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

Yun Zian only stayed in the capital for four days before hurriedly returning to Jinling.

When he left, he took away Shen Chuning's 80,000 taels of silver notes, and also took away the little beggar, Shen Shi, whom Shen Chuning had rescued a few years ago.

Yun Zian said that he would personally arrange for Shen Shi to work in the Yun family bank, and at the same time would not interfere with his freedom and he could leave at will.

I don’t know what Shen Jingwan and Yun Yan were planning. They whispered to each other for a long time before they parted.

……

New Year's Eve came in a blink of an eye. After the Shen family had their reunion dinner, Old Lady Shen said she was tired and asked each family to go back to their own courtyard to stay up all night.

Shen Chuning didn't want to go back to the third room, so Shen Chengliu dragged her to the second room to stay up all night.

"Xiaojiu, do you have any New Year's wishes? Tell me and I will help you realize them." Shen Chengliu asked Shen Chuning while peeling an orange beside the charcoal brazier.

Shen Chuning ate peanuts while thinking, "I don't want my father anymore. He hasn't been coming home lately. I guess he's got another mistress outside."

Mrs. Shen, who was drinking water, choked and started coughing violently.

Shen Chuning quickly put down the peanuts in her hand and stood up, running to Madam Shen Er and patting her back, "Aunt, are you okay?"

Madam Shen Er took a moment to calm down before pulling Shen Chuning's hand. "You are so young, what do you know? You are talking nonsense."

Shen Chuning exaggeratedly said, "I'm not talking nonsense. My father's recent behavior is exactly the same as when he was supporting Aunt Xue. He doesn't come home until late at night every day, and he looks listless when he comes back."

Shen Chengliu asked, "Then how can you be sure that your father has a mistress? Maybe he is just too busy with official duties."

He didn't think that his third uncle was keeping a mistress. After all, the incident with Aunt Xue had caused chaos in the mansion for a while, and they had just settled down. How could he possibly keep another one to cause trouble for himself?

Shen Chuning curled her lips and said, "Busy with official duties? Sixth brother, see if what you said can convince yourself. It's obvious that you don't have a clear understanding of your third uncle. Is my father some great regent? Will the court stop functioning without him?"

"Could it be possible that he went out for drinks with colleagues? It's normal for colleagues to get together during the New Year period."

"Drinking? Drinking wine is more like drinking wine." Shen Chuning patted Shen Chengliu's shoulder and said, "Sixth brother, you don't understand this. Concubine Yun is pregnant, and the first three months are the most critical time, so my father..."

"Third uncle has no mistresses, nor does he indulge in extravagant drinking." Shen Chengwu interrupted Shen Chuning hastily. He was afraid that if he was any later, Shen Chuning would say something shocking again.

Madam Shen Er glanced at Shen Chuning and said, "Xiaojiu, you should stop reading storybooks. What have you learned every day?"

Shen Chuning stuck out her tongue at Mrs. Shen Er and said "I know", but what she was thinking in her heart was that every time she brought back a new storybook, her second aunt was happier than anyone else.

After Shen Chuning finished replying to Second Madam Shen's words, she quickly turned to Shen Chengwu and said, "Fifth brother, tell me quickly, how do you know my father didn't have a concubine? You know his whereabouts these days."

Shen Chengwu covered his mouth and coughed lightly, "Do you remember there was a gambling house in Ganhua Hutong?"

Shen Chuning suddenly remembered, "How could I not remember? Back then, when I asked Sixth Brother to help follow my father, Sixth Brother insisted that my father went to Ganhua Hutong to go to the gambling house. Was he using the gambling house as a cover this time? He's been kept in that courtyard in Ganhua Hutong again? My father really is nostalgic."

Shen Chengwu explained, "I really did go gambling this time. The gambling house was originally just a cover, but I didn't expect to really get addicted to it. I'd go there whenever I had some money."

Shen Chuning patted her chest and said, "I was so scared. Fortunately, my father is poor. Even if he lost all the money he had, he wouldn't have much left. I thought my father had a mistress again and was going to give me all these illegitimate brothers and sisters. That would really give me a headache."

Shen Chengliu looked at Shen Chuning sympathetically, "It seems that gambling can't be any better?"

Shen Chuning said imaginatively, "Sixth brother, what do you say? I should have someone chop off my father's hands. That way he won't gamble anymore."

The corner of Shen Chengliu's mouth twitched. "You don't think you can't gamble without hands, do you? After all, the dealer rolls the dice and guesses the size. All you need is a mouth and shout. And with a servant beside you to collect and pay money, what else do you need hands for?"

Shen Chengwu glanced at Shen Chengliu and said, "You know a lot, don't you?"

Shen Chengliu shuddered when he saw Shen Chengwu's eyes, and quickly raised his right hand to show three fingers, "Brother, I swear I didn't gamble before. I just went in and took a look when I was following Third Uncle before. Just two glances, really."

"Fifth brother, don't interrupt. I'm discussing serious matters with Sixth brother." Shen Chuning stopped Shen Chengwu from threatening Shen Chengliu. "Sixth brother, how about I go and tell grandfather that my father is gambling and ask grandfather to break his legs?"

"How about cutting off your father's hands and feet, making him into a human pig and putting it in a jar? That way you won't have to worry about him gambling or visiting prostitutes. It will be a one-time solution and much more convenient." Shen Chengwu said slowly.

Before Shen Chuning could utter the word "OK", she was stared at by Shen Chengwu with eyes as solid as substance, leaving her speechless.

"Don't worry too much, Third Uncle has Fifth Brother to help you keep an eye on him, so nothing serious will happen. Just keep an eye on your gold and silver jewelry, and have Third Aunt keep a close eye on the storehouse. If Third Uncle can give Aunt Xue her jewelry, there's no guarantee he won't steal it again and pawn it for silver."

Shen Chuning threw a handful of peanut shells she had been saving into the charcoal brazier, which made a crackling sound. "From now on, my mother is my mother, and I am me. Let their family of five live a good life. That's better than anything else."

Madam Shen Er advised: "After all, she is your biological mother. There is no such thing as a mother and daughter holding a grudge overnight."

"Of course not, isn't that what my mother does? She treats the baby in Aunt Xue's belly like a treasure. It's not even three months old yet, but she's already prepared several sets of clothes for the baby. I think after she gives birth, my mother will even be there to take care of her during the confinement period."

"You're getting more and more outrageous." Madam Shen II glanced at Shen Chuning, "What are you going to do about Shen Jingwan? Will you let her continue to flaunt herself like this?"

Shen Chuning sighed, "She does nothing every day now, just guarding Aunt Xue. As long as she doesn't do anything wrong, there's really nothing we can do to her. She was about to be sent away because of the Huarong Pavilion incident, but unexpectedly, Aunt Xue got pregnant at this time, which saved Shen Jingwan's life."

"How is her relationship with the Sixth Princess? Does the Sixth Princess still torture her often?" asked Mrs. Shen Er.

Shen Chuning shook her head. "I don't know what kind of magic potion she poured into the Sixth Princess. The two of them are so close that they seem to be wearing the same pants."

"Fortunately, in a few months, the eldest princess will come of age and leave the palace to build her own house, and you won't have to go back to the palace." Madam Shen said worriedly.

Shen Chuning comforted her, "Even in the palace, there's nothing to worry about. The Sixth Princess doesn't dare to provoke the Eldest Princess, so Shen Jingwan naturally doesn't dare to cause trouble for me."