Come over again in the evening. What are you doing here?
Jiang Shu was stunned for a while, and then his skin turned red when he realized what he was doing.
"Madam, we have to prepare well. We will consummate the marriage with the Marquis tonight. It will be a great event." Tan Yu looked excited, even more excited than Jiang Shu.
Chu Yu pinched the soft flesh around her waist angrily and said, "If you yell louder, the entire Hou Mansion will hear you."
"Ouch, ouch, ouch...I was wrong, I was wrong." Tanyu begged for mercy in pain.
"Pfft--" Jiang Shu was amused by the two of them, and his nervousness eased a little.
Shen Changze returned to Lanyun Courtyard, looking at the open door and his footsteps were inexplicably heavy.
"Daddy." Yan Yang saw him while playing in the courtyard.
"What are you doing?" Shen Changze walked over and found the brother and sister squatting under the tree and picking out ants.
"Dad, look, there are so many ants." Yan Yang excitedly dug at the ant nest with a branch, causing the ants to scurry around like headless flies.
After being stunned for a long time, Shen Changze suddenly realized that it was time to find something serious to do for Yan Yang.
The eldest son of a dignified marquis must not be brought up to be a playboy who idles around and does not do his job properly.
Thinking of this, Shen Changze stepped into the house.
Cheng Jinchu was wiping her red tassel gun, but when she heard the sound, she didn't get up to greet her as usual.
"Why did you suddenly start using your gun?" Shen Changze poured himself a cup of tea.
Cheng Jinchu stared at the bright tip of the gun obsessively, and said with a bit of sadness: "I miss our time at the border."
Shen Changze, who was drinking water, was stunned: "But have you been tired recently? If you are tired, just rest for two days. The general affairs in the mansion are not in a hurry."
Cheng Jinchu said nothing.
Shen Changze said, "I have something to discuss with you."
"Yan Yang is already five years old and it's time for him to enter school for enlightenment. I plan to send him to clan school in a few days."
When it comes to children, Cheng Jinchu is very concerned: "But he has just arrived in Beijing, and he is not familiar with the place..."
"He is the eldest son of the Marquis, and he must not be raised to be mediocre and incompetent. You have seen with your own eyes the poverty and cruelty at the border. I don't want him to take this dangerous road. I want him to become an official." Shen Changze looked solemn. .
To become an official, you have to study hard, and the ten years of hard work are not just talk.
Cheng Jinchu bit his lip: "But it's so easy to be named on the gold medal list. What if Yan Yang is not good at studying?"
She naturally hopes that Yan Yang will have a good future, but she feels a little distressed to go to school at such a young age.
"Whether it is yes or no, you will know after a few years of studying. You must be literate and sensible." Shen Changze was extremely insistent.
The Jiang family has a huge fortune, and Jiang Ning wants to go to college to study, so how can Yan Yang be lazy?
It is not easy to hold up the Hou Mansion, but it is easy to fail. All you need to do is do nothing.
"If you are really good for Yan Yang, you should be patient and urge him, instead of pampering and pampering him. You understand that a loving mother often loses her son."
Cheng Jinchu looked at Yan Yang digging holes in the courtyard with his butt stuck out, recalling her father's tragic death, and finally nodded.
Her husband was right, she could no longer let Yan Yang go their way. Studying hard in the cold window is nothing compared to death on the battlefield.
At night, after taking a bath, Shen Changze was pestered by two children to tell stories.
After talking absentmindedly for half an hour, and finally putting the child to sleep, Shen Changze stood up impatiently.
"It's so late, where are you going, husband?" Cheng Jinchu looked at him doubtfully.
Shen Changze coughed and said, "I will stay at Tingzhulou tonight. You should go to bed early."
Cheng Jinchu watched him leave in confusion, his heart sore.
From the beginning, she knew that Shen Changze did not belong to her alone, but when it came to sharing it with others, she still found it difficult to accept it.
Tonight, I am destined to have no sleep.
Jiang Shu was leaning on the beauty's couch, reading a book, and was so absorbed in reading that she didn't hear anyone enter the room.
"What book are you reading?"
Jiang Shu looked up from the book in astonishment and saw the tall and handsome Shen Changze slowly walking towards her.
""Little Window Secrets"." Her hands holding the scroll were shaking a little, and her heart was beating loudly.
Shen Changze didn't notice anything strange about her. He sat down by the couch and praised, "It's a good book."
When he saw the book, he thought of Yan Yang, so he gossiped: "I plan to send Yan Yang to study in the clan in a few days."
Thinking of Yan Yang's age, Jiang Shu nodded: "It's time to become enlightened."
Even if the children of aristocratic families do not seek fame, they should still cultivate themselves wisely.
The two chatted for a while, Jiang Shu relaxed, and Shen Changze felt his blood surge all over his body as he looked at her beautiful face.
Beautiful scenery on a good day, a moment of spring night.
Just when Shen Changze was about to make a move, Tan Yu suddenly knocked on the door: "Master Marquis, madam, something happened!"
Jiang Shu and Shen Changze were shocked at the same time.
Looking away in embarrassment, Jiang Shu took his coat and put it on before opening the door: "What happened?"
Tan Yu said anxiously: "In the courtyard, Mrs. Liu hanged herself."
What? Someone was killed?
Shen Changze's eyes flashed and he hurried downstairs, followed closely by Jiang Shu.
When I was passing in front of the Lananyun Courtyard, I happened to meet Cheng Jinchu coming out of it.
"Husband." Cheng Jinchu was frightened and his voice was trembling.
"Go and see what's going on." Shen Changze stepped forward and held her hand, and walked away together.
Jiang Shu, who was one step behind, clenched his palms and followed silently.
"As long as she is around, it's as if the Marquis can't see his wife." Tan Yu, who was holding the lantern, muttered dissatisfiedly.
Chu Yu scolded in a low voice: "Okay, what time is it? Don't make Madam upset."
Jiang Shu pursed her lips and said nothing, but her heart twisted.
Not long after they arrived at the lower courtyard, Shen's mother also rushed over.
Mrs. Liu was lying on the ground, making no sound.
"What's going on? How come someone was killed after everything was fine?" Mother Shen was anxious and angry.
A servant with knowledge reported back: "Back to Mrs. Liu, Mrs. Liu said that she had no husband, no children and no place to go, so she... hanged herself."
Hearing the cause of Mrs. Liu's death, Cheng Jinchu swayed unsteadily.
Shen Changze glanced at her and saw that her face was pale, knowing that this matter had something to do with her.
"Alas, Mrs. Liu is lonely and helpless. She doesn't know where she will die after leaving the Hou Mansion. That's good, at least the Hou Mansion will collect her body for her."
"Poor..."
The servants sighed softly, for Mrs. Liu's sake and for themselves.
"What do you mean by having nowhere to go?" Jiang Shu was confused.
The housekeeper glanced at Cheng Jinchu and Shen Changze, and bravely said: "Today, Mrs. Jin summoned all the servants in the mansion. She said that there were too many people in the mansion, so I returned the contract and dismissed some of them, including Mrs. Liu."
Jiang Shu understood instantly.
Mrs. Liu has been a slave in the Hou Mansion for decades and is nearly seventy years old. After an illness a few years ago, her health has deteriorated and she is half blind. She can only do chores like lighting fires and washing dishes.
To her, sending Li Fu away was tantamount to forcing her to die.
"I just saw that she was getting older and wanted to let her go home and raise her. I didn't know that she didn't have a family." Cheng Jinchu explained with a panicked expression.
Shen Changze frowned when he heard this, and for a moment he didn't know what to do.
He knew that Cheng Jinchu was doing it for the Hou Mansion, but now a life was involved. If it is not handled well, the Hou Mansion will definitely have a reputation of treating its servants harshly and taking human life lightly.
