The people who caused Granny Liu to fall off the cliff and injure her brain were actually Madam Jiang and Old Madam Jiang!
Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed, her gaze fixed intently on the room, the surrounding air chilling.
She turned and went back to the reception hall. Shen Wei was sitting by the waterside pavilion outside the reception hall, playing chess with Master Jiang. There were many people around him, all of whom were male members of the collateral branches of the Jiang family.
Upon seeing Shen Yuan, Shen Wei waved to her.
Shen Yuan walked towards Shen Wei.
Shen Wei asked, "Do you know how to play chess?"
"She probably's never even seen a chess piece before, let alone what it's for. How could she possibly play chess?"
Before Shen Yuan could reply, Shen Qingshu hurriedly took over the conversation. He glanced at Shen Yuan disdainfully and sneered, "She probably only knows how to feel for stones in the river and wade in the mud in the paddy fields. Father, you'd be better off letting her jump into the pond and catch a couple of fish than letting her play chess!"
As Shen Qingshu spoke, he pointed to the small pond beside the waterside pavilion.
Several koi carp were swimming in the pond.
Upon hearing his words, the people nearby couldn't help but chuckle softly, startling the fish in the water away.
Shen Yuan ignored these people. She stood behind Shen Wei, glanced down at the chessboard in front of him, and smiled, "Five black and white jade chess pieces. I heard that this chessboard is made of black rock from the top of Zhongnan Mountain that has been exposed to the wind and sun for a hundred years. Its surface shines with golden light under the sunlight, making it very interesting."
"You know this? You must be quite knowledgeable!" Master Jiang smiled politely.
Shen Yuan continued, "I also know that a chessboard and pieces like this would cost at least five hundred taels of silver."
"Five hundred taels for just one chessboard? That's too extravagant! How could Uncle Jiang's family have such an expensive chessboard? His annual salary is only a hundred taels!"
Hearing the whispers around him, Master Jiang awkwardly withdrew his hand from the chessboard.
Shen Yuan smiled and said, "Because this chessboard belongs to the General's Mansion!"
Shen Wei frowned upon hearing this.
The mansion's storeroom contained many items, and he couldn't remember exactly what was inside. So when Shen Yuan said this, Shen Wei's first reaction was confusion.
Is this chessboard really from the General's Mansion?
How come I've never seen him before?
When was it taken out and delivered to the Jiang family?
Seeing Shen Wei frown, Master Jiang's breathing slowed down a few degrees.
Just then, Madam Jiang arrived late, supported by Old Madam Jiang. Upon hearing Shen Yuan's words, she let out a cold snort: "What? As the mistress of the General's Mansion, am I not even allowed to take a few items from the storeroom to give to my own father?"
Shen Yuan nodded, "Of course."
Madam Jiang glanced at Shen Yuan with disdain, then helped Old Madam Jiang sit down on the veranda.
But as soon as she sat down, she heard Shen Yuan continue, "Madam Shen is the mistress of the General's Mansion, so naturally she can control the things in the General's Mansion. The green pine tree welcoming guests in this courtyard, the white orchid in the deep valley, the carved screen with plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums in the house, the golden nanmu tea table, and the blue and white porcelain tableware used for lunch today... were all sent by Madam Shen?"
As Shen Yuan finished speaking, Jiang Shi's expression became increasingly embarrassed.
Sending one or two gifts to your parents can be considered filial piety, but if you send gifts to your own family, people will definitely say you are disloyal.
She hurriedly stepped forward to explain, "These are all miscellaneous items that were left unused in the warehouse. I saw that they were covered in dust, so I took them back to my parents' home to avoid wasting them."
But Shen Yuan had no intention of letting Jiang Shi off the hook. Her smile deepened as she said, "Objects may get dusty, but silver won't, will it?"
“Madam Shen sends three thousand taels of silver to the Jiang family every year. She is so filial. When my sister Yun Jin and I get married, we should learn from Madam Shen and move more of our husband’s family’s wealth to our own family.”
"You... what nonsense are you talking about!" Jiang's face turned red and then purple with anger.
What's this brat trying to do by suddenly saying all this?
Did you deliberately try to embarrass her?
How did she know that she was the one who gave her all these things?
Mr. and Mrs. Jiang also looked very uncomfortable, and they cautiously cast their gazes toward Shen Wei.
But then Shen Wei's face darkened, and he suddenly caught his breath.
Shen Wei doesn't really care about money. For him, it's only right to give money to his parents as a sign of filial piety. However, everything should be done in moderation.
Jiang should not have kept it from him.
Moreover, he doesn't care how these things were sent out, but how they came to be... Jiang Shi must give him an explanation!
Shen Wei stood up, glanced at Jiang Shi, and then turned and left.
Seeing this, Jiang hurriedly chased after her, saying, "Husband, that's not how it is! Don't listen to her nonsense..."
Shen Yuan laughed and said, "I'm not making this up. It's all clearly recorded in the ledger. You took all these things from the storeroom. I was wondering where you put all that valuable stuff you took. But after coming to my grandmother's house today, I finally figured it out. It turns out it's all here!"
"You...shut up!" Jiang glared fiercely at Shen Yuan and hurriedly chased after her.
The birthday banquet had long since ended, so leaving at this point was not considered impolite.
Shen Yuan followed Shen Wei back to the manor. Along the way, Shen Wei kept a sullen face and didn't say a word.
Just as the father and daughter entered the backyard, Jiang's carriage caught up with them at the General's Mansion.
Jiang jumped off the carriage, lifted her skirt, and rushed to Wude Courtyard without caring about her appearance.
As soon as she entered the courtyard, tears streamed down her cheeks.
"General! I know I was wrong! I shouldn't have used the General's Mansion's private property to send to my parents' home. But my parents are old, and as their only daughter, I couldn't just watch them go hungry and cold. That's why I gave them some money!"
A little?
Shen Yuan held the account book and could only laugh. Three thousand taels of silver a year, thirty thousand taels in ten years, and this was considered a little?
"Your only daughter?" Shen Wei's lips curled slightly as he questioned in a deep voice, "I only ask you, where did the golden nanmu tea table, the five black and white jade chess pieces, the East China Sea red coral ornaments... all come from?"
"This..." Madam Jiang's expression changed. If Shen Wei was only harping on her supporting her family, that would be fine. But if Shen Wei was harping on where the money she used to support her family came from, then she... would have no way to explain.
Just then, Shen Wei's imposing voice rang out again: "I'll ask you one last time, where did these things come from?"
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