Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 179 The Son of a Bride
Once Shen Qingzhou said that, Lu Jia understood.

In his previous life, the upright officials forced Yan Song to suspend his duties, but in the end, they still couldn't bring down the Yan family.

If it were her, wouldn't she also try her best to keep it a secret?
never mind!

It's nothing serious.

To be honest, she benefited more from the situation. If he hadn't stayed to help her time and time again, he wouldn't have needed to lie to her.

Forgive him!

Lu Jia's worries disappeared completely.

He went through all the details of how he had slipped up in the past in his mind, and finally couldn't help but glare at the person opposite him and complain: "It's still your fault! If I had known you had such a big background when I was in Shawan, wouldn't I have just wiped out the Zhang family? Why would I have had to go through all that trouble later!"

Honestly, it's a waste of her time trying to curry favor with powerful figures.

Seeing her like this, Shen Qingzhou knew that she had passed this hurdle, so she smiled and said, "It was my fault. To make up for my mistake, Miss Lu, is there anything else you need? Just say it."

Lu Jia said, "What I need to do is deal with the Jiang family, but that's my family matter, so how can I trouble you?"

Shen Qingzhou withdrew his gaze: "I've never seen you so humble before."

Lu Jia chuckled.

Shen Qingzhou stood up: "If you're not going to tell me, then I'm leaving."

"No, please," Lu Jia quickly stood up as well, "I just hadn't thought of that yet. Why use a sledgehammer to crack a nut? I don't need to ask you for help with such trivial matters."

Shen Qingzhou said, "Then think about it first, and I'll come back to ask you again in three days."

"Three days?"

Shen Qingzhou nodded at the door: "I still have some family matters to take care of, about three days should be enough."

Lu Jia thought of Shen Zhui: "You wouldn't have killed your brother, would you?"

She actually didn't think that guy was so awful; he just deserved a beating, and a good thrashing would make him behave.

“I won’t slaughter them,” Shen Qingzhou looked towards the door, “it would get my hands dirty.”

……

Shen Qingzhou's hands weren't exactly clean.

He started killing when he was twelve, and he couldn't even remember how many people's blood he had spilled. Of course, none of them were innocent.

He didn't kill Shen Zhui because the grievances had their perpetrators and the debtors were responsible. His father and Shen Zhui's biological mother were the ones who caused his mother's tragic end, and this debt couldn't be attributed to Shen Zhui.

As long as he doesn't show up and get in the way, Shen Qingzhou won't take him seriously.

But not only did he jump out to provoke her, this time he went even further and actually went after Lu Jia!
You should know that if Lu Jia makes even the slightest mistake today, he won't be able to salvage the situation!

How can we tolerate this?

……

Shen Zhui was rebuffed by Lu Jia. After leaving Yanzi Hutong, he couldn't think of anywhere else to go. In addition, he hadn't eaten all day and was starving, so he reluctantly returned home.

His heart was in turmoil the whole way. One moment he thought of how despicable Shen Qingzhou was for insisting on driving him out of the capital, and the next he thought of how pitiful Shen Qingzhou had been, lost and heartbroken. And this despicable and pitiful state would ultimately become cannon fire aimed at him, blasting him to pieces! Then he felt a sense of desolation, wishing he could immediately turn back and run back to the Northwest. "Second Young Master, the Grand Commandant is still waiting for you at the manor."

The guards who had caught up earlier saw him hesitating in front of the mansion gate and couldn't help but call out to remind him.

He glared at him again and said, "I know!" Then he braced himself and went inside.

As soon as I entered, I saw Shen Bo standing in the yard with his hands behind his back. He hunched his shoulders, called out "Father," and then lowered his head to walk into his room.

Shen Bo asked, "Where did you go?"

"I... I went out for a walk to digest my food!"

Shen Boning stood still: "You haven't had dinner yet, what are you digesting?"

Shen Zhui was speechless.

Shen Bo turned around: "Come in."

Shen Zhui hobbled into the house, where a steaming meal was already laid out on the table, even soup was served. He immediately realized that his father had probably seen him lingering outside the door.

His eyes suddenly stung, and he reached up to touch them, feeling an overwhelming sense of grievance welling up inside him.

Despite his father's doting love for him, his brother couldn't tolerate him at all.

"What are you still standing there for?" Shen Bo sat down. "Eat up."

Shen Zhui sat down and silently picked up the bowl.

He had just taken a couple of bites of rice when he heard a servant outside the door calling out respectfully, "Young Master!" Shen Zhui's hand trembled, and he almost dropped his rice bowl on the ground!
Even if it wasn't smashed, things weren't much better. Amidst the calls of "Young Master," the half-closed door was pushed open, and Shen Qingzhou, holding a riding whip and exuding a chill, walked in!
Shen Zhui shuddered, threw the bowl on the table, and instinctively hid behind Shen Bo!

Shen Bo looked at the two of them and frowned, saying, "What are you two arguing about now?"

"Make him get out here!"

Shen Qingzhou pointed his whip at Shen Zhui, his words as sharp as stones rolling out of an ice cellar: "I'll count to three, and if you're even a step late, I'll cripple one of your legs!"

He was naturally aloof and didn't talk much. Everyone around him had long since learned to read his expressions and act accordingly, so he didn't need to say anything unnecessary.

Upon hearing this harsh remark, Shen Zhui was immediately terrified and couldn't control his voice: "You don't need to scare me! I know you hate me!"
"I'm leaving. I don't want to stay in this damn capital city anymore!"

"Do you think I care about being brothers with you? Do you think I really care about being some kind of Young Master Shen? I'm not serving you anymore!"
"I'm leaving now!"
"I'm leaving now, and I'll never come back!"

Fear and anger twisted his entire being, his tall frame hunched over like a shrimp. The setbacks and frustrations of the day had brought tears and snot to his eyes. He waved his arms and shouted outside, "Quickly prepare my horse! I'm leaving the city! I'm leaving right now!"

Shen Bo slammed his hand on the table and stood up: "What nonsense are you spouting?!"

Shen Zhui wept uncontrollably, wiping his tears haphazardly with both hands: "Father, you shouldn't have brought me back. I know I was born of a concubine and don't deserve to come back as the second young master of the Shen family!"

"But if I had a choice, I would choose to be born with honor. Who would want to be born an illegitimate child?"
"In the year since I returned to the capital, countless people have called me Young Master Shen to my face, but behind my back they have cursed me for coming here without proper cause!"

Even the servants around me look down on me!
"They only have eyes for their eldest son!"
“I know I’m not as smart as him, my martial arts skills are not as good as his, and I’m not as talented as him in my studies. During those years in the Northwest, even you praised him every day for how smart and capable he was. I didn’t believe it at first, but after I came back and saw it with my own eyes, I admit it!”

"I didn't dare to compare myself to him."

"I've seen it all. There are practically no other people like him in the entire capital!"
"He doesn't recognize me, fine, but I was just curious about him, and he wants to kick me out!"
"If you wanted him to drive me away, why did you let me come back in the first place?"
"It would be better if I just died out there!"