Chapter 21: The man is dead

Shen Mingzhi picked up the fragments on the ground, as well as the trampled fever patches, and put them in the bamboo basket.

“About a week, I live in Shen’s Courtyard in West Street. When you”

Before she could finish speaking, Shen Xiuzhu had already interjected, “Hey, that’s where you live in my house.”

“You’re the landlord?” Shen Mingzhi’s attitude immediately improved.

“That’s right, the location there isn’t good, and I spend a lot of money, so I rented it out. Let’s go, let’s go, I’ll go back with you to take a look and see which room you live in?” Shen Xiuzhu was very enthusiastic.

Shen Mingzhi was a little embarrassed and declined, “You’ve already helped me just now, you don’t need to go with me, right?”

“Don’t be so polite.” As Shen Xiuzhu said, he immediately said to the little brother beside him, “Hurry up and help her carry it back, what are you all standing there for?!”

A little brother immediately stepped forward and took the burden from Shen Mingzhi’s shoulder.

“Then thank you.” Shen Mingzhi said to the little brother.

The little brother’s face flushed, “Sister, you’re welcome.”

“What sister, she’s so young and beautiful, are you blind?!” Shen Xiuzhu came over and hit the little brother on the head.

After speaking, he shouted at Shen Mingzhi, who was looking embarrassed, “Miss Shen, you agree, right?”

“Calling her sister is fine too, there’s no need to be so harsh.” She answered with a forced smile.

When they arrived at Shen’s Courtyard, the little brother at the door saw Shen Xiuzhu, and then looked at Shen Mingzhi. In confusion, he shouted, “Young Master Shen, why are you here?”

“I came to see how my tenant is living. Stop talking nonsense, get out of the way.” Shen Xiuzhu pushed away the young man guarding the door.

The young man silently retreated to the side.

Following Shen Mingzhi to the innermost small attic, as soon as he reached the door, he smelled a faint stench… He frowned involuntarily, looked around, and found the latrine not far away. He immediately beckoned to the little brother following him, “Go, find Wang Wu.”

“The price here is cheap, and I’m quite satisfied. When I have time, I plan to open up a piece of land to grow some vegetables. The close proximity to the latrine is actually quite beneficial to me.” Shen Mingzhi said to Shen Xiuzhu.

Changing rooms would require paying more rent, and Shen Mingzhi didn’t want to change for the time being.

Although she had earned some money, she had to replace the medicine, as well as the outer packaging, which was a considerable expense.

Shen Xiuzhu knew that she was reluctant. She had even haggled with him over the two yuan a month rent.

“You’re quite good at calculating.” He said, walking into the room.

Aunt Wang heard the sound outside and thought that Shen Mingzhi had returned. She came out holding the child, and was stunned when she saw Shen Xiuzhu.

“This, Miss, who is this?” Aunt Wang looked vigilant.

She also knew that Shen Mingzhi was young and beautiful and attracted men, and it was normal for someone to have their eye on her, but she didn’t expect it to be so fast.

“Oh, he said he’s coming to get the medicine in a few days.” Shen Mingzhi said.

Aunt Wang looked at his little brother carrying the bamboo baskets and putting them at the door, thinking that this person was quite nice.

As soon as Shen Xiuzhu entered the room, he immediately felt stuffy and hot, and the room smelled strongly of milk.

The only old electric fan was blowing at the two children sleeping quietly on the bamboo mat.

Looking at the size of the children, they were probably less than a month old.

The creaking sound, combined with the dimly lit room, gave the young master, who had been living a life of luxury since childhood, a very strong shock for the first time.

His sister’s days of taking care of children were so comfortable, her hands never touched the spring water, and her brother-in-law cooked every day when she went back. She was in a bright room, with air conditioning and TV to watch.

The only time she took the child to the health center was because she was too bored at home.

She was so down on her luck just after giving birth, and it was even more unimaginable on weekdays. Wouldn’t she be used like a beast of burden?

“Where’s your man?” He came out of the room and asked with a frown, which stinky man was so useless, letting his wife and children live in a small place, and forcing his wife, who hadn’t even finished her confinement, to carry things out to sell to make money.

Shen Mingzhi walked into the room, took an enamel cup, poured a cup of water, and handed it to the little brother who was helping her carry things. “What are you asking that for?”

“You’re doing this heavy work before you’ve even finished your confinement, your man doesn’t feel sorry for you at all. When my sister was in confinement, let alone carrying things, she didn’t even touch water.” Shen Xiuzhu frowned.

Speaking of no one feeling sorry for her, Shen Mingzhi thought of Jiang Shaochen, who was hiding… He had said it so seriously at the time, and she had really been a little tempted, but only one night later, she was driven out of the Jiang family by Jiang Yinyin.

Putting aside the thoughts in her heart, she smiled indifferently, “The man’s dead, I can only rely on myself. If I don’t carry and haul, how can I raise the children?”

Shen Xiuzhu really thought that her man was dead, and immediately showed a sympathetic expression, “I’m sorry.”

“He’s not really dead.” Shen Mingzhi smiled.

Shen Xiuzhu’s face darkened, and he didn’t say anything more.

The environment here was too cramped, and he couldn’t stay. He walked around and left.

After he left, Aunt Wang said softly, “Zhizhi, I treat you as my goddaughter, and I have to remind you, your matter with Second Young Master Jiang hasn’t been cleared up yet, you can’t get too close to unmarried men, it’s easy to be criticized.”

“I know, it’s just that his sister wanted the medicine. I see that they’re quite rich, just treat them as potential customers. I’m only thinking about making money now, I don’t want anything else.” Shen Mingzhi’s tone was casual.

Aunt Wang nodded, and saw her lift the cloth of the bamboo basket, and the medicine and fever patches were all rotten. She immediately stepped forward and asked, “What’s going on?! Did someone smash your stall?!”

“Jiang Yinyin brought a few young women over and said I was selling fake medicine, and they ruined all the medicine. If it weren’t for that Shen Xiuzhu and his little brother helping me just now, I wouldn’t have just lost all my money on this trip, but I would have been criticized, and my reputation would have been ruined. I wouldn’t be able to do business in the future.” Shen Mingzhi said with a smile.

Aunt Wang felt very uncomfortable after hearing this. “If Shaochen was here, it would be better to have a man than to not have a man.”

Shen Mingzhi didn’t take up this topic.

She didn’t want to say bad things about people in front of Aunt Wang, but if she really had to choose a man, she definitely wouldn’t choose Jiang Shaochen.

This man was full of sweet talk, saying things better than singing, but at the critical moment, he didn’t even see a ghost.

Suppressing her thoughts, Shen Mingzhi poured out the things in the bamboo basket and said to Aunt Wang, “I’m going to get some new medicinal materials. I’ll have to collect medicine for the next few days, so I’ll have to trouble you to watch them for me.”

“Okay, take care of your body.” Aunt Wang said worriedly.

But during the time she went to buy vegetables at noon, she still found a chance to go back to the Jiang family.

As soon as she entered the door, she heard Jiang Yinyin complaining to Jiang Qing, who had come back from work to eat lunch, “That dead widow Shen Mingzhi, she’s selling fake medicine. After I caught her, she colluded with a gigolo to extort money from me, Mom! I think her two children are that gigolo’s. She came to our house to cheat money!”

Jiang Qing also remembered that Shen Mingzhi didn’t recognize many characters, how could she be selling medicine?

“Thanks to Dad for letting Aunt Wang take care of her. She’s fine now, someone is watching her children, and she’s mixing with wild men outside. When it spreads, where will our Jiang family’s face go? This kind of person should be drowned in a pig cage!” Jiang Yinyin’s voice was extremely angry.

Aunt Wang used to only think that she had the temper of a young lady, but it was normal to have a little temper being born in the Jiang family and being spoiled.

Only now did she realize that this young girl’s heart was very vicious.

She walked in, saw Jiang Qing with a gloomy face, and shouted, “Madam.”

“Why are you here?” Jiang Qing saw her and believed eight or nine points of what Jiang Yinyin said.

“I’m here to report on the children’s situation.” Aunt Wang said meekly.

“Who knows whose bastards they are, what’s there to report!” Jiang Yinyin muttered.

“You’re a young girl, don’t you know how to speak elegantly! Be careful your dad hears you and stops all your courses and re-educates you!” Jiang Qing frowned and scolded.

“I’m telling the truth.” Jiang Yinyin was unconvinced.