Allure of a Country Maiden
Chapter 349 - 347

Chapter 349: 347

Shen Yuzhu tried to escape in the middle of the night, but was discovered by Mr. Tan’s brother.

"Brother, that stinking woman is running away!" Mr. Tan’s brother called out groggily. His eyes had lit upon a familiar figure scampering out of the ruined temple.

Immediately awakened by his cries, Mr. Tan and Mrs. Tan leapt up, bolting after her before they’d even slipped on their shoes.

Mrs. Tan ran out wildly. If she didn’t catch Shen Yuzhu, who was now escaping, she would have to look after Mr. Tan’s brother herself. There were no maids or nannies anymore!

The mere thought of caring for her incapacitated brother-in-law sent a thrill of panic through her, making her legs move even faster.

As for Mr. Tan, he reasoned that his disgrace, the loss of his official position, his fall into a life of destitution; were all due to Shen Yuzhu. He had opted to compromise the integrity of the Imperial Examination for her nephew, paying the price with his career in the process.

Now, she even wanted to abandon his brother and run away. Was all his sacrifice to be in vain? He wouldn’t allow it!

Since Shen Yuzhu was pampered by Mrs. Shen in her childhood, she lacked any sort of real-world skills; even in fleeing she tripped and fell.

Both her knees and her palms were scraped raw. The pain made her weep. She was attempting to get up and run again when Mrs. Tan caught up with her, pouncing on her.

Shen Yuzhu truly started bawling then. Tears streaked down her face as she beseeched them to spare her. Yet, as Mr. Tan and Mrs. Tan were not Mr. Shen or Mrs. Shen, they felt no compassion for her!

Thinking of her third brother’s family, Shen Yuzhu looked at them with tear-stained eyes and said, "I was not trying to escape. I was going to seek help from my third brother, really! Please let me go to him!"

"Your third brother? Marquis Shengping?"

"Yes, yes, my third brother is Marquis Shengping. He’s always been kind-hearted. He’s definitely going to help us."

Mr. Tan and Mrs. Tan looked at each other. Was this their only hope?

While Shen Yuzhu might currently be trying to save herself, not her family, they were stripped of all their wealth and possessions by the Emperor’s decree. Returning to their hometown would also need money!

Right now, no one in the Imperial City was willing to help them. If Shen Yuzhu’s pleas could lead to a bit of silver, it would certainly be a help.

As long as they stealthily watched Shen Yuzhu, she would have no chance of escape.

Thinking this, Mr. Tan nodded and threatened, "As soon as daybreaks tomorrow, you’ll go plead with Marquis Shengping. We’ll keep an eye on you from the sidelines. Don’t think about leaving us behind. I lost my office because of you! You’re part of the Tan family, whether in life or in death. If you dare abandon us, I won’t hesitate to take your life!"

Shen Yuzhu, however, appeared unbothered. Once she reached her brother’s place and was inside the Marquess Mansion, she wouldn’t care about them!

The next day, at dawn, Shen Yuzhu knocked on the door of the Marquis Shengping’s mansion.

The gatekeeper quickly climbed from his bed, rubbing his eyes and clearing his throat before asking, "May I ask who’s outside?"

There was no response.

The gatekeeper asked again: "May I ask who’s outside?"

Again, there was no answer.

Such rudeness.

The gatekeeper opened a small square door (designed specifically as a peephole) and saw a haggard, unkempt woman standing outside. He slammed the door shut and bolted back to shelter under his blankets, shivering!

This female ghost was too fierce. The sun was about to rise, and yet she dared to show herself!

Shen Yuzhu knocked again, but no one answered her.

She had clearly seen someone inside, but they dared not open the door. Surely, Mrs. Liu had instructed the gatekeeper not to allow her entry.

She was neither her mother, elder brother, sister-in-law, second brother, nor sister-in-law. There was nothing she had done to wrong her third brother’s family, so he certainly wouldn’t ignore her plea!

Thinking thus, Shen Yuzhu beat at the door with her hands and kicked it with her feet. "Open the door! Open the door, Liu! I know it’s you, you planned to have me barred at the gate!"

Shen Yuzhu kicked the door a few more times for good measure, leaving behind distinct grey footprints.

"Liu, open this door! This is my third brother’s house! This mansion belongs to our Shen family! What right do you have, a Liu, to refuse me at the door? Open the door, I want to see my third brother!"

The gatekeeper sat up, blinking in disbelief. A ghost that scolded people? Third brother...did she mean his master? And Liu...did she mean his mistress? Who was this woman?

"Liu, you stinking old woman, open the door now! Or I’ll have my third brother divorce you!"

"Third brother, it’s Yuzhu! Open the door! Liu, that stinking old woman had the gall to have the gatekeeper keep me out!"

...

So she wasn’t a ghost!

The gatekeeper quickly went to inform someone about Shen Yuzhu. He knew her well. She had lived in the Marquess house for a while a long time ago, but they stopped seeing each other after a lawsuit. Now, she was on the doorstep again, apparently causing a ruckus.

She was being so loud in front of the house, causing damage to their reputation.

Actually, Mrs. Liu was in the inner courtyard. Even if Shen Yuzhu knocked until her hands broke, she wouldn’t be able to hear it.

And Shen Chengyao, he had already left for the court.

Xiao’er and Jingrui, the two brothers, were already done with their martial arts practice at dawn — preparing for their archery session now.

The martial arts ground was quite close to the main gate, so the three siblings could hear the commotion.

"Isn’t that Shen Yuzhu’s voice?" Jingrui frowned. What possibly could she want now?

"Who else could it be! I’ll check on it." Xiao’er accepted Yang Liu’s handkerchief to wipe his sweat.

The two brothers also hurriedly wiped their sweat and followed their brother.

Xiao’er stopped them: "There is no need, I am not going outside. I am only going to instruct the gatekeeper."

"Let’s just go together anyways."

Xiao’er didn’t argue, leading the way out in front of the other two. They reached the gate just in time to see the gatekeeper running to relay the message, and stopped him.

"There’s no need to inform the lady of the house. Instead, tell the person outside: The master doesn’t have a sister, only a younger brother. She must have the wrong person! If she still makes a ruckus at the gate, have someone go through the back door and report it to the officials so they can arrest her!"

Having heard Xiao’er’s instruction, the gatekeeper hurried back to relay the message.

After the gatekeeper delivered Xiao’er’s message, Shen Yuzhu’s cursing grew more intense.

"Liu, you black-hearted, rotten old hag, open the damn door..."

The three siblings were standing outside the door listening to Shen Yuzhu’s curses, all of them were speechless.

She had indeed inherited Mrs. Shen’s talent for swearing.

People usually say ’suffer now, learn later’, but it seems Shen Yuzhu only learns to vent more anger, not to use her brain!

She came to seek help today, and yet she dared to curse Mrs. Liu right outside the front gate. She was utterly incorrigible!

Mrs. Shen dared to curse because she was in a position of superiority, as a mother-in-law, while Shen Yuzhu, a junior sister-in-law, also dared to curse. It seems she really didn’t care about her reputation.

But what was a reputation to her? It couldn’t fill her stomach, nor could it be exchanged for silver. She might as well abandon it!

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