Chapter 180 The Way Out
“Since that’s the case, your grandmother won’t keep you here. But the world is not peaceful, and the journey back to the capital is long. You also need to visit friends. Your grandmother is worried about you traveling alone as a young lady. I’ll have your older cousin see you off.”
Du Yuanhua was so busy a few days ago that he had difficulty going home, but he has been staying at home recently. He said that the shops he opened earlier are all managed by managers, and now he is considering opening a new shop in another place so that he can rest for a while.
It would be a good opportunity for him to give Meng Lingge a ride, and he could also check out some suitable shops along the way.
Meng Lingge said, "I have maids and guards, so I'm very safe. My cousin has business to take care of, so there's no need to trouble him."
“We’re all relatives, what trouble is there?” said Old Mrs. Du. “What if we encounter danger on the way back? How am I supposed to explain it to your parents? If you feel awkward about your eldest cousin seeing you off, then your second cousin and younger cousin can escort you for a while.”
Her grandchildren all listened to her and were probably willing to make the trip, but Du Yuanhua was definitely the most enthusiastic. Compared to his brothers, he had the most experience outside and was the most reliable.
That's why Madam Du thought of him first.
"Then let's go with my eldest cousin. But we have to ask him if he has time first. If he's not available, Grandmother can't force him."
Meng Lingge knew that her grandmother wouldn't feel comfortable letting her leave if she disagreed, so she had no choice but to feign agreement. Anyway, Du Yuanhua was busy with business, so he would probably refuse on his own initiative.
If you really can't refuse, have your older cousin see you out of town, and then try to persuade him to come back.
"Alright, I'll do as you say." Old Mrs. Du nodded with a smile.
How could Du Yuanhua disagree? That kid was overjoyed.
Madam Du ordered her servants to accept the things Meng Lingge had brought. She said with a hint of disappointment, "You just left like that. I didn't even have time to prepare anything for your parents to take back. I even called an opera troupe today so you could listen to a show. Now that you're gone, I have no choice but to cancel the performance."
The butler, who was still waiting at the door, said, "Madam, the two ladies have already received the news and are waiting at home today for the opera troupe to come."
Meng Lingge hurriedly said, "There's no need to return it. Grandmother, I was just worried that you would feel a bit quiet as soon as I leave. With this opera troupe performing for a few days, the mansion will be lively for a few days. After I leave, you will be able to adjust more quickly."
"Then let's listen to my granddaughter." Madam Du dismissed the housekeeper, took Meng Lingge's hand, and led her into the inner room.
“Grandmother is getting older every year, and your mother is bedridden. After today’s farewell, I don’t know if I will ever see you and your mother again. Your parents are in the capital. Although they are still considered wealthy now, serving the emperor is like walking on thin ice. If they are not careful, they may lose everything. If that day comes, how will you and your mother survive? As her mother, I have to make plans for her. Since your mother got married, I have deposited a sum of money into this bank every year. If your mother’s marriage is not smooth or she is in financial difficulty, this money will be her safety net.”
"Now your grandmother is giving you the deposit slip. Keep it safe. This bank also has branches in the capital. You can withdraw the money with the deposit slip, but remember, don't touch this money unless necessary. This is your grandmother's way out for you and your mother."
Old Madam Du pulled out a small square box from the bottom of the wardrobe and put the deposit slip inside into Meng Ling's hand.
Meng Lingge glanced at it and saw that each bill was worth about five thousand taels of silver, totaling nearly one hundred thousand taels of silver for these twenty bills. As long as she and her mother didn't squander this much silver, they could live on it for three lifetimes. It could even be used to maintain the daily expenses of the Prime Minister's mansion for many years.
Although the Du family were wealthy merchants in Jiangnan, their expenses were also high, and their annual net profit was not necessarily tens of thousands of taels of silver. However, the maternal grandmother saved nearly 100,000 taels of silver for her mother.
Meng Lingge was startled, realizing that this must be all the wealth her maternal grandmother had accumulated over the years.
If my two aunts knew about this, even if they were the most virtuous and magnanimous, they would still be unhappy.
Meng Lingge declined, saying, "Grandmother, I can't accept this. Mother would never agree to me accepting it if she were here. You are in good health and will surely live to be a hundred. When that time comes, we can divide it equally among our children. Besides, my parents are quite well-off and don't need this money."
Who wouldn't be tempted by so much silver? Especially now that the political situation is turbulent, it's even more important to have more silver on hand for unforeseen circumstances. However, she was worried that this matter would cause a rift between her maternal grandmother and her two aunts, and she was even more worried that this money would disrupt her maternal grandmother's peaceful old age.
The grandmother got angry and forcefully shoved the deposit slip into Meng Lingge's hands.
"How to divide and distribute the money is up to your maternal grandmother. When I handed over the management of the household to your eldest maternal aunt, the money in the storeroom was no less than this, not to mention the dozens of shops. In the past two years, there have been many more, and the Du family now has one or two hundred shops. The money-making shops and capital have all been given to them, so why can't I save some money for my daughter?"
“Grandma won’t hide it from you. Your mother had her fortune told when she was young. She will face a calamity this year. The fortune teller didn’t say what the calamity is. Grandma can’t help you with anything else. All we can give you is money. If you insist on not accepting it, Grandma will worry day and night and will have no choice but to carry this old body to the capital herself.”
Since her grandmother had said all that and was very emotional, Meng Lingge knew that if she refused again, she would really hurt her feelings. So she had no choice but to let her grandmother stuff all the deposit slips into her arms and then hug her grandmother to comfort her.
“Grandmother, it was Lingge who was being unreasonable. I will accept it. Mother has been in good health these past few years and will be fine. Even if there is any calamity, she will surely turn bad luck into good.”
Even so, Meng Lingge felt somewhat uneasy.
Now, my father is still serving the emperor, while Wen Zhiming has declared himself king, making them essentially opposites.
I wonder if the fortune teller was accurate back then.
Could this calamity be because of her and Wen Zhiming?
Just as she was worrying, she heard a maid calling for the old lady outside, and the grandmother and granddaughter went out hand in hand.
It turned out that breakfast was ready, so Madam Du and Meng Lingge went to the front hall together. While eating breakfast, Madam Du informed everyone that Meng Lingge was leaving today and designated Du Yuanhua to escort her.
The two aunts didn't react much to the matter; it wasn't a big problem for their cousin to stay a few more days, and her departure wouldn't affect them much. However, seeing the two exquisite sets of jewelry, they still sincerely tried to persuade her to stay.
Her older and younger cousins, on the other hand, have been getting along well with her lately, and their eyes immediately welled up with tears when they heard she was leaving.
Du Yuanhua did not refuse to escort Meng Lingge, and promised in front of Madam Du that he would definitely send his cousin to the capital.
After everyone bid each other farewell, they escorted Meng Lingge and Du Yuanhua to the carriage outside the door. Meng Lingge lifted the curtain and entered the carriage, only to find that a young lady was already sitting inside.
It was the female doctor, Lvshui, whom she had met a few days ago.
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