The early summer sun streamed through the carved window lattices of the General's Mansion, casting dappled shadows on the blue brick floor. Standing in the courtyard, Chen Weiwan gazed toward Wanqing Courtyard, where Liu lived, a sneer curling her lips. Beneath the eaves of Wanqing Courtyard, several roses that had once been in full bloom drooped with insects, their branches and leaves drooping, a stark reminder of Liu's current predicament.

"Miss, you've been standing here for half an hour," Chun Tao approached, holding a coat. Seeing her staring intently at Wanqing Courtyard, she whispered, "Mother and daughter Liu haven't left the courtyard in the past few days. I heard that the rash on Miss Shen's face hasn't gone away yet."

Chen Weiwan turned around, the sunlight making her pupils sparkle, like falling gold. "You've never left the courtyard? I'm afraid you're too embarrassed to do so." She raised her hand to adjust the jade lotus hairpin at her temples. It was a gift from the Seventh Prince. The jade was soft and smooth, yet it exuded an air of nobility that could not be ignored. "Yesterday, the accountant reported that Wanqingyuan was almost unable to pay out the monthly allowance. Don't you think it's ridiculous?"

Chun Tao covered her mouth and laughed, "That's right! Ever since the old housekeeper took back the purchasing power, Liu's methods of enriching herself are no longer feasible. Yesterday, she wanted to withdraw ten taels of silver to buy jewelry, but the old housekeeper turned her back with the account book!"

Mentioning the old housekeeper, Shen Weiwan's eyes flashed with warmth. Since the mourning hall incident, the old man has almost become her right-hand man. Not only did he hand over the key to the storehouse to her, he also took the initiative to check the Liu family's accounts over the years. The dense traces of alterations on the account books were shocking.

"Oh, Miss," Chuntao thought of something and pulled out an oil-paper package from her sleeve. "This is the peach blossom pastry freshly made in the kitchen. Would you like to try it?"

Shen Weiwan took it and took a bite, and the crispy crust fell all over her hands: "Well, it tastes better than last month's." She suddenly stopped, looked at the crumbs on her fingertips, and her eyes gradually sank.

Last month, she'd only been able to eat sour pastries, while Liu had used the money from the General's Mansion to buy herself a set of red gold headgear. Memories of her past life flooded back like a tide—the clashing of sticks in the snow, Shen Ruorou's smug smile, Liu's greedy eyes as she counted the storeroom keys... She subconsciously clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms.

"Miss?" Chuntao looked at her suddenly changing expression worriedly.

Shen Weiwan took a deep breath and released her hand. The red marks on her fingertips slowly faded. She looked up at Chuntao and suddenly grinned, revealing two rows of small white teeth. That smile was filled with the relief of surviving a disaster and the pleasure of revenge: "Chuntao, do you think I was particularly stupid before?"

Chuntao was stunned and didn't know how to answer.

"Foolish enough to treat jackals as family members," Shen Weiwan brushed off the pastry on her skirt, her tone as relaxed as if she were talking about someone else's business, "giving away her mother's belongings, replacing her own marriage with her cousin, and finally ending up being beaten to death."

Her voice was soft, but Chuntao felt a chill run down her spine. The young lady had never spoken in detail about these matters, and her understated tone now only made her heart ache.

"But it's all right now," Shen Weiwan said, dusting off her hands. "The jackals are still the same jackals, but I'm not the silly sheep I used to be." She looked towards Wanqing Courtyard, her eyes sharp as knives. "Liu wants to swallow up the general's estate? Shen Ruorou wants to steal my reputation and status? Maybe in the next life!"

Just as he finished speaking, the sound of shattering porcelain came from the direction of Wanqing Courtyard, followed by Liu's sharp curse: "Waste! If you can't even make a snack, what's the point of me raising you!"

Shen Weiwan raised an eyebrow and winked at Chuntao. The master and servant quietly moved behind the Moon Gate and saw Liu venting her anger at a young maid. The dessert on the table was the peach blossom pastry she had just eaten, but the Wanqingyuan version was obviously less frosted and looked much worse.

"Madam, this month's icing quota has been cut by 30%. The kitchen said..." the maid said timidly.

"What did you say?" Liu picked up the teacup on the table and was about to smash it again, but when she saw Shen Weiwan standing at the moon gate, her movements suddenly stopped, and a hypocritical smile instantly appeared on her face, "Oh, it's Wanwan, come in and sit down."

Shen Weiwan walked in leisurely and glanced at the snacks on the table: "What's wrong with Auntie? Are you angry with the snacks?"

Liu pinched the handkerchief, her nails almost digging into her flesh: "It's nothing, it's just that this girl is clumsy. Wanwan came at the right time, I was just looking for you, look at the rash on your cousin's face..."

"The rash on my cousin's face?" Shen Weiwan pretended to be surprised. "Oh, could it be some kind of evil spirit? I saw her going to the mourning hall to burn incense a few days ago. Could it be that she disturbed my mother?"

"You!" Liu's face turned blue with anger, but she couldn't refute it. After the mourning hall incident, the story of "Second Miss Shen was caught trespassing at night" had already spread throughout the mansion. The servants looked at them differently, and now Shen Weiwan brought it up in person, it was like rubbing salt into her wounds.

Chen Weiwan, however, seemed not to notice her expression. She picked up a piece of pastry and broke it: "Aunt, I'm not saying anything bad about you, but the monthly allowance is tight, so don't bother with those empty formalities. Look at me, I eat very simply now, three meals a day of simple tea and plain rice." She smacked her lips deliberately, "But then again, those sour pastries I ate before, shouldn't Aunt pay me back double the food you deducted from me?"

Liu was choked and speechless. She watched Shen Weiwan and Chuntao walk away, shaking with anger.

After leaving Wanqing Courtyard, Chuntao finally couldn't help laughing out loud: "Miss, you were really amazing just now. You made Liu choke and her face turned green!"

Chen Weiwan put away her smile, her eyes darkening. "We've only just begun." She touched her mother's scarlet gold hairpin in her sleeve, the cool touch reassuring her. "The old housekeeper has almost gathered the evidence of Liu's embezzlement. Once we report it to the clan leader, she'll be in for a real fight."

My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!