Chapter 88 Backing You Up
Ye Yunyi directed the old women in the house to set out the bowls and chopsticks, her movements revealing an indescribable anxiety.
Seeing this, Shen Yanhuai smiled faintly: "Still worried about Songjiang?"
"no."
"I was just thinking about how to submit the dyeing recipe to Yuanzhu in a little while."
When Ye Yunyi mentioned this, she couldn't help but show some emotion.
"Just so that you, me, and the Xie family can treat Yuanzhu better, the Shen family has had to seal away the rare dye vats all these years."
"It was originally a secret recipe of the Shen family, and you and Xingqiao each had a share..."
Not wanting Shen Yanhuai to think she was being too calculating, Ye Yunyi sighed, "Now that Yuanzhu is married, can the Shen family's corrupt practices be lifted?"
"And the farming and weaving charts, Yuanzhu should hand them over this time when she returns home."
Shen Yanhuai said, "What's the rush? Even without those colored cloths, the Shen family's business is doing just fine."
"Besides, Yuanzhu is a married woman, so holding onto this thing is useless to her. She'll give it away eventually."
Shen Yanhuai's eyes were gentle: "I've seen how you've treated Yuanzhu all these years. Although she used to be a bit spoiled, she's also a well-behaved and grateful person."
“You, as her sister-in-law, have taken such good care of her for so many years, and you gave her a generous dowry when she got married. Even if you don’t mention it, Yuanzhu will bring it up on her own.”
Upon hearing this, Ye Yunyi's expression froze for a moment.
Seeing that her mood remained somber, Shen Yanhua comforted her, "No need to worry. Since it's a homecoming banquet for a married daughter, let's not talk about anything else."
"If Xie Qi hears this and still thinks that the Shen family girl is only worth exchanging farming and weaving pictures, then that would be unpleasant."
“Yuanzhu is different from Yuanqiong. We don’t have much of a sibling relationship, but that’s precisely why we can’t let her husband’s family look down on her.”
"Otherwise, when her husband's family finds out that her brothers are helpless, she will easily be bullied in the inner quarters."
He was ten years older than Shen Yuanzhu. If a girl who married in her teens could live a good life, he would be considered to have fulfilled his duty as an elder and would not make things difficult for her.
"There's no need to rush; there will always be opportunities in the future."
Ye Yunyi nodded with a stiff smile, but she didn't hear a word of what she was saying.
The more tolerant and gentle Shen Yanhuai was towards Shen Yuanzhu, the more she hated Shen Yuanzhu's lack of gratitude.
Shen Yanhuai had been kind enough to her, but Shen Yuanzhu was cunning and scheming. Over the years, she had kept the dyeing manual tightly under her control, refusing to reveal even a little bit of it, which kept her husband busy for years, never having a moment's rest.
Although the Shen family wasn't in a hurry to get the dyeing manual, she still hoped to use it and the farming and weaving charts to help the Ye family turn their fortunes around...
The flesh on her palms and the backs of her hands was burning, how could she not be anxious?
"Then I won't say anything, I'll listen to you."
Ye Yunyi smiled gently at Shen Yanhuai, then composed herself and went back to arranging the trivial matters.
Xie Qi hurried along, not daring to dwell on the details of what had just happened, and quickly reached the outside of the hall.
However, he did not go in alone, but stood outside waiting for Shen Yuanzhu.
Shen Yuanzhu was whispering to Luo Shi about something trivial when she noticed Xie Qi staring intently at her. She assumed that Xie Qi was annoyed that she was walking too slowly and slowing him down.
After thinking for a moment, Shen Yuanzhu stretched out her index finger from afar with a blank face.
"..."
Xie Qi blushed and quickly turned his head away, no longer looking at her.
"What did Miss say about the young master?"
Luo looked up at Xie Qi. Although he was standing ramrod straight, she felt that he was inexplicably awkward.
Thinking about the scene when Xie Qi bit her finger earlier, Shen Yuanzhu hesitated for a long time before finally shaking her head.
Why don't you go in?
"Wait for you."
Seeing Xie Qi standing outside the door, Shen Yuanzhu entered with him.
Upon seeing the two, Ye Yunyi hurriedly stepped forward to arrange seats, and Shen Yuanqiong only arrived late after everyone had been seated.
"I strictly controlled today's menu, and it's all your favorite dishes, Yuanzhu. I'm just sorry to trouble Xie Qi, as I don't know what he likes to eat."
Ye Yunyi had a big smile on her face, looking every bit the loving sister-in-law.
Xie Qi thanked her and then turned to get chopsticks for Shen Yuanzhu and placed them beside her.
The Shenyuan Pearl remained unmoved. Xie Qi whispered, "You have an injury on your hand..."
"..."
The wound on her finger was throbbing slightly. Shen Yuanzhu looked down at the obvious teeth marks around her finger and cursed Xie Qi inwardly, thinking he must be a dog to have such a peculiar habit.
My toothache is dull and persistent; even a slight bend brings waves of pain.
Left with no other choice, she had to put down her chopsticks and stretch out her fingers...
Xie Qi saw this and suddenly reached out his hand.
Shen Yuanzhu turned her head to look at him, her eyes full of confusion.
Xie Qi, with a cold expression, opened his palm and enveloped her hand in his own.
A secret desire, of unknown origin, made him unwilling for anyone to see the marks he had left on Shen Yuanzhu.
"you……"
She tugged at his hand, but Xie Qi, with a calm expression, held her hand under the table.
Seeing the two exchanging glances, and recalling Xie Qi's cold-faced scolding of her for being a gossip, Shen Yuanqiong angrily threw down her chopsticks and stormed off the table.
"This child..."
Ye Yunyi glared at Shen Yuanqiong's retreating figure and quickly said to Shen Yanhuai, "The unmarried young lady is shy."
Shen Yanhua nodded and let the matter drop.
The homecoming banquet was a pleasant affair for both host and guests, but Shen Yuanzhu increasingly felt that Xie Qi was an unusual person with strange behavior.
During the banquet, Shen Yanhuai picked up the faded red silk in Xie Qi's hand, and the two then chatted and drank tea in the hall.
Ye Yunyi then found an excuse to take the dried fruit she had just bought yesterday and brew ginger and jujube tea to go find Chen Yuanzhu.
"Is my sister-in-law going to have a long talk with me?"
She picked up a piece of dried peach and put it in her mouth, then poured herself some tea.
She acted with ease and composure, as if she had never had a falling out with Ye Yunyi over the dowry issue.
Ye Yunyi wasn't as thick-skinned as her; she looked embarrassed.
The dried peaches were sweet and sour, and Shen Yuanzhu squinted her eyes as she ate them.
Seeing that Ye Yunyi was about to speak, she interrupted her, saying, "Sister-in-law, you might as well speak your mind. Save those empty words of pretense and useless talk. They're neither appetizing nor good for tea, so why waste your energy?"
"If that's how you put it, then I won't beat around the bush anymore."
"Over the years you've been eating and living at home. Before you got married, Yanhuai supported you, and we didn't expect you to help the family in any way."
"But now that you're married, shouldn't you think about your brother and nephew?"
Ye Yunyi said, "Now that you've married into the Xie family, shouldn't these farming and weaving charts and dyeing manuals be returned to their rightful owner?"
Shen Yuanzhu exclaimed, "So all these years I've been supported by my brother? I thought he had taken over the shop my mother ran..."
"You don't need to say anything irrelevant. Your mother doesn't have the surname Shen. No matter how capable your mother is, if she can't give birth to a son and inherit the Shen family business, it's all in vain."
Ye Yunyi said, "In short, your brother told me that if you want to rely on your maternal family in the future, you have to hand over the farming and weaving chart and the dyeing manual, whether you want to or not."
Looking at Shen Yuanzhu, who was adorned with gold and silver, she continued, "Don't think that just because you have a generous dowry, you can live a carefree life in the Xie family without the help of your brothers and nephews."
"You might as well think about what Xie Qi's status is in the Xie family. He's only nice to you now because he's new to you, but you know your own status. If rumors start circulating in the future, how could he possibly be nice to a woman who's been tainted and has a flaw?"
“There are some things that outsiders cannot know, but I am your sister-in-law. If your brother and I tell your private affairs, people will believe it.”
"It's far better to hand over these useless things to your maternal family than to risk alienating them by clinging to the dyeing manuals and farming and weaving charts. That way, your elder brother and your nephew will be able to support you in the future..."
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