Su Xiaoqi watched Jia Yu sprint towards her, his panicked demeanor suggesting urgency.
She handed over all matters to Li Dahu, who seemed more level-headed. She instructed him to arrange things as he saw fit and to inform her if any progress was made.
Li Dahu felt as excited as water boiling in a pot, bubbling with an inability to articulate his feelings. He could only nod and bow repeatedly to Su Xiaoqi, agreeing to everything she said.
Meanwhile, Su Xiaoqi followed Jia Yu to the front courtyard.
In the main hall sat a middle-aged man with a round face and fair skin. Though seated, he appeared restless.
Su Xiaoqi recognized him immediately and approached with a gentle greeting, "Steward He."
While outwardly composed, Su Xiaoqi couldn't help but wonder in her heart: what was he doing here?
Had he regretted selling the estate?
Her curiosity was soon satisfied. Steward He stood up, glanced around, and seeing no one else, spoke softly:
"This is bad, Madam Shen. Someone is targeting you."
Su Xiaoqi raised an eyebrow, quite surprised. "Oh? Who?"
"The Su family," Steward He replied. Remembering that Madam Shen also shared the surname Su, he added, "The Su family of Su Bancheng."
Su Xiaoqi acknowledged him with a "Mm." Her first thought was that Su Yurou had finally dropped her pretense.
However, a second thought quickly followed. If her memory served correctly, the Su family had been the ones scheming against Steward He when his household faced difficulties.
So, was his urgent visit to the estate driven by some ulterior motive?
Seeing Su Xiaoqi remain silent for a while, Steward He assumed his thoughts had been discerned by this clever woman.
He then said with a heavy tone, "Madam Shen, although I despise them and wish for their downfall, this matter is true. I overheard it at the Fuyue Restaurant. Thinking of your past kindness to my family, I rushed here."
Truth be told, he had deliberated for a long time upon hearing the news.
After all, when the Su family set their sights on someone, they rarely missed.
Just like his own situation previously.
So, at that time, he had only offered them his thanks.
But he soon recalled that the male head of this household was a scholar who had gone to the prefectural city to take the provincial examinations.
Coincidentally, the list of successful candidates from the local provincial examination had been posted at the prefectural city gate.
Shen Yun's name was at the very top.
He was now a *juren* (successful candidate in the provincial examination). Steward He regained some confidence.
Thus, he had arrived at the estate that once belonged to him, his journey marked by moments of regret and renewed resolve.
This led to the scene of him reporting the news earlier.
Steward He had not expected his complex internal journey to be so easily seen through by this seemingly young woman.
After a long silence, he finally stammered, "I... I heard it by chance. Thinking of the kindness your family has shown mine, and not wanting you to suffer, I rushed to deliver this message so you could prepare."
He then cast a lingering glance at the main hall, which remained unchanged, a faint sadness in his heart.
After all, what was once theirs now belonged to someone else.
But what could be done?
Whom could he blame?
It was simply that his son was not capable.
No, it was also the Su family's fault. It was them who had arranged for Su Xiaofu to bring his incompetent son to gamble heavily at the gambling house, leading him to lose so much.
A wave of sorrow washed over Steward He.
Su Xiaoqi thanked him and said she understood.
She escorted him out.
Observing Steward He acting like a thief as he left, looking around cautiously until he was sure no one was watching before darting out and hastily jumping onto his mule cart, it was evident that his act of delivering the message had involved considerable risk.
"The Su family. Well done, Su family. Come what may," Su Xiaoqi tapped on the table, her face devoid of fear, replaced instead by the excitement of facing challenges.
However, just as Su Xiaoqi saw Steward He off, Jia Yu returned.
He reported that a mute, who didn't speak, had arrived and also wished to see the mistress.
Su Xiaoqi's heart skipped a beat, and she hurried out.
Behind the screen wall carved with patterns of fortune, prosperity, longevity, wealth, and honor, stood a lean and tall figure.
Seeing her approach, he quickly stepped forward.
"Zhao Ye," Su Xiaoqi recognized him instantly.
His skin was still a healthy wheat-brown, and his eyes were bright and sharp. When he saw her, they suddenly lit up, then quickly dimmed.
Su Xiaoqi realized that Jia Yu might not have been exaggerating.
Something unfortunate had indeed happened to Zhao Ye.
"What is it?" she asked, trying her best not to let her own anxiety infect him.
Zhao Ye stepped forward and gestured, "The fish pond is in trouble."
Su Xiaoqi nodded, indicating she understood.
Zhao Ye continued to gesture, this time with a long series of movements. Unfortunately, Su Xiaoqi's sign language skills were not yet proficient, and understanding that the fish pond was in trouble was the extent of her comprehension.
Zhao Ye, frustrated, waved his hands for a while, but she couldn't understand a word.
Becoming anxious, Zhao Ye's face turned red. At his wit's end, he took her hand and led her out of the estate. They ran for five *li* to the fish pond.
Even before they got close, Su Xiaoqi could smell the distinct odor of fish.
Su Xiaoqi's heart sank, and a sense of foreboding washed over her.
Upon closer inspection, it was true. The fish were all unwell. Some had already died, while others floated belly-up.
They were densely packed on the surface of the fish pond, bobbing up and down with the water's current, making one's scalp tingle.
"Who, who did this?" Su Xiaoqi struggled to suppress her anger.
So many fish, dead like this. The perpetrator was truly despicable.
Zhao Ye shook his head and then, picking up a willow branch from the pond's edge, began to draw on a flat patch of ground.
This time, Su Xiaoqi understood.
He was indicating that the fish had been fine yesterday.
This morning, he had gone to the city to deliver goods as usual.
Upon his return, he discovered the situation.
He then went to the Shen family at the end of the village to find someone.
He heard from Zhao's mother that they had returned and were busy at the estate.
So, he had come here.
Zhao Ye repeatedly blamed himself, lamenting his failure to guard the pond, which had allowed the villains to seize an opportunity.
Zhao Ye was extremely dejected, attributing everything to himself.
If he hadn't been absent, how could these people have dared to be so audacious?
"No, it's not your fault, it's not your fault," Su Xiaoqi shook her head. She knew very well that the person who poisoned the fish pond had acted with premeditation.
Therefore, no matter how much they guarded against it, they couldn't have prevented it.
Furthermore, the reason for this action was likely due to hatred towards her, and it had nothing to do with Zhao Ye.
Su Xiaoqi's mind began to race.
She hadn't stayed in Zhao family village for long, but upon reflection, she had indeed made quite a few enemies.
First and foremost, Zhao Guanggun was definitely one.
And there was also a strained relationship with Zhao Baoyi's family.
Even Zhao Baoren, due to the previous incident with Zhao Xiaohua, was on bad terms.