Chapter 17 I Want It All: Shen Wanqing rashly asked Shumulu for the power to manage the household, and not only the second branch of the family, but even Tongjia's face darkened...
When Shen Wanqing rashly asked Shumulu for the right to manage the household, not only the second branch of the family but also Tongjia's face darkened.
She was well aware of the frustrations the eldest son's family had endured these past few years. If her eldest son hadn't died, their once happy family wouldn't have ended up like this.
But the eldest son is gone, isn't he? If you want a stable life, you can't think back to the past. In recent years, the most important thing for Tongjia Shi is to prevent the Hesheli family from collapsing completely. So she can only coax the second wife and support the second son. Otherwise, even if he is her own son, if he doesn't get any benefits, the family won't take in such a big family.
Now that Shen Wanqing had so rashly disrupted the balance between the two branches of the family, Tongjia was naturally unhappy. The old lady, who had been happy, gradually lost her smile. Without waiting for anyone to speak, she waved her hand and said that she was tired, and then chased everyone out of the main house in the main courtyard.
Shen Wanqing started the fire. When Tongjia came out of her room, everyone in the main courtyard looked at Shen Wanqing, the eldest mistress, with different expressions. Some were curious, some were disgusted, and some were just enjoying the spectacle, hoping the two families would start fighting the next day.
Shen Wanqing didn't care about any of that. Seeing that they all kept their distance from her as if she had some kind of plague, she obediently followed behind Niohuru, lagging behind her and Fangyi by a few steps, and returned to the East Courtyard together.
On the way back, Niohuru thought about it all the way. When she gave birth to Pusabao, she and her children had to observe mourning for Erhe. She couldn't attend many social events and social gatherings. She also had to check on the family's fields and shops every few days, but she couldn't go out. That's why she temporarily handed over the job of managing the household to Shumulu.
More than two years ago, when the eldest son's family was released from mourning, Niohuru had thought about taking back the account books of the East Courtyard. She knew that if she suggested that the second son's family move out at that time, it would be that she, as the sister-in-law, was heartless and used people only when they were needed.
She really didn't intend for the second branch of the family to leave. She just felt that it was only natural to separate the accounts of her branch from those of the west courtyard, and there was no reason for the old lady to refuse.
Yu Lang is about to get married and have children, and Fang Yi is also looking for a husband. There are many places to spend money here. The main wife's family will definitely pay what is due, but there are also many daily expenses that should be paid from the public funds. We can't just send someone to Shu Mulu's place to ask for money every time we need to do something.
Niohuru thought it was perfectly reasonable, but when she got to Tongjia, she started to scold her. The old lady, who hadn't seriously scolded anyone in many years, gave her a thorough dressing down.
There are many reasons. The second wife's willingness to return back then was a timely help, but now that the first wife has weathered the most difficult days, they want to abandon her after she has served her purpose? This is something that shouldn't even be considered, let alone done.
Niohuru said she had no intention of having the second branch move out; she simply wanted to separate the account books for the east and west courtyards, with the old lady and Fuxuan to be cared for by the first branch, while the second branch could continue living in the west courtyard. Wouldn't that be a win-win situation?
Unfortunately, Lady Tongjia wouldn't listen to any of this. No matter what Lady Niohuru said, she insisted on her disagreement. Lady Niohuru wanted to know the reason, but Lady Tongjia refused to say more, only saying that it couldn't be done now and they could talk about it later.
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law had a falling out, and from then on, Niohuru became increasingly depressed. She was indifferent to everything at home, with an attitude of "if it's okay, it's okay; if it's not okay, there's nothing I can do," which was so annoying that it made people's teeth ache, but no one could say anything to her.
"Mother, I was reckless in the main courtyard just now. I know I was wrong."
Upon returning to the east courtyard and entering the house, before Lady Niohuru could even ask, Shen Wanqing proactively confessed and admitted her mistake. Whether she was right or wrong didn't matter; admitting it was the most important thing at this moment.
He had a lot to say, but his daughter-in-law's words, "I know I was wrong," shut him down completely. Since everyone said she knew she was wrong, there was no point in him nagging on.
Besides, was this really a mistake? If it weren't for Shen's interference, Shumulu would have used the Mid-Autumn Festival to make a big splash for herself.
Niohuru knew what she was thinking. She wanted outsiders to believe that the eldest son's family had survived these past few years, and that Yulang had been able to marry and work at Yuqing Palace, all thanks to the second son's family. Even if Yulang became successful in the future, he should always remember the kindness the second son's family had shown him.
Outsiders have no patience to listen to the trivialities of family life; they only believe what they see with their own eyes. The eldest branch of the Hesheli family was on the verge of collapse due to the lack of people, but the second branch returned and things gradually improved. Isn't that all thanks to the second branch?
"Why didn't you discuss this with me beforehand? Did you plan it out in your mind beforehand, or was it a last-minute decision?"
"I originally wanted to take it easy and discuss this matter with my mother after the Mid-Autumn Festival, but my second aunt insisted on having a banquet. I was just anxious and said this to shut her up. Now, even if my second aunt doesn't give me the account books for the east courtyard, she certainly won't go too far during the Mid-Autumn Festival."
This kind of thing is an art of bargaining. Niohuru tried to persuade them to keep a low profile, but they refused and simply overturned the table. Knowing that she really dared to overturn the table, they immediately became obedient.
What's the big deal or the small deal? Let's not even talk about how unlucky the princelings will be in the future. Right now they can't wait to celebrate, but when they're purged as princelings, their whole families will be crying.
At present, there are more than forty guards in front of the Crown Prince, not counting the guards who take turns guarding the outer gates, there are still about a hundred.
The guards were mostly selected from the sons of the Upper Three Banners. Who was any less capable than whom? And who wasn't a man with lofty ambitions? To stand out in such a group, one had to rely either on genuine ability or on winning people's hearts through interpersonal skills.
Regardless of which path they choose, they've barely entered Yuqing Palace and are already rushing to hold a banquet. It's a laughingstock to Yulang and his colleagues. They're showing off before they've even met everyone; what kind of behavior is this?
"But Mother, if I bring up the matter of splitting the profits now, Grandma and Second Aunt will definitely think I'm just making excuses to stop them from throwing a banquet to celebrate. But some things have already been said, and we can't pretend we didn't say them. I'll have to bring it up again after the Mid-Autumn Festival."
The two matters complemented each other, and neither the main branch nor the second branch could distinguish which one they were truly after. Only Shen Wanqing knew that she had to accomplish both. She couldn't allow the second branch to use Yulang's promotion to second-class guard to boast about and gain face for them, and she also had to completely separate the accounts of the east and west branches.
Looking at her daughter-in-law sitting opposite her, speaking so confidently, Niohuru felt a mix of emotions. "This matter won't be easy to resolve. The old lady of the house has the final say, and your second aunt hasn't made any mistakes managing the household these past few years. Now that you're asking for the accounts, you're the one who's being unreasonable."
"That's precisely why we need to get it done quickly. If we delay any longer, it will be even harder to separate in a few years. Don't worry, Mother. I'm a new bride, and I'm young and naive. You're kind and dote on the younger generation, so you won't take me too seriously."
Shen Wanqing didn't want to get involved in any power struggles within the family, but right now, if she didn't fight for her own interests, they would all be in the hands of the second wife and Shumulu. She was used to being in charge and couldn't stand being led around by others, so she had to fight for this matter whether she wanted to or not, and no one could stop her.
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I still need to check the rankings. This chapter is a bit short, but it'll be better when it goes live later. There's a red envelope giveaway in the comments section of this chapter, thank you everyone for your support! [starry eyes][starry eyes][let me see]
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