As soon as these words were spoken, the atmosphere in the room became much more relaxed and pleasant.
Apart from the old lady, everyone else present had beaming smiles on their faces, as if they wanted to cheer and jump for joy on the spot.
Three thousand taels, no more, no less, exactly all the money the old lady had withheld, and now Jin Shu had taken it all out and presented it to everyone.
A whole chest of silver was moved out of the old lady's private storeroom.
Jin Shu glanced around and saw that the quantity was about right, so she smiled and said to the people below.
"The old lady had good intentions, and everyone knows that."
However, the Lu family's reputation is of utmost importance right now. If everyone were to go out in their old clothes for the New Year, wouldn't that make them a laughingstock?
"Today I hold this position because I have entrust it to you all. Since that's the case, I'll take the decision: all three thousand taels of silver will be distributed. Have a good New Year!"
Upon hearing this, the entire room erupted in an uncontrollable cheer.
At this moment, the old lady's already pale face turned even more ashen. The joy in the room had nothing to do with her. Just as everyone stepped forward to receive the silver and express their gratitude, a loud "thud" was heard from the side, followed by a loud scream from the maid behind the old lady.
"The old lady has fainted! The old lady has fainted!"
The scene instantly descended into chaos. Jin Shu sent someone to fetch a doctor, who, after a thorough examination, turned and reported back.
"The old lady is not seriously ill; she just suffered from a sudden surge of anger. A dose of herbal medicine to calm her mind and reduce her internal heat will do the trick."
In short, he fainted from anger.
Jin Shu nodded, and after sending the doctor away, the old lady, who had been lying on the bed pretending to be dead with her eyes closed, slowly opened her eyes.
"Mother, you're awake. The doctor said you're fine and told you to get angry less and do more good deeds in the future."
Upon hearing this, the old lady felt a sharp pain in her chest, her pale face turned ashen, and her lips trembled slightly; she looked as if she were about to die of anger.
Jin Shu sighed.
"You're so old, what's the point of being so greedy? If you still had children and grandchildren, it would be fine if you wanted to save more money for them. But now you have no children and only me left, so why are you still greedy for so much? Are you going to take it to your grave?"
Jin Shu said this on purpose, and sure enough, a look of vigilance and sharpness flashed in the eyes of the old lady opposite her.
Seeing her like this, Jin Shu couldn't help but smile. She was using all the remaining intelligence she had at her age to keep her son's secret.
"Am I doing this for myself? I'm doing this for the Duke's mansion! If you continue to be so extravagant year after year, how much of the Duke's mansion's wealth will you squander!"
"You distributed all three thousand taels today?"
"Yes, they've all been split up."
"Foolish!! Have you lost your mind!! Three thousand taels! You'd be better off leaving it for the future heir of the Duke's mansion than giving it to those people!"
Jin Shu smiled calmly and composedly.
"Children and grandchildren have their own blessings, why leave so much? If they have someone to rely on, will they still have the fighting spirit?"
Besides, everyone only lives once, why should we leave all our money to our children? Isn't it better for me to spend it myself?
The old lady stared wide-eyed in disbelief.
She never expected that such words would come out of Jin Shu's mouth.
"You, you must be possessed by a ghost! How dare you utter such blasphemous words! Your children and grandchildren are the lifeblood of the Duke's mansion! Are you suggesting that the money be kept for them to squander, instead of for you, an outsider?!"
"Jin Shu, let me tell you, everything in the Duke's mansion is meant for my grandson. If you continue to squander it like this, I'll risk my old bones to kick you out!"
The old lady now regrets it.
We shouldn't have entrusted the Duke's mansion to Jin Shu in the first place.
Now look what's happened! The household has actually raised a traitor!
She was so angry that her face turned pale, but Jin Shu still smiled and spoke calmly.
"The Duke's mansion has nothing left for you to rely on. Your son is gone, but I now have three sons. A wise person knows when to yield. Old lady, just enjoy your retirement. Don't really anger me, or you'll find it hard to get anywhere in the Duke's mansion in the future!"
"You, you, you've finally shown your true colors, haven't you?! I knew you had ulterior motives, I knew you were heartless and treacherous!"
The old lady was so angry that she kept pounding the bed, her face turning blue and purple.
At this moment, Jin Shu was no different from a vicious villain in a literary work, laughing arrogantly and conceitedly.
"Over the years, I have managed the Duke's mansion in an orderly manner, while your whole family has been sitting around eating away our wealth and waiting to die. Don't you know in your hearts who is the heartless one?"
Being thick-skinned is an advantage; it lets you live much longer than a kind person.
"You! You! You!"
The old lady pointed at Jin Shu and shook her finger wildly. Jin Shu, not wanting to miss out on the fun, laughed and said something.
"Get some rest. I know that the old lady is focused on accumulating wealth for her descendants, so from now on, your monthly allowance of fifteen taels of silver will be reduced to the same as everyone else's, five taels of silver a month, okay?"
"I, I, I..."
Jin Shu silently pressed down on the old lady's trembling fingers and said earnestly.
“I understand your thoughts. After you leave, I will definitely instruct Lu Gu, Lu Huai and Lu Xu to offer you more incense every year.”
"You should get some rest. I still have a lot to take care of here. Being a mistress of the house is tiring."
Jin Shu left, and as soon as the door closed, the sound of shattering utensils echoed from inside the room.
She remained calm and composed as she gave the order.
"Go and see how much the old lady's broken dishes are worth, and deduct it from her next month's pay."
On the third day of the Lunar New Year, a banquet was held at Xianghu Lake.
All the ladies from prominent families in the capital, as well as eligible men and women of royal lineage, were invited to attend.
Jin Shu was taking her three sons to broaden their horizons today. When they arrived at Xianghu Lake, they found it heavily guarded. A number of luxurious painted boats floated on the lake, the most magnificent of which was the Empress's royal painted boat, which was newly built this year and was being used for the first time for this banquet. Everyone who saw it couldn't help but marvel at it.
The three children were noticeably more reserved.
Lu Xu clutched Jin Shu's clothes and asked in a low voice.
"Mother, I heard that if you displease the Empress, you will be beheaded!"
Jin Shu looked down at him.
"Don't worry, she won't chop your head off."
"Why?"
"Because you, little fat boy, don't have a neck."
"Mom...you're bullying me again."
The chubby boy stretched his neck upwards with a wronged expression, but was eventually slapped back down by Jin Shu's loving pats.
"Being a little chubby is good. So what if you're a little chubby? Look at those great generals on the grasslands, aren't they all strong men weighing over 200 pounds? Have you ever seen a great general who is skinny?"
"Your mother believes in you; you will become a renowned general someday."
Lu Xu, the chubby little boy, was easy to coax; upon hearing this, his eyes immediately crinkled into a smile. (End of Chapter)
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