This day, as Shen Cangfeng went to the Su Family after his work to pick up his wife, Wei Changying had already coaxed Shen Cangning, packed up and waited for him.

It was just that the sister-in-law was after all not as close as her lineal elder brother. Although Shen Cangning had promised to go with Wei Changying, when Shen Cangning saw Shen Cangfeng, she pulled him aside. Then she vacillatingly asked him if Madam Su was still angry these days, and if it was dangerous for her to go back now.

Because it was in front of Old Madam Deng and others, Shen Cangfeng scolded her with a straight face, "Now you know you're afraid, why were you being so mischievous before?"

Shen Cangning fiddled with her sleeves and said in an aggrieved manner, "I had made my apology to fifth elder cousin, and fifth elder cousin said that he would no longer blame me."

Old Madam Deng naturally wanted to help her granddaughter to smooth things over, "It was just a parrot. Your fifth elder cousin was angry for a while just because he had kept it for many years. After all, he was offended by those stupid servants who didn't use their eyes. They didn't persuade their masters, making the masters be in a rage with each other! Now your fifth elder cousin had calmed down, of course he was not furious anymore— If he dared to be annoyed with her lineal younger cousin for the sake of a plaything, grandmother would beat him for you firstly!"

Su Yuwu was there at the time. He sighed and said, "Grandma, I had said that I would let it go."

"Luckily, your elder cousin was generous. If it was a stranger, it would be strange that you didn't make enemies with him!" Shen Cangfeng continued to scold his younger sister with a sullen face, but he quickly said, “Because maternal grandmother was talking for you, and your fifth elder cousin didn't blame you anymore, I could let you off this time. If there were another time...."

Shen Cangning raised her hand intelligently, "I dare not do it again!"

Old Madam Deng comforted Shen Cangning again, and was annoyed with Shen Cangfeng's being too strict. After some small talks, she symbolically kept them for dinner. Shen Cangfeng said that it would be better for them to go back early without asking for his parents' permission. Then Old Madam let them go and ordered Su Yuwu to send them.

After leaving Old Madam, Shen Cangning made threatening gestures toward Su Yuwu, and intimidated him, "If you still raise a parrot next time, I will eat it for you again! Wasn't it just a parrot? Because of you, I was forced to leave home and didn't dare to go back for so many days. If I am beaten when I return today, I'll come back and beat you up!”

Su Yuwu snorted and said, "Didn't you feel embarrassed? The turtle in your own house was kept like a baby by you— What was the point of raising a turtle? It couldn't say a word. If I boil your turtle, what will you do?"

Shen Cangning jumped three feet high and said angrily, "Then I will fight with you!"

"Shut up!" Shen Cangfeng shouted angrily, "You dare to say it! If you don't respect your elder cousin again, I will report to mother and throw away your turtle!"

"Third elder brother, you are my elder brother!" Shen Cangning shook Shen Cangfeng's arm injuredly and said, "Now we're not in front of grandmother. Why don't you help me?"

Su Yuwu glanced at her and was about to speak. Shen Cangfeng said coldly, "Do you still need my help? While I'm teaching you a lesson, you are about to hit five younger cousin in front of me!"

Shen Cangning made herself unwelcome, and her eyes became red with grievance. Then she threw his arm away, angrily walked to the front and stopped talking.

Wei Changying knew that Shen Cangfeng said so just because Su Yuwu was beside him. Shen Cangning was so arrogant, so Shen Cangfeng had to discipline her. However, Wei Changying was aware that Shen Cangning had taken the blame for Mrs. Deng and she inevitably felt that her younger sister-in-law was quite pitiful. Then she took Shen Cangning's arm and whispered, "Don't be annoyed, fourth sister. Your third elder brother just said so and you shouldn't care about it!"

Shen Cangning kept a straight face, and refused to let Wei Changying take her arm. Then she muttered in her mouth, "I deliberately want to make a fuss with him! I frightened fifth elder cousin for a few words, but fifth elder cousin didn't yield to me. How could third elder brother be so eager to help him? Fifth elder cousin is older than me, and he is my elder cousin. Can't he give ground to me?" With her mouth twitched, Shen Cangning was about to cry out.

Wei Changying coaxed her, "Yes, yes, yes, they are too stingy! Sister-in-law scolds them for you." So Wei Changying, as the elder cousin, said to Su Yuwu, "Younger cousin, it was your fault. Cangning is young, and you are her elder cousin, why can't you yield to her?” As she said so, she blinked at Su Yuwu.

Su Yuwu had no choice but to make a bow to Shen Cangning, and then he said perfunctorily, "Elder cousin is right. Fourth younger cousin, don't bother with me. I was a little narrow-minded just now!"

Shen Cangning held her head, looked at the sky instead of Su Yuwu, and hummed out from her nostrils, "Since you were pitiful, and my lineal sister-in-law interceded with me, I should be the bigger person and forgive you this time!"

"..." Wei Changying touched her forehead, and looked at Su Yuwu with regret. However, Su Yuwu's face was like "I knew that." Obviously the Su Family and the Shen Family were both in the capital, and the younger generations had been playing together since their childhood. Su Yuwu was pretty familiar with Shen Cangning's temperament, so he was not surprised at all that Shen Cangning would take this opportunity to strike back at him.

Shen Cangfeng couldn't stand it anymore, and wanted to scold his younger sister again. Wei Changying glared at him quickly, and whispered, "The carriage is at the front, don't add trouble to it!"

They finally arrived at the carriage. Madam Su had taken her daughter back to her mother's house to visit Old Madam Deng before. When she left, she took the carriage with her. Now if Shen Cangning wanted to go back, she naturally would take the same carriage with Shen Cangfeng and Wei Changying.

Shen Cangfeng gave the position to his younger sister and rode the horse he borrowed from the Su Family when he was on duty. He promised to return the horse two days later— Su Yuwu told him not to be polite.

So they bade farewell to each other.

On the way back, Shen Cangning still felt uneasy, and she repeatedly confirmed with Wei Changying whether she would be beaten when they returned. Because people in the carriage were all Wei Changying's trusted subordinates, and Shen Cangning's two maids Pi'pa and Qiangdi were also her closest attendants, Wei Changying said implicitly, "Fourth younger sister was virtuous, but you should also tell mother everything in order to avoid misunderstanding."

Hearing Wei Changying's words, Shen Cangning froze for a while, and said, "How did you know?" Then she suddenly realized, "Were you told by third aunt?"

Wei Changying said, "That was true. Third aunt was also afraid that you would be punished by mother after returning."

"Ah!" Shen Cangning sighed, "You are also aware that if mother knows the real reason, how can she let me take the blame for first cousin-in-law? It is necessary to tell the truth, but what should first cousin-in-law do? Now though I was the scapegoat, third sister-in-law, you had seen that I was just scolded for a few words. At most, when we returned home, mother would beat me according to the family doctrine and then the thing would be over."

Wei Changying felt that Shen Cangning had a heart of gold, and reminded her, "In fact, if the truth is revealed, although it is not easy for first cousin-in-law to extricate herself like you, it is impossible for her to be divorced and driven away. As for not being able to live on because of this, it's also not possible."

Wei Changying didn't expect that Shen Cangning would look at her speechlessly after hearing her words. Then Shen Cangning said, "Of course I know."

"..." Wei Changying thought for a while, "Then why did you take the blame for first cousin-in-law?"

Shen Cangning answered, "You didn't see first cousin-in-law's body. If her sleeves were slightly rolled up, all you could see were blue fingerprints one after another...."

Wei Changying was taken aback, "First aunt actually dared to beat first cousin-in-law like this?!"

Whether a father's wife raised a daughter of concubine or a stepmother reared the daughter of the first wife, they wouldn't dare to let the children have distinct scars even if they maltreated the children. If the obvious injury was seen by others, it would be ready-made evidence. How come Madam Qian's maltreatment toward Mrs. Deng had reached such a blatant extent?

Shen Cangning glared at her and muttered, "You are so stupid, third sister-in-law. Could first aunt be so foolish?"

Although these words were not polite, Shen Cangning was still young and innocent. The maidservants all laughed behind their sleeves. Wei Changying didn't care about it. She touched Shen Cangning's hair on the temples and said, "Yes, yes, I am stupid…. And, can you talk about why first cousin-in-law had such scars?”

She thought suspiciously, "Su Ruoqian could not have done it, could he?"

Shen Cangning then whispered, "First cousin-in-law pinched herself!"

"...!" Wei Changying was stunned, and then she understood, "Was it for... her child?" Mrs. Deng had only given birth to such a daughter since she entered the door. Before the baby got her name, it was harmed to death by her mother-in-law. Mrs. Deng couldn't find ways to express her sadness in her heart, therefore, was she torturing herself to vent her anger?

As Shen Cangning heard the words, she narrowed her eyes, and said, "Ah, third aunt had told you everything today."

Wei Changying was choked. Then she smiled and said, "Third aunt had said that you were fairly clever. I said that I was not very familiar with your temperament as I just got married. Now I know that third aunt was right!"

"Of course I am extremely clever!" Shen Cangning nodded and accepted this evaluation unceremoniously. Then she said sadly, "But now your fourth sister who is smart and kind, will be beaten, what should you do?"

Wei Changying was dumbfounded and said, "Didn't you just say that at most you were going to be hit after returning? Why are you feeling sad now?"

"Couldn't I be afraid?" Shen Cangning moaned, and leaned on the back of the carriage, then she said sullenly, "Granny Tao in front of mother was the most selfless one, and she didn't show mercy at all when she hit someone. It would hurt so much!"

Wei Changying couldn't help but say, "Actually, I just didn't understand that since you had taken the responsibility for first cousin-in-law, why bothered to send the parrot to the kitchen? You could just admit that you had taken the parrot, in this way, your offenses would be slighter so that mother couldn't be so angry with you."

Shen Cangning raised her head and said, "Oh, didn't third aunt tell you, sister-in-law? That parrot's death…."

"... You could send a credible person to go out and bury it, and then you could say that you were not careful enough and accidentally let the parrot fly away." Wei Changying whispered.

"...!" Shen Cangning was speechless for a long time, and then she frustratedly said, "Yeah! I could say it that it had flown away. In that case, fifth elder cousin wouldn't have been so angry, maybe he had been putting all his mind on finding the parrot. How could he lose his temper? If he hadn’t lost his temper, mother wouldn't have got into a rage...Well, it seems that I am not smart enough. In the future, when I encounter such a thing, I should ask you for advice!"

Wei Changying said immediately, "Actually, I am just a bystander, so I see the things more clearly. If it was me who was involved in the incident, I might not be able to think of this idea." She thought to herself, "I just said it incidentally. Don't ask me for help when you do anything bad in the future. Should I give you an idea or should I disclose your secret? Not on either side!"

Shen Cangning clenched her fist and said, "In short, I have remembered this method. If there are similar things next time, I will know what to say."

Wei Changying wiped the sweat and changed the topic, "Who came up with the idea to send the parrot to the kitchen? Was it you or first cousin-in-law?"

"First cousin-in-law proposed it." Shen Cangning curled her lips, and was playing with the silk ribbon hanging down from her double spiral bun. Then she said, "First cousin-in-law said that others couldn't make out the reason of the parrot's death when it was sent to the kitchen."

It was really the case. Wei Changying wondered how to persuade her younger sister-in-law that she should not follow the meaning of others in the future. Then Shen Cangning said to her, "Actually, I knew that first cousin-in-law had bought over the people in the kitchen, intending to shift the responsibility onto first aunt."

Wei Changying sighed, "You had known everything, fourth sister. However, have you ever thought that doing so was not necessarily helping first cousin-in-law? As you see, now when we returned home, if you didn't mention it, who would know what first aunt had done to first cousin-in-law?" These were all matters of the Su Family. Madam Su didn't say much about it, and even Su Pingzhan didn't expect Madam Su to say more— Was it really good for you, as a granddaughter, to intervene?

Moreover, although Mrs. Deng's behavior indirectly framed Su Yuliang, how could Madam Qian forgive Mrs. Deng according to her consistent means and temperament? Shen Cangning took the blame for Mrs. Deng on account that she sympathized with Mrs. Deng. Nevertheless, even if Shen Cangning shouldered the responsibility, Mrs. Deng might still not be able to live a safe life!

Shen Cangning leaned over to Wei Changying's ears and quietly said, "Sister-in-law, you will know in a few days. Am I such a stupid person that I can't think of these things?"

Wei Changying asked her suspiciously, "Did first cousin-in-law have an alternative approach?"

Shen Cangning's fingers were circling around the silk ribbon. She looked around and refused to tell more.