Chapter 472: If the Xu family doesn't want it, give it to my grandson

The second quarter of the Wu hour (after 11:00 AM)

The Sheng family

Shou'an Hall

The hall was filled with the fragrance of fresh flowers.

Cui Mama bowed in salute at the entrance: "Old Madam, Wei Wei Xiaoniang and Zhen Ge'er have arrived."

The Old Madam, who was sitting cross-legged on the Luo Han chair tending to the flowers, smiled at the corner of her mouth: "Invite them in."

Cui Mama responded, and a moment later,

Seeing Wei Shuyi led her son into the room, bowed in salute, and said: "Greetings, Old Madam."

Sheng Changzhen cupped his hands in a proper manner: "Grandmother, peace and safety."

The smile on the Old Madam's face grew even brighter, and she beckoned to her little grandson.

Fang Mama on the side carried Sheng Changzhen to the other side of the Luo Han chair, and the Old Madam looked at Seeing Wei Shuyi with a smile and said: "Have you thought it through?"

"Replying to Old Madam, I have thought it through! This concubine..."

Seeing Wei Shuyi glanced at her son and said in a deep voice: "This concubine is willing to try! But there is a shortage of manpower around me; please ask Old Madam to allocate a few maids to come over."

The Old Madam looked at her grandson, who was sniffing the flower fragrance on the opposite side, and smiled: "Cui Mama, Cuiwei!"

Cui Mama and a young maid stood out.

"Today, you two will accompany Wei Wei Xiaoniang to Jin'an Study."

"Yes, Old Madam."

Seeing Wei Shuyi nodded to the two of them and then hesitated to speak.

The Old Madam glanced at her and said: "Do you want to ask where Da Niangzi has gone?"

"Yes."

The Old Madam handed a petal to Changzhen and said: "Da Niangzi has gone to the Kang family. If you want to ask Da Niangzi for maids, then wait until the afternoon."

"Yes, Old Madam."

"By the way, how is the wedding preparation for the maid Xiaodie in your courtyard?"

"Old Madam, it is almost ready! This concubine is thinking of letting Xiaodie marry from the Wei family residence."

The Old Madam looked at Changzhen and said: "Zhen'er, this flower is called peony. Do you like the scent?"

"Replying to Grandmother, grandson likes it."

"Then you must thank Cousin Jing who sent the flowers."

Changzhen nodded: "Mm!"

After the Old Madam finished speaking, she looked at Seeing Wei Shuyi with a smile and said: "Wait until Hong'er returns and ask him! Don't always think about whether it will add trouble to the family."

"Yes, Old Madam."

"Suqin, move an embroidered stool for Zhen'er's mother."

When school was dismissed,

Minglan walked in with a face full of smiles, holding an inkstone in her hand, with Xiaotao.

Looking at the people in the hall, Minglan smiled and said: "Grandmother, Wei Xiaoniang! Look! This is the inkstone Cousin sent me, it's the same as the one Little Brother broke!"

Hearing this, Sheng Changzhen on the Luo Han bed looked over curiously.

West Fruit Alley

The Kang family

In the inner hall,

Seeing Kang Haifeng sat in the seat of honor, checking several sheets of paper in his hand.

On the other side was Old Madam Wang, who had a composed temperament but a somewhat haggard face.

Sitting closest to Old Madam Wang was a graceful and luxurious middle-aged woman. This woman was Feng Shi, the sister-in-law of the Wang sisters, who had helped the Sheng family quite a bit in Yang Zhou before.

Below Feng Shi was Kang Wang Shi, and opposite were the Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong couple.

Standing on the side were all personal attendants like Mama Wen and Mama Liu.

"Mother-in-law, you are of advanced age, and you and Sister-in-law hurried to Bianjing, so you must be tired from the journey! Son-in-law thinks you don't need to rush back; it's better to rest for a few more days."

Old Madam Wang smiled and looked at Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong with gratification: "Virtuous son-in-law, rest assured, I know my own body; I won't force it if I can't hold on."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded.

Subsequently, Old Madam Wang glared with ill intent at her younger daughter, who was lowering her head below Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong.

After glaring at Wang Ruofu, she looked at her eldest daughter below her daughter-in-law, and Old Madam Wang frowned and snorted unhappily.

At this time, Seeing Kang Haifeng beside Old Madam Wang placed the paper in his hand on the table and said: "Mother-in-law, this... how could there be so much, could it be a mistake?"

Old Madam Wang didn't speak, and Feng Shi, the Wang family daughter-in-law below her, said: "Brother-in-law, the official from the Ministry of Justice who came yesterday was promoted by Father-in-law when he was in a humble position. He will naturally do his best to help the family."

"If it weren't for this person bringing an experienced hand, such deeply hidden assets might not necessarily have been found."

Hearing this,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong opposite nodded in agreement.

"Slap!"

Old Madam Wang slapped the table,

In the hall,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong stood up first, followed by the others, and finally Seeing Kang Haifeng.

Seeing Kang Haifeng looked at Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong, who kept winking at him, and realized belatedly:

"Mother-in-law, please calm your anger!"

Old Madam Wang waved her hand: "This has nothing to do with you! Sit down!"

Feng Shi, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong, and Seeing Kang Haifeng sat down.

"You two! Kneel down for me!"

Kang Wang Shi was startled: "Mo, Mother..."

"Kneel down!"

Old Madam Wang shouted with great authority.

Kang Wang Shi and Wang Ruofu knelt honestly in the hall.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and Seeing Kang Haifeng sat still,

But Feng Shi had already stood up.

"You two are truly bold and reckless, actually daring to place high-interest loans in Bianjing! Is this kind of business something that official families like yours can do? Do you still want the reputation of the three families?"

"Mother, daughter was wrong! In the future, I won't dare again." Wang Ruofu said hurriedly with a look of fear, glancing at Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong as she spoke.

Kang Wang Shi pursed her lips and didn't speak, even glaring hatefully at Seeing Kang Haifeng.

Old Madam Wang stood up and flicked her sleeves:

"Wang Ruoyu, what are you glaring at? You still have the nerve when the mama by your side has embezzled so much money?"

"Nearly twenty-five thousand strings of silver, just like that, went into someone else's pocket. What are you being arrogant about?"

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong, hearing the amount, narrowed his eyes, suppressed his anger, and glared at Wang Ruofu again.

It was actually not an exaggeration for Mama Qi's family to embezzle so much.

Because the embezzled silver was not just the Kang family's, but also the Sheng family's.

You must know,

Nowadays, because of the Marquis of Yongyi's residence, the scale of the Sheng family's eldest branch's business was no longer the small-time operation it was before.

The amount of silver distributed to the Sheng family's second branch every year was extremely large.

Most of this silver was in the public account, and Wang Ruofu had lent it to Kang Wang Shi to place high-interest loans.

After Old Madam Wang finished speaking, she glared fiercely at her eldest daughter again.

Feng Shi, who was standing on the side, also looked at Kang Wang Shi with quite a bit of mockery.

The reason for Feng Shi's mockery was none other than that she had also seen the things on those papers. Just now, she had chatted with Wang Ruofu for a few sentences, and after a mental calculation, she already knew that this eldest sister-in-law had even embezzled the silver of her younger sister-in-law.

That is to say,

The interest money Wang Ruofu received was first embezzled by the Qi family, and then the Kang family deducted a portion, leaving the remaining silver.

Looking at Kang Wang Shi, who was speechless for a moment,

Feng Daniangzi secretly despised: 'This Kang family is truly following the example of their superiors.'

Old Madam Wang took in Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's expression and continued sternly:

"Alright! Eldest daughter, today I will have the virtuous son-in-law issue a divorce letter, and you will return to the Wang family with me! This can be considered as fulfilling the affection between our Wang family and the Kang family."

"Ah?"

Kang Wang Shi widened her eyes abruptly, feeling somewhat secretly happy yet somewhat terrified in her heart.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and Wang Ruofu had faces full of astonishment.

Seeing Kang Haifeng stood up abruptly upon hearing this, the thought of 'getting rich by the death of one's wife' flashing through his mind,

He looked at the papers on the table and didn't know whether to be happy or politely decline, only saying: "Mother-in-law, this..."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong on the side hurriedly said: "Mother-in-law, please calm your anger, how can this be done."

When Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong was speaking, Seeing Kang Haifeng's brain turned around:

The silver on these papers was not all the Kang family's. If Kang Wang Shi returned to the Wang family,

First, she would take away most of her dowry, making the Kang family's 'financial situation' increasingly stretched!

Second, the Wang family would likely not put in so much effort for his career advancement.

Thinking this through,

Seeing Kang Haifeng hurriedly supported Old Madam Wang like Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and said: "Mother-in-law, Da Niangzi is also doing it for the good of the Kang family; her crime does not deserve this."

Feng Daniangzi, standing on the side, looked at Seeing Kang Haifeng, who was pleading for Kang Wang Shi, and her mother-in-law, who had an expression of anger at her lack of resolve,

Although she had been married to the Wang family for so many years and sometimes couldn't stand her mother-in-law's certain ways of doing things, she still admired her mother-in-law's move of advancing by retreating.

"If you commit such a big mistake again next time, even if the virtuous son-in-law pleads for you, I won't spare you."

Old Madam Wang scolded finally.

Kang Wang Shi muttered: "Yes, Mother, daughter knows."

"Please calm your anger."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong supported Old Madam Wang back to her seat and said.

Old Madam Wang patted Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's arm with gratification, let Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and Seeing Kang Haifeng sit down again, took a few deep breaths, and continued with a straight face: "If it weren't for the two virtuous sons-in-law pleading, I would have let you kneel until you died! Get up!"

"Yes, Mother."

Wang Ruofu said, and was supported by Liu Mama to sit back in her chair.

Mama Wen supported Kang Wang Shi.

Feng Shi looked at the atmosphere in the hall and said toward the side: "Serve tea."

Mama Liu and Mama Wen hurriedly walked outside.

After serving tea,

Old Madam Wang, who had said quite a bit, moistened her throat, looked at Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong with a smile on her face, and said:

"Speaking of which, it was still thanks to your mother's blessing. If it weren't for this relative, and the Marquis's residence's young master capturing the traitor, your eldest sister-in-law wouldn't know how long she would have been deceived."

"Carrying so many black pots without knowing it!"

For this last sentence, Old Madam Wang added quite a bit of emphasis, as if hating that iron could not become steel.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong smiled politely: "It is also because Hua'er's husband's family didn't care too much."

Old Madam Wang understood the meaning of the words and the smile clearly: If the Marquis's residence had cared, the one having a hard time would be the Sheng family's daughter!

Old Madam Wang nodded and said: "Virtuous son-in-law is right. Before leaving the capital, I will go to the Li family. In front of my old brother, this old woman still has some face."

Hearing this,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong stood up, flattered and surprised, bowed, and said urgently: "Mother-in-law, that must not be!"

Seeing Kang Haifeng, Feng Shi, and others on the side had faces full of jealousy and astonishment.

Old Madam Wang waved her hand with feigned seriousness: "Virtuous son-in-law, sit down! Only when you all are well can the children be well! Sit down."

Old Madam Wang's meaning was that she, a widow of a high official who had received a title and whose husband was entitled to be enshrined in the Imperial Ancestral Temple, would personally go to the home of Minister Li of the Ministry of Personnel to talk and clear the way for Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong.

As for the effect,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's feelings were very clear; after all, he was able to enter the Ministry of Personnel firstly because he had good in-laws, and secondly because he benefited from the prestige of his wife's family.

In the future, if Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's official position rises, it would be considered Old Madam Wang's compensation to the Sheng family for her eldest daughter.

After Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong sat back in his chair, he glared sideways at Wang Ruofu, signaling her to restrain her overly proud expression.

Old Madam Wang said: "By the way, virtuous son-in-law."

"I heard that the Xu family relative, that Ni family young master studying at the Li family school, is getting married in a few days? Is the Da Niangzi decided to be the one following beside Wei Wei Xiaoniang?"

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong nodded repeatedly: "Yes, Mother-in-law."

Old Madam Wang glared at Kang Wang Shi again unhappily: "My words, you don't take to heart at all. I asked you to pick a daughter to go and take a look, did you pick one?"

Kang Wang Shi lowered her eyelids and said: "Mother, there are too many things in the household, daughter... forgot."

"Humph!"

Seeing Kang Haifeng on the side said: "Mother-in-law, is the Li family very optimistic about this Ni family young master? Is he among the candidates for this imperial examination?"

"He didn't even pass the prefectural examination." Kang Wang Shi added.

Seeing Kang Haifeng's face relaxed, and he nodded.

Feng Shi didn't speak, and Old Madam Wang sighed lightly and said: "I have been here for half a day, let the children come over to see me."

"Yes, Mother."

In a short while,

Seeing Kang Haifeng looked at the large group of children pouring into the hall and felt quite embarrassed.

The dozen or so children who entered were all nominally Kang Wang Shi's children, but Kang Wang Shi only had three children born of the legitimate wife, and the remaining dozen or so were all born of concubines.

Old Madam Wang said a few words about mutual love and affection in a kind and amiable manner and rewarded them with some silver.

The rest of the children left.

Leaving the legitimate Kang Zhao'er, Kang Jin, and Kang Yuan'er in the hall, after saying a few more words, Old Madam Wang stood up and said: "Alright, the time is not early, I will return to the Wang family residence."

"Mother, why don't you sleep here tonight."

Kang Wang Shi said.

Old Madam Wang waved her hand: "No need!"

After speaking, she turned to Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong and said: "Virtuous son-in-law, you go back and tell the mother of the family, I will visit tomorrow."

"Yes, Mother-in-law."

When they walked to the second gate,

Seeing Kang Haifeng and Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong walked at the back,

In front were Old Madam Wang and her two daughters.

Old Madam Wang looked at Wang Ruofu, who was supporting her, and said: "It is not a bad thing that Wei Wei Xiaoniang manages the household in your home; it is better than your husband's favorite concubine managing it! Your mother-in-law is a sensible person. If you don't make trouble and give an explanation to the Marquis's residence, this power of managing the household will return in a year or two."

Wang Ruofu lowered her head and nodded somewhat reluctantly.

"The Qiujiang beside Wei Wei Xiaoniang, did she come from under your daughter's hand?"

Old Madam Wang asked toward Liu Mama.

"Replying to Old Madam, yes! This maid's parents are small stewards on the young lady's villa, they know how to read and calculate."

"Mm! Speaking of which, that Seeing Wei Shuyi was sent to you by me, so inside and out, they are all our own people."

After Old Madam Wang finished speaking, she looked at Kang Wang Shi on the other side and said: "You keep one-tenth of the interest money, and the rest that should be your sister's, give it all to her. In two days, when the Ni family young master gets married, the gift your family prepares must be heavy."

"Yes, Mother."

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong looked at his mother-in-law and sister-in-law getting into the carriage with a smile,

After the Wang family carriage turned at the entrance of the Kang family,

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong smiled and said goodbye to the Seeing Kang Haifeng couple,

After getting into the Sheng family carriage, Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong's smile disappeared, he glared at Wang Ruofu with great disgust, and said hatefully: "This sister of yours, the hard-earned money is truly expensive enough!"

Wang Ruofu was timid and didn't dare to speak.

Seeing Seeing Sheng Hong let out a long sigh and said: "When your sister sends the interest money, you will send it to the Xu family."

"Will... will the Xu family want it?"

"If the Xu family doesn't want it, then give it to my grandson!"

"Oh~"

The fourth quarter of the You hour (after 6:30 PM)

The lanterns were lit,

The Chai family,

Mistress's courtyard,

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng, wearing a newly made spring shirt, walked to the entrance with her maid.

Watching the little maid standing at the entrance open her mouth as if to speak, Seeing Chai Zhengzheng waved her hand and walked directly into the room.

In the room,

Under the bright yellow candlelight,

Madam Chai sat in a chair, holding a teacup with a face full of gossip, listening with full attention to the personal mama beside her.

That mama frowned and nodded firmly.

"Mother, Mama, what are you talking about?"

As soon as Seeing Chai Zhengzheng spoke, she somewhat startled the gossiping mistress and servant.

Madam Chai somewhat reproachfully pointed at Seeing Chai Zhengzheng and said: "Why didn't you let the little maid announce you again?"

"If I had let her announce me, I wouldn't have been able to see you two like this."

"What were you talking about just now, Mother?"

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng sat below Madam Chai and asked curiously.

Madam Chai looked at Seeing Chai Zhengzheng helplessly: "It's news that Mama heard outside! Saying that the managing mama of the noble Kang family embezzled the master's silver, and the amount is quite a lot!"

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng's face revealed astonishment: "Ah? When did this happen? Where did such news come from?"

Watching the mother and daughter looking over, Mama Chai said: "Listening to it, it seems it first came from the Guo family at West Water Gate, and the Fu family of the Earl of Changxing! The Second Da Niangzi of the Fu family is from the Feng family, so the news is well-informed!"

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng asked suspiciously: "Do these two families have grudges with the Kang family? Why would they spread such news? Is it credible?"

"This servant listens, the Feng family definitely has some grudges with the Kang family! Why the Guo family spread it, this servant doesn't know! I heard that the Kang family's Qi Da and Qi Er stewards haven't appeared for many days, so the matter is eight or nine tenths credible!"

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng nodded: "In a few days, I will also ask others!"

"Don't forget to tell me if there is any news!" Madam Chai exhorted.

"Mm-mm!"

Seeing Chai Zhengzheng pointed to the tray held by Miss Yun Mu behind her and said like a treasure: "Mother, look! This is a fresh flower crown that flowed out of the palace. Is it okay if I wear it when I go out tomorrow?"

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 473 =====