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Su Zhi summoned the spring water, and the first thing that caught her eye was the white lotus flowers. These lotus flowers appeared exceptionally fresh and charming. While not as extravagant as peonies, they exuded an air of nobility and elegance. Su Zhi usually enjoyed admiring them, but today, she couldn’t contain her joy. Approaching, she pressed her face against the lotus and kissed its delicate petals. She thought to herself, “Lotus flowers nurtured by spring water are truly exquisite and fragrant. No wonder the vegetables are thriving.”
After kissing the lotus, Su Zhi squatted down, gazing at the spring water and said, “Spring water, oh spring water, I underestimated you before. You are truly a spiritual spring. I will rely on you for better days ahead. Rest assured, I won’t waste you. I won’t let anyone discover you. We are in this together.”
While Su Zhi was delighted.
Meanwhile, Shen Zi’an was also in good spirits, a smile playing on his lips.
“Oh, Fourth Brother seems to be in a good mood. Did Fourth Sister-in-law prepare something delicious for you? I saw smoke coming from your direction. I wonder what tasty dish she made. Even if you don’t share with us, you should at least send some to our parents,” remarked Sun Shi as she carried the dishes out, noticing Shen Zi’an and raising her voice.
Sun Shi carried the dishes out and upon seeing Shen Zi’an, she sharply and irritably exclaimed. She had developed a deep resentment towards Shen Zi’an. If her husband hadn’t been pretending to be ill, and with the weather getting colder day by day, they would have to fetch firewood and water for Shen Zhu daily. They would even need to provide a bath bucket. If that were the case, all the chores of gathering firewood and water would fall on her. After all, if they had time to fetch firewood and water for Shen Zhu just for bathing, why couldn’t they do the same for household chores like cooking and laundry?
Despite this, their third household also contributed twenty coins. It was demanded by Shen Zhang shi, stating that since they agreed to help Shen Zhu, they should be able to contribute money for a bath bucket. Sun Shi cried and protested, claiming they had no money. Wang Shi insisted on searching their room, which made Shen Zhu’s expression turn grim. Shen Ziju stood by, observing. Sun Shi didn’t want to offend so many people, especially Shen Ziju, who likely had a promising future as the future master of the house. Eventually, they had to haggle and paid the twenty coins. Wang Shi even taunted them for hiding private savings, which Sun Shi claimed was from her family. Yet, who would believe that? Her family was just as thrifty, and she had never brought anything from her parents’ home back to her in-laws.
The more Sun Shi thought about it, the more distressed she felt. Over the years, she had saved quite a bit of private money. But twenty coins were still a significant amount. It pained her to part with her hard-earned money; it felt like her heart was bleeding as she handed it over!
Sun Shi harbored resentment towards Shen Zhang shi, the old man Shen, Shen Zhu, Shen Ziju, and even towards Wang Shi. However, her deepest resentment was directed towards Shen Zi’an and Su Zhi. If it weren’t for Su Zhi unnecessarily bathing, why would this issue have arisen? And if Shen Zi’an hadn’t passed this matter on to her, why would the twenty coins have been spent?!
Sun Shi refused to acknowledge her own faults, choosing to blame others. Whenever she saw Shen Zi’an, she would make cutting remarks, but now she was even more fired up.
While Wang Shi remained silent, she pondered her own thoughts.
Currently, Su Zhi’s medical expenses were not coming from the family funds. However, in the past, a considerable amount had been spent, nearly emptying half of the funds. Moreover, if Shen Zi’an’s funds were insufficient in the future, even if the Shen family claimed they wouldn’t interfere, they would eventually have to contribute to maintain their reputation. The family might turn a blind eye to matters affecting the younger generations who were yet to be married, but they couldn’t ignore Shen Ziju’s future aspirations, as he aimed to excel in the imperial examinations. The current court still placed significant importance on family reputation and values.
Wang Shi didn’t dislike Shen Zi’an; otherwise, she wouldn’t have considered introducing her niece from her maternal family to him initially. She felt a bit displeased when Shen Zi’an rejected her sister, but she understood it was due to the engagement, so she couldn’t do much about it. However, she was extremely dissatisfied with his choice of wife now—a sickly woman. She believed that if they continued living together, it would eventually bring trouble to the Shen family. Their household would inevitably be affected, and she needed to consider this for the sake of their children.
With this in mind, Wang Shi stayed silent when Sun Shi confronted Shen Zi’an. She secretly wished that Sun Shi’s actions would cause trouble for Shen Zi’an and his wife, as it would alleviate her constant worry about them draining family resources. Hearing Sun Shi’s remarks about Shen Zi’an and his wife enjoying good things only reinforced her thoughts.
At that moment, Li Shi arrived with the dishes, expressing concern as she witnessed the situation unfold. She cast a worried glance at Shen Zi’an, aware that his choice of wife had caused resentment among certain family members. The fact that he could keep his earnings and let the young couple enjoy some privacy in their own space only fueled envy and jealousy among some in the Shen family. Li Shi too felt a sense of envy—after all, who wouldn’t want to manage their hard-earned money and provide good things for their loved ones? However, unlike others who directed their frustrations towards Shen Zi’an, she recognized his kind nature and also worried about her young brother-in-law.
“Sister-in-law, what are you talking about? The meal is almost ready at home. Why would Fourth Brother and his wife cook again? I think they’re just heating water. Fourth Brother, Fourth Sister-in-law looks much better,” Li Shi interjected, offering Shen Zi’an a way out.
Upon hearing Li Shi mention Su Zhi, Shen Zi’an’s displeasure softened slightly. He replied, “She’s much better now. The itching has stopped, and the rash hasn’t spread anymore.”
“That’s good to hear. Fourth Brother, take the food back quickly. Don’t let her go hungry. Being hungry can lead to anxiety, which isn’t good for her condition,” Li Shi advised, trying to smooth things over for Shen Zi’an.
Shen Zi’an nodded, picked up the food, and walked past Sun Shi, remarking, “Sister-in-law, if you are truly filial, you should personally show respect to our parents. I remember seeing you at Li’s embroidery house during the last market day, and I heard you made quite a profit that time.”
Sun Shi’s face paled, and she quickly glanced at Wang Shi before sharply retorting, “You’re talking nonsense! You must have mistaken me for someone else. You’re falsely accusing me!”
“No false accusations here. Just inquire there, and you’ll know the truth. By the way, only Madam Li, who takes in embroidery work there, can confirm your items, as your embroideries go through her hands,” Shen Zi’an stated before walking away, ignoring Sun Shi and carrying the food. He hadn’t initially intended to get involved in the matter of women saving private funds, something that had been common in the household. However, since Sun Shi had the leisure to cause trouble for him, he felt compelled to give her something to occupy her time.
“Sun Shi, I knew that you were hiding money. It seems I was right. You’re quite skilled at this. Let our parents see how to handle this!”
Wang Shi and Sun Shi had never gotten along, and now that she had caught Sun Shi red-handed, she wasn’t about to let it slide. With a disdainful snort, she carried the last bowl of food towards the door, intending to expose the situation immediately, ensuring Sun Shi would likely skip this meal.
“Elder sister-in-law, don’t listen to Fourth Brother’s nonsense! He’s talking nonsense. Please don’t tell our parents! Elder sister-in-law, don’t go. I’ll give you half the money!” Sun Shi, feeling cornered, reluctantly offered a bribe.
Wang Shi paused in her steps upon hearing this offer, but unfortunately, her words were overheard by Shen Zhang shi and Shen Zhu.
“So, younger sister-in-law, you’re so wealthy and generous that you’re willing to split it with elder sister-in-law. Last time, you tried to avoid paying, claiming poverty even for twenty coins. It seems our relationship isn’t as close as yours with elder sister-in-law,” Shen Zhu remarked with a hint of dissatisfaction in her sweet voice, causing Sun Shi’s face to flush with embarrassment in turns. This also left Wang Shi feeling uneasy. Though she had feigned disinterest in Sun Shi’s private funds, now that it had been revealed, she found herself in an awkward position. seizing the opportunity, she reiterated what Shen Zi’an had said, hoping Sun Shi’s money going to the family would ease the financial burden on their parents, even if she didn’t personally benefit.
Upon hearing this, Shen Zhang shi glared at Sun Shi, instructing Wang Shi to search Sun Shi’s room. Instead of letting Sun Shi retrieve the money herself, which would likely lead to her hiding it again, he decided to have someone search directly.
Sun Shi’s frantic cries and wails drew the attention of the family members who were about to have their meal. However, as it was Shen Zhang shi’s command and Sun Shi was in the wrong, everyone remained silent. While Shen Ziping and his three sons and daughter tried to intervene, a stern look from Shen Youfu made them all back down.
In the end, Sun Shi’s hidden private funds were discovered, amounting to about three taels of silver. As she watched the glinting silver coins being taken away, Sun Shi collapsed, distressed by the situation.