The man named Li Du was ridiculed verbally, and in anger, he forcefully pushed Shen Chen, seemingly using all his strength to knock the person in front of him down.
This time, Shen Chen couldn't dodge in time, stumbled back a few steps, and eventually sat down on the ground unable to hold himself up.
Their gazes met in the air, crackling with sparks.
"Why are you glaring? You're just the housekeeper's child. If you keep glaring, I'll gouge out your eyes." He raised his hands menacingly, threatening the boy sitting on the ground.
Seeing that Shen Chen did not speak, Li Du was smug: "My father is the National Guardian General. Killing you would be as easy as crushing an ant. Isn't that right, everyone?" He gestured to his companions as he spoke.
"Yes, the National Guardian General is really powerful."
"That's right, what does he amount to?"
A group of cronies began to chime in, flattering him.
They had no serious grudge against Shen Chen. They met him by chance and found out he had no power or influence and was delicate in appearance. For a man to look like this, wouldn't it make people want to bully him?
Since then, whenever they had nothing to amuse themselves with, they would look for him. They sometimes resorted to small punishments; they feared he'd die from big punishments, so they never went too far.
If these people were in the 21st century, they'd certainly be despised by everyone, and even adults would intervene.
But in the Daqing Dynasty, officials protected each other, interconnected closely, and regular people wouldn't bother with these high-status brats.
They just hoped to avoid trouble coming their way.
Meanwhile, Ye Zhi and her servant finished their meal and headed towards Jixiu Pavilion to order clothes. To take a shortcut, they walked through a slightly offbeat alley, and unexpectedly, witnessed the scene as they emerged, prompting Ye Zhi to quickly pull Ah Tao aside to hide.
"Hush."
Her index finger pressed against Ah Tao's red lips, indicating for her not to speak.
She seemed to have seen Shen Chen being bullied, and he was the man who held the power over life and death for her. While he was still young, she needed to earn some goodwill from him.
Indeed, Shen Chen was the grandson of Shen Wan, Ye Zhi's housekeeper. The original figure did not treat him kindly, seeing him as merely the son of a servant and would either hit or curse him whenever they met.
And Li Du's group were her "good friends," the outcome was foreseeable.
She was the one who told them to bully him, even insulted him for being parentless. Once, they even threw his mother's keepsake, a green cloud-patterned jade pendant, into the lake.
These were told by Ah Tao, alas, there is a reason she ended up drawn and quartered...
After all, she occupied the young lady's body, and criticizing the original figure was difficult. Moreover, the body was hers now, so insulting her would also be like insulting herself.
"Ah Tao, let's go, let's save Shen Chen. You must not be disrespectful to him in the future, understand? Remember what I said, don't be disrespectful to him."
Fearing she wouldn't take it seriously, Ye Zhi quietly repeated herself, her gaze earnest.
An unconvinced Ah Tao retorted, "Why, Miss? Wasn't it you saying he's like a sissy, just looking at him dampens your spirits, he's an unlucky person, and telling me not to be polite to him?"
"Not only that, you instructed that when seeing him, he should not have it easy, to trip him up, and all this must be hidden from Housekeeper Shen?"
Ye Zhi: "..."
"That was before, when I was ignorant. Just listen to me, I understand my mistake now."
"Oh, alright then."
Seeing the silly maid's reluctant look, Ye Zhi sighed in her heart: You are still young, you don't know your sister is saving your life.
She peeked at Shen Chen, who was being bullied by the crowd, his slender body sitting on the ground, looking somewhat pitiful.
The little face was round and adorable, how could those people lay hands on such a cute little boy.
Sister is here to save you.