Chapter 7: Henceforth Called Sheng Residence
Yun Chu smiled self-deprecatingly.
In her previous life, she had assumed the Xie family was impoverished, so she voluntarily supplemented her dowry, never mentioning it for fear of wounding their pride.
Yet Old Madam could produce twenty thousand taels of silver in one go—proof enough that the Xie family had substantial assets.
Looking back now, her father-in-law was the only Provincial Graduate within a hundred miles, Xie Jingyu was the youngest Number One Scholar, and while the Xie family might not amount to much in the capital, they held considerable prestige locally. With so many landowners and gentry registering their fields under the Xie name, the annual income couldn’t possibly be small.
Mama Zhou presented the silver notes.
Yun Chu took a step back, curtsied, and said, “Even if this silver were given to me, it would be used for the household’s daily expenses. Old Madam, please take it back.”
Old Madam felt her granddaughter-in-law seemed different somehow.
Ever since the child in her womb was lost, she had become exceptionally gentle and obedient, showing deference to her elders.
This was the first time she had used a tactic of yielding to advance, to manipulate her.
Manipulate?
As soon as the word crossed her mind, Old Madam shook her head dismissively.
Yun Chu had no children and would never bear any of her own. Therefore, it was only the Xie family who could manipulate her!
“Chu’er, your words shame me,” Old Madam said. “I didn’t know before. Had I known, today’s matter would never have happened. Take this money and restore it to your dowry list. Later, I’ll have Mama Zhou transfer all the earnings from your father-in-law’s estates to the household accounts. From now on, if you’re short on funds, come to me. Do not use your private savings again, understand?”
Yun Chu clasped Old Madam’s hand, her face full of emotion. “As expected, Old Madam truly cares for me. Earlier, my mother asked about the Hundred-Mile Peony Screen from my dowry, and I was struggling to find an excuse to evade her. Now, with this silver, I can buy a similar one…”
Hearing this, Old Madam broke out in a cold sweat.
Fortunately, she had generously returned the money. If Lady Yun had grown suspicious and personally visited the Xie residence, it would have been impossible to conceal.
“Good child…” Old Madam patted Yun Chu’s hand. “I trust the Xie family in your care. You’ve worked hard.”
Yun Chu paused before speaking. “Since I usually manage the household affairs alone, it’s only natural for Old Madam to have some doubts. How about this: Ping Jie’er is grown now and will soon be considering marriage. Let her learn household management with me.”
Xie Laotaitai did not respond immediately. Agreeing too quickly would seem as if she distrusted Yun Chu.
Mama Zhou, who was serving nearby, spoke on her behalf: “The young lady will surely become the mistress of a household someday; she must learn these skills.”
Only after taking a sip of tea did Old Madam ask, “Ping Jie’er, what do you think?”
Xie Ping beamed. “I’d love to learn!”
Her mother managed the Xie residence with such order and efficiency. If she could master those skills, marrying into a prominent family would be much easier.
Yun Chu smiled. “Tomorrow morning, after paying your respects, stay at Yu Sheng Residence and follow me.”
With matters settled, she rose to take her leave.
Ting Shuang followed behind, holding the household tokens and a thick stack of silver notes.
Old Madam sighed. She had summoned Yun Chu intending to demand an explanation, yet in the end, she was the one who suffered a loss of over twenty thousand taels.
Xie Shi’an’s gaze darkened. He truly sensed that his mother had changed…
Yun Chu walked slowly back to Yu Sheng Residence.
As she reached the courtyard gate, she saw several maids gathered there.It turned out that the three characters on the plaque at the courtyard entrance had an issue—the character "Jade" was missing a dot. The maids and servants were trying to figure out how to fix it.
"Madam, the Jade Sheng Residence has become the Wang Sheng Residence. It’s truly odd," Ting Xue remarked. "Shall we ask the master to write a new plaque?"
Yun Chu looked up at the three characters.
This courtyard had existed before she married into the family. It was originally Xie Jingyu’s private residence. After she moved in, Xie Jingyu relocated to the neighboring courtyard.
She said, "Remove the 'Jade' character. From now on, it will be called Sheng Residence."
The maids and servants exchanged glances, disbelief evident in their eyes.
The "Jade" in Jade Sheng Residence was one of the characters from the master’s name. Was it really appropriate to remove it just like that?
Ting Shuang said coldly, "Didn’t you hear what the madam said? Why are you still standing there?"
The group hurriedly fetched ladders and tools to get to work.
As soon as Yun Chu sat down in her chair, a servant from her mother-in-law Yuan Shi’s courtyard arrived with two thousand taels of silver. "Madam, you’ve been managing the Xie family’s affairs inside and out, and the lady of the house is well aware of it. She specifically sent me to bring you this silver. You can use it to commission a headpiece you like or buy some fine fabric."
Yun Chu pressed her lips together.
After she married into the family, her mother-in-law, who had been bedridden for over a decade, suddenly recovered from her illness.
As a result, her mother-in-law firmly believed that Yun Chu brought good fortune with her.
This mother-in-law of hers did harbor a sliver of genuine affection for her.
However, that sliver of affection vanished without a trace after the Yun family fell from grace...
Yun Chu gathered all the silver and handed it to Ting Shuang. "Take this to Chen Bo. Tell him to buy as much ice as possible. If the silver isn’t enough, he can borrow from the money house."
Ting Shuang left under the cover of night.
That night, Yun Chu slept relatively well.
When she opened her eyes the next morning, the sky was not yet fully lit. After dressing, she went out and found Xie Shi’an waiting in the side hall to pay his respects.
Seeing her, he quickly stood up. "Mother."
Yun Chu asked gently, "Have you eaten?"
Xie Shi’an shook his head. "I came directly to you after leaving the ancestral hall. Over the past two days, I’ve reflected on many things. Thank you for your guidance and discipline."
"It’s good that you’ve reflected," Yun Chu said with a smile. "Sit down and join me for breakfast."
Xie Shi’an breathed an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
His mother was as gentle with him as before. It seemed he had overthought things.
Halfway through the meal, Yun Chu set down her chopsticks and said, "I was reading a book yesterday and came across a story. Would you like to hear it?"
Xie Shi’an also set down his chopsticks, assuming an attentive posture.
In the past, Yun Chu would occasionally share interesting anecdotes about the court or the battlefield. Her sudden offer to tell a story didn’t strike him as unusual.
Yun Chu began slowly, "The story is about a woman who raised three children. But when the children grew up, over some minor conflict, they killed her. Do you think the children were in the right?"
"Of course not!" Xie Shi’an exclaimed indignantly. "Those three are utterly heartless and unworthy of being called sons!"
Yun Chu asked, "What if the three children were not her biological offspring?"
Xie Shi’an replied, "The grace of upbringing surpasses that of birth. Since the woman raised them, she is their mother. No matter what, they should never have killed their own mother!"
Yun Chu nodded. "And what if the woman was possibly involved in a rebellion, and the three children killed her only to protect themselves and the entire family? In that case, would you still say they were in the wrong?"
Xie Shi’an did not answer as quickly this time.He pondered for a moment before finally lifting his head and speaking slowly, "When weighed against the fate of an entire clan, a woman's life naturally carries less importance. If the woman knew her child was killing her for the clan's prosperity, I believe she would willingly embrace death."
Yun Chu smiled. "Thank you."
Xie Shi'an suddenly sensed something amiss. "Mother, why are you thanking me?"
Yun Chu's lips curved.
Of course, she was thanking him for making the same choice as in their previous life.
Thanking him for remaining unchanged from before, so that when she took action, there would be no hesitation left in her.
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