Yu Pin Yan didn't speak, he merely fondled his younger sister's tender fair hand as he glanced at Lin Shi indifferently and saw her not uttering a word with her head drooped for a long while, probably very unwilling. His originally cold and harsh heart no longer felt anything. Would he covet for that tad of dowry? He was just trying to measure his weight in Lin Shi's heart. Lin Shi, as expected, didn't disappoint him and chose to abandon him every time.
Standing at the threshold, Jin Momo was agitated like ants on the hot pan when she saw frost slowly gathered in the Marquis's eyes. She wished she could run over to press Lin Shi's head to nod in agreement. What's that little dowry? Is it more important than the Marquis's heart? What can't you get in the future with the Marquis's protection? Madam is truly imprudent!
Lin Shi was not unwilling to give Yu Pin Yan, she nevertheless was reluctant to give Yu Si Yu and Yu Xiang, thus she couldn't help but look at Old Madam with implored gaze.
Before Old Madam spoke, Yu Pin Yan, however, laughed brusquely, "Grandmother, there's no need. I don't dare to take her things, lest getting blame in the future."
Yu Xiang immediately opened her mouth to oppose, "How can that be. This is what Elder Brother deserves. How can it lightly benefitted Yu Miao Qi..."
Squeezing the tender flesh of her side cheeks, Yu Pin Yan smilingly said, "That's fine, Xiang'er. There's nothing to dispute over with them. What can't Elder Brother get for you? The East China Sea's coral pearls or the Western Regions' gems and spices, Elder Brother can give it to you with both hands anything that can be found in the world. Isn't it better for her to keep those little things of hers to get by in the future?"
Such presumptuous words might have drawn mockery coming from an outsider, but they were utterly compelling spoken from Yu Pin Yan's mouth. He was the most powerful figure in this Great Han Kingdom, besides the Emperor and the Crown Prince, hence getting an assurance from him would be more valuable than any treasure.
The eyes of Yu Miao Qi and Yu Si Yu turned red with jealousy. Yu Xiang, however, pursed her mouth then complained, "That's not the same. Those are originally yours too. I just feel heartache for you. Why are we treated so differently when we're obviously her biological children? If it weren't for you, the Marquis manor would have long succumbed and her dowry would have surely been completely plundered by others. She is enjoying the generous life that you have given her, yet why is she standing here raising hue and cry? We didn't misappropriate her dowry on purpose. She's also a member of the Marquis manor, so shouldn't she contribute a little for the Marquis manor? !"
Those words made Lin Shi unable to raise her head or refute a single verse. Her heart was twisted in entanglement when she saw her son stood up with Yu Xiang in his arms smiling like the spring breeze as he spoke in an extremely gentle tone, "Okay, Xiang'er. Elder Brother knows you feel bad for me. Does an eight-foot tall man[1] still need to covet those little things of hers? To avoid any ambiguous involvement in the future I'll just as well not take it." The significance of those words were partially pointed at Yu Miao Qi.
Yu Xiang immediately stopped talking as she lay prone on his shoulder and waved farewell to Old Madam.
Knowing these two siblings were impatient, Old Madam didn't urge them to stay and asked someone to send them out before she turned to look at Lin Shi who was in dazed, "Since Yan'er and Xiang'er are not willing to take your things, you'll give some to Si Yu. Regardless of betrothal or dowry, don't you think as the matriarch, you ought to get everything procure when a daughter is getting married? You can't just think of being in power and not fulfilling your duty? Then, you should give the household management back to Xiang'er before it's too late. If you can't even compare to a child who has yet reached jiji[2], all the salt and rice you've eaten over the years has gone into the dog's stomach."
Lin Shi was so ashamed that she didn't dare to look up yet she still bit her lips relentlessly. Yu Si Yu's mother had ruined her dreamlike beautiful marital life and she had been kind enough not tossing Yu Si Yu to the countryside to fend for herself, so how could she still give her dowry?
Realizing an opportunity, Yu Miao Qi got up from the ground with difficulty and gently pulled Lin Shi's sleeve.
Old Madam didn't care whether Lin Shi was willing or not. Since she dared to come in the door and stirred trouble today, Old Madam would be bound to gouge out a few pieces of her flesh and blood before letting her go. She opened the ledger, her finger continuously pointed, "These four shops on Wuli Pai, Yuqing Street, Ningwang Street and Huanniao Lane, along with three country estate in Shanghe Village, Xiahe Village and Yangjiaping, plus two hundred hectares of fertile fields will all given to Si Yu as dowry. In another year or so, Si Yu ought to get married."
Hearing that, Lin Shi was so angry that her eyes almost popped out. She remembered those were the most lucrative shops and estates even if she didn't manage her household for a long time which all the remaining shops and estates added up could not match with these few. It would be forcibly digging out a piece of her heart with unceasing trickling of blood if these were truly given to Yu Si Yu.
Before she could open her mouth to refute, Yu Si Yu quickly got up and curtsied with a smile, "Thank you Grandmother and Mother! Si Yu will not dare to forget such a favor and profound affection." This was truly the idiom when the snipe and clam grapple, it's the fisherman who stands to profit[3]. She was getting exhilaratingly pleased.
Old Madam rarely found her somewhat pleasing to the eyes and waved her hand, "Good. You go back. When you get married, I'll let your mother take out the title deeds."
Yu Si Yu repeatedly acceded and hurriedly left without looking at Lin Shi, lest there would be unforeseen changes if she walked too slowly.
Shortly after taking a seat, Yu Miao Qi knelt down again and sincerely pleaded for her mother. She didn't expect Yu Xiang to dig such a big pit and lure her to jump. No wonder she didn't modify and make up the shortfall before the 21st years of Chengkang's reign, instead carelessly left it for others' to probe.
It was also Lin Shi's and her own hastiness to deal with her, otherwise it wouldn't have come to this. It turned out that Marquis manor was actually in precarious before her return, yet Lin Shi was like a transparent person who was completely aloof and unconcerned. This temperament was truly weak to the extreme that even the Shen family was a hundred times stronger than her.
While kowtowing, Yu Miao Qi reflected on herself as she profoundly felt that she needed to understand a lot more and mustn't rush forward so rashly like today.
Seeing her resoundingly knocking her head, Lin Shi felt extremely distressed as she hurriedly pulled her up and knelt down herself.
What Old Madam most annoyed was the show of mother-daughter's deep affection. If you still have motherly love for your child, what have you been doing in the past 14 years? You only nodded your head with the words 'I know' when Yan'er was on the verge of death due to poisoning. Who are you acting for now?
Not only did her expression not soften, instead it became even noticeably gloomy as Old Madam sneered, "Don't kowtow anymore. I dare not accept your deferential salutations. Yan'er refuses to accept your things means he also refuses to acknowledge you, so are you happy now? From now on, you can keep your dowry and live a good life with Yu Miao Qi. All that's remaining with you are only a pile of dead things and her. Oh, wrong, you still have Jun Jie's memorial tablet, but you've cast Yan'er unattended for 14 years. Do you dare to kneel in front of Jun Jie's tomb and personally ask how he would look upon you? Assist one' husband and teach the children, spare no pains to run one's home - which have you accomplished? Just wait till Jun Jie finds you to settle the score when you go to the nether world!"
Lin Shi kept kowtowing and confessing her mistake, her body inevitably stiffened and heart felt a knife-like twist hearing those words.
Yu Miao Qi felt both intolerable and resentful. There was also another layer of meaning hidden in Old Madam's words, which was to completely separate Lin Shi and herself from Yu Pin Yan. If she lives with Lin Shi, then she will have nothing to do with Yu Pin Yan in the future. How can this work? Doesn't her position in her husband's family depend on Yu Pin Yan and how can she gain her foothold in her husband's family without her maiden family's support?
Yu Miao Qi was about to open her mouth to specify a few words when Ma Momo and several pozi came in carrying two red lacquered wooden boxes. Old Madam gave a meaningful glance when those boxes were thrown in front of them with a bang before the pozi quietly retreated.
"In order to avoid any further problems with the account books where you have nowhere to discourse, just browse it in my room. You are not allowed to go back until you've finished going through it. Wan Qiu, bring over a bucket of lamp oil for emergency needs."
Wan Qiu undertook the task and exited the room lightly.
Old Madam tapped the box with her walking stick, her tone stern, "Look at it now. I'll take the blame if anything goes wrong!"
Lin Shi was still dull-witted, she had yet awakened from the sharp-like knife words of her mother-in-law and her thought was the critical view of her late husband for herself. Instead, Yu Miao Qi had calmed down. She opened the lid of the box, took out the account books and stacked it beside Lin Shi's feet.
Old Madam looked profoundly at her before she walked out with her walking stick.
It was not until the heavy and slow footsteps were far away that Yu Miao Qi collapsed on the ground. After gasping a few breaths, she quickly got up, moved the abacus closer to the front and simultaneously scanned through while enumerated. Her dim eyes nevertheless widened after she looked through the ledger marking the 21st years of Chengkang's reign.
She thought she was smart and capable as she had travelled widely with Father Shen when she was seven or eight years old, but Yu Xiang's capability was far above hers. Not mentioning others, merely this improved ledger alone was extremely remarkable. The entries were made into a table, where expenses, incomes, payers, undertakers, receipts, remarks and details that others could think of or would never expected were all listed in there, clearly and plainly discerned with just a glance.
These account books were simply clean to the extreme and due to her good management, the struggling Marquis Yongle manor gradually emerged from dismal with surplus year after year.
No wonder Old Madam held her in such high esteem while Yu Pin Yan doted on her to the max which was not without reason. When acknowledging this, the originally envious-eroded heart of Yu Miao Qi was burning intensely as if immersed in lava that even a thought of never admitting defeat took root in her mind.
Must take charge of the household, she has to also take charge of the household to let Old Madam and Yu Pin Yan see who actually is better and the genuine Di daughter of the Marquis manor!
**********
Carrying his younger sister, Yu Pin Yan walked in the pleasantly warm and splendid spring. Stretching out her hand, his younger sister caressed the flowers while he plucked one and tucked it in the hair on the side of her temple with a focused glance.
Yu Xiang also plucked one and similarly tucked it beside her elder brother's temple and even tightening her hold on his neck to prevent him from taking it off. Seeing that he had no choice but to compromise, she pursed her lips into a smirk.
They both gazed at each other with their foreheads pressed together and saw total joy in the other's eyes.
"Elder Brother, are you really happy? Aren't you sad that Lin Shi treated you like that?" Yu Xiang spoke slowly after a long moment of hesitation.
"No feeling." Yu Pin Yan responded in an indifference tone and immediately asked in reply, "What about you? Are you sad?"
"I don't feel anything either. The only person who can make me sad in this world is Elder Brother. If someday Elder Brother doesn't want me anymore, I'll be heartbroken to death!" She deliberately intensified the pronunciation of the word 'death'. This was not an exaggerated rhetorical gimmick, rather death in the true sense. She was originally an otherworldly soul and her roots were not rooted in the soil of the Great Han Dynasty, but in Yu Pi Yan's soul. If Yu Pin Yan abandons her, she will naturally wither away slowly.
Yu Pin Yan's eyes darkened as he said in a hoarse voice, "How could that be? I would rather lose my life than abandon Xiang'er. I've said before that Xiang'er is my lifeblood."
Leaning closer to his ear, Yu Xiang whispered word by word, "Elder Brother, you are also my lifeblood and my favorite person in this world." Once the words fell, she quickly kissed his cheek lightly then pursed her lips with elation.
Yu Pin Yan's heart was shaken tremendously, yet his face was very composed when he commanded in a low voice, "One more kiss or Elder Brother will throw you away."
Smiling brightly, Yu Xiang approached him again but she didn't expect him to turn his head suddenly and the kiss that should have landed on the side of his cheek glided past the corner of his lips. Yu Xiang didn't mind but Yu Pin Yan remembered profoundly the soft touch and the hot temperature on his lips when his eyes instantly deepened like the sea.
Waves of shock surged up in Liu Lu's heart as she followed behind them. Although she was still an unadulterated little girl, she could gradually notice the abnormality of the Marquis's glances when he looked at her master, getting amorous by the day that could simply burn a person up.
They are indeed biological brother and sister, right? Liu Lu began to ponder over this question desperately.