Volume One, Chapter Three: Removing the Firewood from Under the Cauldron

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Shen Rong tidied the yellow dress she had slept in, which was all rumpled, then tossed the quilt over the man, covering him completely. At first glance, one might have thought she had just woken up and hadn’t made the bed yet.

She boldly opened the door.

At that moment, a sharp female voice rang out from the courtyard, “Oh! Third Sister, I heard you climbed a thousand steps up the mountain in the snow yesterday. Many people saw it—truly impressive! If Brother Xie knew, I wonder if he’d feel sorry for you?”

As the words fell, several women entered the courtyard one after another, all dressed in fine silks and adorned with delicate makeup and hairpins, their faces soft and beautiful.

Leading them was a woman in a white dress, draped in a fox fur cloak. She was tall and elegant, her features refined and dignified.

Her attire and bearing rivaled those of the most influential noblewomen of Huaiyang City.

It was Shen Yu...

Behind Shen Yu followed a concubine of the main branch’s eldest son and two of her younger brother Shen Xu’s concubines. The one speaking was Shen Le, the second daughter of the Shen family. Her sharp tongue and jealous expression detracted from her beauty.

Seeing these old acquaintances again, a flicker of coldness and hatred crossed Shen Rong’s eyes but vanished quickly.

As soon as they entered, a strong scent of heavy makeup hit Shen Rong’s nose.

She pinched it, thinking thankfully that although she had poor judgment of people and matters in her past life, at least she wasn’t so overwhelmed by artificial scents. Otherwise, just waking up today might have suffocated her.

“Shen Rong! What kind of expression is that?” Shen Le snapped angrily at Shen Rong’s look of disgust.

Back in the past, when Shen Rong had saved Ajiu that snowy morning, these people had come to her vegetarian courtyard with sarcastic tones after hearing about her climb to the foot of Jing’an Temple’s thousand steps.

Shen Rong glanced at them, realizing just how powerful Xie Xun’s charm was. None of these people in the courtyard seemed able to resist the rotten peach blossom that was Xie Xun. She couldn’t understand—she had been the only daughter of the second branch, doted on by their father. These women, all supported by their fathers, how dared they cause trouble?

Perhaps it was because in her past life, she had been too submissive to Shen Yu, spoiling them.

As Shen Rong was lost in thought, Shen Le immediately showed a disdainful look. “Shen Rong, you’re a woman who can’t do anything, yet you dare to dream of marrying Brother Xie? Ridiculous! Don’t you ever look in the mirror and see your worth? You’ve been ignorant of music, chess, calligraphy, painting, and feminine etiquette since childhood! If you hadn’t gotten lucky with a mother from the Xie family, you wouldn’t even be worthy of carrying Brother Xie’s shoes!”

“Exactly! Haven’t you caused enough trouble these years? If it weren’t for our second uncle protecting you, you’d have died several times over by now. You shamelessly cling to Master Xie, but he doesn’t even glance at you, bringing shame to our Shen family.” Shen Xu’s concubine sneered, showing no intention of holding back. “If it weren’t for A Yu maintaining the family’s reputation and Father holding the family’s honor as a scholar, you wouldn’t be so carefree today.”

“Besides, you were raised only by second uncle, who is just a merchant obsessed with money. You probably never learned propriety or shame from your mother...”

Hearing this, Shen Rong’s calm gaze suddenly turned icy. Her eyes settled on the still, ice-chipped waters of Baihua Lake. A cruel smile curved her lips.

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“What are you? You have no right to shout at me. You’re just a parasite living off my father’s wealth,” Shen Rong said coldly.

“What did you say?” The concubine stared at her in disbelief. At that moment, Shen Yu seemed to think the woman spoke too harshly and was about to intervene, but before she could, her younger brother’s concubine was kicked squarely in the chest by Shen Rong and fell straight into the icy waters of Baihua Lake.

With a loud splash, the woman, who could not swim, immediately started sinking, her frightened, disheveled appearance no longer arrogant.

Shen Yu, who had seemed indifferent just moments ago, hurried to the lake’s edge, glaring sharply at Shen Rong. "What are you doing? It’s the dead of winter! Are you trying to kill her?"

The maids trailing the group scrambled into the lake to rescue the woman, fearing they would be punished if they delayed.

“Arong! She only said a few teasing words. Was it necessary to be so cruel?”

Watching the chaotic scene in the lake, where the rescuers only pushed the woman down further instead of pulling her up, Shen Rong laughed.

“Since elder sister and elder brother won’t discipline their concubine, I, as a sister-in-law, will reluctantly teach her a lesson. This is just a warning—next time, if she speaks disrespectfully again, it won’t be as simple as falling into the lake...”

Seeing Shen Rong openly defy her elder sister, Shen Le’s fury ignited. “Shen Rong! You’re utterly ungrateful! Our second uncle treats our main branch well, but if it weren’t for my father and sister holding up the family’s reputation, the Shen family would be just a merchant clan shunned by all of Huaiyang City. You had no place at the Spring Banquet! And yet you shamelessly chase after men at the banquet and have the audacity to lecture others!”

Shen Yu’s father, Shen Qing, and Shen Rong’s father, Shen Zheng, were brothers. One was devoted to poetry and scholarship, the other fond of business, both achieving considerable success.

Now, Shen Qing served as a respected scholar at the Huaiyang City Academy, a respectable position, and the Shen family’s rice, grain, and cloth business spread throughout southern Huainan, making them wealthy and allowing Shen Yu to barely rank among the noblewomen.

In past years, the Spring Banquet was usually organized by the generous Shen Yu, though the steady flow of silver came from Shen Zheng’s treasury. Although Shen Qing’s position was respectable, his monthly salary could not cover Shen Yu’s luxurious attire.

Because of this, the noblewomen only sneered lightly when Shen Rong appeared at the Spring Banquet this year.

“Arong, I’m in charge of the household now. Your reckless behavior calls for a small punishment to set an example,” Shen Yu said coldly, perched above and expecting Shen Rong to bow and admit fault.

In her past life, Shen Rong would have complied. She needed Shen Yu’s help to enter the Spring Banquet where noble youths gathered. Since Xie Xun came to Huaiyang City, the banquet revolved around him, and as his supposed fiancée, Shen Rong had to assert her claim.

“Set an example?” Shen Rong found it amusing as she rubbed her wrist. “Who refuses to obey?”

Her gaze fell on the concubine, whose face had turned purple from the cold in the lake. Boldly, she said, “Then go to the accounting office and give her five hundred taels for medical expenses!”

Five hundred taels?!

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The concubine’s monthly salary was only five taels! That was an extravagant sum—just by opening her mouth, Shen Rong had offered five hundred taels!

Shen Yu frowned, feeling insulted by Shen Rong’s words. Shen Le was displeased even sooner. “The entire Shen family household is now managed diligently by my sister. Everything must be approved by her. You can’t just lavish five hundred taels on a mere servant concubine. Even if you want to buy a servant, you must inform sister first. That’s how noble families operate! You’re uncouth and unruly, throwing money around like that—don’t you have any shame?”

Shen Rong had initially found the responsibility of managing the household troublesome and handed it over to the main branch, but the final bill still went to their father’s study. Their father rarely interfered with such trivial matters, and Shen Yu’s expenses were always generously covered by Shen Zheng.

Now, it seemed the guests had become the hosts.

“This is my father’s money, which means it’s mine. I decide! Whether it’s five hundred taels of silver or five hundred taels of gold, if I say it’s spent, it must be spent! Who has the right to say no? If such a small matter really embarrasses elder sister, then the main branch shouldn’t manage the household anymore!”

Shen Rong’s resolute words stunned everyone present.

“You shameless girl, what nonsense are you spouting…” Shen Le instinctively mocked, but suddenly realized the gravity of the situation, and her voice trailed off.

They all assumed that with the household management rights, Shen Yu was the true mistress of the Shen family household, but they had forgotten that without the second branch’s money, the authority was meaningless. Besides, Shen Rong was the cherished jewel of the second branch.

After the second aunt passed away, the household management rights originally belonged to Shen Rong!

In the charged atmosphere, Shen Rong suddenly smiled and mischievously said to the flustered Shen Le, “From now on, I’ll deduct 70% from your jewelry allowance. Happy?”

Then she turned to Shen Yu. “Elder sister, may I ask if my words stand?”

Shen Yu’s elegant and poised face began to crack, her expression darkening as she scrutinized her once obedient cousin. Her clear gaze and arrogant demeanor now seemed different—yet she couldn’t quite pinpoint how.

Shen Le, who loved to dress up, flushed bright red, glancing between Shen Rong and the uneasy Shen Yu. She opened and closed her mouth several times, then retreated behind Shen Yu, whispering in a tiny voice, “Shameless… I’ll tell my elder brother…”

Even the concubine recently rescued from the lake trembled, nestled in a maid’s arms, too frightened to speak. Yet having received five hundred taels for falling into the lake, she secretly rejoiced at the power of a nouveau riche.

She thought to herself that she would no longer provoke this wild girl. Shen Rong was not like the refined and gentle noblewomen of Huaiyang City. If she went mad, no one could withstand her. Better to avoid her and even curry favor—after all, who can refuse the god of wealth?

Shen Rong’s cold gaze met Shen Yu’s, and for a moment, it was hard to tell if this was her past life or this one…