Chapter 379: The Dowry Is Secure Now

Chapter 379: The Dowry Is Secure Now

Fang Jinxiu stared at her with resentment.

Zheng Jinyu said coldly, "What are you looking at? Do you think you won't have to return it just because you look at me?"

"You... Must you bully people like this?"

"Hmph. Since I returned, have I bullied you? Oh, in your view, when I want to reclaim what belongs to me, that's bullying you. Fine, then."

Fang Jinxiu was speechless.

Zheng Jinyu ignored her and turned to Lu Taishi and Lu Shen, saying, "Silver is something everyone likes; I understand. It's hard to spit out silver once it's swallowed; I can understand that too. But if you don't return it, we won't let it go. In the imperial city, under the emperor's feet, I don't believe the Emperor would watch as Taishi openly seizes someone else's property."

Lu Taishi's face turned livid.

Zheng Laoye snorted and said, "It seems we can't settle this privately. Let's go to the court and file a complaint."

"Wait a moment."

Lu Taishi couldn't bear the disgrace and finally conceded.

"Go ahead, call in the steward and settle the accounts with them. Whatever can be taken away today, take it. For what cannot be moved, convert it into silver and compensate from the treasury of the mansion."

Lu Shen looked at him, "Grandfather? That's Ning'er's..."

"Enough, shut up. Go and do it."

Lu Shen was resentful but dared not disobey, casting a harsh glance at Fang Jinxiu.

Fang Jinxiu's tears kept falling as she watched Zheng Laoye. She had followed them while they were tallying the dowry.

After all, she was their daughter raised from childhood, and Zheng Laoye could not bear it. He waved his hand, entrusting the matter to Cui Yongnian and prepared to leave.

Cui Yongnian was bewildered. He had come merely to watch the spectacle and was about to head to the Imperial Academy for his lecture. How did he end up taking on this task?

"Auntie, why don't you take a day off today? Retrieving the dowry is important."

Zheng Laoye replied, "No, I've delayed quite a bit of official business recently. I need to catch up."

With that, he left.

Fang Jinxiu, holding her skirt, ran after him, "Father."

Zheng Laoye did not turn back.

Fang Jinxiu quickened her pace and called louder, "Father, Father, are you really abandoning Jinxiu?"

Zheng Laoye stopped but still did not turn around.

"Jinxiu, we raised you since you were little and sent you off to marriage. We never wronged you. We don't ask you to remember our kindness in raising you, only that you stop doing things that harm us. Our family has already suffered enough from your parents' deceit and our indulgence of you."

He walked away without looking back.

Fang Jinxiu collapsed to the ground, sobbing uncontrollably.

Madam Lu had already learned about the situation. Hearing that Fang Jinxiu would not be entered into the Cui family genealogy and that her dowry would be entirely removed, she was furious.

Looking down at Fang Jinxiu, she scolded, "You wretched star, you've disgraced our Lu family."

Fang Jinxiu stopped crying and looked up at Madam Lu, "Hmph, a wretched star? Am I a wretched star?"

Madam Lu choked, "In any case, you've disgraced the Lu family."

"How so?" Fang Jinxiu suddenly laughed, "Marrying the daughter of a condemned criminal—how is that disgraceful? Your only son can no longer father children—that's the real disgrace."

"You..." Madam Lu's eyes widened, "What did you say? How do you know?"

"Hmph, how do I know? Lu Shen always smells of medicine. How could I not know?"

Madam Lu was speechless.

Fang Jinxiu sneered, "I'm blessed with fertility. Your son Lu Shen has a thin fate with children. If it weren't for me, you might have been childless. I helped you continue your lineage and prosper your family. You should thank me."

She had long known that Lu Shen's body was damaged, and he had a thin fate with children, constantly taking medicine for treatment.

Madam Lu was infuriated by Fang Jinxiu's arrogance and said coldly, "You dare speak to me like this? Do you believe I won't drive you out? Anyway, the child is already born, and Ning'er will be registered under Zhenzhen. Isn't that better than following you?"

Fang Jinxiu felt a sharp pain in her heart.

She had guessed that they wanted to take her son and register him under Wang Fuzhen to raise him, leaving her abandoned.

Lu Shen treated her this way, and her only support in the Lu family was her son.

No, she couldn't rely solely on her son. Otherwise, when they took him away, she would have nothing left.

Fang Jinxiu quickly calmed down and said, "Out of ten children, how many grow up? Can you guarantee that one son will carry on the lineage?"

Madam Lu scolded, "Fang Jinxiu, what do you mean? Are you cursing Ning'er to die?"

"Ning'er is my son. Why would I curse him? I just want to remind you that among all the women in this household, only I can bear children. Hmph, if you have the ability, drive me out."

This was hitting Madam Lu where it hurt.

Who could blame her son for being unambitious, learning bad habits from his father, drinking and carousing at thirteen or fourteen, ruining his health at a young age?

That good-for-nothing had been completely incapacitated in recent years.

"Disgraceful thing, get lost." After uttering these harsh words, Madam Lu fled the scene.

Fang Jinxiu stared at her, letting out a harsh laugh and wiping away a tear.

Madam Zhou, carrying the child, ran over from a distance. Upon seeing her, she quickened her pace.

"Madam, why are you here? The young master is hungry; please feed him."

Fang Jinxiu looked down at her plump, fair-skinned son. His features were ordinary, much like Lu Shen's unremarkable face.

No wonder Ning'er was so beloved by their family.

Lu Shen's illegitimate child outside had a father of unknown identity. She had secretly gone to see the child, and it bore no resemblance to either Lu Shen or his father. The child looked like that maid.

All the better; they wouldn't know whose it really was.

Look, even heaven is helping me. One try and I got pregnant with a child who clearly looks like Lu Shen's.

Fang Jinxiu felt lucky, having been fortunate ever since she was swapped as a child.

Looking at this child, Fang Jinxiu began to laugh.

"Hahaha... Even if the Zheng family doesn't acknowledge me, what does it matter? Their precious heir is in my hands, and one day, the entire Lu family will be mine."

...

Tallying the dowry was a massive undertaking, not something that could be completed quickly. It would likely take from morning till night.

Cui Yongnian stayed behind to help Zheng Jinyu with the tallying.

Lord Zheng had left, and Cui Huai and Cui Tai had also returned. They were trying to persuade Madam Zheng gently.

"Qingqing, she's just an adopted daughter, not your own flesh and blood. There's no need to quarrel with your brother-in-law over her, causing your niece to become distant from you."

Madam Zheng cried, "Of course you'd say that; you didn't raise her, and you don't even recognize her. You can't understand how I feel, so there's no point in talking to you."

"Then why did you ask Yongnian to write to us?"