I just tallied up the money each household handed in outside, but we haven't compiled it yet. Right now, it's a mess outside, so there's nothing to see. It's much more interesting to count the money.
Holding the thick wad of silver notes in her hand, Madam Yu felt her eyes sting with tears. She had thought she would never get them back, but not only did she get them back, she also received double the amount.
Those people usually order the best and most expensive dishes when they come, which is extravagant. After paying double, Yu Shi will have 27,000 taels in her hands. Yu Shi is so excited that her hands are trembling.
She knew that these were all things her third sister-in-law had helped her get back, and that her third brother would probably have a hard time in the court because of this, so she took out 17,000 taels of silver and gave it to Jiang Jiuniang without saying a word.
"Third sister-in-law, I know this matter has caused you and my third brother a lot of trouble. You must accept this money, otherwise I will not be at peace with myself!"
She meant it sincerely, and her actions in handing over the money were decisive.
But Jiang Jiuniang was not willing to accept so much. She had come to help, not to share the money.
But Ms. Yu is right. She put in effort for this matter and even took the blame. She can't just give up everything.
Firstly, it would bring some benefits to myself, and secondly, it would make Ms. Yu feel better.
So she took seven thousand taels and pushed the remaining ten thousand taels back.
“Sister-in-law, I will only take what I am entitled to, and the rest is yours. You should all learn from this experience. We are family, so if you encounter similar problems in the future, don’t bear them alone. Just tell us and we will find a solution together.”
Jiang Jiuniang patted her hand, speaking very earnestly.
If they had told her about it from the beginning, and she or Lu Baichuan had intervened beforehand, things wouldn't have escalated to this extent.
However, this time she deliberately made a big scene, to let the Yu family know that taking responsibility was not feasible, and at the same time, to warn those in the court who had ulterior motives.
Yu looked somewhat ashamed. At first, she and her husband had only thought of not causing trouble for their third brother and sister-in-law. After all, they were at the border at the time, fighting a war, a life-or-death situation. Compared to that, the restaurant incident was nothing. They thought they could just endure it. However, those people went even further and became more and more outrageous. The amount involved was too large, so she dared not say anything more. She even instructed the people in the restaurant not to talk about it in front of the family. Even Lei Zi didn't know. She didn't expect her sister-in-law to be so perceptive and still find out.
"I understand. I'll definitely let you know as soon as possible from now on. But I really feel bad that you only took seven thousand taels. You should at least take ten thousand taels, okay?"
This debt of gratitude cannot be repaid with money, but at least it can make her feel a little better.
Seeing that she looked apologetic, Jiang Jiuniang still agreed to take an extra three thousand taels.
"Third sister-in-law, now that I have some money, can I invest some more in that ranch you mentioned?"
I didn't invest much because I didn't have enough money on hand, but my sister-in-law's business is sure to make a lot of money. If I invest less, I'll earn less, but if I invest more, the dividends will be much higher.
She also had her own selfish motives; who would complain about having too much money?
Of course, investing more now will make you more financially secure at the beginning of your business, allowing you to pursue whatever you want without hesitation. It's a two-way street.
"Of course, but we should let everyone know about this so that everyone is aware of it."
Informing others in advance will prevent any problems when it comes to dividends.
"Okay, I'll go talk to them!"
Ms. Yu couldn't stop smiling; all the worries of the past few days vanished instantly, and she looked at least ten years younger.
"Leizi and Lianhua have been engaged for almost two years. We're preparing everything they need for their wedding so we won't be too busy. We originally planned to hold the wedding for them at the end of this year, but the two kids refused. They said they wanted to wait for Xiaoyang and the others to come back so they could choose a date together. They're all grown up now and have their own ideas. We parents can't force them, so we can only go along with their wishes."
As she spoke, Ms. Yu wore a faint smile, clearly supporting her son's idea and showing no sign of blame.
Jiang Jiuniang said, "Sister-in-law, that's the right way to think. Anyway, they are still young, so it won't hurt to wait a couple more years. Xiao Yang has been with them all along, and Xiao Yang is older than Lei Zi, so it's good to wait a bit."
“I understand, but we don’t know when Xiao Yang and the others will be back. Although we are not his parents, we are still his uncles and aunts. His parents are gone, so we should take care of these things.”
Yu knew very well that Lu Xiaoyang's departure would bring huge profits to the family, essentially taking on all their hardships for them. Remembering this kindness, she naturally wouldn't have any other thoughts.
The two chatted for a while, and then the restaurant became even more crowded. Yu tied on an apron and went to the kitchen to get busy, while Jiang Jiuniang gave the manager some instructions on how to handle the aftermath before going home.
She couldn't believe that Lu Baichuan hadn't been involved in such a major event that suddenly occurred in the imperial court.
She needs to go back and ask clearly, and the couple should check the information to make sure there are no discrepancies.
When she got back, Lu Baichuan had just returned and was having dinner.
She had already eaten at the restaurant and was still full, so she didn't plan to eat anything more. Instead, she sat down next to Lu Baichuan and asked, "You're back so late. Did the Emperor keep you here alone?"
"Yes, let me continue to be in charge of the Cao family's affairs."
Jiang Jiuniang immediately laughed: "I knew it was you who did this today, you're really something."
"Since we've already offended the Xue family, to prevent them from causing trouble for the Lu family again, we might as well deal with them once and for all."
As Lu Baichuan spoke, he picked up a piece of meat with his chopsticks and fed it to her. She subconsciously opened her mouth and ate it in one bite, then said angrily, "I'm not eating, I'm stuffed!"
Lu Baichuan was amused by her appearance and then said, "Anyway, the Xue family has been restless for a long time. It's already good enough that they've been jumping around for so long. After we clean this wave, we can promote some of our people so that they can be used by us in the future."
This was Lu Baichuan's plan.
He had decided to resign, but the court could not be without officials.
Currently, Mr. Kang is the only one openly on his side, but he should make plans behind the scenes as soon as possible.
Although he had no intention of rebelling, it didn't mean he was incapable of doing anything. He had family to protect, and even if he left the court, he still needed to maintain his own influence and spies within the court.
He didn't think so much about it before because he thought it was unnecessary. Now it seems that he was too naive. But it's not too late to start making arrangements now.
Jiang Jiuniang thought what he said made a lot of sense, and the couple thought the same way.
They may not care about that position, but they cannot be led by the nose by the people in that position.
"Okay, you can arrange it as you see fit. I'm sleepy, I'm going to take a nap."
Jiang Jiuniang stood up, yawned, and was about to leave when Lu Baichuan pulled her into his arms.
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