Chapter 62 The Butler's Hardships Part 2

Yu Qingci and Lu Yunchu were shocked. Yu Qingci said, "Although the eldest brother is like a father, now that Father-in-law is gone, Mother can propose to separate the family. As the eldest brother and sister-in-law, General and you have already done enough. How can you support your younger siblings for a lifetime? In the long run, it will only make them lazy and harm them."

Madam Ning sighed deeply: "Do you think I haven't thought about this? Your father-in-law mentioned it once before, and he brought it up himself. But your second and fourth uncles, sigh—"

Old Madam Ning sighed again as she recalled the past: "They are all people with sons and daughters, yet they cried and wailed with snot and tears, saying that they couldn't bear to leave their elder brother. Their elder brother is always on the battlefield, and they want to stay in the general's mansion to help me, their elder sister-in-law, guard the gate."

Your second and fourth aunts did an even worse job. They simply brought their children and knelt before your father-in-law, chanting and performing a dramatic act, crying and complaining about their hardships, saying they could only feel at ease by staying by their brother's side.

Yu Qingci couldn't help but think to herself: They're really shameless!

However, he dared not show it on his face.

Madam Ning: "Every family has its own troubles. We can't just kick our own brother out. If word gets out, it will be that we, as the elder brother and sister-in-law, are bullying him and can't tolerate our poor brother."

Now that the Great General and Yunqi are gone, I, as the eldest sister-in-law, have no way to control them. It will be even more difficult to separate them at this time.

As you've seen, all they're thinking about now is adopting their own children and grandchildren, so that they can call the shots in our eldest branch of the family.”

Lu Yun Chu said angrily, "They're dreaming. Everything in the General's Mansion was earned by Father and my elder brother through bloodshed. It has nothing to do with them. Why should they get anything? We'd rather they leave with nothing."

Madam Ning and Yu Qingci remained silent. That's what they said, but let alone leaving with nothing, those people are now planning to take advantage of the childless heir. As long as they get the position of the eldest son of the main branch, then the entire General's Mansion's property will eventually belong to the heir.

One can only imagine what life will be like for the three of them then.

Old Madam Ning looked at Yu Qingci and said, "This time, when we were arranged to marry into the Earl's family, I withstood their pressure and insisted on providing a sufficiently generous dowry. Do you know why?"

Speaking of betrothal gifts, Yu Qingci initially thought that the General's Mansion was wealthy and generous, hence the generous gifts, but now she understands the truth.

So he nodded and said, "I know."

Fearing she couldn't win against the other two families and wouldn't be able to protect the eldest son's assets, Madam Ning decided to use this marriage as a dowry, giving up most of her wealth.

Once the betrothal gifts are given out, they belong to the daughter-in-law. Even if the family splits up later, those people will not be able to touch the daughter-in-law's dowry. In this way, the eldest son's family managed to preserve a portion of their property.

Therefore, it was also something that Old Madam Ning had to think about regarding the betrothal gifts, and it seems that at least most of the family property has been preserved.

Yu Qingci recalled her dowry. To show their love for their daughter, the Nanping Earl's Mansion had not withheld any of the betrothal gifts from the General's Mansion, and had put them all into her dowry and brought them back.

However, after this back and forth, all the betrothal gifts became Yu Qingci's own property and had nothing to do with the General's Mansion anymore.

This is a common practice, and all families calculate the betrothal gifts for the bride in this way. Of course, if the bride's family is dishonest and withholds these betrothal gifts from the bride, that's another story.

In her previous life, Yu Qingyan married into the family and brought back all the betrothal gifts. However, in less than three years, Yu Qingyan absconded with all the valuables and even took away the dowry meant for her sister-in-law.

When the general's mansion fell, all the servants scattered. The younger sister-in-law also died not long after that incident, though she didn't know the specifics of what happened.

She secretly vowed that in this life she would protect the eldest branch of the family and never let her sister-in-law Yun Chu get into trouble.

Yu Qingci said, "Even so, judging from how Mother-in-law handled the day's expenses, it's clear that our family isn't extravagant. Even if we support those people, we shouldn't be in such dire straits so quickly."

Madam Ning nodded: "Yes, supporting them is only one expense, and it certainly won't bankrupt the manor. But you don't know that every year the manor also has to set aside a large sum of money to support the families of the soldiers who died under the general's command, as well as the soldiers who were injured on the battlefield and left disabled, and who cannot make a living after their discharge. That's the real problem."

Upon hearing this, Yu Qingci suddenly recalled what her fourth aunt had said before: "She can take out a large sum of money every year to support outsiders, but she always complains about being poor when it comes to her own nephews and nieces."

Yu Qingci asked in confusion, "But don't the court also provide pensions for the fallen soldiers? Why does the General's Mansion still need to pay for their upkeep? And those retired soldiers also receive some compensation, more or less."

Even after saying it, Yu Qingci was a little hesitant. Although she didn't know much about military affairs after living two lives, she still had some understanding of them.

The imperial court's pensions varied according to the soldiers' rank; the higher the rank, the more pensions they received, and usually no one dared to openly embezzle them.

For soldiers of lower ranks, the pensions were actually quite small, and even if their families received them all, it wouldn't last long before there was almost nothing left. For those with elderly parents and young children to support, and without a male breadwinner, the pensions were simply a drop in the ocean.

And then there are the disabled veterans. They are supposed to receive compensation, but in reality, they don't get much money at all. Some of the veterans from other places don't even have enough for the fare home.

Madam Ning sighed and explained, "That's true, but the General himself came from a poor background and knows how hard it is for his subordinates to support their families. Over the years, he has been helping his subordinates in need. If any of his subordinates are struggling to make ends meet, he will not stand idly by. Over the years, he has taken in many of them."

Yu Qingci: "Where have all those people been placed?"

Madam Ning: "Except for a small number of suitable people who stayed in the mansion as guards and servants, most of the homeless disabled soldiers and the families of the dead soldiers were settled in several villages in the suburbs, doing some work within their capabilities, so that they could at least have food to eat and make a living."

Over the years, we have taken in more soldiers and their families, and the work on the estates doesn't require as many people. The expenses are getting bigger and bigger, so every year the government has to set aside a sum of money to subsidize them so that these people don't go hungry.

Previously, your second and fourth uncles had some complaints about the General's Mansion paying money to support these people, but they dared not say much because the General was keeping them in check. Now that the General is gone, they have told me several times that they want to drive those people away.

But they were people left behind by the General before his death. Now that the General is gone, how can I disregard his reputation and do such a thing?

Lu Yun Chu couldn't help but say from the side, "What right do Second Uncle and Fourth Uncle have to drive those people away? Although those people depend on us for a living, the vast majority of them earn their living through their own abilities and don't expect us to support them for free."

I think if we don't have to support those two families, we can save a lot of money.