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Upon being called inside, Su Zhi remained silent and walked into the room, contemplating how to handle Zhao Xiaohua. She was determined to show Zhao Xiaohua that she wouldn’t let her get away with plotting against Su Zhi’s man.
Wang and Li followed suit, eager to see how things would unfold.
“Fifth Brother, do you think Fourth Sister will be able to cure Zhao Xiaohua?” Shen Zhu quietly inquired of Shen Ziju. Despite sharing her concerns with Su Zhi, Shen Zhu noted that Su Zhi remained outwardly calm, leaving her feeling uncertain.
“If Zhao Xiaohua is intentionally feigning illness, even the best doctor in the world couldn’t cure her. It all depends on whether Fourth Sister can come up with a solution to make Zhao Xiaohua genuinely feel better,” Shen Ziju responded thoughtfully.
Shen Ziju whispered softly, expressing his anticipation not only to prevent Zhao Xiaohua from latching onto the Shen family but also to witness Su Zhi’s potential impressive actions once again.
Nodding in agreement, Shen Zhu found herself hoping for Sister Four to display her prowess.
As Su Zhi entered the room and approached the bed, she was intercepted by Sun Shi.
“Younger Sister-in-law, they say you’re a skilled healer. You cured your own strange illness and even mended Fifth Brother’s injury. You’re a miracle worker; you surely can help Zhao Xiaohua recover. Take a look, see if her condition is truly severe. If it is, please treat her promptly and ensure she doesn’t suffer any lasting effects.”
“I understand, Third Sister-in-law. It seems you haven’t sustained any serious injuries yourself, which puts my mind at ease.”
Su Zhi firmly removed Sun Shi’s hand from her own, gently massaging it. She noted that Sun Shi’s earlier cries appeared more like an act, prompting her to reveal the deception. She was unfazed by whatever consequences might follow.
Sun Shi quickly resumed her wailing, collapsing back into the chair, sounding even less melodious than Zhao Xiaohua, as if every bone in her body ached.
“Younger Sister-in-law, my whole body is in pain. I was just worried about Xiaohua; seeing you here to treat her has lifted my spirits a bit. Don’t think I haven’t been injured,” Sun Shi protested.
Shen Ziju sternly intervened, “Just sit quietly! Physician Huang just said you need proper rest. If you don’t recover well, leaving behind lingering health issues, how will this household manage?”
Su Zhi couldn’t help but think it was a clash of deceivers this time, with one manipulator encountering another. None of them seemed genuinely injured. If they all claimed to have lingering issues, Su Zhi was grateful she have separate herself from these individuals through the division. This visit turned into a spectacle, and she treated it as such.
Shen Zhang Shi scolded Sun Shi, urging her to be more honest. She emphasized the potential consequences of worsening injuries on her four grandchildren.
Shen Youfu frowned at Su Zhi, saying, “Fourth Daughter-in-law, ignore her. Come over and check on Xiaohua.”
Approaching the bedside, Su Zhi greeted Physician Huang and then proceeded to remove her cloak, asking Li shi to hold it. She then examined Zhao Xiaohua, nearly bursting into laughter.
Before stepping out, Zhao Xiaohua had meticulously applied makeup, including rouge and powder brought by Zhao Daliang. Initially presentable, the tears and sniffles had ruined her makeup, leaving streaks of tears and mucus mixed with the cosmetics. The once charming look now appeared smudged and disheveled, likely due to the makeup being smudged from wiping her face, possibly after falling on the ground, with dirt smudges evident. It was quite an unflattering sight.
“Xiaohua, where does it hurt? Can you tell me?” Su Zhi inquired, trying to assess the situation.
Su Zhi suppressed her amusement and spoke slowly to Zhao Xiaohua to avoid any hint of laughter in her voice. While she didn’t have strong cleanliness preferences, she hesitated to get too close to Zhao Xiaohua at that moment, fearing that her hand might be dirty. Given how Zhao Xiaohua’s face looked, it was definitely not clean. Furthermore, she didn’t want to risk being grabbed forcefully like Sun Shi did.
Upon seeing Su Zhi approaching, Zhao Xiaohua noticed her attire: a lotus-colored blouse with white embroidered flowers on the collar and cuffs, paired with a blue skirt, presenting a refined appearance even beyond the village. Feeling a surge of jealousy, she reached out towards Su Zhi while crying. However, Su Zhi had subtly shifted away, making it difficult for Zhao Xiaohua to grab her. Eventually, Zhao Xiaohua’s hand was caught by Su Zhi’s wrist.
Su Zhi was prepared for such a move, ready to evade it. She chose to ignore the envy in Zhao Xiaohua’s eyes earlier, fully aware of the complexities of a woman’s emotions.
“Xiaohua, if you’re injured, just lie down and trust me to take care of everything. Rest assured, I will do my best to heal you,” Su Zhi reassured Zhao Xiaohua.
Su Zhi applied pressure to a specific acupoint on Zhao Xiaohua’s wrist, a technique she learned in a previous life while studying acupressure. Although not extensively trained, she had a basic understanding of acupoints, knowing which ones to press firmly to induce pain without leaving visible marks.
With a loud cry, Zhao Xiaohua pulled away from Su Zhi, sitting up and clutching her wrist, visibly in pain.
“Ouch! It hurts so much! Sister Zhao, why did you hurt me? Why did you use such force!” Zhao Xiaohua exclaimed, causing a stir in the room as everyone wondered what had happened—did Su Zhi cause her pain with her actions?
Zhao Dazhu’s wife immediately pointed at Su Zhi, accusing, “Sister Zi’an! How could you be so heavy-handed with Little Flower? I know, you must still hold a grudge over what happened with our Tiedan last time, and now you’re taking it out on Xiaohua. You can’t act this way; she’s a good girl! I apologize on her behalf; you can’t treat her like this!”
While Zhao Daliang tended to his sister, Zhao Dazhu stood silently by, observing the unfolding situation.
Facing the gaze of the Shen family members and even Physician Huang, Su Zhi wore a bewildered and slightly aggrieved expression. She explained, “You all saw it—I simply asked her not to move; I didn’t apply much force. If she’s in such pain, I must have squeezed her severely for her to react that way, causing visible redness or bruising. But I didn’t exert much force; her wrist must be fine. If you don’t believe me, take a look at her wrist.”
Wang Shi concurred, “Yes, I saw Sister Four didn’t use much force. She just wanted to prevent Xiaohua from moving recklessly. How much strength could Fourth Sister possibly have in her hands? She’s not a burly man.”
Sun Shi chimed in, “Xiaohua is just too delicate. It’s as if she might shatter from a gentle touch…”
“Shut up,” Shen Youfu snapped at Sun Shi. Did she want to stir up more trouble today?
Sun Shi recoiled, thinking, “Oh, old man, if you vent your anger towards outsiders, do you expect your own family to be held hostage here?!”
Shen Zhang Shi stepped forward, saying, “Xiaohua, let me see your wrist. If it’s genuinely injured, we should have Physician Huang take a look right away.”
Realizing they wanted to check for any marks on her wrist, Zhao Xiaohua remained calm, confident there would indeed be marks. She was elated, having found leverage over Su Zhi immediately upon her arrival. Even if Su Zhi examined the “injury,” she could easily feign discomfort and lie about it.
“That really hurt just now; I must have bruising. Sister Zhao, even if you were trying to help me up, you used too much force. I was lying on the bed; I wouldn’t have fallen off. Why did you use so much strength?” Zhao Xiaohua complained, holding up her sore wrist, hoping to display what she believed to be severe injuries.
Upon examining her wrist, Zhao Xiaohua was taken aback—there was no mark whatsoever, everything appeared normal.
“How could this be? My wrist still hurts!” Zhao Xiaohua exclaimed in disbelief.
She scrutinized her hand, flipping it back and forth, feeling the pain but finding no visible marks. She couldn’t fathom it, as she knew her skin is usually sensitive and was always left with marks even with slight pressure. Considering how much pain she felt, there should have been some visible evidence.
Su Zhi quietly chuckled to herself, grateful for having learned massage techniques in the past, initially intending to handle situations like dealing with lecherous individuals. However, she ended up using these skills on a cunning woman. She feigned even more distress on her face, taking a step back.
“Everyone saw it, didn’t they? I didn’t use force at all. Xiaohua, if you don’t want me to treat your injury, just say so. There’s no need to falsely accuse me. Are you still convinced that it was our family’s Sacred Beast that chased Tiedan into the river, and now you’re trying to frame me?” Su Zhi asserted.
Upon hearing Su Zhi’s words, Zhao Dazhu and his wife remained silent, realizing the situation had escalated unnecessarily. Zhao Daliang quickly intervened, “Sister, Xiaohua didn’t mean it that way. She’s just in pain from the injury, making her sensitive to touch. It was likely a coincidence that she felt pain when you touched her. Don’t take it to heart; considering her young age, don’t argue with her.”
Li Shi added, “My Fourth Sister isn’t much older than Xiaohua. She kindly offered to help treat the injury, only to be accused of being too forceful. How can the injury be treated like this?”
“Fourth Sister just lightly touched her, and now she’s accused of being too forceful. Makes one wonder if this alleged injury will suddenly become severe. It’s truly suspicious,” Wang remarked.
Despite feeling perplexed by the situation, Zhao Xiaohua was determined to implicate the Shen family, even if it meant bearing a negative reputation associated with them.
Meanwhile, Su Zhi had already devised a plan to deal with Zhao Xiaohua. Despite appearing aggrieved, a smile crept into her thoughts.
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