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Angrily Reprimanding Xiao-shi
T/N: Translated by Jen on Broken Jinsei! Please do not repost my translations! All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
Since Lu Qi Yang was being a wimp, unwilling to climb up the wall to come see Shen Lan Chi, then she can only take things into her own hands.
Shen Lan Chi pulled up her sleeves, picked up that small rock from the ground, and threw it over the wall. Once that rock landed on the other side, she just rolled up the hem of her dress, stepping on the rockery in the courtyard and climbing upwards.
This appearance of hers, if others were to see, they will certainly be horrified————There has never been a noble daughter of a prestigious family that dared to behave in such an unmannerly fashion like this.
Moreover, looking at her stance, it long wasn’t her first time climbing over the wall.
“Miss….!” Bi Yu cried out in a panic, “Today is the duke’s birthday celebration. If older sister Hong Que were to come back later, letting madam learn of this, it won’t be good……”
“It’s fine, mother is very busy right now.” Shen Lan Chi was unconcerned. Half her foot had already stepped onto the wall. Flipping the black hair on her shoulder, she very cheerfully called out towards the other side of the wall, “Lu Qi Yang, since you’re too scared to come over, then I’ll just go over.”
Sweeping a glance, she just happened to see in the Zhennan Wang Manor’s little garden Lu Qi Yang still in his dripping wet clothes, quietly standing in the corner. Although in a sorry state, this didn’t diminish his handsome appearance in the slightest.
Suddenly hearing sounds from the top of the wall, Lu Qi Yang lifted his head in slight astonishment. The midsummer sunlight was slightly hot, perfectly shining upon the surrounding. The girl sitting atop the wall lightly swayed her legs, her hair not rolled up in a bun, but under the slightly messy black hair, there was a pair of bright eyes like pearls, just like that matchless bright pearl on the shoes of a bride.
“Why have you still not changed your clothes yet?” Shen Lan Chi stared at his wet clothes, saying with a frown, “If you accidentally catch a cold, your mother will blame me for getting you sick.”
“How could my consort mother bear to blame you?” Subconsciously, Lu Qi Yang retorted back, his tone having a drawn-out grumble, “She treats you even more sincerely than how she treats me, don’t know who is her actual child?”
“You coward, just that made you not dare to come see me, wasn’t it just hugging me a little…….ahhh—”
Shen Lan Chi was just about to mock him, when the tile under her moved. Her body instantly became a bit unstable. Following a short scream, she immediately fell from the wall.
“Lan Lan!”
Lu Qi Yang was a bit startled, immediately reaching his arms out and catching her as she fell from the wall.
As his arms sank from the weight, the girl fell into his arms. The wind from the force of the fall caused the grass in the surrounding to gently sway.
“This clumsy, don’t know who taught you?” He had Shen Lan Chi placed down as he said this.
The girl in his arms although had her two feet on the ground, she nevertheless was unwilling to leave, still leaning against his chest. Her fingers tightly clutched his collar, like using her fingertips to repeatedly trace over the cloud patterns embroidered in gold.
Lu Qi Yang lifted his hand, stretching his palm towards her hair whorl. Just, his palm shook midway, very quickly changing to pushing her away from him.
TN: All translations outside of Broken Jinsei are stolen and reposted without permission!
“Sticking to me like this, careful not to catch a cold again. Later, the one to get beaten will be me again.” He bluntly said.
Shen Lan Chi who got pushed away felt a bit dull inside. Shaking her hand, she raised her brow and said, “Didn’t I just feel around to see how much muscle you have? I even thought that with you having nothing to do all day, you’d certainly be full of fat, carrying excess flesh all over, yet didn’t expect that you’d actually be quite lean. Actually, can even take to the west market to hang up and sell.”
These words of hers were too frivolous, too improper. Even if the little heir mingled in the marketplace all day, he still got choked by these words of hers.
“You……” Lu Qi Yang slightly narrowed his eyes, smiling instead of getting angry, “You better restrain yourself a little. If you really make this young master angry, you’ll be having more than what you asked for.”
“Fine.” Shen Lan Chi was somewhat bored, waving her hand at him, and very soon, just like how she came, she hurriedly climbed up the wall. Sitting atop the wall, she turned back and glanced at Lu Qi Yang again, discovering that he’d already left on his own, just leaving behind a tall back view.
The inside of the An Duke Manor echoed with the sound of stringed instruments, clamoring with voices, but that sound was like separated by a layer of veil, already unable to be heard clearly by her. In her eyes, she just saw Lu Qi Yang’s back that seemingly got coated in a warm outline by the sunlight.
. . .
Although there were some small accidents during the banquet, this day still livelily went by.
A few days later, Shen first madam figured that it was about time, thus wanted to carefully settle the grievances during the birthday banquet.
The second branch had caused Lan Chi to fall into the water, even nearly making Lan Chi shoulder a tarnished reputation of conspiring to kill someone. She absolutely won’t idly sit by and ignore!
While Shen Xin Gu was away in court, Shen first madam had Xiao-shi and the servant women under her all called over to her courtyard. When Xiao-shi arrived, she just saw her sister-in-law with a cold face, her two eyes like the eyes of a wooden carving of a rakshasa[1], as if wanting to dig a hole in her face. As such, she felt a bit scared inside.
“Sister-in-law, such a big stance, what are you trying to do?” Xiao-shi adjusted the entirely green bracelet on her wrist, her gaze sweeping over the servant women in the courtyard as she forced out a smile on her face, “If something happens, when elder brother comes back, it won’t be easy to explain.”
“Younger sister-in-law, I also want to give you dignity. Just, you are the person in charge of the banquet, yet there was an accident at the banquet, so how can I give you face?” Shen first madam said with a cold look.
“What issue could there still be?” Xiao-shi had a confused look, “The matter of Lan’er falling into the water, didn’t it already get investigated clearly? It was the woodworkers accidentally spilling glue on the ground two days ago when they came to the manor, thus causing the lakeside to become a bit slippery. If you’re talking about Cui Ying’s matter———-this lowly servant already got sold off. What else is older sister-in-law not satisfied about?”
Xiao-shi had already thought of the perfect excuse. As such, her tone had a bit of arrogance, completely not scared of Shen first madam questioning her.
“Who is talking about this matter with you?” Shen first madam had long predicted Xiao-shi’s glib tongue, so naturally had countermeasures prepared. With a pah, she an account book slammed before Xiao-shi, coldly saying, “During this period while younger sister-in-law was in charge of the household, don’t know how much money you’ve taken from the public funds? Using the public funds for personal reasons, excessively squandering money, if this gets out, others will say that our An Duke Manor have no standards at all, the pillars full of vermin!”
Xiao-shi momentarily blanked. She completely didn’t expect that Shen first madam would start asking about the account book. Her eyes spun, immediately saying in a clever voice, “Aiyaa, sister-in-law, the money that went out from the account were all spent on father’s birthday banquet. The items on there, isn’t it all very clear?”
When handling the accounts, she’d carefully manipulated it. No matter who, all won’t be able to make out the slightest clues from this account book. For her to have gone through that much trouble to take on this strenuous and unrewarding job, wasn’t it precisely for the sake of earning some money from it?
If Shen first madam were to discover, then she will have worked for nothing! Therefore, she’d long made full preparations. She refused to believe that this sister-in-law of hers can come up with something from the account book to punish her!
Hearing this, Shen first madam’s eyes turned increasingly cold, “Younger sister-in-law doesn’t look after the accounts often, so probably doesn’t know that our household has the account books divided into big and small ones. The big account book is looked after by the main wife in charge of the household, while the small account book is places with Li mama. If the amount on the big and small account books don’t match up, then someone certainly must have fake the accounts.”
As she said this, Shen first madam turned towards her own mama, angrily saying, “Li mama! The amount currently on the small account book in your hands, how come it doesn’t match with the one in younger sister-in-law’s hand? Speak, have your eyes gone bad, recording the wrong amount!”
Li mama let out an ‘ayooo”, blurting out, “My madam! This old servant has always been the most loyal and devoted, how could one play tricks with the numbers?”
When Xiao-shi heard, her face flashed between red and white.
No wonder! No wonder Shen first madam that easily handed over the housekeeping authority back then. Turns out, she’d kept a card up her sleeve! She, Xiao Yu Zhu, had never touched the household duties before, so how could she’ve known that the mama in her yard had a copy of the account book in her hand?
“Sister-in-law, perhaps it’s the mama in my yard that recorded the amount wrong, this is also possible……….” Xiao-shi said in embarrassment, “The Shen family is wealthy and powerful, so how can this bit of money matter?”
“Younger sister-in-law, the words can’t be said like this. You helping father arrange the birthday banquet, everyone in the entire capital all watched. If someone were to know that we can’t even keep an account book straight, then won’t we end up as the entire capital’s laughingstock?” Shen first madam said with a smile, “So why not have this account properly sorted out today, and obediently put back what should be put back.”
Upon hearing this, Xiao-shi’s complexion turned pale. One must know, during this birthday banquet, Xiao-shi and her children extravagantly squandered money from the public funds to buy things. If she were to let them have it all spat back out at this time, then that will be extremely unbearable.
Precisely at this time, the servant girl came to report, saying that Shen first master has returned from court.
Xiao-shi immediately relaxed a breath, becoming lively again, “Sister-in-law, look, elder brother has also returned, so how about letting elder brother come discuss this matter?”
As they spoke, Shen Xin Gu entered in his court attire, his shoulder even carrying a lush green leaf.
As soon as he saw the stance in Shen first madam’s courtyard, he just furrowed his brows, sternly saying, “Madam, what is this? As one family, why is there the need to always make a fuss?”
“Master, younger sister-in-law isn’t strict in managing the household. Never mind causing Lan’er to fall into the water during the banquet, she even made a mistake with the accounts. Such a big matter, how can it be ignored?” Shen first madam earnestly said.
“What does Lan’er falling into the water have to do with the second branch?” Shen Xin Gu’s voice became heavier, shouting, “As the main wife in charge of the household, you more or less need to be a bit more lenient towards second brother’s family, why be this narrow-minded!”
Shen Xin Gu’s words angered Shen first madam to the point of speechlessness, just feeling a headache.
Shen Xin Gu was normally good to her in every way, her food, clothing, and daily necessities all using the best. But, once encountering the second branch’s matters, he would just let her endure and yield more, ‘don’t be a narrow-minded person’. If not for Shen Xin Gu constantly pardoning, just based on Xiao-shi, that bit of trick, would she even be able to escape from her palm?
Shen first madam, no matter what, was all unable to swallow this breath.
“Isn’t it just a bit of stinky copper[2]? If it’s a mistake, then it’s just a mistake.” Shen Xin Gu waved his hand, his tone carrying a bit of impatience, “As a family, we must be more harmonious.”
These words of his made Xiao-shi beam with joy.
Then, looking again at Shen first madam’s extremely vexed appearance, Xiao-shi felt increasingly content.
Just as Xiao-shi was about to open her mouth to thank the elder brother, Shen Xin Gu suddenly said, “Since there’s a mistake with the money, then just let them make it up, no need to make a fuss. We’re all one family.”
This line of ‘just let them make it up’ made Xiao-shi’s originally cheerful smile suddenly freeze on her face.
——What! Actually still want her to have that money spit back out again!
——This elder brother, on the surface, told sister-in-law to not give her trouble, but in reality, he’s still helping his own wife!
Xiao-shi felt very indignant inside, both resentful and annoyed. After blanking for a while, Xiao-shi finally bowed and unwillingly said her thanks, saying “Yu Zhu will immediately go back to handle”, before leaving Shen first madam’s courtyard in a daze.
Watching Xiao-shi hurriedly disappear, Shen first madam lightly sighed.
She approached Shen Xin Gu, picking off the fallen leaf on his shoulder, softly saying, “Could it be that master really thinks that the lakeside being that slippery is purely because of the craftsmen’s unintentional mistake? Is Lan’er really going to fall into the water for nothing?”
Shen Xin Gu put his hands behind his back, falling quiet for quite a while before saying, “I know what you want to say. But, the Shen family cannot divide. If able to not say, then just say a little less.” He paused for a moment, then continued, “Furthermore, Lan Chi will be the esteemed mother of the country in the future and won’t suffer any more grievances then. Such trivial matters like the one two days ago, how is it worth mentioning?”
When Shen first madam heard, she had that leaf thrown back on his shoulder again.
Lan Chi will be the empress in the future, so even if getting wronged a little now, it doesn’t matter?
But, she absolutely can’t bear to see her own precious daughter be wronged!
“Mother of the country?!” Recalling Lu Zhao Ye’s various behavior, Shen first madam was greatly angered, coldly sneering and saying, “In my view, Lan Chi doesn’t need to marry some crown prince anymore. It’s better to find a good man in the marketplace that genuinely loves her, rather than staying in a family where she’s not loved by anyone!”
This line of ‘not loved by anyone’, don’t know whether she’s talking about the crown prince, or Shen Xin Gu.
Shen Xin Gu got stifled and was just about to retort, but his madam already angrily turned and left.
[1] Man-eating demon in buddhism
[2] An expression used to refer to money when looking down on money.
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