Chapter 395: Chapter 404: One Should Have Some Self-Awareness
Shen Qu’s eyes were filled with a thick layer of frost.
He didn’t utter a word, but his hand clutching the doorknob trembled. It had been a long time since anyone had disregarded him like this.
This street was not noisy, with even passersby few and far between. It could be considered a tranquil place.
"To show such hostility before even entering the door? What kind of principle is this that shows no respect for elders?"
Shen Xue-shi sneered, wishing she could belittle the girl to the dirt: "Even a maid dares to speak like this, it’s clear that her master must have been rotten from the start. It’s my failing as a Mama for not teaching her well, allowing her to be so lawless! Things have come to this point, and she still dares to be so confrontational, as if she aims to punch holes in the sky."
How could she not be angry!
A servant dares to show them disdain!
What does Shen Hua mean by this!
She is now in a state of downfall, secondhand goods discarded by a noble. How can she still be so rampant?
"Enough, Mama, you could say less," said Shen Qu, slowly retracting his hand, his face filled with sorrow. He stood in front of the tightly closed door, dressed in an expensive, fitting robe with a golden crown on his head, exuding nobility.
Seeing curious glances from passerby exploring this way, he craftily spoke in the kindest tone, "It’s no big deal if the girl has a temper, the sun isn’t too fierce right now, waiting for a bit won’t hurt."
Inside the house, the embroidery lady Xiaoqi, who was leisurely taking her meal, was now idly feeding the rabbits locked up in the corner.
The rabbits had red eyes, small and fluffy, with their long ears drooping listlessly.
"This was gifted to Manager Sun’s grandson Jinsun by someone else, and Miss Shen knows that the child is too young to be scratched by the rabbits which would be bad. The rabbits are tiny with little meat on them, so they can’t be cooked for a meal. Manager Sun has always been soft-hearted and couldn’t bring himself to dispose of the rabbits, yet worried about caring for them, he comes over to supervise work daily. He chose to bring them over and put them in a cage in the corner to raise them instead."
Huanhuan, who was standing by, said, "When the embroidery lady has nothing to do, she comes over to feed them. She has raised them to be plump and round."
Shen Hua liked rabbits.
Before she became Xue Tuan, her favorite was rabbits.
So much so, that even though this rabbit was ugly, the girl thought it was unique.
She held out a blade of grass, offering it to the rabbit’s triangular petal-like mouth.
The rabbit sniffed close by, and under Shen Hua’s expectation, buried its head and refused the feeding.
Shen Hua frowned: "What does she usually eat?"
"Just grass."
Xiaoqi quickly stepped forward to report: "Miss Shen, someone is coming over there."
"Why won’t it eat what I’m feeding it?"
"Is my posture incorrect?"
The girl stubbornly stared at the grass in her hand, caught in a dilemma.
"Perhaps... it’s wary of strangers?"
After conveying the message to her, Xiaoqi stepped back beside Yingwu.
Yingwu gave her an expressionless glance, then deliberately moved a big step to the side, keeping distance from her.
Xiaoqi was not offended, leisurely leaning back towards Yingwu. Stared at by Yingwu, she instead smiled.
Yingwu found her even more annoying now.
And Shen Hua, in a moment of thought, returned to the room and brought out several large, bright red cherries.
She held one out, shaking it in the rabbit’s direction.
The rabbit finally hopped over, biting through the cage and causing juice to drip down.
Shen Hua pinched its ear and even revealed a rare fondness and coquettishness, "Good girl, wouldn’t it have been nice to be like this from the start?"
As she spoke, she furrowed her brow.
"But aren’t you a bit vulgar, to be lured over just by a bite to eat?"
Xiaoqi by her side: "Cherries are expensive."
Yingwu sarcastically praised: "Miss Shen is rich."
Xiaoqi clasped her hands in despair: "And yet used to feed rabbits."
Yingwu praised again: "Rich enough to be capricious."
Once the rabbit was let out of the cage, it clung to Shen Hua, soft and affectionate.
The girl looked down at her filthy hands after petting the rabbit’s ears and took a deep breath.
"Take it away, wash it clean, and then bring it back."
Huanhuan hurriedly responded, "Yes."
Yicui came over with a copper basin, and Shen Hua carefully placed her hands inside to wash them meticulously. After drying her hands with a towel and applying ointment, she glanced at the sky before reluctantly allowing the door to be opened.
Outside, Shen Qu’s impatience was turning into inner turmoil.
The townspeople who heard the news and came by were pointing and muttering to each other in hushed voices, but he had to maintain his composure.
Finally, the door creaked open.
Shen Qu paused and quickly looked towards Shen Xue-shi.
Shen Xue-shi stepped forward, affectionately attempting to grasp Shen Hua’s hand.
"Child, why didn’t you return to the estate after coming back? Do you know how much I’ve missed you?"
Shen Hua dodged her touch: "Don’t touch me!"
"You might as well shed a few tears; it would seem more sincere."
Shen Xue-shi’s smile was forced: "Yangyang, we almost thought you weren’t here in the academy. Fortunately, we’ve found you. Your brother said yesterday that you were completely recovered, and I didn’t believe it, but now seeing you, indeed it is so."
This sentence carried quite the scheme.
She implicitly indicated that Shen Hua had kept them waiting at the door on purpose.
Though this was indeed the case.
The girl glanced at the crowd, instantly locking eyes with Li San. She curved her lips, showing no regard for their dignity.
"Did I beg you to wait?"
"Not seeing you is not wanting to see you. One must have some self-awareness to behave properly. Do you really need me to spell it out for you, or aren’t you ashamed?"
Shen Xue-shi stiffened.
An older woman with a basket muttered in a low voice: "Miss Shen is a bit too harsh."
Li San chuckled: "Hilarious, when you’re dead and your husband marries a new wife, and the new wife, along with her own sons, kicks out your daughter from home, would it be your daughter’s fault?"
The older woman: !!! She would have to climb out of hell to tear that adulterous couple apart!
In an instant, the older woman felt that Shen Qu and Shen Xue-shi were worthless.
She spat a mouthful in disdain.
"Having the audacity to come see her after driving her out? Who knows what vile intentions they harbor. Pah!"
A sharp pain flickered in Shen Qu’s eyes as he struggled: "Yangyang, this is after all your mama."
"Mama has not treated you poorly."
Shen Hua looked over and simply asked, "Have you found out who poisoned me?"
This question left Shen Qu speechless.
Shen Hua smiled faintly: "Was it you or her?"
"I’m sure there must be some misunderstanding; your mama and I would never harm you."
The girl pretended to believe him and asked again, "So, was it my second uncle then?"
The crowd, clearly swayed by Li San, was indignant, especially the older woman: "Oh my goodness, a girl, and so many want to harm her?"
Patiently, the girl replied: "Each year, 30% of the embroidery workshop’s profits are transferred to my name. How can they divide that money if they don’t kill me first?"
This was met with Shen Xue-shi’s agitation: "How can you talk nonsense, child? In your generation, your second uncle cares for you the most. By saying such things, aren’t you just hurting him?"
Shen Hua snorted with laughter.
"Care for his own child? Or someone else’s? Shen He Wen is truly so noble and selfless."
The girl blinked.
"Why so angry, stepmother?"
She looked down upon her haughtily.
"Oh, blame me, I almost forgot. Second Uncle would always leave Second Aunt at night to have an affair with you. Since you share the same bed, it’s natural for you to speak up for him."
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