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

Songhe Hall of Shen Mansion.

Old Madam Shen sat on the Luohan bed in the main hall. Shen Chuning knelt at her feet, crying until she almost fainted. "Grandma, are the rumors outside true?"

Madam Shen patted Shen Chuning's back lovingly and said, "Hurry up and get up. Whether the rumors are true or not, they are all things of the previous generation. You just need to be a good young lady of the Shen family."

Old Madam Shen had originally suspected that the initial rumors were the work of Shen Chuning, but seeing her sad expression today, it didn't seem like she had known about this for a long time.

"But they all say that Dad has other children. An Ning is no longer the only girl in the Shen family. From now on, the love of grandparents and brothers will be divided equally."

Madam Shen shouted sternly, "Whoever is so blind as to talk nonsense in front of you, don't worry, your grandparents and brothers will not lose a bit of their love."

Shen Chuning pretended not to understand what Old Madam Shen meant. "So, does that mean Aning will always be the only daughter of the Shen family?"

Old Madam Shen looked around and said, "You are so old, but you are still so willful. It is impossible for the Shen family to always have only you as a girl. What if one day your two aunts or your mother give birth to a sister, or one of your brothers has a daughter, will you be jealous?"

Shen Chuning sneered in her heart. She kept talking about Shen Jingwan, but Old Madam Shen insisted on diverting the conversation to the child who was still nowhere to be seen.

"Grandma knows that Aning is talking about Dad's daughter outside." Shen Chuning did not give Madam Shen a chance to change the subject.

"Then what does Xiaojiu Aning want to do?" asked Old Lady Shen.

"Aning doesn't want dad's other women and children to appear in the Shen Mansion." Shen Chuning said firmly.

Madam Shen gently stroked Shen Chuning's hair and said, "Okay, Grandma promises you that we won't let them come back for now."

Shen Chuning knelt straight up instantly. "Temporarily? Why temporarily? It means they might come back in the future, right?"

Old Madam Shen's face turned cold. "Chu Ning, don't be willful. Even if your father was wrong, the child is still a child of the Shen family. She is also your half-sister. How can you bear to let her wander around outside?"

Shen Chuning was about to cry, her face wrinkled in grievance, "As expected, now that she has another granddaughter, grandma has become estranged from An Ning and has started scolding her."

Shen Chuning started to make a fuss, "Grandma said she won't take me back for the time being, and she also said she can't let my sister live outside. What do you want?"

Old Madam Shen couldn't tell Shen Chuning that she would have to wait until Xiangxue gave birth to a son before taking Shen Jingwan back as a legitimate daughter. She could only use Xiangxue's words to prevaricate, "Jingwan is lost now. When she is found, she will naturally be taken back. Ah Ning, please stop being so willful, okay? You used to complain that you had no playmates, so you entered the palace as a study companion. Now that you have sisters at home, shouldn't you be happy?"

Shen Chuning pouted, "If An Ning accepts my sister, grandma must agree to one condition of An Ning."

Seeing that Shen Chuning accepted Jing Wan, Old Lady Shen agreed without thinking: "Okay, as long as Grandma can do it, I will definitely agree to Xiaojiu."

"An Ning's house is still lacking a head aunt. An Ning wants Aunt Qixia to go to Ning Feng Zhai."

Madam Shen refused, "No, Qixia made a mistake and has been demoted to a third-class maid. How can we allow her to be the head aunt of Ningfengzhai? This would completely violate the rules of our Shen Mansion. If you want a head aunt, Grandmother will choose another one for you."

Shen Chuning stared at Old Madam Shen and said word by word, "What are the rules of the Shen Mansion? Isn't it the rule of the Shen Mansion that a man can only take a concubine when he is forty and has no children? According to what Grandmother said, Dad is only in his early thirties this year. It might not be appropriate for him to have a concubine or a concubine's daughter in the mansion."

Old Madam Shen widened her eyes and asked in disbelief: "Xiaojiu, are you threatening grandma?"

Shen Chuning lowered her eyes and asked hesitantly, "Grandma, you're joking. Ah Ning doesn't understand what threats are. I'm just feeling uncomfortable because I suddenly have a concubine sister."

Madam Shen retorted, "This matter has not yet been finalized, why are you asking about my concubine's younger sister?"

Shen Chuning smiled with her eyebrows curved, "If she doesn't return to the Shen family, she will naturally not be a concubine's sister."

Old Madam Shen was speechless. She had originally wanted to fight for Jingwan's title of legitimate daughter.

"Qixia was beaten with a few boards today, and I don't know what her condition is now. Let her go back to Ningfengzhai with you when she can get out of bed." Old Lady Shen waved her hand.

Shen Chuning thanked him and left Songhe Hall.

Shen Chuning didn't wait for Qixia to get out of bed, but directly asked Birui to call a sedan chair and carry Qixia back to Ningfengzhai.

Cuiwei cleaned up a room specifically for Qixia, right next to her and Birui's room.

Shen Chuning came to see Qixia with some medicine. Qixia was lying on the bed with her hair loose and her face pale.

She saw Shen Chuning coming in and wanted to get up and salute Shen Chuning, but Shen Chuning quickly trotted over and held her down, "Aunt Qixia, don't get up."

"This was given to me by the Empress Dowager and Concubine Hui in the palace when I injured my foot a while ago. It is very effective in treating external injuries. I'll have Birui and the others apply it to you later." Shen Chuning said, placing the two bottles of medicine in her hand on the head of Qixia's bed.

Qixia's eyes were red and tears welled up in her eyes. "I don't know how to thank you, young lady."

Shen Chuning wiped the tears from Qixia's face. "Aunt Qixia, An Ning took you here without your consent. I hope you can forgive me. If Aunt Qixia doesn't want to stay in Ningfengzhai, I will find a good place for you after you recover from your injuries."

"Qixia is so happy to be able to work in Ningfengzhai that I can't wait to dislike it." Qixia hurriedly expressed her loyalty.

"Then Aunt Qixia can rest assured in Ningfengzhai. From now on, you will be the head aunt of Ningfengzhai."

"Thank you for your kindness, Miss, but... I am yours now and should be loyal to you. But if you ask me about the old lady, I will definitely not tell you." Qixia said hesitantly.

Shen Chuning smiled calmly, "It's because of Aunt Qixia's behavior that Aning is confident in letting you be the head aunt of Ningfengzhai. If you were the kind of person who would betray your master at the slightest injustice, Aning wouldn't dare to use you."

Just as Shen Chuning had settled Qixia, Old Madam Shen took Xiangxue into the house.

Not as a concubine, nor as a co-wife, but as a maid.