She knew nothing about Lin's return to the capital.
This was anything but good news for her.
Back when Madam Lin was in the capital, she treated them, the daughters born out of wedlock, very badly. She was able to rise to the top only because Madam Lin was not around. If Madam Lin were still there, she would definitely have suppressed her without reservation. There was no way she would have let her become a concubine in the Wen family.
She never thought that marrying well as a concubine would bring her any benefit, or that it would bring any good food to the legitimate child. In Lin's eyes, a concubine's child was destined to be lowly and should not marry so well; she was meant to be someone's concubine.
If Madam Lin were to return and become a concubine of the Wen family, while Madam Lin's daughter remained an old maid at home, what would Madam Lin think?
Shen Mingshu is now nominally a daughter of the second branch of the family, but she is still a daughter of the third branch in reality. Lin Shi is her legal mother, and whenever Lin Shi comes back, she still has to act subserviently in front of Lin Shi every time she comes back.
Thinking about all this, she felt a lump in her throat. Why didn't Lin die on the road? Why did she have to come back?
Seeing Shen Mingxi's expression, Shen Mingshu felt a surge of satisfaction. "Hmph, let you be so smug! When my mother comes back, she'll be your legal mother. If I can't deal with you, my mother can't! You, born of a concubine, dare to stab me in the heart!"
Shen Mingxi smiled and said nothing more. She turned around and glanced outside, then looked around and saw Shen Mingrong helping Gu Shi over.
Her eyes lit up, and she took a few steps forward towards Shen Mingrong.
"Fifth Sister, it's been a while! You look much better than before, Yan'er!"
She saw little Lu Yan, wearing a red dress and with two little pigtails in her hair, and couldn't help but like her. She went up to pull Lu Yan to her side, but Shen Mingrong glanced at Chen Mama without saying a word.
Granny Chen frowned as well. Just as Shen Mingxi reached out her hand, Lu Yan skillfully dodged it.
"Yan'er greets Seventh Aunt!"
The little one took a step back, turned sideways, and bowed to Shen Mingxi in a very proper manner, thus avoiding Shen Mingxi's outstretched hand.
Shen Mingxi awkwardly withdrew her hand, but couldn't figure out if it was a coincidence or if the girl was deliberately avoiding her. However, seeing that the little girl was only five years old, Shen Mingxi felt a little relieved. Such a young child shouldn't have so many tricks up her sleeve.
Shen Mingrong greeted Shen Mingxi with a smile: "What are you doing standing here? Third Sister is here too."
Shen Mingshu and Shen Mingxi were stunned for a moment, hesitating whether to go up and pay their respects to Shen Mingrong. After all, Shen Mingrong was now a first-rank duke's wife, and the Shen family had never had a wife of such a high rank before. According to etiquette, they should pay their respects to Shen Mingrong.
Seeing their reactions, Shen Mingrong knew what they were hesitating about, so she smiled and waved her hand, "We're sisters, why are you being so formal?"
The two women realized what was happening and quickly smiled and agreed, stepping forward to bow to Madam Gu. Madam Gu smiled and nodded, glancing at Shen Mingxi a few more times, but her gaze did not linger on Shen Mingshu.
Upon seeing this, Shen Mingshu couldn't help but let out a cold smile.
Gu Shi still wants to be her mother? What right does she have? If she really treated her the same as Shen Mingrong, and treated her equally, she would respect her. But she treated her perfunctorily and delayed her marriage. Now she wants to discipline her? Dream on!
Shen Mingrong took in Shen Mingshu's expression, and her expression turned cold as she felt sorry for her mother.
Her mother had mentioned more than once, even in front of her, that as long as Shen Mingshu could learn to behave, she wouldn't mind asking her maternal grandmother to help her find a good family with a long history of scholarship outside of the capital to marry Shen Mingshu off.
This was practically begging for help. The mother had put in a lot of effort for Shen Mingshu, but the other party didn't appreciate it at all.
She ruined such a good marriage proposal, acting like her mother was trying to harm her, saying she didn't want to marry into Yongning, but rather into a family in the capital.
But everyone in the capital knew Shen Mingshu's reputation. She looked down on families of lower social standing, and she was looked down on by wealthy and powerful families. As a result, Shen Mingshu's marriage was delayed again and again, and she found it difficult to find a suitable match.
Previously, Shen Mingshu would at least put on a respectable facade, but now she has no respect for Madam Gu at all, and sometimes she even talks back with a straight face. She remembered what Huangzhi told her, that last time Madam Gu asked Granny Chen to hit Shen Mingshu's palm with a disciplinary rod, but Shen Mingshu broke the disciplinary rod in half.
Thinking about all this, Shen Mingrong felt a surge of frustration.
Shen Mingshu is completely bullying her mother. If she swallows this insult, can she still be considered Gu's daughter?
Thinking about it, she twitched her lips and slowly said, "Mother, Third Aunt will be returning to the capital in a few days. But now that Liu is in charge of the Third Branch, where will Third Aunt stay?"
There was no attempt to hide anything from her. Upon hearing this, Shen Mingshu immediately replied, "Of course we live in Yuehua Courtyard. That's the main courtyard. My mother is the principal wife. What is Liu Shi? Just a concubine. She wants to occupy the main courtyard."
Shen Mingshu wasn't afraid of offending Liu Shi at all, but as soon as she said that, the people around her couldn't help but give her a strange look.
Clearly, everyone felt that Shen Mingshu's words were a bit extreme. Some truths are known to everyone, and it's enough to keep them to yourself. But if you bring them up in the open, especially in such an undignified way, people will think you're wrong, and then even if it makes sense, it becomes unreasonable.
Shen Mingshu is in this situation right now.
Upon hearing her words, Madam Gu subconsciously took a deep breath, barely managing to suppress the anger in her heart.
Shen Mingrong was not surprised that Shen Mingshu would say such a thing. When she asked that question, she had already guessed that Shen Mingshu would say this. Shen Mingshu's thoughts were all out in the open, and her stupidity was blatant. There was no need to bother guessing.
Shen Mingshu's gaze remained fixed on Shen Mingrong, wondering what she would say next, but Shen Mingrong simply smiled and said nothing more.
This made Shen Mingshu feel very awkward. She took a few steps forward and stood shoulder to shoulder with Shen Mingrong, asking, "Fifth Sister, what do you mean by that? You asked and then stopped talking. What are you trying to do? Did I say something wrong?"
Shen Mingrong listened, feeling utterly exasperated.
"Why would you think that? I was just asking casually. I'm not a judge in court. Do you expect me to get a result?" She looked at her with surprise, seemingly not believing that Shen Mingrong would press her for an answer.
Shen Mingshu felt that she had been tricked. Shen Mingrong and Shen Mingzhuang had always had a close relationship. Could it be that he didn't like her and deliberately came to provoke her and embarrass her?
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