Chapter 118 Wicked Stepmother and Poor Child 11
"Thank you, Madam!"
Thank you so much for your kindness, Madam! You are truly a living Bodhisattva!
“Madam, I have something to say. Xiao Chun, who shares a room with me, was summoned by Miss Zhou the other day. She ordered everyone in the manor to come and receive a reprimand. No one else from our main courtyard went, but Xiao Chun eagerly went to curry favor with her!”
Shen Ci nodded and looked at the little maid named Xiao Chun.
"What did you go to do?"
Xiaochun trembled violently. "Madam, I didn't. Please spare me this once."
After clarifying the matter further, Shen Ci confirmed that Xiao Chun had indeed gone to surrender. Without further hesitation, he ordered his men to retrieve the silver from her hand and give it to the other person who had reported her.
Dan Gui stepped forward and pried out the silver, her eyes fierce.
"You betrayed the lady, and you still have the nerve to take the silver she gave you? How can you be so shameless? It's disgraceful! Give it to me!"
Seeing that some people had received the silver, the others were also eager to do the same. They revealed anyone in the courtyard who seemed suspicious. Anyone whose report was verified was singled out and stood aside. Everyone who made a valid report received an extra reward of five taels of silver.
"Alright, now that all these disloyal servants have been caught."
You don't need to stay in the main courtyard anymore. I don't keep people who turn their backs on others here. They all run to Miss Zhou's side. From now on, you can all stay and serve Miss Zhou.
Of course, your monthly allowance will also be distributed by Miss Zhou, and it has nothing to do with me anymore.
"Osmanthus blossoms, close the gate, see them off."
Shen Ci waved her hand, her body did not feel uncomfortable. In her mind, she still looked like she was on her last legs, but in reality, there was no problem inside. Her external recovery would take time.
In everyone's mind, the main courtyard was a place they would not stay for long. After the lady died, wouldn't they all be scattered and assigned to different courtyards?
Rather than doing that, it would be better to curry favor with Miss Zhou in advance, so that she could become the new wife and have a respectable servant in front of her, making life easier.
People strive for higher positions, and they didn't think they had done anything wrong. Their only regret was that they hadn't been careful enough, and now the lady of the house had caught them, causing them to lose those five taels of silver for no reason.
"Madam, they've all been seen off."
Would you like to rest?
Dan Gui quickly returned; she was truly reluctant to leave her mistress, especially as her mistress was about to depart this world, and she was still not by her side.
Dan Gui was Shen Ci's dowry maid. The two came to the capital together from Yizhou and were childhood playmates, so their relationship was extraordinary.
It's still early.
The people in the courtyard must be thoroughly investigated; no unclean individuals should be left around.
The main courtyard is large, so after it was renovated, Mingzhu and Mingzhang also lived there, to avoid being schemed against, since they were still young.
We dare not use the kitchen anymore. Starting tomorrow, we will not need to go to the kitchen to get our meals. We will eat at Tianxianglou Restaurant, which is safer and tastier.
"Forget about the monsters and freaks in the kitchen; let's just build a small kitchen in the yard."
After giving all the instructions in one go, Shen Ci finally had time to eat with the children. What they were eating now was considered dinner: shredded chicken and green rice porridge with cherry meat, chicken oil mushroom stewed with fresh asparagus, steamed silver cod with crab roe and egg white, and clear soup with matsutake mushrooms and pigeon.
There weren't many dishes, just enough for the few of them, and they were exquisitely prepared. Both in terms of appearance and taste, they were far superior to what was made in the mansion's kitchen. Since they were going to have to pay money anyway, they might as well give it to someone outside who could cook better.
If you don't do it, plenty of others will.
There are nourishing foods for adults and snacks that children love. Occasionally, Tianxianglou will even deliver a dish or two to your doorstep. Isn't that good service? Why go to the kitchen to suffer?
The two children ate with great satisfaction, bite by bite, without needing any servants to feed them. After their mother fell ill, their lives became difficult, and they often went hungry, let alone those delicate pastries. They would only eat a few bites before the servants would take them away, saying that they couldn't eat too much.
Only those who have experienced hunger know the value of food.
"The people in the kitchen always say that the young master and young lady are picky eaters and don't eat anything."
In my humble opinion, they clearly didn't give them anything good. Look how much the young master and young lady are enjoying their food.
Dan Gui said with heartache, "Madam can eat and drink well now, and looks no different from a normal person, but... this is probably her last meal."
Even with her body in such a state, she still had to eat with her children. Is this what it means to be a mother?
With the children's most basic food problem solved and their safety greatly improved, Shen Ci was making plans in her mind when she heard a servant come to report.
"Madam, the master has arrived."
Gu Hongjian held an official position, so people in the household addressed him as "Sir".
Before he could speak, Gu Hongjian had already walked in. When he heard the servant announce his arrival at the courtyard gate, he felt a little disappointed. He hurriedly walked in and saw that Shen Ci was still sitting and had not died.
The disappointment was even greater; she was still alive.
This lamp is burning out its oil, but it's burning out way too slowly.
"Madam, how are you feeling?"
Gu Hongjian stepped forward with concern and said, "Her face is still so pale and fragile, how come she just won't die! Shen Ci is too resilient!"
Legendary longevity king.
I've been sick for over a year, bedridden for over a year, and in the end, I was mostly unconscious and disoriented, dragging this out until now.
If Shen Ci doesn't die, Zhou Jingxuan can't enter the mansion. If Zhou Jingxuan can't enter the mansion, she has no official status. Without an official status, her career in the officialdom will be delayed.
He wanted to persuade Shen Ci that, even for his sake, she should die sooner rather than later.
"It's still the same, I'm afraid I won't get better."
Back then, we met in the countryside. Although you didn't hold an official position, you were pure of heart.
Things have changed so much; in the blink of an eye, our children have grown up so much.
If I don't survive, will you treat the children well?
Shen Ci asked, and poured him a glass of water. When a guilty person is asked directly, he will feel even more guilty. Gu Hongjian tried to remain calm, but his cuffs were almost torn from being buttoned up.
The person you share a bed with is the one who understands your temperament best.
Although Gu Hongjian has changed, he can't shake his inherently poor and stingy nature, and he's prone to feeling guilty when he does something wrong.
"Look at you, what's the rush? Have some water, you're all sweating. I just wanted to ask you a couple of questions."
Shen Ci comforted him, handed him the water, and casually tossed in the colorless and odorless sterilization pills, which dissolved instantly upon contact with the water.
Gu Hongjian took the glass. He was feeling a little uneasy at the moment, and he wanted to do something at times like this. He picked up the glass and chugged it down.
He wondered to himself, what did Shen Ci mean by asking him that? What did she know?
"What are you saying? Those are our children, of course I will treat them well."
Don't think about those things, just focus on getting better, you'll get better.
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