Chapter 11: Training

“Husband…” Liu Xin’er tugged at Shen Yishu’s sleeve.

Shen Yishu’s attitude, which had been softening, hardened further as he gritted his teeth and said, “The warehouse must be full of the defective goods you picked out. Dou Shi, don’t think I’m blind to your intentions. If Xin’er needs something, of course, it will be new.”

Freeloading with such shamelessness!

She had no desire to argue and, like sending a plague god away, made Shen Yishu go buy it himself.

Then, lifting her eyes coldly, she looked at the steward standing there, hesitant to speak. “Anything else?”

“Madam… As soon as the master returned, the news hasn’t even spread yet. Going to the market now—if someone sees you…”

The rest went without saying.

Yet Dou Hongyan ignored the steward’s seemingly loyal advice.

Instead, she asked with a faint, mocking smile, “You have no authority to open the treasury, yet you bring someone here. What do you mean by that?”

Was he trying to make her open it for Shen Yishu?

“Could it be…” Her lazy eyes suddenly sharpened as they swept over the steward. “Do you think Shen Yishu is also a master here, deserving to use my treasury?”

“When Shen Yishu ran off with the family fortune, no one called this mess his!”

This marquisate had been built entirely by her efforts, and the steward had served her diligently for over a decade. She had no idea that the moment Shen Yishu returned, the steward was so eager to show loyalty to this so-called “master”!

Dou Hongyan appeared languid but knew exactly what could be tolerated and where no grain of sand could be allowed.

“Madam, madam, I never meant that. I just didn’t dare to decide on your behalf. I have no other intention!”

The steward began to plead, “Madam, the marquisate’s fortune was naturally earned by you. How could I act on my own accord?”

“Enough.”

The steward brightened.

In the next moment, his face fell.

Dou Hongyan waved her hand in disappointment. “Liuyun, you handle this.”

She withdrew her gaze, no longer looking at the fearful steward. The faint, lurking eyes outside the courtyard vanished completely.

There were many old servants like the steward in the household.

She had continued to employ them because they seemed obedient, but who would have thought that by the second day, they were already impatiently testing her and eager to recognize Shen Yishu as master?

They took themselves and Shen Yishu far too seriously.

After the steward was taken away by Liuyun, the new, taciturn steward appeared before Dou Hongyan.

She glanced over him and nodded, “Hmm, acceptable. Take the steward to familiarize himself with the household.”

Though she said to familiarize with the household, the real purpose was to introduce him to the people, letting those scheming old servants see their fate. Within a single hour, the marquisate’s restless atmosphere disappeared once again.

They would now work honestly under Dou Hongyan’s command.

When Shen Yuheng returned from school and saw the newly appointed steward, his expression darkened. But when he came before Dou Hongyan, his demeanor remained as pure and refined as jade.

“Mother.”

He dismissed the servants and then revealed a hint of excitement before her. “This morning, when we set out, that Liu family’s Shunge insisted on following me to the class reunion. I took him along, and now he’s hanging out with the most unruly rakes at the academy.”

Those rakes were usually wayward.

Shunge was naive and, like his birth mother, fond of extravagance and shallow pleasures. Shen Yuheng calculated that it wouldn’t be long before Shunge was led astray.

No one was allowed to affect his mother’s standing.

Now he looked up silently, craving Dou Hongyan’s praise.

Dou Hongyan was not surprised. She patted his head and shook her head. “Heng’er, you made two mistakes in this matter. Do you know what they are?”

She had no reluctance to speak such matters to the child and patiently explained, marveling that her son was the most upright of the three in the family.

Yet this was just the beginning.

Dou Hongyan began carefully, “First, it’s too obvious. Shunge has no connection with those people. You are the only intermediary. If he goes bad, no one can guarantee they won’t blame you.”

“Second… these people aren’t worth your worry or effort. Don’t let those beneath your station dirty your hands. Understand?” Her gaze turned cold, flashing disdain.

Shen Yuheng immediately straightened up. “I understand.”

Worried and guilty, he hastened to leave. “I’ll go erase any trace of me from this.”

“Heng’er, you’re wrong again.”

Dou Hongyan glanced at him lightly, lips bright and curved slightly. “Since I already know about this, do you think I don’t have the ability to erase it beforehand?”