Chapter 8, it is well known that everyone harbors this resentment

This is Liu Mama, who has raised Gu since childhood. When Gu was in the capital, it was Liu Mama who took great care in preparing the meals, and Gu has become accustomed to the dishes she cooks

"What do you want me to do?" Han Chen rested his chin on Shen Qi's shoulder, "Huijuan and the others have been with me for many years." Huijuan was indeed the maiden name of the Luo family. Hearing him call her so affectionately made Shen Qi's heart ache even more. He had never called her by her name, so her tears transformed from a light drizzle into a torrential downpour.

"Your Highness, you have returned. The Prince is waiting for you, and dinner has not yet been served." Upon hearing the sound of the door, Liu Mama immediately stepped out. After all, she had watched Han Chan grow up since childhood and could only feel pity for him. Shen Qi curled her lips in disdain.

"When have you ever worried about money?" Shen Qingqiu looked at Shen Qi in surprise. Not to mention the money her father had given her, even Shen Qi himself had gifted her quite a bit of land on her birthdays, yet she had never seen Shen Qi care about it.

During the gathering, Han Chan inquired about Zi Chong's studies, to which the two of them answered one by one. He then asked about the health of the Zhao family, and Zhao responded in a delicate and weak manner, which sounded grating to Shen Qi's ears

As Han Chen was about to step out of the bedroom, Shen Qi tentatively placed her hand into his large palm from behind. Seeing that he did not shake it off, she curled her fingers with a smile at the corners of her mouth and grasped his hand. Han Chen paused for a moment, but ultimately did not pull away. The two of them, hand in hand, made their way to the west flower hall for a meal, amidst the muffled laughter of the servants.

It is still for next month's Peach Blossom Society. The master made a piece of clothing to raise funds. Fifth Young Master, you should have seen Luo's face; it was truly amusing. Just one thousand guan made her unable to close her mouth. Qian has been with Shen Qi for a long time and is already accustomed to spending money extravagantly.

Han Chan sighed helplessly, wiped away Shen Qi's tears, and fed her the pickled duck that she liked the most. Shen Qi cried and laughed at the same time, not caring about the expressions of Luo and Zhao families; at that moment, her eyes were only on Han Chan. She felt that she had to be a bit magnanimous since he treated her this way in front of the Luo and Zhao families. "Oh, have we changed chefs?"

Since the lady is so generous, I shall express my gratitude on behalf of Huijuan. Han Chen exaggeratedly bowed and turned to leave

In the end, Shen Qi no longer struggled; she simply let the tears flow again, dripping onto Han Chen's hand

The corners of Shen Qiqiao's lips vanished without a trace upon seeing Luo Shi and Zhao Shi, yet her grip on Han Chan's hand tightened even more

"Hmph, if you are not biased, why have you left me aside for so long?" Shen Qi has started to bring up old grievances

When Shen Qi returned to the Wang residence, the moon was already high in the sky

Shen Qi did not raise her head, merely burying it as she continued to push around the white rice. Han Chan tidied her hair and then said, "So it turns out that people from Lanling have such a hobby, enjoying using tears as seasoning for their meals?" His voice carried a distinct tone of mockery.

Shen Qi successfully detected anger and jealousy on Zhao's face, but did not see it on Luo's face. She merely looked at herself with a hint of pity, and that gaze made Shen Qi feel particularly uncomfortable. Why should she pity herself? It should be Shen Qi who pities Luo instead.

Shen Qi could roughly discern the displeasure in Han Chen's tone, yet she felt extremely happy. Just now, when she was holding Han Chen, she was truly afraid that he would break free and leave. In this residence, the rules are quite strict, and Han Chen rarely gets up late. "Isn't this quite good? At least the hero can still lie in the tender embrace, which is far better than being wrapped in a horse's hide for burial."

What Qian'er mentioned was indeed the catalyst for Shen Qi's realization that she needed to save money. In the past, she would not even glance at those yellow and white items for ten or five years. However, everything changed once she arrived at the Lanling Wangfu. The thought of it made Shen Qi angry; she had no idea when the management of the household finances had changed to the Luo family, and Han Chen had not informed her, the legitimate wife, about it at all.

"Master, the prince is supposed to come to our courtyard today. Why are you still going out so late?" Qian'er chased after Shen Qi.

Han Chen frowned and said, "Without the hero's body wrapped in horsehide, how can there be a gentle and prosperous land?" This statement left Shen Qi speechless, and he could only serve Han Chen with great care as he got out of bed

Shen Qi walked straight to the bedroom with a cold expression, not even glancing at Han Chen. Before she could sit down, she noticed the box on the bed. Shen Qi felt a stir in her heart, suppressing the urge to lift the corners of her mouth as she opened the box

Then what happened in the end? Shen Qingqiu seemingly absentmindedly brushed the jade hairpin on Shen Qi's head

"Do not worry, do not worry, but those things just sit there as dead money. I am not here to beg Brother Wu, but to ask him to help me make money with money." Shen Qixian said with a forced smile, signaling to Qian'er, who quickly brought over the box she was holding.

Han Chen looked at Shen Qi with a smile that was not quite a smile, saying, "I thought you liked Qionglin Garden, so I didn't want to disturb you." Although he said this, Shen Qi knew that he was deliberately punishing her, and she could not refute it, only feeling angry in silence

Why don't they stay in the capital? Shen Qi also knew that crying was not a solution; it was essential to think of a way to resolve the issue while Han Chen felt guilty.

Shen Qi immediately shook her head; Han Chen had never had such thoughts. It was all her own one-sided wishful thinking. Since Han Chen was going to marry Zhao as his concubine, Shen Qi believed it must be due to the influence of money, which is why she suddenly became concerned about wealth. She kept thinking that as long as there was something that Han Chen cared about in her possession, he would not neglect her.

Upon hearing his words, Shen Qi was about to erupt again. When Han Chen was resting at her place, breakfast had to be shared with several people. When they went to rest at their place, Shen Qi certainly could not lower herself to follow them. In Shen Qi's eyes, this meant that these people were stealing her time alone with Han Chen, which she could not be pleased about.

The maid Cui, who is beside Lady Luo, is deliberately whispering for me to hear, saying that Lady Luo is unwilling to throw away even a patched undergarment, while the master does not blink an eye when wanting to buy a piece of clothing for one thousand guan. Qian'er sneered, "She doesn't consider that Lady Luo comes from a maid's background; naturally, she fears that wearing it out will shorten her life. The master is not that kind of person."

Did the money actually get spent? Shen Qingqiu is concerned about this

Alright, alright, you suggest a solution, and I will listen to you, okay?

"With someone like you being so jealous, who would dare to show favoritism?" Han Chen pinched Shen Qi's nose

"Why is the food not to your taste? You are only pushing around the plain rice." Han Chen's voice sounded from above Shen Qi's head

Oh, what is going on?" Shen Qingqiu inquired.

Primarily observing Roche's frugality, Shen Qi felt that her own extravagance was indeed somewhat inappropriate

Fortunately, Qian'er was clever and had prepared gifts for the meeting in advance. The first time, she caught Shen Qi off guard and had no time to prepare anything, and she left in a huff, so these formalities were overlooked. Although Shen Qi did not instruct her this time, Qian'er, being a maid who had come out with everyone, understood these matters well. Qian'er presented a longevity gold lock and two gold ingots of good fortune to Zi Chong, and to Luo Shi and Zhao Shi, she gifted a piece of brocade fabric symbolizing prosperity and a pair of jade bracelets.

Shen Qi held onto Shen Qingqiu's arm and said, "Fifth Brother, do you think women feel very aggrieved if they have no money?"

In the early morning, before the first ray of sunlight had entered the room, Han Chan had already gotten up; he was accustomed to rising early. Shen Qi watched as he was about to get out of bed and immediately wrapped her arms around his waist, pressing her body against his back

"This is all your bullying." Shen Qi sobbed

Shen Qi was already feeling unhappy, and today when she went shopping for clothes with Shen Qingqiu, someone had gotten there first. As soon as Shen Qi entered the room, she saw Han Chen lounging on the couch, flipping through a book, showing no signs of urgency or waiting for her, and he was not as endearing as Liu Momo had described.

Shen Qi was feeling quite wronged; she was already very sad, and Han Chen was teasing her like this, causing her tears to flow even more freely. She did not dare to raise her head to look at the Luo family and the Zhao family across from her, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

Shen Qi nodded, feeling sweet in her heart. This way, Han Chen would naturally come to her room more often, because the food here suited his taste the best, didn't it? He was indeed different towards her, and all of Shen Qi's anger dissipated. She glanced sideways at the Luo family and the Zhao family; on one hand, she felt sorry for them, while on the other hand, she blamed them. After all, it was their choice to enter this door.

From now on, let Liu Mama serve you meals in your room

I pay my respects to the prince and princess. The two of them bowed and saluted, while the child beside them also greeted in a soft voice.

Shen Qingqiu did not believe Shen Qi's words, but Qian'er suddenly spoke up, "Isn't it all because of that Lady Luo in the residence?" Qian'er curled her lips, looking down on Lady Luo's petty demeanor.

Han Chen smiled and said, "After all, you have a sharp tongue. Liu Mama, please come here." The latter part of the sentence was directed at a woman in her forties, whom Shen Qi had never seen in the residence.

Shen Qiyi felt a surge of anger when recalling the events of the past few days. She resented that this person showed not a trace of bias

Shen Qi pretended not to see him and continued to sit. After the carriage had traveled for a while, no one spoke, and in the end, it was still Han Chen who broke the silence, "My beloved, are you still angry?"

Shen Qi smiled and shot a glance at Qian'er, silently urging her to leave quickly

When Shen Qi was about to have an outburst, Han Chen suddenly grasped her hand, preventing her from getting up. Shen Qi cast an unhappy glance at Han Chen, but she found the coldness in his eyes frightening, as if he were looking at not his wife, but his enemy. This made Shen Qi feel somewhat alarmed, causing her displeasure to fade away.

Shen Qiyi felt no good mood upon seeing this group of people, thoroughly annoyed by the rigid rules of morning and evening rituals. She knew that her behavior was beneath her, but she truly did not want to force a smile, so she could only pout.

"Hehe, what a miser you are. How about I just call you 'Miser' from now on? You are the only miser in this household." Han Chen embraced Shen Qi from behind, no matter how much she struggled, she could not break free.

When Shen Qingqiu saw Shen Qi, she was sulking with a cold expression and pouting, "What’s wrong? Who has upset you this time?"

It seems that not only is he a miser, but he is also a crybaby. Han Chen sighed helplessly.

Shen Qingqiu looked at Shen Qi with suspicion and coldness, asking, "Why did you suddenly think about making money?" Shen Qi's box was filled with the properties under her name, including two salt fields. The Shen family was able to dominate in Lanling mainly because they monopolized salt and iron. "Did he ask you for it?"

Han Chen looked at Shen Qi with a smile; she lowered her head, fearing that the tips of her toes had turned completely red. Eventually, after Han Chen affectionately coaxed her for a long time, she finally broke into a radiant smile. That night was naturally filled with the gentle spring breeze, and petals fell like rain.

Qian'er saw her master, who had always been able to command the wind and the rain, continuously suffering setbacks in front of the King of Lanling, and she felt deeply grateful that she had not fallen into the same predicament back then

For such a person, Shen Qi naturally had to put in effort to win her over, so she smiled particularly sweetly at Liu Momo

Hmph, don't call me beloved concubine so affectionately; Luo Fei, Zhao Fei, I still don't know who you are referring to

Shen Qingqiu stood up and took Shen Qi's hand, "Let's go, Fifth Brother will buy it for you"

Han Chan glanced at Qian Er, then looked at Shen Qi, implying that she was lacking even the demeanor of a servant. Shen Qi pouted, and the Luo family, being perceptive, noticed Shen Qi's displeasure and was about to rise to take their leave, but they heard Han Chan say: "Let us have breakfast together."

The two returned to the residence, and Shen Qi was still sulking, "Prince, why don't you go to your Huijuan? I'm not jealous at all." Shen Qi pretended to be magnanimous.

At this point, Shen Qi felt a twinge of self-pity; her beauty seemed to turn into blank paper in front of Han Chen, indistinguishable from that of the Luo and Zhao families, thus she had no choice but to seek external assistance

Shen Qi heard the sound of the door closing in the inner room, and only then did she stomp her feet and run out, "You..." She had initially thought that Han Chen had really left, but instead saw him standing at the door; the sound of the door closing was caused by him closing the door from within.

Since Zi Chong is still young, I am afraid that he will be spoiled by Hui Juan and the others, so I want him to stay close to me

Shen Qi blinked her eyes, smiling like a cat that had stolen a fish. The money of Han Chen was precious, but Shen Qingqiu's was not; he was famously known as the spendthrift of the Shen family. However, it was unclear what he did outside, as it seemed that his money would never run out. Shen Qi used his money without any remorse. "Fifth Brother, you must help me manage my funds." Shen Qi firmly believed that Shen Qingqiu could help her make money from money.

Shen Qimo walked slowly to Han Chen's side, seeing his feigned expressionless face, she couldn't help but smile. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her face against him, asking, "Why did you think of buying me such an expensive outfit?" She had never discussed such matters with Han Chen since that incident last time; she hadn't dared to bring up such issues with him.

"No, the master suddenly decided not to buy it again." Qian'er cast a resentful glance at Shen Qi, feeling that she was conceding defeat, and that even she, Qian'er, had lost face.

Shen Qi got onto the carriage without looking back, "To Huanhua Manor." That is Shen Qingqiu's villa, where he has been staying recently

This reason is something Shen Qi can accept; in the eyes of men, children are always more important than their wives. It is precisely because she can accept this reason that it makes her feel even worse. "It's all for the child, so won't you favor her even more in the future?" Shen Qi pouted.

"Master, is this not the item you desire?" Qian'er discreetly glanced at Han Chen.

Han Chen gently pried Shen Qi's hand, but she gritted her teeth and refused to let go. The two remained in this stalemate for a moment, until Han Chen finally sighed, turned around, and embraced her in his arms, lying down again. "No wonder people say that the gentle embrace is the grave of heroes"

A breakfast, under Han Chen's favoritism, finally passed smoothly. Unfortunately, Shen Qi did not anticipate that Han Chen was not so partial in other matters. In this residence, there are a total of three households, and he rotates his rest among each household, which made Shen Qi feel extremely displeased, yet she could only endure it. When she could no longer bear it, she could only go out for a walk to ease her mind.