Chapter 253: Paying Back The Debt

Wang Shi’s eyes got teary and she pointed a trembling finger at Shi Fengju, “You… you are blaming me just for your wife! Fengju, are you still my son? For the sake of a woman, are you not going to care about anyone else?”

“Mother!” Shi Fengju was put in a difficult situation when he saw his mother behave like that. “What are you talking about? What good would it be to our family to quarrel to such an extent?”

“Like I don’t know?” said Wang Shi furiously. “I was just angry and needed to vent my anger! Otherwise, wouldn’t I be letting someone off easily for harboring ill-intentions towards us? Although this isn’t directly her fault, if she had told me about her uncle’s nature long ago, Fang’er wouldn’t have helped him when he came! Fang’er was just being nice. Now, she has to worry about whether it will cause a misunderstanding! What about you? Without knowing what is right or wrong, you shielded your wife. Doesn’t she have any fault in this!”

When Gu Fangzi saw that Wang Shi was choking with emotions and even mentioned her, she came out from the warm room and pulled on Wang Shi’s arm. “Aunt Wang, Aunt Wang! You shouldn’t say anymore and calm down! This…”

“Don’t meddle!” Before Gu Fangzi could finish her sentence, Wang Shi interrupted her furiously and said coldly, “Stand aside and keep quiet or others will take their anger out on you later on!”

Gu Fangzi opened her mouth awkwardly and glanced at Shi Fengju and Sang Wan before she silently stood beside Wang Shi without uttering a word.

Without inquiring or giving a condemned look, Shi Fengju said to Sang Wan, “Go back to Ning Garden1 first! Cousin Fangzi, the same goes for you!”

When Sang Wan saw that her mother-in-law did not refuse, she bowed and turned to leave silently.

However, Gu Fangzi didn’t want to leave. She pretended not to hear and stood beside Wang Shi.

Shi Fengju could not tolerate her playing deaf, so he said to her again, with a glare this time, “Cousin, you should go back too.”

Gu Fangzi could only nod her head and said softly to Wang Shi, “Aunt Wang, please talk nicely with Big Cousin! Don’t get too agitated!”

“Hurry up and leave!” Shi Fengju couldn’t bear to see her doing that. He resisted talking in a disgusted tone and spoke coldly instead.

Gu Fangzi immediately felt bitter. She smiled slightly, and went out feeling sad.

Wang Shi had nothing left to say to her son. She couldn’t even get angry and her expression remained cold underneath the heavy atmosphere.

After Gu Fangzi left and saw Nanny Jiang standing outside, she immediately knew that she did not do according to what Wang Shi had ordered her to. Gu Fangzi couldn’t help but get angry. She paused her steps and stared at Nanny Jiang before grinning all of a sudden. “How loyal and faithful you are to Aunt Wang! How dare you pay lip service to what she had told you to do. I wonder if she’ll still see you as her trusted servant in the future!”

Without a change in expression, Nanny Jiang casted a glance at Gu Fangzi and responded faintly, “Old Mistress gets impulsive easily. When she does, her decisions might not be right. I’m loyal to her, so how can I do something that she will regret in the future? If she blames me because of this, I will gladly accept my punishment.”

Gu Fangzi sneered without saying a word and left.

“Mother.” Shi Fengju sat in the seat opposite Wang Shi and said, “Just now, I’ve already dissuaded Nanny Jiang. She also told me what had happened. If we send him to the authorities, it won’t be easy for us to get him out of there. Aren’t you making things difficult for us by doing that?”

“Making things difficult for us?” Wang Shi shouted coldly. “Sang Pingliang’s surname is Sang. How is he related to our family!”

“He’s still our relative after all,” Shi Fengju said.

Wang Shi was left speechless for a moment. If Sang Pingliang was really thrown to the authorities, wouldn’t the money required to bail him out come from the Shi family still? If they didn’t bail him out, they would seem harsh and heartless. But if they do, weren’t they simply making a fool out of themselves?

“He doesn’t have morals and deserves to be taught a lesson! Otherwise, he might do something even more untoward in the future!” Wang Shi was still furious.

Shi Fengju said, “In my opinion, he shouldn’t have been allowed to work in our family’s business. If I were home, I wouldn’t let such a thing happen!”

Upon hearing that, Wang Shi stared at him and asked, “Don’t indirectly scold Fang’er here. Are you blaming her? Let me tell you. She didn’t act on her own and only did so after I agreed to it! That person from the Sang Family failed to live up to expectations. How could you blame Fang’er? She had kind intentions, and with what has happened now, she has nowhere to complain to about her grievance!”

Shi Fengju was not surprised to hear that and sneered deep down. It seemed that she had completely forgotten his warning! He had told her to stop using his mother as an excuse to do things. However, she did not take his words to heart!

“There’s no point saying this now. I will handle this appropriately, so Mother, please calm down. For the sake of Second Young Master Sang and Sang Wan, who has been taking good care of you and this family, please don’t get involved in this anymore!” Shi Fengju said with a slight sigh.

Upon hearing him mention Sang Yufei, Wang Shi relaxed and the resentment in her heart dissipated a lot. True. I cannot disgrace my son-in-law, who came in third in the examinations. Now that he’s in Imperial Hanlin Academy, it’ll be beneficial for when my son goes to the capital to take the examinations and gets to pay an official visit to two or three great scholars with his help! As for Sang Wan, I’ll just stay away from her so that I won’t get frustrated!

Shi Fengju could roughly guess what his mother was thinking when he saw her pondering first, then feeling relaxed before finally frowning. As such, he said, “Mother, don’t blame me for shielding Sang Wan. After all, you shouldn’t have blamed her for this!”

“So, I am at fault?” Wang Shi couldn’t help but get angry again when she heard him and she immediately scolded, “If she had told me about her second uncle’s conduct long ago, would this have happened? She’s the one who clearly only cares about her own dignity, so she deliberately hid her second uncle from us!”

Shi Fengju answered, “Sang Wan is the junior. No matter what fault her second uncle has, how could she be the one to speak about an elder, let alone in front of you? Mother, if she suddenly told you about the faults of her elders without a reason, I’m sure you’ll be feeling more disgusted instead. You’ve really put her in a difficult position! On another note, it was just inconvenient for her to tell you about them. I know very well about her situation and she did not hide anything from me.”

Wang Shi was left speechless, but was unwilling to admit her fault. She snorted and said, “Your tongue is getting sharper now! That wife of yours is always the one in the right. Just shield her all you want!”

“Mother…”

“Stop calling me!” Wang Shi waved her hand impatiently. “You can go back now! I’ve worried for nothing. I can only live for a few more years, so what is there for me to look forward to? The family’s assets are yours sooner or later. Even if you happily give everything to your wife, I can’t be bothered! Leave and don’t annoy me here!”

Although Shi Fengju could see that she was in a bad mood and had spoken out in a fit of pique, her tone had become softer. As such, he knew that she was just reluctant to admit her mistake, so he smiled and got up before he bowed and left the place.

In the warm room of Ning Garden, Sang Wan was sitting down with a frown and was lost in thought. When Shi Fengju lifted the curtain and went in, he saw her all by herself. Her slim body appeared to be desolate and lonely without reason.

Shi Fengju didn’t feel good at the sight, so he walked in with heavier footsteps and called out, “Sang Wan!”

“You’re back!” After Sang Wan turned around and saw him. She quickly got up and welcomed him with a slight smile.

“Sang Wan.” Shi Fengju held onto her hands and pecked the side of her lips before apologizing, “I’m sorry. I’ve let you suffer again.”

Sang Wan felt sullen and uncomfortable, but she forced a smile and shook her head, “Mother has always been straightforward. I can understand where she was coming from. What about you? I’m sure it was difficult to convince her, right?”

Shi Fengju chuckled and sat down while holding onto her hands before he yanked her to sit in his embrace. Sang Wan couldn’t break free, so she could only let him do so. “How did you know I managed to convince my mother?”

“You’re her beloved son and you know how to explain things to her. She’ll definitely listen to you. I’ve troubled you over my matters. As your wife, I am deeply ashamed.”

“Since you’re my wife, I ought to shield you. Why say that? Sang Wan, you seem estranged from me.” Shi Fengju hugged her tightly as if she would disappear once he let her go.

Sang Wan nearly shed a tear. She blinked her teary eyes before saying with a smile, “Fengju, if…” Before she could finish her sentence, she stopped.

Shi Fengju was waiting for her to finish, but when she did not, he asked with a smile, “If what? Hmm?”

“It’s nothing!” Sang Wan said with a smile, “What I mean to say is, how good it’ll be without all these frustrating matters.” In fact, she had wanted to tell him that if he had enough of her someday, there was no need to force himself and they could just part without any hard feelings. However, when she was about to say that, she suddenly felt that it was inappropriate and quickly swallowed those words.

“How I wish too!” Shi Fengju sighed slightly. He lowered his head to give her a light peck on her soft lips before he said with his teeth clenched, “I only want to spend my days with you. Why is that so hard! Sang Wan, am I really that good? Will you be able to live without me?”

Sang Wan’s body turned stiff. Despite knowing that he was referring to Gu Fangzi, she sighed silently as she felt that he still could not see the bigger picture. There was no way a man could easily understand a woman’s heart.

Shi Fengju added, “I’ve told her that I don’t have any feelings for her and cannot be with her. I can still regard her as a younger sister and prepare a generous dowry for her so that she can get married grandly as a daughter of the Shi Family! And in the future, the Shi Family would back her up and wouldn’t let her be bullied by others. Just why can’t she understand?”

“Perhaps, she really likes you!” Sang Wan casually answered with a smile.

Shi Fengju stared at her and replied with a smile, “You aren’t for real! Does she really like me? I don’t feel it that way from her.”

Sang Wan sighed in a low voice and softly said, “Maybe she isn’t willing to let it rest!”

“Not willing?” Shi Fengju’s heart shook and he suddenly froze. Not willing? It did seem so. She was too obsessed with their relationship in the past!

“Things are fine with my mother, so don’t worry. Also, I’ll handle your second uncle’s matter appropriately,” Shi Fengju said.

Sang Wan nodded her head. “I felt uneasy when I heard that they had gone missing. Just as expected, they ended up causing trouble! Whatever the case, let’s not keep them here any longer and let them go back quickly! The amount that my Second Uncle stole… how much is it?”

Shi Fengju raised an eyebrow and asked with a smile, “Why? Do you want to compensate for him?”

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