Chapter 42 The money was taken, but the child wasn't raised: Currently, the West Courtyard only receives 1500 taels annually. If from now on, the West Courtyard receives 2500 taels annually…
Currently, the West Courtyard only receives 1,500 taels per year. If from now on, the West Courtyard receives 2,500 taels per year, and according to the total amount of the public funds each year, the East Courtyard will only need to receive 2,500 taels. This is equivalent to He Yi taking the initiative to propose to share the expenses equally with the East Courtyard and jointly support the elderly lady.
As for who gets the surplus money at the end of each year, that goes without saying. Back then, this hard-earned money went to Shumulu, and now it naturally belongs to Shen Wanqing.
"I understand what you mean, Second Uncle. I'll go back and tell Shen Shi what I'm saying. Once we've discussed it, I'll definitely give you an answer."
They still needed to discuss it. He had already offered an extra thousand taels every year, but that scoundrel Yulang still wouldn't budge. He Yi suddenly realized that his nephew hadn't said so much because he was unwilling, but because he was genuinely afraid that the Shen family wouldn't agree.
"When will you give me an answer? I have to start work the day after tomorrow and don't have time to wait any longer." He Yi didn't expect his nephew to be afraid of his wife, which made him a little disdainful. However, he needed the Shen family's help now, so he could only swallow his dissatisfaction.
"It'll be in the next couple of days. This is no small matter. Even if your nephew's wife agrees, my father-in-law still has to persuade them. Second Uncle always says that in-laws are reliable, which is true in principle. But Second Uncle, don't forget that the Shen family is also a large and powerful family. With so many in-laws, why would they give us such a good position?"
Yes, why should he? Yulang kept thinking about this on his way back to the east courtyard from the west courtyard. Just because he has the surname Hesheli?
However, the glory of the Hesheli clan did not extend to their own family. Their family was at best considered to be neither good nor bad within the Hesheli clan. They were better off than those who had truly squandered their fortunes. But if you peeled back the layers and looked inside, there was absolutely no room for maneuver or wrongdoing.
Therefore, He Yicai did not intend to seek help from the First-Class Duke's Mansion or the Suo'etu Gate. At times like these, one must not show weakness. He must rely on his own abilities to get through this hurdle. Even if he is away from the capital for many years and cannot return, other families will know that his branch of the family is capable of supporting the family.
If He Yi were to take the initiative to plead with those two families about this matter, it would be easy for Suo'etu to protect He Yi. However, from then on, his family would no longer be relatives to them but rather half-servants. Even if they didn't say it, that's how people are, and they couldn't stop others from thinking that way.
Moreover, the Shen family has not benefited from her at all so far; on the contrary, Shen Jiyun has been in charge of everything from head to toe, inside and out.
She had been married into the family for less than a month when the servants and maids in the house became much more eager to serve the East Courtyard. Several old women who used to only know which way the West Courtyard gate faced were now going to the East Courtyard every day.
Knowing that several head maids, along with Granny Feng and Granny Zhou, were vying for positions and refusing to let anyone in, they went to curry favor with Lady Niohuru. Everyone was now waiting to see when the eldest mistress would finally unleash her power and reclaim control of the household.
This is all thanks to Shen's abilities; even I, the eldest son, am less useful than her at home. Now that something has happened in the west courtyard, she's being forced to shamelessly return to her parents' home—it's truly embarrassing.
"You're back? What do you want to see me about?"
"There can be no good things, only troubles."
On the kang table were watermelons cut into roughly the same size pieces. Watermelons, from small to large, are usually cut into slices that can be picked up and eaten directly. However, Shen Wanqing felt that the juice would easily run down her fingers and stain her clothes if eaten that way, so she insisted on cutting them into slices and eating them with a small silver fork.
When Yu Lang first ate it, he couldn't help but think to himself, "How come this girl from the Shen family is more arrogant and well-behaved than me, the master of the Hesheli family?" But after he found that he didn't get his hands dirty or drip any juice after eating half a watermelon, he stopped thinking about it.
Watermelons are mostly out of season now. The watermelons at home were stored in the cellar in the summer, and the best-preserved batch can last until around the Lunar New Year.
Yu Lang ate a whole bowl of watermelon, suppressing the nameless anger that he couldn't quite describe, before explaining everything that had happened in the west courtyard to Shen Wanqing.
"That's the gist of it. Judging from my second uncle's tone, he had almost finalized the job he wanted with my father-in-law. Now that something unexpected has happened, he's afraid that my father-in-law might change his mind or take the opportunity to put pressure on him, so he wants us to step in and finalize the matter. Also, that whole family in the west courtyard, he's determined to leave them to us after he leaves. I was afraid you wouldn't be willing, so I came back to ask you first."
"Where is the box?"
"What?"
"I was asking about the box that held the banknotes."
There was a thick stack of silver notes in the box. Shen Wanqing took them and counted them one by one. After carefully checking that there were no fakes, she put them back in the box and placed them naturally beside her.
"The fact that my father agreed to the marriage with your family means that he was very satisfied with your family's background. You think that your branch of the Hesheli clan has declined and is no longer useful, but that's because you don't know how many preferential treatments you Manchu Upper Three Banners people actually receive."
I have a cousin who is very skilled in martial arts, much better than you. But he can't get into the Imperial Guard or the Protectorate, and he can forget about joining the firearms battalion that's being formed right now.
My uncle couldn't bear to let him go to a place with even harder conditions. If he really wanted to suffer, he might as well go back to Shengjing and sell ginseng with my uncle. He's already in his mid-twenties and can only stay at home studying for the imperial examinations. I don't even know when he'll be able to pass.
We don't need your family to benefit my family in any way; the fact that the Shen family has a daughter marrying into the Hesheli family is enough. Besides, it was your second uncle who took the initiative to arrange a marriage with my family, even sacrificing his eldest nephew. How could he not be willing?
Since he's willing, he'll definitely do what his second uncle needs. The difference, as his second uncle said, lies only in who has the upper hand. How many connections and resources my father can give his second uncle once he takes office, and how much he can repay my father, has little to do with whether I go back and beg him humbly.
Shen Wanqing felt that He Yi was a particularly contradictory person. On the one hand, he put his own interests first. He treated his nephew, who was left behind by his own brother, and even his wife and children in the same way. As long as it conflicted with his future, everyone had to give way and everyone had to take a back seat.
But when it comes to other people, he starts to fantasize, fantasizing that other people's parents are wholeheartedly devoted to their children, and he casually gives up his housekeeping position, making himself the so-called housekeeper in the Hesheli family, and Shen Hongshi will have to go out of his way to find him a job he likes.
It would be best to pave the way for him with all your might, just waiting for him to reap the rewards. What kind of daydream is that?
"Alright, it's late tonight. I'll go over again tomorrow morning. Let the West Courtyard figure out a solution themselves."
"Hey, did I say all that for nothing? Which ear of yours heard me say I didn't agree to this?"
"no……"
“Didn’t you say your dad wouldn’t agree to find a job for my second uncle just because you went back? I heard it, I heard it clearly.”
Looking at Shen Wanqing, who was sitting cross-legged opposite him with a look that said, "Am I not a good-natured man?", the man who had been so self-righteous and considerate suddenly deflated.
"Just tell me what's on your mind. I can't guess what you're thinking." If she can't guess, she should think she's stupid.
Yu Lang found it strange. He was a clever person, so why could he always not figure out Shen Wanqing's thoughts? Her methods of doing things seemed different from those of anyone he had ever met or heard of.
"I'm telling you this to be clear with you, not to tell your second uncle."
What I mean is, I'll take the money, and we can do what he said we can, but whether it works out or not doesn't depend on my father. Even if I go back tonight and beg my father, it won't do any good. You need to understand that.”
"I see, they're planning to just take the money and not do the service, right?"
Yu Lang nodded, understanding what Shen Wanqing meant. If they truly refused the West Courtyard, it wouldn't take much from He Yi to say anything; the old lady would immediately cause a scene. The court governs the country with filial piety in mind, and the pressure of filial piety can be suffocating.
"If you can say that, you still don't understand. My second aunt managed the household for five years. In the first two years, my aunt said that she was particularly generous. Not to mention taking money from the public funds, she probably even put some of her own money into it to win people over."
Even disregarding those two years, in those three years alone, the surplus silver from the public treasury at the end of each year must have pocketed at least four or five thousand taels. And that doesn't even include the bribes from her subordinates.”
Shen Wanqing looked up at Yu Lang and saw that he was very calm before continuing, "These people are not only from the manor and the shops, but also from your command. They have had a good relationship with the West Courtyard in recent years."
“I know, my joining the guard battalion these past few years is also related to this. After my father died, they became uneasy. Firstly, they were worried that I was too young to manage the banner affairs well, and secondly…”
Yu Lang paused for a moment when he mentioned this, after all, even the bannermen under his own command cared about this matter. The Shen family had not thought about this when they arranged the marriage. Just as Shen Wanqing said, Lord Shen would never make concessions to anyone in the officialdom because of whether his daughter could manage the household in her husband's family.
"Secondly, I'm afraid that the old man's lifespan will be like that of the great master. What if the old man also... then it's uncertain whether the captain of our branch will be given to the Bodhisattva or to my second uncle."
At twelve years old, Yulang was practically an adult. When Erhe died, he inherited the position of Zuo Ling without a word of complaint from anyone. Pusabao is only five years old this year, and Yulang has no son. If he were to suffer another accidental illness, things could really get very difficult.
So, apart from the few trusted confidants left to him by his father, most of the people under his command have been playing both sides for the past few years. They can't afford to offend him, the commander, but they also want to curry favor with the second master of the Hesheli family in advance, because who knows, he might actually become their superior one day.
"If you add up all the odds and ends of the silver, I estimate it'll be around six or seven thousand taels. The West Courtyard can only come up with half of that silver and they expect us to do two things for them? Dream on."
Three thousand five hundred taels? I'd be willing to go home for a short trip, but to carry the entire West Courtyard on my back for such a small amount of money? Don't even think about it.
"Let Second Uncle and Second Aunt discuss the matter in the West Courtyard themselves. What does it matter if the person leaves and the child is abandoned? Aren't there still two concubines? If the mistress isn't here, then bring in a concubine to take charge. If neither of them can make the decisions, then leave two capable old women to manage things. It's just a matter of looking after the house; who can't do it all without me?"
"Besides, the extra thousand taels that Second Uncle pays to the public fund every year is a tribute to the old lady, not all of it going into my pocket. Don't make it sound like the East Courtyard will get all the benefits."
Before the money was even given to them or they left, they were already claiming that I had earned it all. I can't bear such a huge burden; they should just give up on that idea.
As for Tu Nan Huizhong, the second and third daughters, Shen Wanqing didn't think they were a big burden.
After all, with so many servants in the household, even if He Yi and Shumulushi left the capital, they couldn't possibly take all the servants from the West Courtyard with them. Tu Nan is already thirteen; in later generations, he would be in junior high school and able to board at school. So, let him stay.
As long as the accounts aren't mixed up and unclear, I, as the eldest sister-in-law, can just check on them every few days. Besides, there's the old lady upstairs; her son left her with such a mess, and the old lady is expected to live to be a hundred years old.
Moreover, things are different now than in later generations. In those days, as long as you had money and a job, you could live a peaceful life. Nowadays, it's all about having a large and prosperous family.
Tu Nan Huizhong, Yu Lang, and Pusa Bao are cousins. Just as Yu Lang's first thought after losing his father was to find his second uncle He Yi, and He Yi's first thought after getting into trouble was to find Yu Lang, it's the same principle. Family blood is always stronger than outsiders. They stay and maintain a distant but not too close relationship with the East Courtyard. With a little effort, they might become a help when they grow up.
Outsiders need to encounter a person of good character and temperament, and only after three to five years of getting to know them can one feel somewhat comfortable entrusting their lives to them. As for blood relatives, one needs to be both of bad character and bad luck to encounter someone ruthless enough to ruin one's entire family.
Otherwise, why would those family businesses in later generations always put their relatives and cronies in key positions? As Shen Wanqing spoke, she thought of the people in her own company's purchasing, logistics, and finance departments and couldn't help but chuckle.
Human nature is indeed the only constant, and even I am not immune to it. When I wasn't a confidant of the boss, I would complain in my heart every day that they only knew how to appoint relatives and friends. Now that I'm in charge, before anything has even happened, I'm already thinking about how to use people in the future. It's like a huge boomerang: right in the middle of my face.
Once she goes to the Shen family, no matter how Shen Hongshi tries to suppress He Yi, it won't concern her. Shen Wanqing can even make He Yi grateful to her. She needs to make him realize that if it weren't for her trip, he wouldn't even have gotten the position of Grain Supervisor.
Shen Wanqing said this with a smile, revealing a small section of her pretty, delicate canine teeth, which made Yu Lang shudder. He should have known better than to ask so many questions; she was so shrewd, she definitely wouldn't let him get the short end of the stick.
"In short, what I mean is that I'll take the money, and we'll go back tomorrow for the sake of it. I won't take over the management of the West Courtyard for Second Aunt. Second Uncle can contribute as much money as he wants to the public fund; it's none of our business. Do you agree to this arrangement?"
"Of course I'd agree. I only didn't agree to Second Uncle's request because I wanted to ask you first. If those two boys in the West Courtyard really stay, you don't need to worry about them. With me, their older brother, here, they won't suffer."
"Okay, I'll remember that."
"Oh dear, how did I end up in this mess? Why did I have to do that when I could have had a perfectly good life?"
Having agreed to return to the Shen family early the next morning, Yu Lang refused to dwell on the matter any longer. The West Courtyard and the Daoist official were all matters concerning his second uncle. He hadn't been home for five whole days and hadn't even heard a warm greeting from him, which made him feel uneasy.
Lord Yu lazily slid down the cushions of the daybed, lying sideways with his head resting on Shen Wanqing's knees as she sat cross-legged.
Shen Wanqing's ability to sit cross-legged is poor. On the night of her wedding, she was already struggling to sit cross-legged. Now, she doesn't even bother to press her feet under her calves. She just casually puts them on her knees, and Yu Lang can easily grab them with his hand.
"Ouch~ What's wrong? It itches!"
"Why isn't Grandma wearing embroidered shoes and socks?"
"Why would I wear that when there's no one else in the house? What, does the old man not like seeing me like this?"
Manchu bannermen did not bind their feet, and neither did the Han bannermen. Shen Wanqing was wearing a pair of white cloth socks with dark cloud patterns embroidered on the cuffs, which Yulang easily pulled off with a flick of his wrist.
According to later calculations, Shen Wanqing's height would be over 1.65 meters, so her feet wouldn't be considered small or delicate. However, her insteps were low and her feet were narrow, long and slender, and Yu Lang could easily grasp them with his outstretched hand.
"Tsk, let go, what are you doing so late at night?"
"Isn't this what you do so late at night? I dreamt about Grandma the other night. Didn't you miss me when you were home?"
"No, what's there to think about?" Though she said she didn't want to, Shen Wanqing's gaze lingered on the man lying on his side, a seductive look on her face. From this angle, Yu Lang was on the lower position, and Shen Wanqing found it quite amusing to watch him rub against her like a peacock.
"Can't you say a few nice words to coax me?" Ignoring Shen Wanqing's heartless words, Yu Lang got up, hugged her waist, and pressed her against the large pillow behind him. "I missed you, okay?"
Hearing the voices inside the house quiet down while other noises grew louder, Biyun, who was on night duty, quickly got up and went away, instructing the small kitchen in the back to boil water for later use.
After the Mid-Autumn Festival, charcoal braziers were set up in the house after nightfall. They had been sitting in a corner for the past few days without being noticed, but today, that rascal Yulang had made me sit on the daybed and used them to wash the room, leaving me drenched in sweat.
Do you want to?
"In no mood."
"You didn't even ask me what I was thinking."
"I don't want to think about anything!"
At this moment, you can't give him any kind looks; if you give him even a little, he'll be ready to tear the roof off. Her bare, pale arms draped over Yu Lang's shoulders, Shen Wanqing lazily swayed, gesturing for him to carry her back to bed. But before they could move, they heard faint footsteps outside.
"Sister Biyun, where is my sister-in-law? Is she asleep?"
"Why did you come at this time, young lady?"
"My mother is asleep. It's no fun for me to sleep alone, so I'm going to sleep with my sister-in-law."
Hearing the commotion outside, Yu Lang was frantic with worry. Sweat rolled down his cheeks, and an indescribable, stifling pain made him afraid to move.
"Why is she here?"
“You weren’t home, and Fangyi came to talk to me the other day. It was getting late, so I didn’t let her leave. Who would have thought she would come at this time?”
The room was filled with the scent of the two of them; this couldn't be concealed by simply putting on clothes. The candlelight in the side room was still on, making it impossible to believe they had slept together.
"What should we do? We need to think of something quickly." Shen Wanqing pushed Yulang in annoyance. She really couldn't let Fangyi in right now.
Fortunately, Biyun, who was outside, was quick-witted. Before Fangyi could reach the door, she stopped her with a mysterious look: "Young lady, please don't go in. The master has upset the mistress, and there's a commotion inside."
"What's wrong? Should I go and try to talk things out?" The girl, who was about ten years old, frowned when she heard that her brother and sister-in-law were arguing. She thought her sister-in-law was so good and capable, why was her brother arguing with her?
"No need, no need. You know how angry the madam is, girl. The more you try to persuade her, the angrier she gets. Why don't you come back tomorrow morning? Maybe you can say a few nice words for the master then."
Biyun was talking nonsense with a straight face, but Fangyi listened and nodded repeatedly. She immediately turned around and left without going in, and kept telling Biyun that if anything happened that night, she must go to the front and call for help, so that her elder brother would not do anything reckless and hurt her sister-in-law again.
"It's only been a few days, and my sister is already your sister. What do you mean I was foolish and hurt you? I swear to God, I've practically worshipped you!"
"Your sister is my sister, don't you think so?" Yu Lang, who was pressing down on him, was burning up. The two of them were still arguing endlessly about whose sister it was, which was childish to death.
"Hurry up and carry me to bed, I look good like this."
"It's great, I love watching it, okay!"
Despite saying that, he moved the person into the gauze-covered bedchamber quite quickly. After placing the person on the bed, Yu Lang paused, then turned and went out, shouting for Bi Yun to lock the courtyard gate before turning back to continue the rest of the story.
————————!!————————
Is today a shortened version of the two-in-one?
Don't worry, everyone. Jiyun won't be allowed to raise the children in the West Courtyard. Each parent raises their own child. [Dog head with rose in mouth]
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com