Mo Tong quickly replied, "Please speak, Madam."
Bai Zheng gave a faint smile, a hint of cunning flashing across her face.
"Alright. My shops in preparation are short of a few coolies to carry wood. A person like you should be able to do the work of four or five men, right? You can go carry wood for me for a day. It'll save me a day's labor cost."
"..."
"Thank you, Madam," Mo Tong gritted his teeth.
Getting a free laborer for nothing, Bai Zheng was in high spirits. She gracefully lifted the hem of her skirt and sat on the stone bench in the pavilion. Leaning her elbow on the stone table and propping up her chin, she observed the situation of the grandmother - granddaughter in the water intently.
After taking a look, Bai Zheng frowned.
Logically speaking, since Mrs. He was already old, and Bai Sheng, as her granddaughter, had been brought up by Bai Yizhang and had some martial arts skills, her condition in the water should have been much better than Mrs. He's.
But now her complexion was much worse than Mrs. He's.
Mrs. He could still struggle and shout a few words from time to time, while Bai Sheng had already slumped on the water surface, her eyes half - open and half - closed, unable to say a word.
Bai Zheng lowered her eyes and thought for a moment, then she remembered something.
Her elder sister had had a miscarriage just a few days ago and hadn't fully recovered yet. Now that she was soaked in the cold water, it was no wonder she couldn't take it.
Thinking of this, Bai Zheng's gaze towards Bai Sheng became more complicated.
During the recovery period after the miscarriage, she still forced herself to come and settle accounts with Bai Zheng to avenge Bai Di.
For a moment, Bai Zheng didn't know whether to praise her for her dedication or scold her for being impulsive and brainless.
Presumably, the news of Bai Di's death had completely stimulated her, making her unable to wait until she fully recovered from the miscarriage.
Bai Zheng sighed softly.
However, when her gaze touched the increasing white frost on the lotus stems on the lake surface and the thickening white mist rising from the lake, the trace of compassion in Bai Zheng's heart quickly disappeared.
She didn't know what powerful stuff they had put in the lake.
If Mo Tong hadn't stepped in just now, it would have been Bai Zheng suffering in the water.
This elder sister had always been extremely determined to take her life.
Whether it was the miscarriage or being soaked in the cold water, it was all self - inflicted.
If it were the former Bai Zheng, she would have been killed by her many times.
Forgive her?
That was what a saint would do.
Bai Zheng didn't think she was that kind of saint.
"Miss San, are you just going to stand by and do nothing while they're dying?"
The old nurse saw that she was sitting on the stone bench, looking like she was watching a show. Seeing that Mrs. He and Bai Sheng were clearly on the verge of collapse, she rushed in front of Bai Zheng again and shouted anxiously.
Bai Zheng didn't even bother to lift her eyelids and said indifferently, "If you want to save them, just jump in yourself. I see that you look so loyal. I think it won't be too difficult for you to sacrifice yourself to save your masters, right?"
"Old servant... old servant can't swim!" The old nurse stamped her feet anxiously.
Bai Zheng couldn't help but laugh, "I can't swim either. What's the use of telling me?"
The old nurse was at a loss for words. Angrily, she stared at Bai Zheng and pointed at Mo Tong behind her, saying, "This guy is highly skilled in martial arts. You can just ask him to go down and save them!"
"Ask him?" Bai Zheng glanced at Mo Tong, "Sure. You can tell him then."
"I..." The old nurse looked at the cold - faced Mo Tong. Her overbearing attitude immediately wilted. She had no choice but to plead with Bai Zheng, "This gentleman is someone close to the marquis, right? Oh, how could an old servant like me dare to order him around! It still depends on Miss San."
She had changed her address from "this guy" to "this gentleman". She was really good at being a sycophant.
Bai Zheng curled her lips, "Why don't you dare to order him around? You seemed so capable when you were ordering me around just now."
"Who ordered you around?" The old nurse's eyes darted around as she retorted, "I don't have the guts!"
"You don't have the guts?"
Bai Zheng suddenly stood up. Due to her height advantage, she looked down at the old nurse. Her eyes were cold as she stared directly at the other person. Her thin lips parted slightly.
"I think there's no one in the world with bigger guts than you!
You keep saying 'you', 'I' and 'Miss San'. Have you forgotten my current status?
How did the General's Mansion teach you? How dare you boss your master around and act so rudely! You don't have the slightest bit of the demeanor of a servant. If this were in our Marquis's Mansion, you would have been dragged out and beaten to death long ago!
There are no outsiders here, so you don't need to pretend to be wronged.
We both know very well what happened today. Since it was I who pushed them into the water, there's no reason for me to save them.
If you're smart, just keep your mouth shut and act like you've seen nothing. If you're not, you can just see for yourself. I even dared to push the old lady and the eldest miss of the General's Mansion into the water. Do you think it'll be harder for me to deal with a little servant like you than to crush an ant!"
The old nurse was scared.
She stared blankly at Bai Zheng in front of her, feeling as if she didn't recognize her at all.
Was this still the Miss San Bai she had known for more than a decade? Was this still the Miss San Bai who would only cry and never dare to resist when wronged?
When did she become like this - overbearing but not vulgar, speaking in a soft tone but still making people shiver?
This look was so much like...
The old nurse couldn't help covering her mouth.
It was so much like the legendary Marquis of Dingyuan, Feng Linyuan!
Seeing that the person in front of her finally shut up, Bai Zheng turned around satisfactorily. Just as she was about to sit down, a black shadow flashed in front of her.
"Madam."
Bai Zheng's eyes lit up, "Did you find out?"
The black shadow nodded and replied without any nonsense, "Someone has sprinkled Ice Cold Powder in the water."
"Ice Cold Powder?"
Bai Zheng repeated the name twice. Suddenly, she turned her head and looked at the lake with a sharp gaze.
She seemed to vaguely guess the key to the problem.
It was already mid - to late May, and the sun was shining brightly.
Even though she was wearing the lightest silk dress made of silkworm yarn, Bai Zheng remembered that she had felt a little hot all over when she was walking around with Mrs. He just now.
But now, after sitting in the pavilion for a long time, she didn't even break a single sweat.
What was even more suspicious was that in this kind of weather, even if Mrs. He was an old woman and Bai Sheng was a woman who had just had a miscarriage, being thrown into the pool water under the scorching sun was just like swimming in an open - air pool in summer.
How could they be so cold - their teeth chattering and their bodies shivering?
Could it be that the effect of the so - called Ice Cold Powder...
Before Bai Zheng could think further, the black shadow timely explained,
"Ice Cold Powder is made from milled thousand - year ice. It is extremely yin and cold. If a man is injured by Ice Cold Powder, his foundation will be damaged. If a woman is injured by it, then..."