The richest woman committed a crime with her child - Chapter 1 : Rebirth of the Concubine Sister

It was snowing heavily in the northern suburbs of Yingtian Prefecture. This year was the 15^th year of Hongwu. The Ming Dynasty was stable and the people were resting and recuperating.

A luxurious carriage with four horses stopped in front of the vermilion gate with the words “Xu Mansion” hanging on it. The guard held up a specially made yellow oil umbrella. A five-year-old girl wearing a colorful red coat and luxurious mink lifted the curtain of the sedan chair and jumped off the carriage with the help of the guard’s arm. The sheepskin boots with white background and blue flowers stepped on the white snow, leaving shallow footprints.

The dark head shape like a flower bud, probably because of some broken hair when rolling in the sedan chair while sleeping, was slightly titled, and the delicate little face was carved out.

She smiled brightly, her eyes were particularly big, and her black pupils were like shuttles, very spirited. When she grows up, her eyes will be beautiful.

She followed her father and was about to step over the threshold as high as her calf.

Not far from the gate stood a dozen children of different ages who had gathered together because of the war. They were ragged, timid, and cowardly. They looked at the strange distinguished with curiosity, but when they saw the bright face of the little girl, they dodged and looked away.

Only the tallest and thin boy on the far right, holding the dry-haired girl, looked directly at the girl and her father, standing straight. Even though it was unknown which adult’s shabby long gown he was wearing, he did not look humble at all.

On the contrary, his black eyes were filled with a cold and arrogant aura that could not be ignored.

There was also a middle-aged woman beside the boy. When she saw the girl’s father enter the door, she hurried to greet him, handed him a brown paper letter, and said with a flattering smile: “Master Xu, Chen Jinniang is dead; this is her letter to you.”

“Master Xu”, in his early forties, was named Xu Shutian. He made his fortune by selling weapons to the Ming army at the end of the Yuan Dynasty. Later, he set his sights on the official salt business of salt business of Yingtian Prefecture. After a fierce battle, he has now become the largest salt merchant in Yingtian Prefecture, and his wife has passed away.

He took the letter, tore it open and read it quickly, frowning at the dry-haired girl led by the arrogant boy.

The woman hurriedly pushed the girl forward, “This is the daughter that Chen Jinniang gave birth to you, her name is Jingjing. Jingjing, call daddy quickly.”

“Daddy”, Chen Jingjing called out timidly. She was about the same height as the girl under the umbrella, but her hair was dry and yellow, her face was pale and thin, like a humble grass swaying in the wind.

“Well”, Xu Shutian signed her hand and touched the bright girl’s face, “She is your sister Mei’er, you should take care of her in the future.”

Mei’er was the bright girl standing under the umbrella, Xu Mei.

She raised her head and looked at the arrogant boy standing on the far right, who was looking down at her at that moment, puffing her cheeks and thinking: This brother doesn’t seem to like her. But …… he is so handsome, the most handsome boy she has ever seen!

Chen Jingjing followed Xu Mei’s line of sight and looked at the arrogant boy, pursed her lips and said, “Daddy, can brother Youting stay too? “

“No”, Xu Shuntian said firmly, without even asking “Who is brother Youting ?” But he turned around and walked under the umbrella, patted Xu Mei’s head lovingly, and said with a smile, “ Mei’er it’s cold outside, let’s go in.”

Xu Mei blinked her big eyes, her curved eyelashes flickering like a small fan, and after looking at Chen Jingjing, she hugged Xu Shuntian’s knees with both hands and said crisply, “Daddy, my brother is lost. You said that when I come home, you will find another brother to accompany me. Do you still remember what you said?”

Xu Shuntian’ eyes flashed with sadness, but he still smiled and said lovingly, “I remember.”

“I found it.” Xu Mei raised her hand and pointed at the boy on the far right, and said crisply, “Daddy, keep him and let him be my new brother.”

Xu Shuntian looked at the boy, turned back and said to Xu Mei, “Mei’er, wait until I know his family, if his parents are willing, I will take him home.”

Chen Jingjing clenched her fists tightly, and her father’s “no” a moment ago was like a loud slap in the face.

About ten days later, the news that the wealthy businessman Xu Shuntian adopted the 11-year old Shen Youting as his adopted son spread to Yingtian Prefecture.

From that time, Shen Youting went from being an orphan who had no food to a member of a wealthy family.

Just because of the words of the Xu family’s eldest daughter, “keep him.”

…………………..

In the blink of an eye, it was the early summer of the 27^th year of Hongwu.

About 1 mile away from the Yingtian Prefecture government office, a new cloth shop called “Xu’s Clothes Measurement” was opened. The location was very good, and it was crowded during the day. At night, it could also attract business by the light of big lanterns in front of the Yingtian Prefecture government office.

This shop just opened today, and the owner is Xu Mei, the eldest daughter of the Xu famiy.

After a day of opening toasts, the shop just closed.

Under the shining of the full moon, if you come out of this store and walk 700 feet in the direction of Yintian Prefecture yamen, you will reach the landscape courtyard “Xu Mansion”.

Xu Mei wore a long skirt with a blue silk background and red embroidery. On her slender wrists, she wore translucent green jadeite, and the golden and jade hairpins jingled pleasantly.

Her delicate face was gorgeous and luxurious, and her eyes were as charming as silk. She deserved the title of the most beautiful woman in the capital.

Today was the opening of her first store in her life. At the banquet, the sisters forced her to drink a lot of wine. At this moment, she was drunk, her cheeks were flushed, and her beautiful eyes were blurred.

She walked through the gate of Xu Mansion and was interrupted by a cold voice when she passed the rockery.

“Xu Mei, what do you mean today?”

Xu Mei tilted her face and looked over.

It turned out to be her half-sister Chen Jingjing, who was born out of wedlock and was standing one meter away from her, leaning against the lake with her arms folded across her chest. She was wearing a plain long dress. She looked young and beautiful, but she had a gloomy face all day long, like a ghost collecting debts.

“What do you mean?”

Xu Mei glanced at Chen Jingjing and asked, and a hint of understanding appeared on her beautiful face, “Oh, I see. Are you blaming me for telling my sisters, ’From today on, I will expand the store with one hand and hold Shen Youting in other hand, and not let him marry anyone else?’ Since you don’t understand, I’ll just say it straight. Shen Youting is the man I like, if he wants to marry a women, he can only marry me.”

After saying that, she was about to pull her hand back from Chen Jingjing’s hand, but Chen Jingjing didn’t let go. The two pulled and tugged, and Chen Jingjing slipped on the small stones on the rockery and fell into the lake with a splash.

“Chen…”

Xu Mei sobered up instantly and shouted. “Someone! Someone!”

When the servants rushed in from all directions, they saw Xu Mei jumping into the water. For a moment, the whole Xu Mansion was in a panic.

A handsome man wearing a jade crown walked out of the account office deep in the courtyard. He grabbed a servant and asked, “What happened?”

The servant panicked,” Master Shen, the eldest and the young lady fell into the water….”

Shen Youting ran to the lake quickly and saw a familiar figure paddling. He tightened his stern jaw and jumped into the water.

He grabbed Xu Mei’s clothes by the back of her neck and said coldly, ”Xu Mei are you fishing in the lake at night?”

“No”

Under normal circumstances, Xu Mei would have retorted him, but at this moment, Chen Jingjing disappeared after falling into the water, and she was really worried – although she and this half – sister who refused to take her father’s surname quarreled every day, but she didn’t want her to drown for no reason.

“Master Shen, have you found the young lady?”

The servant shouted, Shen Youting let go of XuMei and said coldly, “ Go ashore.”

“Oh.”

Xu Mei swam ashore, took the towel handed by the servant, and asked people to bring more lanterns to illuminate the lake. She watched Shen Youting and some servants who could swim groping under the lake.

Not long after, Shen Youting first found Chen Jingjing, who was filthy and unconscious, from the lake. He ordered the servants, “Go call the doctor.” Then he carefully laid Chen Jingjing flat on the ground and pressed her abdomen with both hands.

“Ugh……”

Chen Jingjing tilted her head and spit out a lot of water. Her mind was filled with memories of her previous life, and almost every nerve was clamoring for hatred for Xu Mei. She was pale, coughing and muttering in a weak and hoarse voice, “Xu Mei wants to drown me.”

A gust of wind blew, and Xu Mei, who was standing on the opposite bank and looking at this side, shuddered.

She saw Shen Youting staring at her coldly, his handsome face was full of blame and disappointment.