Chapter 643 - 236: Various Trivial Matters
Chapter 643: Chapter 236: Various Trivial Matters
"You’re exaggerating, Mother."
"I am not."
"If there’s really that much, aren’t you going to share some with me? Even my grandmother added to my dowry. How could you not do the same?"
Xu Su Ying tapped her forehead. "Since when did you become such a money-grubber? Yes, yes, I’ll add to it. If I don’t give it to you, who else would I give it to? Once I organize all these things later, I’ll set aside a portion for you."
Chen Wanqing smiled. "I’m just joking, Mother. You don’t have to take it seriously. What I have is already quite a lot."
"That won’t do. Your grandmother loves me, and I love you. In the past, our family was poor, so I couldn’t give you much. Now that I have money, I have to make it up to you. Even if you don’t mind it now, what if you think back on it one day and feel that I was playing favorites? It wouldn’t be worth it if it caused a rift between you and your brothers."
Chen Wanqing didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. "Listen to yourself! As the old saying goes, a good man doesn’t live off his inheritance, and a good woman doesn’t rely solely on her dowry. Can we really depend on a dowry for the rest of our lives? Thinking like that is vastly underestimating Jing."
"I’m not underestimating any of you. It’s just that while I have the ability, I want to support you as much as possible. Why else do you think we’ve been working so tirelessly? Isn’t it just to make your lives a little easier? If you don’t appreciate it, I’ll truly be heartbroken."
What else could Chen Wanqing do? She could only accept her mother’s good intentions.
De’an and Yao’an stood off to the side, looking completely foolish. They were so immersed in their own joy that they hadn’t even heard a word of Chen Wanqing and Xu Su Ying’s conversation.
It was only when Zhao Jing poked them a couple of times that the two of them finally snapped back to reality.
"Mother wants to add to Wanqing’s dowry, right? Go ahead, it’s only right. I have no objections. Mother is supporting you two now, and whenever you make something of yourselves, you can come back and give the two of us a leg up."
The whole room burst into laughter.
Who said De’an was foolish? He only acted obtuse about things he didn’t care to bicker over. In reality, more often than not, he was sharper and more calculating than anyone else.
In the afternoon, Chen Wanqing had originally planned to take a stroll through the streets, but some of the Xu family’s close relatives residing in Capital City came to visit the Xu Mansion. Though they were called "close relatives," they were actually beyond the third degree of kinship. Furthermore, because Old Sir Xu was known for his unyielding and strict nature, he had never shown them excessive favoritism. Instead, he placed many restrictions on them. Consequently, these people harbored both fear and resentment toward him, which was why they had delayed their visit for so long despite having heard the news.
Naturally, Xu Su Ying didn’t remember any of these relatives. She merely went through the motions, exchanged a few pleasantries in front of everyone, and then promptly left. This left a room full of female elders staring blankly at her retreating back, each feeling more stifled and frustrated than the last.
The moment they exited the Xu Mansion and began their walk home, they couldn’t help but start gossiping.
"The Eldest Miss is still the Eldest Miss. Her temper hasn’t changed a bit."
"It’d be a miracle if it had. She’s got good luck; the man she married caters to her every whim. All these years, apart from living a less glamorous life than she did in the mansion, the Eldest Miss hasn’t suffered the slightest bit of grievance."
"At the end of the day, she still married a country bumpkin, making her inferior to others. I thought she would have learned some humility by now, but who would have expected her to be just as arrogant twenty years later!"
Xu Su Ying didn’t hear any of this idle gossip. She was currently busy having servants prepare paper offerings, planning to pay her respects to Taohong first thing the next morning.
Taohong was buried in the loyal servants’ cemetery near the Xu family’s ancestral graves. During all the major festivals and seasonal shifts, there were designated people to sweep the grave and offer sacrifices. She had been born into the household as a servant and had a widowed mother and a younger brother.
After Taohong died, the Xu family abolished the servant status of both the old and the young. They didn’t send the old woman away; instead, they allowed her to watch over the Xu family’s ancestral hall. Taohong’s younger brother was sent to study at an academy in their Jiangnan hometown, and he had now successfully passed his exams to become a Scholar.
Xu Su Ying had already visited Taohong’s mother and generously rewarded her with real gold and silver. The following morning, she brought her entire family along to pay respects at Taohong’s grave. Once they finished this task, they returned to the city.
When they reached their doorstep, Princess Kangning was just coming out of the Xu Mansion. It was obvious that she hadn’t managed to wait for them and was preparing to head back. However, before she could even step off the Xu family’s property, she saw Xu Su Ying returning with her whole family in tow.
Princess Kangning couldn’t help but roll her eyes. "You’re busy all day, every day, so much so that no one can ever find you. The next time I come looking for you, I’ll definitely have someone check if you’re actually at the mansion first before I make the trip."
Xu Su Ying stepped forward and linked her arm through the Princess’s. "Wasn’t I just out paying my respects to Taohong? Taohong died saving me. If I don’t go and burn incense for such a loyal maid, how would any servant ever be willing to risk their life for me again?"
Princess Kangning glared at her. "You always have an excuse for everything."
Since she had urgent matters to discuss with Xu Su Ying, Princess Kangning didn’t dwell on the issue. She pursed her lips and said, "I have something important to talk to you about. Let’s go to your courtyard to speak."