Chapter 32

Chapter 33

When he came out of the old lady's room, his steps were no longer as free and easy as before. The treasury was gone, the shop was gone, and only two or three taels of silver were left in his pocket.

Where to go?

With nowhere to go, he returned to the garden dejectedly. The yard was silent and the pear tree outside the east room, which had been in full bloom, was withering. The carved beams and painted buildings all over the yard suddenly became a huge empty shell.

He pushed open the east wing door, lay down on the couch listlessly, put his arms behind his head, closed his eyes and tried to sleep for a while. He slept until noon in the morning and was not sleepy at this time.

He stared at the top of the account for a while, feeling bored, and turned to stare at Min Zhang. Min Zhang looked at his son with sympathy on his face, "Why don't we go find Prince Zhou and ask him to think of a solution..."

What do you want to find him for? To be a salaryman?

Min Zhang said again, "Sir, if you have nothing to do, why don't you go and talk to Third Madam?"

Looking for her?

He wanted to live a few more years.

After all, he couldn't fall asleep, so he turned over, took out a book from the dusty bookshelf, shook himself, sat on the armchair with his legs crossed, and flipped through the book lazily.

At least I had something to pass the time. I read until the evening. Nanny Fang came over to set the table for dinner. "Third Young Master, it's time to eat."

Two plates of vegetarian dishes and three or five steamed buns were completely different from the meal he had at noon.

Seeing his hesitation, Nanny Fang explained, "The rice in the mansion was taken away last night, and the vegetable money for this month has not been paid. The butcher shop ran out of stock this morning. The remaining food in the kitchen was cooked for the Third Young Master at noon today. Now there is only some wheat left, and the Third Young Master had it made into steamed buns. She said the Third Young Master should eat it for a meal first, and she will think of a way to borrow some tomorrow."

The gap is too big.

Losing everything overnight and not even being able to afford food?

Nanny Fang said, "If you are not used to the food, I will go to the Madam."

The second house said that they went bankrupt, but Uncle Wen still has a salary. The first house didn't invest a penny in buying grain this time, so there is no loss at all. The second house has supported the first house for so many years, and now that the second house is in trouble, the first house can't just ignore it.

Just as Nanny Fang finished speaking, a cry of scolding rang out from outside, "What kind of people are these? Their consciences have been eaten by dogs. Look at how the Second Master and Second Madam treated them in the past, and now look at what they get in return..."

Nanny Fang hurried out. It was a sturdy maid in Wen Shuse's room. She heard her crying and shouting, "The Third Young Master is still in there. What's going on?"

When the maid saw Nanny Fang, she seemed to have found someone to sympathize with her and cried even harder, "Nanny, you don't know, today Third Madam was worried that Third Young Master couldn't get used to the coarse food, so she asked me to go to the kitchen over there to see if there was any meat so that I could make some dumplings for Third Young Master tomorrow morning. But the maid next to Second Madam snatched the things away, saying that she wanted to make porridge for the young master. If Third Master and Third Madam want to eat, they can buy it with money themselves." The more she spoke, the more aggrieved she felt, and she cried out "Wow", "The last time Second Young Master was detained in Zui Xiang Lou, if it weren't for the money given by Third Young Master, he probably wouldn't have come back by now. And the First Madam, Second Madam, and First Madam, aren't the silver and money you took from Third Young Master enough? Today it's just a few pounds of beef, you really see through me..."

Xie Shao had just picked up a piece of greens with chopsticks and was still chewing. The astringent bitter taste on the tip of his tongue, coupled with the crying sounds outside, simply exaggerated his desolation and desolation at the moment to the extreme.

I don't want to make people happy.

He put down his chopsticks, opened the door, and ignoring the expressions of the people outside, called Min Zhang and hurried out of the house.

The bridge market at night has always been more lively than during the day. When the lights are turned on, the railings and windows of the attic are filled with moving figures.

Min Zhang followed behind him, weaving in and out of the crowd, walking from the beginning of the street to the end. The aroma of wine wafted from the dark alleys of the restaurant several times, overwhelming people's will. No matter how much thought they had, it could not resist the two or three taels of silver in their sleeves.

They didn't know how long they walked before they found a remote bridge with no one around.

Xie Shao leaned against the stone railing, looking at the lively lights in the distance, then raised his head and took a few sips of the two pots of liquor that Min Zhang had bought with one or two taels of silver. The spicy taste went from his throat all the way to his lungs.

Apart from being strong, there is no fragrance at all.

What does Zui Xiang Lou’s wine taste like?

Min Zhang saw him drinking one mouthful after another, and he didn't seem to be used to it. He also took out a steamed bun from his arms and nibbled it slowly. Halfway through, he noticed the gazes beside him. He turned around and saw his master staring at him. He thought he was pitying him, so he grinned and comforted him, "I don't feel wronged at all. I just like to eat steamed buns. When I was a child, I wanted them but didn't have them..."

Xie Shao: "Anything else?"

Min Zhang: ...

The pot of wine bought with half a tael of silver was stronger than the 'Drunken Immortal' in Zui Xiang Lou. I was drunk all night and woke up the next day when it was already Si time again.

Nanny Fang brought a bowl of meat porridge to the west wing. "The Third Madam went to the pawnshop early this morning and pawned her jewelry in exchange for some meat and rice. She asked the Third Master to eat and have a good rest at home. She will go back to the Wen family to see if she can borrow some money from the Wen family's eldest lady."

Xie Shao: ...

After a good night's sleep, life was still miserable.

Xie Shao stared at the bowl of precious meat porridge in front of him. When did he fall to the point where he had to be supported by a woman? He turned around and instructed Min Zhang, "Find someone to urge the old man and his wife, saying that he only eats for free and his son and wife are starving to death, and ask them to come back and make money quickly."

But even if the Second Master and Second Madam rushed back at this time, distant water could not quench nearby fire. He turned around and looked around the house, "Look for anything valuable in the house, and take them all away as collateral."

Min Zhang raised his head and looked at his bow and arrow. Xie Shao's eyelids jumped, "That won't work."

Min Zhang looked at the tiger skin again.

"Not at all." That was the first big insect he hunted in his life.

And a saddle.

"no."

Then there is nothing valuable left. You can't pawn his clothes, pants and belt.

Min Zhang stopped talking.

Xie Shao asked, "Is there really nothing valuable left?"

Min Zhang thought for a while and said, "Why don't you go find the second young master? He still owes you five hundred taels of silver." Last time at Zui Xiang Lou, the second young master agreed to lend him the money.

"Do you think he has?"

Min Zhang shook his head.

That's it.

After a long silence, Min Zhang rarely expressed his opinion, "I think it's good for you to receive a salary, Mr. Xie is quite pleasing to the ear."

As soon as he finished speaking, he received a stab in the eye.

The issue of the second house's bankruptcy had to be resolved. The third young master and the third young mistress couldn't be allowed to starve to death. Before breakfast, the old lady called everyone to Ningxin Hall.

Wen Shuse is not here today as she has returned to her parents' home, leaving Xie Shao alone in the second room.

Master Xie from the first wife's household was not there either. The first wife arrived with a few younger generations. As soon as they sat down, the atmosphere was completely different from usual.

The eldest lady turned her head to the side, and the younger generations also lowered their heads. They no longer called "Third Brother" affectionately as they did in the past. They all turned their eyes away and did not look at Xie Shao.

Madam Xie glanced at everyone, her mind as clear as a mirror, and asked the eldest lady, "Where is the master?"

The eldest lady replied, "The palace has been busy these days and I can't get away. I left before dawn today."

Madam Xie did not ask any more questions and went straight to the point. "You have seen the current situation of the Second House. There is not a penny left. The Second Master and the Second Madam are not at home. You, as the eldest uncle, cannot just ignore it. In the past, the expenses of the house were all paid by the Second House. A lot of money has been spent over the years. They have also helped you a lot on weekdays. Now that you have encountered difficulties, we are all family. We should take care of each other and get through this difficult time."

How to spend it?

The second wife had lost all her money this time. Could it be that the first wife would have to support her from now on? The first wife had woken up from her dream of getting rich in the past two days, and she had been worried that the second wife would ask them for money.

It finally came.

The eldest lady had already thought of an excuse, "It's not that we don't want to help. Everyone knows that the master's salary is just that much. There are so many mouths to feed in the house. Counting the ones in Aunt Gu's room, there are dozens of mouths in our big house. The second daughter-in-law just gave birth not long ago. Not to mention that the adults can't live without supplements, the youngest is still a baby. There are also the daily expenses of the mansion and the monthly wages of the servants. We have to take care of the old ancestor in the future..." She swallowed bitterly, she was really heartbroken, "You said that such a good life was ruined by a new bride, how can we live in the future..."

She couldn't understand why the old lady and the third son didn't kick Wen Er out even though she had caused such a big mess.

Upon hearing this, Madam Xie snorted coldly, "You also know that the expenses of the mansion are high. In the past, when your family of the first house was supported by the second house, why didn't I see you crying for them?"

The eldest lady choked and said, "Mother, what are you talking about? My eldest wife doesn't have any money on hand..."

Madam Xie suddenly became furious, "Now that the Second House has no money, you guys are going to die?"

The eldest lady was reprimanded by Madam Xie, but she didn't feel guilty. She just confronted her. "We reminded the third son before that the warehouse should not be handed over to the new bride, but he didn't listen. When the third son's wife was hoarding grain, I reminded her more than once to sell it early for safety, but she was not satisfied. Now she has squandered all the family wealth. Who should she blame?" She glanced at the third son opposite her. She didn't have the confidence to look him in the face. She glanced at him and turned her head away and said, "Doesn't the third son still have an official position? When he takes office in the future, he can also get a salary."

You’re an adult now, can’t you support yourself?

"Mother knows that Chengji is going to Dongdu soon, and we don't know where to get the money. And this kind of thing happened at home. Isn't this pushing us to a dead end?" He expressed his attitude, "Mother, as sons and daughters-in-law, we should be filial. I will pay for all the expenses of the house. But other than that, my eldest wife really doesn't have the money to support idle people."

With the way the third brother spends money lavishly, who can afford to support him?

And there is Wen Er, that prodigal son. She wants to kick her out of the house. She will have to spend money to support her in the future. It would be better to make her die of anger.

Madam Xie smiled sarcastically, "Master, do you think so too?"

The eldest lady had a determined look on her face, she refused to back down or give in, and said nothing.

Old Madam Xie wanted to say more, but Xie Shao slowly stood up from his seat and said to the old lady, "Don't worry, grandma. Your grandson has all his limbs intact and won't starve to death." He didn't stay any longer and left the yard first.

It was already the end of spring, the world was changing, and the scenery suddenly changed. The peonies and a few crabapples along the road seemed to have become withered without me noticing.

He had never thought of relying on the first wife, but the scene where everyone avoided him like the plague still hurt him a little.

Even Min Zhang saw it and came up with a solution for him, "Young Master is not well received in the mansion anymore, let's go find Young Master Zhou, he can still earn 15 strings of cash a month."

Xie Shao pretended he didn't hear it and said, "Ask Cui Nian tomorrow if there is anything I can do."

What kind of job is worthy of his status as a playboy in Fengcheng?

Given Master Cui's character, Min Zhang felt that if his master came to him, he would most likely be burdened with a considerable debt.

This girl, looking desolate and miserable, had just come out of the yard when she ran into Wen Shuse who had returned from the Wen family. The girl also looked listless with her head hung down. One glance revealed that she must have also run into a setback at the Wen family.

One of them stood at the head of the corridor, and the other at the end of it. They looked at each other, and the misery in their eyes was self-evident.

They were truly a couple in distress. Xie Shao said goodbye, and Wen Shuse walked to his side with her eyes downcast. She weakly called him "My dear" and asked him cautiously, "What did grandma say?"

Xie Shao said nothing.

"Don't worry, my dear. Uncle Xie is the deputy governor of the Jiedushi, and his salary is high. You have given them so much money in the past, and they will definitely not ignore you now that you are in trouble. Unlike me, I can't even borrow money after going back, and I don't even have a meal to eat..."

Xie Shao:.......

She was the type who would rub salt into someone's wounds. She looked up at the sun and saw that it was already past lunchtime and Xie Shao hadn't eaten yet.

Apart from the meal yesterday at noon, I haven't had a single meal to fill my stomach since then. My life has come to this point.

He was silent for a while, and the young lady suddenly tugged at his sleeve. He lowered his eyes and saw the young lady timidly asking, "My dear, do you have any money on you?"

Xie Shao's forehead jumped. What money did he have? He used the more than two taels of silver that were left over last night to buy two pots of wine. Now he only had one tael left. Could this still be considered money?

Before he could get angry, the young lady pulled out an oil-paper package from her sleeve, peeled off several layers of oil paper, and inside was a piece of tempting braised beef. The young lady swallowed her saliva, and although there was reluctance in her eyes, she handed it to him without hesitation, "My dear, please eat it. I'm not hungry at all."

Wen Er: Even if you starve me to death, you won’t let my husband starve.

Xie San:......