Chapter 17 Planning
In Fuyunju, Xu Shu and Chen Zhi had a meal together, and the atmosphere was naturally harmonious. However, in Wanshuangzhai, the scene was quite different.

"Mother, why do you still look unhappy?" Chen Yurong asked with concern while picking up some food for Feng.

Feng pulled the corners of her mouth and showed a slightly stiff smile, "No, it's not true. I'm just a little tired. I'll take a nap for half an hour after lunch."

When she said this, Mother Qiu beside her immediately said, "Madam, are you still going to put yourself in a difficult position in front of the eldest lady?"

"Song Qiu!" Feng frowned and shouted coldly, "Don't talk nonsense. You have no rules."

But at this moment, Chen Yurong had put down her bowl and chopsticks, her face looking a little serious.

"Mother, is there anything you want to hide from me?"

"It's nothing. You're overthinking it." Feng waved her hand and put more food into her bowl.

Chen Yurong was anxious, holding her hand, eyes full of worry, "Mom! You have to tell me everything you want to say, otherwise I won't be able to eat!"

Seeing her like this, Feng sighed and spoke in a low voice with melancholy and grievance.

"It's all for the third son's wife."

"Sister-in-law, I thought everything was fine just now. Weren't all the previous ones misunderstandings?" Chen Yurong was puzzled.

Feng's face was still full of sorrow. "You are a child. You have been simple-minded since childhood. How can you see through all those twists and turns? This Xu is not a kind person!"

After hearing this, although Chen Yurong was still a little unconvinced, she was obviously shaken in her heart and frowned.

Seeing this, Feng took her hand and complained about her grievances again.

If we say that today was the first time that she did speak ambiguously, leading Chen Yurong to think too much and thus causing Chen Yurong to misunderstand Xu Shuhe, then this time, it can be regarded as playing the victim and confusing right and wrong.

After these words, in Chen Yurong's mind, Xu Shuhe became a scheming and cunning person. She was very sharp-tongued and she bewitched her brother Chen Zhiwei into obeying her orders. She also spread rumors and fanned the flames to make her father Chen Huaiqian stand on her side. She repeatedly slapped Feng in the face. She was a woman with a kind face but a black heart.

Even before finishing her lunch, Chen Yurong wanted to rush to Fuyunju to ask Xu Shuhe for an explanation.

Of course, Feng would definitely stop him.

This is exactly the effect she wanted. What if Xu Shuhe met Chen Yurong again and ruined her plan? Then what would be the point of putting in all the effort?
After lunch, Chen Yurong was sent back to her husband's home.

After sending the people away, his face turned cold. "Fortunately, this idiot is still here, otherwise that little bitch of Xu would have been so proud. I don't know what's wrong with this third brother. Although he used to be dull, he always listened to and did whatever I said. But since Xu came into the family, he has become distant with me, as if he was drugged."

"It is said that a man forgets his mother after marrying a wife. Many mothers and sons are like this. Don't say that you and the Third Young Master are not blood relatives. From what I see, some people are born cold-hearted. Now that they are newly married, they will naturally obey their new wife in everything. If they get tired of her in the future, there will be no Xu to cry for her parents." Mother Qiu said from the side.

After hearing this, Feng's expression softened a bit.

He picked up the teacup and took a sip before continuing.

"Under normal circumstances, I wouldn't be afraid of a teenage girl, but now that the third son has married, the Zhou family still has half of the dowry to give to the third son. The Xu family will definitely not watch such a large sum of money fall into someone else's pocket. We have to think of a way."

The Zhou family she mentioned was Chen Zhi’s biological mother’s family.

"It's all Chunliu's fault." Mother Qiu showed disdain. "We finally found out that Mrs. Xu had a heart disease, and we prepared things for her, but she didn't do it. If Mrs. Xu had been ill when she came home, she wouldn't have the energy to do all these things."

Feng also had a cold face, "Yes, as long as she pretends to be pitiful enough and coaxes Xu into drinking her concubine tea, now that the mistress is ill in bed in the third room, she will be promoted to a regular concubine. Aren't good days coming?" "She is stupid and unlucky. It would be fine if she just suffered, but she also ruined the lady's plan." Mother Qiu said.

Hearing this, Feng waved her hands irritably.

"Okay, it's useless to bring this up now. I have to think of another way. The master agreed to let the Zhou family take back the dowry in order to make me his wife. They have been holding on to it tightly for so many years. Otherwise, when the eldest daughter gets married, I can take half of it. That half will go to Chen Yurong, who is getting married, and the remaining half must not go to the third child. Otherwise, what's the point of me raising them so hard?"

Floating Cloud Residence.

After Chen Zhi left, Xu Shuhe had some free time and was talking to Xinyue in the house. Not long after, he heard faint sounds of quarreling in the yard outside.

"What's going on outside? Go and take a look." Xu Shuhe glanced out the window and didn't see anyone, so he gave the order.

Xinyue nodded and walked out quickly.

After a while, he came back and said with a smile, "Young Madam, it was Tinglan who was arguing with someone. There were so many people against her that she was crying in anger. The gatekeepers, Mrs. Wang and Xiaolian, were also being bullied."

"What's it for?" Xu Shuhe raised the corners of his lips, looking like he was listening to gossip.

Xinyue snorted, "Why else? Ever since you asked me to spread the news of withholding the reward money, Wang Po and Xiaolian have been disliked by other people in the courtyard. Today, others talked about them again. Tinglan acted like a maid and wanted to be in charge, so she was scolded together."

After hearing this, Xu Shuhe had an idea in his mind and immediately gave the order.

"Go and call Tinglan to see me."

Although Xinyue was confused, she did as she was told immediately.

When Tinglan was brought in, her eyes were still red. She thought she was going to be scolded, but unexpectedly Xu Shuhe started talking right away.

"You have been wronged."

"Young Madam." Tinglan looked up, a little surprised.

Xu Shuhe acted gentle, "I am young and cannot control people, but there must be rules in this courtyard. It is only right for you to manage it for me today. Since you are the head maid, you should be in charge. Okay, don't cry. I have a pair of new earrings here. They look good on you. You can wear them."

"Thank you, Madam!" Tinglan was overjoyed and bowed immediately. "In the future, I will do my best to help Madam control the people in this courtyard!"

Faced with her being so "sensible", Xu Shuhe also showed relief, said a few nice words, and sent her away.

Finally, he asked Xinyue to call Meixiang, who was also a head maid, in.

Meixiang entered the room and bowed first, "This servant greets the young lady."

"Get up." Xu Shuhe said calmly, "I called you here because I have something to ask you. I remember when I recognized your face last time, you said that you used to work at the farm and were transferred to the mansion last year. You are also a servant of the mansion, is that right?"

Meixiang nodded first, then showed a little hesitation and thought for a moment before speaking.

"My mother used to serve the former Madam. After she passed away, the current Madam became the legal wife, and my mother was transferred to work at the manor. The conditions at the manor were not as good as those at the manor, so my mother used her connections and made arrangements everywhere to send me to work at the manor. Now that I can serve you, the Third Young Master's Madam, I have also spent money to make arrangements."

(End of this chapter)