Jiapingguan Chronicle

Chapter 2769 Madam Shi 9.0
"Huh?" Jin Miaomiao looked at Shen Cha in confusion. "This... shouldn't be that bad, right? Which family doesn't have a transition between generations? Which family doesn't have internal power struggles? I've never seen any family that went through these things and then got ostracized and isolated by other families, right?"

“That’s right!” Xiao Fengqi nodded. He didn’t quite understand either. Looking at the smiling Chu Han, he said, “The Shi family and the Xiao family are related by marriage. Before the previous dynasty purged the powerful clans in the north, the two families frequently intermarried. So I know a little about them. Although their family traditions aren’t exactly upright, to be honest, they’re quite loyal to their friends and associates. You won’t find yourself being easily dismissed when someone comes to them for help. As long as it’s within their power, they will definitely help.”

“I agree with that,” Chu Han nodded. “The Shi family has its flaws, but when Madam Shi was still alive, she established a rule: to help anyone who can. During the interrogation of Mian and the Tanuki Project, the Shi family members also mentioned this. They said it was a rule set by Madam Shi, mainly because some of their businesses weren't doing well, and they wanted to accumulate good karma for themselves and the Shi family as much as possible. They all kept this rule in mind, so…” He saw the incredulous expressions on Xiao Fengqi and Jin Miaomiao's faces and smiled, “It sounds very contradictory, doesn't it?”

"Hmm!" Xiao Fengqi nodded. "It's strange, I can't quite put my finger on it."

"What's so strange about that?" Qi Zhifeng finished his dinner and soup, put the bowl on the table, wiped his mouth, and said, "Look at those who enshrine Buddha statues at home and frequently stay in temples for days on end; most of them aren't kind people. Of course, I'm not saying kind people don't worship Buddha or go to temples to pray, but..." He thought for a moment, then looked at Shen Cha, "Does Sister Xiao Cha understand what I mean?"

“I understand, I empathize deeply, so I don’t find it very contradictory. They are just that contradictory,” Shen Cha said coldly, her face grim. “On one hand, they commit countless evil deeds, and on the other hand, they frantically worship Buddha, believing that this will bring them protection.” She looked at Xiao Fengqi, who was looking at her. “You should have searched their residences and their bodies. Was the smell of incense and candles very strong? Did they have a Buddhist shrine in their homes? Did they have any very valuable-looking prayer beads or something from the temple that they seemed to handle frequently?”

Xiao Fengqi didn't understand what Shen Cha was saying at first, but when he saw Jin Miaomiao and Qi Zhifeng winking at him, and combined with Shen Cha's current expression, he immediately understood.

"Hmm," he thought for a moment, then shook his head slightly, "I didn't go myself, so I'm not entirely sure. So, they believed it too?"

“Extremely devout.” Shen Cha sighed. “Look at them, they’ve done so many bad things, you could say they’re utterly wicked, yet when facing Buddha, they still hope for protection. That’s because they know that what they’ve done will bring them divine retribution and a terrible end, so they try to accumulate some merit through devout worship. It’s a pity,” she spread her hands, “it’s completely useless, isn’t it?”

“That’s true.” Xiao Fengqi nodded. “If that’s how you put it, then I understand. The Shi family thinks the same way. They still want to do shady business, but they also want to accumulate good deeds when necessary. In their view, there is no conflict between the two; on the contrary, it is a very reasonable arrangement.”

"Yes."

Chu Han and the Third Grandfather did not participate in the children's conversation. Instead, they watched Shen Cha with great concern, ready to intervene if anything seemed amiss.

Fortunately, everything was calm, and Shen Cha's reaction was normal, so the two of them breathed a sigh of relief. "On another note, after all they've done, it's not like no one will come to the banquet, right?" Jin Miaomiao saw Chu Han and the Third Grandfather gesturing to her and quickly steered the conversation back on track. "Besides, the Shi family is a large family with many members, a lot of relatives and friends, at least a dozen or so, if not twenty. Aren't any of them going?"

“It’s not that kind of banquet, but the kind for literati.” Shen Cha was both amused and exasperated by Jin Miaomiao’s expression. “Like chrysanthemum appreciation banquets, tea tastings, wine tastings, or the ‘winding stream party’ and the like. As for the banquets you mentioned, which are all for women, many people still attend those.” She sighed softly. “Scholars have a lot of intricacies, and sometimes I don’t really understand their thinking.”

"Grand Uncle?" Jin Miaomiao looked at Chu Han. "Why is that?"

"What's so hard to understand? Who would sell their own property during the handover of the family headship?" Chu Han sneered. "Generally speaking, they would either split up the family or run away before doing this. Those scholars are particularly good at assessing the situation. They are afraid of getting involved with even the slightest person or thing that might damage their reputation before they enter officialdom. Therefore, in the face of such an uncertain situation, they will only choose to protect themselves."

"This..." Jin Miaomiao shook her head helplessly. "It's a bit hard to explain. Although it's hard to judge whether what they're doing is right or wrong, it's certainly their usual practice, and they are indeed very good at doing it."

“That’s right.” Shen Cha nodded. “It was about three or four years after Madam Shi passed away that the Shi family slowly recovered.”

"By this time, the Shi family had gradually accumulated some wealth through sleeping, and later went back to their old ways, but they didn't dare to be as blatant as when Madam Shi was alive." Chu Han sighed and looked at Shen Cha, "Does she despise her very much?"

"I find it utterly despicable that she does this kind of business. She's already rich and famous enough, yet she still chooses to do such heinous things." Shen Cha sneered. "Besides, from all perspectives, isn't it normal for me, as a victim, to despise her?"

"That's true!" Chu Han nodded, glancing at Xiao Fengqi and Jin Miaomiao, who seemed lost in thought. "What are you two thinking about now?"

“How pitiful, pathetic, and hateful this Madam Shi! All her changes are related to her husband keeping a mistress. If that hadn’t happened, perhaps none of this would have happened.” Jin Miaomiao and Xiao Fengqi exchanged a glance, both feeling helpless. “But there are no ‘ifs’ in this world. After all, it’s impossible for a man from a noble family who is her equal to marry into the family, right? Unless she’s lucky enough to meet a man from a fallen noble family who is willing to marry into the family, but even then, there’s no guarantee that he will be with her for life.”