Chapter 359 : Fall Out (2)Translated byきつねonJuly 10, 2022

Han Jingyan didn’t want Zhou Shi’s dowry because he knew this matter could become a pretext for gossip. It would have been fine if the Main House people were there when his mother said this. But at that time, only their married couple and their daughter were there, with no one from the Main House. But he never thought that Wen Shi would be so stupid as to say this out in front of everyone, and hearing Han Jianye mocking him, he was furious.

Han Jingyan said, “Just as we agreed earlier, 50-50.” He had a lot of properties in his hands. Even without his mother’s dowry, it was enough for him to live a prosperous life.

Han Jianming hadn’t yet spoken, but when he listened to Han Jingyan’s words this time, he said, “No, since Grandmother’s dying words said to leave everything to San Shu, we can’t go against Grandmother’s wishes. San Shu, you should just accept these things.”

Han Jingyan was not happy about getting his mother’s things. On the contrary, his face looked very ugly. “Jianming, as we just discussed, the dowry will be divided equally between the two houses.” How would outsiders look at him if he got all these things? They would have thought that he had coaxed his mother to get his hand on her dowry.

What Han Jingyan cared the most about was his reputation. How would he be willing to let himself be tainted with such a stain? Having Ning Shi and Yuxi sullied his life was already enough for him.

In response, Qiu Shi Shi sneered before saying, “Why? San Shu also thought Mother had been muddled-headed because of her sickness and acted without rules at that time? Otherwise, she wouldn’t have said she would leave her dowry to you, and something like not letting her granddaughter observe mourning for her, right?” The meaning behind Qiu Shi’s words was unmistakable. If Han Jingyan admitted that Zhou Shi was sick and confused at that time, then it was the same as acknowledging that Zhou Shi’s words about not letting Yuxi observe mourning were also nonsense.

Han Jingyan was so angry that his face turned red. “Dasao, Mother has not passed away for 100 days yet. How can you say such things?”

Qiu Shi was not afraid of Han Jingyan. She immediately countered, “What did I say? You know better than anyone what the situation was like when I married into the State Residence. There were a lot of debts outside, and the family could not make ends meet other than pawning. If I hadn’t used my dowry to pay off the debts and diligently managed the household while earning a lot of the family’s properties, would you have a successful career? Could you have married four wives back and forth? Could your children live a life of luxury?” The more she spoke, the angrier she became. She simply ripped off the last piece of fig leaf she had. “You think I do not know. When you served in Hebei, you earned 200,000 taels of silver. Even with so much silver in your hands, you were still reluctant to send some back home. And every year, you would always deliver those shabby roadside goods. After returning to the capital, you have given nothing else to the residence, apart from handing over a few hundred taels from your salary to be put into the public account each year. While I had to raise your big family. Your family ate on my expenses, yet you still picked on me incessantly. You look holier-than-thou all day long and don’t dislike being shabby, while I’m the only one who was losing my head. I have tolerated you until now. I’m not afraid of you, but I stay silent for the sake of my son’s face……”

After a pause, she changed her breath before she continued. She would not be at ease if she did not let out the anger she had suppressed for over a decade. “Just because I told Mother-in-law that I disagreed with removing Yuxi from the family, she had a stroke, and somehow you accuse me of disobedience and being unfilial? Me being disobedient and unfilial? Who has been serving tea to Mother-in-law for the past 20 years? Who served her day and night when she was sick? Who was the one who helped my Mother-in-law solve her problems? It was me. It was all me. Ever since Mother-in-law fell ill these past two years, her temper had become heretical, and you should have advised her, but you didn’t and just let her do everything she wanted as if this would make you appear filial. I was too lazy to argue with you, but you shouldn’t have deliberately provoked her to kick Yuxi out of the clan. What has Yuxi done wrong? Not to mention that the western barbarians only took her stand-in. Even if it was her, how could it be her fault? Why should she be removed from the clan? When something unfavourable happens, you immediately want to get out of the relationship, which only proves that you are cold-blooded and heartless.” Having said that, Qiu Shi sneered, and her eyes fell on Han Jingyan. “I forgot you’ve been a heartless thing from the start, after all. For Yuxi to come across a biological father like you, it can only be said that she has a miserable life. I hope she will not be reincarnated as your daughter again. But I won’t let you just keep trampling on her. She is my daughter now, and if you want to bully her, you have to see if I ever let you.”

These words felt like they had stripped Han Jingyan of all his clothes, making him unable to find a place to hide from shame. But he could not refute her words. He was afraid that Qiu Shi would still have even worse words to say to him if he did.

Wen Shi turned pale when she heard all these. She didn’t expect that when she brought up the matter regarding her mother-in-law’s dowry, it would lead them to hear so many words of complaints from her Dasao. Her two eyes rolled over, and she passed out.

Qiu Shi didn’t even lift her eyelids upon seeing this scene. She just said to Han Jianming. “When the residence was in difficulty, your Grandmother could not even spare her dowry to help out. Since then, I haven’t thought of asking for these things. You, brothers, still have your hands and feet, and your brains are not stupid. If you want to own a property, earn it yourself in the future. Since your Grandmother left her last words to give him these things, just give them all to him!” After saying that, without even looking at the others, she took Mama Li out of the room.

With these words from Qiu Shi, the amiable and charitable veil that Zhou Shi had been maintaining all this time was finally exposed, letting everyone in the room know how selfish and self-serving she was.

When Han Jingyan heard these words, a fishy sweet taste welled up in his mouth. But he couldn’t defend Zhou Shi because what Qiu Shi said was true.

Han Jianming had a bit of a headache. His mother’s words had made the relationship between the Main House and the Second House even more estranged. Even so, he was unwilling to say anything bad about his own mother, and after thinking for a while, he said, “San Shu, since that’s the case, then you can deal with these things here in any way you want.” After saying that, he called Han Jianye and left the Main Courtyard.

In response, Ye Shi and Lu Xiu also left with their children. The maids and old women servants who followed them also left in a huff. Only the people of the Second House remained in the drawing-room.

After the people of the first house left, Wen Shi also woke up leisurely. Looking at the blood spilling out of the corner of Han Jingyan’s mouth, she cried out spontaneously, “My Lord, what happened to you……” Then, she walked forward toward him.

The one Han Jingyan hated the most at that moment was Qiu Shi, followed by Wen Shi. Suppose Wen Shi hadn’t started this topic. How could Qiu Shi point at his nose and scold him in front of the whole residence’s juniors, which definitely left him in disgrace for his entire life? “B*tch……”

“Pa ……” A heavy slap fell on Wen Shi’s face. She did not expect Han Jingyan would hit her, and she tumbled to the right side. Wen Shi’s maid, Ah Hui, was quick on the uptake and hurriedly pulled her back, resulting in her own fall and Wen Shi landing on top of her.

Wen Shi clutched her belly and burst out, “The baby, my baby……” Her child was already six months old, and she couldn’t afford to lose it.

The upper courtyard was suddenly overwhelmed with people.

The news came to Qiu Shi’s side, and she ignored it. “If they want to call the physician, shouldn’t they ask someone to do it themselves? After twenty years of being their old servant, do they still want me to continue being their old servant?” In any case, no matter how devoted she was, it would never be sufficient in their eyes. Only she who had been foolish enough to be bossed around by them.

Han Jianye looked at Qiu Shi with some disbelief. He asked, “Mother, when you first married here, did the State Residence struggle to that extent?”

Qiu Shi glanced at her youngest son and coldly asked, “Do you think Mother is talking big? Should I show you the receipt of loans?” It was not like she wanted to take her anger out on Han Jianye. It was just that she was still enraged!

Han Jianye was not even angry. This was what one called kinship. Even if his own mother scolded him and gave him a few beatings, he still wouldn’t take it seriously. “Mother, I think it hasn’t been easy for you. You have suffered so much aggravation, but you never once told us.” Han Jianye had never worried about silver from the moment he knew how to use it, and this caused him not to care much about it. He really didn’t expect that the State Residence was so poor before.

Not to mention Han Jianye, even Han Jianming didn’t know that the Duke of the State’s residence used to have a large amount of external debt.

Qiu Shi let out a bitter smile. “What is there to say? It’s all in the past. What’s the point of mentioning it to you all the time? Besides, I think that money can still be earned when it’s gone, but the key is for us to have a happy and harmonious family. If they hadn’t gone too far this time, I wouldn’t have been bothered with them.” She could only blame herself for not knowing the right person. She merely saw Han Jingdong’s outer layer and was adamant about marrying him. If she had listened to her father and married one of his subordinates, she would have had a good married life then. However, there was no ‘if’ in this world.

Han Jianming was distressed and felt a twinge of guilt. “Mother, this son is unfilial and has made Mother suffer all these years.” In the beginning, it was he who stepped in and asked his mother to apologise to his grandmother.

Han Jianye’s words were much more straightforward. “Mother, if something happens in the future, don’t bear it alone any longer. Just tell me and Dage. No matter what, Dage and I will solve it.” Yuxi used to tell him that it hadn’t been easy for his mother, so he should be filial to her and spend more time with her. At that time, he was puzzled by it, but now he understood. His mother didn’t have an easy life all these years.

Hearing these heartfelt words, Qiu Shi’s tears streamed down. “Now, no one else will give me any face. Mother’s only hope is that you brothers and sister are well, and Mother is already content.” Although her husband was weird, with her mother-in-law and younger brother-in-law being selfish and cold-blooded, her children were attentive and filial. It could be said that her bitter life had ended, and the sweetness just began.

When Han Jianming heard this, he said with a smile, “Mother, Jianye must not have told you yet that Yuxi is currently pregnant. It’s been more than two months already.”

Qiu Shi didn’t even wipe her tears as she immediately asked Han Jianye. “Is this true? Yuxi is more than two months pregnant?” Seeing Han Jianye nodding, she scolded, “Why did you only tell me about such a big thing right now?” She had to prepare clothes, shoes and hats for the baby, and yes, some nourishing herbs that were good for pregnant women. There was also a shortage of medicine in the northwest.

As Han Jianye watched her mother start discussing with Mama Li what to send to the northwest, he looked at Han Jianming helplessly. Alas, it was sad that both brothers could not even compare with the child in Yuxi’s belly.

Han Jianming’s face, however, showed a smile. “Let’s go.” This was the best thing about his mother. She always thought of the good stuff and never dwelled on the bad ones. Speaking of which, he had also neglected his mother in the past and must make up for it in the future.