Chapter 22: Life at stake
Mrs. Shen's expression froze. Not only did Shen Qingtan want it, but he also wanted it from the pawnshop that was doing good business.
Pawnshops are a business that is sure to make a profit, and each business has a strong backer.
Nowadays, pawnshops have long been monopolized. If someone wants to open a new one, the government will not approve it at all.
Shen Qingtan pretended to be uneasy and asked, "Mother, shouldn't I make a request?"
"Mother is just very surprised. In the past, you refused all the rewards I gave you, but today you asked for them." Madam Shen joked and sighed, "The things in mother's hand belong to you siblings. It doesn't matter whether I give them to you earlier or later."
"Mother treats me the best." Shen Qingtan smiled brightly, holding Madam Shen's hand, and said softly: "Mother, I will go with you to get the house deed and the pawnshop deed. When I return home, I will tell my husband that no matter who I marry, you will love me as much as before. You will not love me less just because he is in poor health."
Mrs. Shen looked at Shen Qingtan inquiringly, not knowing whether she was scheming to get the shop or was worried about being abandoned, so she had to hold something in her hand to prove to Zhao Yi that she had her family as a backer.
She originally wanted to delay giving the title deed and then find an excuse to get rid of it later, but now she was put under the fire and had to give it.
"As the saying goes, children are a debt to their parents. If I don't feel sorry for you, who should I feel sorry for?" Mrs. Shen said tiredly, "Come with me to get the house deed."
Shen Qingtan helped Madam Shen back to Furong Garden.
Shen Mingzhu looked at their happy scene, tears welled up inexplicably, and an indescribable sense of grievance rose in her heart.
Shen Qingtan was not taught a lesson today. Her mother lightly let it go and gave Shen Qingtan a shop, even abandoning her own daughter.
Shen Mingzhu hated Shen Qingtan even more. She wiped away her tears and left them far behind as she went to Furong Garden.
She watched Mrs. Shen hand the house deed to Shen Qingtan, her nails digging deep into her palms, the stinging pain keeping her calm.
Shen Qingtan stuffed the property deed into her sleeve and said, "Mother, you must be tired today. Can I help you go to the inner room to rest?"
Madam Shen didn't want to look at Shen Qingtan any more at this moment: "Zhao Yi is ill, you go see him."
"Okay." Shen Qingtan said goodbye to Madam Shen, then looked at Shen Mingzhu, who was looking down, and asked in a friendly tone, "Second sister, do you want to go with me?"
Shen Mingzhu suppressed her resentment and said, "Big sister, please go back first. I still have something to say to mother."
"Well, you can talk to mother for a while." Shen Qingtan glanced at her clenched fist, and her eyes became more gentle: "Mother is worried about Mother Wei's matter, you can comfort her."
Shen Mingzhu watched Shen Qingtan leave, and she wanted to tell Madam Shen about her grievances. Before she could open her mouth, she heard Madam Shen say, "Luyuan, do you know how Madam Wei arranged this?"
Lu Yuan knelt on the ground and said with great trepidation, "To answer Madam, Madam Wei is very cautious and has always done everything herself. She never told me how she arranged it."
Mrs. Shen was furious and knocked over the incense burner on the kang table.
"Bang--"
Shen Mingzhu and Lu Yuan were trembling with fear.
Madam Shen’s face was ferocious.
Is this going to be a death without any evidence?
Shen Shaoheng is the murderer.
What she wanted to know was what role Shen Qingtan played in all this.
No matter what, she didn't believe that Shen Qingtan was innocent!
Shen Mingzhu said in fear: "Mother...Mother..."
"You go back first." Madam Shen suffered a great loss, and her head was throbbing with pain. She really didn't have the energy to deal with Shen Mingzhu: "If you have anything, let Wandong send a message to me."
Shen Mingzhu's face turned pale, she clenched her fingers, forced herself to cheer up, and squeezed out a stiff smile: "Okay, you have a good rest, your daughter will leave first."
Mrs. Shen leaned against the large pillow on the kang and said "hmm" in a neutral tone.
Shen Mingzhu left with red eyes. She had followed her mother here hoping she would give her a shop. Even if she didn't get her dowry back, at least she would have something to give to the second wife.
If the Second Madam knew that Shen Qingtan got a pawnshop and she returned empty-handed, she would not know what to think of her.
She walked out of Hibiscus Garden and warned Wan Dong and Zhong Xia beside her: "Don't say a word about what mother gave Shen Qingtan's shop to in the Duke's Mansion."
The two responded, "We dare not."
——
Shen Qingtan took Liu Yue and Ting Xue away from Furong Garden. The smile on her face disappeared and she walked straight to the front yard.
Liu Yue was preoccupied. Seeing that no one was around, she asked in a low voice, "Miss, how did you know that Mother Wei was going to attack us?"
Shen Qingtan lowered her eyelashes and said slowly, "When I returned home, my mother specifically asked me why I didn't bring Chunjiao and Qiuchan with me today. I don't use her people, I only trust you two. She wants to put people around me and gain my favor, so she must get rid of you, and today is a good opportunity."
Living his life over again, Shen Qingtan likes to plan ahead and prepare for anything in advance.
Not knowing what would happen when she returned to the Shen Mansion, she deliberately did not take the box of emerald bean cakes off the carriage, leaving it as an excuse to escape.
After Madam Shen mentioned the maid, she had a clue in her mind. Later, she met Shen Shaoheng in Jufu Hall and remembered his experience in his previous life. When she returned to her boudoir to rest, she asked Liu Yue to inquire about Shen Shaoheng's movements.
When she learned that Shen Shaoheng went to Wanfeng Pavilion, she made two plans and discussed the corresponding strategies with Liu Yue and Ting Xue in advance.
Not seeing Shen Shaoheng and Aunt Mei in the side hall, Shen Qingtan confirmed his guess.
Mrs. Shen is good at killing with a borrowed knife. She will definitely take advantage of this opportunity to expose the affair between Shen Shaoheng and Aunt Mei, and use them to get rid of Liu Yue and Ting Xue.
Liu Yue and Ting Xue looked at Shen Qingtan with admiration. Their master had always been calm and decisive in the face of adversity. He had actually guessed Madam Shen's motives from such trivial matters.
At that time, in the master's boudoir, the master warned them that if anyone tried to get them away under various pretexts and lead them to Wanfeng Pavilion, one of them should change into Wei Mama's clothes and throw a purse on the rockery. The other should avoid being seen and lead Wei Mama to Wanfeng Pavilion. After the deed was accomplished, they should leave the house and get the Jade Bean Cake from the carriage.
At the time, they thought their master was overly worried, but it turned out that his foresight saved their lives.
Liu Yue clenched the note in her hand. It was the note her master had hidden in a handkerchief and given to her. It told her that Shen Shaoheng and Aunt Mei were having an affair in Wanfeng Pavilion, and told her to act according to the circumstances.
Now thinking back on what happened before, she said with lingering fear: "Fortunately, you had foresight, so we escaped a disaster."
Shen Qingtan is able to make this move only after he has mastered everyone's psychology. Otherwise, one wrong move will lead to a complete loss.
Betting his life, he can be considered a crazy gambler.
She should be thankful, thankful that Mother Wei treated Madam Shen as her own daughter. When doing shameful things for Madam Shen, she did not like to arrange people around Madam Shen to do it, but chose other suitable people. After the matter was successful, she would kill the witnesses and leave no hidden dangers to backfire on Madam Shen.
To be on the safe side, Mother Wei would definitely stay nearby and even add fuel to the fire when the time was right.
Otherwise, it would take a lot of effort to get rid of Mother Wei.
Shen Qingtan looked back at Furongyuan, a glimmer of light flashed in his eyes.
Shen Shaoheng is not a good person. He never guarded against Madam Shen in his previous life, and was defeated just now.
In this life, she is the one pushing the issue behind the scenes. The conflict between Madam Shen and Shen Shaoheng has intensified. She hopes Shen Shaoheng will not let her down.
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