No one in the hall responded to Mrs. Shen's words. Shen Wangqiu originally thought that since the family was divided, they couldn't see each other every day. If Mrs. Shen wanted to vent her anger, he would let her do it.
Anyway, they were going to leave after paying New Year's greetings, and seeing their mother like this, she wouldn't keep them for dinner.
Seeing that no one spoke, Madam Shen thought that Shen Wangqiu was guilty, and instantly stood on the moral high ground.
Madam Shen cleared her throat and suddenly said to Shen Liyue: “I heard that Yi’an has been learning business from you recently?”
Shen Liyue was not surprised that Old Lady Shen knew about this. It was not a secret in the first place. In addition, Shen Liyue had been busy recently. In addition to Jiang Ji's shop, which she was still managing, the several shops under her were all handed over to Shen Yian to manage. It was not surprising that Old Lady Shen heard about this.
So Shen Liyue just answered truthfully: "Yes."
Madam Shen continued, "You are kind-hearted, but you can help the third house, why don't you help the second house?"
Chen Liyue asked, "Grandma, do you want me to take my second brother and sister to learn how to do business? I wonder if Grandma wants me to take my second sister or my second brother?"
Old Madam Shen was choked. She had never liked the eldest wife, and this Shen Liyue, who followed Jiang, was also sharp-tongued.
Madam Shen frowned and said, "Your second sister is already married and now belongs to the He family. Naturally, she can't learn business from you. Your second brother also needs to study and pass the imperial examinations in the future. How can he abandon his studies to pursue business like your third brother?"
Chen Liyue asked, "So, grandma, do you mean for my second uncle to learn business from me?"
Old Madam Shen was very displeased. She had said so much, but Shen Liyue still didn't understand.
"How old is your second uncle? How can he learn from you?" said Old Lady Shen.
Chen Liyue smiled. This really was a case of having it all. Among the four classes of scholars, farmers, merchants and artisans, merchants were ranked last, but merchants were rich. Old Madam Shen was unwilling to send anyone, but also wanted the first wife to give the second wife a share of the profits.
As expected, Madam Shen continued, "Don't you have a few shops under your control? You should give some to the second wife and let them take care of it."
Shen Liyue was so angry that she laughed. How shameless! Why didn't she just rob it directly?
Madam Shen continued, "You are also going to get married. Once you get married, you will belong to the Prince Yi's Mansion. How can a princess from a Prince Yi's Mansion still show up in public? You are a girl from the Shen family. After you get married, the shop you own should also belong to the Shen family. Since it belongs to the Shen family, isn't it only right that it be divided among the second wife's children?"
Jiang had no intention of speaking. She had the same idea as Chen Wangqiu: it was New Year's Day, so why bother with arguments?
But seeing that Madam Shen was getting more and more outrageous, Jiang couldn't help but speak up, "His Royal Highness Prince Yi admires Yue'er's business ability and specifically said that no matter how Yue'er lives at home, she will remain the same after marrying into Prince Yi's mansion, and there will be no restrictions on her. Besides, the laws of Great Chu don't say that a princess can't engage in business. If Yue'er does business, even His Majesty can't interfere."
Madam Shen frowned and slammed her hands on the table. "Now that the eldest wife has married Prince Yi, she has become even less respectful of an old woman like me. I just said a few words, and they even brought up His Majesty to pressure me!"
Jiang did not confess his crime and did not say anything.
Seeing that Jiang Shi didn't react, Madam Shen pointed at Shen Wangqiu and said, "Look at this, this is the good wife you married! You had so many daughters from aristocratic families, but you chose to marry a merchant girl instead. Look at this sharp-tongued woman, she even bullied your mother and you didn't care?"
Chen Wangqiu said, "Mother, please don't mention the past. What you said today was indeed a bit too much. We have already split up. Even if Yue'er's shop remains in the Shen family, there is no reason for it to be given to the second branch."
"Good! Good! Good!" Old Madam Shen was furious. "You are all rebellious sons! I am old and useless now, and no one listens to me anymore. So what are you all doing here? Are you trying to piss me off?!"
"Mother/Grandmother, please calm down." Seeing that Old Madam Shen was really angry, everyone said in unison.
It was not so easy to calm down Madam Shen’s anger, but at this moment someone suddenly stood up.
"Can I...can I learn business from big sister?"
Everyone looked over and saw Shen Lizhao standing up from the lower position and said weakly.
Chen Lizhao was born to Concubine Gao of the second house, who was also He's maidservant during her dowry. When He was pregnant, she decided to give Gao a concubine. At that time, He thought that instead of giving the concubine to an outsider, it would be better to give it to her own person so that she could use her with confidence.
Concubine Gao was originally just like Concubine Xiang. Every time after serving Shen Wanghong, He would force her to drink a bowl of contraceptive soup. But perhaps something went wrong one of the times and Concubine Gao became pregnant.
Originally, He Shi could not tolerate this child, but Aunt Gao knelt down in front of He Shi and begged her, saying that she was willing to stand on He Shi's side forever and only asked He Shi to leave her a child to rely on. This child would never compete for favor with He Shi's children, nor would he seek a share of the second wife's property. Only then did He Shi nod and agree to let Aunt Gao keep the child.
Fortunately, Concubine Gao gave birth to a girl, and He Shi felt that there was no threat. Over the years, apart from deducting some of their monthly allowance, she did not do anything to them.
Concubine Gao is of average appearance and honest and dutiful nature. The son she gave birth to, Shen Lizhao, is just like her, weak and non-competitive.
So when Chen Lizhao took the initiative to say today that he wanted to learn how to do business from Chen Liyue, everyone was surprised.
Shen Liyue was also a little surprised and asked, "Have you thought it through?"
Shen Lizhao nodded and said, "I've made up my mind. I'm willing to follow Big Sister."
Chen Lizhao had indeed thought it through. When He was in charge of the second house, she and her mother were struggling to make ends meet. Now that He was in poor health, Concubine Xiang was acting as the housekeeper, and their lives were gradually getting better. However, she was a concubine's daughter, and Concubine Xiang and her mother had no right to inquire about her marriage. She was about to reach the age of 15, and she worried every day, fearing that her father would make some foolish mistake and marry her off to an official's house as a concubine. So she also wanted to follow Chen Liyue. If she could earn some money, she could improve her mother's and her own lives, and let her father know that she still had some value and would not marry her off casually.
After living together for so many years, Chen Liyue knew Chen Lizhao's character. He was not the kind of person who would be sneaky and cunning. Chen Liyue always felt that if you rely on mountains, they will fall, and if you rely on people, they will run away. Only when you stand up on your own can you be fearless.
Since Shen Lizhao had proposed it himself, Shen Liyue had no objection, so she nodded in agreement.
But Old Madam Shen had always looked down on this granddaughter. She was originally a concubine's daughter and usually made no noise, as if she didn't exist. Now that she suddenly said she wanted to follow Shen Liyue, I wonder if she had other intentions.
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