Chapter 124 Arrangement

"Mother, Mother, what's wrong?"

Xie Chengzhi was shocked to see Xie Sanniang spitting out blood.

He rushed forward to check on her and carefully wiped the bloodstains from her mouth and nose.

Seeing this, Zheng Shu said, "It's really no use, the old lady is really not going to make it."

Xie Chengzhi's heart tightened, and he quickly grabbed Xie Sanniang's hand: "Mother, the key to your camphor wood chest..."

After spitting out the blood that had been stuck in her chest, Xie Sanniang felt much better. She propped herself up and said with a sharp look in her eyes, "Go and call Doctor Yan."

"Mother, that..."

Xie San Niang sneered, "What, you're trying to wear me down to death if you don't get my private money today?"

“My son didn’t mean that. He’ll go get someone right now.”

After saying that, Xie Chengzhi hurriedly pulled Zheng Shu and ran out.

Seeing that no one was in the room, Xie Sanniang stared blankly at the slightly old wooden box beside the bed.

After a long while, she sighed and fell back onto the bed with a thud.

For some reason, although she spat out the blood and felt much more energetic, she also felt a loss of strength, leaving her feeling weak and powerless.

Before long, Hua Nanzhi arrived in a hurry with Doctor Yan.

After taking his pulse, Doctor Yan looked grave.

"My mother..."

Hua Nanzhi and Xie Boyu stood anxiously to one side, while Xie Chengzhi and Zheng Shu huddled behind them like quails, not daring to breathe.

"What did you say to Mother? Why are you so angry?"

Xie Chengzhi's brows furrowed sharply: "What are you saying? How did I get angry? A few months ago, our mother was in great health. Now she's like this. Isn't it because of your good son?"

"If it weren't for Xie Xuchuan, and if he hadn't slept with the Jiang family girl before his marriage, our Xie family would be imperial merchants now, holding the Shen family's dyeing records."

"Oh, I see. Xie Boyu, isn't your eldest son's family impatient? Do you want to kill Mother as soon as possible and then seize the family business?"

Xie Chengzhi did not believe that Xie Sanniang's serious illness was due to him; he clearly blamed Xie Xuchuan.

Xie Boyu was a straightforward person, and when he heard this, he felt uneasy and dared not refute it.

Xie Xuchuan is indeed...

He gritted his teeth, wishing he could summon the family rules and beat Xie Xuchuan to death on the spot.

"Stop arguing."

Xie San Niang closed her eyes and said, "It has nothing to do with anyone else. I know my own body."

"See, I told you it had nothing to do with me."

Upon hearing Xie San Niang's words, Xie Chengzhi immediately jumped up and down, making a fuss and demanding an explanation.

Hua Nanzhi couldn't bear it any longer and called for her maid to send the man away.

"Old Yan, how much time do I have left?"

Xie San Niang lowered her eyes and spoke calmly.

She had weathered many storms in her life; what storms hadn't she seen? Yet, she remained remarkably calm and unafraid.

Hua Nanzhi stood aside, and upon hearing this, turned to look at Doctor Yan.

Doctor Yan shook his head slightly, then said, "Don't think too much, old man. Take good care of yourself and you will surely see your great-grandson born."

Upon hearing this, Hua Nanzhi's drooping hand trembled.

Does that mean... there are only a few months left?

"I understand. Thank you for making this trip."

After Hua Nanzhi saw Doctor Yan off, Xie Sanniang sat up, seemingly lost in thought.

When her eldest daughter-in-law returned, she said, "Go to the bottom of my wardrobe and take out the box wrapped in red silk."

Hua Nanzhi nodded and did as instructed, but she was completely bewildered.

Her mother-in-law was a domineering woman her whole life, and in the early days she looked down on both of her daughters-in-law. When she first married into the Xie family, she also suffered a lot from her mother-in-law's mistreatment.

So many years have passed, and although there have been some frictions, there's no deep-seated hatred between us.

Moreover, she genuinely cared for Xie Xuchuan, so in recent years, the tension between mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had long since disappeared, and they even seemed to be on the same page, sharing the same sentiments and aspirations.

Holding the old lady's things now, Hua Nanzhi felt uneasy.

In her early years, Xie San Niang traveled far and wide for the Xie family business, fighting with men in the business guild, and only with great difficulty did she manage to protect the family business.

Over the years, she had worked herself to the bone, and was already at her limit. Recently, she had been dealing with a series of events, which completely drained her energy, causing her to collapse.

Xie San Niang took the wooden box and opened the red silk covering it.

"There are a few things I need to tell you to do."

“Mother, please speak.”

After a moment of silence, Xie San Niang entrusted the matter that was most worrying her to Hua Nan Zhi.

"Jingyuan is of marriageable age and it's time for him to get married. Help me find a few young ladies in Suzhou. Their background doesn't matter, but they should be gentle, kind, and sensible."

"Don't let Jingyuan miss out on a good marriage because of mourning."

With Zheng Shu as a precedent, Xie Jingyuan was extra careful in choosing his wife, which led to Jingyuan wasting his time over the years.

"These are my personal seals, as well as the contract for the Xie family's weaving workshop and the seal of the Xie family head, etc."

"If I leave, the family property will be distributed according to the family rules, with the eldest son's family receiving the full share. As for Bo Yu, you..."

When Xie Boyu was mentioned, Xie San Niang's eyelids drooped. After thinking for a long time, she finally said, "Take good care of these. They are all left for Xu Chuan."

"The second wife has embezzled a lot of public funds over the years. Since I turned a blind eye before, there is no reason to bring up the old grievances now."

"Let bygones be bygones, but as for the rest, let them forget about it too."

"The second son is the type to cause trouble, so you and Bo Yu should keep him in check."

Xie San Niang turned her head and glanced at the room, especially at the mahogany box that Xie Chengzhi had been thinking about for a long time, and the two huge camphor wood chests next to the wardrobe.

She looked up at Hua Nanzhi and said indifferently, "I'll leave my worthless things to Jingyuan as a keepsake."

Hua Nanzhi nodded, feeling awkward but not saying much.

The Xie family rules state that the eldest son inherits the entire family business, but the old lady clearly left a share for Xie Jingyuan. However, since her son Xuchuan has taken the lion's share, it would be a loss to continue arguing about it now.

"I'm afraid Chengzhi won't treat Lurong well. If Lurong gets engaged, I'll keep a portion of her dowry for her, and you can give her another portion from the public funds."

"Don't worry about Ying Shou's side, the second brother will take care of it."

Hua Nanzhi nodded, hesitated for a long time, and then said, "As for Xie Qi..."

Xie Sanniang snorted coldly: "That little beast has his own old geezers plotting for him, but..."

A cold glint flashed in Xie San Niang's eyes, startling Hua Nan Zhi.

It seems that before the old lady passes away, she should finally settle all these messy accounts from many years ago.

"Bring me the pen and ink in a bit. Words alone aren't enough; someone might try to cause trouble later..."

After thinking for a moment, Xie San Niang said again, "Bo Yu is of mediocre talent, but it is not difficult for him to protect the family. It will just be hard for you to assist him from the side and help him protect the Xie family and the ancestral foundation."

"As long as the Xie family bloodline remains, the family cannot be divided for even a day. Once the family is broken up, everything the Xie family owns will be gone."

"The family business should be left to Xuchuan..."

"Furthermore, the Shen family has developed to this point by borrowing the farming and weaving charts from the Xie family. Now, their desire to keep the dyeing manuals privately is pure fantasy."

"But I don't have much time left and don't have the energy to deal with these things right now. Remember, before we get the dyeing manual, Xie Qi and Shen Yuanzhu cannot leave the Xie family for even a day..."