Chapter 10 The white jade seal permeated her from the inside out.
"I...you're not here during the day, why should I avoid you?"
Lin Shutang's eyelashes trembled, clearly a rebuttal, but because Shen Yun had actually hit the nail on the head regarding her little thoughts, she seemed to lack confidence no matter what.
The blush on her face spread even more thoroughly.
"So, Ah Tang means you won't be dealing with these ledgers tonight?" Shen Yun asked with a smile, as if she was pleased by Lin Shutang's words.
Lin Shutang suddenly looked up and realized that she had fallen into Shen Yun's trap again.
Why did she take on all this if not to avoid Chen Yun?!
If she doesn't deal with it by night, and fails to achieve her goal of avoiding Chen Yun, wouldn't she have just picked up a tiring job for nothing?
She had no intention of being a virtuous wife and loving mother to Shen Jun, so why would she actually manage his household?
Lin Shutang certainly couldn't let himself make a fool of himself by doing all this.
“No.” Lin Shutang said, feigning difficulty, “My grandmother is willing to let me learn from my mother-in-law, so I naturally can’t be lazy and shirk my duties.”
"Now that I am your wife and have taken on the title of matriarch, I should naturally learn to do the things that a matriarch should do."
Lin Shutang looked up at him, her voice barely audible, her expression shy and timid, "Didn't you tell me to live a good life with you? I'm learning to be a good wife, are you going to refuse me too?"
His pitiful tone made people feel really sorry for him.
Shen Yun stared at her, remaining silent for a long while, as if considering the credibility of her words.
Lin Shutang was unsure what Shen Yun meant, and his heart was pounding.
After being stared at until her scalp tingled, she finally heard Shen Yun softly say, "Okay."
This is considered as consent.
Lin Shutang's lips curled up, but before she could even feel happy, she heard Shen Yun say, "I'll stay with you."
Lin Shutang's smile froze completely.
"You have to attend court tomorrow, so there's no need for that," Lin Shutang advised, forcing a smile.
"If I stay with A-Tang, things might be more efficient, and A-Tang can get some rest sooner. Isn't that better?"
Shen Yun's words were so considerate that Lin Shutang, who had just said that he wanted to live a good life with Shen Yun, couldn't find any words to refute them.
They could only reluctantly agree.
At night, the lights in the west wing were bright.
Lin Shutang sat at the desk and stole a glance at Shen Yun, who was sitting on the couch opposite him.
He rested his chin on one hand on the table, while his other hand, with its long, slender fingers, held up a soft-covered military treatise. His white robes cascaded down like moonlight flowing through water, exuding the refined elegance and casualness of a scholar-official.
Lin Shutang, however, had no interest in appreciating it. He felt extremely uncomfortable, as if he had shot himself in the foot.
"Tired?"
Noticing Lin Shutang's gaze, Shen Yun raised her eyelids and looked over.
Lin Shutang hurriedly lowered his head, picked up his pen and started writing on the ledger, his brows furrowed slightly, looking extremely serious.
Shen Yun slightly curled the corners of her lips, then lowered her eyes to continue reading.
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Lin Shutang originally thought that Shen Yun wouldn't be able to hold on for long.
But unexpectedly, it was actually herself who wanted to give up first.
For several days in a row, Shen Yun seemed to have inexhaustible energy. He had to work during the day, and in the evenings he could even accompany her to handle the affairs of the manor.
After having Lin Shutang settle old scores from a few days ago, Xu Rongyi, for some reason, stopped making things difficult for her.
He was also willing to give her some pointers and let Lin Shutang practice some minor matters in the mansion first.
For example, as the weather gradually warms up, each room in the mansion needs to start making new clothes, the flowers, plants and trees in the courtyard weighed down by snow need to be tended by gardeners, and the bricks and stones that have cracked due to the ice and snow need to be replaced...
Lin Shutang had helped his father with some things when he was in Xi County.
However, the family's meager assets in Pingxi County could hardly compare to those of the Duke of Dingguo's mansion, which occupied almost half of Chong'an Ward.
They did almost all of these things themselves.
Her senior brother was shoveling snow on the roof, and she was below handing him tiles.
Spring clothes only need to be cut for a few people in the family. My father runs a business every day, braving wind and rain, and doesn't care about his clothes at all.
My senior brother is the same; he wears the same few navy blue robes year after year.
She alone would have all sorts of beautiful clothes made every year when the seasons changed, and they had to be the most fashionable styles currently available from the capital, made with the most expensive fabrics.
Even if those clothes can only be worn for a year.
After all, Lin Shutang is still growing, and his clothes are shorter every year than in previous years.
Lin Shutang has been to many places and has seen a lot.
But she had never been to Yujing. She had only heard that it was the capital city under the emperor's feet, full of golden buildings and jade, with music playing everywhere. It was a true paradise of wealth and luxury on earth.
Lin Shutang felt a certain longing for it.
She put on the fashionable clothes and makeup popular in Yujing. Lin Shutang thought that she would feel more at ease when she went to Yujing in the future.
But now, she has actually come to Yujing.
But the mindset I had back then was long gone.
She no longer needed to consider what to wear the next day, nor did she have to agonize over whether to go to the shop to help out or go to the shop next door with Xiaohua to pick out jewelry.
Everything Lin Shutang wore and used, everything surrounding her, was arranged by Shen Yun.
She no longer worries about those girlish thoughts, but in doing so, she loses a lot of fun.
It also gave Shen Yun an opportunity to permeate her entire life, inside and out.
Completely imbued with his unique aura.
Without a doubt, Shen Yun gave her the best.
However, Lin Shutang no longer felt the excitement and joy he used to feel when he received something new.
Only numbness and boredom after all material desires have been satisfied.
Lin Shutang didn't know whether this was a good thing or not.
Is it better to live numbly than to endure the pain of being awake?
My complicated thoughts came to a stop after I stepped into Shen Zhixi's courtyard.
Today, Lin Shutang personally went to each room to keep an eye on things, accompanied by a tailor.
She knew that the price of clothes in the capital was high, and making new clothes for the masters of each household every year was a considerable expense.
However, looking at the astronomical figures in the ledger, Lin Shutang couldn't help but have some doubts.
After all, Lin Shutang had handled all the affairs of the Lin family over the years. She was quite familiar with the intricacies of the Lin family's inner workings.
In fact, Lin Shutang didn't need Xu Rongyi to teach him much; he could handle it quite well on his own.
She sent someone to the storeroom to retrieve the sub-accounts, and examined them one by one.
I guessed the general idea.
Those below are quick-witted.
Taking advantage of those in power who don't understand, it's common for them to measure a few feet more here and a few feet more there.
The extra amount can be used to make a kickback.
This is not a rare occurrence.
Perhaps it was because the Duke of Dingguo's mansion was so wealthy that even the smallest amount of money that his subordinates embezzled seemed shocking.
Lin Shutang didn't want to cause a big fuss, so he followed the servants around, giving them a warning so they wouldn't dare to do anything underhanded.
These people were indeed honest. After realizing that Lin Shutang did know something about the business, they dared not cheat or slack off under her nose.
They couldn't help but feel relieved by Lin Shutang's intentional leniency towards them.
With gratitude in your heart, you'll be more careful and diligent in your work.
When taking her measurements, Shen Zhixi looked unwell, listless, and even seemed to be holding her breath.
His cheeks were puffed up with anger.
Lin Shutang stood to the side, amused, and asked, "What's wrong? Are you unhappy?"
"Sister-in-law." Shen Zhixi was held up by the old woman and looked at her with resentment in her eyes like a scarecrow. "You're right. I can run away on the first day of the month, but I can't run away on the fifteenth."
"Mother said that once the spring clothes are finished, she will take me to Huguo Temple to offer incense, and under the guise of praying for blessings, she will let me meet the third young master of the Ministry of Works."
In the Sheng Dynasty, the social customs were open, and it was not uncommon for men and women to meet and get to know each other before marriage.
However, for the sake of a good reputation, most officials would still find a pretext to meet, without explicitly stating that they were looking at each other for a meeting.
In this way, even if they don't become in-laws in the future, both sides can still maintain a dignified appearance.
Everyone knows exactly what's going on behind the scenes.
And this chance encounter at the Buddhist temple is the best excuse.
Lin Shutang didn't expect that the Second Madam would be in such a hurry when Shen Zhixi had just come of age.
"Don't worry, it will take a while for these spring clothes to be finished. If you look so down so early, you'll really be miserable when the time comes," Lin Shutang comforted her.
"It's just a casual meeting, nothing's officially settled yet. You've been to see him, who knows, maybe this third young master is quite nice?" Lin Shutang stood behind her and smoothed her clothes so the old woman could measure her more easily.
"If he's as handsome as my second brother, then I'll go," Shen Zhixi said nonchalantly.
Forget about the Third Young Master or Young Master Li; no matter how good they are, they can't compare to her Second Brother. After all, all the young ladies in the capital consider her Second Brother the man of their dreams.
However, my second brother is too cold-hearted. When he doesn't speak, he's like my eldest uncle, which is quite frightening.
Only in front of his second sister-in-law did he restrain his aura.
She doesn't necessarily need to find someone like her second brother, but at least he should be someone who always keeps his sister-in-law in his heart like he is.
Thinking of this, Shen Zhixi couldn't help but say, "It would be great if my sister-in-law could come with me."
Give her a look; maybe she can find someone as good to her as her second brother was to her second sister-in-law.
After all, didn't Sister-in-law choose the best man in Yujing?
At this moment, Shen Zhixi had complete faith in Lin Shutang's judgment.
At least compared to her mother, who considered anyone with a decent appearance to be handsome and talented.
"Me? How could I possibly get out?"
Lin Shutang gave a self-deprecating laugh, but consciously swallowed the rest of her words.
Although Shen Yun now has lenient control over her and allows her to leave Jingyuan Residence, Lin Shutang does not dare to test his bottom line time and time again.
If one were to leave the mansion, who knows how many eyes would be lurking in the shadows.
She reported every word and action of hers to Shen Yun without missing a single detail.
It exudes a suffocating, oppressive force.
Shen Zhixi's words were just empty talk; she was not one to force others to do things against their will.
She could tell that her second sister-in-law didn't seem to like going out.
Even at the 100-day celebration, my second sister-in-law only sat at the banquet for a short while, sipped a glass of wine, and then went home.
No wonder my second brother is so thoughtful; he even skipped the morning and evening greetings for my second sister-in-law.
If she were to marry into her husband's family and not have to perform the daily morning and evening greetings, she would surely wake up laughing in her sleep.
"Sigh, going to Huguo Temple to pray for blessings was just a pretext. But my mother insisted that I copy Buddhist scriptures, wanting to make this a complete performance." Shen Zhixi still felt annoyed at the thought of going to the fortune-telling meeting.
"I know what she means. She just wants me to leave a good impression on the wife of the Minister of Works. For the time being, I can only stay in the courtyard."
Growing up isn't good at all.
"Sister-in-law?" Feeling Lin Shutang's hand on her waist pause, Shen Zhixi turned her head to look, somewhat confused.
Lin Shutang straightened up, her expression relatively calm, as if she wasn't the one who had been lost in thought just moments before.
"With your temperament, it's good to have you copy some Buddhist scriptures. You need to calm down," Lin Shutang said reproachfully.
He handed the measuring tape to the old woman beside him, a sense of pride in his daughter growing up, and smiled, "Your measurements are done, she's grown taller than last year."
"Really? Sister-in-law." Shen Zhixi excitedly ran to the dressing mirror, turned around, and said, "I don't need to grow much taller, just being as tall as you is fine."
Lin Shutang laughed, "With your lively personality, you must be taller than me."
After leaving Shen Zhixi's courtyard, as is customary, one should continue to the courtyard of the illegitimate sons and daughters under the second branch of the family.
However, Lin Shutang had something on her mind and didn't have time to continue this tiring work.
The Duke's mansion covers a vast area. Even without leaving the mansion, Lin Shutang has walked a distance from Chong'anfang to Nanxiang in the past few days.
Now that she is going back to Jingyuan Residence, everyone just assumes she is tired and doesn't think much of it.
We continued our journey to the next courtyard to take the masters' measurements.
Qingdai then returned to Jingyuan Residence with Lin Shutang.
"Is Madam feeling unwell? Shall I go and summon the physician?" Qingdai asked hastily, noticing that Lin Shutang's complexion seemed somewhat pale.
"No need, I'm just a little tired. When we get back to Jingyuan Residence, I'll take a nap. Tell everyone not to disturb me." Lin Shutang shook her head and declined calmly.
"Yes," Qingdai replied.
Upon returning to Jingyuan Residence, Lin Shutang immediately closed the doors and windows and quickly took out the white jade seal from her dressing case.
After the crisis where Shen Yun almost discovered him last time, Lin Shutang became extremely cautious.
After much thought, I decided it would be safest to keep it in my own dressing case.
After all, no matter how hard Shen Yun searched, she could still find it in her own vanity case filled with eyebrow pencils, rouge, and forehead ornaments.
Lin Shutang picked up the white jade seal and, using the bright sunlight streaming through the window, examined the inscriptions on it, character by character.
It is the Lotus Sutra.
Is it possible that Song Ying gave her this because he wanted to arrange a meeting at Fahua Temple?
Meeting at a Buddhist temple under the guise of praying for blessings... indeed, it leaves no room for suspicion.
But Song Ying probably didn't know that she couldn't leave the mansion at all.
Lin Shutang gripped the white jade seal tightly, carefully recalling every word Song Ying had said to her that day.
If Song Ying doesn't specify a time to meet, what if she goes only to find no one there?
It will probably be even harder to find an excuse to get out next time.
Lin Shutang put the white jade seal back into the dressing case, looking somewhat dejected.
What happened back then was something she did wrong to her senior brother.
After that night, she was forcibly taken away by Shen Yun, and she didn't even know whether her senior brother was dead or alive.
Seeing that he was still alive, Lin Shutang finally felt a little relieved after many years of worry.
She desperately wanted to know what her senior brother had been through all these years, and hoped to persuade him to leave Yujing and live his own life, and not to risk his life for her again.
Shen Yun is a madman; he won't let me off the hook.
She couldn't let her senior brother get involved any more.
She had to see him one more time, no matter what.
A note from the author:
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Great, it's good to see you. You've given the Crown Prince another excuse to punish him severely. [Cat emoji]
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Um... I made the list (slaps hand), but the word count requirement was different from what I expected. It's my first time on this list, so I wasn't familiar with it and made some mistakes in my planning. I can't keep my promise to update five days a day. Sorry, sorry! [pleading]
If possible, I'll find time to make up for the missed chapter later. [Crying] (I dare not make any more promises) (Shaking)
I'm so sorry everyone! (Slides to kneel) (kowtows)
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