"You are well aware of the Marquis's situation; it's not what it used to be. The shops in the north of the city are doing quite well, and the servants in the mansion rely on them for their food and drink."

If you take the shop, the household will lose a source of income, and your grandmother and uncles and aunts will inevitably hold a grudge against you. Listen to your mother's advice..."

"Does Madam want to take back those shops?" Song Zhiyu ruthlessly tore away the fig leaf covering up Madam Shen's shame, leaving her no face whatsoever.

Madam Shen shook her head and repeated Old Madam Shen's words verbatim, "No, what I mean is that the shop can be entrusted to you for management, but you need to take 70% of the profits from the shop's accounts each month for the Marquis's household expenses. The rest is up to you, and we will not interfere."

After saying that, Mother Shen looked at Song Zhiyu with hopeful eyes, waiting for her to agree.

She didn't think there was anything wrong with what she said; the shop was originally the property of the Marquis's mansion, and it was reasonable to use it for public purposes.

As for the remaining 30% of the profits, it is also a considerable sum, enough to make up for Song Zhiyu's losses.

Song Zhiyu's lips twitched slightly, feeling that the Shen family truly lived up to the saying, "Shamelessness knows no bounds."

The land deed was in her hands, so the shop belonged to her from the start, and it was no use for anyone else to do anything about it.

Madam Shen is a master strategist. Not only does she make her work like a slave for the Marquis's mansion, but she also acts as if she's doing her a favor. She wants both things, which is truly disgusting.

If she's unhappy, they can forget about being happy either.

Song Zhiyu threw the fish feed into the lake. Watching the koi carp eagerly swimming towards her, her mood calmed down considerably. She then directly dismissed the guest, saying, "There's no point in saying more, Madam Shen. My meaning is already very clear. Lu Bai, see the guest out."

"Madam, this way please." Lu Bai immediately stepped forward to block Song Zhiyu's way and gestured to Madam Chen to let her in.

If it weren't for the fact that she was Shen's mother, Lu Bai would have already kicked her out after hearing her shameless words. She wouldn't be so polite now.

Madam Shen sighed deeply, her attempts to communicate fruitless. "The Marquis's mansion is also your home. I hope you can think this through and not act rashly in the heat of the moment."

After saying that, she turned to leave, but the voice behind her stopped her in her tracks.

"Madam, you should spend more time caring for the Marquis." With this ambiguous remark, Song Zhiyu ignored Madam Shen's unpleasant expression and turned to leave.

When it comes to being disgusting, she's second to none.

Mother Shen didn't understand Song Zhiyu's implied meaning and thought Song Zhiyu was mocking her for meddling. She was so angry that she laughed and said, "Fine, since you insist on severing ties with me, then I will grant your wish. From now on, I will no longer care about you."

Song Zhiyu is utterly hopeless. She'll realize her good intentions when she finally hits a wall.

*

Three days later, the much-anticipated Treasure Pavilion auction arrived as scheduled.

The Marquis's residence was also invited. In previous years, Shen Feng would bring Shen Jinshu to the auction, but now that Shen Jinshu was still under house arrest, her mother took her place.

Shen Feng frowned, never expecting that his mother would actually go to the auction with him this year.

After his repeated attempts to persuade him failed, he had no choice but to reluctantly agree.

The thought of Ye Rou being there today gave Shen Feng a headache, fearing that the two of them might run into each other.

Before leaving, Shen Feng still tried to persuade him, "Why don't you stay in the manor? You're not feeling well, so it's best to stay home as much as possible."

"It's alright. The Prime Minister's wife is hosting a chrysanthemum appreciation banquet in a few days. I'm worried about what gift to give her. I might as well go to the auction to see what rare and interesting things they have."

Madam Shen smiled and shook her head, thinking that Shen Feng was concerned about her. Her heart warmed, and she instantly forgot the grievances she had suffered in the past few days. With the help of her maid, she got into the carriage.

“Yes, Uncle. Since Aunt wants to go, let her go. We’ll be there with her, nothing will happen.” Shen Jinhua followed closely behind and got into the carriage; she was already quite impatient.

Seeing that he couldn't persuade his mother, Shen Feng simply stopped trying.

He clung to a sliver of hope, thinking that the chances of the two of them running into each other in such a large auction hall were extremely slim, and that he was just scaring himself.

After thinking it through, he stopped worrying and stepped onto the carriage.

Unexpectedly, just as he stepped onto the carriage, Song Zhiyu stepped out the door, and their eyes met.

Only then did Shen Feng notice that a magnificent, brand-new carriage had stopped behind them.

Song Zhiyu didn't even glance at Shen Feng, and walked straight past him towards the carriage behind.

"Wait, where are you going?" Shen Feng, feeling completely ignored, looked displeased and promptly called out to stop him.

"This doesn't seem to concern you, Lord Marquis," Song Zhiyu replied indifferently without turning his head.

Shen Feng frowned. "Are you going to the Treasure Pavilion's auction? Do you have an invitation? Don't be embarrassed by being kicked out later."

The invitee can only bring two people. He has already accepted Shen Jinhua's request, so he cannot bring Song Zhiyu.

I don't know what Song Zhiyu was thinking. She dared to attend the auction without an invitation, as if she was afraid others wouldn't know she had done something stupid.

Shen Feng was certain that Song Zhiyu wouldn't have an invitation from the Treasure Pavilion, and he didn't hold back in mocking and belittling her, "Hurry up and go back!"

Lu Bai gritted her teeth in anger, wishing she could pull out the invitation and smash it in Shen Feng's face.

"Invitation... Is Your Excellency so certain that I don't have an invitation?" Song Zhiyu drawled, his smile enigmatic.

Shen Feng scoffed dismissively, as if he had heard the biggest joke in the world.

The distinguished guests invited to the Treasure Pavilion auction were all from prominent families and nobles in the capital, or at the very least, officials in the imperial court.

Song Zhiyu has no power or influence, so how could he possibly obtain an invitation from the Treasure Pavilion?

“Of course, but if you beg me, I might reluctantly take you in.” Shen Feng arrogantly raised his chin, finally winning back some ground in front of Song Zhiyu, and his face couldn’t help but show some self-satisfaction.

If Song Zhiyu really wants to go to the auction, she has to ask him for help!

Whether he agrees or not is another matter.

Hearing these words, Shen Jinhua, who had been happily watching the play in the carriage, became unwilling. She had been looking forward to this day for a long time, and she couldn't let Song Zhiyu take away what was hers.

She flung open the carriage curtain and said sarcastically, "Second sister has never been to an auction before, so it's probably not quite suitable for her. If you're really interested, I'll tell you all about it when I get back."

Shen Feng nodded in satisfaction, "Jin Hua is right. Today's auction is quite grand, with all the guests being noble families from the capital. You'd better not go and embarrass yourself."

The two kept talking non-stop, giving Song Zhiyu no chance to speak.

Meanwhile, Chen's mother, who sat silently inside the carriage, was filled with turmoil, waiting for Song Zhiyu to back down.