51 Household Power
◎Master, you can't do this to me!◎
dowry?
Mr. Chu was stunned for a moment before he remembered that Aunt Wan was the only daughter of the Wan family. Although she entered the family in a hurry, the father of the Wan family still prepared some personal belongings for her. After her death, those things naturally fell into the hands of the mistress of the house and were taken care of by Wu.
He nodded and said, "Of course. That originally belonged to your aunt. Your mother was just keeping it for you."
"master!"
Wu felt as if a snake had been pinched by three inches. Her already pale face turned blue. Her hands, tucked beneath her sleeves, clenched the corner of the table, her knuckles turning white. She forced herself to speak, "The mansion's expenses are high. After all these years, how could Wan have left any decent dowry?"
Chu Yufu looked up at her, her eyes clear and her voice soft and cold. "Mother, everything my aunt brought into the Chu family was clearly written down on the dowry list. Even if some of the money was spent, the medicine shop in Qingzhou and the gold and silver jewelry should still be there, right?"
She dared to come and tear her apart today because she had made sufficient preparations and had long expected that Wu would not easily spit out the fat meat in her mouth.
Wu was extremely annoyed, the skin on her eyelids twitching, and she pointed at Chu Yufu with trembling fingers, furious.
"You ungrateful little girl! The Chu family raised you with luxury, but how have we ever treated you unfairly? Now that you're getting married and have grown up strong, you're bringing up these old grudges. The little things your aunt has are only enough to cover the difference between what you've spent over the years..."
“That’s enough!”
Mr. Chu shouted and stopped Wu from talking.
His face was gloomy, veins throbbing on his forehead, his eyes were red, and his hands tightly grasped the armrests of the wooden chair. He turned his head and looked at Wu: "How many things have you done that I don't know about?"
Wu was horrified by his gaze, her legs weakening and she collapsed to the ground. Then she struggled to her feet, crawled to his feet on her knees, grabbed the corner of his robe, and cried.
"Master! I'm wronged. All these years of welcoming and seeing off guests, managing relationships, and all kinds of things in the mansion, which one doesn't cost money? There are always shortages in the public treasury, and I use my own pocket money to supplement it, but it's still not enough. How can I distinguish between yours, mine, and hers? I do this all for this family!"
Master Chu's chest heaved as he stared at her coldly, remaining silent. Wu wiped away her tears, her shoulders slumped as she spoke helplessly.
"Yes! I did spend some... but there's nothing I can do about it. Ze'er's studies, He'er's clothes and jewelry, which one doesn't cost money? The expenses at home are huge, and the several businesses I invested in privately have all lost money. If I don't fill the hole, it will be a disgrace to our Chu family if the news gets out—"
The three white crystal hairpins with Ganoderma lucidum patterns in her hair were translucent under the candlelight, and the dazzling light almost made Master Chu cry.
He raised his face, placed his hands heavily over his eyes, and let her cry. After a long moment, he spoke.
"Mrs. Wu, you keep saying that you're doing this for the Chu family and for the children. But everything you do is undermining the foundation of our Chu family and destroying our reputation."
He put his hand down, looked down at her, and said in a deep voice.
"I give you three days to clearly sort out the household accounts for the past few years, including the whereabouts of the private property left behind when Ah Li passed away."
Three days? Wu was stunned as if struck by lightning. Three days to sort out those messy accounts? This was clearly a death sentence for her!
Mr. Chu didn't give her a chance to argue and continued, "You've run this household into this mess. You don't need to manage it anymore. You'll hand the key to Mother's yard later. Don't go in person. I'm sure Mother doesn't want to see you right now."
"Master, you can't do this to me!" Wu screamed and shook her head desperately, with a few strands of hair falling to her ears. She looked so embarrassed. "I am your wife, you can't do this to me!"
Master Chu gritted his teeth and squeezed out a few words: "What wife of a noble family would do this to you! If you continue to run this family, I'm afraid it will be ruined! I'm not divorcing you, which is the last bit of dignity I can maintain!"
After dealing with Wu, all his strength disappeared. He looked at his daughter, who was usually silent and quiet, but today she almost took half her life when she got stubborn, with tired eyes. His lips moved a few times.
"Father will give you an explanation about your aunt's dowry, but the matter of going to the Xin Guogong Mansion cannot be delayed. You should prepare and go to take a look tomorrow morning."
Chu Yufu glanced at Wu, who was lying on the ground, sobbing non-stop. She bowed and said in a gentle voice, "I will follow Daddy's arrangements."
The rain is still falling outside.
Lan Zhu opened her umbrella and walked into the rain with her daughter. After a loud thunderclap, Lan Zhu said unwillingly, "Girl, is that all? That was Aunt Wan's life! And you didn't even mention the fact that she poisoned your food!"
Chu Yufu lifted the hem of her skirt, carefully stepped over a small puddle, and said lightly.
"What else? To exchange her life for another's? Do you really think daddy is such a kind father that he would take the life of his wife for a concubine who died young?" She snorted.
"He keeps talking about the Chu family's reputation, but in the end, it's just about his official career. Even if I tell you about the poisoning, it will only make a big deal out of a small matter. Dad will never make it a big deal, let alone air this family scandal. Being able to strip Wu of his stewardship is the best outcome for now. Only by stopping when you're ahead can you achieve long-term success."
"What if she harms you again?" Lan Zhu was worried.
She tilted her head and smiled slightly, a dimple forming on her right cheek. "No rush, we'll go talk to her tonight."
【Author’s words】
Lan Zhu appeared with a basin of water: Hello everyone, the author said she sorted out the outline later, so today's update is a bit short~ Tomorrow will be updated as usual~
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