NOVEL WEB Chapter 99 - 98: Give an Inch, Want a Mile_1
Chapter 99: Chapter 98: Give an Inch, Want a Mile_1
Chun Tao hurriedly added, “Nanny, you don’t know. Our eldest miss can now hold a horse stance for an hour. With iron sandbags tied to her arms while practicing calligraphy, she has gained strength. At first, I worried like you did. But then I saw our miss growing healthier, even Doctor Hong said she looks better than last winter. So, I started listening to our miss about these matters.”
Nanny Tong only then nodded, still repeatedly rubbing Bai Qingyan’s hands to warm them up.
On the way back, Nanny Tong didn’t stop talking. She mentioned that the two concubines from Shuoyang, who came for the funeral, had just visited Mrs. Dong to bid farewell.
Bai Qingyan was not surprised that the Shuoyang people were leaving. Today, the commotion at Wude Gate forcing the Emperor to kill King Xin was huge. They feared the Emperor’s anger might implicate them.
“It turns out these two concubines hadn’t left yet when the eldest son of the Old Clan Leader from Shuoyang arrived. As soon as he entered, he told the Crown Prince’s wife that before the Duke of Zhen left for the battle, the Shuoyang Clan had sent someone to the Duke’s residence. They discussed purchasing land, repairing the ancestral hall, graves, schools, and hiring scholars after the New Year.”
Bai Qingyan was very surprised. Although her grandfather always met the Shuoyang Clan’s requests, why hadn’t he mentioned this before he left?
Seeing Bai Qingyan in doubt, Nanny Tong continued, “This gentleman said, Originally, it was agreed that these matters would be handled when the Duke’s residence sent New Year’s gifts to Shuoyang. But now, with the Duke’s residence facing a major disaster, the Old Clan Leader didn’t want to trouble them. So, he sent this gentleman with the ledger to the Crown Prince’s wife. It turned out that the total amounted to 450,000 taels of silver! Be it silver notes or hard silver, it must be prepared before they depart tomorrow. The Old Clan Leader insisted on this.”
Nanny Tong emphasized the word “must,” wanting Bai Qingyan to realize that the people from the Shuoyang Clan intended to exploit the Duke’s residence now that it had no male heirs.
Chun Tao widened her eyes, “Are they robbing silver or begging for it?! The Bai family has encountered such a big incident. They sent two concubines for the funeral, but before it ends, they are leaving! And now, an elder from the main branch arrives to demand silver!”
Even the usually good-natured Chun Tao was infuriated.
Bai Qingyan lowered her eyes, thinking deeply.
The people from the Shuoyang Clan dared to be so bold, not just because the Duke’s residence lacked male heirs but also because her grandfather was always too accommodating, causing them to develop such audacity.
There is a saying: An inch of favor reaps a yard of hostility. She had warned her grandfather and father about this.
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Maybe the mindset of men differs from women…
Her grandfather used to say that blood relations couldn’t be measured with money. Moreover, the Bai Clan’s ancestral shrine in Shuoyang relied on their care; the current Clan Leader was her grandfather’s uncle within five generations.
Her father remarked that a martial aristocratic family like theirs never lacked worldly possessions. If exchanging worldly items could bring peace and prosperity to the Bai Clan, why not?
Her grandfather and father were kind-hearted. But the supposed clan members of Shuoyang saw the Duke’s residence as their purse, taking whatever they wanted.
While many honorable men like Qin Shangzhi knew to repay kindness, there were heartless ingrates in the Bai Clan.
Bai Qingyan paused and asked, “What does Mother say?”
“Not yet known. Currently, the eldest son of the Clan Leader from Shuoyang and the two concubines are with the Crown Prince’s wife, detailing the accounts and lamenting how tight their finances are…” Nanny Tong replied.
Bai Qingyan stood in the corridor, lowering her head to think, then raised her head and said, “Let’s go and see…”
·
When Bai Qingyan walked to the corridor of the main hall, she saw a little maid about to greet her. She signaled the maid to stay silent, standing in the corridor, watching the lantern swaying in the wind at the eaves, and listened quietly to the sounds from inside.
Mrs. Dong closed the account book with a snap, tossing it aside, and sneered, “Whether it’s repairing the ancestral hall, the graves, or the school, it’s reasonable to expect contributions from all households! But before the Duke of Zhen and the Crown Prince left, they didn’t mention anything about this. As soon as you enter our residence, without offering incense or paying respects, you start asking for silver! After reluctantly offering some incense, you then demand 450,000 taels of silver to be ready by tomorrow. Do you think our residence is a bank?”
For years, both her father-in-law and husband indulged the Shuoyang Clan. But this rendered them presumptuous to the point of making outrageous demands on the Duke’s residence, showing no shame.
Bai Qiyun, the eldest legitimate son of the Old Clan Leader from Shuoyang, turned livid. Gritting his teeth, he said, “I am here under the Old Clan Leader’s orders. Sister-in-law, what do you mean by this three-point refusal and hinting that the Duke never mentioned it? Are you saying we are making false claims against your residence?”
Seeing his confrontational manner, the elder concubine wiped off his sweat and tried to mediate, “Sister-in-law, please don’t be offended. Eldest brother is just following orders and is rather anxious. You see, because of the tense war situation in the Southern border, the price of Kunshan Jade has doubled. We can’t skimp on material for the ancestral tablets, or how can we honor our ancestors? Sister-in-law, isn’t that reasonable? Before we came to see you, eldest brother had said that the Old Clan Leader specifically instructed that given the current state of the Duke’s residence, it should not bear all the costs alone. As long as the Duke’s residence covers the major expenses, the rest of us will contribute.”
“Now that the Duke of Zhen and the Crown Prince have both passed, if you, the headmistress of the Duke’s residence, cannot make a decision, I will take the ledger and see the Eldest Princess myself!” Bai Qiyun retorted, flinging his sleeve.
“Very well,” Mrs. Dong smiled, dabbing her lips with a handkerchief as she picked up a teacup. “Go ahead then! As you please…”
Seeing her tea-sipping gesture to send guests off, Bai Qiyun felt stuck. Without Mrs. Dong’s instructions, how could he even get into the backyard?!
Mrs. Dong, having seen through everything, knew that once the Bai family’s mourning period ended, they had to return to Shuoyang to secure the safety of orphans and widows. But precisely for this reason, she couldn’t let them trample over her today. Otherwise, once back in Shuoyang… they would undoubtedly exploit them further.
If she showed weakness today, the Bai Clan members would not only lack gratitude but also become more demanding. Because of their previous generosity to the clan, any slight disagreement now would evoke resentment. Wasn’t today’s situation a clear example?
Before arriving, Bai Qiyun’s father, the Clan Leader, told Bai Qiyun that since all men of the Duke’s residence had died in the Southern border, the Bai family was left with only the womenfolk. The gender of the child inside the fifth lady’s womb was yet unknown. Without a man to uphold its prestige, the title would have no heir. He proposed to discuss with Bai Qishan, the Eldest Princess, and Mrs. Dong, to have Bai Qiyun’s legitimate younger grandson adopted into the Duke’s residence.