Chapter 48 Humiliation

"Since mother agrees, then it's settled." Shen's mother looked delighted.

"Yeah." Old Madam Shen responded dully.

Shen Changze couldn't bear to listen any longer, and frowned and said, "There is still enough money in the treasury,

so it doesn't have to be like this." Although the Marquis' Mansion is not well-off now, it can still afford to hold a banquet.

He couldn't afford to turn the birthday gift into silver.

"You don't know how much money you spend if you don't manage the household. Although the money in the treasury is enough to hold a birthday banquet, you still need to spend money to live after the birthday banquet." Shen's mother looked reproachful.

Shen Changze choked and was speechless.

Although Jiang Shu's conspiracy solved the long-term concerns of the Marquis' Mansion, it could not solve the immediate worries.

"Don't worry, only a few of us know about this. We won't even tell Qingrong, and no one will laugh at us." Shen's mother patiently comforted him.

But he knew it himself! He would look down on himself!

Shen Changze felt extremely humiliated, especially after meeting Jiang Shu's eyes.

Jiang Shu's eyes were calm, but Shen Changze felt that there were ripples hidden in them, all of which were ridicule.

He didn't want to be undignified in front of Jiang Shu.

"The money for grandma's birthday banquet came from the treasury." After saying this, Shen Changze stood up and left angrily.

"I was thinking about the Marquis' Mansion with all my heart, and I didn't embezzle a pound of silver. Why did it become my fault and end up being blamed everywhere?" Shen's mother wiped away tears in grievance.

Old Madam Shen was upset after hearing this. Her previous happiness was wiped out. She regretted agreeing to hold this birthday banquet.

But the words had been spoken. If she regretted it now, she didn't know how the Lu family would look at the Marquis' Mansion.

At this point, she could only bite the bullet and hold it.

In Huaqing Courtyard, Shen Qingrong looked at the newly renovated courtyard and felt friendly and familiar.

"Husband, this is my concubine." Shen Qingrong walked into the main house with Lu Mingke, and a hint of shy pride appeared on her face.

Although the Marquis' Mansion was not as rich as the Lu family, she had been living a life of luxury since she was a child, and her food, clothing and expenses were no worse than those of other concubines.

Later, Jiang Shu married into the Marquis's mansion. In order to please her, he spent a lot of money to buy her many clothes, jewelry, utensils and decorations, and decorated her lady's room with luxury.

Lu Mingke glanced at it casually, walked to the soft couch and sat down, dismissing the servants.

"My husband, are you tired and need to rest for a while?" Shen Qingrong asked considerately.

Lu Mingke looked at her, and his handsome face was solemn and said: "Just now in Shouyong Hall, you said and did wrong. What happened?"

Lu Mingke looked gentle and peaceful, but in fact he was very strict in educating his son and treating his wife. Every time Shen Qingrong said or did something wrong, he would lecture her to correct it.

When Shen Qingrong saw him like this, her scalp tightened, and she felt like she was being scolded by a teacher.

"I... I was so excited and happy, and I was only thinking about my mother's worries. I was not careful about other things." Shen Qingrong bit her lip to defend herself.

Lu Mingke said with a stern look: "You are now a wife of the Lu family. What you say and do represents the Lu family. You should be careful with your words and actions, and you must not do anything inappropriate that will damage the reputation of the Lu family."

"I know, husband." Shen Qingrong walked up to Lu Mingke and pulled his arm to act coquettishly.

Lu Mingke was very fond of her tricks, and softened his expression and tone and said: "Change your clothes for dinner, don't be so ostentatious."

Shen Qingrong dressed up today, and Lu Mingke didn't agree with it. But Shen Qingrong insisted that all the nobles in Shangjing were like this, especially her sister-in-law Jiang Shu, who spent money like water and dressed luxuriously.

Lu Mingke believed it, and thought it was normal for a girl to dress more gorgeously when she returned home, so she tacitly agreed.

But when she arrived at the Marquis's Mansion, she saw that Jiang Shu was dressed simply and had light makeup, not as extravagant as Shen Qingrong said.

Regardless of what kind of person Jiang Shu was, they should not be too ostentatious when they returned to Beijing to visit their relatives.

Pingyang County was rich and far away from Shangjing, almost out of the control of the court, which aroused the emperor's suspicion and the jealousy of the court officials. Eyes were on them in the open and in the dark, so they had to act carefully and not make any mistakes.

However, Shen Qingrong did not understand the politics of the court. She only knew that the Lu family was rich and powerful, and she had finally returned to Shangjing, so she wanted to show off.

But Lu Mingke was usually simple and low-key, did not like extravagance, and had a stubborn and tyrannical temperament. Even if Shen Qingrong was unhappy, she didn't dare to disobey.

Before dinner, Shen Qingrong changed her clothes, took off all the pearls and jade on her head, and re-dressed.

Looking at the beautiful and dignified Shen Qingrong, Lu Mingke was very satisfied.

When the family of three arrived at Shouyong Hall, the banquet had been set, and Shen Changze and others had arrived.

Seeing the strange woman sitting next to Shen Changze, Shen Qingrong stepped forward happily: "This is Jinchu's sister-in-law who my eldest brother brought back from the border."

"Yes." Shen Changze responded.

Cheng Jinchu smiled and said apologetically: "I was a little unwell during the day and didn't come to greet you, don't blame me, sister."

"Don't worry, sister-in-law, I'm generous." Shen Qingrong took Cheng Jinchu's hand, looking intimate at first sight, and glanced at Jiang Shu provocatively.

"You gave birth to my eldest brother's eldest son and daughter, and now you are pregnant. You are a great contributor to the Marquis's Mansion and you deserve to be rewarded." Shen Qingrong said, taking a gemstone makeup box from the maid and handing it to Cheng Jinchu.

Cheng Jinchu opened it with surprise and was amazed by what was inside.

In the makeup box was a set of South Pearl head ornaments, with gold as the base and thumb-sized South Pearls as the main part, inlaid with various gemstones and colored beads, shining and extraordinarily valuable.

"This is too expensive, I can't accept it." Cheng Jinchu wanted to return it.

Shen Qingrong held her hand and pretended to be unhappy: "Sister-in-law, if you don't accept it, it means you don't like me."

"This is too expensive." Cheng Jinchu felt a little guilty.

"It's only suitable for your status if it's expensive." Shen Qingrong said seriously, "Next month, at my grandmother's birthday banquet, you will make your debut as the wife of the Marquis' Mansion. It's just right for you to wear this set of South Pearl headdress."

"But I can't accept a gift without merit. This is too expensive." Cheng Jinchu knew that he couldn't come up with a suitable return gift, and hesitated to accept it.

Shen Qingrong turned her eyes and looked at Jiang Shu and said, "Everyone has a share of this gift. I also gave it to my sister-in-law. Right, sister-in-law."

Cheng Jinchu looked at Jiang Shu when she heard it. Seeing that Jiang Shu didn't refute it, she thought that the gift Shen Qingrong gave to Jiang Shu was equally expensive, so she accepted it with trepidation.

But she didn't know that what Shen Qingrong gave to Jiang Shu during the day was just a sea pearl necklace of good quality. Although it was expensive, it was far inferior to the South Pearl headdress.

Jiang Shu saw through Shen Qingrong's thoughts, but didn't point it out.

She knew that Shen Qingrong was deliberately humiliating her and taking advantage of her low family background.

Shen Qingrong was in a good mood and continued to say to Jiang Shu, "Sister-in-law, Sister-in-law Jinchu is ill and has a lot of inconveniences. You have to take care of her and ask her for some parenting tips. It will be useful sooner or later."

Jiang Shu frowned, really impatient with Shen Qingrong's nagging, and asked in a low voice, "Is this gift prepared by the Lu family, or did my younger sister prepare it herself?"

What?

Shen Qingrong didn't react for a while.

Lu Mingke was alert and said immediately: "My mother prepared the return gift, and Qingrong prepared the rest."

After a pause, Lu Mingke said: "My mother didn't know everyone's preferences, so she let Qingrong make the final choice. If there is anything inappropriate, please forgive me."

Lu Mingke bowed to Jiang Shu and apologized.

He also felt that Shen Qingrong had gone too far.