Chapter 165 They are my family, not my enemies!
The two were warmly welcomed upon returning home.
“Grandparents, these are brocade robes for you.”
Two sets of gorgeous satin cotton coats were taken out of the bundle and handed to the two people.
Since their exile, the elderly couple had been wearing coarse cotton clothes, and now, seeing such bright and shiny fabric, they couldn't bear to look away.
"Yuanjing, this fabric must be very expensive, right?" Old Madam Shen looked at it with reluctance, not daring to touch the satin directly with her hand, afraid of getting it dirty or snag it, so she just touched it with her hand suspended in the air.
Shen Yuanjing laughed and said, "No need. Right now, the most valuable things are grain and charcoal. Nobody buys silk anymore. It's only a little more expensive than coarse cotton clothes!"
This is the truth. Right now, food and safety are the top priorities. The situation in the county is uncertain, and the silk shop owner is eager to get rid of the silk at a low price and buy more coarse cloth.
In the current situation, even the wealthy households in the county are tightening their belts and are afraid of showing off, so they have all switched to coarse cotton clothes. Nobody is buying silk, because the colors will fade if left for too long, and it's not as durable as coarse cloth. It's simply that ordinary people can't afford it, and those who can afford it don't buy it!
Although Mrs. Shen was happy, the recent hardships she had endured had made her habitually start nagging.
"Don't waste money in the future. These two sets of clothes can buy a lot of grain and charcoal."
The main problem is that Dongchuan is an eerily cold place, and cotton clothes made of silk are not as warm as those made of coarse cloth!
Shen Yuanxu smiled and said, "Grandmother, we don't need to worry about money and food anymore. Eldest sister has been promoted again!"
After he finished speaking, there was an eerie silence, and everyone in the room wore strange expressions.
Shen Yuanjing and Shen Yuanxu both noticed it.
"Grandmother, what's wrong with you all?" Shen Yuanxu had barely finished speaking when Shen Congwen snorted coldly, pushed open the door, and left with a dark face.
A cold wind blew in, displeasing Old Madam Shen, and the others also looked displeased.
Reluctantly, Liu ran over and closed the door, muttering as she walked, "My brother is really something. Even if he has a temper, he can't take it out on us! This awful weather, we might all catch a cold!"
Madam Shen's face darkened even more.
Shen Yuanjing's eyes flashed, and he asked, "Grandmother, is Father angry with eldest sister again?"
With a dark face, Old Madam Shen said irritably, "Ignore him, he's just too full!"
With her eyes shining, Liu asked eagerly, "Yuanjing, you just said that Lanxi has been promoted again? What is her official position now?"
Shen Yuanjing glanced at the door, then looked away and smiled, "Eldest sister is still the commander of the six counties, and my second uncle is in charge of recruiting soldiers and receives a salary from the general. Eldest sister is still taking care of our Shen family!"
This was exactly what Liu wanted to hear, and she immediately beamed with joy.
"Really? No wonder your second uncle wasn't coming back. Turns out he's become an official? Even when your father was in charge of the Ministry of Revenue, he couldn't promote your second uncle. Lanxi is really capable!"
Although Madam Shen disliked Liu's words, she was happy when she thought that her second son was also a centurion.
"Yuan Jing, Yuan Xu, what are your official positions now?"
The two looked at each other and laughed awkwardly. Shen Yuanjing nudged Shen Yuanxu and said, "Your mother, you answer."
Shen Yuanxu cleared his throat and said in a clear and distinct voice, "Mother, your son is now a centurion. Yuan Jing, Yuan Kun, and I are too, and we each have more than two hundred men under our command."
Mrs. Liu was even happier.
"Son, that's wonderful! I never imagined you weren't good at studying; you've chosen the wrong path. I should have let you join the army!"
Shen Yuanxu's lips twitched. No wonder she's his mother.
“Mother, I originally wanted to join the army, but we didn’t have any connections.”
Liu nodded repeatedly: "That's true."
Madam Shen rolled her eyes at Liu, thinking how talkative she was, and that she hadn't even asked her yet.
The two then began taking things out of their bundles to distribute gifts to their families.
"Third Uncle, Fourth Uncle, this is a jade pendant for you. Younger brother and sister, this is a hairpin and inkstone for you..."
Seeing the family so happy and harmonious, Old Madam Shen was overjoyed!
"Yuanjing and Yuanxu, why didn't you give your mother anything?" Miao asked.
The two froze, and before they could answer, Liu rushed in front of Miao.
"Yes, I can't do without mine. Sister-in-law, give me the hairpin you have!"
Miao's smile froze, and she began to evade the question.
"Second sister-in-law, your two children are both successful. Won't they give you plenty of things to show their filial piety in the future? This is a gift from my children to me, and I can't go against their wishes!" After saying that, she directly put the hair in her hair, not believing that Liu would have the nerve to pull it out!
"Alright, the children have finally come back. If you dare to cause any trouble, see how I deal with you!" Old Madam Shen scolded sternly.
Shen Congyi glanced at the jade pendant in his hand, which was of decent quality, and then casually put it away.
"Yuanjing, I heard that there were murders in Fuchun and Wujin counties yesterday?"
Shen Yuanjing's face turned pale. He had gotten used to it a lot by now. Before, he would have gagged a couple of times.
"Killed two, dismembered two, examined forty or fifty, and many more were exiled as slaves!"
The Shen family members all turned pale. Although they lived in Hongliutun, they had all heard about this.
"Really?" Shen Congyi asked in a deep voice.
Shen Yuanjing nodded: "It's true. I was the one who supervised the execution in Fuchun County back then. Originally, the executioner was supposed to be cut into a thousand pieces, but he wasn't skilled enough. He only cut the man a little over three hundred times, and he was completely dead!"
Shen Congyi looked up at his nephew, who hadn't even frowned, and his nascent thoughts quickly faded away.
Madam Shen felt it was too unlucky and quickly changed the subject.
When are your second uncle and the others coming back?
"These days, the days off are arranged on a rotating basis. My second uncle is in charge of recruitment, which is an important responsibility, so he might be scheduled later!"
Liu Shile, as if she had gotten a great deal, laughed and said, "It's fine to be in the back~" which earned her another eye roll from Old Madam Shen.
The Shen family members tacitly avoided mentioning Shen Lanxi, and only whispered to each other after returning to their rooms!
"Yuanxu, has Lanxi treated you differently from Yuanjing and the others?" Liu asked.
"Master, how about letting Yuanpeng and Yuanhao go too?" asked Madam Miao.
"Master, we can't just let Lanxi take care of the second branch of the family and ignore the fourth branch, can we?" Madam Tian said anxiously, her eyes red with envy.
None of the Shen family members got a good night's rest.
The next morning, several people quietly packed their bags and waited outside Shen Yuanjing's room.
...
"Big sister, Third Uncle has arrived with Yuan Peng and Yuan Hao, and Yuan Tang, Yuan Xin, and Yuan Ruan have also come!" Shen Yuanjing said, forcing a smile.
Shen Lanxi was reading official documents and said without looking up, "Go find Liu Yanhui and have him make the arrangements!"
Shen Yuanjing went out, but returned shortly afterward.
"Big sister..." He hadn't expected them to insist on coming along.
Shen Lanxi put down the official documents and looked at her younger brother, who was hanging his head.
"As long as they do their job properly, I won't stop them from coming!"
Shen Yuanjing had a lot to say, but he didn't know how to say it.
"Big sister, are you really not angry with them?"
Shen Lanxi was relaxed and laughed, "They are my family, not my enemies. Why would I be angry?"
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