Chapter Eighty: Robbery

  Second update, seeking pink tickets...

  "Th...". Rong Sheng's face turned bright red, and for a moment he didn't know how to respond.

  This is a typical case of eating empty salary!

  His family's general is most taboo about this kind of thing, remembering that year because someone in the army delayed, underpaid, and embezzled, his family's general killed a deputy general with outstanding military achievements in a fit of rage.

  If he just passes on the message to the general like this...

  Rong Sheng didn't dare think that this newly recognized great aunt would also be like that famous general of the past, and immediately lose her head.

  That deputy general back then was actually a sworn brother of Shen Zhongjie, and he relied on this to be unscrupulous. Unfortunately, Shen Zhongjie is a jinx who turns his face and doesn't recognize people.

  "What's wrong?" Seeing him open his mouth without speaking, Zhen Shiniang frowned.

  What's wrong with this?

  The supervisor has allocated the quota, and it's up to her to distribute the funds on time. As for whether personnel show up or not, how many come, and who they are, that's all her own business?

  Didn't those state-owned enterprises in the past do the same thing?

  "Uh..." Rong Sheng finally found his voice, "Auntie, it's not quite right to do things this way. Why don't you just gather the people according to the number?"

  "General's mansion doesn't have this rule, Miss will listen to Rong Sheng's." Seeing Zhen Shi Niang still wanting to speak, Xi Que pulled her back.

  Zhen Shi Niang was greatly disappointed, recalling Shen Zhong Jie's thousand-year-old cold face and his overbearing attitude that was not close to human emotions. Thinking that it was already the end of the year and it would be difficult to buy so many people at once and satisfy everyone's wishes, she nodded her head and said, "In that case, I'll just buy them first and see." She emphasized, "I don't want any of the ones from the General's residence."

  As long as she doesn't think about eating empty sounds, everything else is easy to say.

  Zhen Shining didn't insist, Rong Sheng let out a sigh of relief and hastily arranged for others to take her measurements, letting the tailor brought from the capital city take Zhen Shining's measurements. "It's New Year's, everyone in the manor needs new clothes." He also had the craftsmen measure the rooms. "The general wants to replace all the furniture in Madame's room..."

  Zhen Shining received everything as ordered, allowing Rong Sheng to exert himself freely.

  It wasn't until the 29th of the twelfth lunar month that Rong Sheng finally led his men away, after a full four days.

  Thin as cicada wings, the silk curtains; mud-gold lacquered cabinets; and Huang Yang wood carvings of the dressing table. The Qing Hua porcelain flower stand, the golden thread Nanmu wooden screen with pine and crane longevity patterns... looking at this newly renovated house, Zhen Shiniang finally understood why so many people in her past life were willing to be mistresses.

  This wealth and nobility came too easily!

  Is it worth sacrificing her only two years of freedom in exchange for Jian Wu's peaceful and prosperous life?

  Thinking about the next two years, she can no longer be as carefree as before. Everything has to be done with consideration for that iceberg man's expression, and Zhen Shiniang's heart ached sharply.

  "...... Miss, pinch me, am I dreaming?" Ji Kuai has been so happy that she can't close her mouth these days. As soon as Rong Sheng leaves, she starts wandering around inside and outside.

  Jian Wu Jian Wen was also brought back, and he put on the new hemp clothes in advance. He jumped around Zhen Shi Niang, touching this and that, calling out "Mother, mother, what's this? What's this?"

  Zheng Shiniang scolded them until they were both red in the face, and seeing that Jixia and Qiujie were also getting excited, she sighed and said, "All of you calm down a bit, be careful not to get too carried away, or it'll end in tragedy."

  "No way!" Jiyaoliao hugged Zhen Shiniang's shoulders and chuckled.

  Zhen Shiniang pulled her into the house and sat down, "Tomorrow is the 30th, it's not easy to gather so many people at once. Everything else can wait, but this matter of guarding the yard cannot be delayed. Go back and discuss with Zhang He, let him fire Zhou Jia's short-term worker and have him come here to guard the yard."

  "The young lady didn't say anything, but I was thinking of asking anyway." Ji Kuai's face suddenly turned red. "That day, the old lady heard that we were going to hire six guards, with a monthly salary of one or two silver coins, and she discussed with me to ask you to let both Li Changhe brothers come over. I was angry with her for always muttering to herself, so I didn't tell you about it." Smiling at Zhen Shimu, "On the day we cleaned the ear room, Li Changhe had already quit his short-term job at the Zhou family's house." At that time, Rong Sheng hadn't arrived yet. Behind Li Changhe's back, Ji Kuai told him that the person who knocked over the frame must have come in at midnight. Ji Kuai forced him to quit his short-term job and become a guard. Who knew that Rong Sheng would arrive that night? When he heard about becoming a guard, Ji Kuai didn't dare say anything to Zhen Shimu, making it seem like she had deliberately let Li Changhe quit his job so that he could become a guard.

  No wonder Li Changhe has been helping out here for the past few days.

  Zhen Shining suddenly came to her senses, "You...". She sighed, "You have been so good to me with all your heart and mind, how could I not know? It's just that you're too foolish." She changed the subject, "Your mother-in-law is already considered lenient. If it were someone else who married a daughter-in-law like you, they would have forced her husband to divorce her long ago. From now on, don't make things difficult for her and be sure to treat her with filial piety!"

  The magpie signed a lifelong contract, and even after getting married, she was still Zhen Shiniang's servant. Before the wedding, she had made it clear to the Li family, who also acknowledged it. At first, Zhen Shiniang still had dowry to sell, so she could bring some silver back home. Later on, however, Zhen Shiniang's life became increasingly difficult. She was never seen at home and didn't have any money to take back, not to mention that she secretly owed money and even dragged Li Changhe into doing unpaid labor for her. Because of this, Magpie's mother-in-law was very dissatisfied and would often grumble that her son had married a money-losing goods, and the Li family would eventually be ruined by her.

  Fortunately, Li Changhe has been protecting Xi Que, and since she is carrying a child of the Li family, she hasn't suffered too much hardship, only her ears are constantly disturbed.

  Zhen Shiniang had also heard about these things from Qiuju, but because of her own difficult situation, she didn't have the standing to speak out, so she pretended not to know and just used the excuse of taking care of her pregnancy to let Xiku stay at home to serve her father-in-law and mother-in-law. Now that she saw her turn against them, Zhen Shiniang was really worried that she would cause trouble with her husband's family and damage the relationship between daughter-in-law and mother-in-law.

  Li Changhe's mother was just an ordinary village woman, how big could her heart be?

  The daughter-in-law works hard for others every day without any salary or compensation, so she naturally complains. But she also has the simplicity and kindness unique to rural people, scolding the magpie in her mouth, but still closing one eye and letting the magpie move things here. Occasionally, when there's something delicious, she'll call Jianwu and Jianwen over to eat.

  Deep down inside, she still sympathized with herself.

  This kind of person is the easiest to get along with, her mood can be seen at a glance, unlike some people who have a hundred resentments and a thousand dissatisfactions in their hearts, but do not show it on their faces, which is even more terrifying, for example Chuxinyi, for example...

  Suddenly she thought of her mother-in-law, Zhen Shiniang, and felt a chill run down her spine. She thought to herself, "Ji Que said she hated me extremely, if one day I meet her, how can I make things right between us?"

  Since she has already plunged into it, this is a lesson she must learn well.

  Shen Zhong's mother is very strict, if she can't get along with her, then she won't be able to get his support. If she doesn't get his support, her future life as a daughter-in-law will be difficult!

  Suddenly, Zhen Shining felt a little envious of Xi Que.

  "I know..." Ji Kuai muttered, pouting her mouth. "She always mutters 'Miss', I'm just unwilling to give in and want to make things difficult for her."

  "You're going to be a mother soon, yet you're still so petty..." Zhen Shi Niang gave her a white eye, and the topic shifted. "Letting Zhang He work as a guard is only temporary, once my medicine sales take off, I'll have him help me manage the factory. As for his younger brother..." She thought for a moment with her head down, "Just bring him over to try out first, if he's capable, then he can stay."

  The magpie nodded. "I'll listen to you, miss."

  Two men were discussing where to hire four more guards when Li Qizhen's wife arrived, carrying a large bowl of glutinous rice cakes.

  Nian gao is a homophone for "year high". It symbolizes the idea of rising year by year. During Chinese New Year, people in Wutong Town like to send nian gao to every household.

  "Heavens..." As soon as she entered. Her eyes were not enough to use, "Heavens!" Touching the golden silk nanmu screen with cranes and pines prolonging life, "Heavens!"

  Qiu Ju smiled and handed over a cup of tea, "Aunt, have some tea."

  Seeing her still standing there in a daze, Zhen Shiniang pulled her to sit on the kang, "The kang is warm."

  "Heavens, I haven't been here for several days!" She sat straight up on the kang, Li Qiao's wife still hadn't come to her senses.

  "It's New Year's after all..." Zhen Shiniang laughed and chuckled.

  "You've never been so stylish before..." reached out to pull on Zhen Shiniang's brocade jacket, "tsk tsk, even the lining is three-tenths new, top-quality Shu silk... I said you're not an ordinary person, and sure enough, you've risen to a high position." Gazed at Zhen Shiniang with sparkling eyes, "Were all these sent by Gu Maibao?" Clapped her hands, "I said your trip to the capital wasn't in vain, how about that?" Suddenly remembering something, she winked mysteriously, "I heard Gu Maibao say that his master's wife died a year ago and he still hasn't remarried, is that true?" Sighed, "I heard Li Dage say that his master is a high-ranking official, if you really entered such a household, not to mention remarrying, even becoming a concubine would be better than an ordinary person's family." The gaze towards Zhen Shiniang was full of envy.

  The room fell silent all of a sudden.

  The magpie and chrysanthemum faced each other, their faces subtly tinged with a hint of anger.

  This silver is her husband, Shen Zhongge's, from a legitimate source!

  But this can't be told to outsiders, as the people of Wutong Town all know that Zhen Shiniang has had a hard time in recent years. If it's known that she is the legitimate wife of the famous General Shen Zhongge, he will immediately be exposed, especially since Li Qizhi's wife also knows that Zhen Shiniang is actually the notorious Jian Dafu, and this layer of window paper can't be broken.

  "What...what's going on?" Li Qizhen's wife was startled by the sudden silence, and she looked at Zhen Shiniang with a nervous expression.

  "Don't go out and talk nonsense, my husband's family is also a powerful one..." Zhen Shiniang's expression was rarely serious.

  Li Qi's wife's eyes lit up, "Your husband's family..."

  Zhen Shining changed the subject, "Does Li have something to say?" If it's just about sending that little rice cake, she could have sent a servant.

  Li Qizhen's wife was greatly disappointed.

  Ke also knew that Zhen Shining didn't want to say anything, and no matter how hard she tried, she wouldn't be able to get it out of her. She composed herself and said with a smile, "Of course, there's something going on." She looked at Zhen Shining with a chuckle, "This thing is really strange, those pills of yours used to have your name on them but couldn't sell one, but since you didn't let me say they were yours, they're selling like crazy now. Every day someone comes looking for them, and in just a few days they've all been snatched up. Today someone came again asking if there were any left, and promised to buy as many as possible... You see, your brother Li came to find me early this morning..." Looking around at the luxurious decorations, she clicked her tongue, "As the saying goes, when luck comes, even a turd can be picked up and turned into gold. Ah, Yu is really going to make it big this time..."

  PS: I haven't had any projects for the past two days, so I'm going to burst out with updates today and there will be three more posts later. Hua is a diligent little bee, please vote for me with your pink tickets, (*^__^*) hehe...