Chapter 27: Dowry (I)
Chapter 27: Dowry (I)
For a moment, Cheng Yujin felt sad for Cheng Yuanjing. In a sense, the two of them were similar.
But in an instant, she regained her clarity. No matter how pitiful Cheng Yuanjing, he was still the crown prince, while she was just a young miss with a precarious situation. What right did she have to sympathize with the crown prince? If she had that leeway, just put on more effort to plan her next path.
Cheng Yuanxian kept prattling about Old Master Cheng’s partiality. Cheng Yujin didn’t comment, but Qingfu Junzhu frowned and glanced around. The servants lowered their heads quickly, lowering their sense of presence.
Qingfu patted Cheng Yuanxian’s arm and said, “Eldest Master, father is still sick now. If your words reached mother’s ears, I’m afraid she would be angry.”
“What’s wrong with that.” Cheng Yuanxian didn’t care. “The doctor has told us to prepare for the funeral. Father’s days are obviously numbered. Don’t be fooled by how mother kept getting angry about little Xue-shi for half her lifetime. In fact, what she cares the most is the property left over by father. Her relationship with father is just on the surface. But actually, mother has no feelings towards him.”
Hearing this, Qingfu Junzhu felt relieved. Of course, she also had no feelings for her father-in-law, and actually wished that the Old Master could die sooner. This way, Cheng Yuanxian could inherit his marquis title, and she no longer had to look at the Old Madam’s face in everything. But mother-in-law was a mountain that loomed tall over daughters-in-law, Qingfu Junzhu dared not to offend her. Cheng Yuanxian was the Old Madam’s son. Even if him badmouthing his father reached the Old Madam, at most, he would get a bit of scolding, but Qingfu wouldn’t get off so easily. Now that Cheng Yuanxian told her the Old Madam only concerned about the property distribution, Qingfu was relieved and followed along with her husband’s talking.
Qingfu stayed in the inner courtyard all day long. All the manor’s expenses, such as food, clothing and transportation, came through her hand, so she had a better understanding of money than Cheng Yuanxian. “Eldest Master is the shizi, so the marquis salary should be yours. But the Old Master has been titled for so many years. It is inevitable that he has accumulated a lot of private wealth. If nothing else, just look at Ninth Master studying all the way to the imperial examination. He has never been short of money. The Old Master should have a lot of money.”
Cheng Yuanxian was also concerned about this the most. The money needed to prepare for the imperial exam wasn’t cheap. Especially because since Cheng Yuanjing was a child, teachers were invited to give him private lessons. After so many years, the amount of money spent on his education must be significant. Moreover, Cheng Yuanjing and little Xue-shi lived in a private residence outside. All the money used to buy the house and their living expenses should also come from the Old Master’s private savings. Old Madam Cheng has been irritated by this matter for so many years. Normally, man’s private saving was limited, and it wouldn’t take long for him to be unable to support such an expensive outside mistress and son. However, from the beginning to the end, Old Master Cheng never asked his wife for money.
Therefore, Old Master Cheng’s private wealth should be massive. Cheng Yuanxian, Cheng Yuanhan, and even the Old Madam’s eyes were green with envy. They had been staring at the Old Master for so many years, waiting for him to die faster so they could get their hands on those industries and properties that generated so much wealth. After all, Yichun marquis manor has not been well financially for a long time.
As the first branch’s head madam, Qingfu knew this so well.
Therefore, Qingfu was also very concerned about the Old Master’s private property. In her opinion, they were the first branch. Her husband was the eldest di son and the heir. All the Old Master’s savings should go to their branch. But the second branch had a different opinion. Both Ruan-shi and Cheng Yuanhan felt that since the family property would be left for the first branch, then the parents’ private properties should be divided equally between two sons. Moreover, the first branch also should take care of their younger brother’s family.
And Old Madam Cheng also planned to seize her husband’s properties into her own hands. Although the two sons were born from her, who didn’t want money? If she had the properties, not only would she live comfortably, but her two sons and their wives would also compete to please her. Why should she let it go?
But undoubtedly, the mother and children still had a common enemy. No matter what, the money must never be left to Cheng Yuanjing, and had to remain in the hands of their own family.
Cheng Yuanxian said: “Yes, even if the money in father’s hand is his private property, it originally came from the marquis manor and should have belonged to us. There is an order in siblings’ seniority. Father and mother will rely on me in their old days, so their properties should be left to me. Who knows how much money was wasted on Cheng Yuanjing to prepare him for the imperial examination and afterward, to build his career. Those all are originally mine.”
Qingfu hurriedly chimed in: “Eldest master is right. These years father never cares about family affairs. The whole marquis manor is shouldered by you. Besides, we still have Bao’er.”
Cheng Yuanxian and Qingfu Junzhu was in a perfect agreement and started to discuss the amount of Old Master Cheng’s private property. Listening from the side, Cheng Yujin secretly shook her head in ridicule.
It was true that a lot of money was spent on Cheng Yuanjing’s education. Judging from the clothes he wore, his living expense wasn’t small either. However, this money has nothing to do with the Yichun marquis manor. The Old Master didn’t use his wealth to raise Cheng Yuanjing and little Xue-shi. On the contrary, it was probably Cheng Yuanjing who supported the Yichun marquis manor.
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