Li Shuzhen was furious. She had not yet calmed down after being bullied by Li Yaonan. Now she saw her mother being contradicted. How could she hold back? "Since you know you are incompetent, stop talking nonsense. Mother is the mistress of the family. All the family business is naturally managed by her. Even if she helps you keep it, so what? Now that the family has not been divided, you want to save your private property?"
Li Yaonan wanted to laugh three times, but his face was full of disappointment. He said hurriedly, "Sister, what you said is too serious. Yaonan would never keep the property privately. Well, in this case, just pretend that I never mentioned this matter. I will have someone send the land deed to you later, and ask Madam to keep it for me."
Li Yaonan retreated to advance, and seeing Ma Yulian's face as pale as the bottom of a pot, he felt very relieved. It turned out that he was not afraid of god-like opponents, but only of pig-like teammates. Ma Yulian gave birth to a good daughter.
"No need, you should keep my sister's things yourself. I will ask the steward to leave in three days." Ma Yulian looked at her daughter with hatred. She was so disappointed that she gave birth to such a stupid thing. According to the rules, the dowry left by the original wife should be inherited by her son, but it cannot be mixed with private property. If she really took the land deed, wouldn't it be a shame? The good reputation she had built up outside all these years would also be gone.
Ma Yulian was really distressed. The Ma family was originally a small family. Otherwise, she would not have tried her best to get into the Li Mansion. She entered the house as a concubine, so she had no dowry. After becoming the main wife, although she was the mistress of the house, most of the family property was still in the hands of her aunt. How could she have an easy life? She usually managed the household affairs to save some private money. Now, with a few words from her daughter, she had to give up two farms and three stores. She felt painful just thinking about it.
Li Yaonan achieved his goal and stopped pressing. He knew that the so-called three days were for the managers to transfer the goods. Everyone knew all these things and only the original owner, that fool, was fooled. If the shop really suffered losses year after year, why would Ma Yulian send someone to manage it
"Thank you, Madam. Yaonan will take his leave."
Ma Yulian was in a bad mood and urgently needed an outlet to vent his anger. If he didn't leave now, when would he leave? He didn't want to stay and be cannon fodder.
Li Yaonan left the main courtyard, feeling very happy. With the property in his hands, he felt confident. No matter what happened in the future, he had money in his hands and was not worried. Putting aside the desire to stand out from the crowd that popped up in his heart from time to time, he could always live a prosperous life with his abilities.
He didn't ask anyone to come and serve him. His personal maid had already gone for a stroll. He followed the road he remembered and went straight to the Zlan Courtyard. He also wanted to see how the new house was decorated.
Luoxia and Cuiliu were still chatting with others, complaining about the Second Young Master's strange temper and how he had too many things to do. They envied their sisters for being glamorous and respectable, and how the Second Young Master was a loser. However, they didn't know that they would be struck by a bolt from the blue soon. They found that the Second Young Master was despised by them and didn't want them anymore.
To be honest, in the whole mansion, there is no job more leisurely than serving the Second Young Master. Who made the Second Young Master rich and stupid? The dowry left by Zhang, in addition to the fixed property, included a considerable amount of silver, money and jewelry. They have made a lot of money over the years. If they leave the Second Young Master, even if they get married, where can they go? They can only squat in the corner and cry.
But at this moment in the main room, Ma Yulian exuded a low pressure all over her body, and the servants who served her dared not breathe. Others said how virtuous the Li family's stepmother was, but those who served her knew that Ma Yulian's methods were ruthless.
"Mom!" Li Shuzhen looked at her mother timidly and shrank her head slightly. She knew her mother was angry.
Ma Yulian didn't even look at her. She was a little annoyed, but she couldn't vent her anger on her daughter. She glanced at Li Shuyun beside her and scolded, "You should go back too. You two are both troublesome. Ask your aunt to embroider a few more Buddhist scriptures. Don't come out for no reason, so as not to offend the guests."
In fact, there were no guests at this moment. There were still more than ten days before Li Yaonan's wedding, and even if they started to entertain guests, it would take five days. Ma Yulian was simply looking for an excuse to vent her anger.
"Yes, mother." Li Shuyun lowered her head and bowed slowly. Ignoring her little hands tightly tugging at her sleeves, she really seemed to be an obedient and well-behaved daughter at first glance.
Ma Yulian got angry when she saw her like this. She was just like her concubine, a lowly person. She looked honest on the surface, but was actually full of evil intentions. She had a perfect control over the backyard, but Concubine Wen still gave birth to a daughter. Fortunately, it was a daughter. The master was fickle-minded and loved the new. Although Concubine Wen was proud in the past, even she avoided her. Now, he acts like a rat when he sees her.
Li Shuyun bowed and left. Ma Yulian sent the servants away and finally began to teach her daughter: "Do you know what you did wrong?"
Li Shuzhen was stunned. She really didn't understand what she had done wrong. She weakly retorted, "My daughter is telling the truth. It's true. Children from a wealthy family like ours can't have private property before the family is divided. Even all of my eldest brother's expenses are paid by the public. Mother works hard for my second brother. Everyone outside praises you. Why does he look aggrieved when he obviously took advantage of me? Mother is just too good to him. Grandmother is right. He is an ungrateful person."
Ma Yulian was worried. Her daughter was good in every way and looked pretty, but she was a little bit stupid. It was all because she spoiled her too much, which made her daughter so willful and reckless. However, she still agreed with her daughter's words. Her daughter's words really touched her heart, didn't they? Who dared to say that she was not good to Li Yaonan in these years? She was worried about his food, clothing, tutors, wedding banquets, and his properties. But she was still blamed. It was difficult to be a stepmother, so she could only accept it.
Ma Yulian had already forgotten at this moment that almost all of Li Yaonan's food, clothing and other expenses were taken up by the nanny, and his daily expenses were all covered by the dowry left by Zhang. It can be said that Li Yaonan was raised by Zhang's dowry.
As for the teacher hired for study, he was an old scholar famous far and wide. He had taken the imperial examinations all his life, but he was still a scholar. He had no talent, but was pedantic and rigid. He was also famous for his harsh temper. Li Yaonan was smart and clever before he was ten years old, but he was taught by this old scholar to be a pedantic scholar. He failed the imperial examinations twice in a row, and it might be due to the old scholar's contribution.
Back then, Ma Yulian spent a lot of effort to find such a teacher for Li Yaonan.
There is also the matter of organizing a wedding banquet. It was not Li Yaonan who wanted this marriage, and Ma Yulian was busy running around for her son's future. What does it have to do with him
Not to mention the property, Ma Yulian did assign people to manage it, but the money went into her own pocket.
"You, no matter what you think in your heart, you must remember that there are some things that can be done but not said. If you say it, even if we are right, we will become unreasonable. What you said today, isn't it handing yourself over to others? People who don't know will really think that I am greedy for his property. You must know that people's words are scary. Mother has suffered a lot of anger over the years because of her background, so you must remember this and use your brain more before speaking in the future."
Li Shuzhen suddenly understood and nodded thoughtfully. After a long while, she said, "I understand."
Ma Yulian glanced at her and asked, "What do you understand?"
Li Shuzhen hesitated for a while and said, "I shouldn't be so aggressive today. Although I'm telling the truth, outsiders don't know about it. If it gets out, it will be suspected of disrespecting my brother. Besides, the property left by Madam Zhang originally belonged to my second brother. Mother is kind in helping to keep it. My second brother doesn't appreciate it, and that's his fault. But if mother takes the property for herself, then she is not right. That's why my second brother said that he wanted to send the deed over. In fact, he wanted to retreat in order to advance."
Ma Yulian smiled, patted her daughter's hand, and said with a teachable expression: "That's right. Mother has been in charge of Zhang's dowry for many years, and no one has gossiped about it. It's because mother is kind and helps him because she sees that he can't manage it. In fact, whether you intervene or not today, mother will return the property to him. Your second brother said that, if I don't return it to him, what kind of person would I be."
“Then... Mother, you..." Li Shuzhen was a little confused. If that was the case, why did her mother still blame her
Ma Yulian continued, "As you just said, Li Yaonan didn't appreciate it, and that was his fault, he was disrespectful to his stepmother, but after you interrupted, it became my fault, do you understand?"
In a word, what they are fighting for is momentum, what they are seeking is a position, and whoever is right wins.
"I understand." Li Shuzhen suddenly realized, twisted the handkerchief in her hand in annoyance, and said bitterly: "I just like him, but look at his character, I hate him just by looking at him."
Ma Yulian was calm and collected, regaining her usual noble demeanor. She glanced at her daughter and said slowly, "Who asked you to look at him? Go back and read the female rules for me several times and learn the rules. You will get married in a few years. If you are still so outspoken when you go to your husband's house, I wonder what you will do in the future."
"I still have my mother here, and my elder brother backing me up, so I'm not afraid."
"We can't take care of you for your whole life. You still have to rely on yourself to get by."
"mother-"
The mother and daughter chatted for a while, and Ma Yulian did not waste any time. After dinner, she asked someone to call the manager and told him that since they had to return the property, it would be better to do it sooner rather than later, in case some things could not be packed up in time.
She will just bear with it for now, and after they get married, she will teach Li Yaonan a lesson.
It's not that she underestimated Li Yaonan. Based on her habitual thinking over more than ten years and her understanding of Li Yaonan, Ma Yulian didn't think that even if a pedantic scholar changed, he could achieve anything with a few empty shops and a barren farm.
What's more, she didn't believe that Li Yaonan would live in harmony after marriage. Although he said nice things and said he would respect his new wife after marriage, could he really endure such a big cuckold
Moreover, even if he endured it and fell in love with the young master of the Lin family, it would depend on whether the young master of the Lin family was willing. If she remembered correctly, the young master of the Lin family already had someone in his heart!