"Make way, make way! Oh my, our little darling is back! Let me see him/her!"
"grandmother."
Upon hearing the sound, Shen Rong immediately darted out from among the surrounding servants, threw herself into the old woman's arms, and called out coquettishly.
This old woman is named Liang Wei. She is Shen Wansan's mother and Shen Rong's grandmother.
The old woman looked at her carefully, then touched Shen Rong's cheek and said with heartache:
"You've lost weight. Our little darling has been suffering on the outside."
Upon seeing Hu Chunxue, the stunningly beautiful woman who was supporting the old woman said, "Young Master Hu, what brings you to my Shen residence today?"
Upon hearing the stunningly beautiful woman speak to her, Hu Chunxue humbly replied:
"Miss Shen just happened to be back. I ran into her on my way here, so I brought her back."
In front of this stunningly beautiful woman, Hu Chunxue dared not call Shen Rong by her nickname.
"Rong'er, who are these people?"
The stunningly beautiful woman nodded, her gaze turning to Li Boyang and Liu Bowen, who stood quietly to the side, a hint of doubt in her eyes, for she did not recognize the two men.
While the stunning woman was sizing up Li Boyang, Li Boyang was also looking at her, thinking to himself, "No wonder Shen Rong is so beautiful. This woman in front of me is probably Shen Rong's mother. It's all genetics." When he saw her looking at him, he nodded in acknowledgment.
Shen Rong said with lingering fear, "They are my teachers and classmates. I am so grateful to them for escorting me back. Otherwise, Mother, you would never have seen Rong'er again."
This woman is Shen Rong's mother, named Zhao Qin.
"Go back to your work, stop hanging around here."
With just one sentence from Zhao Qin, the servants who had been surrounding Shen Rong immediately scattered, revealing the imposing presence of the Shen family's mistress.
After the servants left, Zhao Qin said again:
"So they are Rong'er's teacher and classmate. My husband just happened to be out today and hasn't returned yet, so I apologize for the neglect."
In this era, women were not allowed to receive guests casually, which is why Zhao Qin said she was being neglected.
Li Boyang replied calmly, "You're too kind, Madam."
"I'll have the servant take you to the living room first, and then have someone prepare some light wine for you. Your husband should be back soon."
"Then I'll have to trouble you."
Led by a servant, Li Boyang arrived at a living room specifically for receiving guests.
Meanwhile, Shen Rong went to another place with Zhao Qin, and the mother and daughter obviously had a lot to talk about.
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Chapter 123 Liu Bowen's Heart Fluttering
*** Outside the Shen residence.
A horse-drawn carriage is slowly approaching.
The driver was an old servant in his fifties. Although he was dressed as a servant, his clothes were made of the finest silk from Jiangnan, making him look nothing like an ordinary servant.
He was Shen Wansan's head steward, named Fu Xin, while the person sitting in the carriage was naturally Shen Wansan.
"Sir, that Zhang Shicheng is getting more and more greedy. Today he asked us for money again. We've already thrown so much money into his pocket."
Fu Xin sat in the carriage, looking somewhat depressed, and occasionally slapped the horse's rump hard with his whip.
Shen Wansan, inside the carriage, was clearly not in a good mood either, his face full of worry, but he still said, "Fuxin, you can't calculate things like that. This kind of business is different from the deals we're doing now."
Indeed, what Shen Wansan is doing now is betting on the various feudal lords. If the person he chooses eventually becomes the master of the world, the rewards will be far more than just those of a merchant. However, if he fails, the consequences will be severe; the destruction of his family and the death of his people will be the least of his worries.
However, Zhang Shicheng has indeed gone too far lately, constantly borrowing money from him under the guise of grain and fodder, as if it were a bottomless pit. Shen Wansan's money didn't come from thin air, and if this continues, even he might not be able to support himself.
If this situation becomes unsustainable, all the initial investment will be wasted. Not only that, but it could also offend Zhang Shicheng and invite retaliation from him. Shen Wansan is indeed in a difficult position now.
Shen Wansan's words clearly did not convince Fu Xin, who said with a worried look, "Master, in my opinion, Zhang Shicheng is an insatiable ingrate. I'm worried that we may have made the wrong bet."
Fu Xin had been a servant of the Shen family since Shen Wansan started his career. Over the course of more than a decade, his insight and experience had been honed to a level far beyond that of ordinary people.
In fact, he wasn't wrong. Zhang Shicheng did not ultimately seize power; it was Zhu Yuanzhang who became the chosen one.
Inside the carriage, Shen Wansan fell into deep thought, muttering to himself:
"Don't put all your eggs in one basket; perhaps you're right."
Before they knew it, the carriage had arrived at the gate of the Shen residence.
"Master is back."
"Master doesn't know yet, but my sister has already gone home."
The gatekeeper's servants brought a carriage to greet them and helped Fu Xin and Shen Wansan down from the carriage.
"Oh, Rong'er is back."
Upon hearing the news of Shen Rong's return, Shen Wansan, who had been looking worried, finally showed a hint of joy.
"Hurry up and enter the manor. This girl has only returned twice in two years. I wonder how long she will stay this time."