Volume One, Chapter 18: No Longer Able to Afford Bird’s Nest Soup

“How much surplus is there?” Lu Changqing’s heart tightened.

He had some understanding of the family’s situation and knew there wouldn’t be much left.

“What surplus? It’s debt! After all the calculations, she’s been running the household for five years, and in the end, we still owe her three hundred taels of silver!”

“How is that possible?” Lu Changqing gritted his teeth, recalling the smile Fang Qianxue had just given him. Suddenly, he sensed the mockery hidden beneath that smile.

A surge of hatred rose within him, and he clenched his fists tightly.

He had thought he owed her feelings and had even bought caramelized chestnuts to please her, but what was the result?

That wasteful woman had heartlessly betrayed him! Despicable beyond measure!

Lu Wanrou spoke up, and Lu Changqing grabbed her elbow firmly. “Second Brother, you must manage the Fang family. Where on earth did she squander our family’s money?”

“I understand. You should go rest. I’ll see Mother myself,” Lu Changqing said, not wanting his sister to worry about the finances. He sent Lu Wanrou back to her room and entered the main hall of Songsheng Residence.

Madam Chen was sitting with a bowl of millet porridge and some pickles. Upon seeing him, she gave a bitter smile. “Changqing, you’re here?”

“Mother, have you not eaten dinner yet?” The man bowed to Madam Chen.

“Sigh,” Madam Chen shook her head. “My stomach has been hurting badly lately. The doctor said I need to drink bird’s nest with medicine. I thought I could save some money, so I had someone replace the bird’s nest with millet. After all, it’s the same thing.”

“Bird’s nest and millet—how can they be the same?” Lu Changqing couldn’t help but feel pity. “Tomorrow, we should switch back to bird’s nest.”

“Changqing, I know you’re filial, but I’m afraid our Lu family won’t be able to afford bird’s nest anymore,” Madam Chen said tearfully, looking at the account book on the table.

Lu Changqing picked up the account book and glanced at it. “Wanrou already told me. Mother, why did you accept this account book? Why did you let the Fang family share our accounts?”

The Lu family came from out of town with very few assets in the capital. The late patriarch had insisted that the Lu family was a scholarly household—only study, no business.

Meanwhile, the Fang family had many shops and estates as part of Fang Qianxue’s dowry. They took advantage of every benefit, while only the fool Lu Wanrou would call for shared accounts!

“I had no choice. The Fang family was so aggressive. They said if I didn’t accept the account book, they would include your eldest brother’s funeral expenses and my medical bills from these years. That’s not a small sum, and if it reached the censors, I was afraid it would damage your reputation,” Madam Chen put down her small bowl and wiped her tears with a handkerchief. “I had to take on the accounts. If I didn’t run this household, would you want Wanrou or Miaoyan to do it?”

“Enough, enough,” Lu Changqing sighed, knowing Wanrou and Xu Miaoyan were incapable. “We’ll live frugally for now. Once Miaoyan and I receive our salaries, things will improve.”

He earned eight shi of rice and ten taels of silver monthly, plus twenty taels of government compensation for his eldest brother. Now that Xu Miaoyan was a sixth-rank court lady, she must be earning several dozen taels a month.

He had already resolved that since Fang Qianxue wanted to share accounts, not a single tael of his salary would go to her and her son.

“Changqing,” Madam Chen looked at her son hesitantly, then finally spoke, “I’m afraid we won’t last until then. There’s something urgent now.”

“What’s so urgent?”

“A few days ago, I asked Jinxiu Tailor to make several new outfits for the Xu family,” Madam Chen whispered, “It was on credit, and the debt must be repaid soon.”

“How much?” Lu Changqing’s impatience showed.

He was already heavily in debt from marrying Xu Miaoyan. How could there be another bill?

“Five thousand taels.”

“What?!” Lu Changqing was shocked.

Five thousand taels might be nothing to a prestigious family, but for the Lu family, that was more than enough to buy a year’s worth of clothing!

“Five thousand taels,” Madam Chen hurried to explain as she noticed her son’s changing expression. “The customers of Jinxiu Tailor are either wealthy or noble. It’s normal for a single garment to cost over a thousand taels. I haven’t even dared to buy anything for myself. I only bought a few outfits and jewelry for Xu and Wanrou...”

“Mother!” Lu Changqing felt dizzy and nearly staggered. “My monthly salary is only ten taels. How do you expect me to repay five thousand?”

“Changqing, you’ve served as an official for so long. Shouldn’t there be some inheritance left? When you went to Jiangning, I reminded you to bring back your late brother’s small treasury!” Madam Chen frowned. “This money was for Xu to spend. It’s only right to use his funds to pay off the debt.”

“...” Lu Changqing pressed his hand to his chest. “My eldest brother squandered almost all of his money while alive! There’s hardly anything left.”

Although Lu Changli never married, he fancied himself a man of refinement, often attending poetry gatherings in the capital, always accompanied by beauties. When he liked someone, he would lavish money without hesitation.

“How could there be none?” Madam Chen stood up anxiously. “He was a patrol inspector. Didn’t he have to give gifts to local officials during his inspections? Over all these years, he must have saved a few thousand taels!”