Chapter Forty-Seven: I Drink

She could not spare a thought for what her family might think.

Xu Ruojin let out a long breath and slowly stepped forward.

Xu Yaohui furrowed his brow. Madam Yang glared at her and snapped, “Where are you going? Don’t make trouble at a time like this!”

“Give me that jar of wine.”

Xu Ruojin looked at the servant kneeling on the ground. The servant froze, clutching the wine jar, and looked to Xu Yaohui.

“I said, give it to me. Didn’t you hear?” Her voice was not shrill, but the firmness in Xu Ruojin’s tone left no room for refusal.

Xu Yaohui made no move. The servant, unable to wait for the master’s command, simply tossed the troublesome jar away altogether...

“I admit this was a wine I brewed myself. It is not peach or apricot blossom wine, but medicinal wine infused with herbs.”

Xu Ruojin’s gaze swept over the gathered onlookers.

“It contains two taels and four qian of kudzu root, nine qian of cinnamon twig, one tael and two qian of mulberry branch, two taels and four qian of chicken blood vine, one tael and two qian of peach kernel, six qian of platycodon, six qian of licorice, six qian of Sichuan ox knee, and ten jin of grain liquor.”

Having recited the prescription, she continued to explain its effects:

“The wine I have brewed relaxes the muscles and opens the channels, soothes the sinews and invigorates the blood, dispels wind and relieves pain. My father sits long hours at the county office, my elder brother works tirelessly, and my younger brother studies day and night. Drinking half a cup of this each night keeps my family healthy. What is wrong with that?”

She glanced at Li Zhonglin, who lay motionless on the ground, and went on:

“I admit that this jar of wine was supposed to be opened ten days ago, but the ancestor worship delayed it. It is already October; the weather is not hot. Even if it was opened six or seven days late, the only difference is that the medicinal properties have grown stronger and the wine’s potency increased. I truly do not know why the eldest son of the Li family would spit blood and collapse after drinking it. I ask all of you to see the truth clearly!”

When Xu Ruojin finished speaking, the crowd fell silent.

If what Second Miss Xu said was true, this was an act of filial piety. Yet why did the one who drank it collapse and spit blood?

It was truly incomprehensible…

“Did a doctor prescribe this remedy?” someone suddenly interjected.

Xu Ruojin tried to find the source of the voice, but there were too many people—she could not see.

“No. I read medical texts myself and devised the formula.”

“Then what more is there to say? Your concoction must be at fault. You killed that man.”

“Exactly, if it wasn’t prescribed by a doctor, how dare you use it?”

“How bold!”

Pressed from all sides, Xu Ruojin’s face flushed crimson, especially when she saw the look of disappointed reproach in her father’s eyes.

If she did not handle this well, this matter would bring no small amount of trouble.

She had no idea what had truly happened to Li Zhonglin, not to mention that Zhang Zhongheng had already sent his people to stir things up—he would not rest until she was utterly ruined!

If a lawsuit arose, the Zhang family would have an excuse to break off the engagement.

She did not wish to marry Zhang Zhongheng, but it should be she who cast him aside, not be framed and humiliated!

Was there no other path but death?

“I admit to what I have done, and when the doctor arrives to examine him, if it is truly my wine that caused harm, I, Xu Ruojin, will bear all responsibility, life for a life. But if not, I will not accept a slandered name. Whatever explanation is owed to me, I will demand it be returned!”

Her words rang with conviction, silencing the mocking crowd.

That declaration—“life for a life”—was no jest. Looking at Second Miss Xu now, it was clear she was resolved and would not tolerate further slander.

Moreover, the head of the Xu family was the chief clerk at the county office.

He ranked third in the magistrate’s office; anyone thinking of causing trouble in his presence should consider their own standing first.

More and more people fell silent, until at last, no one dared speak again.

Zhang Zhongheng had not expected that little wench to stand her ground instead of cowering in terror.

Ordinary girls would have long since dissolved into tears...

Seeing that nobody dared make trouble, Zhang Zhongheng’s resentment only grew. Catching Xu Ruojin’s challenging look from afar, he felt as though he could crush a stone in his hand from rage.

His servant had already slipped away from the crowd and returned to his side.

Zhang Zhongheng’s mind raced for a solution. He reached for the servant’s ear and muttered orders.

The servant’s eyes widened in shock. “Young Master, is this really all right? If madam finds out, I’ll lose my head!”

“No one but me will know it was you. What are you afraid of?”

Zhang Zhongheng’s harsh tone brooked no refusal.

The servant braced himself, slinking further away and shouting from the depths of the crowd:

“What’s this ‘life for a life’ talk? With the chief clerk himself here, would any physician dare say it was the wine? If you’re so sure it’s safe, why not drink it yourself? If you’re unharmed, then we’ll believe you!”

“Who are you? Step forward at once!” Xu Yaohui had lost the composure he’d shown earlier. He’d sensed something amiss all along, but Xu Ruojin’s declaration had managed, for the moment, to quell the chaos.

But now, this person was leaving no way out—openly forcing someone towards death.

“Outrageous!”

Xu Zilin snapped coldly, his gaze sweeping the crowd.

When his eyes fell on Zhang Zhongheng, Xu Zilin narrowed them slightly, seeing him standing in the distance, hands clasped behind his back, feigning indifference.

Though Xu Zilin’s suspicions were buried deep, the woman in his arms, Li Qiuping, suddenly seemed struck by lightning, pointing at Xu Ruojin and exclaiming, “That’s right, if you drink the wine, you can prove your innocence…”

“Shut your mouth!” Xu Zilin could have strangled the foolish woman before him.

This idiot woman did nothing but cause trouble. Who knew what had gotten into her today to keep tripping up her own family?

Was she not ashamed enough already?

The onlookers no longer jeered openly, but the mockery in their eyes was plain.

Yet some discerning souls sensed something was amiss.

If this were a man, perhaps—but why treat a young lady of the Xu family in such a way? She was, after all, a woman. Was there no room for mercy?

The servant, hearing the murmurs around him and feeling eyes turning his way, dared not speak further nor return to his master. He stood there stiffly, feigning the air of an impartial man.

Though Xu Yaohui was deeply vexed, he knew that only his status could suppress the uproar today.

If they continued to be cornered and forced, any resistance would only see his own family harmed.

No matter how this ended, his daughter’s reputation would suffer.

But for now, the only option was to withdraw, and then find a way to restore her good name.

Resolute, Xu Yaohui was about to assert his authority and issue his order.

Xu Ruojin, however, was still staring at Zhang Zhongheng. Seeing the victorious smile on his face, she lifted the wine jar and smiled, “Then I’ll prove it to everyone. I’ll drink!”

A gasp swept the crowd!

Xu Yaohui moved to stop her, but his daughter had already raised the jar and poured the wine down.

On the second floor of the teahouse, a pair of gray eyes watched the scene unfold.

It was none other than Liang Xiao, whom Zhang Zhongheng had been searching for!

Watching Zhang Zhongheng’s schemes and Xu Ruojin’s fierce defiance, his voice, hoarse, muttered softly, “I hadn’t noticed before—this woman has quite the spirit…”