Chapter 10 - Show Me Your Reaction
My aunt, you are right. This porcelain vase is really my mother’s legacy.” Shen Ninghua’s face had a light smile, but her eyes turned red. Her appearance made people feel more and more pity for her.
Her mother, Xia Jingyan, died when giving birth to her. However, her mother held a great place in her heart. When she was very young, her nanny used to tell her stories about her mother. She told her that her mother was quite knowledgeable and intelligent. However, she had to marry Shen Dong hastily when her family was persecuted later. With her intelligence and beauty, people thought she would definitely be favored by Shen Dong. On the contrary, Shen Dong was very fond of his concubines and turned a cold face towards Xia Jingyan. And she died when giving birth to Shen Ninghua.
After Shen Ninghua became the empress, she implicitly asked Shen Dong several times about her mother, but every time he scolded her. In order to maintain the weak family relationship, she forced herself to tolerate all these. This time, she would definitely find out everything.
“Poor kid…” The second lady, with sadness on her face, took Shen Ninghua’s hand and sighed, “In the beginning, you mother, as my eldest sister-in-law, took great care of me. She was always fair, but she died so young…” When Madam Xia was alive, she managed the Shen family in an orderly way, and handled the affairs of the second and third branches properly. She really deserved the second lady’s admiration. Zhao Yunxiang, however, took advantage of her identity as the second wife of Shen Dong, and schemed and calculated everywhere. Therefore, she would fight for the second branch! Besides, the dirty things between Zhao Yunxiang and Shen Dong were no secret to anyone!
Shen Ninghua comforted the second lady, “When I was back home, I was already pleased to see my mother’s legacies. Aunt, you should not be so sad, or I would feel sorry.”
“Well, the things left by your mother are very delicate. I’m afraid none of ours is comparable. I remember when your mother was still alive, she gave me a set of jewelry. I’ll send them to you some other day.”
“Since it was given by my mother to you, how can I take it back? Moreover, I was told by my nanny that my mother once said that your gorgeous appearance perfectly went well with the Acacia flower, so the jewelry my mother gave you was secretly engraved with the mark of the Acacia flower.”
The first lady’s face became more and more rigid. She stared at Shen Ninghua’s innocent smiling face, and not knowing why, she increasingly felt in her heart that something bad for her would happen.
The second lady frowned slightly and thought for a while. “You have reminded me that your mother would carve unique things on all the jewelry she gave out, and her own jewelry was engraved with azalea… Ah, I remember now. No wonder I’m familiar with that maid’s jewelry. Isn’t that left behind by my elder sister-in-law?”
As soon as the second lady finished the sentence, people immediately followed her sight to look at the maid standing behind Shen Linghan. The maid’s face immediately turned pale and fell to her knees with a plop.
However poor the husband was, it was disgraceful for him to use his wife’s dowry. This was the case even for common families. If anyone knew this happened in the Shen family, it would be a big scandal.
The first lady’s face was already black and blue for holding her feelings, and Shen Dong’s look at her made her even more frightened.
Old Lady Xiao turned to Shen Ninghua, only to find her lips slightly open and her eyes looking at the hairpin on the maid’s head, with pain and disbelief.
The second lady seemed to realize that she had said something wrong. She stood aside in silence. At this time, she was already laughing in her heart. She was more than happy to see the embarrassment of Madam Zhao.
“What’s the matter?” Shen Dong asked in a cold voice. Madam Zhao had always kept his family in order, and he never interfered with her administration. But he didn’t expect that Zhao had done such a nasty thing. Once the news was spread out, reports censuring him would probably appear on the desk of the emperor the next day!
Shen Linghan’s eyes rolled, and she explained with a smile. “Father, the elder sister of Wan Xiang once served the deceased first lady, and Wan Xiang also worked for the deceased first lady for several days. I once asked my mother about the deceased first lady, and she gave me this hairpin as a memento. One day, when Wan Xiang saw the hairpin, she fell into tears. I asked her and found that that she missed the first lady very much, so I took the liberty to give her the hairpin without reporting to mother. Please punish me, father.” As she said, she stood up and knelt down to Shen Dong.
Hearing Shen Linghan’s explanation, Shen Dong adopted a gentle smile. He stood up and helped Shen Linghan up. His tone was very indulgent. “You have always been so kind-hearted. This time, you did an inappropriate thing, but out of kindness. Forget about punishment.”
“Thank you, dad.”
Looking at the performance of a kind father and a filial daughter before her, Shen Ninghua slowly clenched her hands in her sleeves. They really had no shame: one fabricated such an awkward lie, and the other readily accepted it. And both of them played their roles so faithfully and emotionally!
Shen Linghan had always been the apple of Shen Dong’s eyes. Shen Mengyuan, Shen Yulan and many other daughters of the Shen family had all been sent as chips to various dignitaries’ families, as second wives or concubines. They paved a broad road for Shen Linghan with their whole life’s struggle. In her previous life, Shen Ninghua was also sacrificed to pave the road for Shen Linghan. But this time, she would not repeat the same fate.
“I was also surprised to see the hairpin. I didn’t expect there to be such a story. Did Nurse Zhou also serve my mother?” Shen Ninghua asked with curiosity.
Shen Dong frowned upon hearing that, and his face slightly changed.
Nurse Zhou was stunned, then exclaimed. “Miss, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Shen Ninghua paused a while and then said, “Nothing. It’s just that your clothes look familiar.”
The second lady looked carefully and then angrily scolded. “This cloth belonged to the deceased first lady. Although this kind of cloth is not very rare, the pattern is special. I remember it was conferred by the Palace. What a bold slave you are as to dare to use the cloth to make clothes for yourself. Aren’t you afraid that your fortune would be overshadowed by the clothes!”
Shen Dong’s face now changed completely. Even Old Lady Xiao got up and walked to Nurse Zhou. Xia Jingyan had a royal mandate and was conferred gifts by the Palace when she was alive. Now although she was dead, these things should be properly preserved with deference.
The first lady’s face was already livid. Biting her teeth, she made a decision in her heart. She turned around and slapped Nurse Zhou in the face. “You wretched maid, kneel down! I have sealed my elder sister’s yard, and send people to clean it at fixed intervals. You are responsible for the specific arrangements. Tell me, what have you done to perform your duties?” Madam Zhao looked grave and painful, frowning her eyebrows tightly.
She was in charge of the routine administration of the whole Shen family. She couldn’t allow such a big mistake in her work. What’s more, it was hard for her to do her job as the second wife of Shen Done. If anything that involved her predecessor was dealt with improperly, she couldn’t defend herself no matter how eloquent she was. In addition, it would bring humiliation to the whole Zhao family to use the deceased wife’s things, especially considering that they were gifts conferred by the Palace. When had Nurse Zhou become so bold?
Nurse Zhou’s heart shivered, and her face turned pale. “Madam…” Some time ago, she heard someone say that the cloth looked beautiful. She thought about it secretly for a long time, and then used the cloth to make herself a dress. She just put it on today, and was caught off-guard immediately.
Madam Zhao slapped her again.
“You presumptuous slave, you used my sister’s things at will. You embarrassed me! Your old ladyship and my master, I have failed to discipline the servants properly. They disobeyed my order and used my elder sister’s stuff. If she knew what has occurred, how can I ask for forgiveness from her… Your old ladyship and my master, please punish me or I will feel uneasy.” As Madam Zhao said, tears kept falling down from her cheeks, making her look extremely sincere.
Shen Ninghua coldly watched Zhao’s excellent performance, and her eyes were full of ridicule. If it was not for the connivance of the Madam Zhao, how could the servants have the courage to use the things of the deceased wife of the master? Now it was really smart for her to pass the buck and use a servant as a scapegoat.
However, she didn’t expect to escalate it into a big scandal. Shen Dong was very concerned about fame and would in no way let the scandal spread. She was just making use of the event to claim her mother’s dowry back.
“Mother, what is your opinion….” Shen Dong looked at Old Lady Xiao.
Old Lady Xiao frowned and looked at the first lady with a trace of imperceptible disgust. “Beat Nurse Zhou 30 strokes and drive her out of the house.”
“In addition, Ninghua is back. After all, she is the eldest miss in the family. She should be in charge of her own mother’s dowry. After all, when she gets married, that would also be a part of her dowry.” Old Lady Xiao’s words finally settled the position of Shen Ninghua in the Shen family.
Madam Zhao had felt relieved only for a while. Upon hearing Old Lady Xiao’s words, she clenched her fist and felt her head buzzing. Madam Xia had been dead for years, and she had given much of her dowry out to the servants. Every time she saw Madam Xia’s jewelry on those low-ranking maids, she was very happy. Now, how was she going to get those things back?
It was all the fault of Nurse Zhou, the despicable maid. She was always arrogant in normal times. But she was now bold enough to steal the things conferred by the Palace. She couldn’t use her any more.
Shen Ninghua felt the solemn atmosphere in the hall. She put on a sad face, but her eyes were full of smile. From today on, she was going to let the Shen family be shrouded in dark clouds all the time. These people must pay for their actions. Now it was just the beginning.
After everyone left, Old Lady Xiao leaned on her couch and smiled with satisfaction. Xue Zhu kneeled on the ground to massage her legs and said, “Old lady, I see that the young lady is very intelligent, so you can also feel more at ease.”
“You are right. Send some fine cloth to Ninghua later. She has had a hard life since childhood. As her grandmother, I should take good care of her.”
Xue Zhu responded in a low voice and withdrew. She couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. The old lady had always wanted to deprive Madam Zhao’s right, but the first lady was very cunning. Besides, she had the Zhao family behind her and always got the upper hand under the table when dealing with the old lady. Who knew how long this Shen Ninghua could deal with both of them.
Her mother, Xia Jingyan, died when giving birth to her. However, her mother held a great place in her heart. When she was very young, her nanny used to tell her stories about her mother. She told her that her mother was quite knowledgeable and intelligent. However, she had to marry Shen Dong hastily when her family was persecuted later. With her intelligence and beauty, people thought she would definitely be favored by Shen Dong. On the contrary, Shen Dong was very fond of his concubines and turned a cold face towards Xia Jingyan. And she died when giving birth to Shen Ninghua.
After Shen Ninghua became the empress, she implicitly asked Shen Dong several times about her mother, but every time he scolded her. In order to maintain the weak family relationship, she forced herself to tolerate all these. This time, she would definitely find out everything.
“Poor kid…” The second lady, with sadness on her face, took Shen Ninghua’s hand and sighed, “In the beginning, you mother, as my eldest sister-in-law, took great care of me. She was always fair, but she died so young…” When Madam Xia was alive, she managed the Shen family in an orderly way, and handled the affairs of the second and third branches properly. She really deserved the second lady’s admiration. Zhao Yunxiang, however, took advantage of her identity as the second wife of Shen Dong, and schemed and calculated everywhere. Therefore, she would fight for the second branch! Besides, the dirty things between Zhao Yunxiang and Shen Dong were no secret to anyone!
Shen Ninghua comforted the second lady, “When I was back home, I was already pleased to see my mother’s legacies. Aunt, you should not be so sad, or I would feel sorry.”
“Well, the things left by your mother are very delicate. I’m afraid none of ours is comparable. I remember when your mother was still alive, she gave me a set of jewelry. I’ll send them to you some other day.”
“Since it was given by my mother to you, how can I take it back? Moreover, I was told by my nanny that my mother once said that your gorgeous appearance perfectly went well with the Acacia flower, so the jewelry my mother gave you was secretly engraved with the mark of the Acacia flower.”
The first lady’s face became more and more rigid. She stared at Shen Ninghua’s innocent smiling face, and not knowing why, she increasingly felt in her heart that something bad for her would happen.
The second lady frowned slightly and thought for a while. “You have reminded me that your mother would carve unique things on all the jewelry she gave out, and her own jewelry was engraved with azalea… Ah, I remember now. No wonder I’m familiar with that maid’s jewelry. Isn’t that left behind by my elder sister-in-law?”
As soon as the second lady finished the sentence, people immediately followed her sight to look at the maid standing behind Shen Linghan. The maid’s face immediately turned pale and fell to her knees with a plop.
However poor the husband was, it was disgraceful for him to use his wife’s dowry. This was the case even for common families. If anyone knew this happened in the Shen family, it would be a big scandal.
The first lady’s face was already black and blue for holding her feelings, and Shen Dong’s look at her made her even more frightened.
Old Lady Xiao turned to Shen Ninghua, only to find her lips slightly open and her eyes looking at the hairpin on the maid’s head, with pain and disbelief.
The second lady seemed to realize that she had said something wrong. She stood aside in silence. At this time, she was already laughing in her heart. She was more than happy to see the embarrassment of Madam Zhao.
“What’s the matter?” Shen Dong asked in a cold voice. Madam Zhao had always kept his family in order, and he never interfered with her administration. But he didn’t expect that Zhao had done such a nasty thing. Once the news was spread out, reports censuring him would probably appear on the desk of the emperor the next day!
Shen Linghan’s eyes rolled, and she explained with a smile. “Father, the elder sister of Wan Xiang once served the deceased first lady, and Wan Xiang also worked for the deceased first lady for several days. I once asked my mother about the deceased first lady, and she gave me this hairpin as a memento. One day, when Wan Xiang saw the hairpin, she fell into tears. I asked her and found that that she missed the first lady very much, so I took the liberty to give her the hairpin without reporting to mother. Please punish me, father.” As she said, she stood up and knelt down to Shen Dong.
Hearing Shen Linghan’s explanation, Shen Dong adopted a gentle smile. He stood up and helped Shen Linghan up. His tone was very indulgent. “You have always been so kind-hearted. This time, you did an inappropriate thing, but out of kindness. Forget about punishment.”
“Thank you, dad.”
Looking at the performance of a kind father and a filial daughter before her, Shen Ninghua slowly clenched her hands in her sleeves. They really had no shame: one fabricated such an awkward lie, and the other readily accepted it. And both of them played their roles so faithfully and emotionally!
Shen Linghan had always been the apple of Shen Dong’s eyes. Shen Mengyuan, Shen Yulan and many other daughters of the Shen family had all been sent as chips to various dignitaries’ families, as second wives or concubines. They paved a broad road for Shen Linghan with their whole life’s struggle. In her previous life, Shen Ninghua was also sacrificed to pave the road for Shen Linghan. But this time, she would not repeat the same fate.
“I was also surprised to see the hairpin. I didn’t expect there to be such a story. Did Nurse Zhou also serve my mother?” Shen Ninghua asked with curiosity.
Shen Dong frowned upon hearing that, and his face slightly changed.
Nurse Zhou was stunned, then exclaimed. “Miss, what are you talking about? I don’t understand.”
Shen Ninghua paused a while and then said, “Nothing. It’s just that your clothes look familiar.”
The second lady looked carefully and then angrily scolded. “This cloth belonged to the deceased first lady. Although this kind of cloth is not very rare, the pattern is special. I remember it was conferred by the Palace. What a bold slave you are as to dare to use the cloth to make clothes for yourself. Aren’t you afraid that your fortune would be overshadowed by the clothes!”
Shen Dong’s face now changed completely. Even Old Lady Xiao got up and walked to Nurse Zhou. Xia Jingyan had a royal mandate and was conferred gifts by the Palace when she was alive. Now although she was dead, these things should be properly preserved with deference.
The first lady’s face was already livid. Biting her teeth, she made a decision in her heart. She turned around and slapped Nurse Zhou in the face. “You wretched maid, kneel down! I have sealed my elder sister’s yard, and send people to clean it at fixed intervals. You are responsible for the specific arrangements. Tell me, what have you done to perform your duties?” Madam Zhao looked grave and painful, frowning her eyebrows tightly.
She was in charge of the routine administration of the whole Shen family. She couldn’t allow such a big mistake in her work. What’s more, it was hard for her to do her job as the second wife of Shen Done. If anything that involved her predecessor was dealt with improperly, she couldn’t defend herself no matter how eloquent she was. In addition, it would bring humiliation to the whole Zhao family to use the deceased wife’s things, especially considering that they were gifts conferred by the Palace. When had Nurse Zhou become so bold?
Nurse Zhou’s heart shivered, and her face turned pale. “Madam…” Some time ago, she heard someone say that the cloth looked beautiful. She thought about it secretly for a long time, and then used the cloth to make herself a dress. She just put it on today, and was caught off-guard immediately.
Madam Zhao slapped her again.
“You presumptuous slave, you used my sister’s things at will. You embarrassed me! Your old ladyship and my master, I have failed to discipline the servants properly. They disobeyed my order and used my elder sister’s stuff. If she knew what has occurred, how can I ask for forgiveness from her… Your old ladyship and my master, please punish me or I will feel uneasy.” As Madam Zhao said, tears kept falling down from her cheeks, making her look extremely sincere.
Shen Ninghua coldly watched Zhao’s excellent performance, and her eyes were full of ridicule. If it was not for the connivance of the Madam Zhao, how could the servants have the courage to use the things of the deceased wife of the master? Now it was really smart for her to pass the buck and use a servant as a scapegoat.
However, she didn’t expect to escalate it into a big scandal. Shen Dong was very concerned about fame and would in no way let the scandal spread. She was just making use of the event to claim her mother’s dowry back.
“Mother, what is your opinion….” Shen Dong looked at Old Lady Xiao.
Old Lady Xiao frowned and looked at the first lady with a trace of imperceptible disgust. “Beat Nurse Zhou 30 strokes and drive her out of the house.”
“In addition, Ninghua is back. After all, she is the eldest miss in the family. She should be in charge of her own mother’s dowry. After all, when she gets married, that would also be a part of her dowry.” Old Lady Xiao’s words finally settled the position of Shen Ninghua in the Shen family.
Madam Zhao had felt relieved only for a while. Upon hearing Old Lady Xiao’s words, she clenched her fist and felt her head buzzing. Madam Xia had been dead for years, and she had given much of her dowry out to the servants. Every time she saw Madam Xia’s jewelry on those low-ranking maids, she was very happy. Now, how was she going to get those things back?
It was all the fault of Nurse Zhou, the despicable maid. She was always arrogant in normal times. But she was now bold enough to steal the things conferred by the Palace. She couldn’t use her any more.
Shen Ninghua felt the solemn atmosphere in the hall. She put on a sad face, but her eyes were full of smile. From today on, she was going to let the Shen family be shrouded in dark clouds all the time. These people must pay for their actions. Now it was just the beginning.
After everyone left, Old Lady Xiao leaned on her couch and smiled with satisfaction. Xue Zhu kneeled on the ground to massage her legs and said, “Old lady, I see that the young lady is very intelligent, so you can also feel more at ease.”
“You are right. Send some fine cloth to Ninghua later. She has had a hard life since childhood. As her grandmother, I should take good care of her.”
Xue Zhu responded in a low voice and withdrew. She couldn’t help but sigh in her heart. The old lady had always wanted to deprive Madam Zhao’s right, but the first lady was very cunning. Besides, she had the Zhao family behind her and always got the upper hand under the table when dealing with the old lady. Who knew how long this Shen Ninghua could deal with both of them.
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