The Foolish General's Mute Spouse - Chapter 109

109: Poisoned

Qiao Ying led them all the way to the second floor. Along the way, many people who saw her stepped aside and bowed, addressing her as “Young Master.” This was somewhat unexpected for Fu Yu’an.

Could her father be the Valley Master of Baihua Valley?

However, no one seemed to make a special introduction, and Qiao Ying didn’t mention it either, as if she didn’t care much about this identity.

“Father! Mother!” The young girl pushed open the door to the inner room and called out affectionately.

Inside the room sat Elder Shu and several other elderly individuals, all looking spirited and vigorous. Among them was a middle-aged man who bore a striking resemblance to Qiao Ying—presumably her father.

“Is Mother not here?” Qiao Ying trotted over to the man and then respectfully greeted her grandmother.

“Ah, you’ve finally arrived! We’ve been waiting for you!” Elder Shu stood up and looked toward the door, smiling.

Everyone in the room turned their gaze to the three at the entrance. Fu Yu’an, feeling somewhat at a loss, was pulled inside by Qiao Ying and brought before his uncle, whom he had never met before.

He felt awkward, but given the circumstances, no one could rescue him—he could only rely on himself.

Elder Shu pushed him forward in front of the group and introduced him with a smile: “This is my grandson. It’s a pity about his mother… Ah! Yu’an, come quickly and greet your uncle!”

Fu Yu’an promptly bowed. “Uncle.”

“Good child.” The uncle, upon seeing him, seemed to see his own ill-fated elder sister and was suddenly overwhelmed with sorrow, tears streaming down his face.

He was extremely gentle, pulling Fu Yu’an to sit down, wiping his tears as he studied him, alternating between crying and laughing.

Qi Ren and Si Qi stood at the door, carrying a large bag of gifts, unsure whether to step forward or not.

We really are superfluous here, especially in such an emotional scene.

It was Elder Shu who noticed their arrival and beckoned them inside.

The group then turned their attention to Si Qi and Qi Ren. The uncle asked, “And these are?”

Fu Yu’an explained, “This is Fu Si Qi, a child I adopted. This is… Qi Ren, General Qi, he’s my…”

He didn’t know how to explain.

Calling him his husband was too embarrassing.

Seeing his hesitation, Qiao Ying mischievously answered for him: “He’s my cousin’s husband! Their marriage was personally bestowed by His Majesty!”

The expressions of everyone in the room shifted to surprise, but they still smiled and remarked on how handsome and well-matched the two were.

Si Qi secretly sighed in relief and quietly moved closer to Fu Yu’an.

It was still early before noon, and the elders had been chatting for quite a while. Now that they had run out of topics, the conversation naturally shifted to Fu Yu’an.

An aunt asked, “This child is truly outstanding. May I ask where you are currently employed?”

Fu Yu’an hesitated, not daring to say he drew erotic illustrations, afraid they might ask to see them. Instead, he said he owned a shop and was not in the prefecture.

There wasn’t much to dig into about him—after all, he had grown up deep in the palace, so there wasn’t much material to uncover.

As for Qi Ren, no one dared to strike up a conversation.

His reputation was formidable, and with his cold expression, he didn’t look like someone easy to approach, so naturally, no one dared to engage him.

Thus, the topic circled around and eventually landed on Fu Si Qi.

He certainly has a lot to say!

With a tragic background, he was fortunate to be taken in and educated by a benefactor, even enrolled in school. Now, he’s highly favored by the emperor in court—young and full of promise, his future is boundless.

The key point? He’s still unmarried!

“This young master is of age now—has he taken a liking to any young ladies?” The aunt finished speaking, then suddenly remembered Fu Yu’an and his husband, so she added, “Or even a young man would be fine!”

Siqi instinctively glanced at Qiao Ying, only to see her happily munching on fruit, utterly unbothered by the drama. His heart sank with disappointment.

He nodded.

Fu Yu’an was shocked—this kid actually had someone he liked? Why hadn’t he mentioned it before?

The aunt was immediately delighted, clapping her hands as she asked, “Which family’s daughter is so lucky? To catch Siqi’s eye, she must be a talented and beautiful girl with remarkable skills!”

Siqi lowered his head and gave a vague hum, clearly unwilling to elaborate.

Rai Ren clicked his tongue, thinking to himself—as expected of a kid raised by Yu’an, why is he so shy too?

A real man should chase after what he likes!

Judging by this reaction, even Yu’an didn’t know about it. Seriously!

Just as everyone was chatting happily, a furious roar suddenly came from outside. The door was flung open, and in strode a tall, dark-skinned, and strikingly beautiful woman.

“Qiao Ying! Get over here!” The woman scanned the room sharply before bellowing.

Qiao Ying jumped in fright, scrambling to her feet and rushing over, nearly tripping over her own feet in the process.

The woman pinched her ear and scolded, “How many times have I told you, huh? Keep those damn bugs you picked up properly contained! They’re crawling all over the place! Go clean them up now! No dinner until you do!”

Qiao Ying yelped in pain, pleading, “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, Mom! Ouch, ouch! I’ll go right now, I swear!”

Finally releasing her, the woman watched as Qiao Ying didn’t dare waste a second, bowing hastily to the elders before darting out.

Siqi stared longingly after her, then hesitantly spoke up, “I’ll go help her!”

“No need! Those bugs she picked up—even I don’t recognize them. You’re an outsider, don’t get involved in this mess!” The woman waved him off, then strode in, her earlier ferocious expression melting into a warm smile.

Fu Yu’an quickly stood up and greeted her respectfully, “Auntie.”

So Qiao Ying’s bold and lively personality came from her mother.

Auntie affectionately pulled him down to sit, her heart aching as she looked at her thin nephew. She thought of his late mother, her expression turning sorrowful.

Before long, Qiao Ying returned with Siqi, carefully carrying a porcelain jar.

Auntie finally seemed satisfied, beckoning her over.

“These bugs are something Qiao Ying picked up on the mountain a few days ago. She said they looked strange—she couldn’t identify them—so she brought them back, hoping the elders could take a look,” Auntie explained, presenting the jar to the group.

Rai Ren pulled Fu Yu’an back a step.

Auntie lifted the lid, revealing four dark-red bugs inside, their bodies coated in a sticky, unidentifiable substance—utterly disgusting.

No one knew how the two kids had managed to catch them.

Fu Yu’an glanced at Siqi’s face—sure enough, it had already turned pale.

He was about to steel himself and step forward for a closer look when suddenly, a heavy thud came from behind.

Fu Yu’an turned around and gasped, “Rai Ren!”

The Valley of a Baihua enjoys perpetual spring-like weather, and even in late autumn, one wouldn’t feel the chill.

Fu Yu’an closed the window and sighed as he looked at Qi Ren lying unconscious on the bed.

Hurry and wake up! The Gu poison has already been removed, so why haven’t you woken up even after three days?

“Cousin!” Qiao Ying came in carrying a bowl of chilled herbal tea and checked Qi Ren’s pulse by the bedside.

“Don’t worry, cousin. Auntie said this Gu insect is truly vicious. Fortunately, the general was infected with the child Gu, and his sudden collapse that day was only due to sensing the mother Gu, which triggered the attack. Now that the Gu has been removed, he’ll recover after a few days of sleep.”