Chapter 172: Volunteering for the Task

Chapter 172: Chapter 172: Volunteering for the Task

Hua Yusen’s eyes lit up when he heard this. That particular official’s attitude toward Elder Gu was complicated, but he would never stand by and watch Elder Gu die. Seeing his old friends fall ill and pass away one by one would sadden him, and he wouldn’t want to lose them. Besides, someone had to keep the department running and manage the bigger picture. That would be Elder Gu’s opportunity.

"Alright then, I’ll go swap the poison," Hua Yusen nodded. "We’ll turn their own trick against them!"

"I secretly saw Wang Yuan carrying that thing on her person today. You’re a man; how could you possibly swap the poison in that porcelain vial so easily!" Zhao Nuanyue shook her head, refuting him. "I’m a woman, and I have a decent relationship with Wang Yuan. Let me do it."

The reason Zhao Nuanyue was so confident was because she had the Little Red Carp to help her.

Gu Qingyu and Hua Yusen both turned to look at Zhao Nuanyue.

Zhao Nuanyue felt embarrassed under their gaze and said in a low voice, "Am I wrong?"

"No, you’re absolutely right. Xiaohua really isn’t suited for it," Gu Qingyu said. "Alright, Nuanyue, this task is yours. The rest of our plan depends on this step."

Zhao Nuanyue nodded, her spirits high. "Elder Gu, I guarantee I’ll complete the mission. The other day, I overheard Guo Dongmei say the potion is colorless and odorless. If we had an identical bottle, we could just swap them directly. But I got a peek at the small porcelain vial, and it’s very unique. We’ll never find an identical one in such a short time. To do this without anyone noticing, our only option is to replace the poison inside with water."

"Right. The mission is difficult. Do you have a plan?" Hua Yusen asked. "I’ll assist you."

Zhao Nuanyue thought for a moment, then said, "Li Qiong is about to get her period, so she won’t be able to go fishing. I’ll go with Wang Yuan instead. When the time comes, I’ll find a way to capsize the boat and make Wang Yuan fall into the water. She’s learned to swim, but she’s not as good as me. I’ll take that opportunity to swap the potion in her vial."

Gu Qingyu listened and nodded. "That is indeed a good plan. But if it’s too risky, don’t do anything to alert the enemy. And no casualties. I have a greater use for Wang Yuan, so keep her alive."

"Mm, I’ll keep that in mind," Zhao Nuanyue nodded, feeling that the task wasn’t too difficult. "You all be careful these next few days, too!"

After discussing the details further, they felt the probability of success was high. Only then did they return to their respective rooms.

Sure enough, just as Zhao Nuanyue had predicted, Li Qiong got her period and couldn’t go fishing, so she stayed in the village to help dry salted fish. Zhao Nuanyue went fishing with Wang Yuan. This was the perfect opportunity.

"Nuanyue, the Little Red Carp is so young. You should leave her in the village with an elderly person to watch her, or even send her over to Li Qiong’s. Don’t bring the child with you," Wang Yuan said, looking up at the bright sun, worried the Little Red Carp would get sunburned.

Zhao Nuanyue’s heart ached. ’Wang Yuan, oh, Wang Yuan, why couldn’t you resist temptation? You only had to wait another year or two, and you could have left this place.’

"No, I want to go with my sister." The Little Red Carp hugged Zhao Nuanyue’s leg and wouldn’t let go. "Sister, sister!"

Seeing this, Zhao Nuanyue smiled and picked up the Little Red Carp, saying to Wang Yuan, "Sigh, this child is just so clingy. Don’t worry, Wang Yuan. The Little Red Carp is very well-behaved. She’ll be fine sitting at the bow. Besides, I pole the boat very steadily. Nothing will happen."

"It’s better if she sits in the boat’s cabin. It’s safer," Wang Yuan said, and then she even fetched a small stool from her home specifically for the Little Red Carp to sit on in the cabin.

This thoughtful side of Wang Yuan made it hard for Zhao Nuanyue to reconcile her with the Wang Yuan who was ready to betray them at a moment’s notice.

On the small boat, Zhao Nuanyue poled while Wang Yuan sat with the Little Red Carp, occasionally shielding her.

The Little Red Carp had been wary of the evil thing on Wang Yuan, but her sister told her not to show it. So, the Little Red Carp kept her eyes fixed on the water’s surface, hypnotizing herself, ’I’m not scared, I’m not scared!’

"Oh, Little Red Carp, come, sit properly beside me. Don’t get too close to the edge of the water; you could fall in and drown," Wang Yuan reminded her. "Come on, be a good girl."

The Little Red Carp’s big eyes looked aggrievedly at Zhao Nuanyue, as if to say, "Sister, save me."

It was adorable!

Zhao Nuanyue ignored the Little Red Carp’s pitiful gaze and also urged, "Listen to Ms. Yuan. Don’t be naughty."

The Little Red Carp had no choice but to scoot further in, a little closer to Wang Yuan.

"Nuanyue, where are we fishing today?" Wang Yuan asked, curious. She noticed Zhao Nuanyue wasn’t heading to their usual spots but was instead rowing toward a more remote area. Usually, Zhao Nuanyue was very cautious and wouldn’t go so far out.

Zhao Nuanyue heard her and said with a smile, "Look, there are so many people over here. We won’t catch much if we fish here. It’s better to go somewhere farther out. Besides, I want to catch more fish so we can sneak a few big ones home to cook for dinner tonight."

Many people in Nianqiao Village did this. As long as you weren’t caught in the act, no one would report you.

After all, with no meat available, if they couldn’t even eat some fish, they’d have no savory food at all.

Wang Yuan’s eyes lit up. "Oh, I’ve been craving your pickled vegetable fish for ages! Let’s see if we can catch a black carp today. If not, a big grass carp will do."

The Little Red Carp wasn’t interested in fish, but she loved eating Dragon Wisdom Grass and fish balls.

Zhao Nuanyue kept rowing, heading into more and more remote territory. Wang Yuan, having had a terrifying experience before, said with some fear, "Nuanyue, let’s not go any further in. I’m a little scared."

Zhao Nuanyue stood up, carefully surveyed her surroundings, and then said, "Alright, let’s just go over there. There are a lot of waterweeds, so there must be plenty of fish."

"Okay, then," Wang Yuan nodded. Although there was no one around, she knew Zhao Nuanyue was very cautious. If there were any danger, she definitely wouldn’t have come this way.

They reached the area lush with waterweeds and began to cast their net. The Little Red Carp took out her small fishing rod and started fishing, sometimes even catching small fish weighing about half a pound!

"Wow, the Little Red Carp already knows how to fish at such a young age," Wang Yuan praised. "And just using a simple dough ball for bait. That’s amazing!"

The Little Red Carp just smiled and began to gather her energy.

"Oh no, the wind is picking up," Zhao Nuanyue said, seeing ripples form on the river. The waves grew larger, and the small boat began to rock more and more violently. "Wang Yuan, sit down quickly! Don’t stand up!"

Zhao Nuanyue quickly crouched down, holding the Little Red Carp, her face pale with panic.

The Little Red Carp buried her face in Zhao Nuanyue’s chest, her own face red with effort as she continued to use her Mana to make the wind and waves in the area even stronger.

"Nuanyue, what should we do?" Wang Yuan stammered, trembling with fear. "Let’s go back quickly."

Zhao Nuanyue looked at the increasingly rough wind and waves, then nodded. "Wang Yuan, Little Red Carp, sit in the cabin and don’t move."