Chapter 48 of 100

Chapter 48

14 min read3,388 words

The Xu family had been busy preparing for the grand engagement until the tenth day of the first lunar month. The bustling Lantern Festival, also known as the Yuanxiao Festival, was just around the corner.

Starting from the eleventh to the twentieth, for ten whole days, all the major city gates of the capital would remain open day and night. The inner courtyards of the imperial palace, starting from the Meridian Gate, would be open to the public. Women could walk to dispel illnesses, touch the copper studs on the palace gates for good fortune, and lanterns would be released on the Qinhuai River. Tourists from all over the country would enjoy singing and sightseeing.

Unfortunately, a bad omen came. Last year, the old matriarch had forbidden the family from going out, and this year, the other side of the family announced that the old man was unwell and would not be coming to the capital for the family reunion. This greatly disappointed the young women in the family.

Moreover, the annual allowance was cut in half. The steward explained that due to increased expenses, with several young masters and misses reaching marriageable age, the allowance might be stopped altogether the following year.

Xu Qingtang had known about this matter for two years but had delayed taking action. However, the eunuch's words somehow reached Lady Wang's ears, and she sent a maid to invite Xu Qingtang for a meeting. She planned to tear down the northern courtyard and rebuild it.

Seeing that it would cost a large sum of money, Xu Qingtang had no choice but to reveal the reduction in the allowance, saying that the family was in difficulty and hoped for his sister-in-law's understanding, and asked her not to spread the news.

Before a day had passed, the old matriarch received the news. Shocked, she ordered Xu Qingtang and his wife to be summoned and questioned the reason.

Xu Qingtang smiled bitterly and said, "I truly don't know why. I went to ask my third brother, but he said he was unaware. When I asked my fourth brother, he immediately ran to the old man's room and never came back. I then went to see my eldest brother, but he didn't say a word, just smiled coldly and served tea to dismiss me."

"How unreasonable," the old matriarch slammed the table and said sternly, "I don't care about their money. If they cut it off, so be it, but they should at least give a reason! This is clearly a deliberate move to cut ties. Fine, if they look down on us, we won't seek their favor in the future. From now on, we'll live our own lives."

Xiao Shi hurriedly said, "Mother, calm down. Perhaps they are facing difficulties and didn't want to say. Don't ruin your health over this."

"What difficulties could they have?" The old matriarch said with a mix of disappointment and a cold laugh, "In the past, the two families had similar numbers, and we received one-third of their income. Later, I reduced it to one-fourth because of their high expenses. Now, they even think this is too much. Forget it, let it be."

Xu Qingtang sighed, "In recent years, my eldest brother has been in charge of the family affairs. He has always been cold and distant, far less affectionate towards us than my third and fourth brothers. I didn't expect him to be so unfeeling even while the old man is still alive."

The more the old matriarch thought about it, the angrier she became. Suddenly, she started coughing. Yue Lan quickly handed her a bowl of congee, and Lady Wang hurriedly brought the spittoon. The old matriarch coughed violently, and Xiao Shi patted her back hard to help her expel the phlegm. After drinking some hot soup and rinsing her mouth with clear tea, she finally caught her breath.

"The more they do this, the more we can't back down."

As the old matriarch grew angrier, Xu Qingtang and his wife knew things were bad. Indeed, the old matriarch slowly said, "We must rebuild the courtyard. We can't let the Wang family look down on us, and we can't let the other side laugh at us."

"Yes," Xu Qingtang nodded firmly, determined to do whatever it took to not disappoint his mother.

The old matriarch, who was not unaware of the family's situation, gently waved her hand and said, "There are three thousand taels of silver in my chest, and some fabric. Take it all."

Xu Qingtang said resolutely, "I will handle this. No one will touch your personal savings."

Lady Wang, eager to show off to the relatives, couldn't help but say, "Mother means well. Do you want to go into debt? Take it, and pay it back when you have the money."

Xiao Shi glared at her sister-in-law, thinking, "Wasn't it you who secretly told the old lady? Now you want to spend her funeral money? This festival hasn't even ended, and you've already made the whole family miserable, just thinking about your own son. How selfish and self-centered."

Liu Shi watched the scene coldly, feeling a bit schadenfreude. She thought, "I should be more cautious in the future. Once the old lady is gone, we should divide the family property quickly to avoid being taken advantage of by the eldest brother and sister-in-law."

At this moment, Xu Hao suddenly spoke, "Father said he would solve this, and he will. Grandmother and eldest sister-in-law, don't worry."

Lady Wang asked in surprise, "Can you and your father conjure up silver out of thin air?"

"Not exactly, but close enough," Xu Hao said with a mysterious smile.

The sad and disappointed old matriarch stared at her only grandson for a long time, then looked at her second son, who was standing with a calm expression. She finally felt some comfort. The father and son, whom she had always looked down upon, showed no signs of despair in the face of adversity, which was enough to ease her mind.

"Take all the wealth. I am old, what use is it to keep these things?" The old matriarch smiled bitterly and then said with renewed spirit, "I believe my grandson's words and my son's promise. It's better to use the money to buy land, so it can continue to grow and thrive."

Xu Qingtang, not a rigid person, immediately said, "Yes, I understand."

Xu Hao frowned, as if recalling something, and asked, "The land used for ancestral worship, wouldn't it be safe even if something happens?"

Xiao Shi was startled and quickly scolded, "What are you talking about, child? Close your mouth."

Xu Hao explained calmly, "I'm just asking. As the saying goes, 'Fortune and misfortune come in cycles.' When things are good, one should think long-term to avoid regret when things go wrong."

This casual remark was like a stone that stirred a thousand waves. The old matriarch and Xu Qingtang's expressions changed dramatically. The old lady sighed, "You're right. I should have thought of this. I should have thought of this."

Xu Qingtang was no longer calm, rubbing his hands nervously and saying, "This is bad, a great disaster is coming."

The three daughters-in-law were terrified, and Xiao Shi asked urgently, "What's going on? Explain clearly."

"Ah," Xu Qingtang looked dejected and sat down in a daze.

The old matriarch, however, regained her composure and said to Xu Hao with a bitter smile, "It's useless, but we can try. We can only pray that the heavens will protect our Xu family and leave a thread of life, so we can survive on the land and ancestral worship."

Xu Hao was stunned for a moment, his face turning pale. Could his casual words have hit the mark? Was the Xu family about to be executed by Zhu Yuanzhang?

No, that didn't make sense! If they were to be executed, why bother with such subtleties? Besides, even as an emperor, Zhu Yuanzhang wouldn't dare to act without a reason, especially against the most loyal and meritorious minister of the dynasty.

"It's not like that. There's something strange about this," Xu Hao shook his head and explained his thoughts.

The old matriarch and Xu Qingtang found Xu Hao's analysis reasonable. If it was a treason charge, no one would escape. If not, even with family ties and connections, it wouldn't affect their branch of the family, as they were not direct descendants of Xu Da.

But what could it be? Xu Qingtang thought hard, ignoring his wife's frantic protests, and said, "Could it be that someone in the other family is facing charges of embezzlement, and they are cutting ties to avoid implicating us?"

"But that's all recorded. How can they clear themselves?" the old matriarch disagreed, then suddenly realized, "I see. It seems they are warning us to prepare just in case, like Hao's idea."

Xu Hao sighed in relief. He didn't believe anyone in the Xu family would embezzle illegally. Why would they, when they weren't short of money? Could it be that Emperor Zhu was envious of the Xu family's prosperity and wanted to fill the treasury early? Yes, the Xu family's mansion and garden were indeed too large.

He knew his thoughts were a bit far-fetched, but it was a way to find comfort in the midst of trouble. As long as they could save their lives, there would be a chance to start over.

This news was a shock to the Xu family, almost as bad as being bound and taken to the market square. Lady Wang, who had been planning to rebuild the courtyard, was now like a zombie, completely dazed.

Xiao Shi was also at a loss, standing there with a worried frown. Liu Shi, however, remained calm. She had her husband's position to rely on, even if it wasn't as lucrative as a clean official, it would ensure a life of comfort. As for the other relatives, providing for the old lady in her old age would be enough to fulfill their filial duty.

There were still many doubts and inconsistencies. Why go to such lengths to send a message secretly?

But the Xu family preferred to err on the side of caution. Even if the other family was cutting off financial support, it was better to be prepared. They would buy more ancestral land anyway.

The real estate market in the Ming Dynasty was very active. Every year, a batch of officials lost their heads, and wealthy families fell into decline for various reasons. With a large population and limited land, as long as they had money, they could buy land.

Xu Qingtang planned to travel to Suzhou and Hangzhou to secretly purchase land, then go to Fengyang to repair the ancestral tomb and buy nearby land, registering it with the government. It would take at least half a year to return.

With Xu Qingtang away, Xu Hao became the only male in the family. Since he had boasted that he could build the new house without much money, he had to take on the responsibility.

Without explaining much to his father, he simply said, "The one who tied the knot must untie it." The skeptical Xu Qingtang had no time to waste at home and instructed that if the plan failed, they shouldn't build the house.

In the evening, Xu Hao personally led Lai Bao and others in a carriage to the capital.

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