Shen Sangning couldn’t be bothered to maintain her smile. “Why are you so certain, sister?”
Shen Miaoyi choked back her words, putting on a mysterious expression. “I have my ways of knowing. I even know that my husband will achieve great things in the future.”
Great things?
From a spoiled, idle son of a concubine to a celebrated general with illustrious military achievements, and eventually inheriting the title of Duke of Ning—Pei Che had indeed achieved great things.
Shen Sangning admitted that Pei Che was skilled in martial arts and had some tactical sense in leading troops, but without her financial backing and networking behind the scenes, he would never have risen to the position of general in just ten years.
After all, since the death of Pei Ruyan’s grandfather, the Ningguo Duke Residence had been on a steady decline. It was only through Pei Ruyan, the Three Examination Laureate, that the family barely maintained its status in the capital’s elite circles.
As the family’s sole hope, Pei Ruyan’s untimely death, coupled with the declining health of the Duke and Duchess of Ning and a series of internal family troubles, had drained the private treasury within two years.
The speed of their downfall was unimaginable.
Meanwhile, Pei Che aspired to become a military officer. However, the Ningguo Duke Residence belonged to the literati faction and had little connection with military officials. For Pei Che to have any chance of advancement, extensive financial resources were needed to grease the wheels at every level.
Coincidentally, Shen Sangning’s privately managed businesses were thriving, providing the necessary funds to fill the gaps.
Otherwise, how could a pampered, idle young master like Pei Che, initially assigned to the infantry camp, have survived the battlefield?
He had no idea how to navigate relationships with colleagues, let alone how to curry favor with superiors.
Every time he acted impulsively, she had to clean up the mess for him.
Shen Sangning had worked tirelessly behind the scenes to facilitate Pei Che’s growth and earn Yu Shi’s trust. Yet, in Shen Miaoyi’s eyes, all she saw was the glamorous surface?
“Great things?” Shen Sangning repeated meaningfully, her eyes feigning confusion.
This “clueless” demeanor only made Shen Miaoyi more smug.
“Indeed,” Shen Miaoyi said, her voice filled with anticipation for the future. “But I can’t reveal more specifics. Divine secrets must not be leaked.”
Shen Sangning couldn’t help but laugh. “If you can’t say, then why bring it up to me?”
Hearing this, Shen Miaoyi’s eyes gleamed even brighter. With a solemn tone, she declared, “Sister, you have a merchant’s mind. If you could help me manage my business ventures, I promise I won’t treat you poorly in the future. Even if the Heir abandons you, I won’t leave you to fend for yourself.”
What nonsense!
Her scheming intentions were practically dripping onto Shen Sangning’s face!
It was no surprise that Shen Miaoyi, envious of the lucrative businesses Shen Sangning had run in her previous life, would try to imitate them.
But to have the audacity to demand that Shen Sangning manage them for her profit?
Was there anyone in this world so shameless?
Shen Sangning was curious to hear what excuse she would offer. “Why don’t you do it yourself?”
Shen Miaoyi linked arms with Shen Sangning, her tone feigning difficulty but laced with unconcealed disdain:
“Since ancient times, merchants have been looked down upon. How could a noble young lady or a lady of status personally engage in business?”
“But you’re different, sister,” Shen Miaoyi added after a pause. “Your mother came from a merchant family. You have merchant blood in you. Doing such things is only natural for you.”
These condescending words were more than Shen Sangning could tolerate.
So what if her mother came from a merchant background? Shen Sangning had never looked down on merchants, nor did she look down on herself. She certainly didn’t need Shen Miaoyi to belittle her.
“Miaoyi,” Shen Sangning’s brows slightly furrowed, her usual gentleness gone, replaced by the cool, authoritative dignity of a noble family’s jewel—
“Whether merchants or officials, all earn their living through their own labor. In comparison, those who expect handouts without lifting a finger are more deserving of contempt, don’t you think?”
Shen Miaoyi’s face instantly paled, her voice rising sharply. “Are you saying I’m begging?”
Shen Sangning remained silent, her peripheral vision catching Pei Che’s figure in the distance. Her tone was calm. “Before marriage, I addressed you as sister out of respect for my father’s face. Father treated you as his own, but you seem to have forgotten who your biological father is.”
“Whether my mother came from great wealth or humble origins as a street vendor, she was my father’s legitimate first wife. Your attempt to debate social status with me today is quite laughable.”
At these words, Shen Miaoyi’s face turned deathly pale. Pressing her lips tightly together, her shoulders trembling, she was clearly struck where it hurt most.
Shen Miaoyi’s biological father was a minor eighth-rank official surnamed Zhou.
Thus, Shen Miaoyi was originally named Zhou Miaoyi. Later, she followed her mother into a second marriage at Chengan Earl’s Mansion, eagerly changing her surname to Shen and desperately wishing she were the Earl’s biological daughter.
Now, feeling deeply humiliated, Shen Miaoyi’s eyes burned with resentment.
In this lifetime, with the marriage arrangement changed, she was already the future Duchess. She had intended to offer Shen Sangning a chance to serve her today, never expecting Shen Sangning to still put on airs!
“Sister, you’ll come to understand what you’ve missed out on today!”
In Shen Miaoyi’s memories of her previous life, Pei Ruyan never touched her until his death. This must mean he was impotent—what other reason could there be?
Shen Sangning, in this lifetime, you’re destined to endure a living widowhood followed by true widowhood!
Thinking this, Shen Miaoyi felt considerably better. “Never mind, you wouldn’t understand these things anyway, sister. But I can tell you this—the Heir will never have heirs.”
The next moment, an displeased voice suddenly came from behind—
“What nonsense are you spouting?!”
As luck would have it, Pei Che had overheard the final sentence.
Shen Sangning watched coldly as Shen Miaoyi turned around in panic, desperately trying to explain herself to Pei Che but finding no words.
Although Pei Che was a ne’er-do-well, he still respected his legal mother and elder brother at home. Not only had he never entertained thoughts of usurpation, he was actually quite proper in his conduct.
Even in the previous life with the changed marriage arrangement, Pei Che never dared cross boundaries when facing his beloved sister-in-law.
Seeing how her husband, who had been so tender with her that morning, had transformed into a different person in an instant, Shen Miaoyi was terrified and at a loss. “Erlang… don’t look at me like that, I’m so scared.”
While Shen Miaoyi lacked in other mental faculties, her ability to play coy and muddle men’s minds remained quite effective.
Sure enough, Pei Che couldn’t bear to scold her further upon seeing this. He turned to shield his beloved wife behind him,
Then bowed apologetically to Shen Sangning. “Please forgive her, sister-in-law. Miaomiao speaks without thinking. I’ll discipline her properly when we return. Please don’t tell elder brother about this.”
Though physically shorter, Shen Sangning’s authority as the elder sister-in-law was not to be underestimated.
Watching coldly as her husband from her previous life bowed respectfully to her, she felt immense satisfaction. “Second brother, you don’t strike me as someone who knows how to discipline others.”
“Cursing about heirs and disrespecting your elder sister-in-law are no small matters. But who asked Miaoyi to be my sister from different parents? Very well then—have her copy the Tao Te Ching one hundred times as punishment. That should help quiet her mind!”
Pei Che initially wanted to protest that one hundred copies was too much—it would take forever to complete. But hearing his wife about to make another imprudent remark behind him, he pulled at her and quickly agreed.
As Pei Che dragged Shen Miaoyi away, she was filled with bitter resentment!
Though she knew Shen Sangning would eventually become an abandoned wife and her defeated rival, at this moment, no one truly understood or believed her.
But one day, she would prove that everything she said was true!
Meanwhile, Shen Sangning watched the two figures recede into the distance and couldn’t help but let out a soft laugh.
“Hah.”
One lunatic.
And the other wasn’t much better.
But come to think of it, no one had ever told her how satisfying it could be to be an elder sister-in-law!
“What is my wife thinking about?”
Pei Ruyan’s deep voice gradually drew closer.
Without turning her head, Shen Sangning answered with complete honesty: “I was thinking how wonderful it is to be married to you.”