"Liuli, how can you be so inconsiderate!"
"Yue suffered out there for so many years, and she barely enjoyed a few good days after coming home. She may be married now, but must she still stay in the South Courtyard whenever she returns?"
"I saw how well the marquis treated her today. If we wrong her, which of you can bear his wrath?"
Jiang An fell silent. That man was a Killing God. Who would dare bear his wrath? Who could?
"Liuli, I originally prepared your courtyard for Yue. You're nearly old enough to marry, too, so vacate it for now and move to the South Pear Garden. You can look after your cousin there as well."
Jiang Liuli choked for a long moment, unable to force out a single word.
The South Courtyard was where guests stayed. The South Pear Garden was closest to it, but it was the most remote of the main courtyards. Its size and furnishings were even slightly inferior to those of the South Courtyard.
This was practically banishment!
Seeing this, the old madam roared, "Absurd! As if I don't know what that wretched girl is worth! If she can win the Marquis of Zhennan's favor, I'll carry a wooden stake and run three laps around the residence!"
Zhou Yunshen smiled and walked in, holding Jiang Shuyue's hand.
"Since the old madam is so eager, I won't stand in her way. Qi Ye, find her a lighter wooden stake. We wouldn't want her throwing out her back halfway through."
The old madam had never met Zhou Yunshen. She was about to curse him when a glare from Jiang An stopped her.
Jiang An approached with a beaming smile. "Marquis, why did you come to the inner courtyard without having anyone announce you? We could have welcomed you."
"On my first visit, the Jiang Family made me enter through a side gate. Knowing I dislike vegetarian food, you then prepared a whole table of grass for me. How would I dare have anyone announce me?"
Jiang Shuyue: [I wondered why the big villain looked so displeased. So he was angry!]
Zhou Yunshen: I'm venting your anger for you, silly!
Zhou Yunshen said, "Jiang An, let me ask you this. Is there a problem with the Marquis’s Residence’s madam staying in Eastern Fence Courtyard?"
"No problem. None whatsoever."
Cold sweat poured off Jiang An.
Behind closed doors, he could do whatever he pleased, but before Zhou Yunshen, he barely dared to breathe.
Still, this was a small matter. He could agree for now and reconsider once they left.
In any case, he would not let Liuli suffer the slightest grievance.
Zhou Yunshen said, "My wife and I will stay at her family home tonight. Can the rooms be made available?"
"Ah... you wish to stay here, Marquis? Well, this humble official hasn't prepared anything. I'm afraid..."
"No matter. It's only one night. Mainly, I want to supervise the old madam as she finishes her three laps."
Qi Ye returned carrying a thick wooden stake and reported, "Marquis, I found a stake. I did my best to find the smallest one."
"Good. Old madam, after you."
The old madam cursed silently, rooted to her seat and refusing to rise even if it killed her.
Zhou Yunshen said, "Guards, give the old madam a hand."
"Eh? What are you doing? Let go! Son, save me!"
Several guards strapped the wooden stake to the old madam, took her by the arms, and dragged her out of the courtyard.
Jiang An instinctively tried to intervene, only to be driven back by Zhou Yunshen's icy glare.
"One must keep one's word. As an elder, the old madam ought to lead by example. Wouldn't you agree, Minister Jiang?"
Yes... perhaps...
For a long while, Jiang An did not dare let out so much as a fart. He could only nod awkwardly.
Jiang Shuyue said, "I won't take my younger sister's courtyard for nothing. I brought her plenty of gifts on this homecoming visit. I'll have them delivered to the South Courtyard shortly."
"Then thank you, Sister."
Jiang Liuli was so furious her teeth ached, but with Zhou Yunshen present, she could only swallow her anger for now.
Jiang Mother cast a seemingly casual glance at Qin Wanru, then assigned four capable servants to keep her under close watch.
Hadn't her daughter said this woman would poison her? Then she would keep her right under her nose and slowly wear her down. Let her try to stir up a storm.
Under Qi Ye's whip and with several imperial physicians assisting, the old madam finally finished her three laps toward evening.
Jiang Shuyue had just finished watching the veteran long-distance runner when the system brought her some gossip:
[Jiang Liuli went back and saw a courtyard full of salted fish and cured meat. The smell knocked her out on the spot.]
Jiang Shuyue: [Serves her right!]
[Qin Wanru is quarreling with your father right now. Want to listen? There's juicy gossip!]
Jiang Shuyue: [Yes, yes, yes! Give me directions, quick! I'm sneaking over!]
Following the system's directions, Jiang Shuyue crept toward a rockery. Just as she was about to hide, a chubby boy came rushing over with his attendants and blocked her path.
"Jiang Shuyue! To think I treated you as my sister before! You actually joined forces with an outsider to bully Liuli! Give her courtyard back at once, and come apologize to her with me!"
Jiang Shuyue clapped a hand over his mouth and pinned him against her.
Jiang Shuyue: [This little idiot! Why is he being so loud? He nearly scared away my juicy gossip!]
Juicy gossip? What juicy gossip?
Jiang Chen blinked. Before he could figure out what was happening, he heard Jiang Shuyue's inner voice again.
Jiang Shuyue: [My second brother, Jiang Chen, huh? He treats me fairly well by Jiang Family standards. Unfortunately, he's an idiot too.]
[Does he think Father gives him money and lets him go out having fun because he cares about him? He's praising him straight into ruin!]
[One promising child in the family is enough to give him a headache. If another appears, his plan to steal the Jiang Family's legacy will fall apart!]
[Poor Second Brother. He was clearly a handsome boy who could charm crowds of girls, yet Jiang Liuli and her father fed him into a big fat lump.]
[If you can't find a good wife in the future, you'll have to depend on them and let them twist you around their fingers!]
Jiang Chen listened in utter bewilderment.
Father treated him so well. How could he be praising him into ruin?
And Jiang Liuli brought him late-night snacks and took him sneaking out to play. Was that supposed to be harming him?
No, he didn't believe it!
Jiang Shuyue did not notice the expressions on Jiang Chen's face or those of his two servants. All she could think about now was why her second brother's head was full of water!
Jiang Shuyue: [System, why is my second brother so naïve? What did he grow up eating? He hasn't inherited any of the Jiang Family's shrewdness!]
[He probably takes after your Second Maternal Uncle. Neither of them likes studying. Your uncle taught him to feign illness, so he copied the little maids in the residence and went to your mother, saying he was bleeding down below and had a stomachache. He insisted it must be that period that came once a month. Then your mother strung him up and gave him a beating.]
Jiang Shuyue bit her lip to hold back her laughter. [Hahaha! What kind of brain does he have? Little girls don't even have periods. How did he dare fake that?]
Ahem!
The two servants dared not give anything away. One pinched his thigh furiously, while the other curled his toes against the soles of his shoes to hold it in.
Jiang Chen's round face flushed crimson, and hot sweat poured off him.
Wait, she had only just been born back then. How could she know about this? Had the system told her?
Hidden in a tree and peeking down at them, Zhou Yunshen could not help covering his mouth either, afraid he would laugh aloud.
Jiang Shuyue found her second brother far too comical and wanted to hear more.
[System, has Second Brother done anything else funny?]
Zhou Yunshen and the two servants instantly sharpened their ears, listening with every ounce of their attention.
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