Dad, open the door. I'll bring your mistress back for you.

As soon as the young masters of the Shen family left the capital, Old Madam Shen could no longer contain her inner anxiety and hurriedly called the housekeeper Shen Zong to her side.

She was sitting upright on the armchair, her expression serious. She ordered in an unquestionable tone, "Get me a carriage. I want to go to the farm outside the capital."

Hearing the old lady's order, Shen Zong did not dare to neglect it in the slightest. He quickly bowed and replied, "Yes, old lady. But I'm just asking, which manor do you want to go to this time?"

Madam Shen hesitated for a moment, pondered in her heart, and replied, "The manor at the foot of Fengming Mountain."

In fact, she originally planned to talk about the ancestral temple directly, but she was worried that if Shen Zong reported the matter to Shen Huaizhong, she might not be able to make the trip.

Fortunately, Fengming Mountain is not far from the ancestral temple, so we should be able to return home smoothly before dark.

However, to Madam Shen's surprise, Shen Zong actually spoke up, "To answer your question, Madam, a few days ago, Fengming Mountain experienced a heavy rainstorm, and a large amount of soil was washed down from the mountain. The manor is currently undergoing renovations, and it's crowded with craftsmen coming and going. If Madam were to go there now, it would inevitably disturb your peace and quiet."

Hearing this, Mrs. Shen couldn't help but frown slightly, with a hint of displeasure on her face.

But she quickly adjusted her mood and turned to Shen Zong and said, "In that case, I will go to the manor in the eastern suburbs."

Unexpectedly, Shen Zong replied respectfully again: "Old Madam, the manor in the eastern suburbs was sold by the eldest lady not long ago."

These words were like a bolt from the blue, instantly shocking Old Madam Shen so much that she couldn't close her mouth. She widened her eyes and raised her voice in disbelief, demanding, "What did you say? How dare Zhou Mujin sell off my Shen family's assets without my permission? This is simply lawless!"

Shen Zong said sincerely, "This wasn't done by the First Madam on her own, but with the Master's approval! You know, even in the hands of the Second Madam, the East Suburbs farm has been in the red for years. Fortunately, there were other businesses that could provide some subsidies. However, since the First Madam took over as the housekeeper, the other businesses are only enough to maintain a balance between income and expenditure. There really isn't any extra money left to subsidize the East Suburbs farm!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Shen felt a black screen before her eyes, her body swayed a few times, and she almost fainted on the ground.

You know, most of the people supported in the eastern suburbs village are relatives from her mother's family, the Lin family!

Back then, her father was sentenced to severe punishment of confiscation of property and exile by the imperial court for the crime of corruption.

Since then, some branches that originally depended on the Lin family lost their backing and gradually declined.

She still remembered her father's advice to her before his death, that if she had the ability in the future, she must find ways to help her relatives overcome their difficulties.

So she ordered the original farmers in the eastern suburbs to move to other villages.

In this way, this farm in the eastern suburbs became a place specifically used to settle her relatives from the Lin family's side branches.

Even Xiangxue was told to the outside world that she was picked from a farm in the eastern suburbs and brought into the mansion.

Those relatives had always relied on the power of the Lin family and had long developed a lazy and idle habit.

Later, Old Madam Shen settled them in the Shen family's farm in the eastern suburbs. With the Shen family's support, they didn't have to do anything by themselves.

When Yun Shuxuan was in charge of the household expenses, he had mentioned to her several times that he wanted to deal with the farmers in the eastern suburbs.

However, she was strongly opposed every time.

The reason she gave was always the same: "Those farmers have all served the manor well. Now they are old and enjoying their retirement at the manor. If we punish them for no reason, wouldn't it be disheartening? Moreover, if this matter gets out, I'm afraid that even the servants in the manor will be affected."

However, after Zhou Mujin took over the power of housekeeper, she completely ignored these so-called feelings.

She went to the farmland in the eastern suburbs twice and found out that these farmers were really difficult to control.

Without saying a word, she sold the entire farm along with all the farmers inside.

Although the silver earned in the end was not much, at least from then on I no longer had to add money to make up for the deficit every year.

What is ridiculous is that until this moment, the farmers are still kept in the dark and have no idea that the farm where they live has changed hands.

It can be imagined that when the autumn harvest season comes and they are unable to deliver the grain, that will be when Old Lady Shen will have a headache.

When Mrs. Shen learned that Zhuangzi had been sold, she was so angry that she trembled all over and was burning with rage.

It’s a pity that at this moment, Zhou Mujin had already left the capital. Even if she wanted to find Zhou Mujin to question him, she had no idea where to start and no way to do it!

The most important thing at present is to bring Shen Jingwan back as soon as possible.

As long as Shen Jingwan can rise to prominence one day, not only the Shen family will benefit, but the Lin family will also benefit a lot!

Madam Shen pondered for a moment and then said, "Then let's choose Fushan. I vaguely remember there seems to be a village near Fushan."

Although Fushan is a little far from the ancestral temple, as long as we successfully leave the city, all subsequent arrangements will naturally become much easier.

After all, she is the dignified old lady of the Shen family, and those ordinary servants of low status would not dare to disobey her orders.

However, at this moment, Shen Zong asked with an embarrassed look on his face: "Forgive me for being so presumptuous, but I wonder what exactly you, Madam, want to do by going to Zhuangzi this time?"

He was filled with confusion, because the old lady had not visited the manor in person for many years, but today she suddenly proposed to go to the manor.

And from the meaning of her words, it seemed that she didn't care much about which Zhuangzi it was.

Hearing Shen Zong's question, Madam Shen's face instantly darkened, and she responded unhappily, "Do I need to report everything I want to do to you?"

Seeing this, Shen Zong hurriedly explained, "It's not necessary to report to me, but if the master asks, how should I answer?"

Old Madam Shen's face was as gloomy as water, her brows furrowed tightly, and she said coldly, "Hmph! I can hardly even breathe in this mansion. I just want to go to the manor to relax. I don't know if this excuse will pass the test of our housekeeper Shen."

Shen Zong, who was standing nearby, heard this and instantly bent his back a little lower. His attitude became even more respectful, and he quickly responded, "Old Madam, you are naturally free to go to the manor as you please, but you really can't go to the manor in Fushan right now."

Before she finished speaking, Madam Shen was furious. With a "slap", she slapped the table in front of her hard, shaking the cups and plates on the table.

Her eyes widened in anger as she shouted, "How ridiculous! Is there any place in the Shen family's manor that I can't go to?"

Shen Zong raised his hand to wipe the fine beads of sweat from his forehead, and stammered to explain, "Old Madam, calm down. The thing is, Nanny Gui, who used to serve in your room, has been placed in the manor on Fushan Mountain. The master has specifically instructed that... Nanny Gui has bad behavior and you are not allowed to see her again. If you insist on going to that manor, I can only send someone to send Nanny Gui somewhere else. Once everything is arranged, I will invite you to come."

After hearing these words, Mrs. Shen's anger not only did not subside, but became even more intense.

She shook her head repeatedly, "No, no, no, each and every one of them is giving me so much worry!"

After saying that, he sat down on the chair angrily and sulked.

However, not long after, Madam Shen's eyes rolled, and a plan came to her mind. She said, "Didn't An Ning buy the manor at the foot of Shizun Mountain a while ago? I'll just go there!"