The cousin's family is extremely wealthy; she deserves to be a concubine.

Shen's smile faded; she couldn't very well go up and scratch that irritating Min.

Madam Min's mind started working again. "One shop for each family, and then our two households will contribute to Rong's dowry together."

Hua Sirong finally looked at Min Shi properly. This woman's brain was finally working. Otherwise, based on the previous verbal battle, how could she have managed to snatch food from Shen Shi's tiger's mouth?

Although she didn't know who leaked the news that the Shen family had acquired two prime shops, she had indeed heard about the ownership of the two shops from her father before.

In her father's mind, the He family and the Shen family each owned one shop, which was perfectly fair. It's just that instead of giving them away whole like this, each shop would receive a percentage of the profits, with her father making the lion's share.

Unfortunately, Hua's father is gone, and Hua Sirong couldn't keep such a golden goose.

Therefore, although she now lives off the Marquis's mansion, she secretly enjoys seeing Shen and her maternal family at odds.

She might not necessarily gain any advantage from the Min family, but having another opponent to check the Shen family would make Hua Sirong's mourning period more peaceful.

Although Madam Shen was happy to promote her family members, she would not back down when it came to her own interests.

If He Zhizhang were still a child, and she, as the Lady of the Marquis, still needed her maternal family to support her, then she wouldn't need Madam Min to come and make a scene to demand the shop back; she would simply hand it over with both hands.

But her son's position as heir apparent was secure, and he was to get married in a month or two. It was her family who had to curry favor with her; it was none of her business as a high-status married woman bowing her head.

Madam Shen didn't want to say these things in front of Hua Sirong, a younger generation, so she asked Granny Zhang to take her to stroll in the garden, leaving the two sisters-in-law to face off.

Madam Min: "Did my younger sister invite Rong away to say something unspeakable to me?"

Madam Shen cursed inwardly, thinking, "Sister-in-law, let's not beat around the bush. I don't care where you got this information, but since the shop has been handed over to me, and it belongs to my two wretched children, I, as their mother, will naturally protect it for them."

So even if her own mother came, she couldn't expect her to agree to give her a separate room.

However, Madam Min gave an irrelevant answer: "I went to see those two shops. One was a jewelry shop, and the other was a silk shop."

The jewelry shop is doing booming business. After all, our Shen family is my younger sister's maternal family. Mother said she wouldn't argue with you. We'll suffer a little loss for the silk shop.

As for the jewelry shop, whether you keep it to yourself or give it to Brother Zhang or Sister Zhu as part of your dowry, it's none of our business.

But the silk shop, the family will send a capable manager to take over tomorrow. If you give me the deed today, I'll take it. If you want to manage it in place of the family, Mother said that our eldest aunt will manage it for now.

Ultimately, we're all family.

Only then did Madam Shen realize that Madam Min had come today to forcibly seize the property, and was merely informing her of the situation, not to reason with her.

She had previously looked down on the Min family's behavior, but now she had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

Madam Min: "I think I won't be able to get the house deed today. I have things to do at home and need to prepare for tomorrow's trip to the silk shop, so I won't have lunch here with you, sister."

"Oh, by the way, regarding the contract, you can either send someone to deliver it to Mother directly, or I can come and pick it up another day. It's up to you."

After saying that, he turned and left, leaving Shen so angry that her liver ached.

As soon as Granny Zhang came out of the main courtyard, Hua Sirong sent her back to Qingwu Courtyard.

Therefore, when Granny Zhang entered the room, she happened to see Madam Min leaving. She didn't have time to pay her respects and only saw her cheerful figure from afar.

Hearing no movement from inside the room, Granny Zhang quickly lifted the curtain and went in to serve.

Granny Zhang: "Madam, Madam?"

Madam Shen: "Why are you back? Where is Rong'er?"

Granny Zhang pressed Shen's head down, "Miss Shen has returned to Qingwu Courtyard, so this old servant came back first."

"Hmph! She's quick on her feet."

Granny Zhang dared not respond, and she had no idea what Madam Shen and Madam Min had said in the room. They hadn't left any maids to serve them, so she was completely unaware of what was going on.

Madam Min carefully recalled what had happened earlier, as if discussing it with Granny Zhang, "Do you think if I had helped my sister-in-law get the general store in the west city from Rong-jie, she wouldn't have coveted the silk shop I had?"

Granny Zhang: ...? ? ?

After a long pause, he replied, "I'm afraid Madam Shen wouldn't be interested in the shops in the western part of the city."

Madam Shen: "Don't you think so? My sister-in-law doesn't look down on anyone, she's just insatiable."

Granny Zhang thought to herself, "You understand this principle, so why bother forcing Miss Biao to give up those worthless things she has?"

Madam Shen squinted and thought for a while, "I'm afraid the shopkeeper leaked the news."

For the first month after taking possession of the shop, Ms. Shen continued to use the original staff. However, no matter how well the managers and employees performed, she was still not at ease continuing to use them.

However, just as someone was arranged to take over, Madam Min jumped out, which shows that she had been too lenient with those people before.

Granny Zhang: "Then we really need to allocate a shop to you..." The words didn't need to be explicitly stated; both the mistress and servant understood.

Madam Shen: "If we don't want things to turn ugly, then we can only do as my sister-in-law wishes."

Granny Zhang protested, "The property deed is in Madam's hands. Does Madam Shen think she can just snatch it away?"

Madam Shen sneered, "She's just blatantly robbing us. Before, we were concerned about our reputation, so only the shopkeepers and clerks of those two shops knew about the change of ownership."

But if my sister-in-law were shameless and went around publicizing that my third brother-in-law left a prosperous shop to his wife's family and sister-in-law before he died, hoping that our two families would take care of the orphaned girl he left behind.

Do you think the people in the capital will believe me, or my sister-in-law's side of the story?

After thinking about it, Granny Zhang realized that this matter was indeed difficult to discuss. Madam Shen was concerned about her status and reputation, so she couldn't confront or argue with Madam Min. As Madam Min had said before, she had no choice but to swallow this bitter pill.

She couldn't very well disregard her family's reputation and tell any prominent figure that her sister-in-law was coveting her, a married woman's, possessions.

Whose face will be lost then?

At that time, the matriarchs of both households would not stand on her side, and might even say that she was petty and had taken something from her niece.

The more Shen thought about it, the angrier she became, but there was nothing she could do about her family.

Finally, still unwilling to give up, she pointed to Granny Zhang, gathered up the deed for the silk shop, and sent it back to the Shen residence, handing it over to Old Madam Shen.

It's better for this thing to end up in her own mother's hands than to be given to Min Shi, Shen Shi could only console herself with this thought.