uneasy.

Now that Liu Wenying herself has made it clear that she doesn't want to be in the limelight, and credit has been delivered to her doorstep, she naturally has no reason to turn it down.

When receiving the reward, Wen Jingshu held her hand and praised her repeatedly, while Zizhu was busy kowtowing to express her gratitude, completely forgetting about the person who actually came up with the idea.

Surrounded by flattery, she was enveloped in this sudden glory and even felt that the credit should rightfully belong to her.

Liu Wenying remained silent, which showed she was sensible; she could simply take care of her in the future.

But no one expected that the old lady, who had been applying eel blood to her face, would suddenly have a worsening condition that night.

Originally, he only had unclear speech and a slightly crooked mouth.

Now his mouth and eyes are obviously crooked, and he can't even control his drooling. He looks particularly frightening.

The imperial physicians, together with renowned doctors from the capital, conducted a joint examination and then solemnly reported the diagnosis.

"The old lady has been poisoned!"

"The eels sold at the market are wild eels caught by vendors from ditches, which are inherently somewhat poisonous. The old lady is elderly and frail. Applying this ointment occasionally might temporarily relieve her symptoms, but long-term continuous application will cause the toxins to accumulate in her body and lead to a backlash!"

With a thud, Zizhu was so frightened that she knelt on the ground.

She was the one who suggested the folk remedy, and now that the old lady is in trouble, she can't escape responsibility!

When news of the incident at Mingxi Hall reached Hechun Hall, Madam Pei rushed over in a flurry.

Upon learning that the old lady's condition had worsened due to a folk remedy, she became so angry that she gave Wen Jingshu a severe scolding.

"Is this how you manage the household?!"

"Desperate times call for desperate measures without discerning the truth. If anything happens to the old lady, can you bear the responsibility?"

"Mother, it was my fault, I know I was wrong..."

Wen Jingshu was so scolded that her face turned red and she couldn't lift her head.

Only after the old lady had been given the antidote did Wen Jingshu dare to go back to her room to rest.

It was already the dead of night when she vented her anger from Madam Pei on Zizhu, not only taking back the previous reward but also punishing her by making her kneel in the woodshed for three hours.

In the dead of night, Zizhu knelt in the woodshed, her knees aching and sore, and she felt incredibly wronged.

How could she not want to expose Liu Wenying?

She concealed the truth when she was rewarded, but now that she is being punished, she has revealed the truth. Others will only think that she is trying to shift blame and shirk responsibility.

Not only will it not save you, but it will also earn you a reputation for being of low character.

After much thought, she could only silently swallow her anger and resentment, keeping all her grievances to herself.

The incident occurred at night, and Liu Wenying was not on duty.

I was quite surprised to hear the news the next day.

She only wanted to help Wen Jingshu share her burdens, but she didn't expect the folk remedy to go wrong, and she never thought that Zizhu would take the blame for her.

Feeling guilty, she sent Xiaozhu to buy some exquisite pastries from outside the mansion, and found a moment to go to Zizhu's room.

Zizhu knelt all night, and when the punishment ended, her knees were so injured that she couldn't get up and had to lie in bed to recuperate.

Seeing that it was Liu Wenying who brought her food, she said coldly, "What are you doing here?"

Liu Wenying handed over the food box: "The apricot blossom pastries from Li's Pastry Shop are sweet and delicious, would you like to try some?"

Zizhu glanced at the food box, then turned her face away. "Are you here to laugh at me, or to shut me up because you're afraid I'll say something I shouldn't?"

Liu Wenying didn't beat around the bush and sighed, "I know you're willing to help me. That day I meant well, but I didn't know things would turn out this way."

"You didn't know? You're usually so clever and quick-witted. Admit it, the old lady's worsening condition was within your expectations. You were just waiting to make me the scapegoat."

"No!" Liu Wenying hurriedly explained, "The folk remedy is real; eel blood is effective for facial paralysis, but I never imagined that wild eels would be poisonous."

The eels used in modern times are all farmed, and their toxicity has been reduced to almost nothing, so she also overlooked some of them.

Zizhu ignored her.

Liu Wenying stamped her foot in frustration, "I really didn't mean it, but from beginning to end, it was my lack of foresight that dragged you into this. If you resent me, I accept it. If you want to tell the young mistress the truth, then I will go and tell her."

At worst, she could tell the First Madam that she was the one who provided the remedy, and that she should be punished if necessary.

Zizhu was the First Madam's personal maid, brought from her maiden home. They saw each other all the time in the mansion, and Liu Wenying didn't want to create any discord between them.

Now that things have come to this point, only honesty might be the best way to ease Zizhu's resentment.

Liu Wenying put down the food box and was about to go out to find the First Madam.

Zizhu called out to her, "Wait!"

…………