In the face of Shen's sarcasm, Concubine Su didn't show the slightest sign of impatience. She still maintained the posture of paying respects and said in a gentle tone, "In that case, it's all this humble concubine's fault for disturbing the madam's sweet dream!"
Hearing Concubine Su say this, Shen was slightly stunned. For a moment, she didn't know how to react.
It was well - known that in the first year after Concubine Su entered the Shen Mansion, she was extremely humble and obedient to Shen's every order. But later, after she conceived Shen Zhang, until she was sent to the estate, she had been very aggressive.
She always went against Shen in everything. If it had been before, Concubine Su would have immediately retorted without any mercy when hearing Shen's words just now. But now, she was like a person who was willing to be bullied.
Since Shen found it boring, she couldn't muster up the interest to continue teasing Concubine Su. She waved her hand and said, "All of you, stand up!"
Shen only told Concubine Su and Shen Zhen to stand up but didn't ask them to sit down. Concubine Su didn't take the initiative to sit either. This behavior of hers made Shen feel proud.
Taking advantage of the moment when Concubine Su looked up, Shen boldly sized her up. Seeing that Concubine Su also had wrinkles on her face like herself, and her skin was even coarser, Shen couldn't help feeling proud.
"So, you are being so obedient now. Have you finally realized the truth? Do you know that you're no longer young and have lost your beauty, and can't gain even a bit of the master's favor? So you come here to curry favor with me? Have you forgotten how you opposed me in the mansion in the past few years?"
"Madam is joking! This humble concubine is just a low - ranking concubine. How dare I compare with the madam?"
With just one sentence, Concubine Su deflected Shen's words. Now, Shen was facing Concubine Su, who was as malleable as dough, but she couldn't vent her anger.
She originally wanted to mock Concubine Su and watch her turn angry and change her complexion, so as to let out the grievances she had held for many years. But unexpectedly, Concubine Su now openly showed weakness to her, which made her feel rather bored.
"What? After staying in the estate for a few years, have you lost your old temper? Weren't you, Su Fengchun, bold enough to yell at me before? Now you've learned to be more submissive."
When Concubine Su heard Shen mention the past, she just smiled slightly and said, "Before, I was young and ignorant. After staying in the estate for these years, I've calmed down and no longer dare to act like I used to!"
Seeing Concubine Su's indifferent attitude again, Shen couldn't help turning her head and snorting, "Humph! This madam is tired. You may all leave!"
Concubine Su and Shen Zhen both bowed and took their leave.
After Concubine Su and Shen Zhen's figures had long disappeared out of the door, Nanny Hu carefully said to Shen, "Madam, it seems that Concubine Su has really changed her temper compared to before!"
"Maybe she knows that she can't please the master now, so she wants to ingratiate herself with you, madam?"
Hearing this, Shen shook her head, "Don't forget how much the master doted on her before. In the three years after I first entered the mansion, I couldn't bear a child. When she had just given birth to a son, Shen Junming even wanted to divorce me and promote her to the main wife."
"If my father hadn't been promoted later and my mother hadn't been made the step - wife, which made Shen Junming give up that idea, it might be her sitting in this position now!"
Hearing what Shen said, Nanny Hu just sighed in her heart. In those days, Concubine Su had been extremely powerful in the second branch of the Shen Mansion. If the madam hadn't asked the old madam to come up with a way to make Concubine Su lose the master's trust, it might really be Concubine Su who was the mistress of the second branch today.
Although Nanny Hu thought so in her heart, she still comforted Shen on the surface, "Madam, don't say that! Now, aren't you still the master's legal wife! Concubine Su is still just a concubine!"
Shen wasn't much comforted by her words. She said rather melancholy, "So what if I'm the main wife? I don't even have the power to manage the mansion."
"Even when a concubine in the mansion returns, no one asks for my opinion. I'm always the last one to know. Tell me, what do we women marry for?"
"We marry for power and dignity. But now I have neither. I don't even have a son. I can easily foresee what my end will be when I'm old!"
Because Shen had just met Concubine Su today, she couldn't help recalling the past and thinking about her current situation. Naturally, she felt sad seeing the scene.
Seeing Shen like this, Nanny Hu didn't know how to comfort her. After hesitating for a long time, she finally said, "Our Second Miss is a good girl! She will surely bring glory to you in the future."
Mentioning Shen Miao, Shen put away her sadness and nodded contentedly, "My Miao'er is really a good girl! Alas! Anyway, I must plan a good future for her in this life."
In the afternoon, a guest came to the East Courtyard. It was Shen's younger brother, Shen Feng.
Shen Junming had gone out to visit a friend and wasn't at home. Shen Feng went directly to Shen's courtyard.
As soon as Shen Feng sat down, he didn't say any polite words. He just blurted out, "Sister! Father and mother asked me to come to you for silver!"
Shen glanced at Nanny Hu. Nanny Hu immediately understood and told all the maids in the room to go out.
"What do mother and father need the silver for?" Shen looked at Shen Feng, who was gulping down tea from the teacup, and asked in puzzlement.
She knew that since her father had been promoted in recent years, the family's income had increased several times. So why did he suddenly send her younger brother to ask for silver today?
On the way here, Shen Feng had been thirsty. After drinking a cup of water, he finally had time to talk to Shen again, "What else? The houses in our mansion have been burned to that extent. Naturally, we need to spend money to repair them. We can't just let them sit there looking like a big black lump, can we?"
Shen nodded, "The courtyard does need to be repaired. But since father was promoted, hasn't there been more spare money in the family? Why isn't there enough money to repair the courtyard now?"
Shen's attitude was still kind, but it sounded different to Shen Feng's ears, "Sister! You only know that our father was promoted, but you don't know that with his salary, it's already very difficult to support our whole family. Now half of our mansion has been burned. Without tens of thousands of taels of silver, how can we repair it well?"
"Even if father has some savings, he can't use them all just to repair the courtyard. Now I'm just in a idle position. I still need some silver to make connections in the officialdom. And your two nephews need money for their studies, the imperial examinations, getting married, and becoming officials. Your two nieces are also getting old. We still need to prepare generous dowries for them."
"You can't let our family repair the mansion and then cut off your younger brother's official career and your nephews' and nieces' futures, can you?"