Su Tang spoke with righteous conviction, her demeanor impartial and professional.  

If Hu Jianjun wanted to manipulate public opinion, she would render him speechless.  

Hu Lili had burned her belongings, so Su Tang was well within her rights to make demands.  

But Hu Jianjun had ill intentions, and Su Tang wasn’t about to indulge his bad behavior.  

Didn’t he insist on handling this “by the book”?  

Then let it be investigated openly and fairly—there was no need for him to come here and confront her.  

The moment Hu Jianjun heard this, panic set in.  

“Su—Su, I beg you—”  

“You should be begging someone else.”  

Su Tang felt Hu Jianjun’s hand clutch at her pant leg and quickly stepped back.  

Her resolve was firm. Hu Jianjun reluctantly let go, looking at her expression and realizing that no amount of pleading would work now.  

He slowly stood up, beads of blood dripping from his forehead onto the ground, mixing with dirt in a stark, unsettling contrast.  

“Su Tang, are you really not going to spare Lili?”

A trace of resentment laced Hu Jianjun’s voice.  

Su Tang met his gaze, her eyes steady. “Hu Lili did something wrong. She should face the consequences—for her own sake, and for everyone else’s.”  

“She’s an adult. Shouldn’t she know what’s right and wrong?”  

Besides, Su Tang didn’t believe Hu Lili was the type to back down quietly.  

Even if she let Hu Lili go, the girl wouldn’t change.  

Su Tang had no intention of playing the saint—forgiving Hu Lili would only invite trouble for herself.  

Hu Jianjun fell silent, shooting Su Tang one last glare before turning to leave.  

His retreating figure looked disheveled. The enamel mug remained on the stone table, its contents emitting a strange, pungent odor.  

With no more drama to watch, the onlookers gradually dispersed.  

Zhang Cui took a deep breath and patted Su Tang’s shoulder, worried she might feel pressured.  

“Don’t worry, girl. Hu Lili’s the one who messed up, not you.”  

Auntie Wang chimed in, concerned Su Tang might overthink it.  

“Sister-in-law, Auntie Wang, I won’t be guilt-tripped. What Hu Jianjun’s doing is only hurting his sister.”  

Su Tang gathered the dandelions and plantains from the ground, smiling as she spoke.  

The more Hu Jianjun pushed, the more people would believe Hu Lili was guilty.  

Originally, this matter could’ve been settled with some compensation and a short detention.  

But with Hu Jianjun making such a scene, things wouldn’t be so simple now.  

Auntie Wang looked at Su Tang’s clear-headed composure and nodded approvingly. “Zhang Cui, seems like we don’t need to reassure her. Little Su knows what she’s doing.”  

“This girl’s always had a strong mind. Alright, I’ll head back now.”  

Zhang Cui waved and walked away.  

The Hu Lili incident was more or less settled, pending the final outcome.  

Early the next morning, Su Tang set off with a bamboo basket to gather Pouzolzia zeylanica, taking Lu Xiao with her to the back hills.  

Lu Xiao insisted on accompanying her, worried about her safety if she went alone.  

He even claimed that if anything happened to her, he wouldn’t be able to face her parents.  

The path to the back hills wasn’t easy, especially on the shaded slopes, where moss and loose stones made every step treacherous.  

“Careful.”  

Lu Xiao reached out to steady Su Tang as she nearly slipped.  

Her hand rested on his arm, and beneath his sleeve, she felt his muscles tense abruptly, like a drawn bowstring.

But Lu Xiao’s face remained as impassive as ever, giving Su Tang no clue about his thoughts.  

The two searched the shaded slope for a long time before finally spotting clusters of Pouzolzia zeylanica.  

Su Tang crouched down excitedly, carefully picking the plants. Between plucking leaves, she asked, “Lu Xiao, do you think Hu Lili might get leniency?”  

Lu Xiao thought for a moment. “Probably. This incident mainly involved property damage, not personal injury.”  

“But the final decision will depend on how things play out.”  

Su Tang nodded. “You’re right. That’s not something I need to worry about.”  

Still, from now on, there would be no peaceful coexistence between her and Hu Lili.  

Once Hu Lili was released, she’d probably hate Su Tang to the bone.  

By the time they finished gathering the herbs and returned to the residential compound, it was already noon.  

Zhang Cui spotted them and hurried over to help.  

“Su Tang, you’re finally back! Someone from the provincial capital came looking for you earlier. Said Lu Xiao contacted them—they were here to deliver medicinal herbs.”  

Su Tang turned to Lu Xiao in surprise. “You found someone that quickly?”  

The ingredients she needed weren’t easy to come by, so she’d made it clear that money wasn’t an issue.  

These medicinal sachets weren’t just for bartering—Su Tang planned to use them herself too.  

The more, the better.  

Lu Xiao cleared his throat, raising a fist to his lips as he averted his gaze.  

“I made the call last night. Figured it’d be best to get the herbs early so they wouldn’t delay your plans.”  

His tone was stiff, almost as if he was overcompensating for something.  

Su Tang didn’t have time to tease him right now.  

She rushed to meet the visitor from the provincial capital, who had brought a sizable batch of herbs. Though slightly pricier than market rates, the quality was excellent.  

With the herbs secured, the weight in Su Tang’s chest finally lifted.  

After preparing a batch of sachets with Zhang Cui, Su Tang announced that she would no longer be trading them for goods.  

While the sachets were effective, they were labor-intensive to make and could easily be exploited.  

Su Tang didn’t want to take those risks.  

The women protested loudly when they heard she’d stop making the sachets.  

So Su Tang shared the basic recipe with them—most of the ingredients weren’t hard to find.  

But the key herbs, the ones she had, were indispensable. Without them, the sachets’ effectiveness would drop significantly.  

Once she’d reassured the group, they reluctantly dispersed.  

Zhang Cui, however, gasped in disbelief. “You just gave away the recipe? That’s too generous!”  

“Those women won’t appreciate your kindness.”  

At this, Su Tang grinned and pulled out a small jar like a magician producing a rabbit.  

“Try this.”  

Inside was a jar of chili sauce. The moment she opened the lid, the rich, spicy aroma wafted out.  

Floating in the sauce were flecks of something green—hard to tell what it was.  

Zhang Cui took the chopsticks Su Tang offered and scooped up a bite.  

“So spicy—but amazing! It’s been ages since I’ve had chili sauce this authentic.”  

After just one taste, Zhang Cui was already reaching for water.  

Su Tang quickly poured her a cup. This was her first attempt, and she’d worried it might be too fiery.  

“Seriously, though—it’s hot, but so good. What kind of chili is this?”  

Fanning her mouth with her hand, Zhang Cui couldn’t resist taking another bite.  

This sauce was unlike any she’d had before—fiery and addictive, the kind of spice that made you crave three bowls of rice in one sitting.  

“Just regular chilies,” Su Tang said. “But I added a bit of medicinal herbs.”  

She’d first steeped the herbs in water, then used that infusion to make the sauce. That way, no matter how spicy it was, it wouldn’t upset the stomach.  

This batch turned out extra hot—probably because she’d been heavy-handed with the ingredients.  

But what was chili sauce without a real kick?  

Judging by Zhang Cui’s reaction, Su Tang considered her first attempt a resounding success.