Chapter 16 Shumulu Shi: Don't come any closer!!! : Upon arriving at the main courtyard, seeing everyone there beaming with joy, Shen Wanqing temporarily suppressed her worries...

Upon arriving at the main courtyard, seeing everyone there beaming with joy, Shen Wanqing temporarily suppressed her worries and emotions. She recalled the scene of being promoted by the head office before finally putting on a very happy face and entering the house.

"The fact that Alang has caught the Crown Prince's eye is the greatest joy our family has experienced in recent years. The late Empress passed away early, but our family is still surnamed Hesheli, and the bond of being of the same bloodline is always stronger than that of outsiders."

"Eldest daughter-in-law, this time I'll pay for a few tables of food from outside, and also hire an opera troupe to perform for two days, to make it quite lively."

Tongjia was genuinely happy; her face was radiant, and even her voice was louder. Fuxuan, sitting to the side, was also beaming. When she saw Shen Wanqing come in, she waved to her and pulled her to sit down next to her. "It's so good that you got such a good job as soon as you came in. You're lucky."

You could say that's a compliment, but Shen Wanqing, the one being complimented, felt awkward no matter how you looked at it. If you said it wasn't a compliment, she felt like she might be wronging her. Unable to respond, she could only offer a forced, cheerful laugh.

“Mother, Alang has just started working at Yuqing Palace. I think it would be best for him to keep a low profile.” It was Niohuru who spoke. Her clear and cold voice made the whole room fall silent for a moment.

"Why would you say that, eldest daughter-in-law? Have you heard some gossip that shouldn't be circulating?" Tong Jia's cheeks were sore from laughing that she couldn't stop, and her expression looked somewhat strange at this moment.

"In response to the old lady, there are no rumors circulating outside. It is precisely because I do not have a daughter-in-law that I feel I should keep a low profile."

While they themselves are overjoyed with this position, countless others are secretly envious. To insist on throwing a lavish banquet while riding this wave is simply too conspicuous. Niohuru rarely contradicted Tongjia, but this time her stance was resolute.

“Sister-in-law, this is a joyous occasion for our family, how can we be too low-key? This position of second-class guard, Ah Lang, was not obtained through connections or back channels, but because the Crown Prince has taken a liking to our Ah Lang. Let others be envious, they are just not destined for this position.”

Shumulu was overjoyed. Now that she was in charge of the household, and her mother-in-law was willing to use her own money to host the banquet, why should she object?

If the banquet is well-organized, the eldest son's family will thank her for her generosity. They've spent so much money on the banquet and hiring the opera troupe; she'll definitely pocket a cut. Even outsiders will think her second aunt is incredibly generous.

Why not kill three birds with one stone? Shumulu had already made her plans. But Niohuru insisted on interfering, leaving everyone in the room in an awkward position, forced to watch Tongjia's expression.

The grandson belongs to the daughter-in-law, and besides, what Niohuru said makes sense. Tongjia pondered for a moment and nodded, "The Mid-Autumn Festival is just a few days away, so let's make it more lively and treat it as a celebration for Alang."

“Grandma is wise. I also think this is the perfect way to do things. As a new daughter-in-law, I’m worried because I haven’t handled any major events since I came into the family. Let’s have a big celebration this Mid-Autumn Festival. If there’s anything I do wrong, please ask my second aunt to teach me.”

"Teach you what?" Shumulu never expected that the conversation would turn to her, and she was completely frightened.

"Second Aunt, I'll go to the West Courtyard tomorrow morning. During this Mid-Autumn Festival, could you teach me about the rules for social interactions in our family? After the festival, I'll be able to get the East Courtyard's account books from you. My husband and I are both married, yet we still have to worry about us. We're being so unfilial as your juniors."

Some things, if kept hidden, become unreasonable even if they make sense. It's like the person who borrowed the money is treated like royalty, while the creditor has to come up with a hundred excuses when trying to collect the debt, as if asking for repayment is some terrible thing to do.

Shen Wanqing had been taken advantage of several times during her university years and shortly after graduation. She was so ashamed that she had to ask for her money back, but the friends who lent her the money acted as if they were in the right. After finally getting her money back, they blocked her first, and she became the one who had done something wrong.

Later, she hardened her heart. She would say what she wanted, as long as it wasn't outright robbery. She wouldn't take what wasn't hers, and she wouldn't let anyone take away a single thing that was rightfully hers.

Since Shumulu Shi liked to meddle in the affairs of the eldest son's family so much, Shen Wanqing was too lazy to chop off her claws. She simply took back the account books and servants of the eldest son's family, and that was enough.

Shumulu wanted to take advantage of Yulang's promotion to second-class guard of Yuqing Palace to enhance her own reputation and show off her competence, letting everyone in the family know who had been managing the household these past few years and how indispensable the family was. Little did she know that Shen Wanqing would turn the tables on her, making her so angry that her face turned green.

This newlywed matriarch is acting like a dog; anyone who crosses her gets bitten. The Shen family claims to be an educated family, and this is how they raise their daughter?!

Despite her anger, Shumulu had to maintain a smile on the surface. She walked from the main courtyard back to her own courtyard in the west courtyard. Only after watching the maid close all the doors and windows did she finally let go, as if all her strength had been drained, letting the broken Buddhist beads she had been clutching in her hand all the way back fall to the ground.

"Huamei, tell me the truth, have I mistreated the eldest son's family these past few years?"

“Madam is kind-hearted. She has never been stingy with the monthly allowance and food and clothing expenses for the eldest son’s family over the past few years. Not to mention us servants, even the old lady and the master cannot falsely accuse people without reason.”

"Hmph, what does Shen mean by this? Isn't it the time when the eldest son's family begged us to move back from outside? If the master hadn't moved back then, this whole family, with its orphans, widows, the old and the young, would have been living in a dilapidated kiln long ago."

"Madam, please calm down. The old lady hasn't given her approval yet, so it's still uncertain whether it will work out. We can't let ourselves get upset and become a laughing stock in the East Courtyard."

"I'm not angry. Why should I be angry? At worst, I can just hand over this huge mess to someone else and I'll be relieved."

Despite saying she wasn't angry, her hand trembled as she took the teacup from the thrush. At this moment, Shumulu couldn't suppress her resentment as she thought about all the effort she had put into this household over the years.

"Go, send someone out and bring the master back! I want to ask him what kind of good wife he found for his nephew."

Back then, the eldest son of the main wife was still young, and his mourning period was longer than that of the second wife. Several years earlier, Shumulu had taken over the management of the household from Niohuru.

On the surface, the two families own separate properties, but each family must contribute a sum of money to a common account at the end of each year to cover the family's expenses for the following year.

Furthermore, since Tongjia and the unmarried Fuxuan had agreed that Erhe would support them, the money contributed by the two families was always split 30/70.

That's to be expected, since He Yi was willing to move back back then for the sake of the whole family. The money has been given, and no one will argue about who made an extra piece of clothing today or who ordered an extra two dishes or a pot of wine tomorrow.

But a local official has more power than a distant one, and the servants in the household don't care how their masters should treat each other fairly. They only know that the mistress of the household has changed from Niohuru to Shumulu, and whoever is in charge has to curry favor with her. Whoever can become Shumulu's favorite will have more confidence in the household.

Human nature is so subtle; no one starts out intending to turn against their own brothers. But as time goes on, even if the eldest son's family isn't neglected, but is intentionally or unintentionally ignored for not taking care of the household, resentment will grow in their hearts.

Even though the second wife and Shumulu have been praising the first wife in their words for the past few years, and always saying that they will move back to their own home after Yulang gets married and is able to support his family in a few years, how could they possibly give up the right to be the wife in charge of the household?

Shen Wanqing was only talking; she hadn't actually taken back the account books from the East Courtyard yet, but Shu Mulu was already filled with resentment. She had even forgotten that the two households had already separated; she now felt that Shen Wanqing was trying to take away her control of the household.

Huamei was a maidservant brought from Shumulu's maiden home and had been by her side for years. She saw things more clearly than Shumulu, but now was not the time to advise Shumulu. Even if she had a lot to say, she could only send someone to find the Second Master and bring him back.