Chapter 53 Isolation

  After a night's rest, Mr. Tu's complexion did not improve, but instead, a faint dark circles appeared under his eyes. —— This is what it looks like when you don't sleep well...

  Sheng Siyan was delighted in her heart, but didn't show it. She walked to Wang's side and paid respects to him and Sheng Qiye: "Father, Mother."

  Wang nodded at her and told her to sit on the chair next to her.

  Tu's wife came forward with their three children to pay respects to Sheng Qi Ye and said in a wronged tone, "Seventh Master, where did you go last night? I waited for you the whole night."

  Sheng Siyan didn't wait for Sheng Qiye to speak up, smiling as she said: "Good morning, Second Aunt." She also reminded her: "You should still pay respects to my mother."

  Wang was the legitimate wife, while Tu was a concubine. According to custom, concubines had to go to the room of the legitimate wife every day and serve her like they would their mother-in-law.

  Tu Shi made up his mind to ignore Sheng Siyan, lest he be dragged into the ditch again. He looked at Sheng Qiye alone and asked repeatedly: "Seventh Master, why didn't you go see Dalang and Erlang last night? Erlang insisted on seeing Father before going to sleep."

  Sheng Qiye was shocked, "I used to come back only a few times a year in the past, did Erlang not sleep well for several years?"

  Hmph!

  Sheng Siyan couldn't help but laugh and bent down at the waist.

  She's father Shi Qiye was a bit "naturally foolish" and couldn't hear the meaning of Tu Shi's coquettish display.

  Tu was already embarrassed by Sheng Qiye's words, and now hearing Sheng Siyan laugh like this made her even more flustered. Her face suddenly turned red. She glanced at Wang with a sideways look, seeing that Wang also had a smile on her face, thinking how dare you smile in front of me? But then she thought again, probably Wang didn't know that she knew her secret?

  It is indeed so.

  Tu Shi quickly calmed down and said to Sheng Qi Ye: "Seventh Master, you're joking. It's just that our Da Ya, Da Lang, and Er Lang haven't seen you for a long time, and yesterday we thought we could have a good reunion, but in the end, we waited half the night and you didn't come, so we were a bit disappointed."

  Dà yā and Dà láng, èr láng also went to pay respects to Shèng Qī Yé.

  Sheng Qiye pointed at Wangshi and said: "This is your mother, give her a bow."

  Da Ya, Da Lang and Er Lang all turned their heads to look at Tu Shi.

  Looking at the pearly white fingernails on her small hands, Sheng Siyan said leisurely: "Our family... In the next few years, we can't invite others to our home as guests. This is neither here nor there, and it's really not like a decent appearance."

  Sheng Qiye was also very annoyed that these children did not listen to him, but only listened to Tu Shi's words.

  Sheng Siyan's timely intervention made Sheng Qiye feel that this matter was already very serious.

  Tu hastily turned his mouth towards Wang's side.

  Dà yā, Dà láng and èr láng knelt down to kowtow to Wang Shi.

  The big servant girl, Ju Xiang, had originally prepared a cushion. However, the three children knelt down immediately and didn't have time to put the cushion in place before kowtowing to Wang Shi to apologize.

  "Get up, now. Today is the first time we meet, from now on we are a family. Your father loves you very much, don't be naughty and make your father angry. Be obedient children." While saying this, she ordered someone to give each of the three children a gift for their first meeting.

  Sheng Siyan helped the kneeling maid Ju Xiang to beg for mercy: "Mother, Da Ya and others do not understand the rules, it is not Sister Ju Xiang's fault."

  Wang nodded and ordered Ju Xiang to get up. With a smile, he said: "Since the young lady has pleaded for you, I won't punish you today."

  Jie Xiang went to thank Sheng Siyan again.

  Sheng Siyan smiled and winked at her, then turned to ask Sheng Qiye, "Father, shouldn't Second Aunt be serving tea now?"

  Tu Shi was a concubine taken in by Sheng Qi Ye outside. According to reason, she should have offered tea to Wang Shi before being considered officially part of the Sheng family.

  Tu's eyes widened in surprise, his gaze flickering between Sheng Qiye and Wang Shi, thinking to himself: If you drink this cup of tea, one day you will regret it!

  But Wang seemed dazed and nodded with a smile: "The tea is ready."

  Sheng Qiye raised his hand to Zhu Shi, "Then let's offer tea to the mistress. From now on, you must be content with your position and not mention how things were done in the countryside again."

  Tu Shi lowered her head and responded with a "yes", then knelt down on the mat laid out by Ju Xiang, took a cup of tea from another woman's hand, held it in both hands, raised them above her head, and offered tea to Wang Shi.

  Wang took the teacup, opened it slightly and took a sip, then put it on the table beside him. He instructed Tu: "In the future, you must serve Seventh Master well and help the Sheng family flourish." Then he said another word: "Reward!"

  An old woman brought over a tray with a green jade bangle on it.

  Tu never saw a bracelet of such good quality. For a moment, he forgot his prejudice against Wang and hurriedly put it on his plump white wrist, smiling and saying: "Thank you, madam!" He also showed it to Sheng Qiye: "Qiye, don't you think my bracelet looks great?"

  Sheng Qiye smiled and nodded, "Not bad, not bad. Madam has always had good taste, the things she chooses are all good." He was actually praising Wang Shi's taste.

  Mrs. Tu's smile stiffened for a moment, and soon returned to normal. She stood up calmly and sat down in the first position below Mrs. Wang.

  She knew that there was still a long way to go and she couldn't be too anxious.

  No matter what, she has three kids in her hands, a daughter and two sons, Wang only has one daughter, not even a match for her...

  Da Ya, Da Lang and Er Lang all sat around her.

  Sheng Qiye looked at Sheng Siyan's sitting posture, then looked at Da Ya's sitting posture, and knew that Da Ya's etiquette was not to be learned, otherwise how would she find a husband in the future? Would she still have to marry into those small landlord families in the countryside?

  "Da Ya, from now on you will study etiquette with your elder sister. Every day you will go to listen to the teacher's lessons, and when you return I will check your homework." Sheng Qiye stroked his mustache as he spoke, "Also, all of you are grown up now, it's time for you to have a formal name. Let's do this: you will take the Ning character generation name, Da Ya will be named Ning Fang, Da Lang will be named Ning Song, Er Lang will be named Ning Bai, remember?"

  The three children responded together, giggling and glancing at each other. They finally had a big name, and they all thought it was very novel.

  Tu Shi blinked and asked, "Why take the Ning character as the generation name? Isn't Siyan a member of the Si generation? Why not follow them and also use 'Si' as the generation name?"

  "Our Sheng family has an old rule that has been passed down for a thousand years. The legitimate and illegitimate children use different generation names."

  Tu Shi had nothing to say and lowered his head to think again.

  Sheng Qiye then said to Dalang and Erlang, "You two will pack your things later and move to the outer courtyard. You will follow the masters and teachers there to study. Except for the times when you pay respects in the morning and evening, and during New Year's celebrations, you are not allowed to enter the inner courtyard."

  Tu Shi immediately felt uneasy and hastily raised his head, saying: "Seventh Master, they are still young and need me to take care of them. Let them live with me. I will supervise their studies and also learn medicine from you."

  Sheng Qiye looked at her and shook his head. "No, they are boys. Ning Song is eight years old and Ning Bai is five years old, neither of them can continue living in the inner courtyard."

  Tu Shi was in a great hurry. By doing so, she had taken her son away from her, what else did she have to fight with Wang Shi? She immediately opposed: "No way. They must live with me."

  The maids and servant girls in the hall no longer lowered their heads and eyes. Instead, they unanimously raised their heads, staring blankly at Madame Tu, thinking to themselves that this concubine was quite formidable, even daring to refute the words of the Duke himself...

  Sheng Qiye was also annoyed, slapping the table and saying: "How dare you refute me? I said they should live in the outer courtyard, then they must live in the outer courtyard!"

  Tu's face turned purple with rage, his lips tightly pursed as he stood up and pleaded with Sheng Qi Ye: "Seventh Master, I was wrong earlier, I shouldn't have said that. But they are my flesh and blood. Every day I don't see them, I'm worried sick. You're taking them to the outer courtyard, is this to rip out my heart, cut off my flesh?! Seventh Master, you've never been a ruthless person. This vicious and heartless idea must not have come from you. Tell me, who came up with it? I want to reason with them!"

  "It was me who said it!" Sheng Qiye suddenly stood up, very impatient with Tu Shi, "A big family like yours, which raises sons in the inner courtyard? Go ask around elsewhere?!"

  "I don't know about others' families, but in our village..." Ms. Tu continued to argue.

  Sheng Siyan coughed and said, "Second Aunt, Father has spoken. You can't say anything more about the countryside."

  As soon as Tu heard Sheng Siyan's voice, she became a little more sober. She hastily closed her mouth and stared wide-eyed at Ning Song (Da Lang) and Ning Bai (Er Lang), who were led away by two old women, accompanied by several maidservants, all of whom came to pay their respects to Da Lang and Er Lang, calling them "Young Master! Second Young Master!"

  Dalan and Erlang were intimidated by this momentum. They obediently followed them out, and surprisingly didn't even glance at her.

  For the first time, Mrs. Tu found herself unable to control these children anymore, and a nameless panic rose in her heart.

  Sheng Siyan said on the other side: "Ning Fang, in the future we will all have our own yards. Later, do you want to go and choose which yard to live in?"

  Dà yā originally still wanted to help Zhu Shi speak. He called back the two younger brothers, but as soon as he heard that they would go to choose their own courtyard later, his mind suddenly flew away, and he nodded repeatedly: "Okay okay! Big sister will accompany me later?"

  "No problem." Sheng Siyan smiled slightly and looked at Wang Shi.

  Wang nodded in satisfaction and said to Sheng Qiye, "Yesterday you went out, so I let them stay in the courtyard by Fei Pu Ting for a night. What do you think, where should Er Niang live?"

  Sheng Qiye waved his hand and said casually, "You arrange it as you like. There are so many courtyards here, don't mind which one to stay in." After finishing speaking, he said again, "After you've arranged everything, come to the medicine room, I've thought of another prescription, but I always feel that there's a problem with the medicine guide. Can you help me take a look?"

  Wang was also a medical enthusiast and upon hearing this, he hastily said: "I'll go right away. Seventh Master, you go first."

  Sheng Qiye walked away with a flick of his sleeve, and Wang Shi hastily told Sheng Siyan everything, then said: "Siyan, help your mother out and take Er Niang and Ning Fang to choose houses, okay? The east house is for the children to live in, and the west house is for the aunt to live in. Let them choose whichever one they want."

  Sheng Siyan responded and saw Wang off as she hastily left the door.

  Tu looked at Wang's back, his eyes were exceptionally deep and mysterious.

  Sheng Siyan turned her head and caught a glimpse of Tu Shi's gaze, which she couldn't withdraw in time. Suddenly, she felt a sense of vigilance and thought that she absolutely couldn't let Tu Shi live too close to the main courtyard. She would lead her to Cuizhu Xuan on the southwest corner instead.

  This is the second update. I see everyone's flying pink votes. Certain Han is excited, there will be a third update tonight! It's Monday, don't forget to recommend votes and whatnot!

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