“You…” Su Qingyan was rendered speechless by her retort.
But she quickly composed herself.
Although the Shen family was currently just a small merchant household that couldn’t afford such luxuries, after the great drought, Shen Hongxing would become the Imperial Merchant, amassing wealth from across the land.
Her eldest brother Shen Pengcheng would be appointed Prime Minister, standing above all but one.
Her second brother Shen Pengxing would rise to Protector-of-the-Nation General, commanding all military forces.
Her third brother Shen Pengjie would control the copper mines, holding Da’an’s economic lifeline in his hands, and she herself would become the Empress who would mother the nation.
When that time came, she would have an entire imperial jewelry workshop crafting accessories for her—what couldn’t she have?
She swiftly removed all the hair ornaments and threw them at Shen Yanxi. “Take them! Have them all! Who wants your worthless trinkets?”
Just as Shen Yanxi moved to avoid them, Su Qingyu swiftly reached out and deftly caught every piece Su Qingyan had thrown.
Including the two fragile emerald jade bracelets—all landed securely in his palm.
After catching them, he turned anxiously to Shen Yanxi. “Little sister, are you alright?”
Shen Yanxi was momentarily taken aback, unaccustomed to Su Qingyu’s intimate address and concerned attention.
Recovering, she smiled faintly. “I’m fine.”
Witnessing this, Su Qingyan was so enraged her nails dug into her palms.
That brute Su Qingyu—after over a decade in the Marquis Family, he’d never shown her such care.
What made Shen Yanxi deserve it?
She snapped furiously, “Can you leave now?”
Shen Yanxi looked at her and shook her head slightly. “No.
Your clothes were also bought by the Marquis Family.”
Cloud-shadow gauze wasn’t cheap—she wouldn’t let the Shen family benefit from it for free.
Nearby, Shen Hongxing had already been heartbroken watching Su Qingyan return those glittering jewels.
Their family ran small-scale trade—at best moderately wealthy—and those returned gold accessories alone were worth a year’s earnings.
Especially during this famine year with the severe drought, money was hard to come by.
Hearing Shen Yanxi now demand Su Qingyan strip off her clothes,
Shen Hongxing couldn’t hold back. He stepped forward sternly. “Don’t go too far! The Marquis Family raised Qingyan, and we raised you.”
Shen Yanxi shot him a sidelong glance. “Oh? Did you really raise me? Should I settle accounts with you too?
Those shop managers currently in the stores were all trained by me.”
Her last remark was a clear threat.
Implying that those managers still answered to her—she could build the Shen family’s business up, and she could just as easily bring it down.
“You…” Shen Hongxing was also fuming, pointing at her. “Ungrateful wretch! Truly an ungrateful wretch!”
Shen Yanxi sneered. Could she be more ungrateful than them?
The memory of her past life—limbs severed, tongue cut out, eyes gouged, being gnawed by rats in a jar—still clung to her like maggots burrowing deep.
The only reason she hadn’t immediately torn these Shen family beasts limb from limb was because they were in the capital, where laws and constables existed.
Murder was illegal, and she cherished this life dearly.
Though hopping mad, Shen Hongxing still ordered a maid nearby, “Take her inside to change her clothes!”
Shen Yanxi watched Su Qingyan’s retreating figure and leisurely added, “This Cloud Shadow Gauze costs one tael of gold per chi. If you damage even a single thread, you’ll have to compensate for it!”
Su Qingyan had originally planned to take off the dress, cut it to shreds, and throw it back at Shen Yanxi. But after hearing those words…
Su Qingyan soon emerged wearing a change of clothes—garments that belonged to Shen Yanxi.
As she stepped out, she couldn’t resist complaining, “This fabric is so coarse. Is it even fit for humans to wear?”
But when she stood before Shen Yanxi, she immediately suppressed her grievances, adopting a haughty demeanor as she tossed the Cloud Shadow Gauze ruqun into Shen Yanxi’s arms. “Here, prisoner!”
Just as she was about to turn away, she suddenly remembered something.
Swiveling back, she glared at Shen Yanxi and declared, “I’ve returned everything that belongs to the Marquis Family. Now it’s your turn to give back everything that belongs to our Shen Family! Take off those clothes you’re wearing!”
With these words, Su Qingyan’s eyes gleamed with triumph.
They were in the Shen residence—she had spare clothes to change into, but Shen Yanxi did not.
If Shen Yanxi were to undress in broad daylight, in front of so many people, even if only removing her outer garments…
The rumors that would spread…
Along the journey, who knew how many lustful men it would attract.
She stared at Shen Yanxi’s face, as exquisite as the Marquise’s, and thought that perhaps Shen Yanxi could survive the exile by working as an unlicensed prostitute.
In her previous life, when she fell ill during the exile, those wretched Su family members claimed they had no money for her treatment, only putting on a hypocritical show of weeping by her bedside.
If in this life Shen Yanxi could earn her way to the exile destination by selling her body, then she would have shown her a clear path—done her a great favor.
After all, saving a life is a greater merit than building a seven-story pagoda!
Shen Yanxi looked at Shen Hongxing as if she had heard a joke. “Are you certain you want me to return these clothes I’m wearing?”
Of course, Shen Hongxing wanted her to return them.
But her tone made them hesitate.
Shen Hongxing forced a facade of dignity and snorted coldly, “Return what? Despite our father-daughter relationship, you may be heartless, but I cannot be unjust. Keep them on!”
Shen Yanxi cast an icy glance at Shen Hongxing, the corners of her lips curling slightly. She then turned and courteously bowed to Liu Bantou. “Liu Bantou, I have settled all my matters. We may depart now.”
As she spoke, she took the bundle of jewelry that Su Qingyu had wrapped up—items Su Qingyan had removed—and handed them all to Liu Bantou.
“Liu Bantou, the world is turbulent these days, and the journey to Shachang is long and treacherous. I humbly request your watchful care along the way.”
Liu Bantou had already been covetous upon seeing so much gold earlier, thinking about how he could slowly acquire it during the trip.
He hadn’t expected the Champion Marquis’s daughter to be so perceptive. Beaming, he accepted the bundle. “Easy to say, easy to say…”
Shen Yanxi offered a faint smile and bowed once more before rising to follow the Su family and the officials out.
Su Qingyan watched Shen Yanxi’s departing figure, gnashing her teeth in fury. “You wretch! Let’s see how long your arrogance lasts!”
With the great drought plaguing the land, refugees were everywhere—desperate, ghost-like figures who would lose all reason for a bite to eat.
In this life, let Shen Yanxi fully experience the hell she herself had endured in the last!
Shen Yanxi held her posture ramrod straight. As she stepped out of the Shen residence, she couldn’t help but glance back one last time.
Her pitch-black eyes were filled with overwhelming hatred.
The day she returns will be the day Shen Jia descends into hell!