Chapter 198: Every cause has its effect; every evil cause brings its own specific evil retribution

That night, at the suburban Green Mountain Psychiatric Hospital.

Outside the window, the night was deep; a pair of empty, lifeless eyes stared fixedly at the iron bars.

The on-duty staff, accustomed to such sights, walked past without expression, continuing their rounds to the next ward.

"Croak, croak, croak."

"I'm the female lead; I should be living well and enjoying everyone's favor."

"Croak, croak, croak."

"You're talking nonsense; I am the female lead—I'm certainly not some vicious supporting female character!"

"Croak, croak, croak."

"You say Shen Man is the female lead? Hahaha, you're hilarious—I don't believe it!"

"In my past life, I lived in great splendor; Shen Man was merely my stepping stone, destined to be trampled under my feet as a defeated subordinate!"

"Croak, croak, croak."

"You claim to be the Demon King—how do you prove it? You're clearly just a poisonous toad, trying to trick me—I won't fall for it!"

"Croak, croak, croak."

"You're the hopeless one; I'm the female lead, the world should revolve around me—I'm heaven's chosen, I'm Director Lu, I'm Mrs. Gu—who am I?"

The woman locked to the hospital bed, unkempt, wearing the patient gown she had been given upon admission—its original color now indistinguishable—gave off a foul stench from head to toe.

In the dark corner beneath the iron bars, a poisonous toad emitted black qi invisible to ordinary people, its green, glistening eyes fixed on the disheveled woman on the bed.

It seems its first experimental subject has been completely ruined.

Time to look for the second experimental subject......

Food Factory Jiashuyuan——

Beneath the low rows of houses, work clothes were laid out to dry.

The constant dripping sound fell on the tile shed, keeping anyone trying to sleep wide awake.

The visibly pregnant Zhang Xuemei had utterly become a maid for the Zhou family, scolding them at the drop of a hat as if it were everyday routine.

Sometimes a former factory coworker would pass by, see her destitute state, and couldn't resist coming over to mock her a few times.

If it were her former self, she would have retorted without hesitation.

But now she has no status, no savings, no job, and can't even find her precious daughter!

Left with no choice, she could only swallow her anger, hoping the Zhou family would, for the sake of her unborn child, give her something to eat and a bed to sleep on.

And Director Zhou is nothing but a mama's boy, doing whatever his mother says!

No wonder he divorced his previous wife—it's all because of that meddling old mother-in-law!

Whether Zhang Xuemei married into the Lu family or the Liu family, she had never been controlled by her mother-in-law, never suffered such nonsense.

Those who do not act for themselves invite heavenly wrath and earthly annihilation!

Today, while digging wild vegetables with the mother-in-law, she spotted several poisonous plants.

Instantly, a plan formed in her mind.

Then, while the mother-in-law wasn't looking, she secretly plucked them and hid them away.

When cooking dinner, she mixed them into the vegetables.

Afraid?

What's there to fear? The wild vegetables were picked together with the mother-in-law; her eyesight is poor, so she mistook the poisonous ones—nothing abnormal about that.

Suspect she did it on purpose?

It's unjust! The mother-in-law is domineering, watching her work; if she'd picked the wrong ones, the mother-in-law would surely have noticed!

Why wouldn't she eat the poisonous vegetables?

That makes it even more unjust! It's not that she didn't want to eat them; the mother-in-law mistreated her, refusing to let her have any!

After the investigating Public Security Bureau finished taking her statement, they released her.

Right now, the mother-in-law is having her stomach pumped at the hospital; after the ordeal, even though she's been discharged, her vigor is nowhere near what it was before.

By then, she will play the dutiful daughter-in-law, gaining everyone's approval, and meanwhile prepare some antagonistic foods to do away with the mother-in-law—only then will she have a place in this family!

"What bad luck—this stomach pumping is going to cost a fortune! I told you not to let your mother be so stingy with vegetable money, but she just won't listen......"

Zhou Father also gave his statement; it matched Zhang Xuemei's account, and no issues were found.

Zhou Haitao also looked grim; in the middle of the night he almost caused a fatal accident, and running into the Public Security Bureau was just terrible luck!

"Dad, stop Monday-morning quarterbacking—tonight you go to the hospital to look after Mom; I have to work tomorrow and need sleep."

"I'm an old man with one foot in the grave—how many days do I have left? How could I possibly stay up late?"

After hearing his son's words, Zhou Father's eyes darted away—he didn't want to wait on an old woman's bodily waste; it would be thankless toil.

Father and son both unwilling to go, their gazes naturally fell on Zhang Xuemei, that woman.

"You go."

"Exactly, exactly—as the daughter-in-law, you ought to attend to the sick."

The father and son said it so lightly, as if asking an elderly pregnant woman to nurse the sick!

Zhang Xuemei already knew this family's shamelessness, yet she would still be angered.

But she had a reason she couldn't avoid going.

"Fine, I'll go."

She almost gritted her teeth saying those three words, but she went—she went!

Perfect—time to put her plan into action......

"Croak, croak, croak."

A voice sounded, but nobody present took it to heart.

Zhang Xuemei even took up a broom and directly whipped the annoying toad.

What are you yelling for? It's deafening!

Toad* demon god, defeated.

Every cause yields its effect; every evil cause has its own evil retribution.

"I heard the Marquis keeps a beauty in a golden house, hiding that mute princess in his tent, and last night he called for water five or six times."

"Ah? Could that mute princess be a beauty who could topple kingdoms? Our Marquis of Wuan is famous for keeping away from women—how did he break his vow?"

"Shh, keep it down. Our Marquis was just too busy before to worry about marriage, but now he has someone he fancies—shouldn't we be happy for him?"

"But that mute princess is a marriage-alliance princess; will the sovereign grant the marriage?"

"Cough cough cough."

"General Lu, greetings."

"Don't you want your tongues? Dare to gossip behind the Marquis's back—you don't even want your lives?"

"We subordinates dare not; please, General Lu, impose punishment."

"Forget it, considering it's your first offense, I'll let you off this time, but you must henceforth watch your words and deeds, or else if I hear you again, military law will await!"

"Yes!"

After the gathered soldiers dispersed, the youth in chainmail turned, arms crossed, and shouted toward the corner tent:

"Come out—I've seen your skirt hem. What? Even the imperial princess of Great Yong likes to eavesdrop at walls?"

"......"

The girl in the corner trembled all over at the words.

Her crow-black eyelashes clenched shut, then she opened them as if facing death.

Her slender fingers nervously gripped the sharp hairpin as she trembled turning.

In the young general's sight, the girl draped in a dark black cloak, eyes like a fawn, full of anxiety, stepped out from hiding..........