@MandelaEffect: "Shi Family members, including Mrs. Shi, really do cut a poor figure. But compared to the latter two, Mrs. Shi seems simplistically pitiable. In such a wealthy family, being asked to sacrifice yourself and handle public relations is commonplace; indeed, there’s no need to single out such a matter for special mention—the disgusting nature of the wealthy is beyond your imagination. However, the way the second Mrs. Shi blurted out about the drinking poisoning incident, it really is alarming."
@LittleOrangeCat: "Could it be that Mrs. Shi herself let something slip? After all, compared to outsiders, Mrs. Shi has a closer relationship with the Shi Family."
@Bozo1987: "Didn’t you see Mrs. Shi’s expression when the second Mrs. Shi said she was poisoned by drinking? It’s definitely worth savoring!"
@FightingMonstersWithWife: "If it really were the Shi Family who poisoned her, and now they can still sit shamelessly before the victim, demanding they go out to handle PR, it’s utterly inhumane!"
@AutumnGrasshopperzdhj: "After all this, can’t the police identify a suspect?"
Police investigations will always follow procedures and evidence. Currently, there is no concrete evidence that links the Shi Family to the incident, so for the moment, the police can’t touch the Shi Family members. Of course, questioning is certain, but it’s just a routine matter.
Under normal circumstances, the police would not alarm the suspects without significant physical evidence.
Therefore, even if Ding Hong revealed any crucial information, she would only be pinpointed as a major suspect within the police department. The police are meticulous in their investigations, behaving as normal.
But Ding Hong’s exposure has stirred up a storm in the Shi Family, which had just calmed down.
Shi Hongyu was so angry that he flipped a table when he got home.
He didn’t have dinner and immediately dismissed the servants and juniors, summoning Ding Hong and the couple Si Junlan into the study.
"Have you grown a brain? Or have you not?" Shi Hongyu poked Ding Hong’s forehead and asked, "I told you over and over again to speak carefully, yet you managed to make it look like you’re the poisoner who’s afraid others don’t know about it?"
This time, even Si Junlan didn’t know how to defend Ding Hong.
Because Ding Hong’s slip-up was too big.
"Originally, we could’ve reversed the situation just by having that woman clear up the rumors outside, but now, the negative image of the Shi Family has sunk deeper into people’s hearts. I’ll tell you, whatever you do now is useless, because no one will believe you. Don’t go out these days, don’t deal with the police either. I’d rather avoid the trouble I can’t handle. Tomorrow at the trade association meeting, Yihui’s younger sister and I will attend, you just stay at home and reflect on yourself!"
In this moment, Ding Hong had no rights whatsoever; in Shi Hongyu’s eyes, she was utterly useless.
At the same time, she worried that after accidentally revealing that news today, the police might quickly trace it back to her. So, she needed to find a way to contact the "factotum" who created the fake wine, to ensure he wouldn’t get caught.
Because she knew that in this family, no one would help her.
If she herself wasn’t vigilant, by the time the police came knocking, it would be too late.
The several daughters-in-law of the Shi Family had not easily entered this door; should she make a mistake, there would be plenty of empathetic women waiting to replace her.
Therefore, she absolutely couldn’t give up her position as the second Mrs. Shi.
And it was precisely because of this mindset that she fell into Shi Lan’s trap.
Because on Huo Zhao’s end, footage of the "problematic" staff member delivering wine to Mrs. Shi had already been retrieved from surveillance.
Mother Shi’s wine order was always fixed, so was the delivery man, consistent across several instances—all but that one time...when a different person came.