Translator – Xiao He Lian
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Chapter 72.2
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It has to be said that people’s habits are difficult to change.
For example, Shen Zhen has a problem of being very particular about her bed. She feels uncomfortable when she moves to a new place and she closes her eyes only when it is almost dawn.
After sleeping for just half an hour, she sat up.
The sun was rising high, the clouds were moving quietly and the lush shadows of the trees were cast on the ground. Suddenly, a rumbling sound was heard and a carriage stopped in front of the house.
Shen Zhen got up from the bed and hurried to open the door.
When all the people she had been thinking about appeared before her, she suddenly felt like she was walking on the clouds.
Shen Zhen sniffed.
Qingxi cried out with tears in her eyes, “Miss!”
“Third sister! Lower your head and look at me first.” Shen Hong pulled her skirt from below.
Shen Zhen looked down at him and smiled helplessly: “Okay, I’m looking at you.”
Shen Hong hadn’t seen his family for a long time. As soon as he saw Shen Zhen, he started chattering, wishing to tell them everything that happened every day in Yangzhou. Shen Zhen felt sleepy while listening and yawned after a while.
“Hong’er.” Shen Zhen rubbed his eyes, “Do you usually talk to Lord Chu like this?”
Shen Hong shook his head. “My teacher doesn’t allow me to talk too much. He said it’s bad for my throat.”
Shen Zhen couldn’t hold back and chuckled, patting her brother’s head, “Save some strength for your big sister and then go and tell big sister, okay?”
Shen Hong nodded and covered his mouth with his right hand.
While the child was taking a nap, Shen Zhen and Qingxi went to the West Market, opened the door of Baixiang Pavilion and took out more than ten strings of silver and two pearl hairpins.
Although Shen Zhen has been away for several months, her face is not easily forgotten.
She had her hair in a bun, and wore a goose yellow gauze dress that trailed on the ground, a pair of soft-soled pearl-embroidered shoes on her feet, and a bud-shaped white jade hairpin on her head. Her face was more beautiful and her figure was even better than before. Even walking a few steps seemed to be full of brilliance and light.
This eye-catching appearance immediately caused a stir as it appeared in front of everyone.
Shen Zhen walked into a pawn shop, put the pearl hairpin into the copper tray and said, “Boss, I have something to pawn.”
“Just these two pearl hairpins?”
“yes.”
“This one is one copper coin, and this one is three copper coins.”
Shen Zhen took it and said, “Thank you, shopkeeper.”
Next to the Meng family pawnshop in the West Market was a jewelry shop. Several noble ladies were standing outside, including Xu Yiqing from the Xu family, Wang Rui from the Wang family, and Sun Mi from the Sun family. There were also a few others whom Shen Zhen did not recognize very well.
Wang Rui asked, “Hey, is that Shen Zhen? Why is she back?”
Sun Mi said: “I heard that she was bought by a merchant master who was over fifty years old and became his seventh concubine. The master loved her very much!
“If she was favored, she shouldn’t be short of money. Why would she pawn her things?”
Wang Rui covered his mouth and laughed, “Is what you said true? Fifty years old? Doesn’t that mean he can be her father? Please stop saying such filthy words. Aren’t you afraid of being scolded when you get home?”
“I remember that Shen Zhen was also very kind to you.” Xu Yiqing said slowly, “She may just have other difficulties, so you guys just say less.”
Sun Mi whispered, “Qingqing, I am telling the truth. Don’t you think about how many people her father caused to die or be injured…”
Xu Yiqing glanced at Sun Mi and sneered.
In her heart she said “If the Shen family had not fallen into decline and given up the position to your father, would the position of Minister of Works still have been held by someone from your Sun family?”
Sun Mi’s father is the current Minister of Works, Sun Zhengquan.
There is no shortage of rumors in this world, and there is no shortage of rumors about fallen beauties.
Xu Yiqing walked towards Shen Zhen and Sun Mi said from behind: “Qingqing, come back quickly, where are you going!”
“Third Miss.” Xu Yiqing stood in front of Shen Zhen, “When did Third Miss return to the capital?”
“Today.” Shen Zhen said with a smile.
Xu Yiqing said: “They are talking carelessly, I’ll apologize to you on their behalf.”
“No need, you are you, they are them.” Shen Zhen paused, “I have something else to do, so I’ll leave first.”
“Third Miss, if you have any difficulties, you can tell me.”
Shen Zhen turned around and said, “Thank you for your kindness, Seventh young lady. I appreciate it.”
Leaving the street where the pawnshop stood, Qingxi’s wrists were shaking with anger. “Young lady, why didn’t you let me explain just now? That Sun Mi is really too much. She has completely forgotten how she waited for you at the gate of the Marquis’ Mansion before. Now she is slandering your reputation like this…”
Shen Zhen smiled and said, “They can say whatever they want. They have their own mouths. How can we control them? Even if they don’t say it to your face, they will still say it behind your back. It’s useless for you to explain it.”
Qingxi was stunned and whispered, “Young Lady seems to have changed a little.” In Qingxi’s eyes, her third miss was a very serious person. She would clearly distinguish right from wrong, good from bad.
Shen Zhen looked down at her feet and suddenly felt that Chang’an was still the same Chang’an, but she had indeed changed a little.
In less than a year, she experienced the downfall of her family, the humiliation of being a mistress, and the intrigues, poisoning and hunting in Yangzhou…
Looking back at that little girl’s thoughts, how could she easily feel sad and angry?
For the first time, Shen Zhen didn’t even bother to call Xu Yiqing hypocritical.
There are only a handful of people who can make her sad.
Before dusk, Shen Zhen hired several craftsmen and hung a plaque in front of the gate of the house – Shen Residence.
Shen Zhen raised her hand and touched it, a smile appearing on the corner of her mouth.
