Wenren Qiao carried a basin of water at just the right temperature over to Tie Lihua, slowly set it down, and spoke gently to her.
"My dear, would you like your husband to help take off your shoes and stockings?"
Tie Lihua shot him a sidelong glance and took off her shoes herself. Seeing him still standing there, she patted the spot beside her, signaling for him to sit.
But Wenren Qiao did not sit beside Tie Lihua. He brought over a stool and sat across from her instead.
The two were enjoying a pleasant foot soak together when voices sounded outside the door.
Tie Jiuni spoke to the maids stationed outside in a soft, sweet voice.
"I've brought soup for my brother-in-law. I made it myself."
As she spoke, an inexplicable blush spread across her face.
Yet the maids guarding the door showed not the slightest sympathy for this thoughtful gesture of hers.
It was not that they were jealous of Tie Jiuni. The real issue was, what decent person tried to steal someone else's husband and brought him lovingly simmered soup-
With a food carrier in one hand and a plate of shit in the other?
The shit was runny, too. Every time Tie Jiuni said something to them, she raised that plate of shit and took a sip.
The two maids were so revolted by her actions that they fought down their nausea and tried to drive her away.
"How do you know my brother-in-law doesn't want to see me? I'm warning you, if you make him miss out on my soup, watch out-he'll punish you!"
Wenren Qiao had barely had any contact with her. Who knew how she managed to say all that with such brazen confidence?
The maids curled their lips. As the saying went,