Chapter 146 Success
"Oh, Mother, what do you want to say to your son?"
Seeing that everyone else had left, Xie Chengzhi approached Xie San Niang with a fawning expression.
He reached out and gently patted and kneaded the old lady's shoulder, being very attentive.
Xie Sanniang, with her eyes half-closed, slowly said, "Take it out."
"What? What does Mother want her son to bring? Mother, just say a word, and your son will not hold back."
Xie Chengzhi stopped what he was doing and started gesturing to himself: "What does Mother want from her son? Is it my blood or my flesh? Just tell me, Mother."
"Bring out the 'Shen Family Dyeing Manual'."
"mother!"
Xie Chengzhi shouted, "What do you mean? Are you saying I stole the dyeing recipe for Shen Yuanzhu?"
"Yes, your son has been a bit of a disappointment these past few years, but do you really think he would do something so despicable?"
"Stealing my niece-in-law's dyeing recipe! If word gets out, my son will lose all face."
Xie Sanniang raised an eyelid and said in a cold tone, "What face do you have to speak of?"
"Mother, is this how you see your son? I have been a bit unruly these past few years, but my filial piety towards you, if not moving heaven and earth, is definitely the best in Suzhou Prefecture."
"Now that you think of your son this way, it really breaks his heart."
Xie San Niang sat up and glanced at Xie Chengzhi. After a long while, Xie Chengzhi gradually quieted down and stopped talking.
Xie Sanniang said, "I asked Zhou the rascal who lends money at exorbitant interest rates, and you have never taken any money from him."
"..."
Xie Chengzhi's face turned pale.
“I know that over the years you have felt that the second wife has been mistreated, so you have been trying to make up for it by putting money in your own pocket.”
“Last winter, you said you were adding charcoal to the weaving workshop’s artisans. You should know how much of that charcoal silver you embezzled. Every time we take inventory, the ‘losses’ that passed through your hands always increase by 10% or 20%.
"The ruined Hangzhou silk, the worm-eaten Shu brocade... Do I still need to calculate for you each and every one of these years?"
Xie Chengzhi's face twitched, and he was about to make a sarcastic remark when Xie Sanniang said, "Second brother, the three points of face I'm giving you now are not because you are my son, but because of Lu Rong and Ying Shou."
"If you spout another useless word at me, I'll make sure you get out of the Xie family empty-handed tonight."
"Good, good, my good mother, you are so kind."
Xie Chengzhi grinned, it was hard to tell whether he was crying or laughing: "Over the years, your eldest brother has been your own son, and your third brother has been your darling. What about me? What am I? How could I be worthy of touching even a single thread of the family's cloth?"
"If I hadn't been driven to the brink of despair, would I have needed to steal the dyeing recipe for the Shenyuan Pearl?"
"You speak so sweetly, as if you're so noble, but those family rules, are they really the Xie family's rules? They're purely set up for a stupid bastard like me."
"It seems like they're guarding against Xie Qi, but in reality, they're guarding against me, aren't they?"
Xie Chengzhi laughed loudly: "What's wrong with me squeezing some money out of my family? The eldest son is as stupid as a wild boar that has become a demon. Over the years, he has lost money on every business deal he has made, and he has to pay out extra money for every loss. Instead of handing the Xie family over to him, I might as well let him steal more money."
"Besides, look at the thing he gave birth to. It's no wonder he's the eldest brother's bloodline. If he hands over the business to the eldest son's family in the future, it'll be a miracle if the family is ruined and scattered. It'll be a blessing in disguise for my Xie family's ancestors."
"Third brother, how much have you secretly given to your youngest son over the years? Do you think no one knows?"
"Those imported gadgets in the room, which one, which one is not worth a hundred or a thousand times more than the money I painstakingly and secretly scraped together for charcoal?"
"Given your feelings, it's no wonder Father feels sorry for you..."
"You're being insolent."
Xie San Niang picked up a pure copper incense burner and smashed it directly on Xie Chengzhi's head.
"What right do you have to interfere in the affairs of your elders? If you're so unhappy staying in the Xie family, then get out and fend for yourself, or bring me the dyeing manual right now."
Xie Chengzhi sneered, turned around and walked out.
After a while, Xie Lurong finally came in, trembling, carrying several dyeing manuals.
When she entered the room, she saw that Xie San Niang's face was pale and there were specks of incense ash on the ground.
After carefully placing the items beside Xie San Niang, Xie Lu Rong said, "Grandmother, are you feeling unwell? Would you like me to call Doctor Yan for you?"
Xie San Niang shook her head; the tightness in her heart gradually eased the moment she saw the dyeing chart.
The Xie family has finally taken another step closer to becoming a royal merchant.
Seeing Xie San Niang shake her head, Xie Lu Rong looked at the incense ash on the ground, squatted down, and cleaned it up little by little.
When Xie San Niang looked up again, she saw her granddaughter half-squatting on the ground, gently wiping the floor tiles.
“Lu Rong”.
"grandmother?"
Xie Lurong looked up, revealing the girl's quiet and beautiful face.
Xie San Niang beckoned, and the little girl came over.
"Little girl, you've grown so much in the blink of an eye."
Xie Lurong smiled and gently helped Xie San Niang up.
Seeing that Xie San Niang did not try to send her away, Xie Lu Rong said softly, "Grandmother, please don't take it to heart by Father's words, he..."
"He cares about you, but he's just thinking about some things in the wrong way."
She may appear timid, but she is actually quite clear-headed.
Xie San Niang was somewhat surprised, but not entirely.
The old lady pulled a brass key with a red string hanging from her sleeve. It looked a bit old, but it was very smooth. It seemed to have been rubbed in someone's hand for a long time, and had become as warm and lustrous as jade.
"This is the dowry I'm leaving for you. It's in the innermost part of the storeroom at home. It's a boxwood chest with a big brass padlock hanging on it."
"Grandmother, I cannot accept this."
Xie Sanniang pushed it into her hand: "Take it. If you rely on your ungrateful parents, you'll probably have to get married penniless. Keep this hidden."
"Don't let your parents know. If they find out, they'll squander your money in two days."
Xie Lurong's eyes stung, and the tip of her nose instantly turned red.
Xie Sanniang waved her hand and said, "Go out and have some fun. Hide the key well and don't let anyone know."
Xie Lurong nodded, hung the key, still warm from her grandmother's body, around her neck, and then carefully placed it inside her clothes, keeping it close to her body.
"Go, go and call Mother Li here."
With only a few days left until the sample fabric deadline, they still need to test the dyeing formula, hoping everything will be done in time.
After Xie Lurong left, Xie San Niang arranged for someone to recopy the torn and damaged dyeing manual, and immediately sent it to the Xie family's weaving workshop as soon as it was completed.
Shen Yuanzhu, who had obtained the Farming and Weaving Chart, did not remain idle. After returning to Qianxiang Courtyard with Xie Qi and Luo Shi, she collapsed onto the bed, clutching the chart.
Xie Qi stepped forward, intending to coax her gently, but was stopped by Luo.
“Young master, Miss is in a bad mood. Please let her be alone.”
"I'll stay with her..."
Luo exclaimed, "Miss looks gentle, but she's actually a bit spoiled. She's in a bad mood right now and doesn't like you. If she gets annoyed, it will hurt our relationship."
"You're right."
Xie Qi nodded, but before he could do anything, Luo pushed him out of the room.
As soon as the two left, Shen Yuanzhu sprang up and opened the "Xie Family Farming and Weaving Picture".
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