Matriarch Rules, Scumbag Begs - Chapter 24

Chapter 24 Threatening with Life

Although the door was closed, Xia Shang still recognized the voice of the speaker: “It’s Dr. Xu! How does he know about your affairs, miss?”

She was both anxious and angry: “He has a long-standing relationship with the Shen family as a loyal servant. In the past, when he encountered difficulties, the Madam often helped him. How can he threaten the Madam like this?”

Dr. Xu was the physician of the Shen family, and he had taken care of the Shen family’s health for over a decade. Shen Qiuci had seen him since she was young. “Was it him who took care of my elder sister when she was ill?” Shen Qiuci asked.

Xia Shang nodded: “After all, he’s a familiar and reliable old man, and the Madam trusts him.”

Shen Qiuci’s eyes darkened: “I was just about to look for him, and now he’s come to me. It saves me some trouble.”

With that, she suddenly pushed open the door with a palm.

“Bang.”

In the hall, the argument between Madam Shen and Dr. Xu suddenly stopped, and they both fell silent, their eyes fixed on Shen Qiuci.

Dr. Xu sneered, his voice dripping with sarcasm: “Oh, looks like the fake¹ has returned just in time.”

“Ah Ci, why are you back?” Madam Shen asked anxiously: “Don’t worry about this, mother will handle it. Xia Shang, take Ah Ci downstairs!”

“Don’t worry, mother,” Shen Qiuci grasped Madam Shen’s hand, her gaze coldly falling on Dr. Xu.

He was lowering his head, carefully counting the silver notes in his hand. Shen Qiuci quickly snatched the silver notes from his hand.

“What are you doing?” Dr. Xu glared at her, his eyes wide with anger.

Shen Qiuci remained silent, her gaze calmly meeting his.

Dr. Xu snorted: “It seems the second miss is attached to the silver.”

He shrugged and threw up his hands, looking like a petty villain: “Fine, I’ll just have to make your secret public – that you’re a fake who switched places with your sister.”

With that, he turned to leave, his sleeves fluttering in indignation.

Madam Shen hastily grabbed his sleeve, pleading: “Don’t go! I’ll give you whatever you want!”
She turned around and tightly grasped Shen Qiuci’s wrist, trying to take the silver notes back from her hand: “Ah Ci, listen to me, give the silver to him!”

“Your sister’s marriage to the Marquis of Danyang was decreed by the Emperor, and if it’s discovered that you’ve taken her place, it’s equivalent to deceiving the Emperor, and you’ll lose your head if it gets out!”

Seeing Shen Qiuci still clutching the silver notes tightly, she became anxious and tears welled up in her eyes: “Ah Ci, listen to mother, okay? The money isn’t important! Just give him whatever he wants!”

“You’re all mother has left… Mother can’t let anything happen to you!”

Shen Qiuci looked at Madam Shen’s tear-stained eyes, and a surge of anguish welled up in her heart.

In her memory, her mother was always bright and proud, with a warm smile on her lips no matter the occasion.

She came from a family of military officials, and in her free time, she would often practice spear moves with her father in the courtyard. Every move was precise and powerful, showcasing her heroic spirit.

When had she ever seen her mother begging, being humble, or crying?

But now, her mother’s face was always filled with endless worries, her wrinkles deepening like gullies, and her once-black hair was now streaked with white…The bitter feelings in her heart surged like waves, one after another, making Shen Qiuci’s eyes turn red.

She tried her best to hold back her tears and wiped away the tears from Madam Shen’s face: “Mother, don’t cry.”

Her voice was extremely gentle, just like when her mother used to comfort her when she was young: “Dr. Xu has taken care of my sister for so long, we should thank him properly. It’s not that I’m unwilling to give him the silver, but I think 1,000 taels might be a bit too little.”

“Ah ha!” Dr. Xu smiled smugly, his voice loud and clear: “The second miss is finally saying something sensible!”

Shen Qiuci ignored him and just held Madam Shen’s hand tightly, speaking softly: “Mother, you’re tired. Let me handle this. You don’t need to worry about anything, just rest well.”

Madam Shen grasped her hand tightly, her grip stronger: “Ah Ci, no matter how much silver he wants, we’ll just give it to him. The Shen family… can’t afford to have any more trouble…”

Shen Qiuci nodded firmly, her voice reassuring: “Don’t worry, mother. As long as I’m here, the Shen family’s sky won’t collapse.”

When Madam Shen’s emotions stabilized a bit, Shen Qiuci instructed Xia Shang to take good care of her and then invited Dr. Xu to her room to discuss matters.

She sat face-to-face with Dr. Xu, who looked her up and down before casually picking up a handful of melon seeds and cracking them open: “It’s been many years, and the second miss has become even more beautiful.”

Shen Qiuci looked at him expressionlessly: “Dr. Xu has served the Shen family for many years and has received many kindnesses from us.”
Now that you’ve seen the Shen family without any male heirs, with only us, a lone daughter and widow, you’re thinking of taking advantage of us, aren’t you?”

“Your words are quite unpleasant!” Dr. Xu spat out the melon seed shells on the ground: “The master of the Shen family and the eldest young master died in battle, leaving the Shen family without any male heirs. Your elder sister married into the Marquis’s mansion, and the Heir is considered an outsider. Now that your elder sister is dead, the Heir should inherit everything from the Shen family, and you should all be wiped out!”

He clapped his hands, brushing off the melon seed shell fragments from his palms, and sneered: “But now you’ve returned to take your sister’s place as the mistress of the Marquis’s mansion, and you have everything you need – power and face. Compared to your current glory, asking you for 1,000 taels a month is really a small amount. Moreover…”

He paused, leaning forward and lowering his voice: “You’ve taken your sister’s place, which is a crime of deceiving the Emperor. The laws of the Qi dynasty are strict, and knowing about this and not reporting it will also lead to punishment. I’m helping you keep this secret, and I’m taking a huge risk.”

After speaking, Dr. Xu felt like he had completely gotten the upper hand over Shen Qiuci. He leaned back in his chair, smiling lazily: “Which is more important, life or silver? The second miss is intelligent, she should know how to prioritize, shouldn’t she?”

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