Did the third place winner regret it today?

Chapter 37

Shen Ti originally planned not to have any contact with Feng Luoyi before getting married, just to let others and herself know that he respected her.
Unexpectedly, Feng Luoyi gave him such a big "surprise".
Shen Ti returned to her own residence and thought for a while, then the maid came to report: "The master is back."
Shen Ti made a decision at this time.

"Pack my clothes and daily necessities and send them to my study in the outer courtyard," he said. "I will live there from now on."
The maid agreed and asked, "How many days do you want to stay?"
Only after knowing how many days you will be staying can you decide how to pack your clothes.
Shen Ti said: "Stay until next year."
The maid was surprised: "Ah?"

In wealthy families, the male owner's study is divided into an inner study and an outer study.
Both study rooms have the functions of entertaining guests and living. Generally, when the male owner says that he lives in the study room, he usually refers to the inner study room. Because the inner study room is more private, it is the male owner's personal area in the inner courtyard, which the wife cannot control.

The outer study is more for official business, and its living comfort is generally not as good as that of the inner study.
Shen Ti specifically said it was the "outer study", and the maid thought he was a new official who had some urgent business to deal with so he wanted to stay there for a few days. Unexpectedly, he said he would stay there until next year?
Next year? Is he going to stay there until the new young lady comes home?
But Shen Ti didn't need to explain much to the maids. He had already given clear instructions, and they just had to follow them.
He got up and went upstairs to see his father.
After completing the usual greetings, he reported on his first day at the Hanlin Academy: "The scholar said that I should get familiar with the Jade Hall for a few days before starting to work with him."
His day was actually quite ordinary, just a normal day for a young man who had just entered the government. Lord Shen didn't take it seriously either, only Madam Shen, the mother, was nervous and surprised.

Since his grandfather and grandmother passed away, there were only three people in his family. When he was in the capital, the whole family would have dinner together every day.
Madam Shen came over and called them: "The meal is ready."
Both father and son got up and went to the front to eat.
Just as he sat down and picked up the bowl, Mrs. Shen asked, "Why are you going to live in the outer study? Why do you say you will live there until next year?"
Lord Shen was surprised and looked at Shen Ti.

It was just a brief exchange of words with my father, but after a short while, my mother already knew about it.
Shen Ti just took a mouthful of rice, chewed it slowly, and slowly raised her eyes: "Since the marriage has been arranged, I think it's not good to have Feng Shi in the inner courtyard. Before getting married, I will live in the outer courtyard first."

Living in the outer courtyard is definitely not as comfortable as living in the inner courtyard. But Lord Shen and his wife were happy to see Shen Ti separated from Feng Luoyi before getting married.
Mrs. Shen wanted to speak but hesitated and glanced at Lord Shen.
Lord Shen said, "Okay."
He spoke, and the matter was settled.

Madam Shen said, "There is only a servant in the outer courtyard study. Ask Qiu Tong and Xia Yin to serve over there."
There are two maids in the inner study, but there are only servants and page boys in the outer study.
"No need." Shen Ti said, "The people coming and going in the outer courtyard are all men, and it is inconvenient for the maids to act. A servant is enough."

"The servants are rough and careless, how can they compare with the maids? They are all used to serving you, and know what you like and what you love to use."
"I have only used servants in the past few years when I was away, and I don't think there is anything wrong with it. Besides, I have only been back for a year and a half, so there is no such thing as 'usual use'. He was just temporarily moved from my mother's room to be used."

"Mother." Shen Ti wanted to solve this problem at once. "I will live in the outer courtyard before I get married. I don't need these girls. Some of them are old, so don't delay them. Those who should get married should get married. As for the rest, make arrangements for them. Mother will take care of it. No one needs to be kept."

Mrs. Shen was stunned: "Not leaving any behind? How can that be possible?"
"It doesn't work."
"Someone has to keep your yard in order."
"Then keep the younger one and disperse the rest."

Mrs. Shen couldn't accept it: "Don't talk nonsense. Who will you hire after you get married? You can't hire all of Shi Niang's people, right?"
Shen Ti: "Wait until my cousin gets married and let her choose for herself."
Although his mother was very close to him, but... he and Yin Shi had to form a united front on some things.

Madam Shen wanted to say more, but Lord Shen said, "It's just a small matter, no need to argue, we'll talk about it later."
The dispute between the two people was suppressed.
Shen Ti didn't want to argue with Madam Shen about this. This was actually a matter for the inner court. If her mother didn't want to, she could just let Yin Shi handle it when he came.
He gave her the status and life of a legal wife, so of course she also had to shoulder the responsibilities of a legal wife.
Leave the affairs of the inner courtyard to her.

Shen Ti stopped talking about it, but Madam Shen kept talking about it until bedtime: "Day after day, one thing after another, I don't know what he is thinking."
Turning around, she saw her husband leaning against the bed with a strange look on his face. Mrs. Shen blinked: "What are you laughing at?"
Lord Shen turned his face away: "I didn't laugh."

Mrs. Shen went to the bed and twisted him: "Hurry up and tell me!"
Lord Shen had no choice but to say, "You don't understand why he wanted to disperse all the maids he was using?"
Mrs. Shen was slightly startled.

Lord Shen had no choice but to say, "While I was talking to him in his room, you already knew what was going on in his courtyard."
Madam Shen was stunned, and finally came to her senses: "He, he is guarding against me?"
Lord Shen did not deny it.
Mrs. Shen felt uncomfortable: "I am his biological mother."
She didn't do anything and didn't interfere in anything. She was just concerned about Shen Ti's daily diet and daily life.
Why are you on guard against her?
Mrs. Shen felt so uncomfortable that she lay on her side, her eyes red with grievance.
Lord Shen patted her and consoled her: "The child has grown up, and it is natural for him to not want the elders to keep an eye on everything in his courtyard. It is not targeting you."
Mrs. Shen sniffed.
Lord Shen said, "This is just the beginning. When your niece comes home, she will have to run her own yard. You need to get used to it as soon as possible."
Mrs. Shen burst into tears.
Lord Shen had no choice but to say, "Think about us and my mother back then."

Lord Shen's mother suffered in exile and her health was already bad when she returned to the capital.
When Madam Shen got married, the servants in the Shen Mansion were all from different branches of the Shen family. They came from all sorts of backgrounds.
Mrs. Shen was born in a poor family and was ostracized by some women in the family. While ostracizing her, they also liked to pry into her family affairs.

Many of those servants and slaves were hereditary servants of the Shen family, with complicated relationships. Madam Shen was not only young at that time, but also of low birth, so she could not handle these people at all.
Finally, it was Old Madam Shen who dragged her sick body to help her clear up the troubles, supported her in cultivating her own confidants, and gradually managed the backyard clean and tight, protecting her own interests and privacy. Thinking of her past experiences and her deceased mother-in-law, Madam Shen wiped away her tears and heaved a long sigh.
Lord Shen asked with a smile: "Have you figured it out?"
"Yeah." Madam Shen said sadly, "Indeed, the child has grown up and he has become an official. I shouldn't ask about everything. But it's still sad to think about it."

As a mother, you give your child life, watch him grow up, and worry about him all the time. When it is time to leave gracefully, you will definitely experience this kind of feeling of loss and emptiness in your heart.

Mrs. Shen sighed for a long time, and finally accepted it calmly.
The couple were whispering in the tent.
Mrs. Shen still had to speak up for her son in front of her husband: "Look, yesterday we said we would keep an eye on him and not let him do anything before marriage. But today he thought of it himself. I didn't say anything, he just thought of it and did it himself. I didn't know about it until dinner time."

If a man cannot control himself when it comes to women, he will never achieve anything great.
Lord Shen was quite satisfied with Shen Ti's point, but he still snorted softly.
Mrs. Shen pushed him with her arm: "What else are you dissatisfied with?"

"When will he really understand that Feng is no longer the same as before?" Lord Shen said calmly.
The daughter of the Feng family is now just a government slave, but Shen Ti still treats her as a lady, and it was he who moved her out to avoid suspicion. Which young man would move himself out for a government slave?

Lord Shen did not mean to treat Feng Luoyi harshly. He just thought that Shen Ti's failure to recognize this change in identity and accept the upheaval of fate was a sign of immaturity.
Let alone from an official to a slave. You must know that more than 20 years ago, Lord Shen's father was lucky to be alive, and many officials lost their lives. What happened to their wives and daughters?
Life is like this.

Mrs. Shen understood what he meant and said, "He has just started his career. You have to give him some time. Other children of this age are still studying hard in the academy."
She paused and reminded Lord Shen: "He is no longer the same. Did you notice that today he called the daughter of the Feng family 'Ms. Feng'? In the past, he always called her 'Miss Feng'."

If Feng Luoyi knew about her fall from "Miss Feng" to "Mrs. Feng", she would probably cry again.
In a split second, he made a mistake. Although Shen Ti still had sympathy and pity for him, he eventually lost a bit of respect for her.

"Oh?" Lord Shen was finally satisfied. "Finally you have made progress."
Men believe that they can be kind mothers but strict fathers, and they want to hold grandchildren but not sons. Mrs. Shen always felt that he was too harsh on Shen Ti, even though her own son was a hundred times better than other sons.

Mrs. Shen smiled and pinched him.
Lord Shen grabbed her hand.
Both husband and wife are less than 40 years old, in the prime of their life, harmonious and happy, with a harmonious marriage and full of joy.
Now that my son has passed the imperial examination and entered officialdom, I am just waiting for my daughter-in-law to come home and give birth to my grandson.
It's really perfect.

The next day, Shen Ti returned home after class, and Madam Shen told him, "Qiutong and Xiayin are the oldest in your courtyard. They should have been married, but because of your fate last year, I picked these two steady girls to serve you. Now that you don't need them anymore, I'll arrange for them to be married off."

Shen Ti nodded and said, "I'm sorry for delaying them. Mother, please take some time to pick better people."
Madam Shen said, "You can use that. This person is originally from my side. I just lent him to you."
"As for the other older girls, there's no rush to move." She said, "Keep them for now. When the bride comes next year, let her come in person. One is to establish authority, the other is to show kindness."

Shen Ti smiled and said, "Mother really loves her niece."
Madam Shen rolled her eyes at him and said, "Let her use the others first. She came here completely clueless, so there must be a transition period. Once she is established and familiar with the situation, let her arrange the people and train them herself."

"You are also an official now. From now on, I will not ask too much about the affairs of your courtyard, nor will I interfere too much. I will leave it all to you, Madam."
Mrs. Shen had her husband's care and comfort, and her brows were at peace. But Shen Ti could still hear a hint of loss in her.
He let out a long breath and bowed deeply: "Thank you, mother."

When children grow up, they take power from their parents step by step.
Gradually I became an independent and complete self.

(End of this chapter)