Chapter 34: Driven Crazy
Liu Yue shook her head: "The maidservant beside the Fourth Madam, Zhiyi, is here."
Shen Qingtan was even more surprised: "Please ask her to come in."
Liu Yue went out and invited Zhiyi in.
Zhiyi came in carrying a small bamboo basket, bowed and said, "Second Master, Second Madam, the Fourth Madam got a basket of cherries today and asked me to give some to you to try."
Shen Qingtan took the bamboo basket personally: "Fourth Aunt is so thoughtful."
She ordered Liu Yue: "Go and get the preserved plums we bought."
Liu Yue went to the cabinet to get a small porcelain jar and handed it to Zhiyi.
“Plum preserved meat is made from thinly sliced wild chestnuts and olives and has the flavor of plum blossoms.”
Shen Qingtan said gently, "Aunt Four likes plum blossoms. You can bring some back for her to try. If she likes them, I'll have someone send some more to her."
Zhiyi looked at Shen Qingtan in surprise, as if she was surprised that she knew the Fourth Madam's preferences.
"This servant would like to thank the Second Madam on behalf of the Fourth Madam." Zhiyi said with a smile, holding the small porcelain jar, "My Madam will definitely like it."
After Zhiyi left, Shen Qingtan looked at the bright red cherries in the bamboo basket. Against the backdrop of a few emerald green leaves, they looked even more mouth-watering.
"Liu Yue, go wash a dish." Shen Qingtan handed the bamboo basket to Liu Yue, then said to Zhao Yi, "Cherries are very precious. Fourth Aunt gave me this basket as a reward for giving Fourth Uncle the opportunity to show off his merits?"
"Aunt Four is probably thanking me for sending Uncle Four to the capital." Zhao Yi looked rather helpless.
Shen Qingtan knew from a young age that she would marry into the Duke's Mansion and was familiar with the internal relationships of the Duke's Mansion.
The fourth master, Zhao Qiyuan, is the late-born son of Duke Zhao. He is only 28 years old, only six years older than Zhao Yi.
Zhao Qiyuan's aunt died early, so he was raised by the old lady and grew up with Zhao Yi. The relationship between the two was quite close.
The fourth lady is younger, even one year younger than Zhao Yi, and is only twenty-one years old now.
"I still have some official business to deal with. You can rest first and don't have to wait for me." After Zhao Yi gave instructions, he went to the study.
Liu Yue brought a plate of cherries and placed it on the kang table.
Shen Qingtan sat on the kang, and the rosy and translucent cherries served on a white porcelain plate with gold edges made her even more appetizing.
She pinched one and put it in her mouth. It had a thin skin, was sweet, and had plenty of juice. It was especially delicious.
Liu Yue gestured for Tingxue to stand guard outside the door, "Second Madam, there's news from Dechang, asking what you're going to do with that sum of money."
"Leave it to Uncle Qin." Shen Qingtan ate four or five pieces in a row and pushed the plate towards Liu Yue: "It tastes good, you try it."
Liu Yue only took one and thanked him. Then she remembered the matter of the Fourth House: "I heard that the Fourth Madam has been married for five years and still has no children. She is a legitimate daughter and married to the Fourth Master's illegitimate son, which is considered marrying down. Before she entered the house, she strictly prohibited taking concubines, and the Fourth Master agreed."
Shen Qingtan frowned slightly. Zhao Qiyuan was a ferocious wild horse, unruly, with a bad temper, and a tough nut to crack.
The Fourth Lady was favored in the mansion. She was a delicate young lady, spoiled and arrogant, so naturally she would not give in in front of Zhao Qiyuan.
How can the relationship be harmonious if two people confront each other head-on?
Even though the relationship between husband and wife was bad, Zhao Qiyuan still abided by the agreement and had no other women around him. He was a real man.
Many men are not satisfied with bringing one woman into their home, but they also have to support several women outside.
Liu Yue also thought of this and couldn't help but sigh: "Fortunately, there are no other women in the Second Master's backyard."
"Shut up." Shen Qingtan's nails pinched the delicate skin of the cherry, and the bright red juice stained her fingers red: "Don't say such things again."
Liu Yue's face suddenly changed, and he closed his mouth tightly, feeling annoyed. If others heard this, his master would be branded as jealous.
——
The second room is Jingde Hall.
The second wife looked haggard and pale as she lay on the bed, tears streaming from the corners of her eyes. She had not yet recovered from the blow.
"The old man isn't really going to demote Juer. He's just teaching us a lesson, so we can be more restrained. If Juer makes achievements, there's no reason not to promote him."
The second master said calmly, "It's just a small matter, why are you so angry?"
"What's the big deal? Why would I be like this?"
These words struck a chord with the Second Lady. She sat up and raged, "The little bitch's dowry was only worth thirty thousand taels, and I paid an extra ninety thousand taels to redeem her. In the end, I got nothing, and my son's official rank was demoted. Doesn't this tear my heart out?"
The second master's eyes widened and he said in a trembling voice, "How much silver did you say?"
"I borrowed 90,000 taels from my parents' home." The second wife couldn't reveal her private savings, after all, the money didn't come from a legitimate source.
In order to avoid arousing suspicion, she went back to her parents' home and put on a show of face.
She pulled out a handkerchief and covered her face with it, sobbing and crying, "They might as well have stabbed me to death with a knife."
The second master's fat body trembled, and his hands and feet were weak. "Which black-hearted pawnshop is this? Go and sue the authorities and get the money back!"
The Second Madam glared at Shen Mingzhu in the corner, gnashing her teeth and sneering, "Which pawnshop? The one run by your good in-laws!"
Second Master: "In-laws? The Shen family?"
"No, no!" Shen Mingzhu's face turned pale and she waved her hands: "My mother gave the pawnshop to my elder sister."
This was a bolt from the blue for the Second Madam: "What did you say? That shop is clearly registered under your mother's name, how could it be Shen Qingtan's?"
"Absolutely true." Shen Mingzhu's eyes were red as she stared at the Second Madam with murderous eyes. She suppressed her panic and said, "My mother gave it to her when she returned home."
The Second Madam picked up a porcelain pillow and threw it at Shen Mingzhu, her eyes red as she said, "Such a big thing, and you hid it from me."
With a "bang", the porcelain pillow hit Shen Mingzhu's instep. The pain made her bend over and tears fell.
The Second Madam was almost going crazy, grabbing the Second Master's sleeve tightly and saying, "Go check now, find out whose name the shop is under."
Zhao Jue came in from outside, his eyes sinister as he said, "I've arranged for someone to investigate."
The room was dead silent.
The second master paced back and forth in the room.
The second wife's heart was frying in a frying pan, and she was muttering to herself.
Zhao Jue couldn't stand this depressing atmosphere that was driving him crazy, and left the inner room with a gloomy face.
The second room seemed to be shrouded in dark clouds, and there was a restlessness in the air, as if it would explode with a spark.
The night watchman sounded outside, and the people sent to investigate finally arrived.
The Second Lady had finished dressing and was now sitting on the kang. She asked anxiously, "Who owns the Dechang Pawnshop?"
The attendant replied, "It will be registered in the name of the owner of Qin's Trading Company."
"Qin's Trading Company..." The Second Madam couldn't help but tremble all over. With a last glimmer of hope in her eyes, she asked Zhao Jue for confirmation: "They have nothing to do with Shen Qingtan, right?"
Zhao Jue closed his eyes tightly: "Shen Qingtan is indebted to Boss Qin."
At this moment he suddenly realized that Shen Qingtan and Boss Qin had set a trap for him since he took on the job of buying military rations.
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