Chapter 76 People from the Clan Have Arrived

Yu Qingci had already been planning this, and now that Pei Mama had mentioned it, the more she thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and she couldn't help but smile:

"Granny Pei's idea is better."

Madam Ning was certainly eager for the family to split up, but getting everyone to move out willingly was no easy task; if things went wrong, it would cause chaos again.

I'll think of a plan before bringing it up with Old Madam Ning.

The master and servant simply sat down and began to discuss it in detail.

The days that followed were anything but peaceful. Madam Wei, Madam Ma, and the Third Aunt, along with their respective grandsons, began to frequently visit Guanlan Pavilion, or take the younger generation to Songbai Hall to pay their respects to Old Madam Ning, showing utmost courtesy.

Annoyed by the disturbance, Granny Pei could only refuse repeatedly, practically stating outright that Guanlan Pavilion did not welcome them.

Wang Mama from Songbai Hall was not polite either. She would use the excuse that the old lady was unwell and needed to rest to refuse people entry, but even so, she could not resist the enthusiasm of these people.

After receiving instructions, Steward Lu sent people to keep an eye on Lu Yunzhang for a period of time before reporting the information he had gathered to the old lady and the young mistress.

"The old man hasn't been visiting the estate lately, nor has he brought any charcoal or cotton. Instead, he often goes to restaurants and teahouses with a few rich young men every few days, and has also been to brothels a few times."

Moreover, he is very generous.

Yu Qingci: "Do you know which families' young masters those friends with him belong to?"

Steward Lu: "I've inquired, and most of them are collateral relatives of officials in the capital, as well as sons of wealthy merchants. The highest-ranking among them are the youngest son of the Grand Master of Ceremonies, Lin, and the second son of the Vice Minister of the Court of Imperial Sacrifices, Wu."

Once, the master hosted a dinner at Yipinxiang Restaurant and invited the eldest son of Wei, the Vice Minister of the Ministry of Personnel. This eldest son of Wei was said to be arrogant and difficult for ordinary people to curry favor with. I don't know why the master wanted to ask him for anything. Afterwards, I went to inquire and found out that the master spent 180 taels of silver on the wine alone.

However, it seems that the old man never caught Wei's eye again after that.

Butler Lu was a straightforward man. With his eyes lowered, he recounted the news he had gathered outside in detail without any beating around the bush, completely unaware of Old Madam Ning's increasingly gloomy expression.

Yu Qingci wanted to laugh, but after Butler Lu finished speaking, she politely said:

"You did a great job. Thank you, Butler Lu."

"Furthermore, Steward Lu will need to take care of matters at the estate, such as whether winter preparations are complete and what else needs to be done. Steward Lu, please find out as much as you can and report back, so that Mother can rest assured."

Butler Lu: "Madam, young mistress, please rest assured. I have been sending people to keep an eye on things at the estate, so there shouldn't be any major problems."

Yu Qingci nodded in satisfaction and looked at her mother-in-law.

After Butler Lu finished speaking, he withdrew, and Old Madam Ning sat there without saying a word for a long time.

Yu Qingci gave Wang Mama a wink, and Wang Mama carefully said:

"Yesterday, when the master came to pay his respects to the old lady, I noticed that the jade pendant on his waist had been changed again. This time, he was wearing a jade pendant with a blue dragon pattern. I could tell that it was very valuable. Also, there were several large emerald rings on his hand, which were obviously good items."

"Tsk tsk tsk, not to be a snob, but ever since Master took over the external affairs, he's become increasingly wealthy. I wonder where all this money comes from."

Madam Ning remained silent for a long time with a gloomy face.

She understood what Steward Lu and Granny Wang were saying. She was also aware that the second and fourth branches of the family had been using the General's Mansion as a pretext to extort money from various places, both openly and secretly, over the years. She just didn't want to think about or delve into some things.

Now that she's said this in front of her daughter-in-law, she's completely exposed the truth, and there's no way she can deceive herself anymore.

After a long pause, he said, "I understand. I told them before that the money in the manor is almost gone, and if they ask for more in the future, I won't be able to come up with it."

He then looked at Yu Qingci and said, "Daughter-in-law, I've thought it over carefully. It's best to hand this family over to you as soon as possible. From now on, I'll be a carefree old lady who doesn't care about anything. They won't be able to get any benefits from me anymore."

Yu Qingci rolled her eyes helplessly: "Mother, how can a junior like me keep so many elders in the family in check? Mother has to stand in front of us."

Even though we know it's a mess, we have to cut the rotten parts before we can take over, but it's not the right time yet.

That day, Yu Qingci and Tong'er had just arrived at the entrance of Songbai Hall when Su Jin, the head maid who served the old lady, came towards them. Upon seeing the two, she stepped forward and bowed, saying:

"Young Madam, the Old Madam has guests here today, and Granny Wang asked me to invite you to greet them."

Yu Qingci continued walking without stopping, asking in confusion, "What kind of guest is it?"

These days she has become quite familiar with the old lady's maids, so she speaks and acts quite casually.

Su Jin followed behind her and replied, "She is the wife of the second uncle in the clan. The second uncle is the oldest in the Lu clan and has a very high seniority. Even our old lady has to show him some respect. Moreover, he did a favor for the general in his early years. The lady who came today is rather difficult to serve. Wang Mama was afraid that you would not know, so she specially instructed me to come out and tell you."

Yu Qingci searched her mind for the brief introductions of the general's family members, which Pei Mama had prepared for her. It seemed that there was someone named Second Uncle and Second Aunt. She could just call her Second Aunt, like everyone else.

According to Pei Mama's records, this second aunt was not the second uncle's first wife, but his second wife. She was more than 20 years younger than the second uncle, a typical case of an older man marrying a younger woman.

This woman was no ordinary person. After marrying into the family, she gave birth to three sons for her second uncle, quickly establishing herself in her husband's family.

Because the second uncle held a superior and respected position in the clan, the second aunt also held a high position among the clan members.

Because of her status as a widow, Yu Qingci had many taboos, so after marrying into the family, she had never met any of her relatives or clansmen except for very close relatives. Now that her second aunt had come to visit, she naturally had to meet her.

Upon entering the main hall, one could see Old Madam Ning sitting on a chair next to a soft couch, with Madam Wei smiling beside her, but Madam Ma and Third Aunt were nowhere to be seen.

In the center of the main hall, on the soft couch where Madam Ning used to sit, sat a gaunt old woman with half-white hair and a face even more rigid than her third aunt.

Perhaps because of the cold weather outside, the old woman wore a heavy indigo-blue padded jacket embroidered with dark patterns. She didn't have many luxurious clothes or ornaments. She simply wore a bronze plum blossom hairpin in her hair and a string of ordinary coral necklaces around her neck.

Judging from his attire, one could guess that the Second Uncle's family was not well-off.

As Yu Qingci walked in, Old Madam Ning politely introduced her to her second aunt:

"This is my daughter-in-law, her maiden name is Qingci."

"Qingci, come quickly and kowtow to your second aunt."