Standard Dad is not Taoism

The Shi family's concubines had always been a mere backdrop, at least in Shujia's eyes. Every morning, when she went to visit the Xiluo family, the concubines were already up early, and often it was they who opened the curtains as she entered. At mealtimes, the maids and nannies served the dishes, and the concubines were no exception. Even if it wasn't their turn, they had to stand aside.

Because of the Three Feudatories, Shujia never saw Shi Wenbing stay for more than a few days at home. He would always say hello and leave. Naturally, he had endless business to discuss with Xiluo Te, and the concubines could only watch helplessly. Shi Wenbing was also a military officer, and during the war, he was no better than an official sent to a remote post. When his wife was away, he had to take care of his daily life with a concubine, completely forbidding any female family members.

When Shi Wenbing became the deputy governor, he was busy with transactions all day long. On the ship, men and women were separated. The ship was not very spacious, and the concubines lived a little crowded, so he was embarrassed to do anything.

So Shujia knew that her father had three concubines, but she only knew it. It's not like she hadn't been troubled before, after all, she had never witnessed it with her own eyes.

This is such a huge blow!

Shujia was short now and had already been able to walk on her own. Due to the altitude, no one noticed the complex emotions in her eyes. Aunt Wuya leaned over and whispered, "Miss, the master has already passed by. Please move on." Only then did Shujia take a deep breath and hurried to the main room.

Nanny He hurried after her, "Young lady, slow down and be steady." Shujia didn't listen. Aunt Wang lived with Xiluo Te. When Shi Wenbing went to the main room to see his wife, the maids on Xiluo Te's side had already opened the curtains. Looking up, he saw a group of people nearby. He recognized them as the maids on the side of the second young lady. Glancing down, he saw the second young lady, so he didn't need to open the curtains anymore and waited for her to enter.

Shi Wenbing, feeling a little embarrassed for getting up late today, hurried to talk to his wife, not noticing Shujia approaching surrounded by a crowd. This only made his daughter even angrier.

Once inside, Xiluo Te was already dressed. Before she could say anything, she heard Nanny He in the courtyard telling Shujia to slow down. Shi Wenbing turned and saw his daughter rushing into the house with all her energy. He smiled and took his seat at the head of the table, waiting for his daughter to pay her respects. His wife was pregnant again, his wife was as beautiful as ever, and his daughter was so energetic and filial. Shi Wenbing was in a good mood.

...I have to say that there is a huge generation gap in thinking between this father and daughter.

Shujia was furious. He was acting like this even though his wife was pregnant. What a jerk! If a man is reliable, he can even climb a tree!

When I walked in, I saw that the guy who had been fooling around with the concubine all night was still sitting there as if it was a matter of course. What's more hateful is that her mother even asked, "Did you sleep well last night?" Oh my god!

She stomped over, wanting to comfort her mother, but before she could open her mouth, Shuxian arrived. Ever since her teeth started growing, Shuxian had rarely spoken. Now that her front teeth were almost fully grown, her quiet nature had remained. Unlike her, Shujia didn't like the sound of her teeth leaking, but such sounds often had unexpected, cute effects. Sometimes, she would even deliberately make her speech even more unconventional if the plot required it. For example, she pestered Shi Wenbing to go to his inner study, or asked Xiluo Te to bathe every day in the summer.

But now, Shujia is not in the mood to act cute - the inventory has been cleared out and the new products have not been launched!

When Shuxian arrived, Shujia, no matter what she had been planning, went over to stand beside her and greet her. Then, she sat down and listened attentively to the lecture. The daily lectures had become stale, having become a routine inquiry. Shi Wenbing first asked about yesterday's homework, then asked if the daughters had anything else to report to him, as it wasn't appropriate for their mother to overwork them recently.

Shujia couldn't help but humph slightly, and Shuxian answered for her: "The teacher is explaining the 'Book of Filial Piety for Women' in great detail. He has already started teaching Mongolian and taught some fine brushwork. The furnishings in the room were all arranged according to the rules set earlier and have been handed in one after another. There is nothing missing." After saying that, she winked at Shujia.

Shujia was sulking, thinking, "Why bother with us, go and take care of your concubine?" She kept silent.

Shi Wenbing was in a good mood and said with a smile, "Second girl, what's wrong? Oh, a few days ago you said you wanted to read Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Your mother had a wedding these two days, so I delayed it. Are you angry? I sent Fu Hai out to buy it for you today."

The Manchus have a special fondness for the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. It's said that Shujia's great-grandfather and his brother exploited the story of Jiang Gan stealing the book and tragically framed Yuan Chonghuan. Someone outside the Great Wall had already translated the Romance of the Three Kingdoms into Manchu. So, when Shujia asked to read the book a few days ago, Shi Wenbing didn't object; instead, he thought it was a good read.

Here he suddenly realized - why did she go straight to her mother and ignore me after coming in this morning? Normally, even if I was concerned about her mother, I would greet her first.

Xilute covered her mouth with her handkerchief and said, "The master spoils her, but she is so eccentric and always causes trouble."

She spoke, and Shujia looked up, perplexed, and carefully examined her. Surprisingly, she didn't look bad, nor did she look particularly sad. ...Mother, you're not angry at all?

The couple looked at her with wide eyes and a puzzled look, which was really funny, and exchanged glances.

If Xiluo Te knew what Shujia was thinking, she would definitely reply to her: You have forgotten that your sister is not my biological child. The first time is strange, the second time is familiar. This is how the matter is. Instead of making a fuss and making others dislike you, it is better to be generous and let your father feel that I am reliable.

Shujia was almost choking to death. She quickly ate two pieces of snacks and said, "I haven't reviewed my homework for today yet. I'm going to review it." Shuxian covered her mouth with a handkerchief and coughed, "My daughter is leaving too."

Xiluotai said, "Come on, I've stewed lotus root and pork ribs for you to eat." Shujia asked immediately, "Mother, don't you think it's greasy? Do you have an appetite?" Xiluotai glanced at Shi Wenbing with a hint of pride, her eyes curved. "The kitchen is very skilled nowadays, so it won't be a problem."

Shi Wenbing was quite satisfied with his youngest daughter's understanding and emphasized: "Go ahead. You can watch Romance of the Three Kingdoms when you get back from school later this afternoon."

Shujia lowered her head and knelt down to salute, while her parents laughed secretly from above.

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Back in her room, Hongxiu came to greet her: "Miss, do you want to read or write?" Shujia said angrily: "What are you reading? I know everything." Hongxiu and Qingjin were puzzled and looked at each other, not daring to reply. The maids thought she was being teased and embarrassed, and they all smiled at her. The two little girls saw this and knew it was nothing serious.

Chunxi spoke up: "If the girl doesn't want to read anymore, I'll pack up all the books she'll need later, okay?"

Shujia sat on the couch and looked down. Hongxiu and Qingjin both lowered their heads and said reluctantly, "I have something on my mind, I'm not talking about you. You should go and eat something too." The two of them bowed and backed away.

Nanny Wang came over and rubbed her shoulders. "What's wrong, young lady? Didn't the master promise to buy you a book? It's not too much for an elder to joke around."

Shujia thought to herself, I don't care about this. I was the one who begged for this book by being cute. Looking around without saying anything, Chunxi and Xiaxi left. Nanny Wang leaned over and asked softly, "What's wrong with you, young lady? Is there anything on your mind that you can't tell Nanny? It will make you feel better if you tell it to me."

These maids had spent more time with her than even Xiluo Te. As a child, they coaxed her to sleep, taught her to talk, and carried her to walk. Xiluo Te treated her well, and their relationship was close, but Shujia's relationship with the maids wasn't bad either. People grow up together, after all. Shujia thought, regarding Xiluo Te's affairs, she couldn't directly ask a pregnant woman: "Your husband had sex with another woman while you were pregnant, and you weren't angry?"

I had no choice but to ask the maids.

At that moment, he continued to use the leaky sound to act cute (this person is tragic, the tooth that fell out last time is about to grow back, and the tooth next to it has fallen out again, and the leaky sound continues): "This morning, I saw Ama coming out from that person's place..." (This morning, I saw Ama coming out from that person's place...)

The maids' faces changed, and their expressions immediately became solemn. Nanny Wang hadn't held Shujia for a long time. She now sat on the couch, leaning sideways, hugging her: "Young lady, don't worry about these things." Then Nanny Wuya explained that Concubine Wang was also a member of our family. Master's "seeing" Concubine Wang didn't mean he would ignore Madam Wang. Look how much Master loved the young lady.

Oh, by the way, the wife is not in a good condition right now and needs to rest, but the master also needs someone to "take care of him". Don't you have to feel sorry for your father? It's okay, it's okay.

The maids thought it was hard to explain this child, since she was neither too old nor too young. If they said she was young, she'd be able to spot some issues, but if they said she was old, they couldn't just say having three wives and four concubines was normal. "Your father being with other women is... bad. This is something you can't tell a little girl."

The maids, sweating profusely, finally made the final decision: "That's it. The young lady knows, and that's it."

Damn it! Shujia finally understood from their explanation that this was normal. Although she didn't like it, it had to exist.

Then, the maids began the meticulous project, deciding to instill some "basic skills of house fighting" in her from a young age.

"Do you think Madam is worried? Don't worry, Madam has two brothers and a daughter, everything is stable.", "Madam Zhang has a daughter, but she is still a concubine, not a real mistress.", "Don't worry too much, she has a good status." And so on.

Shujia sullenly accepted the reality. Her father, the upright and serious head of the family, took concubines not for show but for personal use, and everyone agreed it was the right thing to do. Then, a little late, she realized that her sister was also born out of wedlock. However, although Shujia felt uncomfortable, she couldn't completely reject her. After all, people have to get along, and after a while, feelings develop.

It was not until the afternoon that Fu Hai's family brought the "Romance of the Three Kingdoms". She was not very happy, but she found out that because there were a large number of banner people living in Hangzhou, Fu Hai bought both the Manchu and Chinese versions.

At this time, she didn't know that what she was about to know was much more exciting than seeing her father and aunt together.

Two days later, Shujia went to visit her mother after school and found six young women standing in front of her like a row of green onions. It was said that some ignorant person had heard that her mother was pregnant and, after sending her a bunch of herbs to protect her pregnancy and her health, also sent beautiful girls to take care of her husband's physical needs.

Uncle can tolerate it, but aunt can’t!

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It is said that Shujia asked Hongxiu to inquire about this, and then she analyzed it herself and came to the conclusion.

Shujia returned to her room in a huff. Hongxiu still had no idea what was going on, or rather, she hadn't realized her daughter would be angry about a servant being sent from outside. Chunxi and the other older maids, upon learning of this, would probably have said something privately, something like, "The new arrival isn't bad-looking, but she looks like a cat." The maids, with strange eyes, stared at the girls' skirts. Soon, the maids' gazes shifted from their faces to their skirts.

Generally speaking, no one took these young women seriously. Look, the mistress of the house already had two sons and a daughter, her position was secure, a proper countess, a noble, and her uncle was also a noble. What was there to worry about? It was just the right thing, the wife was pregnant, and originally, there were three concubines, which would have been enough, but they were a bit old, and the novelty might not be enough. Having a new one wouldn't be a bad thing.

Those who are loyal to the Xiluo family think that these women, all of whom have bound feet and were sent here as gifts, are good at business and are not noble people. Even if they are favored, they can't turn the tables. Isn't that good?

Even Xiluotai herself wasn't particularly pleased. It was obvious who would want a bunch of young women trying to snatch their husband away. But she calmed down after a moment's reflection. She had to let go of one sheep, a flock of them, too. It wasn't the first time, and even if she had to deal with them, it wouldn't be quick. A wife still had to maintain her virtuous image!

After all this time, Shujia was the only one who got angry about this. The reason was: she was a time traveler and she felt that her father was kidnapped.

Therefore, Hongxiu really couldn't understand the source of the second girl's anger. She only heard the second girl say, "Do you remember that your father went out with the master?" Hongxiu said carefully, "Yes." She didn't dare to say a word more. Shujia calmed down and said, "Then... go home and ask who the master has been meeting these days and where these girls came from!"

Hongxiu opened her mouth wide, and Mammy Wuya and Mammy Yin hurriedly closed the door. Shujia smiled: "Mammy, why are you so anxious? It's so hot, and I'm not asleep in my own yard. Are you closing the door because you're afraid that others won't know about our private conversation?" The two mammies were startled.

Shujia said to Chunxi and Xiaxi, "Go open the doors and windows."

The second girl is so scary... too smart, isn't she?

Second Girl: Many TV shows show this way!

Nanny He walked over quietly and said to Shujia, "Miss, there is no girl in the world who would take care of her father's room affairs. The wife is in charge." Nanny Wang also sighed, "Miss, you must avoid suspicion."

Shujia pouted, her eyes looking innocent: "Just now, didn't I hear that they were sent to our house from outside? How did it become a matter for Father's room? They are not servants. Father has no shortage of people to serve him. I see they are all clean and neat, aren't they embroiderers and cooks sent here? Our family has everything except these two. If we were in Beijing, we wouldn't lack this either. But the clothes and food here are a little different from those at home..." she muttered to herself.

The maids were unsure.

Shujia added, "That's not good. The kitchen is an important place. We need to ask carefully. It's strange that you didn't ask the clerk. Hongxiu, go ask your father. But Ama got it from outside. Mother is in a very poor health and can't afford to worry about it. I need to think about it more. Don't hide it from me." Hongxiu swallowed and said, "Yes." She secretly raised her eyes to look at Wuya Mama. Wuya Mama nodded gently, and Hongxiu retreated quietly.

In the afternoon, she went to learn needlework, diligently sewing purses. Hua Shan's birthday was approaching, and her family was sending gifts north, so she had to strive to make a pair of beautiful purses to go with the brocade before then. She had already made the rough outlines, only the details remained, so she had to be extra careful. After class, Shi Wenbing sent word that there would be an evening social engagement, and that the second girl should study hard and not slack off, or she would be spanked.

It was a complete joke. Shujia rolled her eyes. A while ago, Shi Wenbing would have been quite happy to hear her say that, but now...

The next day, Hongxiu returned early with the news: her father had been escorting the master out, and the master was always loyal and diligent in his duties, working diligently during the day and returning home after work. Sometimes, when there were banquets, the master would attend. The master didn't go anywhere he shouldn't have, but if there were people in lower positions who wanted to "advance" or seek support, he might give them away, but he didn't know about anything else.

It was as good as saying nothing. Shujia supposed this kind of giving money and beautiful women away was commonplace in the officialdom, not just the one before her. However, Shi Wenbing and his concubine had been doing something, and Shujia had barely come to terms with reality. Now that it was happening again, she couldn't accept it. He was her father, a normally respectable gentleman. Furthermore, they had been growing closer and closer recently, and she couldn't accept this kind of "betrayal."

Shujia went to Xiluo with hatred and a lot on her mind, and then she found that there were only four new people standing on both sides of Xiluo, two missing... The remaining four stood more obediently.

What?! Is that how it's solved?!

Shujia was stunned. Shi Wenbing sat there with a sullen expression, clearly unhappy, but not directed at his family. The evidence was that he said to Shujia with a friendly expression, "Do you like the new book?"

No way! She hadn't even made a move yet, and this virtuous, gentle, and kind mother who had even let her husband go to his mistress while pregnant... had already knocked out two of them without a sound?!