CHAPTER 364: CHAPTER 185: WHY NOT GO HOME

Seeing him mention the past, Sang Wan felt somewhat coy, casting her eyes down and smiling faintly, "Is that so? I was not aware..."

Shi Fengju laughed, "You were not there at the time. Look, I’ve managed to do it now, haven’t I?"

Sang Wan’s face turned red, and she lightly spat at him without saying a word.

Shi Fengju laughed heartily, embracing her as they entered the warm pavilion. He dismissed the maid and forcefully pulled her down to lie with him. Sang Wan was indeed a bit tired, so she didn’t resist anymore. She took off her robe, covered herself up to the chest with a cashmere blanket and lay down. After a few words, she sweetly fell asleep. Shi Fengju sat beside her, holding a volume in his hands to pass the time, but he couldn’t focus on it. Instead, he gently stroked her shoulder, his eyes filled with tenderness. Being with her, even just watching her, he felt a gentle warmth spreading in his heart, which made him feel completely at ease. Such a peaceful and warm sense of happiness could only be given by her.

Third Madam Shi hadn’t returned to her natal family for many years, and she was going to go back tomorrow with Third Master Shi and their two daughters. Therefore, after having dumplings at Mrs. Wang’s place, she only sat for a while before going back to prepare.

Second Madam Shi didn’t say much in front of Mrs. Wang, but she returned in a sullen mood. Mrs. Lin approached her with a smile, "Think about it, madam, it has been two years since you last went back. Why not prepare and go back tomorrow as well?"

"No!" Second Madam Shi, frustrated and annoyed, snapped back, "My son is missing, and my daughter-in-law is incompetent! Why go back? To be laughed at by others?"

Thinking of her son, her heart ached again.

Mrs. Lin’s face changed slightly, and she didn’t dare to make another peep.

The cold war in the banana garden continued, with all the slaves having knelt for a whole night, nearly freezing into icicles by the next day! In the morning, Shi Fengju sent someone over to command them to get up. Relieved, they all hastily expressed their gratitude and struggled to stand, changing their clothes and drinking hot water and tea. Alternating from cold to warm, sneezes were heard everywhere.

Ren Zhixian saw Cui Bao frozen with her cheeks bright red and lips dark and trembling uncontrollably. He felt so distressed that he quickly wrapped her in a woolen blanket and pulled her back to the room. He ordered Cui Zhu to prepare hot water for her to bathe.

Nearly all the slaves in the courtyard had fallen ill from the cold, leaving only Cui Zhu able to move around. Cui Zhu had no choice but to first go to the kitchen to order some hot water, and then to the warehouse to fetch some medicine for treating colds, coughs, and fevers. She boiled a large pot and distributed it to everyone.

"Trouble out of nothing!" Ren Zhixian glared at Shi Yumei with resentment and said coldly, "Now that everyone in the courtyard is sick, are you satisfied? How does this benefit you?"

Shi Yumei stared back incredulously, "Are you blaming me? You were the one who had me locked out last night. Did you not consider that I might fall ill? How can you be so heartless?"

Ren Zhixian said mockingly, "Weren’t you missing your mother? How could I know you’d come back so late? Besides, isn’t this the Shi family’s territory? Surely there’s a place for you, the young mistress! You did it on purpose!" Ren Zhixian gritted his teeth and said, "You were deliberately trying to disgrace me, deliberately causing Shi Fengju to come over and create a scene! Did you know? That bastard Fengju doused me with a bucket of cold water from my sleep last night! True to a merchant’s cutthroat nature, cruel enough!"

Shi Yumei was taken aback. She had not expected Shi Fengju to be so ruthless, but since he had stood up for her, she naturally wouldn’t speak ill of him, and she retorted with a cold laugh, "You deserved it for being in the wrong!"

Ren Zhixian said through clenched teeth, "Yes, I deserved it. I deserved to be a tiger fallen flat on the ground to be bullied by dogs. All of you in this family have eyes on top of your heads!" Ren Zhixian felt if he kept talking, he would be infuriated to death by his resistant wife, so he stormed off with a sweep of his sleeve to check on Cui Bao.

Cui Bao lay on the bed in the partitioned study, her head aching and nose stuffed, suffering miserably. Seeing him arrive, her eyes reddened, and with tearful eyes, she called out "Master" but couldn’t continue.

"It’s all my fault, causing you to suffer!" Ren Zhixian felt extreme distress, gently touching Cui Bao’s face. Only in front of Cui Bao, seeing her reliance on him, did he feel like a real man, a towering figure.

"Please, Master, don’t say that!" Cui Bao struggled to speak in a hoarse voice, trying to sit up only to be pressed back down by Ren Zhixian. Her eyes dimmed, she coughed a few times, and spoke softly, "Master, you have suffered a lot of grievances yourself, let alone us slaves!"

Her words struck straight to Ren Zhixian’s heart, and he sighed, "What can be done? This is, after all, the Shi family!" He said bitterly, gnashing his teeth. Otherwise, they wouldn’t have dared to be so insolent.