Chapter 166: Jing Xiu Arrives (Pink Ticket 780 Additional Chapter)

  Shen Zhen changed into a brand new azure blue five-blessings longevity embroidered straight skirt and saw Shi Jingyu.

  Shi Jingyu followed the etiquette of a younger female relative and paid her respects to Shen Guan, asking after his well-being.

  Shen Zhen invited her to sit on the armchair next to him.

  Shen Muqing personally poured her tea.

  Shen Zhen asked about Shi Zi Mo's recent situation: "What time do you get up every morning? Is your appetite good? Are there any uncomfortable places...?"

  She quietly and respectfully answered one by one, then asked about Shen Zhen's physical condition, and finally took out a letter to give to Shen Zhen: "Grandfather asked me to give it to Uncle."

  Shen Zhen put away the letter and exchanged a few polite words with Shi Jingyu, saying "Don't be restrained, make yourself at home" before letting Shen Muqing take her to the Green Pavilion.

  Shi Jingyu liked the elegant decoration of the Green Cottage very much. Shen Muqing asked the rough maid of the Green Cottage to greet Shi Jingyu, and then led her on a tour around the house. Liu Mama brought over the trunks, everyone exchanged greetings, and they agreed on a time for dinner. Shen Muqing took his leave - he had to give space to Shi Jingyu and her servants.

  She had just walked out of Green Luan Courtyard when Chen Ayi hurried over.

  Shen Mu Qing was taken aback for a moment, and Chen Yiniang had already whispered in her ear: "The master asks the young lady to go to the study quickly."

  She didn't know what had happened and followed Chen's wife hastily to the study.

  A letter was spread out on the large desk in the study. Shen Zhen's face was heavy as he paced back and forth in the room.

  Seeing Shen Muqing enter, he instructed Chen Niang in a low voice: "Have everyone wait outside, no one is allowed to come in without being summoned."

  Madam Chen was taken aback, responded with a "yes", and dismissed the little maid serving in the house. She herself helped Shen Zhen's father and daughter close the study door and guarded it outside the courtyard.

  Shen Muqing looked at this formation and felt a sense of panic in her heart. As soon as Chen Niang walked away, she hastily asked: "Master, what's going on?"

  Shen Zhen didn't say a word and pointed at the letter on the painting case: "Jing Shu brought it, take a look."

  Shen Mu Qing took three steps forward and walked two steps to the front of the painting case, picked up the letter and started reading it.

  The letter was written by Shi Zicong to Shen Zhen. The main content is that he himself did not consider carefully at the time, encouraging Shi Jingyu to study and write articles, which delayed her lifelong matters. Now he is old, but Shi Jingyu is still alone, so he wants to entrust Shi Jingyu to Shen Zhen, letting Shen Zhen keep Shi Jingyu in Kyoto and not return to Nanjing again. If possible, it would be best to help find a good family to marry into, which would also be a lifelong arrangement. If there really isn't a suitable one, please let Shen Zhen marry Shi Jingyu before his death, so that she will have a place for her memorial tablet after a hundred years.

  The words in the letter are sincere and touching, with a tone of sadness. At first glance, it's clear that it was written under great emotional distress.

  Moreover, the letter also included a "statement" with Shi Ziming's handprint and private seal. It said that he had entrusted Shi Jingyu to Shen Zhen, and from then on, all matters of marriage and funeral would be handled by Shen Zhen, and no one from the Shi family was allowed to intervene.

  Shen Mu Qing stared at Shen Jian in shock and amazement.

  Shen Zhen bitterly smiled: "What I was worried about has indeed happened."

  Shen Muqing felt uncomfortable in her heart and silently stared at Shi Zimo's letter, unable to say a word.

  When in Nanjing, Shi Jingyu went out with a group of maidservants. Even when she wore men's clothing to the tea market, there were still servants and young attendants surrounding her... No wonder this time, she only brought two personal maidservants and her wet nurse Liu Mama, along with about ten trunks.

  "Mu Qing," Shen Zhen said cautiously, "I'd like to ask for your opinion?"

  Shen Muqing looked at Shen Jian with some surprise.

  "It's rare for you two to hit it off!" Shen Zhen said with a sigh, "And Jing Shu is also a capable person. Keeping her by your side, you'll have someone to accompany you..."

  It turned out that she was worried that I wouldn't agree!

  "Master, you're worrying too much." Shen Muqing smiled and said, "I just didn't expect that the Shi family really can't tolerate Jingyu sister...". There was already a hint of sadness in his tone, "Just as you said, if she could stay, I would have someone to accompany me too."

  Shen Zhen nodded and smiled with relief: "Then I'll write a reply to Lord Shi!"

  Shen Muqing ground ink for Shen Zhen, and after the letter was written, he personally instructed Zhou Baimu to send someone to deliver it.

  Shen Zhen instructed her: "Don't say anything to Jing Shu - and don't breathe a word about it to Chen Yiniang either."

  Shen Mu nodded quietly.

  She returned to Tingyu Xuan and didn't calm down for a long time.

  In the evening, Shen Zhen set up a banquet in the flower hall to entertain Shi Jingyu.

  Everyone talked about Nanjing's customs and human feelings, Kyoto's anecdotes, and the atmosphere was very warm.

  Shen Mu Qing gazed at Shen Zhen's silver-white temples and Shi Jing Yu's pale, translucent face under the lamplight, and secretly lowered her head.

  After dinner, Shen Muqing accompanied Shi Jingyu back to the Green Cottage, but Shi Jingyu suggested spending the night at Shen Muqing's Listening Rain Pavilion instead.

  In Nanjing, the two often stayed up all night talking, let alone Shi Jingyu had written to her saying she wanted to come to Kyoto to see if there was a suitable place to open a wine house - she must have been discussing this with herself.

  Shen Mu Qing naturally agreed with joy.

  ******

  Shen Muqing and Qing He sat on either side of the kang, their faces illuminated by the soft glow of a melon-shaped lamp, its gentle light casting an ethereal radiance reminiscent of jade.

  She picked up a delicate white porcelain tea cup and took a sip, smiling: "As for opening the wine shop, do you have any good ideas, sister?"

  Unlike her serious and dignified demeanor in front of outsiders, Shi Jingyuan was a lively and even a bit playful person in private. She smiled coyly: "What's this? I haven't even sat down yet, and you're already giving me a warning shot, asking me how to open a wine shop. Are you afraid I'll find out something?"

  Shen Mu Qing was taken aback for a moment.

  Did Shi Jingyu guess the content of Shi Zimo's letter?

  She couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.

  Shi Jingyu saw Shen Muqing's face change greatly, and she covered her sleeve with a smile: "Be honest, who did the shoes in Teng Lu belong to?"

  What was originally said about this matter?

  Shen Mu let out a breath of relief, but her face suddenly flushed with two crimson marks that even she didn't notice: "What nonsense are you talking about? Those were shoes made on someone's request! Master knows about it too!"

  "Oh! Oh! Oh!" Jing Yu nodded solemnly at the time, but her eyes were full of playful teasing, "So family members also knew."

  Her face flushed with heat. She forced herself to calm down: "Proper interactions, family members would naturally know!"

  Shi Jingyu burst out laughing: "When did I say this matter was unjust?"

  Shen Mu Qing suddenly felt self-conscious about his slip of the tongue and a look of regret flashed across his face.

  "Tomorrow I'll ask Uncle Shen to make a few pairs of shoes for you too."

  "What's the big deal?" Shen Muqing said with a straight face, "Tell me, do you want to make flat-sole shoes or high-heeled ones? Because I don't have bound feet, and my maid is the best at making shoes." After finishing speaking, she bent down and picked up her own embroidered shoes from the footstool in front of the kang, "Don't believe me, sister take a look!"

  Shi Jingyu burst into another fit of laughter, causing Ying Furen to lift the curtain and look inside.

  Shen Muqing scolded Xiao Xiao severely in her heart.

  Shi Jingyu looked at Shen Muqing, who was visibly uncomfortable, and the smile on her face gradually faded. Her eyes sparkled with tears: "Muqing, you're happier than me!"

  What kind of person is Shi Jingyu? She has been in charge of the largest tea field in Nanjing for six years, and her cleverness and skill are not to be underestimated. If there were no changes at home, why would Shi Zimo push his favorite granddaughter to the Shen family without reason? Looking at Shi Jingyu's eyes filled with sorrow... Shen Muqing couldn't help but sigh deeply in her heart, pretending to be dissatisfied and saying: "Sister, don't envy me. Who knows, I have many troubles!"

  "Then tell me, what's troubling you?"

  What's troubling you?

  Afraid that one day Shen Zhen is gone, and there's no protective umbrella? Afraid that one day Da She grows up and can't accommodate this unorthodox sister? Afraid that business fails and loses all the capital, with no place to fall back on... In short, it's all about feeling uncertain and lost about the future. But aren't these worries also Shi Jingyu's worries?!

  How can Shen Muqing bring himself to say it?

  Especially when all of Shi Jingyu's worries have become a reality - hasn't the Shi family already abandoned Shi Jingyu, after she dedicated herself to the development of the Shi family tea plantation for six years?

  A hint of hesitation flashed across her face.

  The first time I didn't know how to break the ice.

  Shi Jingyu looked at her nervous appearance and thought of the pair of men's cloth shoes she had seen...

  She gazed around, leaned forward on the kang table, and softly asked Shen Muqing: "Are you worried about that person who wore shoes?"

  I didn't expect Shi Jingyu to make such conjectures...

  Deeply moved and ashamed, with tears streaming down his face.

  Shi Jingmei looked at her awkward appearance, thinking she had guessed correctly. Covering her mouth and laughing: "Tell me... three smelly workers can still surpass Zhuge Liang? Maybe I have a way to solve your troubles?"

  Shen Mu Qing wanted to speak but hesitated.

  "Don't worry, I'll definitely keep it a secret for you?" Ming Jingyu looked at Shen Muqing's eyes shining brightly.

  Shen Muqing suddenly had a feeling of returning to his university days when he would turn off the lights in the dormitory...

  Perhaps in this world, only Si Jingyu can understand those ideas that have been carved into her bones...

  She thought for a moment and told Shi Jingxuan everything about her and Xiao Sa.

  Her face, once smiling and cheerful, gradually turned solemn, as if she were negotiating a life-and-death business deal.

  “…I really like him. I also know he likes me… Others would definitely think I’m foolish if they heard this. It’s just Xiao Sa, and I didn’t even tell him the truth to his face… He’s just a husband in name only, after marrying him, finding a reason to leave or die is up to one’s own heart’s desire… But I just can’t do it… Just like Master said, if it were arranged by our elders, I could still comfort myself by thinking: he’s young and doesn’t understand things yet… But Second Sister is different. Sometimes when I think of her, it’s as if I’m looking at another version of myself… Not being recognized by mainstream society, struggling to survive… Tell me, if you were in my shoes, would you give up fighting for the benefits that are rightfully yours?”

  Shen Muqing poured out her feelings and worries all at once, without caring whether Shi Jingyuan could understand or not.

  She felt suffocated in her heart and grew moss. She needs a place to pour out her emotions!

  "No way!" Jing Xi looked at Shen Muqing's serious gaze, "If it were me, I wouldn't give up. You became Xiao Sa's legitimate wife and didn't let Xiao Sa take a concubine, that means you blocked her path to survival. If it were me, as long as I had one last breath, I would fight with you to the end."

  It's still quiet and able to understand one's feelings.

  Shen Mu let out a soft and melancholic sigh.

  "So, if I want to live without blood on my hands, I shouldn't marry Xiao Sa... Can you understand the regret I feel every time I see Xiao Sa?"

  At this time, Jingyu was silent, as if Shen Muqing's words had stirred up a thousand emotions, causing her to fall into a daze.

  (Sisters, see you at the usual time! o(n_n)o Haha ~)

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