When Lu Mingke came to Beijing to welcome his bride, the betrothal gift he gave was so generous that it was almost ready for the prince to marry him.
With the Lu family's generosity, this homecoming ceremony is definitely not light.
Thinking of this, Mrs. Shen and Mother Shen were relieved.
Jiang Shu carefully observed their expressions, and the sarcasm in his heart became more and more serious.
Why hadn't she noticed before that they were so greedy and selfish?
After tearing off Yuxiao's veil, Jiang Shu could really see Mrs. Shen and Mother Shen clearly.
Jiang Shu felt strong disgust in his heart at the thought of spending the rest of his life with them.
She was extremely regretful. In the past, she only saw the honor and dignity on the surface of the Hou Mansion, but did not see the stench of corruption hidden underneath.
After coming back from Shouyong Hall, Jiang Shu didn't look very good and he didn't take a few bites of lunch.
Chu Yu asked worriedly: "Madam, what's going on? Please ask Dr. Fang to come and take a look."
Jiang Shu shook his head and said with a sad expression: "I'm fine, I'm just a little worried."
Diseases can be cured, but heart ailments cannot.
Shen Changze was extremely concerned about the affairs of the farm. He took leave of absence three days later and went to Zhuangzi with Jiang Shu and a few selected people.
According to the distance, they first went to the nearest Sangyan Village.
Depart in the morning and arrive in the afternoon.
"I've met the Marquis, madam." Yang Laofu, the manager of the village, was extremely surprised and unprepared for their arrival.
But Shen Changze came prepared.
As soon as he entered the village, Shen Changze asked about the situation on the village, and ordered Huo Chong to take people to inspect the fields and ask for the account books.
Yang Laofu said with a guilty conscience: "The Marquis and his wife must be tired from all the hard work. Why don't we rest for the night and see you tomorrow."
Shen Changze ignored it and read through each book with Jiang Shu.
As Jiang Shu expected, the account books and field records were all vague and confusing.
If we want to pursue it, it will probably take three to five days, and it will be difficult to repair the holes.
Shen Changze didn't have the time, and he didn't bother to delve into such fruitless matters.
He stepped down from the high position and crossed the screen, slamming the account book in his hand to the ground.
"Ignore everything in the past, replace the village manager and redistribute the fields. From tomorrow onwards, we will create a new register and record. All tenants on the village will be under unified control, and the crops they produce will be disposed of by the Marquis. If there are any more favoritism and chaos, they will be dealt with in accordance with the law! "
Shen Changze is a general who has returned from the bloody battlefield. He kills decisively and coldly. When he is angry, his face is terrifying and intimidating.
Yang Laofu, the leader of the village who made the mistake, knelt on the ground and said tremblingly: "Thank you, Lord Marquis, for showing mercy. From now on, I will definitely do my duty honestly and do my best for the Marquis Mansion."
Shen Changze glanced at Jiang Shu behind the screen and said as agreed by the two: "Yang Laofu was demoted to the deputy head of the village, and his son Yang Youcai was transferred to the Hou Mansion as an errand."
The manager of Xinzhuang knew nothing about the situation in the village, so he would definitely need the help of someone who was familiar with the village's affairs in order to take over quickly, and Yang Laofu was undoubtedly the best candidate.
But Yang Laofu has a criminal record. In order to prevent him from fooling and bullying the head of the new bank, he incited the bankers to cause chaos. Therefore, his son was transferred to the Hou Mansion to be used as a hostage.
If he dares to have bad intentions or be disloyal in the slightest, his son's future and life will be ruined.
Parents in this world work hard and plan for the sake of their children and grandchildren. Jiang Shu's plan was not endless, it directly took Yang Laofu's lifeline.
"This..." Yang Laofu was shocked.
Shen Changze's face darkened and his eyes were fierce: "Why, are you dissatisfied?"
"I don't dare. I will obey my orders. Thank you, Lord Marquis."
No matter how powerful Yang Laofu is, he is just a paper tiger pretending to be powerful. But Shen Changze is a ferocious beast who really dares to kill people with a knife. Just one look can make people shudder.
After handling the affairs of Sangyan Village, it was already dark.
After a simple dinner, Jiang Shu took a shower and looked at a big bed in the house and fell into deep thought.
They came in a hurry, Yang Laofu had no preparation, everything was in a hurry. There is only one big bed in the house, no soft couch.
This means that Jiang Shu can only sleep with Shen Changze tonight.
Although there are other guest rooms in the villa, Shen Changze's face cannot be touched outside.
Jiang Shu stood in front of the bed, not knowing what to do.
When she married into the Hou family with a girl's heart, she looked forward to becoming a loving couple with Shen Changze.
When Shen Changze returned after waiting for six years, she also thought about treating him with respect.
But she doesn't know since when, she no longer has any expectations for Shen Changze and refuses to be close to him.
On weekdays in the house, she could still find ways to avoid him.
But these days there are only two of them patrolling the village, so there is no way to avoid them.
"What's wrong? This bed is not what you want?" Shen Changze appeared behind her with the moisture from the shower.
Jiang Shu was startled, but also became wise because of his words.
"Well, I'm a bit worried about the bed. I'm afraid I won't be able to sleep well these days, which may disturb the Marquis' rest."
Having developed a habit of vigilance at the border, Shen Changze was easily awakened by the slightest movement at night.
But if they live in separate houses, they will attract criticism.
"I'll lay the floor so that Lord Marquis can rest. He's still busy these days and needs to be energetic." Jiang Shu took the initiative to give in.
Shen Changze watched her spread the quilt on the floor, took a pillow and prepared to lie down with her clothes on.
He grabbed her arm.
Jiang Shu's heart tightened and she looked back at him cautiously.
"The ground is wet and hard. You sleep on the bed and I sleep on the floor." Shen Changze let go of her hand.
Jiang Shu secretly breathed a sigh of relief and lay down on the bed obediently.
Jiang Shu didn't recognize the bed, but it was the first time she slept in the same room with a man. She was not used to it, and she tossed and turned and couldn't fall asleep.
Shen Changze turned sideways and listened to the movements on the bed, believing the fact that Jiang Shu recognized the bed.
"Can't sleep?" he asked softly in the darkness.
Jiang Shu was startled when he heard him speak unexpectedly, and said apologetically: "I'll try not to move as much as possible."
When Shen Changze heard that she had misunderstood, he thought to himself, "How about I tell you a story?"
"Pfft." Jiang Shu couldn't help but laugh, "Master Marquis, are you treating me like a child?"
She was not interested in stories about coaxing children, but she could listen to what she had seen and heard about the border.
"Master Marquis, please tell me about border customs."
Shen Changze thought for a while, his thoughts fell into memories, and he spoke slowly.
Jiang Shu listened carefully and gradually became fascinated.
She had never left Shangjing and could not imagine what Shen Changze said about the desolate northern part of the country.
She grew up wealthy and had no worries about food and clothing, and it was difficult to understand how painful the hardships that made Shen Changze sigh were.
She had never seen death and killing, and she didn't understand how cruel the battlefield was that woke up Shen Changze from his nightmare.
But she understood from Shen Changze's tone that he never wanted to return to Saibei.
"Of course, there are beautiful times in Saibei. In late spring and early summer, everything revives. The green grass is full of wild flowers of all colors, and the shepherds wave their whips and hum unknown tunes..."
Jiang Shu closed his eyes, followed Shen Changze's voice and imagined dreaming, and his breathing gradually became steady.
People who practice martial arts have very good ears. After hearing that the person on the bed was fast asleep, Shen Changze stopped talking and raised a doting smile on his lips.
Recently, he has been staying in Silan Garden every night, and the bed-related matters have been a bit excessive. In addition, he had important things to do when he went out this time, so he didn't have any charming thoughts.
Sleeping in separate beds like this, talking calmly to sleep, is also very tender.
Shen Changze felt that Jiang Shu might not be a desirable wife, but she must be a satisfactory and virtuous wife.
