Chapter 17
Chapter 17
Lunch was served in the old lady's main courtyard.
Xie Shao still couldn't turn back, so he sent someone to say hello to Madam Wen, "The young master said sorry, he has something urgent to do, so he has to leave first and visit the old lady another day."
Old Madam Xie at the side spoke first, "I am unlucky and missed the delicious food prepared by my elder sister today. One less person means one less pair of chopsticks. Let's eat more..."
At first, the people below were still worried about how the day would end. After Mrs. Xie walked around the garden, she came back and the two of them suddenly shook hands and chatted happily, as if their relationship had returned to what it was before.
After the quarrel, it seemed that the two old ancestors had let go of all the grievances in their hearts. Old Madam Wen waved and called Aunt Qing over, "When you return home later, bring this rice cake to my son-in-law."
"yes."
Today was the first time Wen Shuse returned to her parents' home after getting married. Before lunch, after sending the guests away from the house, the eldest master of the Wen family brought people from the second room to the old lady's yard to entertain the guests.
The eldest son, the eldest lady, and the third lady were all here, except the eldest wife.
The second master was not at home, so Master Wen was the head of the family. He was supposed to entertain the son-in-law who came to visit, but today, Master Pei came to visit. He wanted to have a drink with Master Xie at lunch, but he left first. In addition, he was not able to see the bride off that day, so he felt a little guilty. While the two old ladies were talking, Master Wen turned around and asked Wen Shuse kindly, "Gaoxian, are you doing well in the Xie family?"
Her uncle had always been so kind to her since she was a child. Wen Shuse nodded, "Everything is fine." Thinking of the album of Dongdu he brought her, "I received your uncle's album. Dongdu is really lively."
Uncle Wen smiled and said, "Since you like it, find a chance next time and come to Dongdu to see it with your own eyes."
Wen Shu said yes, and then asked, "When will uncle leave?"
"tomorrow."
Wen Shu was stunned, "So fast?"
"The court affairs are busy, and I have been delayed for a long time. It is time to go back." He turned around and glanced at the women next to him, "Your two sisters-in-law, your eldest sister and your third sister should also go together."
Seeing her look of shock, he added, "Your aunt and auntie will stay at the mansion to take care of the old ancestor. I sent someone to deliver a letter to your father a few days ago. I think they will be back soon."
No wonder there’s no sign of the eldest lady. She must be very upset that she can’t go to the Eastern Capital.
Not knowing when they would be reunited after this separation, Uncle Wen told her, "If you need any help from your uncle, just write to me."
Wen Shuse nodded, "Okay."
After the banquet, Mr. Wen returned to the yard. Mrs. Wen and Mrs. Xie talked behind closed doors, and only a few young people were left in the yard.
The younger generations of the Wen family include the eldest son, the second son, the third son, the eldest lady, the second lady Wen Shuse, and the third lady.
The second son became a disciple of an old master in Dongdu, but the master's rules were strict and he could not get away, so he could not come back. The third son was fishing with the second master in Fuzhou. There were only four people present today.
The eldest son handed the gift he brought back from Dongdu to Wen Shuse, "Second sister, please see if you like it. I didn't know about your wedding in advance. I will give you the wedding gift next time I return to Fengcheng or when you come to Dongdu."
It was originally the eldest lady's wedding banquet, and indeed no one expected that the person getting married would be her. Wen Shuse took it and found it was a box of heart-shaped incense.
The Heart Fragrance is a scented piece infused with the scents of frangipani and jasmine. It is now only available in Dongdu. Wen Shuse likes it very much and thanked him happily, "Thank you, brother. This is enough for me."
The Third Lady and the Second Young Master were both born to Aunt Xue. Perhaps because they were suppressed by the First Lady for many years, the Third Lady was naturally timid. She handed a purse she had embroidered to Wen Shuse and said with a blushing face, "I wish Second Sister and Second Brother-in-law a happy marriage and eternal love."
She spoke like reciting a book, and was too nervous to look up. Wen Shuse reached out to take it and smiled at her, "Thank you, third sister."
The eldest lady at the side was slow to speak. Seeing that she seemed to have something to say to Wen Shuse alone, the eldest master and the third lady were tactful and found an excuse to avoid her.
Although he didn't snatch her eldest son in the end, he still snatched her marriage. Wen Shuse felt a little guilty and took the initiative to say, "Big sister, I wish you a smooth journey tomorrow."
Wen Suning didn't say anything. She looked at her for a moment and sighed softly, "Are you really happy like this?"
Wen Shu's eyes paused.
"Your grandmother is old, and I understand that you don't want to make her sad, but you can't just settle for a lifetime of happiness."
Wen Suning has been smart and calm since she was a child, just like Master Wen. Wen Shuse was not surprised that she could see that, so she asked her, "Then what do you think I should do, big sister?"
"There are dozens of prefectures in Dafeng, and Fengcheng is just one of them. Second sister, why don't you look up and look forward? It's not uncommon for girls to divorce because of unhappy marriages, and there may not be no way out. Why do you have to make yourself suffer?" The aunt asked her, "Have you ever thought about the future?"
Seeing that Wen Shuse didn't say anything, Wen Suning continued, "Father is working in Dongdu, and the Wen family will have to move there sooner or later. This time, considering that grandma is not fully recovered, father left mother and aunt at home to take care of her temporarily. When grandma is better, we will move to Dongdu."
Wen Shuse frowned slightly, "Does grandma know? Does she want to go?"
"What if you don't want to go?" Wen Suning said, "Second uncle and third brother are always busy outside and can't take care of family matters. Mother and father can't be separated for a lifetime and stay in Fengcheng forever."
"Besides, how can Fengcheng be compared with Dongdu? The Wen family moved to Dongdu to be on the rise. Second uncle's business can be done anywhere. The journey from Fuzhou to Dongdu is shorter. In the future, if we sell the property in Fengcheng and buy property in Dongdu, wouldn't it be better than staying in Fengcheng?"
Wen Shuse understood, "Uncle wants to set up a family business in Dongdu?"
"What I said today is my personal opinion. It has nothing to do with my father and mother." Wen Su Ning made it clear and said, "I have done the math."
"Father and my two brothers could live in the store when they were in Beijing, and the rent was cheap. Now that my family has left, we can no longer live with everyone else. According to the rental prices in Dongdu, a house that can accommodate us will cost 60 to 90 strings of cash a month. In Dongdu, a worse house will cost about 1,500 strings of cash, and a better one will cost 5,000 strings of cash. So, considering the long term, it is more cost-effective to buy it. Even if we can't live in it in the future, we can sell it for double the price in Dongdu, where every inch of land is worth gold."
Wen Shuse nodded, "It's indeed a good deal, you can talk to your uncle and ask him to buy it."
Wen Su Ning's expression froze, "How could Second Sister not know that with father's salary, we can't afford it."
Wen Shuse understood, "You want me to sell all the shops in Fengcheng and buy a house in Dongdu?"
"Why not?" Wen Suning didn't beat around the bush. "After the properties in Fengcheng are sold, Second Uncle and Third Brother will go to Dongdu to develop their business. Their business will definitely be better than in Fengcheng. You can also go to Dongdu with us. Who will know your past in Dongdu? There are all kinds of good men. Why should you sacrifice your whole life to live with the same dandy boy?"
"What about this house?"
"The mansion in Fengcheng is still valuable now. When the imperial court starts to weaken the feudal system, it will only depreciate. It's better to sell it sooner..."
"Wen Su Ning!" Wen Shu was so angry that he was shaking, his head was buzzing, and he finally understood what Aunt Cao had been hesitant to say just now.
It turns out that they were planning this.
Wen Shuse no longer had a good expression on his face. He looked at the lady and gritted his teeth, "If you dare to touch this house, I will never let you go."
—
After lunch, they sat for a while and then it was time for the Xie family to leave.
Old Madam Wen still had something to say to Wen Shuse, so she asked Aunt Cao to go out and look for someone. After looking around, Aunt Cao finally found the person in a remote courtyard.
"Second Madam..." Before anyone could pass on the message, Wen Shuse, who was sitting on a rock with her knees hugged, turned around with a tearful face and swollen eyes.
Aunt Cao was startled, "Oh, what happened to the little ancestor?"
Wen Shuse knew that it was her grandmother who was looking for her. She raised her hand and hurriedly wiped the tears from her face, then stood up from the stone.
Aunt Cao rushed forward and asked Aunt Qing behind her, "Who bullied our Second Lady?"
Before Aunt Qing could answer, Wen Shuse asked her, "Aunt, let me ask you, are they planning to take over this house?"
Aunt Cao was stunned. In the past few days, the eldest lady came to Xinyuan Hall several times every day for this matter. She wanted to tell the second lady just now, but was interrupted by the old lady, so she didn't know how to say it.
Aunt Cao's expression suddenly changed. Could it be that they were going to find the Second Lady?
Without her answering, Wen Shuse understood from her expression.
"Don't worry, my father and brother are all here, and I'm alive and well. My ancestor doesn't have to go anywhere. I'll take care of her. That house, that house..." Her voice suddenly became hoarse, and she couldn't help sobbing twice, "That was my grandfather's honor, and my grandmother's hard work. How dare they..."
"Stop crying." Aunt Cao's heart ached when she saw her crying, and she advised, "If the ancestors saw it, they would be heartbroken."
This worked. Wen Shuse didn't dare cry anymore. She raised her head slightly to wipe away the tears and quickly told Xiangyun, "Quick, go get some ice. I'll apply it."
Madam Wen waited for a long time before she saw someone. Her eyes were no longer red, but still a little swollen. The old lady saw it at a glance and frowned and asked, "What's wrong?"
"My granddaughter felt sleepy right after she finished her meal. She just went to lie down in the yard for a while. When she woke up, her eyes were swollen."
Old Madam Xie was there too. She smiled and said, "Go to sleep after you've eaten. Your eyes are most likely to get swollen." She quickly stood up and made room for him. She said to Wen Shuse, "I'll go to the front yard and wait for you. Don't worry. Talk to your grandmother slowly."
Madam Wen had already told Wen Shuse what needed to be said just now. Before leaving, she had something to give her.
"Although Madam Xie has a bad temper, she is kind-hearted and straightforward. Your life in the Xie family is better than I thought." Knowing that Madam Xie was waiting, Madam Wen did not plan to talk much. She directly asked Aunt Cao to bring the prepared box over and handed it to Wen Shuse. "I didn't give it to you before because I was afraid that you would squander it all after you got used to spending lavishly. Now that the Third Young Master has the courage to hand over the family fortune to you, I have nothing to be afraid of. Besides, it was all earned by your father and your brother, so you should spend it."
In the box are all the shop deeds, land deeds and farm deeds of the Wen family in Fengcheng.
As a result, all the property of the Wen family was handed over to Wen Shuse. Old Madam Wen felt relieved. Now that she had nothing in her hands, no one would be eyeing her.
After getting married, Wen Shuse became another family. No matter how thick-skinned she was, she would never be able to find the Xie family.
Wen Shuse lowered her head and stared at the box in her hand. She didn't say anything for a long time. Old Madam Wen noticed it and tilted her head to look at her. "What's wrong?"
"Grandma." Before Madam Wen could respond, Wen Shuse suddenly hugged her and said, "Even if I become a nun in this life, I will not let you stay in the house alone. When father comes back, if he doesn't want to stay in Fengcheng, I will go back to the Wen family and accompany you."
"Foolish." Old Madam Wen scolded lightly, "We just got married, what nonsense are you talking about? I'm just annoyed by the chatterboxes in the mansion. They're making me deaf. I don't need you to come back to accompany me."
—
After the day's work, Wen Shuse and Old Madam Xie left the Wen family.
Seeing her reluctant look, Old Madam Xie comforted her, "Our two homes are close anyway, so when you have time, come back often."
At this time, Xie Shao was rushing back from outside the city and went to the shop to find Cui Nian.
Cui Nian is dealing with Xie Mingying, the second wife of the Xie family.
"I told you, I didn't bring any money with me today, so why don't you just put it in my third brother's account?" The delicate girl's words made people feel pity for her.
Unfortunately, Cui Nian only had money in his eyes. "I'm really sorry, Second Madam Xie doesn't know that your third brother doesn't have any account book with me. Although we have a good relationship, brothers should settle accounts clearly. Believe it or not, even if your third brother goes bankrupt and has no food to eat one day, I won't give him a penny."
Xie Mingying was stunned and scolded, "What kind of brother are you? I'm going to tell my third brother..."
Speak of people and they will appear.
Xie Shao got off the carriage and stepped on the threshold of the shop. He didn't go into the house or say anything extra. He glanced at Cui Nian and said, "Come out."
Cui Nian immediately put on a respectful look, threw the account book in his hand aside, and hurried to catch up, "Brother Xie, wait for me..."
“Third brother…” Xie Mingying came back to his senses and hurriedly chased after him.
Xie Shao didn't have time to deal with her. He pushed Cui Nian onto the carriage and said directly, "Go find your sister-in-law."
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