The Incense Monopoly Order

Chapter 58 I Had Known My Dad Was Cuckolded

"Mingshu, when did you become suspicious of the Mu family?" After dinner, the family sat in the side hall, and Shang Jinliang, as the father, was the first to ask.

"The night when Wen Yan revealed to Dad that the Shi family wanted to collude with him to exchange tea leaves." Shang Mingshu lowered her head and took a sip of tea. It was her favorite Zhulanhua tea, exactly the same as the one Zhao Wan'er brewed that day. It must have been purchased from Liu.

"That night, Miss Mu...what unusual behavior did the Mu family have?" Shang Zishu hated herself for being angered and driven away by Miss Mu, so she asked Shang Wenshu.

Shang Wenshu thought carefully and did not notice anything unusual about Mu Xiaoniang. She silently shook her head at Shang Zishu.

Shang Zishu rolled her eyes and felt anxious.

Seeing that they were confused, Shang Mingshu simply satisfied their curiosity: "Dad was summoned to the government office in broad daylight. If she was worried, why didn't she send someone to check on us all day? And if she wasn't worried, why would she come all over us knowing we were together? She's been in the mansion for over half a year, and has she ever been so tactless?"

If they really wanted to kidnap Shang Jinliang, they should have sent someone to stop him as soon as Shang Jinliang entered the mansion, instead of suddenly appearing after Wen Yan arrived.

"Just this?" Shang Zishu was surprised.

"It's just a suspicion." Shang Mingshu is a suspicious person by nature. She does not hesitate to assume the greatest malice from everyone. She would rather be more careful to verify than be careless.

"When will you buy the kapok?" Shang Jinliang said calmly.

"One month after she entered the mansion." Shang Jinliang's hand trembled as he picked up the teacup, spilling two drops of tea. Shang Mingshu ignored it and said, "I just saw that Mu Xiaoniang was a bit ambitious, so I wanted to prevent her from becoming too ambitious and causing unrest to her aunt. If she always behaves well, Mu Mian will not harm her."

Since she was suspicious of Mu Xiaoniang, she naturally asked Mu Mian to keep an eye on her. When she heard that Mu Xiaoniang had another secret meeting with her lover and that someone seemed to have told her something during this meeting, Shang Mingshu was sure that Mu Xiaoniang was part of the conspiracy to frame them.

Shang Jinliang smiled awkwardly and explained, "Dad never suspected you."

Finally, Shang Jinliang sensed something was amiss and hesitated, "Didn't you already know that Mu was cheating on you?"

Mu Man surrendered to Shang Mingshu so early, how could he not tell Shang Mingshu Mu Xiaoniang's biggest secret and surrender?
Shang Mingshu tilted her head slightly and raised her eyebrows innocently.

"You..." Shang Jinliang couldn't help but cover his chest, his eyes as big as copper bells.

Xiao Yu pressed the corners of her lips with a handkerchief to restrain herself from laughing out loud.

Shang Zishu slowly raised the round fan, but her shoulders couldn't help shaking.

Shang Wenshu looked at her father sympathetically, then thought of herself, and a bitter smile tugged at the corners of her lips: "When did my third sister become suspicious of Wen Yan?"

"I've never liked him. He's got high aspirations." Shang Mingshu revealed her feelings towards Wen Yan in front of her family for the first time. "Last year at my coming-of-age party, he pretended to be drunk and tried to get close to me."

"What?" The four people said in unison, standing up almost at the same time, their faces full of anger.

"Third sister, why didn't you tell me earlier?" The one who was most angry was Shang Zishu. Wen Yan, this toad, not only tried to marry up to her elder sister, but he even dared to covet her younger sister!
"I'm telling you, did he make you fight with your eldest sister because of him?" Shang Mingshu chuckled. "The rift between the three of us sisters might have served another purpose for him."

Wen Yan dreamed of erasing Shang Mingshu's status in Shang Wenshu's mind. When people from the Dali Temple and the Ministry of Justice came, if Shang Wenshu had not cared too much about Shang Mingshu's opinion, Shang Wenshu would have taken out good things and asked Wen Yan to take care of them personally.

His countless attempts to seduce Shang Wenshu were shattered by Shang Mingshu without a trace. Shang Wenshu rushed in front of her sister, frightening her so much that she stood up and pulled Shang Wenshu up with force: "Eldest sister, what are you doing?"

"Third sister, it's all because of my own ignorance. I couldn't see the beast's true face and its heart, and caused you to suffer humiliation." Shang Wenshu's already remorseful heart felt like being thrown into a frying pan and was in so much pain.

She had no right to question Shang Mingshu for not telling her immediately. She knew in her heart that she had fallen for the man's sweet talk. If Shang Mingshu revealed this, her second sister would jump out and poke her in the heart. Even if she had sisterly feelings in her heart, she would be angry and have wild thoughts. And then there was Wen Yan's eloquent words...

She didn't dare to imagine the consequences.

She was shocked to realize how much of a failure she, the eldest sister who thought she was so tolerant and generous, had been. She had failed so much that her younger sister was unwilling to tell her about such a dirty thing.

"Eldest sister, am I someone who can handle a loss?" Shang Mingshu sighed softly, "I kicked him into the pond to sober him up."

Everyone in the mansion knew about this. Wen Yan fell into the pond because he was drunk, and this was the explanation Wen Yan gave to the outside world. Everyone believed it.

Shang Wenshu even personally boiled medicine and made soup for Wen Yan to nourish him. When she thought of her past self, Shang Wenshu raised her hand to slap herself, but was stopped by Shang Mingshu who noticed her intention.

"Sister, we are all erring." Shang Mingshu soothed him softly, "It wasn't a big mistake, so there's no need to dwell on it."

Shang Wenshu's eyes were filled with tears, and she choked and shook her head.

If this happened to Shang Zishu and Shang Mingshu, she would be able to let it go and comfort them, but she was the culprit and Wen Yan's accomplice, and she could not forgive herself for her past blindness.

"Stop crying." Xiao Yu came forward and hugged Shang Wenshu. "Your father, at such an old age, could still be deceived. Why are you, a young lady, so upset? The more you can't let go, the more distressed I will be and the more worried your sisters will be."

"Wow, mother—" Shang Wenshu forgot everything and threw herself into Xiao Yu's arms, crying loudly.

Shang Jinliang wanted to argue for himself, but seeing his eldest daughter burst into tears, he could only agree with his wife: "Your mother is right. Even your father was deceived. You are not the one who was deceived. It was your father who brought Wen Yan to you. It is your father who misjudged people and implicated you."

"Don't cry." Shang Zishu didn't know how to comfort Shang Wenshu, so she handed her the handkerchief. "Your crying makes me feel uncomfortable. Do you have to make me cry with you to be happy?"

Shang Wenshu nestled in Xiao Yu's arms. The warm embrace made her carefree. When she heard her family members taking turns to coax her, she felt warm and ashamed. She grabbed Shang Zishu's handkerchief, broke away from Xiao Yu's arms, turned her back and wiped away her tears.

"Mingshu, can you tell dad about family matters in the future..." Shang Jinliang felt both proud and disappointed when he thought of how Shang Mingshu had quietly accomplished such a big thing.

He was proud that Shang Mingshu had lived up to his expectations and acted like a mistress of the house, but he was disappointed that his daughter did not trust him either.

"As long as it doesn't involve Dad's concubine, I won't hide it." Shang Mingshu agreed with a smile.

Shang Jinliang's face flushed and he stammered, "Don't talk nonsense, Dad... Dad will not take concubines in the future!"

These words made the room quiet. Shang Zishu looked at Xiao Yu, who smiled coldly.

Shang Mingshu didn't believe it: "Dad is away from home, there will always be someone who will give him another beauty."

(End of this chapter)