Chapter 71 Each with their own agenda 3
Lu Yunbo considered it for a moment, estimating that his elders would definitely disagree if he asked for three hundred taels, so he said:
"One hundred taels."
Finally, Lu Yunbo left satisfied, carrying 150 taels of silver.
While the second branch of the family was discussing countermeasures behind closed doors, the third aunt also returned to the courtyard where her family lived with her son and daughter-in-law.
When the eldest son, Yang Yong, saw his mother return, he came over to greet her. He had not gone to Songbai Hall with his younger brother and several other children that day.
Yang Yong: "Mother, did you tell Auntie today when we're going back?"
His third aunt glared at him: "Go back? You really want to go back to your Yang family? You spineless coward!"
Yang Yong was used to her mother's sarcastic tone, but she was still somewhat disheartened and said in a low voice:
"This is not our own home after all. Mother said that since my eldest uncle and cousin Yunqi had just left, we had to come and help my eldest aunt."
Now that my cousin Yunqi's wedding is over and the bride is married, it's not right for us to stay here with our families for so long. It's more comfortable to go back to our own home.
Yang Yong knew very well what his mother was thinking, but no matter how good the general's mansion was, it was still his uncle's family, not their Yang family.
However, he inherited his late father's temperament and listened to his mother in everything.
When he was a child, he was ignorant and his mother would often come to their door to beg for money. Now he and his brothers are all married with children, but his mother can still stay here with her whole family. He doesn't have the nerve to stay here forever.
The younger brother, Yang Qi, had just gone with his mother to Songbai Hall to watch the excitement. Now he was back, sitting lazily in his chair, glancing sideways at his older brother, who was meek and obedient in front of their mother. He looked down on him from the bottom of his heart.
So he said, "Brother, we absolutely cannot leave now. We were talking about adoption at Songbai Hall earlier. Our three little nephews are all quite promising, and Aunt and Cousin clearly like them very much. Maybe this good thing will really fall into our family's hands."
"Brother, we've agreed that whichever of our three nephews gets chosen, we'll all benefit together."
Yang Yong did not show any joy upon hearing this. Firstly, he was unwilling to give his son away to someone else, and he was not unable to afford to raise him himself.
Secondly, with the families of my second and fourth uncles already in the picture, it's impossible for it to be their turn; it's just wishful thinking on my mother's and brother's part.
Yang Yong still advised, "Mother, I think we shouldn't get involved in this adoption matter. It's not like our Yang family can't afford to raise a child."
The third aunt was furious at her eldest son's spineless attitude and pointed at him, scolding him:
"You're such a good-for-nothing. Even if there's a great opportunity right in front of you, you won't know how to seize it. Who am I doing all this for? I'm so old, I won't be able to enjoy this happiness for long. Once your son inherits the title of great general and becomes a powerful figure outside, how long can this old woman like me benefit from it?"
Your second and fourth uncles were fighting tooth and nail to get their grandsons into the eldest son's family, even going so far as to give up their grown sons. What were they after? Wasn't it all for their descendants to be superior? Your mother, I also have the surname Lu, so why can't I try? Those two families aren't getting any advantage.
Yang Yong knew he couldn't win an argument with his mother, so he simply lowered his head and remained silent.
Yang Qi nodded repeatedly, "That's right. Cousin Yunzhang couldn't wait to kowtow to his aunt on the spot and become her adopted son. If it were me, I would have no objections as long as my mother was willing."
The third aunt glared at her youngest son with displeasure: "What nonsense are you talking about? Don't even think about it. Besides, your eldest aunt made it clear just now that she would never acknowledge an adopted son and is only willing to give Yunqi a child to adopt."
Yang Qi said ingratiatingly to his third aunt, "Mother, I think we need your help to have any hope in this matter. Whether our family can make decisions about the General's Mansion in the future depends entirely on you, our sons."
Third Aunt snorted and said, "That girl Yu Qingci looks young but she's cunning. She's only been married for a short time, but your eldest aunt already listens to her every word. Now your eldest aunt is increasingly unwilling to listen to us and only consults that girl on everything."
"It won't be so easy for your second and fourth uncles to get what they want. Even if they eventually choose one of their two branches, they won't get away with it smoothly without my approval."
The third aunt was filled with malice.
When she got married, her elder brother had not yet become the General of Ningyuan, so the family she married into was not a wealthy and noble family, but only slightly better off than the average family in the capital.
Fortunately, her husband was reliable, and within a few years he became a centurion based on his military achievements.
Yang's family was small, her husband didn't have many brothers or sisters, and her parents-in-law were easy to talk to. She herself was also very lucky to have given birth to three sons for her husband's family. She couldn't be more proud of herself.
As her elder brother's career progressed smoothly, her in-laws treated her like royalty, and at that time, she was the one who made all the decisions in the Yang family.
Just as she was eagerly awaiting her husband's advancement and the prospect of him becoming a high-ranking official and bringing honor to his family, news arrived that her husband had died in battle.
Her hopes of securing a position and having children were dashed, and during that time she was in a bad mood and found fault with everyone.
As time went by, she blamed her husband's death on her elder brother, believing that he had failed to take good care of his brother-in-law, which led to his death on the battlefield and made her a widow.
Raising three sons to adulthood and establishing their own families is no easy task for a woman. Even if her husband leaves behind some property, how can she and her family live comfortably off it all for several years?
She had no choice but to turn to her parents' home.
Over the years, seeing that her second and fourth brothers' families had always lived with her eldest brother and enjoyed the luxurious life in the General's Mansion, living a life where food and clothing were provided for them, the third aunt felt even more resentful. So she followed suit and would bring a bunch of her children back to the General's Mansion every now and then to freeload.
Since the eldest brother can support so many people from the second and fourth brothers' families, it's not unreasonable for him to have a younger sister who has lost her husband.
The longer she stayed at her parents' home, the more calculating she became.
Now that her eldest brother is gone, only a few orphans and widows are left in the eldest branch of the family. She can't just watch her two brothers live off the family's inheritance; she has to get a share too.
Even if the grandson cannot be adopted in the future, she still has a plan: she can make her sister-in-law bleed a lot of money.
Thinking of this, she glanced at her youngest son.
"Qi'er, have you spoken to your seventh cousin these past few days?"
Yang Qi: "No, Lu Yun Chu is a girl who never leaves the house. I only met her twice when I went to pay my respects to my aunt, but we never spoke."
A clear and slender image of a young girl flashed through Yang Qi's mind. That little girl was still as easy to bully as she was when she was a child, but she had become more and more beautiful as she grew up.
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