NOVPUB
Chapter 979: Chapter 982: Heading to the Tan Family
Time flew by, and it was already September—Qiao Duo’er had begun to count the days until her expected delivery date.
Every day in the late stages of pregnancy was a happy torment; she couldn’t wait to meet the baby, but at the same time, she was suffering from the discomfort of her large belly.
Because of her round belly, the quality of her sleep had seriously deteriorated.
Especially in the mornings, when the little one inside her belly would wake her up early, leaving her feeling quite helpless.
That morning, Qiao Duo’er was again kicked awake on schedule, wanting to sleep a bit longer, but without any trace of drowsiness left. Lying in bed was uncomfortable, so she had no choice but to get dressed in a wobbly fashion.
Now, during the crisp autumn days, it was nice to get up early and take a walk outside, exercising to ease the suffering during childbirth.
"Wife, were you woken up by the commotion again?" Tan Zhenghong asked with concern.
As the birth approached, he had hardly seen his wife gain much weight. These past few nights, she hadn’t slept well and had even lost a little more weight.
Why couldn’t their baby be a bit more considerate toward its mother?
Pouting, Qiao Duo’er said, "It’s just him, always restless. But after breakfast, I can still go for a walk. If worst comes to worst, I’ll just sleep more during the nap."
"That’s fine. Wait for me a moment, I’ll go cook some noodles."
The fish soup had been simmered by Tan Zhenghong early in the morning and kept warm on the stove. Now, all he needed to do was to add some green vegetables and noodles to boil for a bit, along with a couple of fried eggs and a plate of dried sliced beef, so breakfast was quickly served.
Ever since she became pregnant, Qiao Duo’er couldn’t get enough of fish, so she was particularly satisfied with this breakfast.
Just as Qiao Duo’er finished eating, she saw Almond bring in a vase.
"Madam, look at these flowers I just picked—aren’t they beautiful?"
Almond looked contently at the flowers she had just arranged.
Having a vase of flowers in the room made the whole place look different.
Normally, Qiao Duo’er would lavish praise without hesitation, but this time she reacted as if facing a great enemy.
Because these weren’t ordinary flowers; they were the highly poisonous oleander.
Oleanders could bloom all year round, with a peak during summer and autumn. The flowers were delicate and pretty, suitable as ornamental plants.
However, the plant’s flowers, fruits, leaves, and stems all contained strong poisons that could easily cause death if ingested.
For pregnant women, these plants were especially dangerous. Contact with the toxic sap could harm the fetus and, in severe cases, could lead to miscarriage.
"Where did you pick these flowers?" Qiao Duo’er asked earnestly.
Speaking timidly, Almond replied, "I picked them from a tree not far from our house; there are several more in the village. Is something wrong?"
"These flowers are toxic. Quickly throw them away, and then have Tan Zhenghong tell the village head to cut down all those trees."
Qiao Duo’er said sternly, and the fact that the flowers were even planted at the Tan Family’s door likely meant they were targeted at the Tan Family.
Trusting Qiao Duo’er’s words completely, Almond immediately took the vase out, including the flowers.
Seeing the madam’s complexion, Almond knew the toxicity must be serious.
Before long, Tie Niu hurried over.
"Lucky you discovered it in time. So far, only cattle and sheep have died from eating it, no harm has come to people. Ah Hong is already leading people to keep watch over those flowers, preventing anyone from getting close. I came to ask what’s the deal with these flowers," Tie Niu asked humbly.
Having lived in the village for so long, he had never seen such flowers before; he was even certain they didn’t exist in the entire Ning Tian Mansion.
Finding out where the poisonous flowers came from would lead to the culprit.
"This is called oleander, originally from Tian Zhu. Although the flowers are poisonous, they can be used in medicine and are usually only seen in the Imperial court," Qiao Duo’er explained.
