Ji Qiuyang had finally figured things out. The affairs between the Jiang and He families were a complete mess. His drama queen of a wife was indeed not a good person, but the Jiang family’s behavior was truly unsightly. As the Jiang family’s son-in-law, and having an agreement with Jiang Jingyi, he found this situation quite awkward. Therefore, he had decided from the start not to get involved. Of course, since Jiang Jingyi was now his wife, he wouldn’t stand by idly if she needed his help.
However, with Jiang Jingyi having the He family as her support and Jiang Dachuan adopting such a low posture, his earlier concerns were clearly unnecessary.
The already tense atmosphere, briefly interrupted by Ji Qiuyang, quickly became strained once more.
The He family was furious, Jiang Dachuan was humiliated, and Madam Ma felt this was her day of disaster.
Only Jiang Jingyi enjoyed the show thoroughly. She felt that Madam Ma’s scheming skills were actually quite mediocre, it was only because she had encountered such a foolish original owner that she could manipulate her into becoming that kind of person. And she, as the one who inherited this mess, actually had such good luck—the heavens truly loved her!
Jiang Dachuan’s shame turned to anger, and he raised his hand again. “You vicious woman! I, Jiang Dachuan, must have been blind!”
“Jiang Dachuan, is beating women the only thing you’re good at?” Old Master He sneered. “Do you dare claim you knew nothing about this?”
Jiang Dachuan’s face stiffened, and he forced an awkward smile. “Father-in-law, your son-in-law truly knew nothing. Don’t worry, the shop was lost while in the Jiang household’s care, so naturally the Jiang family will compensate for it.”
“Master!” Madam Ma’s heart ached, but she could find no reasonable excuse to refuse payment.
“Shut up!” Jiang Dachuan’s face, already so fat his eyes were nearly invisible, turned terrifying. The He family’s business was growing increasingly prosperous, while the Jiang family’s fortunes had declined significantly. Relying solely on land rents was no way forward. If they had no connection with the He family, so be it, but now that an opportunity to reconnect had presented itself, he couldn’t miss it.
Moreover, this matter was indeed their fault. If the He family truly decided to make things difficult for the Jiang’s and took the dowry inventory to the authorities, then the Jiang family would truly be finished.
Jiang Dachuan understood the situation clearly. Wiping the sweat from his face, he prepared himself for today’s losses. “Father-in-law, name your price. We’ll pay.”
With that, he signaled Jiang Jingyi with his eyes, hoping she would say something favorable. After all, this dowry would eventually end up in his daughter’s hands, and perhaps he could reclaim it later. For now, he couldn’t afford to offend the He family.
Jiang Dachuan had calculated well, and Jiang Jingyi naturally had to play the part of a filial daughter. “Grandfather, since Father has agreed, why don’t you calculate the principal and the profits over these years, and we’ll round down the odd amount for my father? How about that?”
The corner of Jiang Dachuan’s mouth twitched. Round down the odd amount? What was a few taels of odd silver?
“Fine.” Old Master He signaled to He Yan. “Calculate.”
At his command, a He family servant immediately handed He Yan an abacus. He Yan took it and began clicking away rapidly.
Everyone present fixed their eyes on the abacus in He Yan’s hands and for good reason. This abacus was made of gold, its sparkle nearly blinding.
Madam Ma thought bitterly: The He family clearly wasn’t short of money now, yet they’re making trouble over such trivial profits. How petty!
Unfortunately, she didn’t dare say this aloud and could only grumble inwardly. As her gaze swept over Jiang Jingyi, Madam Ma’s confusion deepened. While the He family was occupied with calculations, she whispered to Jiang Jingyi, “Eldest young lady, what’s gotten into you today?”
Jiang Jingyi blinked innocently. “I’m just making a normal visit home. I happened to run into my grandfather’s family. Is my grandfather not allowed to visit the Jiang residence?”
Her voice wasn’t low, and Madam Li overheard, commenting coolly, “Are you worried we came to demand the dowry? Did you really think that just because you managed it for all these years, it became yours?”
Madam Ma’s face flushed crimson. She wanted to argue but feared the He family would find further fault, leaving her utterly miserable.
Before long, He Yan stopped his calculations. “Done.”
Madam Ma’s heart immediately leaped into her throat. The Jiang family were merely landlords—considered wealthy in Daqiao Town, but nothing compared to the He family. What if the He family made exorbitant demands?
He Yan snorted coldly. “Fortunately, the cosmetics shop was just a small business. The initial investment was two hundred taels. Annual profits averaged about twenty-five taels, so over ten years, that’s two hundred and fifty taels. Total: four hundred and fifty taels.”
Upon hearing four hundred and fifty taels, Madam Ma’s heart nearly stopped. Was this supposed to be a small amount? Why didn’t they just rob them outright?
Jiang Dachuan’s breath also caught in his throat at the figure. How much rent would it take to scrape together that sum?
He Yan frowned. “Unwilling to pay?”
Jiang Dachuan’s face darkened. “Brother-in-law…”
He Yan cut him off. “No rush. There are other items. Let’s finish the inventory first.”
After the shop incident, Jiang Dachuan began to panic—who knew what else Madam Ma might have touched over all these years.
But He Yan gave him no chance to object, directly ordering his people to conduct a full inventory according to the dowry list, completely disregarding Madam Ma’s trembling presence nearby.
Ji Qiuyang glanced at Jiang Jingyi and saw the woman’s eyes practically gleaming. Why? Surely for the silver soon to be in her hands.
In these times, an ordinary farming family could barely spend ten taels in a whole year. A common family living in the county could get by on several dozen taels annually.
Even for a landlord family like the Jiang’s, with several hundred mu of land, how much rent could they collect in a year?
No wonder Jiang Jingyi’s heart was set on this, no wonder she had proactively brought the He family to reclaim the dowry.
Madam Ma and Jiang Dachuan’s hearts ached unbearably. The He family’s servants worked swiftly, completing the inventory against the dowry list within half an hour.
As expected, many items on the dowry list were missing. Where had they gone? No one present was foolish enough not to understand. Even a scoundrel like Jiang Dachuan wouldn’t touch his deceased wife’s dowry. As the person managing it for over a decade, the one who had embezzled it could only be Madam Ma.
The veins on Jiang Dachuan’s forehead bulged. Abandoning his hands, he resorted to his feet, kicking Madam Ma squarely in the side and sending her flying. “Everything you took, replace it all!”
Madam Ma’s head spun. If she had taken everything herself, that would be one thing but some of the money had already been given to her own family. Where was she supposed to find it now?
“Go! Now!” Jiang Dachuan roared in fury. Madam Ma, enduring the pain, was supported by Jiang Jingshan as she went to retrieve what she could.
Finding her too slow, Jiang Dachuan sent his own people to accompany her. Before long, they returned, carrying quite a few items. Jiang Dachuan’s expression could no longer be described as merely unpleasant. Previously, he might have suspected something but assumed Madam Ma wouldn’t dare go too far. Now it seemed her audacity far exceeded his imagination.
Yet even the items Madam Ma brought back were insufficient—still far short of what was listed on the dowry inventory.
Jiang Jingyi muttered under her breath, “Father, after all, Mother was married to you. If her dowry had been used for the Jiang family, that would be one thing. But where did the missing items go? Where did the money from selling the shop go? Was it really used for the Jiang family?”
At her reminder, Jiang Dachuan suddenly realized—hadn’t Madam Ma’s family been living better and better these past years? He had assumed his brother-in-law had come by the money through some shady means, but now it seemed it was all spent from He Yuniang’s dowry!
To make matters worse, Old Master He added fuel to the fire with a sarcastic remark. “Hmph! Back when you kept a mistress, you were quite tall and handsome. Look at yourself now—who knows what…”
What indeed? Old Master He was truly vicious. Jiang Dachuan had indeed been good-looking back then, and smooth-talking too, otherwise he couldn’t have tricked the He family’s daughter into marrying him. Now that Jiang Dachuan had become this fat, it would be a lie to say women didn’t mind.
Jiang Dachuan’s temples throbbed. Pointing at Madam Ma, he said, “Make up for the missing money immediately.”
Whatever Madam Ma had actually done with that money would have to be settled behind closed doors later. For now, the money had to be repaid.
“Let me calculate how much the missing items are worth in silver.” He Yan started clicking away on his abacus again. When he finished, he said, “I’ll round down the odd amount for you, two hundred and fifty taels. Adding the cosmetics shop, that’s seven hundred taels total.”
Jiang Dachuan nearly spat blood. How much was the Jiang family’s entire worth? And the He family wanted seven hundred taels?
Old Master He stomped his walking stick. “Hurry up. We’re busy.”
His heart aching, Jiang Dachuan pointed at Madam Ma. “Hurry up and bring it out!”
“It’s… it’s gone.” Madam Ma was determined to resist paying. If she took out this much money, the Jiang family would be severely crippled. Besides, He Yuniang had married into the Jiang family, she was part of the Jiang household. What was wrong with using her dowry for the Jiang family?
Seeing that Jiang Dachuan was about to explode, Madam Ma began to wail. “All these years, you’ve brought one little vixen after another into the house, all of them cost money! Food, living expenses—all of it cost money! Not to mention, have Jiang Jingyi and her brother spent little all these years? Where would the Jiang family get so much money for them to spend? Their mother’s dowry was spent on them! If you want money, ask them for it!”
Madam Ma was turning the tables, demanding they settle accounts for the cost of raising them. Jiang Jingyi said coolly, “So you’re saying that if we don’t take this money, my brother and I will have nothing to do with the Jiang family?”
She sighed, unable to hide the sadness in her eyes. Grabbing the bewildered Jiang Yuqin, she said in anguish, “Yuqin, do you see? Madam Ma’s true colors are showing. She’s resenting how much we’ve eaten in the Jiang household! Father depends on her support, and we depend on her support too!”
Madam Ma was stunned. That wasn’t what she meant at all—she was trying to say that using He Yuniang’s dowry for the Jiang family was perfectly reasonable!
**