The carriage traveled for another hour or so before slowly coming to a stop.
The driver outside said, "Boss Shen, we've arrived in Yongzhou. I'll go get the money right away. Please wait a moment inside the carriage."
Shen Qing readily agreed, "Okay! Go ahead, be careful."
She lifted the curtain and looked outside.
Even in the depths of winter, the area is ablaze with vibrant flowers and lush greenery. A small river flows nearby, its waters crystal clear and sparkling, with tender green willow buds gently swaying on its surface.
Even the men and women on the street were dressed in a fresh and ethereal style.
What a beautiful spring scene!
This is the real Jiangnan water town; compared to it, Jiangzhou looks much more desolate.
No wonder the original owner of this body had a bad reputation in Yongzhou after being jilted, and could only marry into Jiangzhou.
In Shen Qing's memory, the original owner believed that marrying into Jiangzhou was a step down, so she harbored a great deal of resentment towards Cheng Zhiwen.
Recalling these past events, Shen Qing felt a little curious.
Just then, the curtain was pulled open, and the coachman handed in a silver note with both hands: "Boss Shen, this is a five-hundred-tael silver note that I just withdrew. Here you go."
Shen Qing stood up and sat by the curtain, took the money with both hands, and said with a smile, "Don't worry about leaving it to me. Just wait until our son is grown up in five years, and I'll give him eight hundred taels of silver to have a grand wedding!"
The driver chuckled sheepishly.
The carriage continued its journey, traveling from the vibrant spring of Yongzhou to the earthy landscape of Jiangzhou, as if passing through all four seasons in the process.
Shen Qing lifted the curtain and chatted with the coachman.
"How long have you been working for Boss Cheng?"
The coachman said, "I used to work as a coachman for the Cheng family. At first, I drove for Young Master Cheng. After Boss Cheng returned from studying abroad, he saw that I was an honest man, so he took me on as his personal coachman."
Shen Qing thought he was genuinely honest, so she asked again, "Then do you know why Boss Cheng broke off the engagement with me back then? What happened to him? Or was there something wrong with the Cheng family?"
The driver scratched his head: "I don't know, and Boss Cheng never mentioned it."
"So... does he have a lover?"
"No, I follow Boss Cheng around every day and I've never seen him with a mistress."
Shen Qing nodded, pondering the matter in his mind.
If it's not a woman's problem, then is it really just a matter of disliking the original owner's illiteracy?
“However…” the driver suddenly spoke, his expression hesitant.
Shen Qing snapped out of her daze: "What?"
"After Mr. Cheng broke off his engagement with you, Mr. Cheng arranged another marriage for him."
Shen Qing perked up: "What kind of girl did you choose?"
"Miss Liu, the eldest daughter of the Liu family in Yongzhou."
"What does this Liu family do?"
"Those who deal in medicinal herbs are a good match for the Cheng family."
When will Mr. Cheng marry this Miss Liu?
"Master Cheng kept urging him, but Boss Cheng wasn't in a hurry. He just said that he wanted to do business first in recent years."
Shen Qingliang laughed out loud, leaned back, and looked up at the vast gray sky in front of him.
The sky was gloomy and overcast, which dampened anyone's spirits.
This Miss Liu will likely follow the same path as the original owner of this body.
Cheng Zhiwen clearly looked down on feudal women; he wouldn't be willing to marry any of them.
His heart, it seems, remained in America or the bustling Bund, and he didn't bring it back.
After spending some time in Yongzhou and at a teahouse, Shen Qing returned to the Gao family home, where night had already fallen.
She got off the carriage, took the leather suitcase handed to her by the driver, pointed behind her, and said with a smile, "This is my home. If you ever need anything, just come here to find me."
The driver chuckled and nodded, then bowed to her, saying, "Please go inside quickly, it's getting late."
Shen Qing waved to him, then turned and entered the Gao family's gate.
As soon as she entered the backyard, Chunju, with red eyes, ran up to her anxiously and said, "Young mistress, where have you been?! I was so worried!"
Shen Qing handed her the suitcase: "I'm going to Shanghai to discuss business."
After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, he lowered his voice and said, "I've raised five hundred taels of silver! The monthly interest is secured!"
Chunju, however, showed no joy. Instead, she said sadly, "The old lady is furious that you didn't come home last night! She's going to have us kicked out again..."
Upon hearing this, Shen Qing immediately became irritated. He turned around and headed towards the main room instead of the back room.
Several maids stood on the corridor chatting quietly.
Shen Qing walked over without making a sound.
"The old lady's fiftieth birthday is in a few days, but given the Gao family's current state, they certainly won't be able to celebrate."
"Of course! We can't even afford to pay our monthly allowances, let alone celebrate birthdays..."
The maids yawned and lost all enthusiasm at the mention of a lack of excitement.
Shen Qing walked over with his hands behind his back and coughed loudly.
The maids immediately turned around, bowed, and called out, "Young mistress, you've arrived."
Shen Qing looked at everyone and asked expressionlessly, "When is the old lady's birthday?"
The maidservant stammered, "November 5th."
That means it will be three days from now.
Shen Qing had an idea in mind and waved his hand: "Go ahead and get busy."
The maids immediately scattered like birds and beasts.
Shen Qing went up the steps and pushed open the brown carved wooden door with both hands.
Gao Liu was still half-lying on the bed, looking half-dead. When she saw her come in, she said in a sarcastic tone, "You finally decided to come back?"
Shen Qing calmly closed the door, found a round stool by the round table, sat down, adjusted her skirt, and then looked at Gao Liushi.
"I heard you're going to kick me out again?"
Madam Gao immediately retorted, "You stayed out all night! You went out to meet some random man! This is immoral and disgraceful! You have brought shame to the Gao family! The Gao family no longer wants you! Get out of here!"
Shen Qing smiled, lowered her eyes and straightened her jacket, and said slowly, "The Gao family doesn't want me? Fine, call Master Zhao over and tell him that I have nothing to do with the Gao family now. From now on, you, this old woman, will be responsible for paying back the money. If you can't pay it back, you'll be the one to be beheaded."
Gao Liu was so frightened that she fell silent.
His attitude immediately softened when the topic of debt came up.
Shen Qing had long known she was a paper tiger. He smiled mockingly, took out a silver note from his purse, unfolded it, and held it out to her.
"I'd love to have the inclination to meet men in secret, but can I? Next month's interest is due soon, and if we can't pay it, both of us will—"
She raised her hand and made a throat-slitting gesture.
Gao Liu's eyes were filled with terror, and her lips trembled.
Shen Qing waved the silver note: "Five hundred taels, enough to buy you an extra month of life, you old woman. Without me going out to raise money, you wouldn't even have the chance to lie on this bed and curse."
After she finished speaking, she folded the banknote, put it back in her purse, and then sat down again.
"I heard that your fiftieth birthday is in three days. I plan to invite an opera troupe to perform for you to celebrate your birthday, but you need to inform the other members of the Gao family to come over."
Gao Liu's eyes immediately turned red as she cursed, "I've lost my son! What's the point of my birthday celebration? Don't bother with these things! I'm not celebrating my birthday!"
"If you want to live, do as I say! Otherwise, you can expect to be caught and beheaded!" Shen Qing was too lazy to waste words with her, and stood up. "We're in the same boat. If I live, you live. If I die, you won't have a good ending either, so we should work together."
She walked to the door without looking back at Madam Gao Liu: "I'll be celebrating your birthday in three days. Just agree to whatever I say or do. I won't harm you, and I certainly won't harm the Gao family."
After saying that, he opened the door and left, leaving behind Gao Liushi who was wailing loudly.
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