On this sixty-ninth New Year's Day of the Ming Qi era, a heavy snow fell overnight, auguring a bumper harvest year. The people are all jubilant and praying for a good harvest in the coming year.

  But for the General's Mansion in Dingjing City, this must be a special year.

  The second house of the Shen family suffered a loss, with one of their daughters dying. The mistress of the house also went mad. Meanwhile, the most powerful first house and the other two houses seemed to have developed some discord, unlike their usual closeness, instead there was an obvious estrangement.

  The Huang family, who had previously been engaged to Shen Qing, was thoroughly at odds with the Shen family over this matter. However, since Shen Xin and his wife were not in Dingjing for many years, they did not transfer their anger to him. As for the Wei family, which was engaged to Shen Miao, Luo Xueyan personally came forward to confirm that it was just a misunderstanding. The Wei family people were actually sincere and did not make things difficult for her. Moreover, Shen Xin also promised to help Wei Daren more in the court in the future, so the Wei family naturally wanted to give him face.

  For Shen Miao, this new year was still quite good. Without Fu Xiuyu, Yu Qinwang, and even Ren Yanyun and Shen Qing, some things were ultimately changing step by step.

  However, she was delighted, but some people were not very happy about it.

  Inside Rong Jing Hall, Old Lady Shen sat in her seat, with Shen Yuanbai crawling around beside her. However, she looked somewhat impatient. A resentful expression floated onto her dry face.

  "The elders nowadays don't take me seriously at all, and this year's silver ingots didn't even increase a bit. The several boxes of treasures that the palace previously rewarded were all locked in my own courtyard! What do they want to do? Don't they still value me?"

  Old Lady Shen got angry when she mentioned this matter. In the past, Shen Xin would send things awarded by the palace to Gong every year because they didn't live in the capital city and had no use for them except for leaving some small trinkets that Shen Miao liked. Old Lady Shen had tasted the sweetness of it before, but now that something had happened between Shen Xin and the Shen family, Shen Xin didn't even send silver anymore, which was considered a great betrayal by Old Lady Shen.

  "Don't be angry, old lady. Maybe after these days pass, the master's anger will dissipate and the things can be sent over." The nearby Zhang Mama comforted her: "It must be because of what happened with Fifth Miss previously that made the master unhappy, which is why he won't send the things over."

  "What's wrong with Wu Yaotou?" Old Lady Shen scolded, "So many years, I've provided for her, fed her, and raised her to be so big, but she's still not satisfied? I think she just doesn't want to recognize me as her mother! A useless ingrate! And that Luo Xueyan, nowadays even Wu Yaotou has become so stubborn, who knows if someone is teaching her behind my back!"

  Mrs. Zhang saw Old Lady Shen getting angry, and after a moment of silence, she said: "The fifth young lady has grown up now and her thoughts are also heavier. However, the fifth young lady grew up in front of Old Lady since childhood, and in the past, the fifth young lady listened to Old Lady's words very obediently, it can be seen that she still respects Old Lady in her heart. It would be better if Old Lady summoned the fifth young lady one day and said some good things to coax her, after all, she is a little girl and will definitely be easily coaxed. The fifth young lady is the lifeblood of Master and Madame's family, grasping the fifth young lady is equivalent to grasping Master's whole family."

  This mother is also a clever woman, in fact, Mrs. Shen is actually a woman of humble origin who has risen to her current position through her cunning and resourcefulness, but when it comes to managing the household, she still falls short. If not for Zhang Mama's guidance over the years, who knows how many embarrassing situations would have arisen.

  "Shen Lao's wife sneered: 'I still have to coax her? As soon as I see that little girl, I think of that cheap woman, who has been dead for so many years and still occupies the old master's heart. Everything is biased towards them in the main house, now I still have to please her? The sight of her makes me sick!'"

  Mrs. Zhang felt a bit helpless and wanted to persuade him again, but then she saw the maid at the door say: "Second Master, you're here."

  Shen Yuan stepped in with big strides.

  "Brother." Seeing Shen Yuan enter, Madam Shen's attitude softened a lot. Shen Yuanbai on the couch also smiled and looked at his second brother.

  Shen Yu didn't stretch out his hand to hug Shen Yuanbai, but smiled and said: "Come and see grandma."

  "What's so good to look at?" Old Mrs. Shen scolded, but her face was full of joy. Among these grandsons, she loved Shen Yuan the most. Shen Yuan had learned to be a man at a young age and had entered officialdom, with everyone praising him, making her proud beyond measure. Of course, he was also the one Old Mrs. Shen valued the most.

  "I was lucky enough to get a bottle of Yu Xue Gao, and I brought it specifically for my grandmother. Grandma, don't disappoint your grandson's kind intentions."

  Shen Yuan smiled and handed the bottle in his hand to Old Lady Shen.

  Madam Shen was slightly surprised, and immediately pretended to be angry: "I'm so old, I still need these, are you intentionally trying to annoy me?" However, her face showed a loving and reluctant-to-part-with expression.

  Madam Shen was indeed a former songstress, and these cosmetics would not be abandoned even in old age. Shen Yu happened to know her preferences and immediately dispelled the gloominess from Madam Shen's heart.

  "Grandma is getting younger, such good things are meant for grandma." Shen Yuan's flattery was met with a straight face. The two of them chatted some more, Shen Yuan being clever and Shen Lao Fu Ren already liking him, plus he intentionally brought up topics that would delight Shen Lao Fu Ren, the atmosphere in Rong Jing Tang became extremely harmonious, even Shen Yuanbai on the bed was ignored.

  After chatting for a while, Shen Yuan suddenly seemed to remember something and said casually: "Speaking of which, grandma, I think my cousins will be coming over in a few days, won't they?"

  Madam Shen was taken aback, then replied in a cold tone: "What nephew and niece, staying for a few days and leaving." Before becoming a songstress, Madam Shen also had family. Perhaps it was her family who sold her into the brothel. Originally from Suzhou, Madam Shen was later brought to Beijing by General Shen and became his wife, naturally cutting off all ties with her family. However, this year, that family somehow found out about Madam Shen's whereabouts and sent their pair of grandchildren to Beijing, saying they came to visit Madam Shen. In reality, everyone knew it was just a scam.

  Someone like Mrs. Shen who forgets righteousness for the sake of gain, after so many years without seeing each other, naturally cannot have any familial affection towards them; now hearing Shen Keng bring up this matter, it's only natural that she wouldn't want to discuss it further.

  Shen Yuan smiled and said, "I have never seen this pair of cousins before, I suppose they are about the same age as my fifth sister." He sighed and said, "Speaking of which, when big brother returned to Beijing this time, I heard that uncle and aunt were selecting a suitable girl for him, probably to worry about his major affairs too."

  "Shenqiu wants to choose a daughter-in-law?" Old Mrs. Shen suddenly sat up straight: "How did I not know about this, Yuan'er, do you know which family's girl they are choosing?"

  "This is indeed unknown," Shen Yuan thought for a moment: "However, with the family background of Eldest Uncle and Eldest Aunt, it's only natural to choose that high-ranking official's daughter to add to their glory. Eldest Brother now has such prospects, and with the support of Eldest Brother's wife's family, he will surely rise even higher."

  The more Shen Yuan said, the uglier Madame Shen's face became. After a while, she sourly said: "That also depends on whether the young lady looks up to him or not!"

  "It's just that the most important thing is for big brother to like it, if big brother likes it, then it doesn't matter even if the whole world is against it. In my opinion, maybe our little cousin has already caught big brother's eye, and when that happens, it'll be a perfect match."

  "What nonsense are you talking about?" Old Lady Shen frowned, subconsciously refuting Shen Yuan's words: "What is her status, how can the old master take a liking to her?"

  "I was just joking, Grandma doesn't have to worry." Shen Yuan smiled and changed the subject, saying a few more words before taking his leave. As he left, however, he couldn't help but glance at Zhang's mother once again.

  After Shen Yuan left, Old Lady Shen couldn't stop thinking about what he had said. On the one hand, she knew that Shen Yuan's words were far-fetched, and even if Shen Xin and his wife were open-minded, they wouldn't look down on that family's humble status. Moreover, Shen Qiu wasn't a lecher, so this matter was as difficult as ascending to heaven. However, on the other hand, Old Lady Shen was moved by what Shen Yuan had said. If Shen Qiu married a young lady from a high-ranking family, wouldn't their influence rise to another level? Old Lady Shen couldn't bear to see Shen Qiu do well; how could she just watch him grow stronger and more prosperous? If he married his own niece, not only would it not be better, but it would also drag down the Shen family's main house and hinder Shen Qiu's progress. That was a good move.

  Mrs. Zhang massaged the old lady's shoulders while softly saying, "Actually, I think Second Young Master's words made some sense." After a pause, she continued, "Think about it, if Eldest Young Master and Cousin Miss get married, they'll be relatives by marriage, and since Cousin Miss is on your side, it will be much easier to do things. If the marriage happens, dealing with money matters in the future will be effortless; isn't Cousin Miss's money essentially yours?"

  As soon as this was said, Old Lady Shen's eyes lit up. Not bad, if Shen Qiu and the niece from the house became husband and wife, the niece would naturally be on her side, controlling Shen Qiu would be equivalent to controlling the main house.

  "Wouldn't it be even better if Young Master Zhang and Fifth Miss became a couple? Then, in the future, all of the wealth and property of the entire main house would belong to Old Madame."

  Madam Shen's heart skipped a beat, as Mother Zhang's words struck her right on the spot, making her feel elated and eager to plot against the first wife's family. She thought about how she could manipulate things from behind the scenes to create chaos within the first wife's household, and Madam Shen was overjoyed. But in an instant, she began to worry again, saying: "It's easy to talk, but my nephews and nieces are all from humble backgrounds, and the old family is not inexperienced, how could they possibly look up to them?"

  "My old lady," Zhang's mother smiled: "You've forgotten the tricks of the past, that little thing between men and women, where is it so complicated? Just move your brain a bit, nothing is impossible."

  Her words sparked a moment of reverie in Old Lady Shen, and after a brief pause, she too burst out laughing. She seemed to be trying to laugh coquettishly, but her age made it appear somewhat eerie. The old-fashioned romanticism made her look particularly ugly. "That's true," she said, "men and women's love affairs are just that trivial." After saying this, she exchanged a glance with Zhang Mama, both seeing the deep meaning in each other's eyes. Old Lady Shen said, "Someone, go fetch the trunk from my room. It's been ages since I've seen these two nieces of mine; it's only proper to give them some gifts for our reunion."

  Outside, Shen Qiang looked at Rong Jing Tang's low laughter and walked out of the courtyard with a hint of cold smile in his eyes.

  ……

  In the Western Courtyard, Shen Miao handed over ten silver notes to Mo Jing.

  "Go to the Treasure Fragrance Building, find a girl named Liu Yue. I've already inquired about it, and 100 taels of silver can buy her for one night. Take the silver and spend the night with her, don't do anything else. Go back three days later." said Shen Miao.

  Mo En's face turned slightly green when he heard the three words "Bao Xiang Lou", and when he heard Shen Miao ask him to find Liu Yue Niang, his face turned from green to red. He hesitated for a moment before taking the silver note, looking at Shen Miao: "Mi-miss, are you joking with me?"

  "When have you ever seen me joke with others?" Shen Miao's face was stern and serious, Mo Jing thought for a moment, he had known Shen Miao until now, Shen Miao was always proper and serious every day, indeed she had never done anything playful or joked with others.

  But... asking him to go to the brothel is really too far-fetched. Mo En shook his head, his face red as he stuttered: "Miss, this... subordinate... why does subordinate have to go to Bao Xiang Lou."

  Shen Miao gazed at him, and when she thought about it, in her past life, she had never seen Mo Ye with any other girl, after all these years of being a palace maid. She had assumed that the rules were strict within the palace, but who knew that Mo Ye was this kind of person? He was hesitant and evasive, not like a leader of the imperial guards at all.

  "She said: 'Let you go, then go. If that Flowing Firefly girl asks you why you're like this, don't say anything. In short, just be a mute.'"

  Mo Ke: *silence*

  Mo Ke still had an unwilling expression on his face, Shen Miao said sternly: "Don't you even listen to what I say?"

  "I don't dare!" Mo Jing hastily said. As soon as the words left his mouth, he felt a bit disheartened. He was a tall and strong man, and under Shen Qiu's command, he was considered to be one of the few who could match him. How could he feel so flustered in his heart just because Shen Miao yelled at him? According to reason, although he was now responsible for protecting Shen Miao's safety, he was still under Shen Qiu's command. He had never been so cautious when dealing with Shen Qiu before. Had he become so servile after following Shen Miao?

  But then Shen Miao continued, "I've heard that this Flowing Firefly girl is born with a seductive bone, extremely skilled in her ways, and countless men have fallen under her pomegranate skirt. Although she can't be considered the signboard of Treasure Fragrance Building, she's still a popular girl. I chose you because I know you're a gentleman with strong willpower, so even if you sit together for one night, it'll just be sitting together, don't take advantage of the opportunity to actually do something. If things go wrong, then you won't need to stay in the Shen family army anymore."

  Mo En's face turned green and red, feeling more embarrassed than ever before. Shen Miao said such blunt words, but also used a scrutinizing gaze to scan him from head to toe, even pausing for half a moment at his waist. If Shen Miao wasn't the master, Mo En would have stormed off in anger. He wanted to cry but had no tears, and didn't know how Shen Miao had developed such a personality, looking at him so brazenly. Mo En felt like a pig on a chopping board.

  Mo Ke's face turned purple with anger, but Shen Miao finally let him off the hook, waving her hand and saying: "Go. Remember what I said."

  Mo Qing suddenly ran out with a trail of smoke. Jing Zhen was just coming back from outside and saw the situation, so he asked: "What's wrong with Mo Wei? He looks like he's in a lot of pain, did something happen?" Mo Qing had always been calm and composed when doing things, but this was the first time he had seen him so flustered.

  "It's nothing, just being shy." Shen Miao said: "How about what you heard?"

  Jing Zhen found Shen Miao's words a bit strange and asked, "What do you mean by 'shy'?" Upon hearing this, she said, "I've inquired clearly, the young lady and young master from Old Madame's natal family will arrive two days later."

  "Is it?" Shen Miao smiled faintly: "That Miss Biao, her name is Jing Chuchu?"

  "How did you know?" Jing Zhen asked in surprise.

  Shen Miao didn't say a word, lowering her head to cover up the hint of murderous intent in her eyes. It was only natural that she knew... her elder sister-in-law from her past life.

  ……

  Two days later, the sky cleared up. Shen Miao got up early and went out to watch Shen Qiu and Shen Xin practice sword fighting in the courtyard. The cold weather made them sweat profusely, and the surrounding guards also secretly cheered them on. Just as everyone was in high spirits, Xi Er, the maid by Old Madam Shen's side, came running over, saying that Old Madam Shen had summoned everyone to hurry to Rong Jing Tang, as their maternal aunt's niece and nephew had arrived.

  Shen Qiu scratched his head and said strangely: "Which Miss or Mr.? I don't know."

  Luo Xueyan quickly understood: "It's a relative from the old lady's maternal family, I hadn't heard of it before, and I don't know how it suddenly came."

  Shen Xin didn't react, Shen Lao Fu Ren was his stepmother. However, her birth destined that she couldn't show off in public. All these years, there wasn't any news from her natal family, only knowing they were from Suzhou. But since they came all the way to Dingjing and were younger, Shen Lao Fu Ren took a liking to them, so they had no choice but to go through the motions.

  Shen Qiu put down his sword and went back with Shen Xin to change into another set of clothes. When he turned around, he saw Shen Miao standing at the door, her expression somewhat cold and hard. He couldn't help but walk over and ask, "Little sister, why are you suddenly unhappy? You were fine just now."

  Shen Miao came back to her senses, glanced at Shen Qiu and smiled: "Nothing."

  As they approached Rong Jing Tang, they could hear the sound of laughter from Old Lady Shen. Ever since Shen Qing's incident, Old Lady Shen had been gloomy every day, where did she have such a joyful moment? Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan were both surprised. As they entered Rong Jing Tang, they saw that Chen Ruoqiu's family and Shen Gui's family were all there. In front of Old Lady Shen stood a young man and woman. When she saw Shen Xin and the others arrive, she said to the two people in front of her: "This is your uncle's family." And then to Shen Xin: "These are my brother's grandson and granddaughter, Guan Sheng and Chu Chu."

  Thorny crown born, thorny Chu Chu.

  The two of them heard this and hastily turned around to pay their respects to Shen Xin and his group.

  Shen Miao stood still, her calm eyes sizing up the two people in front of her.

  Jing Guansheng is eighteen this year, and Jing Chuchu is sixteen, both in the prime of their youth. Jing Guansheng's appearance is ordinary, slightly plump, but has a fair complexion and some literary flair. He wears a brown long shirt made of good fabric, with a simple yet elegant cut. However, his eyes seem to gleam with a hint of cunning, which somewhat offsets his refined demeanor.

  Jing Chuchu was indeed born with a good appearance, perhaps the Shen family's relatives had always been good-looking since childhood. Jing Chuchu's appearance was somewhat similar to that of Old Lady Shen, with a delicate and elegant demeanor, but compared to Old Lady Shen's sharpness in her youth, she was much more reserved. She wore a cherry-colored silk skirt and an autumn-colored lotus-patterned cloak, which were extremely exquisite and refined. With a beautiful face and a demure appearance, she seemed extremely shy and timid, speaking and greeting people with a trembling voice, her eyes fixed on the ground, not daring to look up at anyone.

  When waiting for Shen Miao to ask how she was doing, Shen Miao smiled and said: "Why is older cousin only looking at the ground? The ground doesn't have my shadow."

  Jing Chu was taken aback, raised her head, and looked at her with some confusion, then glanced at Old Lady Shen. Old Lady Shen immediately frowned and said: "Chu Chu has just arrived and is a bit shy, Five, be more polite."

  Mrs. Shen unscrupulously shielded her, and immediately made Shen Xin and others change their faces. They would not let Shen Miao suffer for a relative who had no blood relationship with them. Their attitude towards Jing Chu Chu suddenly became somewhat cold.

  Madam Shen was completely unaware, but Shen Yuan furrowed his brow and gave Shen Miao a subtle glance.

  "Come on, don't be afraid, it's nothing. Stay a few more days and you won't be afraid anymore. Here, we'll eventually get familiar with each other."

  Her words were warm and seemingly rare, but to those who listened carefully, they didn't quite ring true. Jing Chuchu smiled shyly at Shen Miao, then lowered her head to fiddle with the handkerchief in her hands, as if one more glance would make her blush. On the other side, Jing Guansheng smiled warmly and elegantly at Shen Miao.

  Shen Miao's gaze never fell on Jing Guangsheng from the start, she stared at Jing Chu Chu, but could hear her own teeth grinding sound.

  Jing Chuchu was always like this, shy and timid. Without any guile, she would always lower her head in a reserved manner, as if everyone could bully her. So when the incident occurred, people saw her lying on the same bed with Shen Qiu after drinking, and they scolded Shen Qiu for being worse than a beast. But who would have thought that this pure girl, like a blank sheet of paper, would eventually make Shen Qiu wear a green hat, and even mistakenly kill her lover, causing Shen Qiu to be imprisoned? Those military duties that often went wrong after she married into the family, Shen Qiu's leg broken from falling off his horse, were all likely related to Jing Chuchu. And in the end, Shen Qiu's body was found in a pond, while Jing Chuchu had taken the Shen family's silver and escaped.

  The most venomous thing in the world is a woman's heart. Shen Miao felt that this rabbit-like gentle face in front of her was even more venomous than a snake. After all, although Shen Qiu didn't like it, he still treated Jing Chuchu with sincerity after marrying her. With Shen Qiu's honest nature, he would never let Jing Chuchu suffer.

  However, Jing Chu Chu was a thorough white-eyed wolf.

  Shen Miao stared at Jing Chuchu, even Shen Qiu, who was usually careless, noticed something was off and asked in confusion: "Sister?"

  Jing Guansheng also said: "Why is Fifth Sister staring at Chu Chu all the time?"

  Jing Chu took a step back, his tense body slightly turned to let Jing Guan Sheng block Shen Miao's line of sight, as if he was very afraid. Shen Miao smiled faintly: "Sister-in-law gave birth to such a beautiful child, I accidentally glanced over."

  Shen Yue bit her lip, nowadays Shen Miao's complexion has improved a lot, and she has stolen the spotlight from her. Now there is also Jing Chu Chu, making her feel extremely uncomfortable in her heart.

  Jing Chu's face turned red, and she whispered to Shen Miao: "Sister is born beautiful."

  Shen Miao smiled and did not confirm or deny it.

  Madam Shen cleared her throat and said, "Since Chuchu and Guansheng have arrived, they are our guests at the manor, just like one of us. Wuyi, Da Ge, you should take them around more often."

  There are still Shen Yuan and Shen Yue, not to mention Shen Dongling. The Shen family is not just Shen Miao and Shen Qiu's two grandsons, yet they specifically came to remind these two. Shen Miao's lips curled up slightly, glancing at Jing Chu Chu who was lowering her head, smiling warmly: "I will naturally take good care of sister."

  She was originally a gentle and elegant woman, but among the women in this house, she had an unusually calm and composed demeanor. The slow and elegant smile that had just bloomed on her face also had an indescribable charm. Jing Chuchu was fine, but Jing Guansheng was somewhat stunned.

  Look at Shen Miao like this, Old Lady Shen is also very satisfied. Smiling and saying: "Since that's the case, you all go down, I have some words to say with Chu Chu, it's been many years since we met, and I don't know if everything is okay at home." The loving appearance of Old Lady Shen fell into Chen Ruoqiu's eyes, and suddenly she was slightly moved. However, she only responded respectfully, and then followed the crowd out of Rongjing Hall.

  Outside Rong Jing Tang, Jing Guan Sheng asked Shen Miao: "What does Fifth Sister usually like to do at home?"

  Shen Xin and Luo Xueyan walked in the front, but they hadn't heard this yet. Instead, it was Shen Qiu who, upon hearing the words, vigilantly walked to Shen Miao's side, looking at Jing Guansheng without speaking.

  Shen Miao smiled slightly: "Nothing much, just reading a book."

  "As it happens, I also enjoy reading in the government office." Jing Guansheng smiled and said: "I suppose I can learn from my cousin."

  Shen Miao swept her a glance, the disdain in her eyes was detected by Shen Qiu, who felt somewhat surprised that Shen Miao would be so unfriendly to someone she met for the first time. All he heard was Shen Miao saying, "Forget it, there aren't many books in your estate anyway. Do you want me to teach you? Or should I just send some books over to you later, they're all rare editions."

  It was actually undisguised disdain for the other's humble origins, and Jing Guansheng's face stiffened instantly.

  Inside Rong Jing Tang, Old Lady Shen was holding Jin Chu Chu's hand and said kindly: "At such a young age, you've grown up to be so lovely, I wonder if anyone has asked for your hand in marriage yet?"

  Jing Chu said in a low voice: "Not yet, Old Lady."

  "Never," Old Lady Shen's smile deepened: "With your looks and temperament, it would be great if you could become my Shen family's daughter-in-law."

  Jing Chu Chu lowered her head, her face even redder, but her hands gradually clenched into fists. The Jing family was just a ordinary merchant family, and it was said that their grandfather had a sister in Dingjing who had become wealthy, so they sent their two nephews to Dingjing City, hoping that she could help them out. From the moment they arrived at the Shen Mansion, Jing Chu Chu had already been dazzled by the wealth and luxury of the Shen family. If she could marry into the General's Manor, she would be set for life, with no worries about food or clothing, and still be the lady of a wealthy family. Jing Chu Chu was excited in her heart, but on the surface, she couldn't show it.

  Old Lady Shen patted her hand and smiled: "At your age, you're quite a match for our family's Chui'er. Our Chui'er is now a deputy general, and what's more, he's still not married yet."

  By the way

  After writing for so long, it's actually the same as Hua Fei, maybe because of slow heat and dragging out plot points, the effect in the early stages wasn't particularly good. However, since Cha Cha herself thinks this pair is very interesting, even with poor results she still writes very enthusiastically. So please, dear readers, when voting on reviews don't give three or two stars, it will lower the ratings. Also, to friends who read pirated versions, please don't leave comments here, the author will be really disheartened if they encounter this. Ten thousand words are actually just 30 cents, truly not a lot, in this hot weather, everyone can consider it as treating Cha Cha to an ice pop~ (づ￣3￣）づ╭?～