Chapter 538: Coming to Scrounge?

Chapter 538: Coming to Scrounge?

This matter was also investigated by the shadow guards.

Because Lady Lu, the elder sister of Lord Yuwen, began investigating Su Youyue, she was naturally placed under the watch of the shadow guards.

When Su Youyue learned of this news, she felt disgusted too.

Which decent family would marry off their teenage daughter to a man over sixty? Master Shen and Madam Fang weren’t ashamed of being so immoral that they’d trip and fall dead while walking.

At this moment, as Su Youyue spoke of this matter, she had already regained her calm.

However, Madam Shi couldn’t calm down for a long time. Her eyes turned red again and again. After a while, she grabbed Su Youyue's hand and said, "Come, Nannan, let's go to your uncle and aunt's house. Although your uncle and aunt are struggling financially now, as long as we have food, there will always be food for you, Nannan."

Anyway, she would soon earn more money. She would rent a bigger house and make room for Nannan.

Su Youyue understood the real plight of the Bai family, so hearing Madam Shi say this touched her heart.

She had intended to repay Miss Shen's kindness and had planned to help the Bai family. Now that she saw this family was worth helping, she felt relieved.

"Don't worry, Aunt, there's no need to rush. The Shen family won't be able to marry me off in a day or two. Why don't I go with you today to see Uncle and my younger cousin."

Madam Shi readily agreed. "Your uncle and younger cousin have been looking forward to meeting you. They will be very happy if you go."

Having grown a little closer to Su Youyue, she no longer seemed so restrained. Su Youyue led her towards the exit of the Shen estate, planning to visit the Bai family.

As they reached outside the Wutong Courtyard, they ran into Shen Zhuyu and Shen Yuanyang. The maid Enduring Winter was leading a large group of servants and maids behind Shen Zhuyu.

"Big sister, where are you going?" Shen Zhuyu walked over with a bright smile. "I remembered I promised to arrange more servants for you, and today I finally had the time, so I brought them over."

Shen Yuanyang also looked at Madam Shi curiously, wondering if Shen Nannan had found some poor old woman.

Was she planning to buy more servants for the Wutong Courtyard?

It seemed that today, he and Miss Zhuyu had come at the right time, lending a hand to Shen Nannan. Perhaps, she wouldn't be so hostile towards him...

Su Youyue glanced at the servants and maids Shen Zhuyu had brought and responded indifferently, "I'm going out. You let them go to the Wutong Courtyard first. I'll arrange them when I return."

Upon hearing this, Shen Zhuyu immediately smiled and agreed, "Alright, but big sister, where are you going?"

"This lady is my aunt. I'm going to my uncle and aunt's house to visit my uncle and younger cousin. What, do you want to come too?" Su Youyue lifted her gaze and looked at Shen Zhuyu, her eyes piercing through her.

Even someone as composed as Shen Zhuyu felt a little uneasy under such a penetrating look, as if she was completely seen through.

Before she could respond, Shen Yuanyang blurted out dramatically, "Is this the Bai family that always wanted to mooch off the Shen family?"

Getting angry, he continued, "What kind of brother is that from the Bai family? Shen Nannan, how can you acknowledge him as your brother?"

Obviously, Shen Yuanyang had heard of the Bai family from Master Shen and Madam Fang, but it was clearly not in a positive light.

Moreover, there was an inexplicable hint of sourness in his tone.

Madam Shi's face gradually turned sour, and she couldn't help but retort, "What do you mean by mooching? Our Bai family has never taken a single needle from your Shen family..."

Before she could finish, Su Youyue quickly squeezed her hand, silencing her.

Su Youyue looked at Shen Yuanyang, "Shen Yuanyang, you've actually reminded me that the Bai family should indeed come to scrounge."

"Nannan, your uncle and I didn't..." Madam Shi's heart was pricked, and she hurriedly denied.

Shen Yuanyang didn't detect any hidden meaning and immediately nodded vigorously like a pecking chicken. "Shen Nannan, it's good that you know they are here to mooch off the Shen family. That kid from the Bai family can't be your brother!"

While he was still hung up on this issue, Su Youyue chuckled.

"What I meant is that the Bai family should take more from the Shen family. After all, Master Shen had the audacity to use the Bai family's money to climb the social ladder, and later he even kept the dowry that the Bai family sent over. Now, it's time to return it to the Bai family. How dare the Shen family make them come to ask for it?"

"You..." Shen Yuanyang was dumbfounded, completely unprepared for such a retort from Shen Nan.

Shen Zhuyu immediately frowned. "Big sister, you weren't aware of what happened back then. Madam Bai was divorced for committing a mistake and was sent back under the Seven Out rules. A woman in that position has no right to reclaim her dowry."

"A mistake? But I've heard there was an injustice behind my birth mother’s divorce. Moreover, how could Master Shen afford to study and buy ink and paper back then if not for the Bai family's money? Shouldn't the Shen family repay this money? Are they bullying the Bai family for having no one to stand up for them?"

As Su Youyue spoke, her voice turned cold.

"Since the Shen family is unwilling to give back, don't blame me if I take it on behalf of the Bai family in the future!"

"What does big sister mean by that?" Shen Zhuyu's voice carried an unusual tone of authority. "Are you planning to forcibly seize the family's money? If you're bitter about being penalized, you should behave obediently and not defy your parents or break the family rules. That way, how could Yuanfeng possibly penalize you?"

Su Youyue sneered. "A debtor who doesn't repay is asking for trouble when the creditor comes knocking—it's only right! What do you mean by 'stealing'? I'm just collecting debts on someone's behalf!"

Madam Shi had already been stunned into silence.

She hadn't expected her niece to be so bold in front of the Shen family... But thinking about it carefully, her niece was absolutely right.

Although she had entered the family late, she knew that back then, her elder brother-in-law's family was very poor. It was her father-in-law who provided the money for him to study and take the imperial exams, and he even married his daughter to him. Later, he passed the imperial exams and rose to prominence.

When her elder sister married Shen Wanghai, the dowry was substantial, a grand procession that Fang Shi could never match. But when her elder sister was expelled from the family, she wasn't even allowed to take more than a few clothes with her...

It could be said that the Shen family had reaped unimaginable benefits from the Bai family!

So, what do you mean by the Bai family mooching off the Shen family? Hadn't the Shen family mooched enough off the Bai family back then?!

Once Madam Shi's perspective shifted, she felt a surge of confidence and straightened her previously bent back.

Before, she always felt that every time she visited the Shen family during the Bai family's difficult times, and her elder sister helped the Bai family with arrangements, it was as if the Bai family was mooching off the Shen family, which made her feel a little less confident.

But now, she suddenly felt that her family was actually the creditor of the Shen family!

"That's right, back then my father-in-law lent quite a bit of silver to your Master Shen, and you should repay it. What do you mean by the Bai family mooching off? Debts must be repaid, that's only natural!"