Chapter 70: The entire capital has heard the clever scheme you devised

Scholar Shen’s face flushed red with anger. “You wild girl, how dare you speak to me like that!”
The old matriarch was furious as well. “To think you would defy your elders again and again! Someone, bring the family rod!”
Shen Tingting, who had been watching the spectacle from the side, immediately rushed to fetch the stick at the old lady’s command.
“Grandmother, here it is!”
The old matriarch gripped the rod and barked, “Kneel, now!”
“The Shen family neither raised me nor taught me. Now you shamelessly want to snatch what’s mine—what a fantasy.”
Shen Tingting fanned the flames from the side. “How dare you speak like that here? You clearly have no respect for anyone!”
“Elsewhere, I wouldn’t be nearly so patient. Shen Tingting, didn’t fifteen days in detention teach you a lesson?”
With that, Shen Chutang rose and strode toward the door.
In a fit of rage, Shen Tingting snatched the rod from the old matriarch’s hand and swung it at Shen Chutang’s back. Yet, as if she had eyes in the back of her head, Shen Chutang sidestepped effortlessly.
In the next instant, Shen Chutang spun around and delivered a resounding slap.
The crack echoed through the room, leaving Shen Tingting utterly stunned.
Shen Chutang shook her hand with feigned regret. “Oh dear, I kept hearing this buzzing behind me—who would’ve thought it was you, dear sister?”
A bright red handprint blossomed on Shen Tingting’s cheek. “You did that on purpose!”
Shen Chutang shrugged. “If that’s what you believe, I can’t help it.”
Liu Shuhua wrapped Shen Tingting in her arms, distressed. “Shen Chutang, I’m telling you, whether you move out willingly or not, you have to leave! With a situation like Wang Shaofen’s son, only private schools are an option. And without my recommendation, he’ll never get into a private school here!”

“I’ll give you one week—think it over!”
The school Liu Shuhua referred to was none other than the illustrious Petersburg Academy in the capital. Gaining admission there required not only a child’s exam, but also that the parents pass an evaluation—and a recommendation letter was essential.
“That’s all?”
Watching Shen Chutang leave with her people, Scholar Shen couldn’t help but mutter, “Mother, you’re just letting that woman walk away? If we had that villa, Saisai’s place at Petersburg Academy would be secured! And if we mortgaged the house, my cash flow problems would be solved!”
The old matriarch replied, “What’s there to fear? There are so many of us. Can we not handle a single slip of a girl?”
Liu Shuhua couldn’t help but ask, “Mother, so what do you mean?”
“I hear she married a mere driver—no power, no influence. How can she ever contend with us? Scholar, Meiru, you two take Saisai and settle the school matter this week.”
Reassured by the old lady’s words, Scholar Shen and Deng Meiru finally relaxed.
...
Shen Chutang led Wang Shaofen and Little Seven to the car. “So it was about Little Seven’s schooling. Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”
Wang Shaofen’s guilt was evident. “Miss, you’ve already helped me so much. I truly feel bad to trouble you further. They said only someone of high status could provide a recommendation, and I only know Madam Shen a little. She promised to write one for me, but then went back on her word.”
“Enough, I understand.”
Shen Chutang drew a small bottle of medicine from her belt. “Little Seven, put this on your mother’s wound. A couple of applications and it’ll be better.”
Little Seven obediently did as told, and Wang Shaofen was surprised to find her forehead suddenly cool, the pain gone.
“Take Little Seven to the interview tomorrow. Don’t worry about the recommendation letter.”
Moved to tears, Wang Shaofen choked out her thanks. “Thank you, Miss! Thank you!”

Shen Chutang smiled. “I told you, don’t call me Miss. You no longer work for the Shen family, and you’re older than I am. I’ll call you Sister Fen, you call me Chutang. That’s enough.”
“But, but I couldn’t possibly—”
“If you insist, I’ll be upset!”
Hearing that, Wang Shaofen finally agreed.
After seeing them home, Shen Chutang took out her phone. “I have a child who wants to attend Petersburg Academy. Please handle it.”
“Yes, Miss Shen, I’ll make the arrangements immediately.”
Just as she reached her door, her phone rang again—it was Ling You.
“Senior, what is it?”
“Junior, you asked me to deal with the Jiang family—are you sure you got it right?”
Shen Chutang frowned. “Why do you ask?”
“I found out the Jiangs embezzled funds and fled, and there seems to be some invisible force manipulating things behind the scenes. Did you ask another senior to help?”
Shen Chutang’s brow furrowed. Since the incident at the bar, she’d only called Ling You. If it wasn’t him, who else could it be?
Then, another name flashed through her mind—Lu Beiqin.
Could it have been him?