Сhеng Jing's wоrds mаdе Cheng Wеi lооk uр аnd study him.
Zi Chuan hаd trulу been in сharge оf Sеvеn Stаrs Наll for sevеral years. When the fаmilу divided, hе cоuld рrоduсe 1.2 milliоn tаеls оf silvеr without tоuching his wives' privаtе savings оr dowries. Cаlculating it this wаy, how muсh silvеr соuld hе еаrn eaсh уeаr... Аnd аcсording tо Stеward Qin Da's wоrds, Sеven Stаrs Hall's prоfits were evеn grеаter thаn when Lie Gong wаs in сhаrge. In аnоthеr twо уеars, hоw muсh silver wоuld that bе?
What did Eldеst Brоthеr mеan bу sауing this?
Сould it be that hе wanted Zi Chuan to fill thе hole in the fаmily's publiс funds first?
Eldеst Вrothеr... these words felt so unfamiliar to him.
Old Madam Guo, however, saw things clearly in her heart.
Her eldest son wanted to dump Seven Stars Hall onto Si Lang.
She couldn't help but sigh deeply within.
Wasn't he just afraid that in the future, the master of Seven Stars Hall would be chosen from among his own descendants?
Well, that's fine too!
Seven Stars Hall was revitalized from Si Lang's hands. Since they were so afraid of being tainted by it, then let Si Lang decide where Seven Stars Hall should go.
If given to someone else, they might not be able to manage it anyway!
Old Madam Guo slowly took a sip of tea and said, "I just wanted to discuss this matter with you. Second Young Master might not know, but Eldest Young Master, you should be aware. When I married into this family, I only had a dowry of five hundred taels of silver, plus the two thousand taels of silver betrothal gift from the Cheng family. Your maternal grandfather and grandmother let me bring it all with me, which became my private savings. The silver I have now, as well as the farmland and shops under my name, were all given to me by your father after the Cheng family divided the estate. He was afraid that in the future, I would have no silver and would have to rely on my daughters-in-law's goodwill just to buy rouge and powder. But back then, it was only about fifty or sixty thousand taels of silver. The real ability to earn twenty thousand taels a year only came after your younger brother took charge of Seven Stars Hall."
Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei both nodded repeatedly.
They had long guessed as much.
Seeing this, Old Madam Guo continued, "Since you both understand in your hearts, then go and make up stories for your wives. That way, no one will envy me for buying this house for Si Lang."
Both Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei flushed red. The former knew why his mother said such things, while the latter thought about how his mother had bought a house for him alone, probably to guard against him having such thoughts.
"So, this house is essentially bought by Si Lang himself," Old Madam Guo pretended not to notice and repeated what she had said earlier to Madam Qiu. "I'll give you fifty thousand taels of silver... one hundred thousand taels for the second branch... I'll cover the wedding expenses for Jiashan and Rang Ge'er... the ancestral land will go to the eldest after I die..." Finally, she added, "As for Si Lang, aside from this house, I won't give him anything else. As for Seven Stars Hall, don't interfere anymore. Let him manage it for as many years as he wishes. In the future, you brothers must work together to expand the Cheng family, ensuring that the Cheng branch in the capital prospers."
Although Cheng Jing had heard from Madam Yuan that his mother intended to divide the family estate, he prided himself as a scholar—how could he inquire about how exactly his mother planned to divide it? Seeing that his mother still possessed so much wealth, he was quite surprised and finally understood why Cheng Xu, the ancestor of the second branch, who was considered quite shrewd, failed to see the harm Seven Stars Hall posed to the Cheng family.
If it were him, he probably wouldn't be willing to part with it either!Cheng Jing smiled bitterly and said, "I understand your intentions, Mother. With no funds left in the family treasury, you’re worried about our livelihood and want to distribute your possessions to us in advance. This would not only relieve our immediate difficulties but also prevent conflicts between us brothers over money. However, Si Lang has just gotten married. If you give all the silver to us, Si Lang would be at too great a disadvantage. Although the mansion cost a fortune, it cannot be eaten or drunk, and it requires annual upkeep expenses..."
He thought of the Seven Stars Hall.
Cheng Wei also thought of the Seven Stars Hall.
After a moment of contemplation, he interrupted his elder brother and said, "Mother, what are Si Lang’s plans for the Seven Stars Hall? If he intends to disband it, even if your silver is divided equally among the three of us, it won’t last more than a few years. It would be better to sell the eastern wing of the mansion or let us move in, which could also reduce some expenses."
The mansion near Chaoyang Gate had always been highly sought after but rarely available. The mansion Madam Qiu purchased a few days ago was in an excellent location and could easily be sold. If they were not in a hurry to sell, they could even make a profit of several hundred taels of silver.
"If Si Lang still intends to keep the Seven Stars Hall under his control, then there’s nothing more to discuss. Let’s proceed with the division of the family as you suggested!"
As long as the Seven Stars Hall remained in hand, there would be no shortage of silver!
"But I think it’s better to disband the Seven Stars Hall! There’s no need to continue operating it for another two years—it should be disbanded now. A true gentleman stands firm in the world, unswayed by wealth or power. The silver from the Seven Stars Hall has always been ill-gotten, and the Cheng family has enjoyed it for so many years. Now that there’s an opportunity to sever ties, it’s best to do so. Our Cheng family relies on poetry, literature, and propriety to pass down its legacy. If the Seven Stars Hall continues for a few more generations, it may turn into a legacy of gold and silver interests, and the Cheng family will rot from its very roots!"
Upon hearing this, Old Madam Guo couldn’t help but show a pleased expression in her eyes.
She had always thought her eldest son was clever and quick-witted, but only after all these years did she realize that her second son was resolute and steadfast.
This was the mark of someone capable of great things.
Old Madam Guo said, "Si Lang has long decided to disband the Seven Stars Hall. For the past two years, the silver he brought home has been earned through legitimate business. However, he feared that disbanding the Seven Stars Hall abruptly would cause its members to cause trouble everywhere, so he has been proceeding gradually. First, he removed those with poor character under various pretexts, while retaining those of better character and slowly assigning them to branch stores. At most, within two years, the Seven Stars Hall will cease to exist."
Cheng Wei said happily, "That’s good, that’s good!"
Cheng Jing, however, was taken aback and said, "How come I didn’t know about this?"
Old Madam Guo looked at him deeply and said, "Si Lang said that since both of you are government officials, it’s best for you not to know the relationship between the Seven Stars Hall and the Cheng family. This way, if anything goes wrong someday, you won’t be implicated!"
Both Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei flushed with embarrassment. Cheng Jing, especially, felt restless and said, "Mother, it’s my fault as the eldest brother for not fulfilling my responsibilities. Please punish me!"
Cheng Wei then said, "Mother, in that case, your private savings should be divided equally among the three of us. There’s no need to buy me a mansion..."
Old Madam Guo shook her head, interrupting Cheng Wei, and said, "That’s why I’ll take the income from the ancestral fields. From now on, I’ll live near Chaoyang Gate and can help subsidize Si Lang’s daily expenses.""This... this is not proper!" Cheng Jing said anxiously. "How can you not stay with me? If it's just to help cover Zi Chuan's expenses, then we can give those fifty thousand taels to Zi Chuan..."
"It's not entirely about the silver," Old Madam Guo replied. "Firstly, this place is more spacious, and I'm comfortable living here. Secondly, Fourth Master's wife is still young, and I can't just leave them to fend for themselves—I must help them for a few more years. Besides, it's not as if I'll be staying here permanently. After the Little New Year on the twenty-third of the twelfth lunar month, I'll return to Apricot Grove Lane for a while. Then, on the fifteenth of the first lunar month for the Lantern Festival, I'll come back here. This way, you won't be put in a difficult position."
"Mother!" Cheng Jing tried to persuade her further, but Old Madam Guo waved her hand impatiently and said, "This matter is settled. If you feel you owe Fourth Master, just put more effort into his affairs in the future."
Seeing their mother's firm resolve, Cheng Jing and Cheng Wei could say no more and murmured their assent. Thus, the matter of dividing the household was settled.
※
In the sitting room of Tingxiang Courtyard, Madam Yuan, Madam Qiu, and Zhou Shaojin were about to set the table.
Madam Yuan seemed somewhat distracted.
She was in favor of dividing the household.
The family coffers were already empty. Among the three sisters-in-law, she had brought the most dowry. Moreover, Cheng Jing had served as an official outside for many years and had received various tributes, so in terms of family wealth, their branch—the eldest son's line—was the wealthiest. Additionally, with Madam Min about to enter the household, she would soon become a mother-in-law herself, yet she still had a grandmother-in-law looming over her, one who seemed to disapprove of her no matter what. How could she ever hold her head high in front of her daughter-in-law?
It was better to divide the household before Madam Min entered.
Madam Qiu, however, was quite uneasy.
This was the first time she and her husband had ever deceived their mother-in-law into buying them a house, and she didn't know whether Old Madam Guo would scold them for it.
She was also afraid that if her elder sister-in-law, Madam Yuan, found out, she would feel manipulated...
She quietly asked Zhou Shaojin, "Why haven't Mother-in-law and Eldest Brother come out yet? Could something have gone wrong?"
"It shouldn't have," Zhou Shaojin replied, glancing toward the quiet warm room. "If something had happened, there would likely be some commotion. Since it's quiet, it means everyone is talking calmly..."
"That's true!" Madam Qiu sighed in relief, embarrassed. "I just tend to overthink things."
Zhou Shaojin gave her a kind smile.
Madam Qiu then said, "A Sheng mentioned that she gave one of the silk flowers you gave her to Azheng and another to A Xiao. Everyone thought they were lovely. They plan to come over in a few days to ask you how to make silk flowers!"
Hearing her daughter's name mentioned, Madam Yuan snapped back to attention and smiled. "What about Azheng and A Xiao?" She looked up and saw Zhou Shaojin standing side by side with Madam Qiu. Zhou Shaojin was wearing a brand-new rose-purple sleeveless jacket with a persimmon pattern from Hangzhou Lake, paired with a fine blue cloth-lined robe. Her face was as tender and pink as a baby's, even more beautiful than before her marriage. Thinking of her son's reticence and submissiveness in front of Zhou Shaojin, a surge of anger rose in her heart. She wanted to say something but didn't know where to start. She tried to pretend nothing was wrong, but her chest ached with suppressed frustration.
While she hesitated, a young maid ran in happily and said, "Fourth Madam, Fourth Madam! Fourth Master has sent someone from Jining Prefecture with New Year goods and two letters—one addressed to the Old Madam and one to you. The steward is unloading the goods at the gate and will be here shortly!"Zhou Shaojin was both startled and delighted, unable to suppress the smile that overflowed from her eyes, brightening her entire face.
She said to Madam Qiu with a laugh, "Second Sister-in-law, I'll trouble you to take care of things here. I'll go take a look and be right back!"
With that, without waiting for Madam Qiu to respond, she lifted the hem of her skirt and hurried out of the lounge with the little maid.
Madam Qiu pursed her lips in a smile.
Madam Yuan, however, snorted coldly and said, "How frivolous!"
Madam Qiu chuckled, "They're a young couple, separated for the first time since their marriage—how could they not miss each other? It's only natural for them to be happy. Not like us old married couples, seeing each other every day—even a celestial beauty would become ordinary."
Madam Yuan disagreed and wanted to say more, but Madam Qiu had no desire to listen. She smiled and said, "I wonder what the kitchen has prepared? Our Second Master has caught a slight chill these past couple of days. I should go tell the kitchen to see if they can make him a bowl of hot and sour soup..." Then she left Madam Yuan behind and exited the lounge.
※
Dear readers, here is today's update.
Tomorrow's extra update will be at 9 a.m.
O(∩_∩)O~
※ (To be continued ~^~)
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