Chuner was also so frightened by the sudden turn of events that her face turned pale; for a moment, she stood rooted to the spot, not knowing what to do.
At this, Xu Yuan spoke up just in time, "Still standing there? Hurry and help your mistress back to her room."
"That's right! Get her back quickly," Shen Yunan finally snapped out of his daze, urging those around him. "And send for a doctor!"
Amidst the hurried commotion, as Shen Yunan watched the maids and matrons help Old Madame Shen away, he cast a meaningful look in Xu Yuan’s direction before finally departing the courtyard.
"My Lady."
Cuiliu hurried back, her pace quickening when she heard the commotion. Seeing Xu Yuan standing alone in the courtyard, she could not help but feel worried.
"Has everything been tallied?" Xu Yuan’s expression remained calm, devoid of any significant emotional shifts.
Cuiliu stared blankly for a moment, then nodded.
"Come inside."
Xu Yuan was worried about the child in the room and dared not delay for even a moment. Even though she knew the people of the Marquis's Estate would not dare harm the baby now that they knew about the swap, the very thought of it made her sick.
This time, she would never allow these people near the child again!
Once inside, Xu Yuan felt her heart settle upon seeing the baby lying safely on the bed. Cuiliu stepped forward and handed her a list.
As she took the list, she heard Cuiliu say, "My Lady, I have tallied the dowry you brought with you. There was originally one hundred thousand taels of silver, but now only fifty thousand remain. Aside from that, there are two shops under your name."
"Fifty thousand taels."
Xu Yuan looked at the contents of the list; in just two years, fifty thousand taels had vanished.
As for the two shops, she vaguely remembered Shen Yunan claiming that he was worried about her overexerting herself during her pregnancy and had arranged for others to manage them.
Only later did she learn that all the profits from those shops had been used by Shen Yunan to support Lu Rou on the outside. Meanwhile, within the estate, he had put on an act, claiming the shops were suffering heavy losses and that he was using his own salary to cover the deficits.
At the time, she had been deeply touched. Later, when the estate’s accounts ran into trouble, she had even dipped into her dowry to make up for the shortfalls.
Thinking back on it now, she had been a fool, single-mindedly thinking of how to help the Marquis's Estate prosper, never realizing that everything she did was merely providing a dowry for someone else.
Since the heavens had shown mercy, allowing her to see the true faces of this family before she died in her previous life and granting her a chance to live again, she would not only protect those around her this time but also make these people pay the price and force them to cough up everything that belonged to her.
Xu Yuan handed the list back and gave Cuiliu a calm instruction, "Keep these safe; they will be of great use later. Also, go and fetch the account books for the past two years."
"Remember to do this quietly. Do not alert anyone else," Xu Yuan cautioned.
"I understand, My Lady." Cuiliu immediately grasped her meaning, feeling a secret thrill that her mistress had finally seen the true nature of the people in the Marquis's Estate.
Thinking of her mistress's kindness being met with such greed from the household, Cuiliu felt a surge of indignation.
Seeming to recall something, Cuiliu asked, "My Lady, when I was returning, I heard others saying that the Old Madame had suddenly fainted. This matter..."
"She was faking it," Xu Yuan replied. With her knowledge of medicine, she had seen through Old Madame Shen’s charade at a single glance.
However, she did not want to engage in a war of words with Shen Yunan and the Old Madame at this moment.
"Go on and finish your tasks."
Hearing this, Cuiliu felt much more at ease. She acknowledged the order and turned to leave.
Xu Yuan softly coaxed the child in her arms. Watching his big, blinking eyes, she felt her heart melt.
"Yier, no matter how difficult the future may be, Mother will definitely protect you."
Xu Yuan’s gaze was resolute, and she made a silent vow in her heart: she would never let the child walk the same path of ruin as in her previous life.
Meanwhile, on the other side.
Old Madame Shen had been helped onto her bed to rest, and the servants had quickly returned with a doctor. After checking her pulse, Shen Yunan stepped forward anxiously, "Doctor, how is it? What is my mother’s current condition?"
The doctor bowed respectfully to Shen Yunan before replying, "Marquis, the Old Madame’s fainting was caused by a sudden surge of anger affecting her heart. Once I prescribe a few remedies and she undergoes proper recuperation, she should be fine."
"However..."
The doctor paused. Chuner, who was attending to the Old Madame, saw the doctor’s expression and pressed urgently, "However what? Doctor, please be clear. Is there anything we need to pay attention to?"
Shen Yunan’s gaze also fell upon the doctor.
The doctor sighed softly, "Logically, the Old Madame’s health should be fine after her recent treatments, but such a sudden surge of anger is truly strange."
"Marquis, in order for the Old Madame to recover as soon as possible, you must be more mindful of such situations."
Chuner muttered under her breath, "How can such things be avoided?"
Shen Yunan clearly heard her. His expression darkened gradually. After seeing the doctor out, he looked at his mother on the bed, his eyes veiled and unreadable.
"Chuner, tell me exactly what happened before I returned. Every single detail, and do not hold anything back."
The more Shen Yunan thought about it, the more suspicious he felt, especially regarding the look in Xu Yuan’s eyes when he entered her courtyard.
Vaguely, it left him feeling uneasy.
Chuner, hearing this, deliberately exaggerated her account of the events.
"Marquis, the Old Madame merely wanted to hold the young master. I never imagined that not only would the Lady refuse, she would also utter such disrespectful words."
"The Old Madame’s health is already poor. For the Lady to act this way is simply too much."
Listening to Chuner’s embellished tale, Shen Yunan’s face grew dark as ink, and his hands clenched into fists.
Previously, he had always felt that while Xu Yuan had a bit of a temper, she was at least filial toward his mother. He had never expected her to harbor such hidden malice.
It was truly detestable!
Just as Shen Yunan was about to speak, he heard a fit of violent coughing from the direction of the bed.
He rushed over to the bedside, asking nervously, "Mother, how are you feeling now? Are you better?"
"Chuner, what are you waiting for? Hurry and pour some water!"
Flustered, Chuner quickly poured a cup and handed it over.
After drinking the water, Old Madame Shen’s complexion improved significantly.
She looked around and commanded those present, "Chuner, you and the others, get out."
Though Chuner was reluctant, she obeyed.
Once the door was closed, Shen Yunan asked with a puzzled expression, "Mother, is there something you wish to say?"
Old Madame Shen nodded, her expression growing complex.
"Yunan, you must already know about what happened today. Previously, because Xu Yuan was pregnant, I swallowed my pride on many things. But now that she has given birth, and besides, the swap..."