The Eldest Daughter's Scheme for Dominating the World

Chapter 5: The Wet Nurse

Situ Yingxiu's face suddenly changed. "Who cooked this ginger soup?"

"It was Nanny Zhao... What's wrong?" Xiaotao was frightened by Situ Yingxiu's expression and asked timidly.

"Nanny Zhao?" Situ Yingxiu stood up holding the white porcelain bowl. Her voice was no longer clear and smooth but became a bit cold and stern. "Call her here for me. What did she put in this ginger soup? I really don't know that besides ginger and brown sugar, there are gentian and bupleurum in the ginger soup."

"Gentian and bupleurum?" Xiaotao and Xiaoxing exchanged a glance. The little maids, who were only seven or eight years old, had no idea what those things were.

A woman outside heard this and quickly replied at the cabin door, "Young Lady, this servant will go and invite Nanny Zhao over right away."

Situ Yingxiu nodded and put the medicine bowl on the small table by the bedside. Just as she sat down, she heard a loud "plop" sound not far away, as if someone had fallen into the water.

Soon there were cries of surprise.

"Help! Someone! Nanny Zhao has jumped into the river!"

There were complex and hurried footsteps outside the cabin again, thumping towards the direction where the sound of water splashing came from.

Situ Yingxiu's pupils suddenly shrank. She stood up and was about to go out to take a look, but Situ Chenlei grabbed her arm and called her repeatedly, "Jie Jie! Jie Jie!"

He couldn't say anything else, just kept calling her sister over and over again.

Situ Yingxiu's heart stirred. She pulled him up and said, "Come with me."

Situ Chenlei obediently got out of bed and walked out of the cabin with Situ Yingxiu.

"What's happened again?" Situ Jianren and Madam Zhang hurried over.

Seeing Situ Yingxiu and Situ Chenlei walking side by side, Madam Zhang said happily, "Yingxiu, Xiaolei, are you feeling better?"

Situ Yingxiu smiled and called softly, "Mother."

Situ Yingxiu's biological mother had passed away long ago, dying during a difficult childbirth when giving birth to her younger brother.

Situ Yingxiu's father, Situ Jianren, observed the three-year mourning period before marrying a widow who brought a stepdaughter as his second wife. Because her father said that such a woman had no powerful family background and wouldn't be able to hold her head high in front of his original children.

Madam Zhang, this stepmother, had indeed treated Situ Yingxiu and Situ Chenlei very well since she entered the family.

"Elder Sister, Xiaolei." A little girl's voice came from behind Madam Zhang.

A little girl wearing a light blue upper garment with a right lapel and a moon-white gauze skirt walked out from behind Madam Zhang. When she looked at Situ Yingxiu, tears welled up in her eyes at once. "Elder Sister, Elder Sister, I thought I would never see you again..."

The little girl cried and rushed over to hug Situ Yingxiu.

This was Situ Anxiang, the daughter brought by her stepmother, Madam Zhang.

Situ Yingxiu remembered that when this younger sister, Situ Anxiang, married into the Situ family with her mother, Madam Zhang, she was only three years old, just over a month older than her younger brother, Situ Chenlei.

Of course, Situ Anxiang's previous name wasn't Situ Anxiang either. It was Fan Chunyun. It was only when Fan Chunyun was four or five years old, two or three years after Madam Zhang married into the family, that her name was changed to Situ Anxiang and she was included in the Situ family's genealogy.

Situ Yingxiu remembered this matter because it was in that year that her younger brother was officially diagnosed as stupid by the doctor and could no longer be cured.

Her father, Situ Jianren, was very unhappy about this. He really hoped that the family would be prosperous with many descendants.

In that year, her stepmother, Madam Zhang, became pregnant. Situ Jianren was overjoyed, so he showed great mercy and allowed Madam Zhang's stepdaughter, Fan Chunyun, to change her surname. He even personally gave her the name Situ Anxiang.

When Situ Anxiang first came to the Situ family with her mother, she was only three years old and couldn't remember the previous things. She regarded Situ Jianren as her biological father, Situ Yingxiu as her biological elder sister, and Situ Chenlei as her biological younger brother. Moreover, she always took Situ Yingxiu as an example, learning from her tenderness, kindness, gracefulness, and thoughtfulness. Everyone said that they were just like real sisters.

Situ Yingxiu also felt great pity for this step-sister who lost her father in her childhood and was very close to her. In her previous life, she taught her how to read, write, learn etiquette, do needlework, cook, and other things that a young lady from a good family should learn.

When they were in Jiangnan, some children from the Situ clan always liked to mock Situ Anxiang, saying that she was a burden and even throwing stones at her. It was Situ Yingxiu and her "stupid" younger brother, Situ Chenlei, who always protected Situ Anxiang.

Later, after entering the capital city, Situ Yingxiu was immersed in the blow of losing her younger brother and almost couldn't get out of it. It was Situ Anxiang who had been taking care of her by her side.

In her previous life, Situ Yingxiu didn't hide much from this younger sister, except for the fact that she secretly took a master.

But for that matter, it was also because her master didn't want it to be made public, so he made her swear not to tell anyone about it.

Seeing Situ Anxiang crying with excitement, Situ Yingxiu was also deeply touched. She patted her on the back and said, "It's all right. We're all fine now."

Situ Anxiang nodded, wiped away her tears, and then looked at Situ Chenlei. She said carefully and slowly, word by word, "Xiao - Lei -, are - you - feeling - better -?" As if she was afraid that he wouldn't understand, she also gestured with her hands.

Situ Yingxiu thought that she used to be like this too and sighed in her heart. She tightened her grip on Situ Chenlei's hand and said to Situ Anxiang, "Xiaolei is not stupid. He can understand what you're saying. There's no need to gesture around."

Situ Anxiang quickly said, "I know, I know. I've always known that Xiaolei is not stupid!" Then she took Situ Chenlei's other hand. "Xiaolei used to give me the peaches and apricots that he liked to eat..."

But Situ Chenlei just stood there blankly, his eyes fixed on the dark river surface.

Just now, interrupted by Situ Anxiang, Situ Yingxiu almost forgot what they came here for. Seeing Xiaolei's expression, Situ Yingxiu came back to her senses and asked, "What happened just now? Who jumped into the river?"

"It was Nanny Zhao." A woman came up with a bitter face and replied. "Young Lady just ordered to call Nanny Zhao for questioning. Before this servant could go over, I heard a loud sound, and then I saw Nanny Zhao plunge into the river. Look, it's over there."

Did the boatwoman go down to save her?" Situ Yingxiu asked in a deep voice.

"Yes, she went down from here. She should be bringing her up soon."

Situ Yingxiu took Situ Chenlei's hand and walked to the small cabin where Nanny Zhao had previously cooked the ginger soup.

There was a small stove near the door of the small cabin. There were still red ashes in the stove, and the fire was still burning, but there was nothing on the stove.

"... Where is the pot for cooking the ginger soup?" Situ Yingxiu looked around the cabin. "Where has it been put?"

"I don't know." The servants all shook their heads. "It was always Nanny Zhao who was busy here. We were preparing tomorrow's breakfast in the next room."

Situ Yingxiu's heart sank. She found that there were more and more mysteries.

She had originally thought that her younger brother's death in her previous life was just a simple accident. But now it seemed that it wasn't that simple.

"... She's up! She's up! The boatwoman has saved Nanny Zhao!" The servants standing on the ship's side squeezed over to help the boatwoman and Nanny Zhao up.

"Master, Madam, Nanny Zhao is no longer breathing..." The boatwoman said out of breath.

She had gone into the water to save people twice in one night, and she could hardly bear it.

Especially since this wet nurse was so fat. Fortunately, she was out of breath and couldn't struggle. Otherwise, if she gave a strong pull, she would have been dragged down by her in the water.

Thinking like this, the boatwoman looked up and happened to see Situ Yingxiu looking down at her in silence.

A pair of eyes flashed in front of her, as bright as the stars in the night sky, shining with a dazzling light.

The boatwoman was taken aback. Remembering the girl's proficient swimming skills in the water just now, she couldn't help but praise, "The Situ family is a well-known wealthy family in our Jiangnan. I really didn't expect that Young Lady Situ's swimming skills are so good!"