Dong Yu carried the chicken soup toward her room. Seeing that it was still quite hot, she placed it on the table inside and sat down for a moment. Feeling the sudden need to use the privy, she hurried out.

It happened that Song Yue Mei was just coming out to retrieve the chicken soup herself. As Song Yue Mei passed Dong Yu’s room, she noticed the quilt had fallen onto the floor. Seeing no one inside, she stepped in to pick it up for her. While there, she conveniently placed the bowl of chicken soup onto the table as well.

After tidying things up, Song Yue Mei helped herself to a bowl of the chicken soup before leaving. Just as she reached the doorway, Dong Yu returned. Seeing Song Yue Mei standing by her door startled her—after all, she carried the guilt of a thief. She asked why Song Yue Mei was lingering at her entrance. Song Yue Mei calmly stated she was just picking things up and then returned to her own room. Dong Yu glanced inside; indeed, the quilt was neatly folded back in place, so she didn't harbor much suspicion. The chicken soup had cooled slightly, and it contained a large chicken leg and plenty of meat. She promptly slurped it down, leaving not a speck behind.

Initially, nothing seemed to happen after she finished eating. Soon enough, it was time for lunch. Song Yue Mei figured that since the mother-in-law had sent chicken soup that morning, everyone likely wasn't very hungry. She prepared a simple meal and called Dong Yu to eat. Dong Yu went and picked at her food, consuming almost nothing—she only sat there, sipping a few mouthfuls of fish broth. In truth, Dong Yu was merely waiting to see when the effects of the concoction she had given Song Yue Mei would manifest.

Unexpectedly, before she could witness Song Yue Mei suffer any reaction, her own stomach began to ache faintly. Dong Yu initially paid it little mind, assuming it was just discomfort from eating too much too quickly.

But after waiting a while, the abdominal pain became unbearable. Moreover, shortly thereafter, she felt a trickle of blood beneath her. Dong Yu was momentarily stunned, then descended into a flurry of distress. As she thrashed about in agony, she watched Song Yue Mei, who appeared completely unaffected. Panic seized her. Had she accidentally swapped bowls? Or perhaps Song Yue Mei had discovered her scheme and was deliberately remaining silent, switching their bowls instead?

However, the agonizing pain in her stomach left her no capacity for meticulous analysis. By the time He Shi arrived, Dong Yu had resolved that, no matter what, she would shift the blame onto Song Yue Mei. She immediately took the offensive, launching into an embellished and dramatic account before He Shi.

Although He Shi had moderated her behavior somewhat recently, certain core traits were innate. Perhaps she could suppress her nature when dealing with minor matters, but when a major crisis erupted, her true character burst forth. He Shi remained there for a while. Upon learning that Dong Yu had lost her child and hearing Dong Yu assert with certainty that Song Yue Mei was responsible, He Shi disregarded everything else. She paid no mind to whether the evidence was conclusive; she heaped all the blame onto Song Yue Mei.

Then, she exaggerated the story further to Qingshan, Dajiang, and the other Lin family members. When Dong Yu finally woke up and learned her child was gone, she launched into yet another performance. Considering that the Lin family were simple country folk, none of them possessed the composure to analyze the problem rationally when faced with a major event; they merely passed along rumors and exaggerations. Coupled with Dong Yu's absolute certainty, the blame settled squarely on Song Yue Mei’s shoulders, regardless of whether she admitted to it or not.

Later, when Dong Yu awoke the next morning, she learned that Song Yue Mei had agreed to a separation, which brought Dong Yu a measure of satisfaction. Her ultimate goal was to obscure her own wrongdoing and have Qingshan drive Song Yue Mei out. Whether it was a mutual separation or a divorce initiated by the husband, she didn't care.

But Dong Yu feared Qingshan might backtrack. Although they spoke of separation, nothing was finalized yet. So, she wept before Qingshan again, lamenting her poor, lost child. Finally, Qingshan made the firm decision to separate, the family agreed, and Song Yue Mei departed. Dong Yu thought the matter was settled and was inwardly pleased. Unexpectedly, that troublesome girl, Lin He, chose to intervene, even speaking of reporting the matter to the authorities—now her own mother-in-law insisted on involving the magistrate.

If the matter reached the government office, things would hardly be so simple. Dong Yu was not a fool; she knew that this situation only arose because Song Yue Mei had truly given up on Qingshan and had not fought the separation. If the case went to court, imprisonment was a possibility. Song Yue Mei would certainly deny everything, and there was a risk that not only would Song Yue Mei be cleared, but Dong Yu herself might be exposed.

Yet, seeing her mother-in-law in this state, Dong Yu had no other recourse. She finally spoke up, "Mother, I didn't see it with my own eyes. My assertion that Song Yue Mei poisoned me was a guess. But think about it, surely it must have been her, right? Today, I only drank some chicken soup and ate a few bites of the vegetables. You brought the soup, so it must have been fine. What's left are the dishes she made. If it wasn't her, who was it?"

Though Dong Yu spoke softly, the women nearby all overheard her. He Shi, who had been loudly insisting on going to the clan leader's house, froze upon hearing Dong Yu’s words. Huang Shi and the others were also startled by Dong Yu’s admission, and it seemed likely that other conjectures were beginning to form in their minds. Hong Yun, being forthright, immediately spoke up: "Dong Yu, after all this commotion, it turns out it was just a guess? You mean you didn't actually see Song Yue Mei administer the poison? But you said earlier you saw it with your own eyes?"

"Yes, Dong Yu, that's not right of you. This isn't a small matter. With a single careless word, you caused a couple to separate—that affects their entire lives. You know how hard life is for a divorced woman. You shouldn't have done that," Hong Xia also said with clear dissatisfaction.

Lin He remained silent. Everything she had said up to this point was aimed at forcing Dong Yu to confess. Now that Dong Yu had spoken the truth, Lin He decided to wait and see what she would say next, perhaps hoping to uncover the actual sequence of events. A sarcastic smile touched Lin He's lips as she pulled over a stool and sat down at the very back.

Dong Yu was so chastised by the Hong sisters that she couldn't utter a response, simply sitting there shaking. After a long pause, He Shi seemed to regain her senses. She stopped talking about going to the magistrate and sat down by Dong Yu’s bed, staring at her. "Dong Yu, your statements contradict each other. You need to explain exactly what happened. You must realize we chased Song Yue Mei away over this matter, and she's carrying a child. If you don't clarify this, even Qingshan won't forgive you when he returns."

"Mother, I don't know either! My child is gone, and didn't even the doctor say it was caused by medicine? Who else in this house would harm me? Besides, my child was lost; why do you speak as if I did something wrong? Even at my worst, I wouldn't use my own child's life to fight Song Yue Mei," Dong Yu declared firmly, meeting He Shi's gaze.