Chapter 142 No one can take away her only...

Shao Minqing did not expect that this visit would persuade the Shen family to agree to the marriage.

This is normal; when one family has a son, many others will want him too.

Shen Mingda is good-looking, gentle, and has an innocent and pure naivety. Apart from being a little lacking in academics and being born out of wedlock, it is hard to find any other flaws.

But then again, if he were the legitimate son of the Shen family, Shao Minqing would never dare to make a move on him.

Her first encounter with Shen Mingda was somewhat accidental. At the time, she didn't know his identity. She just thought this handsome young man was a bit silly, his eyes almost glued to the piece of sandalwood, as if he had seen some peerless beauty.

She was too embarrassed to tell him that it was a fake.

Later, when the buyer exposed her in public, Shao Minqing forgot that she had come to watch the spectacle of her spendthrift brother, and instead looked immediately in the direction of Shen Mingda.

He was completely stunned, standing there listlessly, like a large, abandoned dog.

As if by some strange twist of fate, Shao Minqing walked up to him and extended an enticing invitation.

"I have genuine Dalbergia odorifera at home, would you like to see it?"

Later, she sent someone to investigate Shen Mingda. After learning his identity, she didn't know whether to feel relieved or regretful.

It was as if her father had appeared in heaven, carefully selecting a good son-in-law for her and personally delivering him to her.

The Shao family members were all dissatisfied with her taking over the business left by her father. Faced with huge profits, even the closest relatives became bloodthirsty wolves and hyenas, and everyone wanted to pounce on the mother and daughter and tear off a piece of their flesh.

Shao Minqing wanted to find a husband after giving birth, but her husband absolutely could not be a good-for-nothing who could only have children. He had to be either a wealthy merchant family with comparable strength to the Shao family, or an official family that could protect the Shao family's business.

She doesn't plan to marry someone in the same industry. First, there isn't a suitable candidate, and second, the business world is ever-changing, and money can be a powerful motivator. Who knows if the other party is plotting to take over the Shao family's business?

She still needs to find a protective umbrella for herself. She can give up some benefits, but she can't let her husband's family become too greedy.

Shen Hang spent more than ten years working in the Ministry of Rites, which was considered a relatively prestigious department among the Six Ministries. There wasn't much money to be made in it, so it didn't breed big corrupt officials.

His principal wife was the daughter of Zhao, an old censor of the Censorate. The old censor was honest and upright throughout his life. It is said that three generations of his family lived in one house, so he must have been very strict with the upbringing of his children and grandchildren.

Not to mention that Zhao Lan's daughters all married into high-ranking families, and his eldest son married the daughter of the Sang family, who was a very capable and shrewd lady.

However, there was little trace of being mistreated by his stepmother in Shen Mingda's appearance, and he got along with his elder brother like brothers.

The more Shao Minqing investigated, the more satisfied she became. It was rare to find a family with such high-ranking officials yet such upright family values. This was the best she could get; once this opportunity was gone, it would be gone forever.

As for Aunt Liu's obstruction and crying, she didn't take it to heart at all.

No matter how favored she was, she was still just a concubine; she couldn't possibly surpass Shen and Zhao.

If it weren't for the fact that she gave Shen Mingda a good-looking face, Shao Minqing wouldn't have bothered to give her a second glance.

At worst, after she and Shen Mingcheng get married, she can simply send Aunt Liu generous gifts every year as a sign of filial piety.

"Uncle and Aunt, I will visit again another day."

After leaving the gift, Shao Minqing calmly got up to take her leave.

As she left, she tugged at Shen Mingda's sleeve and said, "Spend more time with your aunt these next few days. She's just having a moment of weakness and getting stuck in a rut. Try to talk her out of it."

Shen Mingda nodded in agreement, then asked reluctantly, "You...you'll come again, right?"

Shao Minqing's heart softened, and she said gently, "Yes, I will definitely come."

Relieved by her assurance, Shen Mingda quickly followed her to the east courtyard to take care of Aunt Liu.

...

"Good heavens, where did Mingda find such a remarkable girl?"

Upon returning to the main courtyard, Shen Yuanjia could no longer contain himself and excitedly pulled Shen Lingyue aside to discuss, "I've never seen Aunt Liu so angry before, especially by her precious son. It's true that every creature has its nemesis."

Shen Lingyue glanced at them and saw that Zhao Lan and Liu Mama were talking and didn't have time to pay attention to them. She lowered her voice and asked, "Don't you think Miss Shao looks particularly familiar?"

Shen Yuanjia's eyes darted around, a mischievous glint in his eyes. He covered his mouth with his hand and whispered, "Like... Mother's long-lost biological daughter?"

The two sisters kept giggling and chattering.

This is probably the reason why Aunt Liu broke down so hard.

She spent most of her life being kept in the inner quarters by Zhao Lan, only to have her only son fall in love with a younger version of Zhao Lan. Where can you find justice in this?

What bad things have you two said about me this time?

Zhao Lan walked over, tapped one of them on the head, and then pointed at Shen Lingyue: "Your eldest sister has always been the most gentle and dignified, but now you've corrupted her."

Shen Lingyue exaggeratedly covered her head and protested indignantly: "What's the point of being sober and restrained all day? Big sister is still so young, how boring it is to be so lifeless."

Shen Yuanjia stopped laughing and joined in, tugging at Zhao Lan's wrist in a flattering manner, "Mother, today is a joyous occasion, why don't we order a feast to celebrate?"

What are we celebrating?

Shen Yuanjia blurted out, "Celebrating that you've found your long-lost biological daughter?"

Shen Lingyue burst into laughter.

Zhao Lan paused for a moment, her expression softening slightly, before helplessly rubbing her forehead.

“Jia’er, I really misjudged you. You weren’t corrupted by Yue’er, you…”

He's always been a mischievous kid!

Zhao Lan looked up at the sky speechlessly. How did she end up giving birth to all these troublesome people?

...Never mind, at least they are much less troublesome than Aunt Liu's children.

Zhao Lan quickly cheered herself up again, deliberately curling her lips into a smile, "You're right, I really do want a daughter like Miss Shao."

Such a talented and good-looking person, it's such a good deal for Shen Mingda.

It was so good that Zhao Lan couldn't say no.

Intelligent people don't need to waste words; at this moment, Zhao Lan is Shao Minqing's natural ally.

She will do everything in her power to make this marriage happen.

Shen Lingyue pouted, "Big sister, Mother is starting to dislike us. Should we leave?"

Shen Yuanjia suppressed a laugh and played along, sighing, "Alas, it's all our fault for being so useless. Mother has a new daughter and has forgotten her old one."

After saying that, the two of them burst into laughter again, only managing to stop when their stomachs started to hurt.

Zhao Lan ignored them and walked to the table, casually opening the gift box that Shao Minqing had given her.

Inside was a small wine jar.

Shen Lingyue leaned closer to look, her face full of curiosity: "What is this? Is it medicinal wine?"

Zhao Lan raised an eyebrow, opened the lid, and a rich aroma of wine instantly wafted into the room.

She squinted her eyes, took a blissful sniff, and said to Liu Mama, "Quickly, go and fetch my set of jade cups."

After saying that, he immediately sealed the wine jar, as if afraid that the aroma of the wine would dissipate.

Shen Lingyue and Shen Yuanjia exchanged a glance, feeling even more confused.

It's just a jar of wine, why is Zhao Lan treating it with such seriousness?

Surely one sip can prolong life, and three sips can grant immortality?

It wasn't until Liu Mama brought over the cups and saucers that she smiled and explained to the two young ladies: "Miss, you don't know, but when Madam was young, she was a real wine lover. She often begged her uncles to buy her wine from outside. Once, in order to taste a 'Rouge Intoxication' from the Western Regions, she even saved up her monthly allowance for more than half a year."

Zhao Lan coughed twice, seemingly embarrassed to interrupt her, and said reproachfully, "That was so many years ago, I'm not that greedy anymore."

However, the wine that Shao Minqing brought today was so fragrant and mellow that it was unlike any of the famous wines she had drunk before, which caused her to lose her composure and reveal her true feelings to her daughter.

"Wow, so Mother has her own favorite things too." Shen Lingyue blinked, as if she had gotten to know Zhao Lan all over again.

Zhao Lan rolled her eyes at her, "Otherwise what? I was your age once too. Did you think I was a rigid and boring housekeeper from a young age?"

She disliked her parents' constant nagging and disciplining when she was young, but she never expected that at this age, she would inevitably become the kind of person she used to hate.

The gift from Shao Minqing was more than just a jar of wine; it also reminded her of her carefree teenage years.

If only a person could be this happy all their life.

"That's not right," Shen Yuanjia suddenly said. "Even we didn't know Mother loved wine, so how did Miss Shao know?"

Don't call it a coincidence; when people give gifts to women, no one would think of giving wine.

"She's a businesswoman, so it's normal for her to know how to flatter and ingratiate herself," Zhao Lan said calmly. "You're my own children, so why would I need to go to such lengths to find out my preferences?"

However, this also shows that Shao Minqing is indeed capable, no wonder Boss Shao is willing to give her all to take over the business.

"Come on, have a taste."

Three small wine glasses were lined up in a row, and Zhao Lan carefully poured out the clear wine.

She took a small sip herself, savoring it on the tip of her tongue, and her whole face relaxed.

"Smooth, mellow, and rich in aroma, with hints of tea, plum blossoms, and snowmelt. It has a sweet and mellow aftertaste. Could this be the ancient wine from a lost dynasty recorded in the book, Snow-Topped Spring Wine?"

Shen Lingyue picked up her cup and took a small sip, then immediately frowned.

...So spicy.

She asked Shen Yuanjia, "Big sister, do you think it tastes good?"

Shen Yuanjia's alcohol tolerance was slightly better than hers, but that was about it. She shook her head in confusion: "I didn't feel anything special either?"

"...a cow chewing on a peony."

Zhao Lan confiscated their wine glasses and handed the small jar of wine to Liu Mama, saying, "Take it to my room and lock it up."

Such a fine wine, she couldn't drink it all at once; she had to save it to savor slowly.

Zhao Lan savored the lingering taste on her tongue, her cheeks slightly flushed, a mixture of regret and remorse on her face.

"He got off too easy."

...

The study in the front yard.

Shen Hang held the tea canister with obvious affection.

Shao Minqing prepared Minbei rock tea for him, an 800-year-old old pine shrub narcissus tea tree. The annual yield of tea is less than eight ounces. Moreover, this old tea tree grows deep in extremely steep cliffs, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. Without an experienced guide familiar with the terrain, it would be impossible to find its trace.

She left a letter under the tea canister explaining the origin of the tea. It was because Shao Yongkang had gone south to buy timber years ago and by chance saved the old hunter's grandson. In order to repay the life-saving grace, he told her the truth about this secret that his ancestors had kept for generations.

Shen Hang is a tea lover, so he naturally knows the value of this old tea tree.

It is no exaggeration to say that even Emperor Qingxi could not drink such fine tea.

Unexpectedly, he managed to catch up with it.

"well……"

Shen Hang gently stroked the lid of the tea canister, his expression shifting between joy and worry.

What a wonderful daughter-in-law! Why must Mingda become a live-in son-in-law?

Does she really distrust the Shen family that much? Hmph, he's a second-rank minister, would he really try to seize the Shao family's business?

That's a gross underestimation of his character!

...

Aunt Liu woke up slowly and saw Shen Mingda sitting on the footstool by the bed, looking dejected.

She raised her hand slightly, and Shen Mingda immediately noticed, exclaiming with delight, "Auntie, you're awake! Are you alright?"

Aunt Liu stared at him without blinking, and suddenly two lines of clear tears fell.

"You're going to become someone's son-in-law, how can I possibly be happy?"

Shen Mingda lowered his head sheepishly and whispered in defense, "But Minmin is really good. Didn't you always say that as long as I'm happy, that's enough?"

Aunt Liu gripped the corner of the quilt tightly and said resentfully, "I want to see you happy, to let you pass the imperial examinations, marry a noble lady, and become a person of high status! You are my only son, and you are my only hope in this life. How can you abandon me to become a live-in son-in-law? How am I supposed to live alone in the Shen family in the future?"

After pondering for a long time, Shen Mingda suggested, "Why don't you find a son-in-law to live with my second sister? Father has always doted on her, so he'd probably be happy to keep her at home..."

Aunt Liu almost fainted from anger again, and pounded the bed hard.

Good heavens, did Mingda and Songyi stay in her belly for more than nine months and his brain get completely sucked out by his sister?

How could she have given birth to such an obtuse son!

She glared coldly at Shen Mingda: "Anyway, I won't agree. Go ahead and force me to my death if you dare."

Shen Mingda's lips moved slightly.

Aunt Liu didn't hear clearly, "What did you say?"

“Minmin said that as long as our parents agree, that’s enough. They are the ones who can make the decisions in the family.”

Shen Mingda glanced at her quickly, then lowered his head again. "She also said that there are no parents in the world who don't love their children. No matter how fiercely they oppose it at first, it is always the parents who give in in the end... Second sister's marriage is still unsettled, so you can't bear to leave her behind."

Aunt Liu felt dizzy, but she harbored a deep hatred for Shao Minqing.

She knew from a young age that Mingda was easily influenced, but she never expected that he would actually find such a formidable wife, whose every word struck a chord with her.

Ultimately, it's simply that they look down on her status and think that as long as they please Shen Hang and Zhao Lan, that's enough; she, a mere concubine, is unimportant.

Aunt Liu clenched her fists tightly, a flash of murderous intent crossing her eyes.

Mingda is her only son, and she will never allow him to be taken away by someone else.

...

A few days later, Shao Minqing was at home meeting with several managers from the Beijing branch to discuss this year's business strategy.

Pearl quietly entered the room and whispered in her ear, "Young Master Shen's birth mother has arrived. She says she wants to speak with you alone."

Shao Minqing frowned slightly, thought for a moment and said, "I can't leave right now, please ask her to wait in the flower hall."

Pearl accepted the order and politely led Aunt Liu over.

"My young lady is discussing matters with the managers. Please wait a moment, madam."

Aunt Liu nodded demurely, and after Pearl left the room, she began to look around at the furnishings and layout.

She hasn't been idle these past two days either, inquiring a lot about the Shao family. She learned that the Shao family's business is very large, and even the beams for the palace's reconstruction were bought from the Shao family.

But no matter how rich the Shao family is, they are still just merchants. Isn't Shao Minqing just interested in Mingda because he has the surname Shen? She was the one begging the Shen family for protection, so why does she have the audacity to think that Mingda will become her live-in son-in-law?

Even if Shao Minqing offered her entire fortune to marry into the family, she would still have to think it over.

And that familiar, annoying aura about her... Aunt Liu felt a surge of resentment, wishing she could pry open Shen Mingda's head to see what he was thinking.

Aunt Liu waited for more than an hour, and the food box she brought had gone cold. Just as she could no longer bear it and got up to leave, the door was finally pushed open, and Shao Minqing walked in quickly with an apologetic look on her face.

"I'm sorry, two of the managers had a disagreement and started arguing, which caused a delay."

While Shao Minqing apologized, she didn't show much of the nervousness or apprehension a prospective daughter-in-law might have when meeting her elders. She sat down opposite Aunt Liu with a composed expression and poured herself a cup of tea to moisten her mouth.

"Daughter-in-law, is there something you want to say to me today?"

Aunt Liu became increasingly displeased with her attitude. This was because she was not treated as a proper elder at all, hence the disrespect.

She spoke with a hint of anger, "If it were Madam Zhao who came today, would you have made her sit here waiting in vain?"

Shao Minqing put down her teacup and smiled slightly: "I don't like to make assumptions that are meaningless, and Madam Zhao wouldn't just come to my door without even saying hello."

Aunt Liu was furious. "Are you saying I don't know manners? Don't forget, I'm Mingda's biological mother!"

"Oh? I thought you no longer wanted Mingda as your son and were going to register him under Madam Zhao's name."

Shao Minqing raised her hand and pressed her throbbing temples. She hadn't expected it to take so long, and her mind was still full of business ideas.

There was simply no time to beat around the bush with Aunt Liu.

"Let's not beat around the bush. If you're going to try to persuade me to give up on this idea, then you'd better go back as soon as possible." Shao Minqing's eyes were filled with a determined look. "Mingda and I are in love. Why do you have to be the villain who breaks us up?"

Aunt Liu almost bit her lip until it bled before she managed to stop herself from arguing with Shao Minqing.

Hold back, don't act impulsively, impulsiveness will ruin things...

It took her a long time to manage to force out the weak expression she usually wore when facing Shen Hang. "Miss Shao, I was just waiting for too long, so I couldn't help but overthink things. I thought you looked down on my background and deliberately ignored me. I'm not very knowledgeable, unlike you who took over the family business at such a young age and has great power. I'm sure you won't hold it against me, right?"

Shao Minqing's expression softened, and her voice became gentler.

“Auntie, you’re being too kind. You are Mingda’s birth mother. There are no outsiders here, so I’ll be frank. I want to treat you with the same respect I would show to an elder or mother-in-law. If I can get your approval, Mingda and I will be grateful to you in the future.”

"Ah, it's good that Miss Shao understands. Parents always have the same heart. Everything I've done is for Mingda. Now that he's chosen you, as long as he's happy, my life has been worthwhile..."

Aunt Liu got up, opened the food box, took out a bowl of lotus seed soup, and presented it to Shao Minqing, trying her best to please her.

"Miss Shao, this is a sweet soup I made myself. I wanted to bring it over for you to try... You wouldn't refuse me even this small favor, would you?"

Shao Minqing didn't take it right away. She had never liked these sweet and greasy desserts since she was a child, and always felt that eating too much of them would make her brain less sharp.

But Aunt Liu was Mingda's birth mother after all, and now that her attitude had softened, she even came to her door to bring her food...

Fine, for Mingda's sake.

"Thank you, Auntie."

Shao Minqing brought it over, picked up the spoon and had just taken a spoonful when Pearl started banging on the door from outside.

"Miss, Manager Zhao and Manager Wang are fighting at the door! You should go and take a look!"

These two were arguing the most, how did they end up fighting?

Shao Minqing immediately put down her spoon, stood up and said, "Auntie, please wait a little longer, I'll be right back."

She hurriedly left the room, not noticing that Aunt Liu's face immediately darkened as she stared intently at the sugar water in the spoon.

Just a little bit more...

She forced herself to continue waiting, and about half an hour later, Shao Minqing returned looking exhausted.

Aunt Liu was even more enthusiastic than before, "You're so young and you have to manage so many business matters, you must be exhausted. Eat something to relax. I'm not bragging, but Mingda has loved my sweet soup since he was little."

Hearing that Shen Mingda liked it, Shao Minqing's gaze softened even more.

"Really? Then I'd love to try Auntie's cooking."

Aunt Liu stared at her without blinking, watching her pick up the soup bowl, scoop a small spoonful, and bring it to her lips...

"Minmin!"

With a bang, the door was pushed open, and Shen Mingda rushed in.

"Minmin, look at my new piece of sandalwood... Auntie?"

Shen Mingda turned his head nervously, but he didn't expect that Aunt Liu was even more nervous than him. She stood up abruptly, her voice somewhat shrill, "Didn't you go back to the Imperial Academy to study? Who let you out?"

Caught red-handed by his mother for skipping school, Shen Mingda blushed and scratched his head sheepishly, "I didn't understand what the teacher was saying today, so I wanted to come find Minmin..."

Shao Minqing put down her bowl, got up and walked to Shen Mingda's side, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief. "Why are you running so fast? Be careful not to catch a cold."

Shen Mingda blushed and said, "I want to see you as soon as possible."

Aunt Liu was a little flustered. She had specially chosen the day Shen Mingda was in school to come over, but she didn't expect that the boy would secretly skip class behind her back.

It seems today won't work out. Aunt Liu picked up the bowl of lotus seed soup and was about to put it back in the food box. "You two can continue your conversation. I'm going back to the Shen family first..."

Shao Minqing was a little puzzled, and tried to persuade her to stay: "It's rare for Aunt to come all this way, why don't you stay for a simple meal? Our family's cook is quite good."

"Yes, yes, why are you in such a hurry to go back?"

Shen Mingda glanced down and saw the bowl of lotus seed soup. He quickly stepped forward, picked it up, and exclaimed with delight, "Auntie, you promised me that I could be with Minmin? Did you make this for her yourself?"

"No, I..."

Aunt Liu was so anxious that she became incoherent and tried to snatch it from Shen Mingda's hands.

But he had run all the way from the Imperial Academy and was extremely thirsty. Taking advantage of his height, he picked up the porcelain bowl and took a big gulp.

Yes, that's the taste! Auntie's cooking is still so good!

Aunt Liu's pupils dilated in shock. She lunged forward, knocking the soup out of his hand, and then tried to pry open his mouth.

"Spit it out! Spit it all out!"

Shen Mingda was startled by her pounce and stood there dumbfounded for a long time before he could react.

It's just a bowl of lotus seed soup, isn't it?

Shao Minqing's expression changed instantly, and she blurted out, "You're going to poison me?!"

The next second, Shen Mingda suddenly clutched his chest and collapsed backward, convulsing.

"Mingda!!!"

Aunt Liu's screams echoed in the room.

-----------------------

Author's note: Wishing everyone a happy National Day in advance! [heart emoji]