Ye Rou was clearly going to be disappointed.
She waited and waited, but Song Zhiyu didn't say a word, remaining silent as if he had never been there.
As time passed, all the color drained from Ye Rou's face.
"Sold for seven thousand five hundred taels! Congratulations, Madam Ye, on acquiring another treasure." Yunxi made the final decision, her charming fox eyes narrowing slightly to conceal the disdain deep within, and she added insult to injury without any hesitation.
Ye Rou glared fiercely at Song Zhiyu, who was standing at the window smiling at her, her heart clenching tightly.
If she didn't realize at this point that she had been tricked by Song Zhiyu, then she would truly be a fool.
But she simply couldn't come up with those seven thousand five hundred taels.
Ye Rou's move further confirmed the suspicions of the guests present.
This Chief Clerk hasn't even been promoted yet, but he dares to act like this. I wonder how much benefit he's gained from it.
They should investigate this carefully; it might be a good opportunity to win over Chen Rushan.
Everyone had their own thoughts and plans.
*
Ye Rou was unaware of the enormous pit she had dug for her son. She looked at Shen Feng pleadingly, her eyes reddening, a pitiful sight.
When their eyes met, Shen Feng awkwardly turned his face away, his lips pressed into a straight line, as if afraid that others would notice something amiss.
He was displeased with Ye Rou's impulsive actions, and even felt a slight anger at being disobeyed.
But when he thought of her pitiful and delicate face, Shen Feng's anger subsided by more than half.
Well, after all, she was the mother of his two most beloved children, and the woman who had been with him for over twenty years without any official status.
Thinking of this, his heart softened.
But then he thought of the culprit who caused this, and Shen Feng was furious, his fists clenching so tightly they cracked.
"They're all good daughters you gave birth to." Shen Feng growled at his mother in a low voice, his eyes filled with anger and disgust.
Both of them are his children, Rushan is filial and Shuer is intelligent, and they have never caused him any worry.
The others, however, were anything but easy for him.
The eldest son is crippled in both legs and is no longer the genius boy he once was.
The second son was obsessed with medicine, but despite being apprenticed to a prestigious family, he achieved nothing and was not even as good as Song Zhiyu.
The third and fourth sons are dissolute and good-for-nothings, always causing trouble for him.
Song Zhiyu was even more audacious and reckless, disrespectful to his elders, and completely disregarded his father.
Having been inexplicably scolded, Shen's mother lowered her eyes sadly, unable to refute, and thus missed the change in Shen Feng's expression.
She began to reflect on whether her decision to find Song Zhiyu was the right one.
Before Song Zhiyu returned to the manor, her family lived in harmony, and the Marquis never argued with her, which was a well-known story in the capital.
Who wouldn't envy her for marrying such a good husband who has never taken a concubine and has treated her well for decades?
And her books, which are both virtuous and talented, have earned her a good reputation and brought her much honor.
She was once so glamorous. Now, she is just as destitute.
But all of this changed dramatically after Song Zhiyu returned.
*
Meanwhile, Song Zhiyu, who was being thought of by Madam Shen, was watching Ye Rou's ever-changing expressions with great interest. He spoke softly, "Madam is an elder. If you have any treasures you like in the future, you can just tell me directly. I will gladly give them to you. Why fight so fiercely?"
Amidst Ye Rou's pale and flushed face, Song Zhiyu gave a sinister smile and changed the subject, "If I upset you, Father won't let me off easily."
These words, though vague, leave much to the imagination.
"You unfilial daughter, what are you saying? Madam Ye and I are completely innocent, how dare you slander us like this?" Shen Feng suddenly stood up, his face filled with surprise and uncertainty, his heart pounding in his throat.
Did Song Zhiyu find out about his relationship with Ye Rou?
Perhaps because he felt guilty, Song Zhiyu's casual remark was enough to make him jump up and down.
Shen Feng looked heartbroken, his shoulders trembling slightly with anger, and he looked somewhat like a father. "You are so young, yet your mind is so filthy. You have utterly disgraced the Marquis's mansion."
Although I don't know how you obtained the auction invitation, as your father, I don't want you to go astray. If you have any sense of shame, return to the manor and reflect on your actions; don't tarnish the reputation of the Marquis's manor.”
He opened and closed his mouth, diverting attention and smearing Song Zhiyu with his dirty laundry.
Whether Song Zhiyu knew about his relationship with Ye Rou or not, she couldn't be allowed to continue talking.
Just as he had expected, the guests turned their attention to the invitations.
"I never expected Miss Song to be this kind of person. No wonder the Marquis of Chengen's mansion doesn't like her."
"I knew it! How could Song Zhiyu, an unfavored second young lady of a marquis's mansion, be arranged to have a private room at the Treasure Pavilion? It turns out she used other methods."
"..."
“What you all say is true. My second sister has always been vain. She must have been displeased that my uncle brought me to the auction but not her, and in a fit of anger, she did something wrong. But no one is perfect, and my second sister should know that she was wrong.”
Shen Jinhua didn't hesitate to kick him while he was down. She didn't believe that Song Zhiyu could really receive an invitation from the Treasure Pavilion. She was sure that Song Zhiyu had used some underhanded means to sneak in.
It's one thing for Shen Jinshu to be above her, but why should Song Zhiyu, a village girl, be above her?
"Jinhua!" Mother Chen scolded in a low voice, her expression slightly displeased.
For some reason, hearing Shen Jinhua's words that belittled Song Zhiyu made Shen's mother feel somewhat uncomfortable.
No matter how dissatisfied she was with Song Zhiyu, she shouldn't have exposed his shortcomings in front of everyone. Wouldn't that have made the Marquis's mansion lose face?
Shen Jinhua pouted in dissatisfaction; she wasn't afraid of her sickly mother, who had no power whatsoever.
"I'm not wrong. Even my uncle could only be arranged in the main hall. Why should Song Zhiyu be arranged in a private room? Miss Yun, your Treasure Pavilion should investigate whether there are any people trying to take advantage of the situation, lest you ruin your reputation."
Shen Jinhua got more and more excited as she talked, and even couldn't wait to see Song Zhiyu slink out of the auction house after being exposed. That would definitely be very exciting.
Yunxi smiled without saying a word; she knew that Song Zhiyu wasn't the type to passively accept whatever came her way.
Anyone who offended her was dealt with terribly.
Since someone is so eager to die, she doesn't mind giving them a push.
"Miss Song, is there anything you want to say?" Yunxi smiled charmingly at the person in the private room, her words seemingly ambiguous, successfully misleading the person.
Hearing this, Shen Jinhua felt a little more at ease. Even Miss Yun from the Treasure Pavilion had asked this question, so Song Zhiyu must have sneaked in.
She completely failed to notice the respectful address Yunxi used for Song Zhiyu, and continued to mutter in dissatisfaction, "Even if she utters a string of flowery words, it's useless."
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