Chapter Sixty-Four: The Poisoned Pear

Yi Lan blinked her large, round eyes, pondering like a little adult for a few moments before replying, "It would be impolite not to reciprocate. Let the guards of our estate place the gifts that Great-grandmother arranged for the return of courtesy at the gatehouse. The guards should watch over them. Whoever comes to deliver something, hold them there, stuff the return gifts into their hands, and then let them go. The guards outside should also keep watch atop the walls."

"Hold them… You’ve been listening to your second uncle talk about cases a bit too much; you used the wrong word, little girl," Di Miao gently tapped Yi Lan’s head, reminding her.

Yi Lan blinked her long lashes and asked eagerly, "Then what should I say?"

Yi Mei answered, "It’s ‘pull them aside.’ Just don’t let them run off."

"Mm, mm, mm," Yi Lan nodded vigorously, understanding at last.

Little Yi Hao, only a year and a half old, saw this and grinned, mouth wide open, drooling with delight. He didn’t understand what they were saying, but that didn’t stop him from giggling.

Yi Mei, disliking his mess, poked him lightly and pulled out a square handkerchief to wipe his mouth.

Grandmother Di then instructed the gatehouse to notify the guards to follow Yi Lan’s suggestion. The Di family always spoke their minds and voiced their opinions; good ideas would be adopted, regardless of age or gender, and those without opinions just listened.

At that moment, Grandfather Di entered the room. He stomped his feet to shake off some mud, stepped forward, and placed a small basket of frozen pears on the table. Then, rubbing his hands, he moved to the brazier to warm himself, saying, "Thankfully the weather’s cold and the pears are frozen; otherwise, tossing them over the courtyard wall like that, they’d surely be smashed. Fruit is hard to come by in this season."

"Wow, pears!" Yi Hao saw the fruit, broke free from Yi Mei’s hand, and ran to the table, reaching out his little arms to grab them. Unfortunately, he was too short and couldn’t reach, so he tried climbing onto the chair in frustration.

Yi Lan reached out and pressed down on his small head, preventing him from climbing. When Yi Hao struggled indignantly, Yi Lan laughed, saying, "The pears are too cold; they need to be warmed before you can eat them."

With that, she picked him up, grabbed a frozen pear, and went to the brazier. The sisters always worked well together; seeing this, Yi Mei fetched a clean iron mesh and placed it over the brazier’s stand.

Di Miao, fourteen years old and cheerful by nature, would never miss out on good food. She grabbed a frozen pear herself, intending to roast it, and said, "Let’s roast two; we’ll slice them and share later."

Grandmother Di nodded with a smile.

At this point, the frozen pear in Yi Lan’s hand was already set atop the mesh. The coals in the brazier were burning fiercely, and soon, a layer of condensation formed on the pear’s skin, quickly turning into droplets that dripped into the brazier with a faint hiss. Invisible vapors rose.

Di Miao’s nose twitched. Suddenly, her face changed dramatically; she rushed forward, heedless of the heat, and flipped the mesh and pears to the floor, yelling, "Everyone out, now!"

The others heard her and acted without a word or wasted movement. Yi Lan, carrying Yi Hao, ran out. In less than two breaths, everyone was outside, out of the courtyard, standing in an open area nearby.

Yi Lan, bearing the most weight—she was only nine herself—held Yi Hao tightly. Yi Mei, shaken, asked Di Miao, "Aunt, what’s wrong?"

Di Miao patted her chest, catching her breath. "The white frost on the surface of the frozen pears might be poisonous."

Thinking of something, she quickly turned to Grandfather Di, "Grandfather, you touched the pears—go wash your hands thoroughly with clean water, several times. Whoever else touched them, hurry!"

Grandfather Di immediately ran toward the chicken coop, where Di Lei was still working. Earlier, the pears had been tossed into the yard, and Grandfather Di and Di Lei had picked them up together.

Luckily, they were frozen pears, and the family was accustomed to sharing everything; otherwise...

Di Miao shuddered at the thought. Her second brother, Di Ying, was seven years her senior. When she was younger, he spent his days experimenting with herbs and acupuncture, and out of curiosity, she followed him, learning a bit herself. Later, he often caught her to teach her, insisting that perseverance was essential to learning.

To this day, Di Miao could be considered nearly competent. Thinking of her brother, she explained briefly to Grandmother, then hurried off to the Ministry of Justice. She had to tell her second brother about this.

Meanwhile, Grandmother Di calmly issued new instructions, adjusting some of the estate’s precautions. Ever since Di Ying became dedicated to law, Grandmother Di worried—not only about Di Ying being harmed by villains, but also about enemies threatening the family to coerce him.

Thus, the Di family had always maintained a vigilant mindset.

It was just that lately, with so many gifts sent in and thrown into the estate, they had grown a bit careless. The only thing the Di family never worried about was whether Di Ying would become corrupt or greedy.

When Di Miao reached the right wing outside the Ministry of Justice, she saw her second brother still presiding over a case. She obediently stood among the listening citizens, clapping along with them. When the trial reached an exciting point, Di Miao’s eyes shone bright, but she did not forget her purpose. When the case concluded and her brother stepped down, Di Miao slipped through the crowd to the side entrance of the courtroom.

Gatekeepers Zhao San and Qian Wu didn’t recognize her and stopped her, their attitude neither harsh nor warm, simply official. "This is the magistrate’s resting area. If you’re here to report a case, please use the right entrance; someone will register your complaint."

Di Miao smiled, her eyes curved, and bowed, saying, "Thank you for your efforts, sirs. I’m here to see Magistrate Di on family business."

Family business?

Zhao San and Qian Wu frowned. Family matters were also cases, weren’t they? They’d already told her to use the right entrance—why didn’t she listen? Their faces showed some displeasure.

At that moment, Peng Liang, carrying tea, happened to pass by. Seeing the situation, he glanced at the two and explained, "This young lady is Magistrate Di’s sister."

Hearing this, the two immediately bowed and apologized repeatedly.

Di Miao accepted their apology with a smile and a shake of her head. "No harm done."

Peng Liang’s expression turned stern. He admonished them, "Though you haven’t served Magistrate Di for long, you know how kindly he treats the people. You are no longer Gold Guard; always mind your demeanor, and don’t bring trouble upon Magistrate Di."

The two complied, inwardly berating themselves.

Di Miao watched Peng Liang lecture them, her gaze full of encouragement.

When Peng Liang finished and opened the door, Di Miao stepped inside.

The moment she saw her brother, her demeanor changed completely.