Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 237 - 95 Receiving the Dowry (Part 3)
Chapter 237 -95: Receiving the Dowry (Part 3)
Chapter 237 -95: Receiving the Dowry (Part 3)
Old Madam waved her hand, “No trouble at all, just handing over some items, nothing that requires much effort.”
Lady Mo’s expression greatly changed.
Ruo Lan could probably guess what it was about; handing over items and needing the Ma Family as witnesses were not difficult to deduce. However, she found it strange why Old Madam would do this, as it was quite disadvantageous to Eldest Lady Lian.
Seeing Ruo Lan’s indifferent expression, Old Madam silently chuckled. Having married such a wise, capable, and composed daughter-in-law, she would be a reliable support for Third Girl and Brother Zheng in the future, “Qiao Hui, take out the items and give them to Third Young Lady.” As soon as Old Madam finished speaking, Qiao Hui went into the room and took out two carved red phoenix peony square boxes.
Yueyao guessed by now what these items were, but she dared not show it on her face and asked in a low voice, “Grandmother, what are these…?”
Old Madam said with a smile, “One box contains the list of your mother’s dowry and the deed papers of the land and shops; keep them safe. The other large items from the dowry list and the furnishings are all in Lanxi Courtyard. You sorted out Lanxi Courtyard last time, so you can check against the list you made then.” The items in Lanxi Courtyard were untouched, and even if there were discrepancies with the dowry list, they were minor.
Tears welled up in Yueyao’s eyes, “Grandmother…” She had seen Old Madam faint and upon awakening, she was weak and had not mentioned the dowry. Yueyao had planned to wait until Grandmother was better and have her uncle retrieve her mother’s dowry on her behalf. She had never expected Grandmother, even in her illness, to still think of this matter.
Old Madam said with a smile, “Silly girl, why cry? Grandmother is fine. Third Girl, the other box contains the indentures of the servants that came with your mother’s dowry. You must take good care of these.” By not keeping these items in Yueyao’s possession and holding their lives in the balance, Old Madam believed Yueyao would be able to control these people well.
Lady Mo felt her heart sinking into icy water, chilling to the core. She never dreamt that Old Madam would hand over Madam Ma’s dowry to Yueyao. Lady Mo was furious inside and wanted to curse, but she maintained a worried expression, “Mother, Third Girl is only nine years old; how can she manage her younger brother’s wife’s dowry?” Naturally, Lady Mo would not offer to manage the dowry herself, especially as there were outsiders present, and even if there were none, she would not say so.
Ruo Lan found it curious why Old Madam was doing this, but she did not speak up since her role was merely to witness the proceedings; she would not speak unless called upon. In fact, Ruo Lan wondered why Old Madam Lian was acting this way. She remembered how, when she was young, she got her mother’s dowry all thanks to her maternal grandmother’s support. Her uncle had been sent to negotiate with her father, and that was how the dowry ended up in her hands. It almost enraged her grandmother to death back then.
Ruo Lan took a heartfelt look at Yueyao, whose eyes brimmed with tears, and mused that this child was not simple at all! Having the Old Madam Lian hand over the dowry to her was not solely for the sake of reducing her troubles; surely, this cousin had a hand in the maneuver. A nine-year-old child, truly remarkable.
Catching a glimpse of Eldest Madam’s expression, Ruo Lan guessed what she was thinking by her look – a look she had seen before on her grandmother. Ruo Lan also understood why Yueyao wanted to secure her aunt’s dowry. Such a person was very greedy; once in her hands, it would likely be a case of throwing a meat bun to a dog – gone and never coming back.
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Old Madam Lian looked at Yueyao, “Third Girl, what do you say?” Now, the initiative was in Yueyao’s hands; if Yueyao was willing to give them up, Old Madam would not say anything, but if Yueyao chose not to, she would support her.
Naturally, Yueyao was not going to hand them over to Lady Mo, “Grandmother, Eldest Aunt, what I do not understand or cannot do, I can learn.” After saying this, she turned to Ruo Lan and bowed slightly, “I have heard that my cousin-in-law started handling family affairs at the age of eight, and I would like to learn more from her in the future.” This statement in fact already excluded Lady Mo, a suggestion that was quite clear.
Ruo Lan immediately responded with a smile, “Whatever I know, I will certainly not keep to myself.” As Yueyao’s representative, she had to make a statement at this moment or it would be unacceptable.
Old Madam Lian turned to look at Lady Mo, who naturally said, “Third Girl, if you have any questions in the future, feel free to ask Auntie.”
The matter was decided so quickly and smoothly that it took Yueyao by surprise. Of course, without the Old Madam’s intervention, retrieving her mother’s dowry would have undoubtedly been fraught with difficulties.
Under normal circumstances, Yueyao would have invited Ruo Lan to sit in the courtyard, but given the special situation, Yueyao sent Ruo Lan out of the courtyard, “Cousin-in-law, thank you.”
Ruo Lan smiled and said, “I haven’t done anything, there’s no need for thanks. Take good care of yourself, you seem to have lost a lot of weight.” Not only had she lost weight, but her complexion wasn’t as good as before.
Yueyao nodded, “Cousin-in-law, I will take good care of myself.”
Ruo Lan nodded and then left. Once on the carriage, Cai Yun couldn’t help saying, “Old Madam Lian actually gave the Third Young Lady control over her grandmother’s dowry. I wonder if the Third Young Lady can manage her grandmother’s dowry well.”
Ruo Lan smiled gently, “Since my cousin dared to ask for her dowry back, she must be confident. After all, once the dowry is in hand, she can live off the rent even if she doesn’t do business, which is certainly better than leaving it in the hands of those with ulterior motives. As for the worry of being tricked by those beneath her, there’s no need; isn’t there her father-in-law and husband, and also me, her cousin-in-law? This cousin of mine is quite astute. When she got her mother’s dowry, she offended both her grandmother and stepmother, and to this day, her grandmother still dislikes her. Of course, it can’t be denied that Old Madam Lian indeed has her wits about her.”
After Yueyao returned, she cried bitterly in Old Madam Lian’s arms, “Grandmother, Doctor Tang said that you need rest and can’t be overburdened. For my sake, you have exhausted yourself again, and I am truly unfilial.”
The Old Madam stroked Yueyao’s forehead, “Silly girl, if not for you, whom should your grandmother consider? I’m well aware of my own health; it’s not looking good. I won’t be able to look after you for much longer, so you must take good care of yourself.” What worried her most now were Yueyao and Tingzheng, but she truly was unable to hold on any longer.
Yueyao, crying weakly, was eventually consoled by Qiao Hui and Qiao Ru.
Thinking it was as good as in her own pocket, the duck that had nearly reached the mouth flew away. Such a large sum of money had actually been entrusted to a nine-year-old girl, and Lady Mo was so angry that she gnashed her teeth. Upon returning, Lady Mo smashed the teapot and teacups on the table, “What a senile old woman.”
Granny Hua could only try to calm her, “Madam, please calm down, take it easy. Madam, we’ve been patient for so many years, now we’re just short of the final step. We’ll plot this matter out later.” In Granny Hua’s view, scheming to get the silver coin in the Third Young Lady’s hands was easy, but plotting for the dowry was a bit more troublesome. As long as the Ma Family still had members, when the Third Young Lady got married, the dowry would have to be handed over, because only children had the right to allocate a dowry. Others might occupy it for a time, but ultimately, it had to be returned.
What truly alarmed Granny Hua was how increasingly shrewd the Third Young Lady was becoming; she couldn’t take advantage of her in any way. Granny Hua even doubted whether the madam could really scheme her way to the money.
Lady Mo gave Granny Hua a glance, “What do you know?” The younger girl was becoming more and more astute, and anything that reached her hands couldn’t be taken back. Moreover, if this matter were to spread, it would also tarnish her reputation. To think, people would say that a grandmother didn’t even dare entrust her daughter-in-law’s dowry to her care after death, those who didn’t know the truth would definitely think she wanted to covet the fortune. Of course, she did want those things, but it had to be done without damaging her own reputation.
Granny Liu inwardly sighed with a wry smile. To covet the money in the Third Young Lady’s hands without wanting to sully her reputation—where in the world could one find such a good deal?
Granny Hua whispered, “Madam, what shall we do next?”
Lady Mo sat down and, after pondering for a long time, said, “Do nothing for now.” The Old Madam’s health was poor, and the doctor had said that with good care she could last a bit longer, but without it, it might just be a month or two.
