roccoschili Chapter 141 Her feelings for him had faded.
Chapter 141 Her feelings for him had faded.
"Third brother," Shen Qingtan said sternly, "what about your rules?"
Shen Shaobai looked at Shen Qingtan in disbelief.
“He’s your brother-in-law, not some nobody named Master Zhao.” Shen Qingtan softened her tone, recalling Liu Ruojiao’s words. “You saw him at the gate of the mansion but didn’t bow.”
Shen Shaobai was resentful and didn't acknowledge this brother-in-law at all.
But the thought that Shen Qingtan would have to rely on Zhao Yi to make a living made him relent, no matter how unhappy he was.
"Brother-in-law," Shen Shaobai called out curtly, his face sour, "Can I have a private word with my older sister?"
Zhao Yi agreed, "You two talk." Then, he said gently to Shen Qingtan, "I'll go to the room first."
"Okay." Shen Qingtan came out of the house and said softly to him, "Third brother probably has some misunderstanding about you, don't take it to heart."
"No." Zhao Yi glanced at the impatient Shen Shaobai and said with a smile, "You two siblings haven't seen each other for a long time, so I won't disturb your reunion."
Having said that, he led his men to the room.
Shen Qingtan entered the room and heard Shen Shaobai muttering behind her, "Always pretending to be a good person, are all scholars so hypocritical? Shen Shaohuai is like that, and so is Zhao Yi."
“Your brother-in-law isn’t that kind of person.” Shen Qingtan looked at his childishness, her eyes softening unconsciously. “I was forced into a marriage exchange, and so was he. He could easily produce the marriage certificate and deny the marriage without any consequences. But I am different. I will become a laughing stock in the capital and it will be difficult for me to find another good match.”
Shen Shaobai opened his mouth to refute, but couldn't.
Because after the engagement is made, the two families will have a marriage certificate.
The one who was to be engaged to Shen Qingtan was Zhao Jue, while the one who was to marry Zhao Yi was Shen Mingzhu.
The two brothers mistakenly married two sisters. If Zhao Yiruo does not acknowledge this marriage, he can simply return Shen Qingtan to the Shen family.
Zhao Jue is willing to make the best of a bad situation and continue his marriage with Shen Mingzhu.
“But he made you cry,” Shen Shaobai said stubbornly. “You could have had a better life.”
Shen Qingtan countered, "Then who caused all of this?"
Shen Shaobai pursed his lips tightly; the instigator was the Marquis's mansion.
"Third brother, there is no man in this world who treats me better than Second Master." Shen Qingtan smiled and said, "He treats me very well. He entrusted me with managing all his wealth and gave me the respect due to a wife. My father-in-law and mother-in-law are also very good to me. They send all the good things they get to my courtyard. The old lady asked me to learn how to manage the household and recognized me as the eldest grandson's wife. No one in the mansion dares to neglect me."
Shen Shaobai took it to heart. If what Shen Qingtan said was true, her life was not only not difficult, but she lived better than most women.
“I am very grateful to my parents for arranging this marriage for me, allowing me to find my true love.” Shen Qingtan pulled out a handkerchief and handed it to him to wipe his face: “Third brother, if you show respect to Second Master, you are showing respect to your older sister.”
Shen Shaobai clenched his handkerchief: "You've lost weight."
“The weather was hot and humid a few days ago, and I couldn’t eat or sleep well, so I lost a lot of weight.” Shen Qingtan pointed to the ice basin in the corner: “After the Second Master found out, he ordered someone to bring ice and put it in the room.”
At this point, she couldn't help but ask, "Third brother, if your wife is sensitive to heat, and you are feeling unwell and cannot tolerate the cold, would you cover yourself with a thicker blanket and put ice in the room?"
Shen Shaobai frowned, not quite understanding.
He can sleep in the study in the front yard.
Why sleep together and why cover yourself with a thicker blanket?
Suddenly, he realized what was happening.
Zhao Yining would rather cover himself with a thicker blanket than sleep separately, which shows his feelings for Shen Qingtan.
So... he really misunderstood?
If that's the case, then Shen Shaoheng lied to him?
Shen Shaobai wasn't quite sure.
It's also possible that Shen Qingtan deliberately lied to him, saying she was doing well, so he wouldn't worry.
“Elder sister, I dug up several chests of silver in the stables of the Liu family’s ancestral home in Guanzhou and asked my elder brother to help me transport them out. If Brother-in-law Zhao… is no longer here, I will take you back under the pretext that Mother is ill and I need you to take care of her. I will also find a way to take you to a better place to live a good life.”
Shen Shaobai pondered that large sum of money; after deducting the hard-earned expenses for Shen Shaoheng, the rest would be enough to ensure that Shen Qingtan would live a life free from financial worries.
Shen Qingtan received a letter from Shen Shaoheng, in which he explained that Shen Shaobai had unearthed a batch of silver, which he originally intended to take back to the capital to share with her. In the end, he bought grain from Gu Zongci and donated it all.
Hearing Shen Shaobai's words now, one knows that he is still being kept in the dark.
"Third brother, I have something to tell you." Shen Qingtan didn't give him time to process it and continued, "Eldest brother donated that sum of money, and he became a tribute student and went to study at the Imperial Academy."
Shen Shaobai was dumbfounded: "What did you say?"
Shen Shaoheng picked his peaches and went off to become an official?
“Third brother, that silver was originally extorted from the people, so it’s only right to use it on them.” Shen Qingtan didn’t say anything more, but looked at his dusty robe: “Why are you in such a sorry state? Did you secretly run back from Guanzhou and come straight to the Duke’s mansion to find me?”
Suppressing his grief and indignation, Shen Shaobai nodded with a pitiful expression.
"What are your plans for the future?"
"Return to the Marquis' Mansion."
Shen Qingtan pondered for a moment, then thought it might be better for him to go back. After all, he was still the Marquis of Chengen's own flesh and blood, and wouldn't really harm him.
"When you go back, you don't need to mention me in front of them," Shen Qingtan instructed. "And don't stand up for me."
Madam Shen poured all her heart and soul into Shen Shaohuai, hoping that he would become a prime minister and a marquis, and she kept a very strict eye on him.
Madam Shen used to be very strict with Shen Shaobai, but after realizing that he was not cut out for studying, she let him do as he pleased.
Madam Shen will have feelings for Shen Shaobai. If she had to choose between him and Shen Shaohuai, she would definitely abandon Shen Shaobai without hesitation and protect Shen Shaohuai.
After all, the Marquis of Chengen and his wife could even kill their own brother, which shows they had little conscience.
It's never wrong for them to be cautious.
Shen Shaobai nodded.
"Have you eaten?" Shen Qingtan asked softly. "Go wash up first, have a meal, then take a nap before returning to the Marquis's residence?"
Shen Shaobai shook his head: "Big sister, I'll go back now."
Shen Qingtan did not try to stop him. The closer he became to her, the less affection the Marquis's family would have for him.
She escorted him to the courtyard gate and instructed Liuyue to take him to the side gate.
Shen Shaobai kept turning back to look at his sister, feeling empty inside. He felt that there was an invisible and intangible barrier between them, and they could never be as close as before.
But he was powerless to change any of it.
Shen Shaobai was wiping his eyes with a handkerchief in his hand, but just before he was about to wipe them, he stopped and suddenly stuffed the handkerchief into his pocket.
As he stepped out of the moon gate, Shen Shaobai paused and looked back at Lanxue Garden. He saw Shen Qingtan standing gracefully at the entrance, gazing in his direction, her skirt fluttering in the spring breeze.
Just like before she got married, every time he went to the academy, she would stand at the gate of the mansion and watch him go with tender eyes.
He clenched his fists. This time, he was going to stay in the Marquis's mansion and never let his parents hurt her again.
With that thought, Shen Shaobai turned around and strode away.
-
Upon receiving news of Shen Shaobai's departure, Zhao Yi returned to Lanxue Garden and found Shen Qingtan sitting behind her desk, lost in thought. He could roughly guess that she was thinking about Shen Shaobai.
If the Marquis's mansion is to be eliminated, then Shen Shaobai will also be deeply implicated.
He came to Shen Qingtan's side, intending to discuss Shen Shaobai with her.
"Knock knock!"
There was a knock on the door, and Liu Yue said from outside, "Second Master, Second Madam, Jiang Chao has returned from Nanling Prefecture. He says he has something urgent to report."