Chapter 136: Reconciliation

Chapter 136: Reconciliation

Hearing the maid's report, the old lady thought she had misheard for a moment: "The Master and Miss Xin You?"

"Yes."

The old lady couldn't help but frown.

Why would Qingqing and the Master come together?

Could it be that they've caused trouble again?

In the old lady's mind, her granddaughter was no longer the gentle and obedient little lamb; she had turned into a hedgehog, ready to prick at the slightest dissatisfaction.

"Please bring them in."

Soon, the fine cotton curtain was lifted, and Duan Shaoqing and Xin You walked in.

Duan Shaoqing led the way, his face grim; Xin You followed behind, her expression unreadable.

"Mother, Qingqing and I have come to discuss something with you."

Though Duan Shaoqing spoke casually, his expression was far from pleasant. The old lady knew the matter was not simple and gestured for the servants to leave the room.

"What is it?" The old lady pulled a thin blanket over her legs.

Duan Shaoqing glanced at Xin You and said coldly, "Qingqing says she's grown up and wants to reclaim the money left by her parents, to manage it herself."

After hearing Duan Shaoqing, the old lady's face changed, and she stared straight at Xin You, asking, "Qingqing, did you really say this to your uncle?"

Xin You nodded, "Yes."

The old lady took a deep breath, suppressing the anger that surged to her head. "Qingqing, why did you suddenly think of this? Did your uncle say something that upset you?"

The old lady thought that even if her granddaughter had the idea of reclaiming her inheritance, she should have approached her directly. Now, coming to her son first likely meant he had upset the girl, and she was using this as a way to vent her frustration.

"My uncle is fine," Xin You said with a half-smile.

"Qingqing, why don't you wait outside for a moment while I talk to your grandmother," Duan Shaoqing suggested, seeing that the old lady still harbored illusions. He decided to brief his mother first.

Instead of dwelling on what the girl was thinking, it was better to discuss how much money to give her to keep her satisfied.

"Alright." Xin You agreed readily.

Seeing her walk out, Duan Shaoqing called out, "Leave that manuscript behind."

Xin You paused, cooperatively taking the manuscript from the box and handing it to Duan Shaoqing before leaving the room.

The heavy curtain swayed slightly and soon returned to stillness.

Facing her son, the old lady was more direct: "What's going on? Did you upset Qingqing?"

Duan Shaoqing handed the manuscript to her with a bitter smile. "Mother, take a look at this first."

The old lady took the manuscript, reading it with growing unease, her expression darkening as she went on.

"Where did this come from?" After finishing, the old lady threw the manuscript on the table.

Duan Shaoqing glanced at the door. "Where else could it come from? Qingqing wrote it."

"What does she mean by writing this?"

Duan Shaoqing sighed. "Mother, can't you guess? She's using this to threaten us to get back that money."

The old lady didn't like hearing the word "us." "That was originally left to your sister and brother-in-law for her. I've been keeping it safe for her because she's too young."

It would have been the same if it were entrusted to anyone, including her son, daughter-in-law, or the true owner, Kou Qingqing.

"It's not up to you to decide," Duan Shaoqing immediately recounted Xin You's threats.

The old lady was stunned, her gaze slowly turning toward the door. "Qingqing really said that?"

"Would I exaggerate such a thing? You only see her when she's well-behaved, but these past few months, her good behavior has all been because things have gone her way. When she's dissatisfied, how she acts, have you forgotten?"

The old lady quickly recalled Xin You's past actions and fell silent.

"If this manuscript spreads, my career might be over," Duan Shaoqing said with a dark expression, truly seething inside. "I sent her out just now to discuss with you how much money we should give her."

The old lady's expression kept changing, but she knew the gravity of the situation. She gritted her teeth. "Give her one hundred thousand taels of silver."

"One hundred thousand?" Duan Shaoqing's voice trembled with pain. "Isn't that too much? We just gave her twenty thousand for the Bookstore recently."

The old lady understood the girl's mindset better than her son. "Because we gave her twenty thousand for the Bookstore, do you think she'll believe it if we say there are only three or five thousand left?"

Unlike Duan Shaoqing, who had thoughts of eliminating the threat, the old lady still hoped for a closer relationship between her granddaughter and grandson, not wanting to strain their ties.

"Let's do as you say."

After agreeing, Duan Shaoqing called Xin You back in.

"One hundred thousand taels?" Hearing the amount from the old lady, Xin You frowned.

Duan Shaoqing was exasperated.

One hundred thousand taels and she still thinks it's too little! What a greedy brat!

The old lady was also displeased with Xin You's reaction but didn't show it on her face. "Not all of it is given to you. Your grandmother has kept some aside. Qingqing, you're still young. If you take all the money your parents left, what if something goes wrong? You'd have no fallback. Your grandmother will keep the rest to ensure your security."

Xin You listened silently, almost applauding the old lady's words.

Truly, her words were as sweet as honey.

Had it not been for the ledger she had seen earlier from Nurse Fang, she would have had to rely on the whims of the people from Shaoqing Mansion.

"I'm afraid it wasn't just 'some' that was left behind." Xin You emphasized the word "some" and placed the box in front of the matriarch.

The box was meant for manuscripts; the manuscripts had already been taken out, leaving it empty.

The matriarch and Duan Shaoqing couldn't help but stare at the box. Xin You opened the lid, lifted the fine velvet cloth lining the bottom, and took out the ledger that had been hidden beneath.

"Please, Grandmother, take a look." Xin You handed the ledger to the matriarch.

The young girl's delicate fingers held the thin ledger, a faint smile playing on her lips.

For a moment, the matriarch didn't move, and Duan Shaoqing, unable to contain his curiosity, took the ledger and quickly flipped it open.

Xin You didn't mind who read the few pages of the ledger first; she was more interested in their reactions after reading it.

Duan Shaoqing, upon seeing the detailed records in the ledger, was dumbfounded.

Noticing his state, the matriarch took the ledger from his hands and began to leaf through it.