Chapter 511: Chu Lian’s Defence (2)

Countess Jing’an’s courtyard wasn’t far from Qingxi Hall and the maidservant was fast on her feet. Several minutes later, the plate of candied hawthorns that Chu Lian had personally made was placed on the sandalwood table in the center of the parlour.

Chu Lian walked over to the table and pointed at the tasty-looking candied hawthorns on the white porcelain plate.

“What do all of you think this is?” Chu Lian asked.

He Changdi was keeping a close watch on Chu Lian. After hearing her question, an idea popped up in his mind.

Eldest Madam covered her mouth and tittered loudly, “Sanlang’s wife, you’re not trying to stall time, right? We’re not blind. Do you think we can’t recognise hawthorns?”

Countess Jing’an seemed rather puzzled as well, “Sanlang’s wife, these are the candied hawthorns that you sent over. I’ve tried them myself. The sweet and sour taste was really appetising.”

Chu Lian’s lips lifted up into a smile and she called over one of the maidservants in the parlour.

The maidservant trembled with fear. She kept her head lowered as she asked in a shaky voice, “Third...Third Young Madam, what do you require of this servant?”

Chu Lian held up a sugar-coated hawthorn and handed it to the maidservant, “Why don’t you try one, and then tell me what this is?”

The maidservant was clearly relieved to hear that it was such a simple request. She timidly took the hawthorn ball from Chu Lian’s pale and delicate fingertips and slowly placed it in her mouth.

The sweet and sour taste spread on her tongue. It was neither too sweet nor too greasy. After eating one, there was an irresistible urge to have another.

After carefully chewing and swallowing it, the maidservant couldn’t resist smacking her lips a couple of times as if she was trying to bring back the taste of the hawthorn ball she just ate.

“Replying to Third Young Madam, it’s hawthorn. It tasted really good. It’s the first time this servant has eaten such a delicious hawthorn.” The hawthorns that she ate were usually very sour. She had never thought that it could be so tasty when it was prepared in this way.

The gluttonous maidservant couldn’t help glancing at the plate of candied hawthorns a couple more times.

He Ying rolled her eyes, but Chu Lian let out a smile.

She waved her hand to dismiss the maidservant. She then took another hawthorn ball and walked towards Great Doctor Miao.

Great Doctor Miao smiled, “Honoured Lady, you wouldn’t be asking this old man to taste one as well, right?”

Chu Lian stared at him with an expression that read, ‘you should know what to do’.

Great Doctor Miao found it funny and shook his head with a grin. He took the hawthorn ball and sniffed it first. After that, he broke it apart and carefully examined the ingredients inside. Finally, he burst out laughing.

He stood up, holding half a hawthorn in each hand, and strode towards Matriarch He.

He lifted his hand respectfully, “Matriarch He, this isn’t hawthorn. It’s a special type of gooseberry from the northern border. Its taste is very similar to a hawthorn, but its effect is completely different. Hawthorns are good for digestion and circulation, but pregnant women shouldn’t eat too much of it. The gooseberries from the northern border possess a warmer attribute. It can nourish vitality and calm the mind. It can even be used as an ingredient for medicines to stabilise pregnancies. For pregnant women, there’s no harm at all in eating this. It’s even beneficial to their pregnancy.”

When compared like this, the medical properties of the northern gooseberries that Chu Lian used were quite close to those of wild ginseng.

Great Doctor Miao’s words shocked nearly everyone in the parlour.

What?

Those confections on the table weren’t hawthorns, and they were some kind of gooseberry from the northern border instead?!

How could that be!

If that really wasn’t a plate of hawthorns, then this incident had nothing to with Chu Lian at all!

There was one person whose expression couldn’t be described with just the word ‘shocked’.

Madam Zou’s face had instantly turned deathly pale and she clenched her hands tightly under her wide sleeves. She didn’t even notice when her sharp nails had pierced the skin of her palms.

A strange look appeared in He Changdi’s eyes after Great Doctor Miao revealed the truth.

Matriarch He, He Ying, and even Miss Pan were unconvinced.

“What are you talking about? This is clearly hawthorn!” Matriarch He was still doubtful.

Great Doctor Miao scoffed, “If the matriarch doesn’t believe this old man’s words, then you can go ask the imperial physicians from the palace to distinguish them.”

Most of the people in the parlour were convinced after Great Doctor Miao said that.

Chu Lian bobbed towards Matriarch He and Countess Jing’an, “Grandmother, Mother, I’m done speaking.”

Countess Jing’an’s face was full of guilt, “Lian’er, Mother has wronged you.”

On the other hand, Matriarch He didn’t apologise. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes, as if she was calming her fluctuating emotions. She opened her eyes a long while later.

Her gaze swept over everyone in the parlour before she let out a small sigh, “Since this matter has nothing to do with Sanlang’s wife, then Sanlang’s wife can go sit to one side!”

It was only then that Chu Lian turned around and returned to her seat beside He Changdi.

When He Sanlang caught sight of the tranquil and serene look in Chu Lian’s almond-shaped eyes, his heart felt painfully sour. So the reason she had refused to let him intervene earlier was because she had already taken precautions beforehand.

If it wasn’t for her lack of trust in Grandmother and Mother, why would Chu Lian have prepared a backup plan for everything?

Did that also mean that she had some backup plans for him?

The storm brewing in He Sanlang’s expression worsened when he thought about this possibility.

He Changdi and Chu Lian were too occupied with their own thoughts to listen to what Matriarch He had to say until a loud smack jolted them back to reality. They watched as the table in front of the matriarch trembled from the force of the old lady’s blow, followed by an angry bellow from the matriarch, “This old woman wants this matter investigated thoroughly! Even if this estate is turned upside down, this old lady wants to know who the culprit behind this terrible incident is!”

The matriarch was really furious now!

Anyone with a few brain cells could tell that Chu Lian had been framed by someone.

There weren’t many family members in House Jing’an to begin with, so Matriarch He was extremely sensitive about anything that endangered the children of their house and their bloodline. In House Jing’an, little schemes against one another could be tolerated. Even coveting the family’s wealth could be forgiven. However, plotting to harm their bloodline was absolutely forbidden!