That night, Mr. Sheng's condition worsened. He almost stopped breathing and became unresponsive twice. He recovered after being given acupuncture by Doctor He.
Everyone stayed by the bed nervously. This time no one left. Even a few children gathered on the soft couch not far away to keep watch.
Mrs. He had been persuaded to go back by Xu Wen a long time ago, and Doctor He was resting in the side room, ready to rush over as soon as there was any movement.
But Mr. Sheng ultimately didn't make it. At three o'clock in the morning, his face suddenly flushed, his voice boomed, and he called out Madam Sheng's name. He glanced at everyone accompanying him by the bedside, then pulled his three legitimate grandsons over and said to his sons, "A prosperous era is approaching. The Sheng family is now in your hands. I'll divide the family property once I've visited your third branch. The documents are with Steward Song, and there's also a file at the government office. Remember, even though the family is divided, the family's hearts remain."
After saying these words, Mr. Sheng coughed violently and coughed up a pool of blood. His eyes became blurry and he suddenly fell backward. The three women quickly covered the child's eyes and called a maid to move the child to the side room.
Mrs. He was called over by the servants. After he touched the wrist where there was no pulse, he checked Mr. Sheng's neck, then shook his head at everyone.
A burst of bitter sobbing came from the mouth of the third wife. Xu Wen and Li Yuxin shed tears silently. The three brothers gathered around Grandpa Sheng with red eyes.
Sheng rushed to Old Man Sheng and shouted, "Father, Father..."
Sheng Huairen held Grandpa Sheng's hand, lowered his head and trembled, while Sheng Huaifeng sat beside him blankly as if lost in memories.
For seven days, Li Yuxin didn't get a single good night's sleep. She was either discussing funeral arrangements with everyone or entertaining mourners who came to the Sheng family's home to pay their respects. Even after Old Man Sheng was buried, Li Yuxin remained in a trance, Yun'er cuddling close to her, Hong'er sitting beside her, keeping her company.
Xu Wen and the Third Wife were each relaxing in their rooms. The loss of their elders, coupled with recent fatigue, left them all looking equally haggard and numb. Xu Wen slept soundly that night, unaware that the Third Wife and Sheng Huaifeng had had a huge argument.
Today, Madam He and her group were leaving. Tonight, the three branches of the Sheng family and the He family gathered together for a farewell banquet. As the banquet drew to a close, Sheng Huaizhong, seemingly drunk, burst into tears, repeatedly calling for his father and mother. Li Yuxin reluctantly ordered the servants to help Sheng Huaizhong away, then followed.
The Third Lady was furious. Seeing Sheng Huaifeng striding forward without paying any attention to her, she looked around and saw that she was the only one around her. She stopped and shouted, "Sheng Huaifeng, stop!" The servants saw that the Third Lady was about to show off her power and quickly stepped back and stood with their backs turned.
Sheng Huaifeng, who was ten steps away, stopped when he heard the lady's loud shout. He looked back but didn't reply, just standing there as if waiting for the lady to pass by on her own.
The third wife clenched her fists, hurried over to Sheng Huaifeng, and said, "How much money did you lose in the bet? You weren't like this before. I used to laugh at my sister-in-law, but now you've made me a laughing stock."
Sheng Huaifeng looked up at the sky and said disdainfully: "What a joke! My eldest brother inherited the family fortune, my second brother is a high-ranking official, and I have nothing. Can't I have some hobbies to pass the time?"
After hearing what Sheng Huaifeng said, the Third Lady stood there in astonishment, as if she had never met Sheng Huaifeng before. After a while, when Sheng Huaifeng was about to leave impatiently, the Third Lady reached out and grabbed Sheng Huaifeng's hand and asked, "You still haven't told me how much you lost."
Shaking off the hand of the Third House's eldest lady, Sheng Huaifeng said calmly, "It's only a mere twenty thousand taels of silver, why are you in such a hurry?"
The third wife was struck by a thunderbolt. What did she mean by "only 20,000 taels of silver"? Her dowry was only 3,000 taels of silver.
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