Chapter 128
The people of Yunxiang say life has become increasingly lively over the past two years. First, the chieftains of each Mengquan (a group of tribes) have been replaced by more than half, and now, after almost two years away from Yunxiang, the Lan Caishen family has returned. But these are nothing compared to the past. The most surprising thing is that the old woman from the Tusi Mansion has arrived at the Lan residence with several carts of goods.
This... is the Tusi Mansion planning another marriage with the Lan family? This whole mess, causing such chaos and turmoil, has finally come full circle? The people of Yunxiang were in an uproar. As soon as the old lady stepped into the Lan residence, the people in the streets and alleys started talking about it.
While the people of Yunxiang had food to eat, the old lady was on pins and needles in the Lan Mansion. Mrs. Lan, contrary to her usual quiet and elegant demeanor, showed off her actress style. She put on heavy makeup and jewels, making herself look difficult to get along with. Looking at the list of betrothal gifts handed over by the old lady herself, she raised her eyes with flying eyes and curled her scarlet lips, trying to find fault and say: "Although it is said that we should be frugal in times of national crisis... Alas! My eldest daughter was not raised like a princess, but she is not bad at all. Although there are not many things on it that can be used... Hey! It can be seen that these were also prepared by my wife with all her heart and effort, so I won't be picky! We can deal with the remaining ones ourselves! We will add them to her dowry later."
Tonglin, who was standing behind the old lady, felt bloated after hearing what Mrs. Lan said. These betrothal gifts are more than enough to marry a princess! And your family is not picky. You have already picked and you still dare to say you are not picky?
The old lady, however, remained composed, her face showing no sign of displeasure. "Madam, you are right. Yunxiang is not as prosperous as Kunming. I originally thought that all those trendy things would be useless, so I only prepared some gold and silver utensils, land and shops... It is indeed a bit meager and not very elegant. Otherwise, you can discuss it with the master of your family. Feel free to ask for anything you want."
Yueming didn't understand what was wrong with her stepmother today. Her actions and words seemed to be about to ruin the marriage. But she just kept watching with a cold, silent gaze, maintaining a proper smile as her stepmother unleashed her power. After all, you can't have it all. Someone needs to teach this old lady a lesson.
Yes, she holds a grudge! Even if we want to live together in the future, we have to wait until she gets her revenge.
On the way back home, Tonglin couldn't help but complain: "The Lan family is holding a grudge, letting such a charming thing come out to slap you in the face."
The old lady smiled indifferently, "We were the ones who broke our promise first. Even if the Lan family wants to marry their daughter off, they need to vent their anger before they can feel comfortable. This is good. After scolding and punishing us, we can get along better in the future. Otherwise, if we keep holding onto this anger, no one will feel good."
This was just a minor incident at the Lan family. When Yunkai returned and announced his intention to marry Yueming, the entire family erupted in outrage, like pouring cold water on a frying pan. Se Manli ran to her, crying and making a scene.
"I came here because you said the marriage with the Lan family was off and Lan Yueming couldn't become a concubine. You said she wasn't of high enough status to be Yin Tai, but how come she can be now? Has the Tusi Mansion completely abandoned its rules and decorum? If I hadn't come to Yun Xiang without a care for my dignity, making those people afraid to act rashly, would my cousin be able to sit firmly on the throne? Would he have been able to easily deal with those traitors?"
The old lady felt sorry for her infatuation with her son, which ended in vain. She didn't scold her, but instead advised her earnestly, "Se Manli, your man's heart isn't with you. No matter what you do, he'll be indifferent. You should think about yourself. It's not worth waiting in vain for a man who doesn't love you."
Semanli knelt on the floor and cried unwillingly: "I don't care, they won't have an easy life." After making the threat, she got up and staggered out.
The old lady was so angry that her heart ached. She only came to her senses after she had run away and hurriedly called her maid to chase her.
During dinner, Yunkai talked about the betrothal gift today. Yunkai keenly sensed some dissatisfaction in his mother's flat tone.
He apologized, "I'm sorry that you've been wronged because of me."
The old lady waved her hand. "I have done this all myself, and I deserve it. I'm just worried that the Lan family hasn't gotten rid of their anger yet, and it won't end."
This person! Every time she fulfills herself, she must betray others. Back then, she separated her son and Yueming to protect the Tusi Mansion. Now her glory and status are preserved, but who is truly better off? She had to take the initiative to come to the door and let a low-profile actor tear her face apart. Yueming was probably still resentful about what happened before, and who knew what trouble she would cause once she entered the house.
But what could she do? Life was full of ups and downs! Children and grandchildren would have their own blessings. If she really couldn't bear it any longer, she could just go to the temple and chant sutras with the two ladies.
Yun Kai reassured her, "I've told you long ago that we needed the Lan family, and the Lan family didn't need us either. Now that their family has grown stronger, but with all of Southeast Asia under attack, their only remaining connection is Siam. My father-in-law still doesn't know that Yueming's cousin got into quite a bit of trouble in Bangkok, and the Lan family needs us right now. Once this matter is settled, our two families can live in peace."
Yunkai was coaxing his biological mother at home, and Yueming also asked his stepmother what song was being sung today.
Mrs. Lan rolled her eyes at her. "Are you pretending to be stupid, or are you really stupid? I'll be the bad guy, and you'll be the bad guy when you go to the Tusi Mansion. You're a rich lady, how can you lower yourself to argue with that bunch of people? I'm going to say this now. Don't be polite when you go there, just live your life as you please. If anyone dares to offend you or gossip about you, don't be polite, just beat him up until his mother can't recognize him."
Yueming thought her stepmother's eye-rolling was incredibly charming, but after hearing what she said, she became puzzled, "Didn't you ask me to be the good guy? Why did you ask me to hit someone? It's not nice to hit someone in my in-laws right after I get married, right?"
Mrs. Lan poked her forehead lightly with her red cardamom-coated fingertips and said, "It's just a metaphor. I told you to go into the Tusi Mansion with a stiff upper lip. You better use your brain." Then she whispered, "You have to keep a close eye on those things at home. Don't rush into the Tusi Mansion. They are for you to save your life in a critical moment."
Yueming wanted to laugh when she heard this, but her eyes were warm. She held Mrs. Lan's hand and said, "Don't worry, I will be fine."
Su Shiyue knew Yunkai was getting married and sent him a big gift. After receiving his letter, Yunkai smiled and took the letter to Lan's house. When he met Lan Yingde, he presented the gift and said, "This is a wedding gift from Shiyue. I plan to transfer all three cargo ships to Yueming. What do you think?"
This was indeed a generous gift, but the Lan family's shipping company was already large enough that Lan Yingde didn't care about these three ships. He let Yun Kai hold the letter in both hands without even glancing at it and said, "With the war disasters that have continued, the government is also in trouble. You should keep it to supplement the expenses, to help out!"
Su Shiyue had promised to give these three ships to Yunkai and Yueming as congratulatory gifts after his release from prison. Yunkai had sent him a letter asking him to register a foreign trade company in Yueming's name. Su Shiyue scoffed, "You're not afraid of losing everything! If little Yue takes the money and lives with another man, it would be a huge loss," but he still helped him get it done. Although An Kejian contributed to his imprisonment, Su Shiyue also owed Yueming and Lan Yingde a debt of gratitude for their help.
These three boats had long been registered under Yueming's name. Yunkai only brought them out today to bring up the matter of An Kejian.
He raised the letter above his head, his attitude humble. "Give it to Yueming! Cousin An was furious with Shi Yue for raising supplies for me, and he teamed up with the Prime Minister to have Shi Yue thrown into jail. The king was furious about this matter. Although my eldest brother-in-law did his best to mediate and save Cousin An's life, the family business will definitely be affected. It's possible that they will even target our shipping company."
Lan Yingde was shocked. He knew Su Shiyue was in prison. He had written to Charles to ask him to intercede for the Lan family's shipping license because it was thanks to his family that the Lan family had obtained it. He hadn't expected An Kejian's involvement.
He stared at Yun Kai for a long moment. Su Shiyue had been jailed by An Kejian, and he had helped intercede to get him out. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed like Yun Kai and Su Shiyue had set up a trap for the Lan family. He frowned and asked, "Young Master Su was jailed by Kejian? Why haven't I heard about it?"
Yunkai held the letter in his hands and continued, "It's a long story. The Burma Road was bombed, and the Japanese occupied Burma again, cutting off the main transportation routes. I had no choice but to rely on Shi Yue to raise anti-Japanese supplies in Bangkok, and then have Sixth Uncle's caravan transport the supplies back using the same routes we used to transport goods. Cousin An was probably angry with me because he heard that my marriage to Yueming was broken. He heard that Shi Yue was helping me buy arms and gather information, so he and the Prime Minister arrested him on charges of endangering the safety of the Allied forces. But they didn't realize that the king had no intention of allying with the Japanese at all, and Shi Yue's assistance in these matters was with the king's tacit approval. The Prime Minister fell, and Cousin An was fortunately spared from punishment thanks to my eldest brother-in-law's intercession. However, I think Cousin An is only safe for now. I know Shi Yue very well. He will never let go of such a huge loss. These three ships are both a gift and compensation. He will definitely fight Cousin An to the death."
Lan Yingde was at a loss for words. Family marriages were supposed to leverage each other's strengths, but this matter felt aggrieved. Even if he didn't accept his favor, An Kejian's life was indeed saved. Even if he accepted his favor, since your family had been the first to betray their trust, An Kejian's personal revenge was understandable. Regardless, at this critical juncture of the national anti-Japanese war, An Kejian's actions truly disappointed him.
He swallowed his anger, took the letter that Yunkai was still holding high, and said with a smile, "Then this will be Yueming's dowry, and it will be given as part of the dowry when the time comes. Please thank the Second Young Master for Kejian's matter first. When I have time to go to Bangkok, I will personally go to the Prince's Mansion to express my gratitude. As for the grudge between Kejian and Young Master Su, please don't get caught in the middle. After your wedding with Yueming, I will let Changsheng handle it."
After sending the letter, Yun Kai was finally able to straighten his back. He smiled and said, "It's most appropriate to let my brother handle this matter. But we are all family, so you really don't have to be so polite. You are the elder, so there is no need to go to my brother-in-law in person. I will write a letter, and my brother can just pay a visit."
Lan Yingde finally let him sit down and asked Ai Ye to serve tea.
"You can't say that. Even if we're relatives, we have to interact with each other in order to stay together. Besides, you and Yueming were no longer related at the time, and the Second Young Master was still willing to work for the Lan family. I have to accept this favor no matter what. I'm the head of the family, and it's inappropriate for me to pretend to be deaf and dumb."
Hearing Lan Yingde mention the broken engagement, Yun Kai put away his calculations and said sincerely, "This is all I should do. Putting aside the fact that I was wrong first, even when you were angry at the time, you still left me some room. If you hadn't asked Sixth Uncle to stay, I would have had to lead the caravan to Siam to carry the goods back myself. People always know how to cherish things after they have lost them. I used to ignore your teachings and always pretended to obey them. Since you left, I have taken those words as my guiding principles and learned how to behave and do things like you. I no longer feel complacent about my own cleverness. You know, I no longer have a father to teach me what to do. From now on, I will no longer disobey your advice. I will manage Yun Xiang under your guidance and let my father and brother rest in peace in the underworld."
After hearing these words, Lan Yingde couldn't help but be moved when he thought of the old chieftain. He sighed, patted his shoulder and said, "Work hard and don't let your father down."
After the father-in-law and son-in-law exchanged greetings, Xinyun Kai was about to leave. Lan Yingde was surprised that he didn't find an excuse to see Yueming. He asked, "Are you leaving without telling Yueming?"
Yunkai smiled innocently, "No, according to Han customs, Yueming and I can't see each other before we get married. I'm terrified that our marriage will be plagued by more complications. Some rules should be followed for good luck. Of course, I really want to see Yueming, but the Buddha said that greed is the source of troubles and karmic obstacles. If I want to be with Yueming forever, I have to create less karmic obstacles."
What kind of nonsense is this? Lan Yingde was speechless and wanted to say to him: You are overacting! Why are you pretending to be an innocent young man?
I really have so much to complain about. Just when I thought he was mature and steady, he immediately made me irritated. I waved my hand impatiently at him and told him to get out.
Passing by the tree where Yueming had climbed before to see the azaleas, Yunkai couldn't help but look back at Yueming's window, which was tightly closed. He was a little disappointed that he couldn't see her openly. It would be fine if she came to the window and let him see her!
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