Chapter 30
Chapter 30
Xie Shao turned a deaf ear to her and ran through the hallway like a flying bird. He turned around the corner and could no longer hear the young lady's 'pleasant' voice. He gritted his teeth and ordered Min Zhang, "Call Cui Ni and Zhou Kuang out."
Wen Shuse looked at the figure that quickly disappeared down the corridor, his face full of doubt, "Xiangyun, didn't the old lady say that he likes being an official the most? Why doesn't it look like that to me?"
Xiangyun also noticed it.
How can there be people who are unwilling to be officials? Did you forget to tell your husband that Madam Zhou said that the salary will increase again after autumn?
Anyone who goes through bankruptcy will feel bad. "So much money is gone, my son-in-law probably hasn't recovered yet. He'll be fine once he goes out for a walk."
Wen Shuse didn't think so. He probably wouldn't be well after he went out.
Biyun, the maidservant serving the eldest lady, had been searching for a while and finally saw her here. She heaved a sigh of relief, came down the corridor, and said from a distance, "Third Madam, it was so easy for me to find you."
The lady still doesn’t know how much grain was sold last night, where the money is, and how to distribute it.
After waiting for a whole night, the eldest lady took Mr. Xie to the old lady's room in the morning and asked the old lady to fulfill her promise. In addition to buying a house for Chengji in Dongdu, she also needed a sum of money. A house alone would not be useful. It would need to be decorated, and furnishings would need to be bought. There were also expenses in Dongdu. Everything required money. In addition, the eldest lady in the mansion was currently looking for a marriage, and the dowry should be prepared. The second lady would come of age next year, and preparations had to be made as well...
Mrs. Xie listened to her chattering without saying a word.
Wen Shuse was right. A property is simple, but behind it is a black hole that cannot be filled.
The money that the Second Master got back when he resigned from office was worth 50,000 taels of gold on paper alone, but when he counted it a few days ago, it was less than 20,000 taels. After only eight or nine years, only a small half of that was left.
They are still not satisfied.
If this continues, his second wife will probably be beaten into a mummy in a few years.
Old Madam Xie didn't say she agreed or didn't agree, but her expression wasn't very good. Seeing this, Mr. Xie felt a little guilty and exchanged glances with the old lady several times, asking her to shut up first. She couldn't eat a big fat man in one bite. Wouldn't this make the old lady think that he was exploiting the second master?
But at this time, the eldest lady only had money in her eyes.
She had roughly calculated that after selling all the grain, she would make at least several hundred thousand taels of silver. Even if they split it in half, even if they got 20% or 30%, it would still be a considerable sum.
Seeing that Old Madam Xie remained silent for a long time, the eldest lady began to worry, "Did mother agree that day..."
Madam Xie didn't say anything, she turned around and told Nan Zhi, "Call Third Madam over."
Nanzhi didn't need to call for her, Biyun had already brought the person over. It was sunny outside, and Wen Shuse's face was rosy after walking for a while. He came into the house, greeted the three people, and sat opposite the eldest lady. He looked like he didn't know anything, and asked the eldest lady with a smile, "Aunt, what do you want to talk to me about?"
What the eldest lady was most worried about was her behavior.
Last night she had talked about this with Mr. Xie. Knowing that Wen Er was not a good person, they were afraid that she would turn against them after selling the grain, and they would not give her a penny then.
Uncle Xie also said that she was overthinking it.
But now it seems that she really wants to get away with it. The eldest lady's face changed, not afraid of her thoughts being exposed, "Third Madam sold the grain yesterday, and she hasn't told everyone yet."
Wen Shuse saw that she was talking about this and nodded, "Yes, the grain was sold."
Then what?
The eldest lady was waiting for her to say the next word, but Wen Shuse remained silent again.
Is that all? The eldest lady didn't want to see her keep it a secret, so she asked her directly, "How much silver did you sell it for?"
Wen Shuse answered truthfully, "I didn't sell it for silver."
She really wanted to keep it all for herself. The eldest lady was furious. "Do you want to burn the bridge after crossing it? If it weren't for me standing in front of you, your grain would have been collected by Luoan's soldiers. How could you keep it and sell it for money? Now you have the money, but you have forgotten about it. You should keep your word. You said that you would buy a house for Chengji in Dongdu after making money. I haven't even asked you yet, but you are so quick to regret it. You don't consider the future, and the second master, the second lady, and the third son won't consider it either? The next time you have problems, can you promise not to ask us for help, but for me?"
The eldest lady was very emotional and her face turned red after she spoke.
Wen Shuse had a helpless look on her face, "I really didn't sell it for silver." She lowered her head and pulled out the appointment letter from her sleeve, and handed it to the senior Madam Xie, "I came to report to you today. I donated the grain to Madam Zhou last night and exchanged it for an official position for you. Please take a look, Grandma."
May you be struck by lightning.
The eldest lady was so shocked by the word "donate" that she couldn't recover from her shock. Mr. Xie beside her also frowned.
Old Madam Xie took the document and quickly unfolded it. Just like Xie Shao had just done, she read it word by word, "Yuanwailang, concurrently...Military Procurator."
Wen Shuse nodded, "Yes, I also donated the Wen family's food and exchanged it for the same official positions for my father and brother."
Without waiting for the old lady to react, the eldest lady instantly stood up and walked to her side, stuck her head out and looked at the rice paper in her hand.
The three big characters "Appointment Letter" were clearly visible, and a bright red seal was stamped on the document.
Wen Shuse continued, "I thought it was just a natural disaster of drought, and I could raise the price by hoarding some food. Who knew that Luoan was actually short of food for the war? The soldiers on the front line came to ask for food. The people in the city all knew that my Xie and Wen families had hoarded food. If we didn't give it out, they would definitely not give it to us. I thought again and again, instead of selling the food and making that kind of conscienceless money, it would be better to donate it. The Xie and Wen families would get an official position and a reputation. From now on, my husband will be considered to have entered the official career. When he enters the officialdom in the future, he won't have to trouble my uncle to run around in front all the time."
The eldest lady read the appointment letter with blood in her heart.
Hundreds of thousands of taels of silver, she actually bought a man...
As soon as she closed her eyes, a pile of silver was poured into the water, and the mountains of grain were gone. She gave it away with a hand. The eldest lady didn't dare to think about it. Did she just donate it like that?
Everything was gone, including the money in the warehouse and the shop.
Who gave her the courage?
The eldest lady was so angry that she lost her mind. She sneered and scolded, pinching her heart, "When the third son gave the warehouse key to this new wife, I tried to stop him. I heard from the eldest lady of the Wen family that the second wife of the Wen family was a prodigal, but the third son was bewildered and refused to listen. He insisted on letting her be the housekeeper. Now, the Xie family has been completely defeated by her. I'm afraid that the ancestors of the Xie family will not tolerate such a new wife..." She turned to look at the old lady, "How to deal with it, mother can decide."
Even the gold that the Second Master used for his retirement was squandered by her. Could it be that the old master would still protect him?
Old Madam Xie was staring at the document. She read it once and then started over again. Her eyes moved back and forth between the words "Xie Shao" and "Jiu Pin". The corners of her mouth seemed to be about to curl up, and she didn't hear the eldest lady's muttering at all.
Nan Zhi next to her gently poked her shoulder, "Madam." Madam Xie came back to her senses. Seeing that the eldest lady's neck was stiff and waiting for her to punish the third grandmother, she quickly suppressed the corners of her mouth and raised her head to ask Wen Shuse, "Is everything really gone? Have you lost everything?"
Wen Shuse buried his head, and his guilty look said it all.
Madam Xie hissed and leaned back, and was supported by Nan Zhi, "Madam, don't get angry, your health is more important."
Old Madam Xie carefully handed the document to Nan Zhi behind her, covered her chest with one hand, and turned back to ask Wen Shuse, "Then, where is the silver I gave you for the box?"
The eldest lady was shocked. Oh my God! The old lady also invested money?
Wen Shuse buried his head even lower.
"It's over, God, that's my coffin money, what should I do now, it's all gone, how can I live in the future..." Old Madam Xie pounded her chest twice, and the maids around her gathered around her. Uncle Xie also stood up and greeted her, "Mother, please don't be angry... Quick, help the old lady into the house."
The scene became completely chaotic.
The eldest lady stood there, not knowing whether to help or not. She watched the servants help the old lady into the house, then she remembered that she hadn't given an explanation yet.
He turned around and glared at Wen Shuse. Just as he was about to explode, the old lady's weak voice came out, "Call the third daughter-in-law in. I, I will interrogate her thoroughly."
Wen Shuse stood up, clasped his hands in front of his abdomen, lowered his head, walked obediently past the eldest lady, and entered the inner room.
Uncle Xie was busy asking someone to call the imperial physician. After giving the order, he turned around and looked at the two people, his wife and him, who were the only ones left in the room. He was completely silent.
What else can I expect? The old lady's coffin is gone, that damned prodigal son...
Not to mention the dowries of the eldest and second wives, even the eldest son's real estate in Dongdu is gone. She had been dreaming for days, but now her dreams are shattered and everything is in vain. She has no time to listen to the old lady crying about her silver. She is almost dying of anger. Not only is the hundreds of thousands of taels of silver that she was almost about to get gone, but even the small treasury of the second house is gone in the future.
Her heart ached so much that it was about to burst. Regardless of Mr. Xie's mood, the eldest lady turned around and walked out of the yard in a daze. Halfway through, she cursed as she walked, "I asked her to sell it a long time ago, but she refused to listen. She said she would wait a little longer and wanted a higher price. As a result, she was greedy and had nothing left. She bought a Yuanwailang, a ninth-rank official, and she still wanted more. My Xie family was really punished by heaven for meeting such a loser..."
Uncle Xie did not expect that the third son's wife would dare to act on her own like this. The second master was not at home. If he was, these things would not have happened.
Master Xie asked his attendant, "Is there still no news about the Second Master?"
"I heard today that the messenger who went to Yangzhou has returned. The Third Young Master should have received the letter."
Uncle Xie was not in a good mood either. He ordered the servants in the house to take good care of the old lady, and followed the eldest lady out of the yard.
The old lady in the inner room was still covering her chest. Nan Zhi brushed aside the curtain and said with a smile, "Old lady, the person is gone."
Madam Xie immediately changed her expression, sat up from the bed, and supported Wen Shuse's arm, "Quick, show me the document again."
The maid behind her handed it to Wen Shuse carefully. Wen Shuse sat next to the old lady and accompanied her to look at it again.
Wen Shuse had read it all night yesterday and knew every word by heart, but the old lady was just getting excited and turned to ask her, "Did you show it to him? What was his reaction?"
Wen Shuse recalled how excited he was when he jumped out of bed, and asked doubtfully, "My dear, you don't seem to like it?"
Madam Xie didn't take it seriously and continued to be happy, "That's because he hasn't been pushed to that point yet."
Xie Shao was deeply shocked by the sudden emptied warehouse. After leaving the house, he took Min Zhang to Qiao City and went straight to Zui Xiang Lou. Before he could even enter the door, he met Cui Nian.
"Thank you, brother!"
Xie Shao turned around with a cold expression. He dared to come.
The idea has come to him. He would sell the grain to the Xie family and let them donate it. The Cui family has made a lot of money in Fengcheng over the years and is almost rich. In the face of national crisis, he is really unwilling to donate a penny.
Cui Nian was so shocked by his glance that he almost shrunk. He kept apologizing with a smile, "Thank you, brother. It's a misunderstanding. It's all a misunderstanding. Let's find a place to talk it over slowly..."
He was planning to do just that.
Xie Shao turned around and walked towards Zui Xiang Lou. Cui Nian pulled him back and said, "Brother Xie, things are different now. Let's go to another place."
Even though the cash was gone, the Xie family still had so many shops. It shouldn't be that they couldn't even go to Zui Xiang Lou or afford a bottle of wine, right?
Xie Shao turned a deaf ear and continued forward. He hadn't taken two steps when Cui Nian grabbed his arm tightly and dragged him back to the road. "Brother Xie, I have prepared wine and food for today. It's in the teahouse next door. It's quiet there and no one will disturb us when we talk."
Xie Shao followed Cui Nian's finger and went to the Wen family's teahouse.
OK.
The Wen family's teahouse mainly serves dishes and seafood, focusing on food. There is no sound of pipa music and no girls. Xie Shao has been there before.
After he got married with Wen Shuse, he went there once. The shopkeeper smiled when he saw him, turned around and shouted to the people inside, "The son-in-law is here." He heard the continuous voices of "son-in-law" in his ears. It was too enthusiastic, and he was a little uncomfortable with it, so he never came again.
It was quiet when he entered the shop today. The shopkeeper from last time was gone, replaced by a new face. He bowed and nodded to Cui Nian who was sitting next to him, quite respectful.
It's normal not to recognize people after changing the shopkeeper.
After they went up to the second floor, Cui Nian called the waiter to serve the dishes. "Bring out the best ones to entertain our Master Xie. There is also good wine. Bring it all out, hurry up."
The waiter bowed and nodded, "Yes."
He acted like a boss, Cui Nian was like this on weekdays. Xie Shao didn't care and asked him, "Did you sell the grain to Wen Er?"
What was to come had to come. Cui Nian lifted up his robe and sat opposite him. Fearing that he could not bear what he was going to say next, he said first, "Brother Xie, it was you who said that day that my sister-in-law was the head of the Xie family now, and asked me to find my sister-in-law if I had any problems."
You see, one wrong move, hiring the wrong people, has blocked your own path.
Xie Shao had nothing to say.
"How much silver did she spend?" The storehouse and dowry were emptied. The Cui family must have no rice left. He, Cui Nian, must have taken advantage of her misfortune to rob her.
Cui Ni swallowed lightly, and instead of telling him directly, he told him about the food war, "Sister-in-law is actually very smart..."
"Tsk~" Xie Shao turned his head away.
Is she smart enough to make herself penniless?
Cui Nian could not refute, and slowly talked to him, "The grain that my sister-in-law bought at first was indeed very cost-effective, one hundred coins for a bushel of rice, and she closed down the rice shop overnight, even the old rice was not spared, and she almost took away my job. Brother Xie also knew about this. Before I even arrived, my sister-in-law came to find me first, and as soon as she entered the door, she threatened to buy the grain from my Cui family. Since Brother Xie had already spoken, my sister-in-law had the final say on family affairs. Seeing that she insisted on buying it, I had to sell it reluctantly because of our brotherhood.
It wasn't as difficult as he said. The shop was mortgaged to him at an 80% discount, but he didn't want it, so Wen Shuse went to find someone else.
Cui Nian's eyes showed admiration. "Then, the price of grain, Brother Xie was not in Fengcheng, so he didn't see it. Rice increased from 100 coins to 600 coins! In just eight or nine days, it increased sixfold, and wheat and beans increased tenfold. It is enough to show that sister-in-law is a business material. She saw the business opportunity and wanted to do a big business, so she invested all the money and shops of Xie and Wen's families to buy grain. It was a foolproof business with no loss, but it was ruined by Luoan's soldiers..."
"Wait a minute." Xie Shao's heart skipped a beat and he went back to what he had just said, "What did you say? What shop?"
The knife had to be stabbed, and Cui Nian didn't beat around the bush. "My sister-in-law bought food from me, but she didn't pay me in cash." He tapped the wooden table in front of them with his fingers. "This teahouse is mine now."
Then she tilted her head and pointed at the rouge shop of the Xie family across the street, "That one." And the powder shop, "That one." The shops at the beginning and end of the street were invisible. In short, "Xie's and Wen's shops were all mortgaged to me by my sister-in-law."
Cui Nie gave a kind smile to the man opposite him who had a frozen face, "So, Brother Xie may have lost everything now."
The cash is gone, the shop is gone...that means everything is bankrupt.
Xie Shao's eyes were dull and he didn't react for a long time.
Cui Nian knew that he couldn't bear it for a while, and he didn't know how to comfort him. "Don't worry, I'll treat Brother Xie to dinner today. Everyone has difficulties and hardships. Life is unpredictable. The key is that we must learn to adapt. Isn't Brother Xie already an official? From now on, he is Mr. Xie. Who knows, there may be another bright future..."
Xie Shao suddenly stood up, and his movements were so fast that he almost tripped himself. He reached out to hold on to the corner of the table in time.
Cui Ni hurriedly stood up to help him, and said sympathetically, "Thank you, brother. I'm sorry."
Xie Shao didn't bother to pay attention to him. He gritted his teeth and went downstairs in a daze. Zhou Kuang and Pei Qing also rushed over. They dismounted and saw someone rushing out with a deathly pale face. They knew that everything should be clear.
They both stepped forward to comfort him.
"Thank you, brother."
"Thank you, brother..."
Xie Shao raised his hand. He didn't want to hear anything. Why was he in such a hurry to leave the house just now? Why was he in such a hurry to go back now?
Zhou Kuang was worried and chased after his horse, shouting, "Brother Xie, there's no need to be so sad. When you take office in the future, you will get a monthly salary."
Xie Shao left him a horse's butt and rushed back to the Xie family. When the doorman saw him coming back, he handed him a letter, "Third Master, the Second Master just sent someone to bring it back."
He casually took it and tore it open. On the letter were a few large characters: "My son is determined and is not afraid for his father."
It was a response to the last time Pei Yuanqiu came to lobby him.
Not to mention that what he said was like bullshit and had no effect at all. It was only passed back at this time. If I want to rely on him for something, I'm afraid it's too late.
Xie Shao remembered something and turned to shove the letter to Min Zhang. "Go tell him that his daughter-in-law has squandered all his gold for retirement. Then tell the second wife that her shop is gone too."
Min Zhang obeyed his orders and immediately nodded and turned around.
"Wait a minute." He stopped her again, "Just say she bought all the food and donated it."
"yes."
A new bride has just married, and he hasn't even met her in person, but he's already complaining about her. No matter what the reason is, the two old people will definitely have a bad impression of her. The prodigal son has lost his reputation before he even meets his parents-in-law. How can he gain a foothold in front of the elders in the future?
The disaster was not caused by her alone, he was also responsible. He held his forehead and said to Min Zhang, "Forget it, come back."
This spendthrift woman is capable of making a fuss. He must go and ask her what is left of the Xie family now.
The babies are here. My shoulders hurt so much, I have to go to Beijing this afternoon, woo woo woo, I will take my computer with me, try to update more, and come back in five days.
I'd like to recommend another article by my gay friend to you guys. If you like it, you can collect it~
"Rebel" BY Leng Qianyan
In his previous life, Song Fenghan was deceived by the delicate "Seventh Prince" and gave everything for her. He pushed her to the throne by disguising herself as a man, but ended up with her being abandoned.
He was unwilling to be used and discarded, so he raised an army to rebel, massacred the imperial city, and forced her to a dead end.
After being loyal for generations, he eventually became a "traitor" in the eyes of the public.
In his new life, he pretended to be crazy and stupid, refusing to be sucked blood and eaten marrow by this black-hearted lotus again!
But she seemed to be sincere in this life, and her intentional and unintentional teasing shook his heart time and time again, making him struggle between rationality and impulse...
He was afraid of repeating the same mistake, so he decided to seal his true feelings and no longer be moved by it. However, he suddenly realized that there was someone else who had harmed him in his previous life.
She never betrayed him, it was he who was blinded by hatred and forced the person dearest to death!
Song Fenghan regretted it and wanted to redeem everything before the conspiracy happened. Unexpectedly, at this moment, her memories of her past life also revived. The tenderness in her almond eyes gradually dissipated, and was replaced by cold hatred...
Can a traitor get his "Majesty" back?
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