Volume 1, Chapter 19: Men Truly Cannot Be Trusted
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She had heard her eldest son say with her own ears that an Imperial Inspector was a close confidant of the Son of Heaven, capable of deciding a man’s life or death with a single word. Local officials treated such men like revered ancestors, and every inspection ended with the inspector returning laden with gifts.
Before Lu Changli married, however, the Lu household had been managed by the second branch’s daughter-in-law, so Lu Changli’s private hoard had never been handed over.
“This…” Lu Changqing realized he could no longer conceal the truth and confessed everything. “Mother, it wasn’t that I deliberately kept Big Brother’s money for myself. It was just that while we were in Jiangning, every bit of money he had went to the Xu family.”
“Didn’t you say Madam Xu regarded wealth as dung?”
“Miaoyan may not care for money, but that doesn’t mean her family isn’t greedy. If I hadn’t paid them, they never would have let me take Miaoyan away!” Lu Changqing let out a heavy sigh. “The thousand taels Big Brother left all went to the Xu family. And even with that thousand and more, it still wasn’t enough to settle everything.”
“Alas!” Madam Chen stared blankly at the bowl of millet porridge on the table. “What are we going to do now?”
Until recently, she had thought the Xu family was as indifferent to wealth and fame as Xu Miaoyan herself. That would have saved them a considerable sum on the betrothal gifts. Only now did she understand that the money they were supposed to give had already been paid long ago.
Her eldest son’s private hoard had vanished just like that. The thought of it broke her heart.
“What else can we do? Return the clothes,” Lu Changqing said.
Brocade House was no ordinary shop. It was said to have a prince as its backer, and if anyone dared to default on a debt, its enforcers could tear the debtor’s house apart.
Any family capable of opening a shop on Vermilion Bird Street had powerful connections. The Lu family could not afford to offend such a place.
Madam Chen said nothing. She merely dabbed at her tears with a handkerchief.
“If they were my own clothes, returning them would be no great matter. But if Miaoyan and Wanrou had to take theirs back, how aggrieved would they feel? Besides, who knows whether Brocade House will even accept clothes that have already been worn?”
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Mother and son sat facing each other in silence. The only sound in the room was the crackling of charcoal in the brazier.
After a long while, Lu Changqing heaved a sigh. “Let Madam Fang pay the bill.”
“Hmph.” Madam Chen gave a cold laugh, her long fingernails tightening around the handkerchief. “She has money to throw a birthday banquet, yet she won’t even help me settle a bill. What kind of daughter-in-law is she? She looks down on us. She wants nothing more than to watch us make fools of ourselves.”
“How dare she!” Lu Changqing flung the account book from his hand. “She is merely the daughter of a disgraced official. What right has she to look down on us? Tomorrow, at Yao’er and Yuan’er’s birthday banquet, send the people from Brocade House straight there to demand payment. If she refuses, have them sell her jewelry!”
“Yes, yes.” A sudden idea struck Madam Chen. “Why didn’t I think of that? I refuse to believe she has no shame at all. In front of all those guests, she’ll have no choice but to smooth things over.”
***
In the rear courtyard of Pine Sound Residence.
The setting sun bathed several pine trees of varying heights, their shadows swaying gently in the light.
Unlike the desolation outside, the room was filled with a cloyingly sweet fragrance.
“Miss, something terrible has happened! Second Master Lu has gone to Plum Blossom Pride!” The maid Xiouqiu hurried along the covered walkway and rushed into the room. Without even catching her breath, she pointed outside and began her report. “I heard Second Master even had people buy clothes and shoes for the two children as birthday gifts!”
Xu Miaoyan, who had been blending fragrances, frowned. The scented pellet in her hand rolled into the mortar.
“So all those things he said were lies. He claimed he had cut all ties with Madam Fang and those two children, yet in the end, he still couldn’t abandon his own flesh and blood.”
She wore a bright yellow and silver-threaded dress from Brocade House, complemented by a red-coral hairpin. Her black hair flowed like clouds, and her beauty was breathtaking.
“That may not be the case. From what I’ve seen, Second Master truly cares for you. Perhaps… he only went to take a look and will be back soon,” Xiouqiu said comfortingly.
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“You don’t need to make excuses for him. The Second Madam is holding a birthday banquet for the children, and neither Old Madam nor Lu Wanrou is going. Yet he insists on going.” Xu Miaoyan gave a cold snort, her tone dripping with sarcasm. “He went to Plum Blossom Pride last night and even kept it from me. Men truly cannot be trusted.”
She believed Lu Changqing could not be trusted, but then, which man in the world could be?
Crows were black the world over. If she abandoned Lu Changqing, the next man might be even worse. When choosing among the short, one could only pick the tallest and make do.
After all, Lu Changqing possessed some talent, treated her tenderly, and Xu Miaoyan truly was susceptible to his looks.
Xiouqiu lowered her eyes and dared not speak.
The air in the room grew thick and stagnant, the fragrance so dense it was almost suffocating.
“Go and bring me the scented blocks I made a few days ago.” Xu Miaoyan rose to her feet. “Since he has gone, I’ll go and give Madam Fang a gift as well.”
“Ah? Miss, why would you go?” Xiouqiu asked. “All the guests at today’s banquet are Madam Fang’s friends. What if you suffer a loss?”
“Then it will depend on whether she has the ability to make me suffer one.” Xu Miaoyan curved her brows and smiled.
“What a waste of that South Seas Dewdrop Fragrance, giving it to Madam Fang, who knows nothing about perfume!” Xiouqiu pouted. “You might as well give it to the Empress.”
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