Chapter 108 Taking Everything and Killing Two Birds with One Stone
She stopped, observing Song Yiqiu's expression. Seeing that Song Yiqiu's face remained normal, she continued:
“The Ruan family is a wealthy merchant family. When they marry off their daughter, the dowry is quite expensive… Our Song family is a respectable family, so we can’t be too stingy, lest we be looked down upon.”
"But...but as you know, the household is in a difficult situation right now. Where can we possibly come up with so many decent betrothal gifts all at once...so..."
It turns out it was all for money.
Song Yiqiu understood perfectly well, but feigned ignorance, even appearing somewhat naive:
"Third Brother is getting married, and to Miss Ruan no less! That's naturally a joyous occasion. Although I don't have much savings, I'm willing to give all my money to Third Brother as a dowry. But..."
She looked troubled.
"My daughter's meager savings probably won't even cover one ten-thousandth of the dowry; it's just a drop in the ocean..."
Seeing that she had misunderstood, Madam Song quickly clarified:
“Oh, my dear Qiu’er, I don’t want your personal savings. I want to tell you that your grandmother, the Marquis of Yongjia, left a large fortune to the family, saying it was for everyone’s future use. It’s just a pity that the money can only be used after you inherit the title.”
She looked at Song Yiqiu with eager eyes, lowering her stance to coax and entice her.
"Think about it, as the younger sister, seeing your brothers about to settle down and start families, shouldn't you be thinking about their future? And what about that money after you inherit the title..."
Qingzhu, standing to the side, gritted her teeth in anger and gestured to Song Yiqiu with her eyes:
Miss, it's not for the whole family at all; it's the dowry that the old lady left for you alone.
Bai Mei was also anxious, tugging at Song Yiqiu's sleeve and silently mouthing the words:
I can't agree to that; it's yours.
Song Yiqiu's inward sneer deepened, but on the surface she appeared to be deeply righteous.
She raised her hand, signaling the two maids to calm down, then gave Song Shenshi an extremely obedient and sensible smile:
"Mother is right, I understand."
Her tone was earnest.
"After inheriting the title, I am willing to take out the money left by my grandmother and distribute it to my brothers for their weddings. After all, I am a woman and have no use for so much money."
"Moreover, once my daughter inherits the title of Marquis of Yongjia, her annual salary and fief will naturally be used to supplement the family income, and she will never just care about her own enjoyment."
Upon hearing this, Madam Song could hardly believe her ears.
She originally thought she would have to use a lot of persuasion, even coercion and bribery, but she didn't expect Song Yiqiu to be so understanding.
At that moment, she felt as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart, and her 'illness' instantly improved by seven or eight tenths. Her face glowed, and she excitedly tried to sit up.
"Really? Qiu'er! You, you are truly my good daughter, so sensible! So very sensible!"
Seeing her excited expression, and how she accidentally smeared some white face powder onto her sleeve, Song Yiqiu sneered inwardly.
But his expression remained gentle as he softly pressed Song Shenshi back onto the bed, showing concern:
"Mother, you are so ill, you should rest well and not overexert yourself."
She stood up, straightened her slightly wrinkled dress, and, looking at Song Shenshi's smug expression, added casually,
"As for Third Brother's marriage and betrothal gifts, it is entirely up to Mother to decide. Daughter, I'll take my leave now."
After saying that, she didn't look at Song Shenshi again, and left the room with Bai Mei and Qing Zhu.
As soon as she stepped out of the hospital gate, Bai Mei couldn't help but stomp her feet:
"Miss! How could you agree to that? That was clearly left to you by the old lady!"
Green Bamboo was also deeply worried:
"Young Miss, Madam and the others are robbing us in broad daylight!"
The more she thought about it, the more uneasy she felt, and her brows furrowed.
"Furthermore, upon closer examination, I suspect this matter isn't so simple. If Ruan Jiawen's betrothal gifts are to be made from the inheritance left to you by the old lady, then what about her dowry?"
She looked at Song Yiqiu and voiced her guess:
"The Ruan family is now under the Liu family's control. Miss Ruan Tianxin's mother, Madam Su's, huge dowry and assets are nominally still in the Ruan family, but in reality, they are probably a thorn in the side of the Liu family. Will they take advantage of Ruan Jiawen's marriage to bring those good things left by Madam Su into our Song family as part of her dowry?"
Bai Mei slapped her thigh suddenly, realizing what had happened, and her face turned red with anger:
"I understand! This way, the Ruan family not only gets rid of the hot potato left by Madam Su, but also appears to have a generous dowry, making them look good on the surface. As for our household, we used your money for the betrothal, and then turned around and took in Miss Ruan Tianxin's mother's money as part of the dowry!"
"In the end, neither of their families is at a disadvantage. They actually want to completely exploit the foundation left by the old lady and Madam Su through this marriage. They've really made a clever calculation!"
Qingzhu nodded emphatically and added:
"That's exactly right! A wedding that has consumed two people... They're driving you and Miss Sweetheart to the brink of despair!"
Listening to the two maids' analysis, Song Yiqiu showed no anger on her face, but instead revealed an appreciative smile.
"You two have really grown up."
She gently smoothed away the powder that Song Shen had smeared on her cuffs, her eyes revealing a look of disgust.
"They've got a clever plan."
"Unfortunately, if the abacus beads are thrown too high, they might hit your own face."
She spoke easily:
"Want to devour the foundation of me and Sweetie? They'll have to see if they have the teeth or the fortune to handle it."
Bai Mei was so anxious that she stamped her feet and tugged at Song Yiqiu's sleeve:
"Miss! How can you still be laughing? We were all so worried!"
Qingzhu frowned at this moment:
"Yes, Miss, once this door is opened, the consequences will be endless! We really... don't understand your intention in taking this step."
Looking at the two maids who were genuinely worried for her, Song Yiqiu gently patted Bai Mei's hand and gave Qingzhu a reassuring look:
"Don't worry, I, your young lady, never do anything that loses money. The happier they are now, the uglier they will be when they cry in the future."
"Besides, before inheriting the title, they need to have something to keep them busy and something to look forward to, so they won't have time to think about how to trip me up all day, right?"
Bai Mei and Qing Zhu exchanged a glance. Although they still didn't understand, seeing their young lady's calm and composed demeanor calmed them down a little.
They believed that their young lady would never be at the mercy of others.
"Let's go."
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
