Shi Fengju, seeing that Sang Wan had such thoughts, knew that for her, the matter was now in the past. He smiled and said: "I will discuss this matter with mother, and also our eldest sister. You need to take extra care of her, little third sister. She has always been very honest and may have been wronged without anyone knowing. You must look after her!"
"Rest assured, I will." Sang Wan replied with a smile and a nod.
Seeing her smile, Shi Fengju also smiled. He really wanted to apologize for what happened that day, but as the words reached his lips, he swallowed them back down. Better not to bring it up; the more you try to clear things up, the darker they can get. It’s best if everyone pretends to forget about it!
"Are you hungry? We’ve been busy for half the day and haven’t even had lunch yet!" Shi Fengju then said with a smile.
Only then did Sang Wan feel hunger and, glancing at the clock on the table, exclaimed: "How did it get so late!" Saying this, she raised her voice to call for someone, inquiring whether lunch was ready.
Maidservant Liu Ya quickly entered and reported everything was ready, then went to instruct the servants to serve lunch.
Sang Wan and Shi Fengju went to the lunch table, and she couldn’t help smiling as she asked, "How did it happen that you ran into Liu Ya today? Did she delay your business?"
"Not at all!" Shi Fengju smiled and replied: "I originally had an arrangement with Young Master Zhuang at the Zhenwei Pavilion to discuss some matters, but it’s the same if we do it another day!"
"Young Master Zhuang?" Sang Wan asked with a smile. "Is he the son of Mrs. Zhuang?"
"Yes," Shi Fengju answered with a smile: "We grew up together since childhood. You haven’t met him yet, next time I’ll bring you along and we can all gather together."
Listening to these intimate words, Sang Wan did not continue the conversation. Shi Fengju smiled and dropped the subject as well.
After a rushed lunch, Shi Fengju went to the banana garden to find Shi Yumei.
When Shi Yumei heard from the maidservant that he had arrived, she hurriedly welcomed him herself, clapping and laughing as she said: "This is rare, what wind has blown you this way!"
"Can’t I come to see my elder sister?" Shi Fengju laughed as he walked into the house with her.
"Of course, I welcome you!" Shi Yumei laughed. "I just wonder if you’re here to assign blame!"
"Assign blame?" Shi Fengju settled down comfortably and chuckled: "What are you talking about, elder sister!"
Shi Yumei ordered the maidservant to serve tea and, pinching her handkerchief with a faint sneer, said, "Come on, you know I never beat around the bush, so why the pretense? Do you really not understand what I mean? Or have you been living with someone and picked up their bad habits?"
"Elder sister, can’t we have a proper conversation?" Shi Fengju replied with a smile.
"Alright, alright! I’ll stop, I’ll stop, isn’t that enough?" Yumei waved her hand, still fuming as she said: "She is a proper mistress, and what am I? I can’t provoke her, so I’ll keep away. I won’t trouble her anymore from now on, would that be satisfactory?"
"Why turn a family matter into a stranger’s ordeal?" Shi Fengju smiled and said: "I actually hope that when you are free, you could go and chat with Miss Wan to relieve the boredom. If you spend more time with her, elder sister, you might grow to like her."
"Enough! I know now that you have eyes for no one else! Brother, let me be that nagging elder sister, Fangzi has given up so much for you, you must not forget about her!"
"Elder sister," Shi Fengju’s voice carried an unintentional touch of discomfort, as he replied indifferently: "Fangzi has already joined the family, how have I wronged her? As long as she stays within her proper boundaries, the Shi family won’t let her down. Did you go out shopping with Miss Wan and third sister today?"
Yumei had to suppress what she wanted to say, glaring at Shi Fengju with annoyance, thinking to herself that she knew he had come for this very reason! She then said: "Yes, it seems that your wife gets along quite well with our third sister. I didn’t feel it was right to intrude, so I left early by myself! Is someone complaining to you, saying I abandoned them without care?" Yumei widened her eyes in shock and straightened up indignantly, staring at Shi Fengju and questioned: "Why are you at home at this moment? Did she specially send someone to call you back from the business?"
"Where did your thoughts wander off to again!" Shi Fengju said indifferently: "I happened to pass by and saw Miss Wan and third sister, so I offered to take third sister to the doctor, then came back!"
After saying this, Shi Fengju glanced at Shi Yumei with a seemingly casual look and lowered his head to drink tea.
Shi Yumei’s expression stiffened, then she dismissively said: "It was just a little bump from a carriage, wasn’t it? Does that really necessitate a special trip to the doctor? Third sister is a bit too delicate, isn’t she?"
"You don’t know, elder sister?" Shi Fengju said, surprised, shaking his head as he sighed: "I suppose you really don’t. Third sister has a fractured foot; it’s not just a little bump, it’s quite serious. The doctor said she needs to rest completely for two months before she can fully recover, and now she can’t even walk and is lying on the couch."