Wine-scented Beauty

Chapter 8: The Recipe

That night, Ji Meiqing suffered from insomnia again. She envisioned a bright future, thinking that once she had money, she would buy a house and new clothes, and live the life of a wealthy woman. She laughed happily and went out as soon as it was dawn.

Lu Cuiwei was starting a fire to cook when she looked up and saw Ji Meiqing striding out the door with a happy expression. Her gaze darted away awkwardly at first, but her pent-up anger was now burning fiercely, and she finally couldn't help but throw down the spatula, yelling, "Are you dead?! Can't you see I'm cooking? Why don't you come and help?!"

These days, she had gotten used to Ji Meiqing's cold words, and since Ji Meiqing was in a good mood today, she didn't have time to argue with her. She just asked, "Where did Brother Lu go?"

Lu Cuiwei snorted, "It's just that they're selling medicine in town! They say it's some kind of medicinal wine. Ji Meiqing, you're quite the bossy person!"

Upon hearing this, Ji Meiqing's eyes suddenly lit up.

She wrote down the prescription yesterday, and to her surprise, the medicinal wine was brewed overnight? She immediately asked anxiously, "Where is the 'prescription' that Brother Lu prepared according to the formula?"

"What recipe?" After thinking for a moment, Lu Cuiwei hesitated, then looked at a brown basket in front of the stove. "Is it that one?"

No wonder Lu Cuiwei didn't know. Lu Yu knew that the prescription was used by Ji Meiqing's ancestors to save their lives, so he dared not publicize it. He also suspected that Lu Cuiwei had the intention to harm Ji Meiqing, so he didn't want to mention it to her. He only told her to keep a close eye on the basket before he hurriedly went to town.

Ji Meiqing took three steps at a time and strode over. The basket was wrapped in a gray cloth, so she couldn't see what was inside. Ji Meiqing reached out and lifted it. After seeing it, her eyebrows and eyes curved even more.

Seeing Ji Meiqing's charming smile, Lu Cuiwei's curiosity was piqued. She tiptoed and peered inside, wanting to see what was inside. Suddenly, she noticed a slight movement in the basket. Upon closer inspection, she saw that it was full of living creatures! She was shocked and pointed at Ji Meiqing, then at the basket full of scorpions and poisonous spiders, her lips trembling as she said, "What...what are all these things!"

He paused for a moment, then suddenly realized that his brother had gone up the mountain all night to find these things. He was so angry that his face turned green, and he shouted, "You heartless thing! Don't you know these are poisonous creatures? You even made your brother find them for you!"

Seeing that Ji Meiqing ignored her and continued to laugh heartily, the anger in her heart grew stronger. A fierce glint appeared in her eyes, and she decided to take a deep breath and walk up to Ji Meiqing. In her anger, she kicked the basket over!

Just then, a shout came from behind. Lu Cuiwei was startled and turned around to see an old donkey standing in front of her. Who else could be sitting on the donkey cart but Lu Yu?

Lu Yu had planned to go to town as soon as possible to sell the medicinal wine, but he was somewhat absent-minded on the way, thinking that leaving Ji Meiqing and Lu Cuiwei at home might cause some conflict.

After thinking for a long time, he felt extremely flustered and forgot about the medicinal wine business. He turned his donkey around and rushed back. Unexpectedly, he ran into such a scene as soon as he arrived at his doorstep. His anger flared up, and he grabbed Lu Cuiwei's wrist in a big stride, scolding her with a stern face, "What are you doing!"

Then he turned around and glanced at Ji Meiqing. He saw that although her face was pale, she was fortunate to have no external injuries, which made her breathe a sigh of relief. However, her face was still as dark as charcoal.

Lu Cuiwei was taken aback when her brother miraculously appeared at the door. She was stunned for a moment before realizing she was being scolded harshly. Her anger flared even more, and she shouted, "Brother, you risked your life to save her, and she's ungrateful enough to make you risk your life to find that damn poison! I did it for you... Are you blinded by greed?! You're still protecting her!"

Lu Yu was already annoyed by her, and seeing her so fierce now, his eyes narrowed even more, and he snapped, "Enough!"

"elder brother!"

Lu Cuiwei shouted again, but then noticed that Lu Yu's expression was off. She felt a sudden pang of guilt and was about to argue when she heard him speak again.

"You come with me!"

After Lu Yu finished speaking, he didn't even look at Lu Cuiwei and strode into the house. Seeing that things were not going well, Lu Cuiwei naturally didn't dare to disobey. She first turned her head and glared at Ji Meiqing before jogging after him.

"Brother, just say what's on your mind," Lu Cuiwei muttered.

Seeing that Lu Yu did not answer, she was about to urge him when she looked up and saw that her brother had been walking silently towards the back hall. After a while, he came out with a thick donkey whip in his hand. She stared wide-eyed and asked incredulously, "Brother, what are you doing?"

"Your Majesty!"

Lu Cuiwei was somewhat bewildered, thinking she was going to be reprimanded for kicking over the basket. Just as she was about to argue, she saw Lu Yu pull a square yellow oil paper package from his waist pocket. Looking at it, it seemed vaguely familiar. Suddenly, she remembered something, took a step back, her pupils constricted sharply, and her legs went weak. "Brother…you…"

Seeing her expression, Lu Yu guessed that the item belonged to the person in front of him. A trace of pain appeared on his face, and he said in a trembling voice, "Lu Cuiwei! You have quite the nerve!"

After saying that, he tossed the medicine packet at Lu Cuiwei. Some of the medicine residue that had seeped out of the packet leaked out and smelled fishy.

Lu Yu slammed his fist on the table and roared, "I never imagined you would have such a vicious mind! If Doctor Xu hadn't spoken up that day, Miss Ji's life would probably have been in your hands!"

He paused, then said sternly, "This daylily is harmful to the injured and offers no benefit whatsoever. You'd better explain to me why there's this thing under your pillow!"

Caught red-handed, there was no way to deny it. Even if she denied it, she couldn't escape responsibility. Lu Cuiwei gritted her teeth and admitted, "Yes! I picked this daylily, and I put it in that woman's medicine. I just couldn't stand how good you were to her, brother! I just couldn't stand—"

Before she could finish speaking, a resounding slap landed on her face. She felt a ringing in her ears, and when she turned her head, she saw Lu Yu standing in front of her with his five fingers raised, staring wide-eyed in disbelief and shouting, "You hit me? You actually hit me for that woman!"

Lu Yu was furious and scolded him with a stern face, "I've spoiled you for so many years, but I never knew you had such a vicious mind!"

"I'm vicious?!" Lu Cuiwei raised her eyes and looked at her brother, with whom she had depended on each other for so many years, who was now angry with her. All her grievances and sadness turned into overwhelming hatred for Ji Meiqing!

She covered her face and sneered, "Is this what you call vicious?! Well, you'd better tell her to wait, I have even more vicious ways to deal with her!"

After uttering those harsh words, Lu Cuiwei glared at her brother defiantly, then turned and ran outside.

"You!" Lu Yu gritted his teeth, suppressing the urge to chase after her. After all, he had raised this girl himself, but she was now in this state, and he was partly to blame. However, if he coaxed her back too quickly, she would definitely not learn her lesson!

Lu Cuiwei held her breath and ran out of Huaxi Village. Her tears had dried, and her sorrowful gaze was gradually replaced by deep-seated hatred.

Since Ji Meiqing dared to steal her brother, she wouldn't let her get away with it!

Her eyes narrowed dangerously, and suddenly an idea came to her. Recalling the conversation she had overheard outside, she knew that Ji Meiqing was the illegitimate daughter of a wealthy family in the county, and that she had been coerced into falling off the cliff by the matriarch of the Ji family. She must hate Ji Meiqing to the core.

If that woman knew that Ji Meiqing, whom she hated, was still alive, I wonder how she would react...

This idea raged through her mind like wild grass growing in spring, quickly taking over her entire consciousness. Her only thought now was for Ji Meiqing to die. Since she couldn't do it herself, she might as well borrow someone else's knife!

Lu Cuiwei clenched her wrist, her eyes revealing a ruthless intent. She thought to herself, "Ji Meiqing, since you provoked me first, don't blame me for being ruthless!"