The old woman froze when she was caught. Her breathing faltered for an instant, but she quickly acted as if nothing was wrong.
"My dear girl, what could I possibly be doing? The hot water was scalding, and I'm terribly thirsty. I was just going to scoop some cool water to mix with it."
The Zhao Family's kitchen was quite spacious.
Directly opposite the door was a stove with two cooking pots. To the right of the stove, right by the kitchen entrance, sat a small stool and a pile of dry firewood. To the left of the stove were a cabinet, a dining table, and, tucked away in the farthest corner, a large water vat.
A lid woven from sorghum stalks covered the water vat. It was the faint sound it made that prompted Chen Wanqing to turn her head just in time.
She was already on guard, so she spun around with exceptional speed. Her eyes were sharp, and she instantly spotted the brown powder scattering from the old woman's hand.
Chen Wanqing's heart leaped into her throat.
