The one who had just spoken was a woman, her voice calm yet cold.
Although Shen Li didn't recognize the voice, she guessed that its owner might be Shen Simin, whom she had seen a few times but never spoken to.
Then the "brother" she mentioned, the man sitting in the wheelchair, should be from the eldest wife's line of Shen Zhuo's first marriage. Presumably, it was Shen Yuhang, the only son of Shen Yuan, Shen Zhuo's eldest son.
Shen Li knew something about the Shen Mansion, but only based on the information she had obtained before.
The eldest wife's line of Shen Zhuo's first marriage was indeed rather miserable.
Back then, when Shen Zhuo was just a minor official sent to a remote place, his first wife was a noble lady from the capital. She married Shen Zhuo, and he relied on his wife's family's influence to be promoted several ranks.
Later, Shen Zhuo took Concubine Zhu as his concubine. Zhu was vicious and cunning. She made things difficult for the first wife every day. After the first wife passed away, Zhu's whispers in Shen Zhuo's ear made him dislike Shen Yuan, the son of the first wife.
Later, when Shen Yuan was about to be sent to a remote place to be an official, Zhu used the excuse that the place was far and desolate and that she was afraid Shen Yuan's two children would suffer there. She insisted on keeping the two children of the eldest wife's line, Shen Yuhang and Shen Simin.
Shen Zhuo indeed asked his eldest son to do so. But now, more than a decade had passed. Somehow, although Shen Yuan had performed well in the annual performance appraisals during his long - term tenure outside, he had never been promoted and had never returned to the capital.
Shen Li didn't need to think to know that Old Lady Zhu must have played a role in this.
Old Lady Zhu was a ruthless woman. She couldn't tolerate the son of Shen Zhuo's first wife, nor could she tolerate Shen Yuhang, the legitimate grandson.
A little over a year ago, Shen Yuhang had an accident while horse - riding in the racecourse. He fell off the horse and hit a rock. Although he survived, his legs were paralyzed.
When this incident happened, there were a lot of discussions in the capital. Some people suspected that Old Lady Zhu, the step - mother, had something to do with it. Even Shen Zhuo began to have doubts after hearing so much.
Old Lady Zhu cried and swore in front of Shen Zhuo. Since there was no evidence, Shen Zhuo dispelled his doubts.
Now, when Shen Li looked at the young man sitting in the wheelchair in the distance, she felt a sense of empathy.
His life had been ruined by Old Lady Zhu, and her previous life had also been indirectly ruined by the mother - daughter pair of Shen and Shen Miao.
Sure enough, like mother, like daughter. With such a vicious heart as Old Lady Zhu, Shen couldn't be any better!
Watching the three people gradually walking away, Shen Li didn't stay any longer. She took Jiaoyue and went back.
In the evening, without waiting for Old Lady Zhu to send someone to invite her, Shen Li took Jiaoyue there first.
This time, Old Lady Zhu and the whole Shen family didn't make any sarcastic remarks.
As for their motives, Shen Li didn't care.
For the future of Shen and Shen Miao, Old Lady Zhu wouldn't tolerate her stepping on them anymore. And tomorrow, Shen would take her and Shen Miao away.
In any case, tonight was the last and best opportunity for Old Lady Zhu to act.
Shen Li had a relatively good appetite tonight. Since she came to the Shen Mansion two days ago, she had disliked the food cooked by the kitchen here. It was rare that two dishes tonight suited her taste, so she ate a little more.
"Sister, you seem to have a better appetite tonight. Have more! The cooks in my grandmother's mansion are quite good at their craft!" Shen Miao picked up a few chopsticks of food for Shen Li and persuaded her with a caring look on her face.
Shen Li didn't decline. She put all the food Shen Miao had picked up into her mouth and ate it.
After everyone finished eating, they gathered around Old Lady Zhu to talk. The whole room was in a harmonious atmosphere. Shen Li twice proposed that she was tired and wanted to go back to rest, but was dissuaded and retained by Old Lady Zhu and Liang.
It wasn't until people began to leave one after another that Shen Li was able to get away. Somehow, as she walked, she felt her vision blurring. She could hardly see clearly, and even her legs seemed to be out of control. She had to let Jiaoyue support her to go back.
"What's wrong with you, Miss? You didn't drink any wine tonight. Why do you seem drunk?" Jiaoyue let half of Shen Li's body lean on her and supported her with all her strength as they walked towards the small courtyard where they lived.
"Maybe I'm not used to the new bed these two days and didn't sleep well at night. Now the drowsiness suddenly came over me, so I just feel tired!" Shen Li whispered to Jiaoyue to explain her abnormality tonight.
This was said to Jiaoyue and also to those with ill intentions.
Sure enough, after Shen Li and Jiaoyue walked far away, two little maids came out from behind the rockery beside the corridor they had just passed.
"I'll go back and report the news to the old lady. You follow them carefully and see what happens!"
"Okay!"
After dividing their tasks, they turned and walked in two different directions.
"Hanyue, go fetch water quickly. Miss is sleepy tonight. Serve her to rest earlier!" As soon as Jiaoyue entered the yard, she raised her voice and shouted at Hanyue standing in the yard.
Hanyue went to fetch water as told.
Jiaoyue supported Shen Li into the room. For a moment when she turned around, she glanced at the furtive head hiding at the courtyard gate without leaving a trace.
"Miss! The water is here!"
Seeing Hanyue bring the water, Jiaoyue tested the water temperature. Then she wet a handkerchief, wiped Shen Li's face and hands clean, helped her take off her outer clothes, wash her feet, tuck in the quilt for her, and watched her fall asleep.
Although the days were long now, Shen Li had been forced to stay in Zhu's room for most of an hour. Now it was completely dark.
Jiaoyue blew out the lamp in Shen Li's room, pulled Hanyue aside, and lowered her voice, saying, "Hanyue, you must serve Miss carefully tonight! Don't make any mistakes!"
Hanyue nodded seriously at her. Only then did Jiaoyue open the door and go out to rest in the side room next door.
After the lamp in Shen Li's room went out, the light in Jiaoyue's side room was on for a while and then went out completely.
After making sure that there was no light in the whole yard, a figure quietly left.
In Old Lady Zhu's yard.
At this moment, she was reclining on the bed. Two maids were squatting outside the bed massaging her legs. As she was getting old, she often suffered from back and leg pains.
"Reporting to the old lady, the lamp over there has been blown out!" A little maid lifted the curtain and came in to report.
"Okay! Did you look carefully? Don't make any mistakes!" Old Lady Zhu said with half - closed eyes.
"This servant saw clearly. On the way back, that young lady from the other family was so sleepy that she could hardly keep her eyes open. After returning to the yard, she directly ordered someone to fetch water for washing and then went to rest!"
Now Shen and Shen Miao were also in Old Lady Zhu's room. The mother - daughter pair were sitting on the chairs not far from the bed.
"Mother, there won't be any mistakes, will there?" Shen tightened her hands anxiously.
Even Shen Miao beside her was a little worried. Was Shen Li really so easy to be tricked?
"Grandmother, you don't know. There's a maid beside Shen Li who is very good at martial arts! I'm just afraid that she might... ruin our good thing."