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Edited by Tnyhy

Chapter 154: Overflowing help (Part 2)

One did not know what kind of luck the Shen family was on these days as there was mayhem all day. Previously it was the matter of Shen Dong Ling and Shen Yue exchanging marriage, then it was the matter of the Wang family not accepting Shen Yue, then later it was Shen Yue rebelling and running away from home. It was even better now, Chen Rou Qiu caught the adultery of Chang Zai Qing and Shen Wan in the act.

Chang Zai Qing, is a guest in the Shen residence and the daughter of an old friend of Old Shen General’s, the relationship with the Shen residence should have been very polite. Apart from Old Shen Furen, everyone would often speak a few words to Chang Zai Qing when they meet her, thus the current matriarch of the family, Chen Rou Qiu, liked her a lot. Who knew that Chang Zai Qing was so courteous that she climbed onto Shen Wan’s bed. Chen Rou Qiu was not stabbed at the back by others, but by the ‘cherished and attentive’ younger sister.

Chen Rou Qiu kick up a fuss on the spot, and disputed hotly all the way to Rong Jing Tang.

Within Rong Jing Tang, Old Shen Furen was sitting at the highest position. Chang Zai Qing and Shen Wan were standing at the side. Shen Wan did not have any expression on, Shen Gui had the appearance of watching a good show, whereas Chang Zai Qing’s eyes were hung down as if she was ashamed. However Chen Rou Qiu forced herself to stop crying, and put up an appearance of unable to let the matter drop.

“Enough already. How does it look like when one cry like this?” Old Shen Furen finally said after been bored with Chen Rou Qiu’s appearance, “What is the matter of one’s husband bringing a young lady in, that you would cry like the Heavens have collapsed.”

“Mother.” Chen Rou Qiu shouted, “If it was Master that bring young ladies in and lift them up as concubines, naturally this daughter-in-law will not say anything and would even take the initiative to do the preparation. But the both of them kept silent about it and did such a thing in front of my face in this courtyard. Everyone in the courtyard kept me in the dark and it is obvious it is deliberately not giving me face. Mother, I am also your daughter-in-law and you are also a female. If one’s husband wants to bring in a concubine, can I stop it? Then why is there a need to use such an insulting method?”

“Third Furen.” Chang Zai Qing could not help but spoke, “Today’s matter is all a misunderstanding. It was me who drank too much and it has nothing to do with Third Master. Zai Qing will not be a concubine so take it as this matter had never happen. Tomorrow I will pack up and leave the Shen residence. One hope that Older Sister would not blame Third Master about it.”

Compared to Chen Rou Qiu’s aggressiveness, Chang Zai Qing had never denied being involved with Shen Wan but placed all the blame onto herself, making oneself look very fair and reasonable. Shen Wan’s expression slightly changed, “Why leave? The things I do, naturally one would give you a resolution.”

Originally Chen Rou Qiu felt that Chang Zai Qing’s words were somewhat piercing to her hears, and now listening to Shen Wan still urging Chang Zai Qing to stay, it was adding fuel to fire and she immediately said, “Resolution? How would you want to resolve? It is to chase me away and give official wife position to her?” After she spoke, she turned her head to Chang Zai Qing and pointed to her while scolding, “You sure are an ingrate. You came to the Shen residence and it was me who supported your food and clothes, but who knew that you would have such a depraved heart to even climb onto your JieFu’s (Older Sister’s husband) bed. Really very shameless! You cannot seduce Shen Xin so you come and seduce the husband of someone beside you? No wonder you are not married at such an old age. Which good son would dare to want such a woman who offend public morals?”

Not only Shen Wan was stunned with her words, even Old Shen Furen was somewhat startled. The self-proclaimed scholarly Chen Rou Qiu was scolding just like a shrew on the streets. This scene was indeed somewhat ugly to see.

Shen Wan was so angry that he could not speak, and Chang Zai Qing bit her lips with a look of enduring silently. It was Shen Gui, who was standing at the side, who could not help but say something, “DiMei (Younger Brother’s wife), you are at fault here. If a husband wants to bring in a concubine, it is you as a Furen who should naturally help to handle it. Initially there was no other people in Third Younger Brother’s courtyard, and this was already somewhat unreasonable. Now after much difficulty there is finally a sister who can help you to share tribulations, why are you still blocking it?” Shen Gui was lecherous and naturally favoured beauties like Chang Zai Qing. It was just that Chang Zai Qing was Shen Wan’s people and he would not touch a brother’s woman. However Shen Gui did not like seeing Chen Rou Qiu’s shrewish manners. When Ren Wan Yun was alive, she did not stop him from bringing in concubines.

However, the current Chen Rou Qiu was already extremely sensitive at the moment, thus not only Shen Gui’s remark did not appease her, instead it seemed that she was being stepped on the foot, and she immediately went on scolding indiscriminately at Shen Gui, “Second Older Brother still have the free time to care about the matters of the Third household. One fear that Second Older Brother’s matter had not taken care of. Currently one’s lineage had been cut off, even if one bring in eight or ten concubines, so what? There is still no one to carry down the line!”

Shen Gui’s pain was that he was unable to have any descendants in this lifetime, and who knew Chen Rou Qiu would jab Shen Gui’s sore point. Shen Gui was so angry that his face become livid, and Old Shen Furen’s expression was not good at all.

“Madam Chen, then what do you want?” Old Shen Furen said angrily.

“I have married into the Shen family for so many years and am not an unreasonable person. Cast Chang Zai Qing out and I will treat it as though nothing had happened.”

“Not possible.” Shen Wan said angrily, “Since I have touched her, naturally one will take responsibility for her.”

“It is alright for anyone but her!” Chen Rou Qiu pointed at Chang Zai Qing and shouted. She could not tolerate the fact that Chang Zai Qin had betrayed her and climbed onto Shen Wan’s bed. This made her feel a sense of humiliation and shame. The most important thing was that Chen Rou Qiu understood Chang Zai Qing very clearly. Chang Zai Qing was not inferior in any aspects than her and had a good temperament. Even Chen Rou Qiu herself felt difficult to feel malice towards Chang Zai Qing. Especially with the matters now, Shen Wan’s words intentional or otherwise were protecting Chang Zai Qing, making Chen Rou Qiu feel a sense of crisis. As a woman, she understood Shen Wan’s mind more than anyone else. One feared that once Chang Zai Qing entered, not only she would share the favours with her, it was possible that only she alone was favoured. She could not bring such a great rival in for herself!

“Why it cannot be her?” The person saying it was none other than Shen Wan. Shen Wan was also furious at the moment, most probably because Chen Rou Qiu had been tender and graceful in front of him for so many years, but now was as irrational and ill-mannered like a shrew, making Shen Wan unbearable to look at her.

Chen Rou Qiu said angrily, “Then you divorce me! If you want to bring her in then annul the marriage with me!”

This made Shen Wan so angry that he was in a complete mess. However Chen Rou Qiu seemed to have confidence and became more aggressive, “After getting the annulment letter, I will naturally leave without a second word. Bring in whoever you want to bring in, it would be of no issues since we would be of no relations then, and each can do what one likes!” Finishing, two stream of tears flowed down on her cheeks, looking very pitiful.

Chen Rou Qiu’s words were ones that were said in anger. She was husband and wife with Shen Wan for so many years, even if there were conflicting views lately, but they had many years of harmonious relations before. Chen Rou Qiu understood Shen Wan. Shen Wan still have some affection for her at the end, and was currently blinded by Chang Zai Qing for the moment, thus it was absolutely not possible for Shen Wan to divorce her because of Chang Zai Qing.

Its a pity that Chen Rou Qiu that calculated thousands of ways, and who calculated that Shen Wan still had affections for her, did not calculate Old Shen Furen’s attitude.

Old Shen Furen coldly laughed once, and looked at Chen Rou Qiu as if she was watching a clown performing, “Annulment? You would wish but one fear that you had miscalculated. It is not possible for Number Three to give you an annulment letter. The very most, one would give you is a divorce letter!”

Chang Zai Qing who wanted to speak at the moment, swallowed the words that were at her mouth.

Chen Rou Qiu was not to be outdone and asked, “On what basis I am a given a divorce letter?”

“On what basis?” Old Shen Furen looked at her, “Ever since Number Three married you, there are no other young lady in the courtyard. Not to mention about a concubine, there are not any TongFangs at all. As the matriarch of the family you failed to organise things for your husband, that is being jealous and lacking of virtue! Number Three’s heart is magnanimous and I do not want to be involved in Number Three’s courtyard matters but for so many years, Chen Rou Qiu, you calculated. You have been close to twenty years in the Shen residence and have not given birth to a son for the Third household. Let me ask you, in the whole of the Ding capital, who is like you, marry into the husband family and unable to give birth to a son, but do not let one’s husband have a son with others? You want our Shen family to end the line is it?”

“You do not have a son and is jealous. There are already two out of the seven grounds of divorces, enough to give you a divorce letter!”

Even though Old Shen Furen came from the marketplace and did not have much knowledge, but when she was arguing with others, she would not be at a disadvantage at all. Especially, she already had anger with Chen Rou Qiu and now that it was Chen Rou Qiu’s fault, as tensions run high, she made Chen Rou Qiu speechless.

That was right. Just the one ground of being without son, the Shen family could push all the faults upon Chen Rou Qiu. Even if this was brought to court, Chen Rou Qiu would be the one that would be pointed at. Helplessness streaked across Chen Rou Qiu’s heart as she always thought that she had firmly grasped Shen Wan’s heart, and also though that Shen Wan and her would be in love for their entire lifetime. But now seeing Shen Wan’s attitude of protecting Chang Zai Qing was like a slap to her, which made Chen Rou Qiu’s belief that she was infallible to shatter!

Shen Wan was no different from other men who were greedy for freshness and love tenderness. There was no different between one’s or other women but as time passes and age caught up, one had to give way to younger females. But if one still had a son by one’s side during those days, one could still sit on the position of a matriarch but she did not have a son at all, thus her position was also in jeopardy.

Old Shen Furen looked at Chang Zai Qing and said slowly, “Number Three, since you have touched others, our Shen family is not people who is unreasonable, naturally one must take responsibility. There is no one else in Young Lady Chang and if Young Lady Chang is willing then after tomorrow, one will give her a Gui Concubine (higher ranked concubine). Lately there are a lot of bad luck and one should flush it out with joyous events.”

For Old Shen Furen to raise her to a Gui Concubine, it was obviously a deliberate move to go against Chen Rou Qiu, and to let Chen Rou Qiu see her face.

Chen Rou Qiu looked at Old Shen Furen. On Old Shen Furen’s ravine filled face, there was a trace of a smile that quickly flashed past. That smile made Chen Rou Qiu suddenly understand something in her heart.

How did one find out the matter of Chang Zai Qing? It was Old Shen Furen that instructed her to go to the Western courtyard to gift some bolts of cloth when she discovered it. She did not go early or later but purposely at time so could it be that Old Shen Furen did it on purpose? These days she was worried about Shen Yue and did not care about anything else, thus she did not discover Chang Zai Qing’s and Shen Wan’s secret, but that did not meant that Old Shen Furen did not discover it. Old Shen Furen wholehearted wanted to bring in a concubine for Shen Wan, and upon discovering the exchanges between Chang Zai Qing and Shen Wan, one feared that she was extremely happy. Or perhaps there were other things that contributed to this, so that such a situation would happen today.

Forcing Chen Rou Qiu to such a situation and let Chang Zai Qing enter the residence.

Within Chen Rou Qiu’s heart, an infinite hatred for Old Shen Furen appeared and she said as she gritted her teeth, “Such humiliation is absolutely unreasonable!”