Purple Jade hadn’t gone to sleep yet, still holding a pen, writing and calculating accounts. With the young miss gone, all the household and outside affairs piled up on her. Moreover, it’s the end of the year, so all sorts of businesses need accounting and reconciliation. She indeed had a lot on her plate.

As for the household matters, there was still Nanny Cheng to help manage things, so it was somewhat easier. But she was just the assistant; she was the primary one, so she had to make decisions on many matters.

Yet Purple Jade didn’t feel the slightest bit unhappy; instead, she felt extremely fulfilled. Such busy days made her feel grounded and at ease from the bottom of her heart.

Just as she pressed the brush down to draw a point, Purple Jade’s eyes suddenly sharpened, and she shouted, "Who?" Simultaneously, the brush in her hand was thrown, piercing through the window paper, shooting towards the shadow outside the window.

The person outside the window dodged the aggressive brush and said, "Sister Purple Jade, it’s me, Cao Er."

Purple Jade was taken aback, quickly got up to open the door, and looked over. Wasn’t it the secret informant placed in the Wu Family, Cao Er?

"Cao Er, why have you come?" Purple Jade let her in, frowned, and asked, "Has something happened to the Wu Family?"

If it weren’t something urgent, she wouldn’t have come running.

"Nothing’s happened with the Wu Family, but today two people came, seemingly from Madam’s maternal family." Cao Er answered.

"Madam’s maternal family? Who?" Purple Jade’s face darkened slightly.

"The party claimed to be Madam’s eldest sister-in-law and niece, along with a little boy." Cao Er said, "I heard the lady addressing the woman as Eldest Sister-in-law Zhou, the young girl named Zhou Xiuer."

Without Cao Er needing to say more, just hearing the word "niece," Purple Jade guessed who they were, a bit of disgust flaring in her eyes. How did these Bone-Eroding Maggots find their way here again, truly persistent!

"Just the three of them?" Purple Jade poured Cao Er a cup of tea and asked, "Do you know why they’ve come?"

"I only heard a little bit; it seems the eldest sister-in-law’s husband and son offended someone and were thrown into prison. They’re here to ask Madam for help." Cao Er succinctly relayed what she had gathered.

Purple Jade’s face grew increasingly unpleasant, having expected nothing good. That family was always involved in these messy affairs, never a moment of peace.

Just as life was somewhat quiet, these parasitic worms came to trouble, and right when the young miss wasn’t around.

Cao Er further mentioned Madam Wang’s enthusiasm toward Madam Lu’s group and added some speculation, saying, "I was worried something might go wrong, so I came to report first."

Purple Jade responded, "They went to Huaan, completely unaware of the young miss’s matters over here. They thought Madam and the young miss both belonged to the Wu Family, thus went there."

"Even if they didn’t know before, they now do." Cao Er said, "That Wu Yining even gave Zhou Xiuer some nice clothes and small jewelry, and the first lady gave them a few more."

Purple Jade furrowed her brows.

"Madam Wang isn’t the generous type, yet she shows such interest and enthusiasm toward those few bugs. There’s got to be some intrigue here." Purple Jade mused, rubbing her fingers.

"Could it be that they want to use these people to reconnect with our young miss? That’s what I think they’re saying!" Cao Er remarked.

Purple Jade sneered, "Do you believe that? Madam Wang is arrogant and has already fallen out with the young miss several times. Do they think they can mend things?"

Cao Er was equally puzzled.

"You go back and keep an eye on Madam Wang’s actions. If anything seems off, report immediately." Purple Jade instructed, "Strange happenings are a sign of trouble; they are not the type to back down."

"Yes." Cao Er thought for a moment and added, "By the way, the illness of the Wu Family’s Old Madam seems somewhat linked to the first lady."

Purple Jade raised an eyebrow, "Keep a close watch on her; it would be best to gather some evidence."

Poisoning her mother-in-law, Madam Wang must be crazy!