Page 24

Whatever else could be said, the child had been raised to be quite well-behaved.

"I know you're a good boy, Hongwen. Are you too warm? Do you still want to sleep?"

"Then can Mother sleep with me?" Xie Hongwen burrowed into Shen Lantang's arms with a little whine, his eyes sparkling.

"Everyone else has a mother. Their mothers sleep with them. Now Hongwen has a mother of his own, too."

Shen Lantang sighed inwardly. Perhaps a child didn't understand what "birth mother," "stepmother," or "death" meant. He simply wanted a "mother." That was precisely why the Xie Family had chosen her: she was the best fit.

"Be good and don't lie on top of me, and I'll sleep with you tonight."

"Only tonight? What about tomorrow night?"

"We'll see how you behave."

Two days later, Shen Lantang came to pay her respects. Xie Madam asked how Xie Hongwen was doing, and Shen Lantang replied:

"He had a little trouble adjusting at first, but he's gradually getting used to the new nanny."

"That's good. She's served at the Xie Residence for years. She even watched Xie Jin grow up."

"Anyone Mother chose would naturally be the right person."

"..."

With the important matter settled, silence fell between them. Xie Madam cleared her throat twice and said:

"Cai Yue."

Nanny Cai Yue stepped forward carrying a wooden tray.

Xie Madam rose, her tone gentle. "You've been wronged in this matter. I won't say anything more. These two shops should have been given to you in the first place. We've treated you poorly by waiting until today."

Shen Lantang hurriedly said, "Mother, you're too kind!"

There was no question of what she should or shouldn't have been given. The shops were compensation, plain and simple. Shen Lantang understood perfectly well; she didn't imagine there was any other reason for her husband's family to treat her so generously.

Nor was Shen Lantang one to refuse a gift for show. She bowed, then accepted the deeds to the two shops without fuss.

After accepting the gift, Shen Lantang: "..."

Xie Madam: "..."

"Ahem. If there's nothing else, you may head back, Lantang."

"Then I'll take my leave, Mother."

Only after Shen Lantang had disappeared from the courtyard did someone slowly emerge from the inner room.

"Lantang truly didn't give away a single thought today."

Madam Zhou turned to Xie Madam with a smile. "That shows Lantang isn't greedy, Sister-in-law. It's a good thing."

"Go on, make fun of me."

The two sisters-in-law had always got along well. They were also, at present, the only two people in the family who had heard Shen Lantang's inner voice. Nian Chun didn't count: she was a maid, not their equal in status.

Faced with something so extraordinary, the two had inevitably discussed it in private, developing a sense of alliance. After the incident with the nanny, Xie Madam had told Madam Zhou the whole story, leaving nothing out.

Madam Zhou said, "Lantang's thoughts are hard to fathom, but she's a proper young woman. Both times, she was cautious because the matters were serious and concerned the Xie Family's future. You needn't worry that she'll reveal something extraordinary in public and frighten people."

"Besides, what outsider would really take our family's affairs to heart?"

Even so—

"But we don't yet know whether it only happens when the matter concerns the Xie Family."

The two occasions on which they had heard—or discovered—Shen Lantang's inner voice had both involved members of the Xie Family. Naturally, they wondered whether her thoughts could be heard only when something concerned the family.

The whole affair was uncanny, and the Xie Family had political enemies. If someone found an excuse to claim a Xie daughter-in-law was some kind of monster, the consequences could be disastrous. Whether for peace of mind or to guard against future trouble, Xie Madam intended to test her.

While the first and second branches of the Xie Family carefully laid their plans, Shen Lantang returned to her courtyard with the deeds. She opened them and took a look:

Baozhu said, "These are excellent shops, Miss! We've got ourselves a bargain!"

Lan Xin stepped forward with a cool expression and placed the deeds in the box reserved for valuables.

"What bargain? It's not as though Miss needs the money."

The Jade and Gold House might not bring in a fortune every day, but it brought in plenty. Shen Lantang had no shortage of money. She simply didn't want anyone to know she owned the Jade and Gold House, so she never flaunted her wealth.

Shen Lantang ignored the maids' bickering and said, "It's Mother's way of showing she cares. It tells me she's fair in how she handles things, and that's good for me."

Now that she was someone's daughter-in-law, how could she not appreciate a mother-in-law who was upright and fair? It would spare her a great deal of grief.

"Come on. Since we've acquired two new shops, let's go see our new assets!"

"Yes, Miss!"

Shen Lantang spent half the day out enjoying herself. That afternoon, she was summoned to the main courtyard.

"Mother asked for me?"

Xie Madam reclined on a couch, looking listless.

"Lantang, I think the heat has got to me. I feel terribly weak. A shop happened to send over its account book. Would you take a look at it for me?"

As mistress of the household, Xie Madam oversaw the family's finances, so all the account books passed through her hands. Until now, though, she had never entrusted the task to anyone else. Shen Lantang thought little of it. She assumed it had to do with the nanny's affair, and that Xie Madam wanted to show her trust and regard.

Even before her marriage, Shen Lantang had been known for managing shops well. She didn't shy away from the task, but sat down and began to read.

As she read on, however, her brows drew together.

Reclining nearby, Xie Madam secretly watched Shen Lantang's expression. She had chosen this account book deliberately. It was full of bad debts and falsified entries, and the shopkeeper wasn't particularly skilled at cooking the books. She was certain Shen Lantang would notice.

Sure enough, a little while later—

"Mother, something's wrong with this account book."

Xie Madam feigned confusion. "What's wrong with it?"

Quick, let me hear you "say" it!

Shen Lantang said, "This entry, that one, and that one over there."

Every word came straight from her mouth.

Rankings

|

Time-Travel and Rebirth Romance

One True Love

Jiang Ciyu

Mind Reading

Laid-Back Life