The next morning, the Ningguo Marquis's residence released the news.

It is said that the eldest grandson, Gu Han, is already married, and his wife is Li Jiaojiao, the adopted daughter of the Duke of Pingguo's family.

Because things haven't been going well at home lately, we've kept everything simple and haven't had any banquets.

Duke Ping's Mansion——

Pingguo Gongzheng was furious: "What? That little jinx Li Jiaojiao ran away?"

Thinking about it, he rushed to the courtyard of the Duchess of Pingguo and started cursing: "You actually let her escape? What about her ten thousand taels of dowry? She took it all with her? Damn it!"

Lady Pingguo, reclining on the chaise longue, said coldly, "What do you mean by 'letting her run away'? How could you forget that she and Gu Han already had a marriage certificate? She is already Gu Han's wife. Where else could she go if not back to the Marquis of Ningguo's residence?"

“Those dowries were also registered in her books long ago; they were all hers.”

"You, you, you—you're infuriating! You spendthrift woman! Do you even know that we're unlikely to get 90% of our things back? What's left in the house? You actually let her run off with 10,000 taels of silver? How are we supposed to live now?"

Lady Pingguo clutched her chest: "I think it's worth it! Besides, Jiaojiao won't abandon us."

Duke Pingguo started cursing again.

At this moment, Xiao Lü walked in. Because of the matter between Mei Shi and Zhao Ruying, Li Jiaojiao did not take Xiao Lü to the Ningguo Marquis's residence.

Xiao Lü said, "Master, Madam, we've found the Second Master."

The Duke of Pingguo asked excitedly, "Where are they?"

"main hall."

"Hmph! That unfilial son, I'll skin him alive!"

Duke Pingguo flicked his sleeve and turned to leave quickly.

Lady Pingguo also put on a coat and hurriedly went to the main hall.

In the main hall—

Liu Xiawei was kneeling on the ground, and Granny Yu was kneeling beside him.

Liu Shangwei and Qiao Shi stood not far away.

At this moment, Duke Pingguo and his wife walked in.

As soon as Duke Pingguo arrived, he kicked Liu Xiawei so hard he fell face-first into the dirt: "You unfilial son, I'll beat you to death! I'll kick you to death! You good-for-nothing!"

Liu Xiawei was beaten until he curled up on the ground.

After a long while, the Duchess finally said with a stern face, "Stop fighting. What's the point of fighting now?"

Duke Pingguo was also exhausted and slumped in his chair.

Lady Pingguo angrily retorted, "Liu Xiawei, Liu Xiawei, how dare you—"

Liu Xiawei knew this day would come when he was stealing, and he stiffened his neck:

"What's there to be afraid of? Anyway, this money will either be squandered by Dad, eaten by my older brother, or even spent on that jinx Li Jiaojiao. Since that's the case, I might as well spend it! Every extra penny I spend is a penny I earn!"

The Duke of Pingguo and his wife, as well as Liu Shangwei and his wife, nearly coughed up blood.

The Duke of Pingguo roared, "Where's the money? How much is left?"

Liu Xiawei reached into his sleeve and, with a few "thumps" and "clatters," tossed out two small silver ingots and a handful of copper coins: "They're all here."

The Duke of Pingguo and the others gasped, their voices trembling: "More than 55,000 taels, and you only have this much left... Do you even have 20 taels here?"

Liu Xiawei: "Here are ten taels and twenty-three copper coins."

Duke Pingguo and the others nearly cried out in despair: "What a disaster! You gambled away all your money?"

Liu Xiawei gritted his teeth and said, "Don't wrong me by accusing me of spending more than 50,000 taels at once. Let me make it clear to you, 30,000 taels of that went to pay off gambling debts."

"I only spent 25,000 taels. That's just the money you spent on three courtesans, or the money for Li Jiaojiao's two dowries. What's that?"

Lady Pingguo, clutching the blood that was rising in her throat, said, "Am I supposed to praise you?"

Liu Xiawei said, "You all... do you really need to be like this? You can save up the money slowly later."

Lady Pingguo roared, "Slowly save up? Where are you going to save up? Haven't you sold off all the family's assets? You've sold the golden goose that laid the eggs, how are you going to generate any more money?"

Liu Xiawei was taken aback: "I only sold a small stack of things... maybe half of them?"

Lady Pingguo's blood boiled: "What do you mean by half? This is our entire family's property? You even sold this house?"

“Yesterday, Deli Money Exchange came to collect our belongings. In three more days, we’ll all have to get out of here. Where will we live then? You’ve sold off all my estates and land. There will be no more income. You won’t even have money for food.”

Liu Xiawei was stunned; he couldn't even understand a single word the Duchess of Pingguo said: "What do you mean? This is ridiculous."

Yes, that's ridiculous.

He has lived a life of luxury since birth. What does it mean that he doesn't even have money to eat?

How could Liu Xiawei possibly be short of money for food?

As soon as he sits down at the restaurant, the waiter will serve him food, and at the end of the month the restaurant will come to his home to settle the bill.

Back home, you can eat and play however you want.

No matter how much trouble he caused, his parents would always be there to hold up the sky if it fell, so how could he go hungry? No, he never even thought about whether he would go hungry.

His only worry was how to get more money to gamble or find some new things to do.

Now someone is telling him he'll go hungry? Isn't that a joke?

When he was selling those things, he thought that his parents would always find a way, and at worst they would beat him up.

Moreover, he felt that his family's assets should be more than that.

Liu Xiawei said, "There are more than just these things at home, right? Even I know that you can't put all your eggs in one basket."

Lady Pingguo's eyes reddened: "No, just put it in one basket. You've sold everything in the house! Everything! Liu Xiawei, you're a sinner! That was all my dowry."

Liu Xiawei's eyes widened: "Speaking of which, I haven't even mentioned you yet! It's not all your dowry inside. When I was selling those things, I found that many of them were originally properties of our Duke's mansion. Mother used to say that they were all her dowry, as if we all lived off you."

“Actually, we usually eat and drink at the Duke’s mansion, but you always try to make yourself look good.”

Duke Pingguo and Liu Shangwei were stunned, looking at the Duke Pingguo's wife in disbelief.

Lady Pingguo almost vomited blood again: "Yes, many of the properties originally belonged to the Duke's mansion. I was just afraid that you would all squander them, so I used some means to take them under my own name."

“What’s the point of saying all this now? I’ve tried so hard to keep this family together, and you’ve sold it all! Sold it all! Now we’ll have no income, and we won’t even have this house anymore.”

Upon hearing this, Duke Pingguo kicked Liu Xiawei several more times.

Yu, the old woman standing nearby, said, "Master and Madam, why don't you ask him how he managed to steal it?"

The Duke of Pingguo and his wife stared intently at Liu Xiawei.

Granny Yu gritted her teeth and said, "This old servant always keeps the key on my person, how did the Second Master get it?"

Liu Xiawei scratched his head: "I'm not quite sure either... I was walking in the garden when something suddenly fell in front of me. I picked it up and saw that it was a key."