Chapter 117 Wicked Stepmother and Poor Child 10

Shen Ci remained unconscious and had been lying in bed for so long that some neighbors had almost forgotten what she looked like. But upon seeing her today, everyone sighed inwardly at how badly she had been tormented.

Skin and bones. The neighbors who had previously held Gu Hongjian in some respect have now dwindled in number.

Shen Ci didn't rush in, but instead looked at Zhou Jingxuan beside Gu Hongjian.

The woman slapped him once, and the man slapped her twice. Neither of them was innocent; neither of them were well-behaved.

"I've been sick for too long, how come I didn't know that guests had come to the mansion, and I've never seen them before."

Who is this young lady?

Shen Ci pretended not to see their tug-of-war. In front of outsiders, Zhou Jingxuan had entered the Gu family without any official status. What was the difference between this and eloping? She had simply run directly to the man's house.

No, strictly speaking, this house belongs to her; she paid for it.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Jingxuan's face flushed red, and she frowned angrily at Gu Hongjian, thinking, "Say something! How am I supposed to answer this?"

"Jingxuan is Lord Zhou's niece. These days in the manor—"

Gu Hongjian tried to explain that Zhou Jingxuan was someone he had invited to help, but Shen Ci interrupted him.

"So you're a guest. Are you heading back?"

"Indeed, it's getting late, and it wouldn't be appropriate for Miss Zhou to stay at the manor. This is also your fault for not being more considerate."

These two just want to be all lovey-dovey, don't they? But she won't give them that chance.

Zhou Jingxuan was still an unmarried young woman. She was quite arrogant when Shen Ci was lying down, because she knew that Shen Ci would not wake up and was about to die.

But she stood up so gracefully, how could she have the audacity to stay?

Zhou Jingxuan looked at Gu Hongjian for help, and Gu Hongjian frowned and said, "It's getting late today, and it might not be safe to go back. Why don't we stay overnight?"

It's good that he has someone to keep his wife company.

For some reason, Gu Hongjian had planned to marry Zhou Jingxuan as soon as Shen Ci died, but now that he saw Shen Ci still alive, especially with those big eyes looking at him with a half-smile, he felt a little scared.

The classics have brought him to where he is today, but they have also clouded his conscience.

He couldn't very well say to Shen Ci's face, "Once you die, Zhou Jingxuan will take your place."

"Madam Gu, you may not know this, may you?"

The girl has been coming to your house for several days this week, I wonder what she's doing here.

"What else could she come here for but to become someone's stepmother?"

"Tch, shameless."

"How shameless! Staying at someone else's house and refusing to leave. I've never seen someone remarry so quickly."

Having accepted Shen Ci's gifts, these people naturally sided with him. They had already disliked him before, and now they spoke even more frankly.

Zhou Jingxuan's eyes immediately reddened. She knew she had gone a bit too far, but she didn't want to be scolded. It was Gu Hongjian who invited her, and although it was somewhat unreasonable, wasn't it because Shen Ci was about to die?

"I see. Then let's do as you say. Mingzhang and Mingzhu, let's go home for dinner."

Shen Ci changed her mind; staying would be more fun. She happily carried the child into the mansion, ignoring the two people.

“Gu Lang…”

Zhou Jingxuan was on the verge of tears when Gu Hongjian slammed the door shut, shutting out the gossipy neighbors and their disdainful stares. Once he had secured his position in the court, he would move away from here as soon as possible, keeping his distance from these troublemakers.

In the future, he will surely be surrounded by learned scholars and have no commoners among his friends. His neighbors will all be high-ranking officials, not ordinary people like these.

"Don't cry, let's go inside first and talk."

Jingxuan, we've waited so long, one more night won't make a difference.

This is just her last burst of energy before death; she might not make it through the night... so you should be lenient with her to avoid causing any more trouble.

Gu Hongjian spoke earnestly, his hands gripping Zhou Jingxuan's shoulders tightly, forcing her to look at him. Night slowly fell, but his eyes, gleaming with calculating cunning, remained sharp.

Zhou Jingxuan was in a state of utter confusion, but the good thing was that she didn't have to leave tonight.

She came to the Gu family regardless of her reputation, intending to become the official wife. If she failed and was kicked out, not only would she lose face, but the Zhou family would also lose face, and she would be ridiculed for the rest of her life!

"Okay, I'll listen to you, I believe you."

"Gu Lang, is my sister really not going to make it? She didn't seem sick at all just now."

Zhou Jingxuan had personally witnessed Shen Ci's near-death state, and she was quite certain that Shen Ci would most likely die tonight, but after waiting and waiting, he still hadn't died.

This was her first time speaking face-to-face with Shen Ci. Facing the rightful Madam Gu, she still felt somewhat timid. Shen Ci was not the vulgar and ugly businesswoman she had imagined.

On the contrary, she possesses stunning beauty and an air that rivals any noblewoman.

"Of course, Jingxuan, don't doubt yourself."

She's dying, I'm going to go check on her. I'm afraid I won't be able to stay with you tonight.

Gu Hongjian said, a hint of impatience flashing in his eyes. Shen Ci would never pester him like this; she would only advise him to focus on his own business and leave the rest to her.

Main courtyard.

Shen Ci is asking questions.

"After I left home, did anyone come to visit, and what happened?"

Dan Gui waited at the door, thinking to herself that her wife had actually seen Zhou Jingxuan. She wondered how much her clever wife had guessed, and how upset she must be. The woman was still alive, and her husband had brought another woman home.

She remembered how much the master and his wife loved each other, how happy and content they were, and how smooth their days were.

Since arriving in the capital, the master, who is also their son-in-law, seems to have become a different person, and the madam has become increasingly silent.

Everyone says the capital is a good place, a place where scholars from all over the world would fight tooth and nail to get in, but Dan Gui feels that it is not as good as her hometown in Yizhou.

"Reporting to Madam, only Miss Zhou and the Master came today. They insisted on entering the courtyard and did not believe that Madam had left the manor."

However, the servants guarded the courtyard, and the master and Miss Zhou couldn't get in.

Shen Ci nodded and winked at Dan Gui.

"As I said, there will be rewards and punishments."

Those who are dutiful and loyal to their masters will be rewarded, while those who betray their masters will be punished; no one can escape punishment.

Dan Gui, give them the silver first, just as originally agreed, five taels per person.

During the time I was unconscious, whoever can name any disloyal servants in the courtyard will be rewarded with five taels of silver; two will be rewarded with ten taels of silver; three with fifteen taels, and so on, with no upper limit.

The gleaming silver was handed out to everyone with a crisp, heavy weight. The servants forgot that Shen Ci was dying and grinned from ear to ear, readily revealing the traitors around them.