Chapter Fifty-One: Shen Zhen's Thoughts

  Shui Xiang and Mu Xiang heard the noise and rushed in immediately.

  Shen Mu Qing Zheng was about to order them to call for someone, but Shen Jian suddenly said in a sulky tone: "All of you get out! I still have something to discuss with the young lady."

  His voice was low and hoarse, with a hint of sadness.

  The scent of water and the scent of wood are equally matched, and it's hard to say which is better.

  Shen Mu Qing hesitated for a moment, then nodded towards Shui Xiang and Mu Xiang, indicating that she would take care of Shen Jian here. The two of them quietly retreated afterwards.

  "Master, what's wrong?" Shen Muqing could only softly persuade Shen Zhen, "Are you angry with me? If I've done something wrong, just scold me directly, don't get sick over it..."

  She said, Shen Zhen suddenly lifted up.

  His hair was disheveled and his eyes were red, looking old and decadent under the reflection of the charcoal fire.

  "Have you chosen someone?"

  "What?" Shen Muqing didn't react for a moment.

  "You said you wanted to marry Jinxiu to a young servant in your family. Has anyone been chosen?" Shen Zhen asked again.

  Does this count as taking it for granted?

  Shen Muqing's mood was great at the moment, and her spirit was high.

  "No." She smiled brightly. "I only know Bai Mu, and he can't even handle his own affairs, let alone others'. Besides, even if someone were to be chosen, I'd have to observe them carefully, lest I entrust her to the wrong person. After all, marriage is a lifelong matter. I couldn't push her from one pit of fire into another...” As soon as he said this, Shen Muqing suddenly realized he had misspoken.

  Volcanic crater, volcanic land. Could it be that being a maid in the Shen family is like being in a volcanic crater...

  She couldn't help but smile.

  Fortunately, Shen was distracted and didn't pay much attention to her words, but he felt that as soon as his attitude changed, his daughter suddenly came back to life, lively and energetic, full of vigor.

  "Master, I didn't intentionally go against Madam's wishes...Madam secretly wanted to send Jin Xiu away without telling me. If I were to tell Madam about this, I'm afraid she would misunderstand that someone is deliberately colluding with me and her..."

  Shen Zhen waved his hand: "Don't say anything more, I understand. From now on, don't tell your wife, just tell me. If you do this and it gets to someone with ill intentions who goes to your wife and gossips, I'm afraid she'll be even more heartbroken."

  Shen Muqing had considered this issue at the time, but she really had no choice... After all, she still had a narrow-minded idea that Shen Jian, as a man who received feudal education, would not necessarily take care of household chores.

  She felt somewhat regretful and also slightly forgiving of her own hypocrisy.

  She fully demonstrated her calm and introspective personality by constantly reflecting on herself. She quickly adjusted her thinking and approach, seeking Shen Zhen's support: "Jinxiu is too beautiful, if she were to be sent out, I'm afraid there would be a crime of concealing precious things. Originally, I wanted to send her to Minister Min as a personal maid..."

  "Mr. Min?" Shen Ran.

  Of course, Shen must not know that Jinzhu had ever gone to ask Mr. Min - if Shen thought that Mr. Min and his own daughter's personal maid were flirting with each other, it would be terrible.

  Shen Mu nodded calmly: "Yes, there is no opportunity to talk to Mr. Min, and it's hard to find the right person to talk to him."

  Shen's eyes flickered slightly: "What is the temperament of that brocade?"

  Shen Mu Qing listened to Shen's tone, seemingly not rejecting this idea of his.

  She smiled: "Very gentle, and also good at needlework."

  Such recommendations seem too ordinary.

  A thought flashed through her mind, and Shen Muqing added, "Not to mention the appearance. Otherwise, why would the people of Zhen'an Wangfu want to take him back as soon as they see him?"

  Shen Zhen nodded slightly and said, "Alright, I understand this matter now."

  As they spoke, both of them simultaneously smelled a burning smell from their noses.

  Shen Mu Qing burst out laughing: "They must have buried the sweet potatoes in the ashes of the fire pit." Thinking that Zhu Ji's marriage had been settled and Zhu's future was looking bright, Du's matter also had a solution, feeling carefree and relaxed like never before, she picked up the fire tongs to start digging up the sweet potatoes.

  Shen Zhen was both amused and annoyed, pulling her: "What's with this getup. If you want to eat, I'll have someone specially roast it for you. We still need to go see the mistress!"

  What's more, the two women were standing in the cold wind with thin clothes on.

  Shen Mu Qing smiled and threw away the fire tongs.

  Shen Zhen patted her head and walked out of the room with her.

  Xiang was still curled up in his original position, seemingly too afraid to move at all.

  Shen Zhen didn't even glance at him and simply instructed Shui Xiang: "Get a doctor for him."

  Although it was not said how he would be dealt with, his life was at least saved.

  Shen Mu let out a sigh of relief.

  The father and daughter walked side by side into the second gate.

  As soon as they stepped onto the corridor, they heard Zhou Bingjia's excited voice: "...Although I am someone else's wife, if there was no madam and no young lady, would we have the privilege of standing here talking? That sheep still has a grudge against me, I've been taught by Master for so many years, can't I even compare to a sheep?"

  The two men looked at each other in dismay, and then they heard Li say with a smile: "What's all this about sheep and cows? The phrase actually means 'sheep have the virtue of kneeling to nurse their young, while crows have the intention of returning to feed their parents'."

  "Oh no! Then"

  "Ah! It's this very matter, it's this very matter." said Zhou Feng Jia with a smile. "I really don't understand why we have to ask the mistress to take charge of this affair!"

  Shen Zhen couldn't help but smile, and quickly walked towards the main house.

  The woman outside hurriedly went forward and reported: "Master and the young lady have arrived!" Before she had finished speaking, Shen Zhen had already entered the house.

  The room was brightly lit, and Li sat on the large kang by the window in the west wing, while Zhou Bing's wife sat on a small black stool under the kang. The two were chatting when they saw Shen arrive, and Zhou Bing's wife hastily stood up with her hands hanging down in front of the kang, respectfully calling out "Master".

  Shen Zhen nodded slightly and smiled as he greeted Li Shi: "What's going on, are you discussing the marriage of Zhu Ji and Bai Mu?"

  The maids in the house hurriedly paid their respects to Shen Zhen.

  Li smiled and looked at Shen Muqing, scolding: "Isn't it you, this little eavesdropping god?"

  Shen Mu Qing didn't say a word and instead smiled at Shen Jian with a "heh heh".

  Shen Zhen saw his daughter's innocent and lively appearance, and her mouth curved upwards as she went to the bedroom.

  Chen Ayi quickly followed to help Shen change clothes. Li Shi then pulled Shen Muqing up onto the kang: "Your aunt said that Bai Mu's wedding, she wants you to help with the arrangements!"

  "Let me help with the arrangements?" Shen Muqing was delighted. He looked at Zhou Bingjia, who had a smile all over his face, and then looked at Li Shi, "How can I be in charge of the arrangements?"

  Zhou Bingjia said with a flattering tone: "I just want to get some good luck from the ladies and young misses too!"

  "You're not trying to get a bit of good fortune from me, you're trying to get a bit of silver from me." He said, looking at Li with confusion: "Ma'am, is it that the money you gave was too little?"

  Li looked at Zhou Bingjia with a playful gaze.

  Zhou Bingjia's family also had a personal affair, and he actually said straightforwardly: "If the young lady is willing to give some more, then this marriage can be done with even greater dignity."

  Shen Muqing was choked with anger.

  Thinking of Zhu Ji, her old man was just a horse feeder in the outer courtyard of the Shen family, and her mother was a rough worker in the laundry room... She stared at Zhou Bingjia's way: "Bai Mu is the master's house without anyone to take care of, go find the master. I only take care of Zhu Ji."

  She had barely finished speaking when Li burst out laughing.

  Zhou Bingjia's family was overjoyed: "It all depends on you, young lady!"

  Shen Mu Qing gazed at this bizarre scene, feeling that he had been deceived, but couldn't quite put his finger on what exactly he had fallen for.

  She was lost in thought when a figure clad in sapphire blue walked over: "What are you smiling about?"

  Mr. Li pointed at Shen Muqing and said: "Look at this foolish girl of yours, she didn't even listen clearly to what others were saying, yet she responded randomly."

  Zhou Bingjia smiled and said: "I think that Zhu Ji's parents can't afford to raise her, since she is now a member of our family, I also cannot let her lose face. So I beg of you, madam, to give the silver originally intended for Bai Mu to Zhu Ji instead, please help me arrange things so that she can marry with dignity. Madam disagreed, saying that the reward for Bai Mu was for Bai Mu, and Zhu Ji's matter would naturally be taken care of by the young lady. I had no choice but to beg the young lady herself.

  The girl was also a sharp-eyed one, and with one glance, she saw through my concerns... Before I could even finish speaking, she agreed to help Zhu Di take care of this matter.

  Calm and clear understanding came over him.

  This is all Mr. Li misleading her!

  She grasped Mrs. Li: "Madam, how can you treat me like this!"

  Mr. Li burst out laughing again.

  Although being teased, seeing Li's energetic spirit, Shen Muqing couldn't help but smile with joy, hoping that Li would always have such a good mood.

  Shen Zhen didn't understand, but seeing his wife's unusual excitement also made him happy, and he smiled: "Has the date been set?"

  "Not yet!" Mr. Li's face still had the remnants of his earlier joviality, "Zhu Ji's mother said that following Zhou Bingding, Zhou Bing pushed it to me again, and I was just calling Wang Mama to get the imperial calendar."

  Shen Zhen nodded: "Whether you have money or not, marrying a daughter-in-law is good for the New Year. Bai Mu has grown up in front of us, and our family hasn't done anything good in the past two years either. We also want to celebrate, so we set the wedding date before the year, making our home lively."

  Zhou Bing's family was busy with courtesy and gratitude.

  Mr. Li also nodded: "Then let's choose before the year."

  Just then, Wang's mother came in with a calendar.

  Shen Zhen and Li Shi were flipping through the Yellow Calendar.

  Li looked at it for several days, and was all messed up by Shen Zhen's "Tian Gan Di Zhi" arithmetic. It wasn't easy to settle on November 24th. Li hesitated: "This day is the birthday of Princess Zhen'an..."

  Shen Zhen waved his hand disapprovingly: "They were surrounded by friends that day, and having one more or less of us wouldn't have made a difference. But it's different with Bai Mu's wedding. Without the two of us, what's the point?"

  Zhou Bingjia's family did not expect Shen Zhen to say such a thing, and from the tone of his voice, it seemed that he would also attend the wedding. She immediately knelt down: "This is really a great honor. The old master and mistress have let our Zhou family save face..." As she spoke, she became so emotional that she burst into tears.

  Li looked at himself and couldn't help but oppose, so he had to scold Shen Zhen: "This is what you said. At that time, if there are any idle words or rumors, you must block them."

  "Don't worry!" Shen said, "When have I ever pushed you forward and hid behind myself?"

  Mr. Li smiled and said, "That's also true."

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  Chapter Fifty-One: Shen Zhen's Thoughts