Becoming the Villain's Discarded Wife
Chapter 408: Trouble

Chapter 408: Chapter 408: Trouble

The official merely glanced at her deeply, then turned around and left without saying anything more.

To accompany a sovereign is like treading on thin ice, especially when they have scarce offspring and harbour secret agendas.

The room quietened down, leaving behind only Ming Qin and a plate of slightly cooled corn.

It was not until the sun had set that Chi Sheng returned to the restaurant with an odd look on his face.

"Daddy!"

It was dinner time, and the main hall was packed with people.

Nanzhi, accompanied by Yuanbao, was taking a rest on the second floor and just happened to meet the returning Chi Sheng and Shen Wenchen.

The little girl’s eyes lit up and she ran down the stairs, plunging straight into his arms.

"Have you been behaving well?" Lifting his daughter, Chi Sheng’s expression softened at the sight of her smiling face.

"Yes!" The little girl nodded enthusiastically, then asked in a low voice.

"Daddy, have you finished your important business?"

"Yes, it’s done." Chi Sheng ruffled her little head, then nodded at Nanzhi in gratitude.

"Thank you for your trouble."

"No problem." Nanzhi dismissed it with a wave of her hand before asking another question.

"If you are not in a rush to leave, you can let Yuanbao stay with me for a few more days. She can play more with Zhiyu and the others."

Upon hearing her words, Chi Sheng hesitated before replying regretfully.

Their business was not simple and would take at least five days to complete.

During these days, they would inevitably be running around. It would be hard on Yuanbao if she followed them.

After excusing himself, Chi Sheng went to find the others from Qing Fenghan, leaving Yuanbao with Nanzhi.

"Nannan, let’s go home." Shen Wenchen softly took Nanzhi’s hand.

Most of the business at Sanweiju was carried out at night. As Liao Da and Uncle Ping could manage it well enough, he didn’t want his wife to overwork herself.

"What about Zhiyu and the others..." Nanzhi frowned with concern at his words.

As a rule, they would normally wait for Zhiyu and the rest before going home. Wouldn’t it be a bit abrupt to leave without them today?

"They’re big kids now. They can find their own way home."

Shen Wenchen didn’t seem to mind and left the restaurant holding Nanzhi’s hand in one hand and Yuanbao in the other.

The carriage was waiting outside the restaurant. The coachman quickly set up a short stool as they came out.

"Godfather, are we not waiting for Brother Zhiyu and the others?"

Yuanbao blinked her big, innocent eyes.

"No, we’re not waiting for them. They’re big kids now, they can go home by themselves."

Shen Wenchen was very fond of this little girl and only wished he could have a daughter with Nanzhi at some point.

"Oh." Yuanbao nodded and obediently sat down.

When Lin Jian hurriedly ran into Sanweiju, his entire body was soaked with sweat.

Sweat dripped from his forehead all the way down to his nose and chin. Nonetheless, the young boy didn’t seem tired and walked over to Liao Da.

"Brother Liao, have you seen my mother and Sister Yuanbao?"

Liao Da had just come downstairs and was startled at the sight of Lin Jian utterly drenched in sweat.

"The madam and the rest have already left."

"Left?"

Lin Jian’s smile froze in place and Shen Zhiyu and Xiaomi, who had been planning to mock Lin Jian’s hasty demeanor, also had their grins freeze on their faces.

They left?

They had originally wanted to tease Lin Jian for rushing, but in the end, they were the ones left behind!

"Yes, the city lord had come to pick you up a quarter of an hour ago. Didn’t they go to pick you up?"

Liao Da closed his mouth after saying this. If they had gone to pick them up, would they still be standing here?

Lin Jian pouted, a look of disappointment written all over his face. Zhiyu seemed a bit wronged.

Usually, their father and mother would come to pick them up!

"Young Master, shall I call a carriage for you?"

Liao Da made a gesture to go out and call for a carriage but was stopped by Lin Zihan.

The young boy was dressed in a light gray long shirt, his hair neatly tied with a strand of cotton cloth. Despite the sweat on his face, he carried a scholarly air, making him appear even more like a young master than the others.

"There’s no need, Brother Liao Da, you go about your business. We will walk back," said Lin Zihan.

Lin Zihan was the eldest and the most mature among the children. He was usually listened to by the others. Since he had already spoken, Liao Da didn’t insist anymore. He asked his colleague to serve each of them a bowl of iced drink before he returned to his work.

Lin Zihan was more than a year older than Lin Jian and remembered more clearly the hardships they endured in their early years.

Since moving to Yan City, even though their family was earning a dozen taels of silver each month, they hadn’t lived in extravagant.

Even the three young children only had a wen coin to spend every two days.

But ever since their uncle and aunt returned, their family business had improved significantly, and even their pocket money had increased.

Over the past few months, Maomao’s spending had grown somewhat reckless.

It is easy to transition from frugality to luxury, while the opposite was not.

Having read many books, he knew the principle and understood more.

Last time his aunt let them set up a stall to earn money, Maomao might have been average at studying, but he was a real wiz when it came to making money.

The end result was that, after running the stall for five days, they managed to earn more than 300 wen coins.

The adults at home didn’t take these profits. Instead, they let the children decide how to spend it. After dividing a few dozens of copper plates, Maomao started to get a little lavish.

Although it was hot that day, the sun had already fully set, leaving only a muggy heat. Walking for a quarter of an hour wouldn’t be a problem.

When the eldest spoke, the other three children didn’t dare to rebuke and followed him quietly towards the city lord’s residence.

By the time they finally got home, their clothes were all soaked with sweat. The servant at the door hurriedly opened the gate at their arrival.

"Young Masters, the master and the madam are waiting for you in the main hall."

"Alright."

The children nodded in reply, rushed back to their rooms, and when they walked out, they appeared neat and tidy.

In the main hall, Nanzhi and Shen Wenchen were sitting on either side of Yuanbao, waiting for the others to return before they started their meal.

"Mother, Father, Sister."

Shen Zhiyu greeted them before taking his seat next to Nanzhi.

"Aunt, Uncle, Sister."

"Alright, sit down and start eating." Shen Wenchen, fearing that Nanzhi might go hungry, had been urging her to eat something. But since she was not willing to, they had been waiting.

"Alright."

The rest of the children sat down, and the maids began to serve the dishes.

After dinner, the four young boys returned to the study for calligraphy practice. Yuanbao was enticed by Lin Jian’s drawing and left with him, leaving Shen Wenchen and Nanzhi sitting alone.

"Would the affairs of Qing Fenghan be very troublesome?"

Saying that Nanzhi wasn’t worried would be a lie. She wanted to assist Shen Wenchen and his family, firstly because of the kindness Chi Sheng’s family had shown her and secondly due to her altruistic nature.

She knew that the people of Qing Fenghan had been wronged. Naturally, she wanted to lend them a hand.

However, it also worried her that it might cause trouble for Shen Wenchen.

"No, it would only take some time, that’s all. It won’t be too troublesome." Shen Wenchen poured Nanzhi a glass of warm water and shook his head with a smile.

As long as it’s carried out before the end of the year, there shouldn’t be a problem. Fortunately, there was still plenty of time left.