Quick, female general, I traveled through time to save my father

Chapter 347: The Mother of the Bomen Raises Her Stepson 14

Before Shen Tang finished speaking, Si Rong extended her index finger and gently tapped her forehead, with a doting smile in her eyes: "Girl, you can calculate the numbers in the account book clearly, but your little thoughts are written on your face."

As she spoke, she took out a purse embroidered with crabapple flowers from her sleeve and waved it in front of Shen Tang: "The new preserved fruit shop in the south of the city..."

"Mom is the best!" Shen Tang's eyes lit up, and he was about to reach out to take it, but he saw Sirong turn her wrist and take the purse back.

"You can go out and play, but you have to go back to school and teach Mr. Xu for a few days." Mr. Xu is the female teacher in their school, who specializes in teaching housekeeping and accounting.

It just so happened that her mother fell ill, and Sirong wanted to give her a few days off so that she could go back and see her mother.

Sirong can also teach this course, or her maids can do it, but Shen Tang’s accounting skills are also good, so let’s just recruit her as a capable man.

When Shen Tang heard that she had to substitute for a class, she immediately pouted and said in a long, coquettish voice, "Mother...! Mr. Xu's class is the most boring, and those little girls are so noisy, I can't control them!"

Sirong raised an eyebrow and slowly put the purse back into her sleeve. "Forget it then. It seems I can only enjoy the sweet osmanthus candy and apricot preserves from this preserve shop by myself."

Shen Tang watched the purse disappear with eager eyes, struggled for a moment, and finally stomped his feet in frustration: "Okay, okay, I'll go!

But…” She rolled her eyes and smiled slyly, “If they don’t obey, I won’t be as good-tempered as Mr. Xu. I will punish them if they deserve it and scold them if they deserve it. Mother, please don’t feel bad when the time comes.”

Sirong laughed and pinched her cheek: "You, as long as you don't overturn the school, you can teach me whatever you want."

Shen Junyao was silently cutting ribs on the side. Hearing this, he couldn't help but interrupt: "Mom, if you let her teach, I'm afraid she will be more noisy than if she teaches on her own."

Shen Tang immediately glared at him: "Shen Junyao! Stop ruining my plan!"

Sirong smiled and shook her head, handing the purse back to her: "Go ahead, remember to be at school at noon tomorrow, don't be late."

Shen Tang took the purse, put it in his arms happily, made a face at Shen Junyao, and ran away, leaving behind only a string of crisp laughter.

Sirong looked at her departing back and smiled helplessly and dotingly.

However, Shen Tang still didn't finish his shopping. When he just arrived at the gate, he met Wu Weibo Shen Shigen and his group who had returned from the border.

As Shen Tang stepped out of the gate, he ran into a dusty group of men. The man in the lead was a burly figure, his brow etched with a murderous look. It was his second uncle, Shen Shigen, whom he hadn't seen in years. Beside him, a young man dressed in a tight suit, his chin slightly raised, was Shen Junbao.

"Oh, isn't this Sister Pan Di?" Shen Junbao recognized her at a glance and deliberately lengthened his tone. "I haven't seen you for a few years. Why are you still so reckless?"

Shen Tang paused, rolled his eyes secretly, but put on a fake smile: "It turns out to be Junbao. It's been many years since we last met, and your mouth has become more and more annoying."

Shen Shigen frowned and said in a deep voice: "How can you talk like that? You have no manners."

Shen Tang bowed calmly, "Second Uncle, I'm fine. It's just that Junbao teased me as soon as we met, and I was just responding."

Shen Shigen snorted coldly, clearly dissatisfied with his niece's attitude. He glanced at the gate of the Shen Mansion and saw no one to greet him. His face darkened even more: "Why, I came back home and there's no one to greet me?"

Shen Tang blinked and pretended to be surprised: "Second Uncle is coming back, why didn't you send someone to deliver a message in advance? If mother knew, she would definitely come out to greet him in person."

Shen Junbao sneered: "Why are you pretending to be confused? Didn't the family hear the news of our return to Beijing?"

Shen Tang said innocently: "Jun Bao, what are you talking about? How can we women in the inner chambers inquire about the itinerary of court officials? If we inquire without permission, wouldn't we be breaking the taboo?"

Shen Shigen's face changed slightly. These words left him speechless. He snorted coldly and ignored Shen Tang.

Shen Tang stood there, watching their backs. He curled his lips and muttered quietly, "They're showing off as soon as they get back. They really think they're some big shot."

She turned around and was about to leave when she suddenly remembered something. Her eyes rolled and she turned back to the mansion. Her second uncle's sudden return to Beijing was probably not that simple. She had to tell her mother quickly.

Sirong had already heard the servants' report in the back house and had reached the front door.

Logically speaking, when Wu Weibo returned to the capital, he should have sent someone back to inform them first. This would have allowed his family to prepare and go out to welcome him.

But Sirong hadn't received any news at all. It wasn't that she really didn't know, but since there was no official notification, she was happy to pretend to be confused.

Shen Tang had just turned back a few steps when he heard a commotion coming from the gate of the mansion.

She hid behind the screen wall and peeked out, only to see Shen Shigen carefully helping a woman out of the carriage.

The woman was in her early twenties, wearing a plain white dress. She had beautiful features but looked a little sickly. When she got off the carriage, she "accidentally" stumbled and leaned into Shen Shigen's arms.

"Second Master..." The woman's voice was as thin as a mosquito, and there was a hint of timidity in it. "Have I... have I caused you any trouble?"

Shen Tang almost vomited the sweet-scented osmanthus cake he had eaten that morning. This mannerism, this tone, was exactly like the "concubine" in the opera!

Sirong had already arrived at the front yard with her companions. Seeing this scene, she paused slightly, but her face showed no sign of it. She still wore a decent smile and said, "My husband, you have worked hard on your journey. Who is this...?"

Shen Shigen coughed lightly, looking a little embarrassed but trying to remain calm: "This is Liu, the concubine I took in at the border."

Then he added, "She is weak and tired from the journey..."

Mrs. Liu immediately bowed to Sirong, her movements so weak that she seemed as if she would faint at any moment: "Mrs. Liu greets Madam..." Before she finished her words, she suddenly gasped twice, and Shen Shigen hurriedly supported her.

Shen Tang couldn't bear to watch this any longer, so he jumped out from behind the screen wall and said innocently, "Second Uncle, is this concubine ill? Do you want to see a doctor? Doctor Zhou in our house is best at treating dizziness and chest tightness. He also cured a maid who was pretending to be... ahem, a strange disease!"

Liu's face froze, and Shen Shigen's face suddenly turned dark.

Sirong glanced at Shen Tang with a warning, but said to Liu in a gentle voice: "Since you are not feeling well, you should rest first. Cuilu, take Concubine Liu to the west wing and settle her down."

After Shen Shigen and his group left, Shen Tang immediately moved closer to Sirong and said in a low voice, "Mother, it's obvious that Liu is not a good person! There must be something strange about Second Uncle suddenly bringing her back!"

Sirong looked towards the west wing, her eyes darkening slightly. "It's okay. A fox will always show its tail." She turned around and pinched her daughter's puffed-up cheek. "But you, what you said just now was too obvious."

Shen Tang stuck out his tongue: "I just can't stand her behavior!"

As the mother and daughter were talking, they heard a cry of surprise from the west wing, followed by the sound of shattering porcelain. The show seemed to be starting even faster than expected.