TRBDM -Chapter 94 A Couple’s Nightly Talk

Anhe Courtyard was brightly lit. The servants, aware that something major had happened in the residence, were all tense and cautious, careful not to incur the master’s wrath and receive a scolding for no reason.

The real account book was placed in front of Wei Zhaorong.

She called Dou Shuyao over to examine the book together.

At first glance, the real and fake books were indistinguishable from the outside.

Only the thickness gave them away.

The genuine account book was thick, while the counterfeit one was thin.

Flipping through the first few pages, the contents were nearly identical.

The purchase and transportation fees falsified by Old Ding did not appear in the real account book but were present in the fake one.

Over the course of a year, it totaled fifty taels of silver.

The entries were crystal clear; a single comparison revealed the truth.

Checking the account book would take a long time. Wei Zhaorong personally verified it, line by line, until her eyes were strained and blurry.

“Mother, you should rest for a while. I’ll look at it.”

Dou Shuyao saw that Wei Zhaorong was pushing herself and offered to take over.

“All right, take your time. There’s no rush.”

With Dou Shuyao there, Wei Zhaorong felt reassured.

Tonight wouldn’t bring a final conclusion. They still needed to figure out exactly where the silver went, how much was missing, and by what means it had been diverted.

There were many questions, and each needed time to uncover.

“Mother.” Xie Sheng walked over.

He looked haggard, almost a different person compared to the day.

“This account book… was it found in my room?”

“Yes.”

Seeing the unfamiliar book, Xie Sheng felt a jumble of emotions.

He couldn’t understand why such an important item of the Xie residence had been hidden in a vase.

He was desperate to learn the truth.

But Anhe Courtyard was crowded. The second household had now become thieves of the estate’s property, and everyone’s eyes on him were filled with suspicion and disdain.

Xie Sheng couldn’t bear it.

“Zhizhi isn’t feeling well. She’s been through a lot today. I’ll take her back to Quyang Courtyard to rest.”

Wei Zhaorong looked up at him.

“Were you aware of what the Shens did?”

Xie Sheng stubbornly replied, “Mother, everything that has happened so far is still speculative. We can’t fully confirm that it was them.”

“All right. Don’t shed tears without seeing the coffin. You may return to Quyang Courtyard, but not a single step beyond the yard. I will have someone watch.”

“We’re not criminals!”

“Perhaps you’re not, but she certainly is.”

“……”

Xie Sheng had no words to argue. He stood frozen for a moment before flinging his sleeve and heading to the side hall.

“Assist Madam back to Quyang Courtyard.”

Shen Zhizhi’s personal maid helped the weak Zhizhi up, and they left Anhe Courtyard.

The journey was silent. Once they arrived at Quyang Courtyard, Xie Sheng immediately noticed that many things had changed.

For example, the flowerpots in the yard had been moved. Though still in the yard, their orientation was wrong.

Inside, a large footprint was on the floor. On the desk, the copybook he had been practicing on was gone, replaced by an old painting from long ago.

Every detail in the courtyard spoke clearly: someone had intruded here.

Xie Sheng slammed the door loudly. Inside, everyone froze, too scared to breathe.

“Everyone out!”

The servants bowed their heads and quickly left, closing the door behind them.

Inside the room, only Xie Sheng and Shen Zhizhi remained.

“I know you woke up earlier. Now that we’re alone, tell me—what exactly did you do with the account book?”

Shen Zhizhi, who had been pretending to faint, nervously opened her eyes, pulled back the covers, got out of bed, and knelt by Xie Sheng’s side.

“Husband, I’m sorry. It’s my fault. I shouldn’t have made decisions without telling you. But Tianci needed money, and donations to the office require funds. Father and mother asked me to lend it to him. I couldn’t come up with that much at the time, so I… I… used the silver from the treasury.”

Xie Sheng’s eyes were full of disappointment; he didn’t want to hear a single word she said.

His fists clenched until they creaked, and through gritted teeth he asked, “If it was a loan, where’s the IOU? Show me.”

“There… there’s no IOU. Between my parents and me, we don’t need IOUs.”

Shen Zhizhi hadn’t intended for them to repay it at all, so naturally, she didn’t write one.

“Hmph.” Xie Sheng snorted coldly. One question after another, he hit the mark every time. “Shen Tianci went gambling again, didn’t he?”

“He gambled once. After Father paid off his debt, he didn’t go again.”

The second part of her sentence lacked confidence.

Xie Sheng knew all too well that Shen Tianci had a gambling addiction he would never outgrow.

He just hadn’t expected it to escalate to this point—affecting the household accounts.

“How much did you take from the treasury?”

Shen Zhizhi’s eyes flickered nervously, and she muttered a number unclearly.

“How much!” Xie Sheng roared.

“Thirteen hundred taels.”

“What!” Xie Sheng staggered back in shock.

“Are you out of your mind? That much?”

His annual salary was only 260 taels. Even if he saved every coin for five years, he couldn’t accumulate 1,300 taels.

So much silver, thrown away on that gambling fool Shen Tianci—just gone, without a trace.

“Husband, I know I was wrong. I was blinded by greed and took the household silver. But I didn’t touch the second branch’s monthly allowance or your salary—they’re all untouched, saved for our son.”

Shen Zhizhi clutched her belly, using her unborn child as a shield.

She was gambling—betting that Xie Sheng cared about the child.

He desperately needed a legitimate heir.

Silence. Long, suffocating silence.

Every second Xie Sheng remained silent was endless torture for Shen Zhizhi.

She didn’t dare cry, her whole body trembling, eyes rolling back, nearly fainting. Finally, Xie Sheng spoke.

“Make the Shen household repay it. Tomorrow, it must be returned.”

“If Father and Mother had silver, why would they have asked me? There’s no money in the Shen household,” Shen Zhizhi cried.

“You—at a time like this, still making excuses for them? If there’s no silver, sell houses, sell land, sell shops. Whatever it takes—gather the 1,300 taels.”

Shen Zhizhi opened her mouth, words on her lips, but couldn’t say a thing.

The Shen family had already sold everything they could, leaving only the old family mansion. She couldn’t sell that—it was meant for Shen Tianci to marry in the future.

Being the only daughter, she naturally had to protect him.

Half of the reason she had pushed Xie Sheng to fight for the title was for Shen Tianci.

If Xie Sheng inherited the title, she would be the head mistress of the Xie household, with free access to the treasury and control over its silver.

In the future, she would need funds to prepare for Shen Tianci’s marriage.

She had thought her plan flawless, but one day Wei Zhaorong suddenly changed, taking away her household authority and handing the treasury accounts to Dou Shuyao. That showed both favoritism and control.

Shen Zhizhi resented Dou Shuyao for deliberately opposing her but never thought her actions were wrong. For her younger brother, she would give her life.

“Husband, you know the Shen household isn’t wealthy. Apart from the old mansion, the family’s assets are meager. Tianci is still young—mistakes are to be expected. Please, husband, forgive him just this once.”

Xie Sheng shook his head. “No. He must repay it.”