Chapter 53 Chen Beizhen!
Mother Chen's face darkened. "You child, that Dr. Li is almost seventy years old. Although he may not be of much use, he has served our family for most of his life. Your father and I are not short of his salary."
Today, Shen Jingsi seemed to be harboring a lot of anger, and he didn't even bother to give his own mother any face.
"According to you, with over 100,000 employees at Shen's Group following me, when I get old, will I have to have my son take care of them all in their old age?"
Chen Mu choked.
Shen Jingsi raised an eyebrow at his mother, but the girl in his peripheral vision kept her head down, lost in thought.
He glanced at the arm that was obediently resting on his lap, then coldly looked away.
"I'll say it again: you're kind-hearted, but I'm ruthless. The Shen family never keeps idle people. I think this whole family of servants doesn't need to be kept since we're not royalty. After the New Year, keep the good ones, and pay off the blind, crippled, and arrogant servants who like to take advantage of their age."
Shen Jingsi's resolute words sent shivers down the spines of the servants guarding the hall.
Knowing her son's temperament, Shen's mother didn't want to argue about these things in front of outsiders.
She smiled at Duan's mother, "I'm sorry to have made my in-laws laugh at me. My son has always been outspoken, spoiled by me and Lao Shen."
When the man changed partners, Duan's mother no longer felt that one bad apple spoiled the whole bunch; on the contrary, she was full of appreciation, saying, "We're family, why bother with these things?"
The maid behind Madam Shen spoke up, "I think our young master is acting like this because he knows that Miss Xi'er was burned and hurt during the day, which is why he got so angry."
Shen Jingsi turned his head away slowly, his smiling eyes deep and unsettling. "You're quite good at analysis."
The maid was overjoyed, as if she were being praised. "Young master, you don't know this, but when Miss Xi'er was injured during the day, I helped Madam with getting and applying the medicine. At the time, Miss Xi'er asked everyone to keep quiet about it, afraid of affecting your work. Madam was so worried about her, and she blew on her burned hand all afternoon."
Glancing at his mother, then at Duan Xi'er who was blushing and trying to hide her face, Shen Jingsi gave a mischievous smile, "She's not even married yet, and she's already so well-behaved and sensible."
Duan Xi'er playfully patted him lightly, "The mothers are all here, don't be so indecent."
The intimate interactions between the young couple amused Duan's mother and the old nanny behind her.
"Madam, you see, Miss and Young Master Shen are a perfect match standing together."
Duan's mother smiled gently, "Yes, they are a good match."
Shen Jingsi, for no apparent reason, glanced again at the servant who had just spoken, "I think you're quite dutiful."
The servant was flattered and said, "The madam is good to me, and the young mistress who is not yet married to me is even better. Of course, I also hope that the young master and young mistress are doing well. This is nothing to mention."
Shen Jingsi chuckled ambiguously, then slowly averted his gaze. "Alright then, considering how loyal you are to your future young mistress, you'll be following her from now on."
The maid was taken aback. "Young master, what do you mean by that...?"
Shen Jingsi's tone turned cold in an instant, "So, you're going to be a member of the Duan family from now on? Are you happy?"
servant: "..."
He dusted off his clothes, his eyes drooping, and said, "From now on, you'll work for your young mistress. Protect her well, and you'll get your share of the benefits."
The servant's smile vanished instantly.
Others might not understand, but Madam Shen knew that this was no reward; it was clearly an attempt to kick the person out of the Shen family.
But in front of Duan's mother, she could only force a smile and say, "This child, I know you side with your wife, but there's no need to be in such a hurry. Xiao Xi hasn't even married into the family yet, and you've already arranged everything."
Then, looking at Duan's mother, he said, "My dear in-law, I'm sorry you had to see this."
Seeing the young couple across from her exchanging knowing glances, Duan's mother didn't think much of it. "Not at all," she said, "seeing how affectionate the children are, Old Duan and I can die in peace."
The old woman behind him was beaming with joy; when people get too proud, they lose their bearings again.
"Back then, that fortune teller said that the couple's marriage might be hampered by malicious people, and that even if they got married, it would be full of twists and turns, and might even end in tragedy. In my opinion, that master might have been wrong."
The action of turning the pinky ring paused, and Shen Jingsi raised his eyelids to glare at the person, "Is this some kind of villain causing trouble?"
He then looked at Duan Xi'er, who had stopped in her tracks, and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Who is this little rascal?"
Perhaps because they were close, Duan Xi'er always felt that there was a hint of hostility hidden in the man's smiling eyes.
The corners of Duan's mother's upturned lips stiffened, and she said, "What do you mean by 'petty person'? Xiao Si, don't listen to that nonsense."
She turned back and gave the old woman a cold look. "Zhang Ma, stop talking about those monsters and demons in the future."
The old woman realized she had misspoke and quickly slapped her mouth with a smile, "Young Master and Madam Shen, please don't be offended. I'm getting old, and sometimes my words just don't please people."
"Getting old isn't scary; what's scary is not taking good care of yourself in your old age and acting like an old man."
Shen Jingsi raised an eyebrow at the old nanny whose smile was gradually freezing, "Don't overthink it, old lady. I'm not exactly a good talker these days. If I say something wrong and it makes you so angry you could die, I don't think there's a clause in the personal accident insurance for servants that says 'dying from anger'."
"Pfft." Xiao Meng, who was standing behind Lu Zhenyu, couldn't help but burst out laughing.
The old woman, her face alternating between pale and flushed, immediately glared at him fiercely, "What are you laughing at?"
Xiao Meng was startled, and she felt the gazes around her slowly converging on her.
She wasn't intentionally mocking anyone; she'd just been holding her anger in all afternoon, and seeing that someone could finally handle this old woman, she couldn't help but feel a surge of satisfaction.
And then... I got too carried away.
The old woman thought to herself, "I can't afford to offend my master, but I can't let you have the upper hand over a servant brought back from outside the family."
He immediately questioned, "Is your smile a sign of disrespect for an old woman like me, or for the Duan family?"
This was an act of venting the anger he had suffered at the hands of Shen Jingsi on the seemingly weak and powerless servants.
Lu Zhenyu didn't even lift her eyelids. "If that's what you mean, then I'd like to ask you, were you criticizing me or my brother?"
The old woman immediately shifted the blame, saying, "I never said that."
Lu Zhenyu looked up and, out of the corner of her eye, saw the man crossing his legs under his suit trousers, lightly swaying his shiny black leather shoes, and slowly smiling as he propped his head up with his fingers.
Lu Zhenyu is always like this; she can tolerate some criticism of her, but she can't stand criticism of others.
She sat there for so long and hardly said a word.
It's not that she's particularly patient, it's just that she doesn't want to cause trouble for her family and her mother.
At this moment, she coldly stared directly into the old woman's eyes, while out of the corner of her eye she could see Duan's mother's silent gaze.
"So you're asking this because Xiaomeng is one of my people and you look down on her, thinking she can't even make a sound, or because you think that I, a villain with two evil spirits in my life, am in your way by sitting here?"
"you……"
Upon noticing another beam of cold light shooting towards them at the same time, the old woman visibly panicked and swallowed hard.
“When did I say that, Miss Lu? Don’t accuse me of talking nonsense in front of the ladies and gentlemen.”
"Miss Lu?" Lu Zhenyu smiled, her gaze shifting from Chen's mother to Chen Jingsi, and suddenly became obedient. "May I ask, brother, what's my name?"
Shen Jingsi licked the corner of his lips with the tip of his tongue, and with a half-smile, that long-unseen ruthlessness resurfaced.
"Do you need to ask me what your name is?" He lazily gestured towards the servant from before. "Tell those people what your second young lady's name is."
The servant licked his lips and spoke slowly, as if he dared not refuse, "Our second young lady's name is... Shen Beizhen."
Lu Zhenyu tilted her head and raised an eyebrow with a grin, "Aunt Zhang, did you hear that?"
Seeing the old woman staring blankly, unable to utter a word, Shen Jingsi impatiently gestured with his hand again.
"Speak louder! Don't you know Mrs. Zhang is old and hard of hearing? Get close to her ear and shout it again!"
The little boy, his forehead covered in cold sweat, clenched his fists and shuffled over to the old woman. Just as Shen Jingsi had instructed, he bent down and shouted into her ear, "Shen Beizhen! Our young lady's name is Shen! Bei! Zhen!"
Those two sounds made the old woman's head buzz. She frowned and clutched her heart, "Ouch, ouch."
Shen Jingsi nodded in satisfaction, then leaned forward, drawing out the last syllable, "Did you hear me clearly this time, sir?"
He looked like he was smiling, but the cold glint in his eyes was enough to freeze you in the cold. He had finally managed to subdue the old woman.
"Listen, listen carefully, Young Master Shen."
Shen Jingsi looked away, then leaned back lazily with his legs crossed. "What are you talking to me about? My name isn't Shen Beizhen."
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