Chapter 19 Men are really not trustworthy
She had heard from her eldest son with her own ears that the inspector was a close minister of the emperor, and that a single word could decide life or death. Local officials worshipped him as an ancestor, and that he always returned with a full load after every inspection.
However, before Lu Changli got married, the Lu family was managed by the second wife, so Lu Changli's small treasury had never been handed over.
"This..." Seeing that he couldn't hide it, Lu Changqing could only tell the truth, "Mother, it's not that I intentionally stole my brother's money, but when we were in Jiangning, my brother gave all his money to the Xu family."
"Didn't you say that the Xu family regarded money as dirt?"
"Miao Yan doesn't love money, but that doesn't mean the Xu family doesn't covet money. If I don't give them this money, they won't let me take Miao Yan away!" Lu Changqing sighed heavily, "The one thousand taels of silver that my eldest brother left behind were all given to Xu's family, but even if they had more than one thousand taels, it wouldn't be enough to pay it back."
"Oh!" Chen stared blankly at the corn porridge on the table, "What should I do now?"
Before, she thought that the Xu family was as indifferent to fame and fortune as Xu Miaoyan, so she could save some money on the betrothal gift. Now she realized that what should have been given had already been given.
The small treasury left by her eldest son was gone just like that, and it made her heart sad just thinking about it.
"What else can we do? Return the clothes!" Lu Changqing said.
Jinxiu Zhai is not an ordinary store. It is said that there is a prince backing it. If the creditor dares to fail to pay back the debt, Jinxiu Zhai's thugs will tear down the creditor's house.
Who can open a shop on Zhuque Street without connections? The Lu family can't afford to offend such a shop.
Chen said nothing, but just wiped her tears with a handkerchief.
"If I want to return my own clothes, I can do so. But if Miaoyan and Wanrou have to return their clothes, how aggrieved they will be. Besides, I don't know if Jinxiu Zhai will accept the clothes that have been worn."
The mother and son looked at each other in silence. The only sound in the room was the crackling of the charcoal fire in the brazier.
After a while, Lu Changqing sighed and said, "Let Fang pay for this debt."
"Hmph," Chen sneered, her long nails gripping the handkerchief tightly, "She has the money to hold a birthday party, but she doesn't even help me pay the bill. Is there any daughter-in-law like her? She looks down on us and wants to laugh at us."
"How dare she!" Lu Changqing threw the account book in his hand. "She is the daughter of a criminal. What right does she have to look down on us? Tomorrow is Yao'er and Yuan'er's birthday banquet. You can directly ask the people from Jinxiuzhai to go to the banquet to collect the debt. If she refuses, sell her jewelry!"
"Right, right," Chen suddenly had an idea, "Why didn't I think of it? I don't believe she doesn't even care about her dignity. In front of the guests, she has to keep quiet."
***
Songshengju is in the backyard.
The setting sun shines on several pine trees of different heights, and the shadows of the trees are swaying.
Unlike the cold and desolate atmosphere outside, the house was filled with a sweet fragrance.
"Miss, it's bad. Second Master Lu has gone to Meihuaao!" The maid Xiuqiu hurriedly ran across the corridor and entered the house without even having time to catch her breath. She pointed outside and began to report, "I heard that Second Master even specially asked someone to buy clothes and shoes for the two children as birthday gifts!"
Xu Miaoyan, who was mixing perfume, frowned, and the perfume ball in her hand rolled into the mortar: "It turns out that those words were all lies. He said that he had cut off all ties with Fang and the two children, but in the end he couldn't leave his own flesh and blood."
She was wearing a bright yellow silver silk dress from Jinxiu Zhai, paired with a red coral bead hairpin, and her black hair was like clouds. She was incredibly beautiful.
"That's not necessarily true. I think the Second Master is sincere to the Young Lady. Maybe... he just went to take a look and came back." Xiuqiu comforted.
"You don't have to speak for him. The Second Madam held a birthday party for her child, but the Old Madam and Lu Wanrou didn't want to go, but he insisted on going," Xu Miaoyan snorted coldly, and said sarcastically, "He went to Meihuaao last night and kept it a secret from me. Men really can't be trusted."
She felt that Lu Changqing was not trustworthy, but which man in the world could be trusted?
All crows are black. If Lu Changqing is lost, the next one might be even worse. Being the tallest among the short ones, you can only make do with what you have.
After all, Lu Changqing has some talent and is gentle to her, and Xu Miaoyan is really attracted by his looks.
Hydrangea lowered her eyebrows and dared not speak.
The air in the room was stagnant and the fragrance was so strong that it was suffocating.
"Go and get the incense blocks I made a few days ago," Xu Miaoyan stood up, "Since he's gone, I'll also go give a gift to Fang."
"Ah, young lady, what are you going to do?" Xiuqiu said, "Today's banquet is attended by Fang's friends. What if you go and get hurt?"
"That depends on whether she has the ability to make me suffer." Xu Miaoyan curved her eyebrows.
"It's a pity to give the Nanhai Luhuaxiang to Fang, who doesn't know its value!" Xiuqiu pouted and said, "Miss, you might as well give it to the Queen."
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