CHAPTER 301: CHAPTER 151: THE THIRD HOUSE IS RETURNING (PART 2)

Sang Wan did not concern herself with anything else and simply agreed promptly. She could only inquire Mrs. Li in detail after returning. Right now, she was utterly clueless, not even knowing whether her uncle and aunt from the third house or her two younger sisters were round or flat, tall or short, fat or thin.

"Don’t just busy yourself with agreeing; make sure you handle the matters properly! It hasn’t been easy for your third uncle and aunt to come back after so many years. Don’t let them harbor any grudges! Little sister, you must take this to heart!" Shi Yumei couldn’t help but interject from the side.

"What your elder sister said is right. Leave other tasks to the servants, and just focus on this for the next few days!" Mrs. Wang couldn’t help but nod in agreement.

"Yes, Mother, Miss Wan understands!" Sang Wan quickly responded.

Shi Yumei glanced at Shi Fengju and indifferently said: "Since you’ve agreed, you must do it well. Fengju finally has a few days to rest at home, so don’t push everything on him once you’re back! None of these matters should trouble him! Second Brother, you really are too fussy. Mother didn’t even ask you; why are you talking so much! I remember you never used to bother with these household affairs in the past!"

Mrs. Wang also felt sorry for him and scolded Shi Fengju with affection: "Stop meddling in women’s affairs and rest well! If Ningyuan is too noisy, come to Mother’s place, you can do as you please here without anyone bothering you!"

"Mother! Elder Sister! What are you all saying!" Shi Fengju protested half-jokingly and half-frustrated, "Third Uncle and Aunt are my elders too. I was only offering some suggestions, it’s not like it’s going to wear me out! Plus, Sang Wan has not been in our family for a full year, how could she know the temperaments and preferences of Third Uncle and Aunt, or how to arrange things properly? Isn’t it right for me to give a few tips?"

"Mother didn’t say you shouldn’t," Mrs. Wang said with a smile. "Just don’t overexert yourself!" Then she asked him whether he had been taking the ginseng and blood bird’s nest she had sent over in the previous days on time.

Shi Fengju was fine and had no reason to consume those, so he vaguely said "Yes!" and changed the subject, stating that it was getting late and pulled Sang Wan to leave.

"Mother, you should also take charge!" Shi Yumei said resentfully, "Look at Second Brother, always looking out for his wife and not allowing others to speak! People marry wives to serve themselves, but he treats his wife like a Bodhisattva and worships her!"

"Ah, enough, what’s the point of bringing this up now!" Mrs. Wang frowned and pondered for a moment, then puzzledly said, "Tell me, why did your third uncle and aunt suddenly come back out of the blue! And they didn’t even give a reason in the letter!"

"..." Shi Yumei was momentarily speechless, her mother’s train of thought was completely different from her own.

"How should I know!" Shi Yumei replied in a sullen tone, "We’ll find out once they’re back!"

Mrs. Wang hummed silently and felt indescribable emotions. She had always been bothered by the official position obtained by the third house, and it was bearable when they were not at home—as if it didn’t exist. But now that they were coming back, it was impossible to ignore! If they returned in glory and took all the limelight, then all the benefits would be snatched away by them! If Mrs. Zhuang got wind of this, who knows how she might mock her! As these unguarded thoughts ran wild in her head, Mrs. Wang felt even more unbearable.

"Mrs. Jiang," Mrs. Wang turned her head and called for someone, "prepare two sets of my clothes and jewelry!"

The implication was to prepare two sets of the best and most appropriate attire, so as not to be looked down upon.

Mrs. Jiang, having worked closely with her for decades, of course understood her meaning and promptly bowed with a loud "Yes."

On the way back to Ningyuan, Shi Fengju softly consoled Sang Wan, "Don’t take what Elder Sister said to heart!"

Upon hearing this, Sang Wan glanced at him and smiled with a nod, "What she said isn’t wrong, it’s because she cares about you!" Compared to what she used to say, this was already considered mild, and for Sang Wan, who had become immune to her sharp and harsh words, it was nothing at all. More importantly, her mother-in-law did not seem to take it to heart, so she cared even less.

Shi Fengju laughed and said, "Don’t worry, it’s not easy for Third Uncle and Aunt to come back, and as a junior, I shouldn’t stay out of it. Let’s handle this together. Actually, it’s just a matter of giving instructions; the servants will take care of the tasks."

Sang Wan gratefully smiled and nodded in agreement, taking the opportunity to ask, "Third Uncle and Aunt, where do they serve as officials? How come I never heard anyone mention them in the residence, despite being here for over half a year?"

Even Mrs. Li never mentioned them to her. In her past life, although she knew there was a third house, and she knew they had come back, by that time she had already been neglected in the side yard and had never met them. Despite being reincarnated, she still knew nothing about them.

Shi Fengju heard her question and couldn’t help but smile wryly. He thought to himself, of course, no one in the residence dared to speak of it—who would have the nerve to upset my mother and second aunt? In all other matters, Mother and Second Aunt often had different opinions, but on this, they were united in hoping that the third house’s traces would disappear from the residence, preferably forgotten by everyone!

He then explained: "Third Uncle has been serving as an official in Sichuan. When he first left, he was the magistrate of Zengkou County, and he was promoted to the governor of Bazhou two years ago. It’s been seven or eight years since they left home, why would anyone in the residence talk about them! Haha, Third Uncle and Aunt are actually very nice and amiable. There are also two younger sisters, the second sister is sixteen this year, and the youngest should be about ten, presumably well-mannered under Third Uncle and Aunt’s upbringing!"

Speaking of the two younger sisters, Shi Fengju also had little impression of them; after all, it had been so many years, who knew what their temperaments were like now?

Sang Wan felt a headache coming on, instinctively thinking of Shi Yumei. If these two young misses, boasting their status as "official’s daughters," acted even more privileged and threw tantrums more severe than Shi Yumei, that would be unbearable!

Sang Wan bemoaned inwardly, why am I always the one to face such bad luck!