In the impression of Madam Ma and Jiang Jingshan, Jiang Jingyi was arrogant, mean, and stupid, if not for her decent face, she’d be cannon fodder material for sure. But Jiang Jingyi’s words now struck them like a thunderbolt, leaving them completely stunned.
Was this Jiang Jingyi’s true face? Yet her previous behavior hadn’t seemed fake. How could she have changed so completely in just two days?
However, circumstances favored the stronger party. Old Master He, already filled with pity for Jiang Jingyi, grew so furious upon hearing her words that he struck Jiang Dachuan with his cane again. “What more do you have to say? I knew back then that none of you were any good. For our well-behaved child to suddenly sever ties with us—now I understand! It was all your doing! They’re just children, they believe whatever adults tell them! You are utterly despicable!”
Old Master He’s words left no room for politeness, and Jiang Dachuan’s face darkened. Instead of reflecting on his own failings as a father, he shifted all the blame onto Madam Ma. His legs throbbing with pain and resentment boiling inside him, he raised his hand and added another slap to Madam Ma’s face.
Instantly, Madam Ma’s cheeks swelled up on both sides. She looked utterly pitiful.
Jiang Jingyi found it tiresome. They had barely begun, and Madam Ma was already like this. What would happen later when it came time to demand the dowry?
But then again, while Madam Ma was no good, her father was truly a scumbag. After all, he had brought this woman home himself, yet he beat her without hesitation, showing no consideration whatsoever. Overall, a scumbag and a cheap woman deserved each other. The only pitiable one was the woman who had died of depression after their affair was exposed.
Jiang Jingyi linked her arm through Old Master He’s and said softly, “Grandfather, you don’t know how much I hoped you, Uncle, and Aunt would come that day. But when I reached Daqiao Village and still hadn’t seen any of you, my heart sank. You are the closest family I have. I’m so glad you came today.”
“Good child. As long as your grandfather is here, no one will bully you.” Old Master He shot a sharp glance at Jiang Dachuan, whose legs trembled once more.
Jiang Dachuan glared at Madam Ma. “Hurry up and order a feast prepared!”
“Yes, Master.” Madam Ma covered her face, not daring to argue, and moved to leave and make arrangements.
“No need.” Old Master He’s face remained cold. “We’re not here for a banquet today. We have business to attend to. Once it’s done, we’ll leave.”
Jiang Dachuan forced a smile. “Father-in-law, please tell me what it is.”
Old Master He said, “Yuniang passed away young, and her dowry remained with the Jiang family all these years. We assumed it would be taken with her when Jingyi married, but to our surprise, you didn’t even give her a proper dowry. So today, we’ve come to reclaim Yuniang’s dowry.”
“But I did give it!” Jiang Dachuan felt terribly wronged. First the invitation issue, now the dowry, his heart sank as he turned to Madam Ma. “Didn’t you tell me Yuniang’s dowry was taken with Jingyi when she married?”
Madam Ma felt her world crumbling today. How had all these matters been exposed one after another? She wanted to deny it, but the dowry was still in the storehouse—one look would confirm everything. There was no way to deny it.
Just as she was scrambling for a way to smooth things over, Jiang Jingshan spoke up. “Father, you can’t wrong Mother like this. There were two children from the former wife. When Elder Sister was about to marry, she worried about her younger brother, so she entrusted the dowry to Mother, asking her to manage it as gratitude for raising them all these years. Besides, Younger Brother will need Mother’s help when he marries—Elder Sister’s arrangement was completely reasonable.”
With that, Jiang Jingshan looked pitifully at Jiang Jingyi. “Elder Sister, have you already forgotten the matters you entrusted before your marriage?”
“I don’t want it—give it all to Sister!”
Suddenly, a teenage boy’s cracking voice interjected. Jiang Jingshan shot him a glare, silently telling Jiang Yuqin to keep quiet. Jiang Yuqin rolled his eyes and said lazily, “Mother’s dowry rightfully belongs to Sister. I’m a grown man—eating Father’s food is enough for me. How could I compete with a woman for property?”
Jiang Jingyi glanced at her middle-schooler-aged brother and felt immensely satisfied with his words. She sighed softly and said sorrowfully, “If not for Madam Ma threatening me with the marriage arrangement, would I have agreed? I fell in love with Brother Yang at first sight. We were such a well-matched couple, a perfect match made in heaven. But Madam Ma used the marriage to threaten me, leaving me no choice but to agree. But Grandfather is Mother’s father. Now that Mother is gone, isn’t it only right that he reclaim her dowry?”
Ji Qiuyang rubbed his arms, unimpressed. Whatever came out of this woman Jiang Jingyi’s mouth was completely distorted. Everyone in town knew exactly what had really happened between them.
But the He family didn’t see it that way. Hearing only how much she had suffered, their hearts ached for her. Madam Li held her hand, calling her “sweetheart” repeatedly, while He Yan glared and said, “Enough useless talk. Jiang Dachuan, just tell us, are you handing over the dowry or not?”
“I’ll hand it over, I’ll hand it over!” Jiang Dachuan’s face couldn’t bear the humiliation. Forcing a smile, he said, “Of course I’ll hand it over.”
Moreover, looking at the He family’s attitude, even if the dowry was returned, it would certainly go to the two children anyway. So, whether he handed it over or not made no difference, why provoke the He family’s displeasure over this matter? Especially since the He family’s business had been expanding in nearby counties, and he’d heard they’d even reached the prefectural city. He wanted to bask in their reflected glory.
But while he agreed, Madam Ma panicked. “Master, this… this cannot be! The eldest young master isn’t married yet!”
“Shut up!” Jiang Dachuan barked. “Does our Jiang family need to rely on a woman’s dowry to marry off our son? Hurry up and open the storehouse, sort everything out, and hand it over!”
Madam Ma sat restlessly, her mind in turmoil. Jiang Jingshan wanted to speak up, but she understood her father’s character well enough, since he had already agreed to the He family, for the sake of face he wouldn’t tolerate any challenge. It seemed her mother would not escape unscathed today.
Jiang Jingshan glanced at Jiang Jingyi, who was leaning affectionately against Madam Li. No matter how she looked at it, it seemed strange. Her gaze swept over Ji Qiuyang, and Jiang Jingshan’s eyes suddenly lit up. Previously, she had only thought of Ji Qiuyang as a poor country boy, somewhat accomplished in his studies, she never expected him to be so handsome. What a waste that such a man had ended up with that fool Jiang Jingyi.
As for Ji Qiuyang, ever since entering the reception hall, he had been mentally elsewhere, maintaining an air of detachment and not uttering a single word regarding the family’s conversation. He only glanced over when Jiang Jingyi was putting on her pitiful act, mentally adding “drama queen” to his assessment of her.
He Yan pulled the dowry inventory from his sleeve. “I’ve brought the dowry list. Let’s begin. I’ve brought plenty of people, so there’s no worry about transporting everything away.”
Jiang Dachuan smiled awkwardly. “Then let’s proceed.”
Madam Ma’s legs were trembling. But with Jiang Dachuan pressuring her, she had no choice but to grit her teeth and open the storehouse. At worst, she could make up for any missing items herself.
Back when He Yuniang married, the He family’s wealth was already considerable, and as their only daughter, her dowry had emptied nearly half the He household. Even the two new shops they had opened in Qingshui County were given to He Yuniang, not to mention the substantial amounts of silver, fabric, and jewelry.
Jiang Jingyi had never seen the dowry list, but when she caught a glimpse of it as He Yan glanced over, she suddenly felt she was about to come into money.
The He family had treated their daughter exceptionally well—the liquid silver alone amounted to a staggering one thousand taels, not to mention two profitable shops: one dealing in fabrics and one in cosmetics.
Over all these years, the profits couldn’t have been small!
He Yan’s face remained stern. “Let’s check everything item by item.”
Jiang Dachuan nodded and said to Madam Ma, “Go get the deed papers and account books for the two shops.”
Madam Ma felt like she might faint from distress. But seeing the people the He family had brought, she had no choice but to pinch her nose and retrieve the account books. However, the accounts were recorded chaotically. He Yan cursed directly, “What kind of mess is this? Wait a minute, why is there only the deed for the fabric shop? Where’s the one for the cosmetics shop?”
Madam Ma stammered, “I… I don’t know.”
She claimed ignorance, but everyone present understood perfectly what had happened.
Jiang Jingyi couldn’t be bothered to argue with her and proposed, “Grandfather, since the deed was lost in the Jiang household, it must have been lost by a Jiang family member. Mother’s dowry has been managed by Madam Ma since Mother passed away. So, let’s calculate the annual profits plus the value of the shop itself, and have her make up the difference.”
At this suggestion, the He family nodded repeatedly. Madam Ma, however, felt she might faint—the cosmetics shop might not earn much in a single year, but over a decade, it added up to a considerable sum. Adding the principal value, Madam Ma suddenly found it hard to breathe. She even wondered if she fainted right now, might she escape?
But if she had no shame, Jiang Jingyi would give her none. Jiang Jingyi rushed over with exaggerated concern to soothe Madam Ma. “Please don’t faint if you do, who will I get the money from?”
“Elder Sister, how can you speak like that?” Jiang Jingshan said indignantly. “Mother may not have great achievements, but she has worked hard all these years. Even if she carelessly lost the deed, you cannot forget the kindness she showed in raising you!”
Jiang Jingyi looked utterly shocked. “So, all these years, it was her who raised us, not Father? I always thought Father earned the money to support us, I never realized Father was actually living off his wife!”
As soon as she said this, Ji Qiuyang couldn’t help but burst out laughing.
Everyone turned to look at him. Ji Qiuyang suppressed his laughter and said, “Please, continue.”
**