Chapter 263

Chapter 263

After reading the headline of the article, Lu Mingzhu looked confused.

"Brother, does Dong Cuijun have the right to inherit all of Old Mr. Ye's estate?" Although she hadn't studied Hong Kong's inheritance laws in detail, she had a general idea that a spouse couldn't inherit the entire estate.

Xie Junhao replied without hesitation, "No, she doesn't have the right."

After a moment, he explained to Lu Mingzhu, "According to Hong Kong's 'Probate and Administration Ordinance,' whether or not there is a will, all estates must be managed by the Official Administrator of the High Court. In the presence of surviving children, the surviving spouse does not have the right to inherit the entire estate. They might only get a grant of administration as a close relative. So, this report is pure nonsense."

It's just a gimmick.

Lu Mingzhu felt a complex mix of emotions.

Such laws are undoubtedly in place to assess the estate's value and determine inheritance tax.

She nodded in understanding, "So, how much can Dong Cuijun inherit?"

Dong Cuijun married Old Mr. Ye solely to inherit his estate. If she doesn't get what she wants, it would be a joke.

Xie Junhao said, "Generally, movable property is given to the spouse, such as jewelry, antiques, furniture, clothes, cars, and other personal items. The rest of the estate leaves a certain amount of cash to the spouse, with the remaining half going to the spouse and the other half equally divided among the children."

"So, Dong Cuijun can still get a significant portion." No wonder she was so eager to marry the old man.

Xie Junhao nodded slightly, "Wasn't the Ye family in London completely looted? She probably won't get much, if any, of the movable property. I know that Ye Shengxuan's immovable property in Hong Kong consists of only two unsold buildings and one residence. The cash, stocks, and other properties in Ye Shengxuan's accounts are also included, but outsiders don't know the exact amounts. All of these are currently frozen and cannot be inherited without paying inheritance tax."

Lu Mingzhu laughed, "So Dong Cuijun would have to take out a bank loan to pay the inheritance tax."

"Perhaps," Xie Junhao wasn't sure.

Surprisingly, although Old Mr. Ye did not leave a will, he had quietly established the Ye Family Trust during his lifetime, holding all core assets through the trust, which could only be revealed after his death. His biological children would receive a monthly allowance of HK$50,000, and each descendant, including grandchildren, would receive a monthly living allowance of HK$20,000 from birth. Before turning 21, they would have access to an education fund, and after adulthood, a startup fund to prevent any family members from squandering the family fortune.

Outsiders were not included in the beneficiary list.

The current outsiders include Dong Cuijun and the Ye family's sons-in-law, grandsons, and granddaughters.

Dong Cuijun ended up with almost nothing.

Well, not entirely.

Old Mr. Ye's personal account still had cash, totaling over a million, of which Dong Cuijun could inherit more than half without paying inheritance tax. However, compared to the massive estate she desired, it was far too little.

As Xie Junhao said, the news was indeed nonsense.

After traveling all the way back to Hong Kong, Dong Cuijun only learned during the inheritance application process that her husband had made preparations long ago. She was both shocked and furious. She didn't even have the right to reside in the Ye family mansion, let alone the movable property that had already been looted.

Before leaving Hong Kong, Old Mr. Ye had taken all the movable property with him.

For the Ye family descendants, this was an unexpected blessing. They could receive living allowances without paying inheritance taxes. Although the amount wasn't large, it was enough for their living expenses compared to having no income.

The pocket money Old Mr. Ye gave them during his lifetime wasn't even this much, and they had also acquired some assets through marriage opportunities.

If they had to inherit the estate, they wouldn't be able to come up with millions.

What made them happiest was that Dong Cuijun couldn't take away the nearly ten million in the Ye Real Estate Company's account, as the company had been transferred to the Ye Family Trust and was no longer privately owned, thus not part of the estate.

Upon learning this, prominent figures from all walks of life remarked that Dong Cuijun's efforts had been in vain.

Think you can get something for nothing? Not a chance.

If Ye Shengxuan wasn't sharp, he wouldn't have built such a fortune.

When Lu Mingzhu visited her father, she teased him, "I bet Secretary Dong regrets dumping you back then."

After all, sticking with Father Lu would've landed her more assets. Though not as much as the biological kids, she could've been set for life. If she'd played her cards right, her wealth would've kept growing.

Hearing this, Father Lu lifted his cane.

Lu Mingzhu put her hands on her hips and stuck out her flat belly, "Are you going to hit your grandson? Come on!"

She had a free pass now and wasn't scared.

Father Lu was shocked and thrilled, "You're pregnant?"

"Maybe, but it's too soon. I want to wait before seeing a doctor," Lu Mingzhu sat on the sofa eating fruit, her eyes full of mischief. "You're the first to know. Xie Junyao's still in the dark! I haven't spilled the beans."

Father Lu immediately picked up the phone, "What can Western medicine tell? It's all about machines. I'll call the Senior Physician to check your pulse."

Lu Mingzhu asked, "The Senior Physician who fixed up my brother? He's top-notch."

Father Lu nodded, "Yeah, he's a real pro."

After making the call and arranging for the Senior Physician to come and check his daughter's pulse, Father Lu sent someone to pick him up.

Soon enough, the Senior Physician showed up, "I told you your daughter's tough as nails. If she looks after herself, she doesn't need me. Medicine's mostly poison; better avoid it unless you have to."

"It's a special case," Father Lu stood up and offered his seat, "Thanks for coming."

"You're so kind, it's no trouble. I wish more folks were like you," the Senior Physician, though not a frequent visitor to the Lu household, often checked the pulses of Father Lu, Lu Changsheng, and the elderly Mrs. Lu, sometimes prescribing medicinal diets instead of medicine.

The Senior Physician pulled out a pulse pillow and asked Lu Mingzhu to give him her hand.

Lu Mingzhu placed her right hand on the pillow, and as he placed his fingers on her wrist, she asked, "Can you tell anything?"

The Senior Physician stroked his beard, "Hmm, the pulse is smooth, like beads on a plate. It's a slippery pulse, clear as day. You're about six weeks along."

In about eight and a half months, the baby will be here."

Father Lu couldn't stop smiling, "No doubt about it?"

"No doubt about it." The Senior Physician didn't remove his fingers but continued, "It's early days. I'll check again in two months for a clearer picture."

"Check what?" Lu Mingzhu asked casually.

"The baby's sex. I knew your mom was having a girl. If you don't believe me, ask your father," the Senior Physician answered with great confidence. "Don't you want to know if it's a boy or a girl?"

Lu Mingzhu shook her head, "It doesn't matter, boy or girl."

Hearing this, the Senior Physician smiled and withdrew his hand, "You're quite different from others."

In this world, most people want sons, and those who want daughters usually already have several sons.

Having seen too much, he rarely diagnoses the gender of a baby and doesn't let others know he has this skill, to avoid causing trouble.

For families like the Lu's, it doesn't matter; they can afford it, so he doesn't mind telling them.

Lu Mingzhu laughed, "I'm a girl, after all!" If a girl won't look out for another girl, who will?

How could this be?

But reality showed Lu Mingzhu that women are still the most obvious in favoring sons over daughters.

Alas!

Men also favor sons over daughters, though they don't often say it, their actions are less pronounced than women's. It's mostly female elders who drown baby girls, so they often bear the brunt of the blame.

Lu Mingzhu is determined to be a good mother who treats her children equally, regardless of gender.

Therefore, she isn't curious about the baby's gender.

Whether it's a girl or a boy, she will love them equally and never favor one over the other.

Lu's father then asked the senior physician, "Could you please write a list of what's safe to eat, what to avoid, and the best tonics?"

"Isn't the abalone, sea cucumber, shark fin, and fish maw your family often eats all good tonics?" The senior physician, unable to resist Lu's father's insistence, eventually wrote a dietary list, "Too much of anything is bad, so don't overdo the tonics. A fetus that's too large is hard to deliver."

Although Western medicine can reduce difficult births through cesarean sections, making an incision on the belly harms the vital energy.

These words were too sensitive to mention, so the senior physician kept them to himself.

Lu Mingzhu thanked him, "I will strictly follow the doctor's orders."

The senior physician handed her the list, packed up his things, and left.

He is paid annually, receives gifts during the three festivals and two birthdays, and usually doesn't charge for pulse readings.

After reading the list, Lu's father had the butler, Xu, make a copy to keep, and said to Lu Mingzhu, "Take the original back to the Xie family and have them follow it, so they don't accidentally prepare meals that are bad for your health."

"Okay," Lu Mingzhu obediently agreed.

Lu's father added, "Sitting for long periods harms the body, so stop all writing. I don't expect you to earn that little money; there will be plenty of opportunities in the future. Usually, just eat, take walks, read, shop, listen to music, do prenatal education, avoid traveling far, and stay away from dangerous places."

Lu Mingzhu felt he had experience and nodded, "I'll listen to you."

When she has to feign compliance, she simply won't tell him.

"Don't tell outsiders for the first three months," Lu's father instructed, "Just let close people know."

"Understood," Lu Mingzhu knew.

Lu's father is now a worried old man, chattering away.

Lu Mingzhu listened very seriously.

She didn't find it annoying.

These are all the concerns of a caring father!

Although she initially acted coquettishly towards Lu's father to compete for property, over the years, a deep father-daughter bond has formed.

Xie Junyao came to pick up Lu Mingzhu after work in the evening.

On the way back, Lu Mingzhu smiled and said, "How about I give you an early Christmas gift?"

Xie Junyao's eyes sparkled, "What gift?"

He hasn't felt his wife's love in a long time.

Lu Mingzhu lowered her head and took out the handwritten dietary restriction list from her bag. "Here you are."

"What is this?" Xie Junyao took it.

Lu Mingzhu folded it into a heart shape.

Xie Junyao handled it gently, careful not to tear the paper and risk losing the contents. After a moment, he opened it under the car light but couldn't make sense of it. "Edible items listed here, inedible items listed there—what kind of dietary restrictions are these?"

Lu Mingzhu blinked her eyes. "Can't you tell?"

Xie Junyao was puzzled. "Tell what?"

"Alright!" She blamed the Senior Physician for not specifically marking the pregnancy. "If you don't understand, go ask your big brother when you get back, or just give it to the butler and let him arrange it. Make sure the kitchen doesn’t prepare anything I can’t eat."

Her big brother, being so well-informed, would surely get it.

Xie Junyao looked very serious. "You can’t eat certain things? Are you okay?"

"I'm perfectly fine!" Lu Mingzhu just wouldn't tell him.

Xie Junyao pressed further, but she covered her ears.

Xie Junyao had no choice but to ask his big brother when he got home, fortunately, he wasn't working overtime today.

Xie Junhao glanced at it, shot Xie Junyao a glare, and then passed it to the butler standing nearby. "First, have the kitchen prepare a bowl of bird's nest with milk. From now on, keep any food Mingzhu can’t eat out of the house, so she isn’t tempted when others eat it."

The butler glanced at it and exclaimed, "Are we expecting a young master and a young lady?"

It was so unexpected that it took him by surprise.

But it was wonderful news.

For years, he’d been concerned about the two gentlemen not having heirs, but now that worry was gone.

No wonder everyone adored Lu Mingzhu—she was such a wonderful girl.

She married when the time was right and started a family without hesitation.

Xie Junyao suddenly caught on and turned to Lu Mingzhu, "Wife, are you pregnant? Are we expecting a baby?"

"Yes," Lu Mingzhu admitted plainly, "The Senior Physician, who’s been managing my father and big brother’s health, personally checked my pulse and said it’s been a month and a half."

"It’s not counted from our wedding date, but from... I’ll explain when we’re back in the room."

Xie Junyao treated her like delicate glass, gently helping her sit down.

"Is there anything you’re craving? Do you feel nauseous?" Xie Junyao remembered his childhood, living with his big brother, Xie Junhao, and the Xie couple. The concubines would avoid certain foods and often vomited during pregnancy.

Lu Mingzhu chuckled, "It’s too early for that, and morning sickness differs for everyone."

Some can’t even keep water down, while others eat heartily.

She’d researched this while writing her novel, so she knew more than Xie Junyao. But where did her big brother get his experience?

She stole a glance at Xie Junhao.

Xie Junhao noticed but didn’t explain, simply saying, "If you’re craving anything, just let the butler know. If we have it at home, the kitchen will make it and bring it up. If not, we'll go out and buy it."

"Thank you, big brother," Lu Mingzhu said, realizing she had been saying these words to Xie Junhao quite frequently. Xie Junhao also said, "No need to be so formal—we’re family."

After speaking, he said to Xie Junyao, "Come with me to the study, I have something to tell you."

This list only covers dietary restrictions, nothing else. He needed to give his younger brother some instructions to ensure he understood the gravity of the situation.

When Xie Junyao left the study, his expression had returned to normal.

That night, he didn’t seek intimacy with Lu Mingzhu.

However, when Lu Mingzhu was taking a bath, he followed her in and out, attending to her closely, afraid she might slip in the bathroom.

Lu Mingzhu was torn between amusement and exasperation, 'I’m not that fragile.'

'That was before. Now you’re pregnant, and pregnant women are fragile,' Xie Junyao said with utmost seriousness, drying her body, blow-drying her hair, dressing her in a loose and soft velvet nightgown, and helping her into bed. He then grabbed some paper and a pen and started writing at the desk by the foot of the bed, 'I need to jot down everything big brother told me, so I don’t forget.'

'How does big brother know so much?' Lu Mingzhu was extremely curious.

Without looking up, Xie Junyao replied, 'He’s well-read, you know? That’s just him.'

Lu Mingzhu nodded, 'Then I’ll sleep first.'

Maybe it was psychological, but before she knew she was pregnant, she hadn’t felt anything. Now that she knew, she felt overwhelmingly sleepy.

Xie Junyao turned around to tuck her in, 'This room’s all done up in Chinese-style decor, but the furniture’s too hard—it’s a worry if you bump into it. Should we move to elder brother's villa? It’s more convenient for meals.'

'No problem,' Lu Mingzhu said indifferently.

All she wanted was a house decked out in pure Chinese-style decor.

As for Xie Junyao’s bedroom in the villa, it had been set up perfectly before their marriage, so they could move in without bringing anything.

The next day, when they brought it up, Xie Junhao was all for it.

Thus, the brothers lived in the same villa again, making it easier to discuss matters.

With nothing to do and unable to go out, Lu Mingzhu sorted through the manuscripts she’d written over the past year.

By her calculations, the serialization of 'The Legend of the Great Ming Chivalrous Hero' was nearing its end.

Though Lu Mingzhu was busy with her marriage, many things didn’t need her direct involvement, so she found time to keep writing. Naturally, she wrote some novels and scripts, but she hadn’t sent them out for publication or to the film company.

She couldn’t let the newspaper and film company rely on her.

Without her, hadn’t they still done well?

The Ming Pao Daily held steady at around 100,000 copies, launching several martial arts stars and a romance novelist. The film company had released several movies this year, each pulling in over a million at the box office, with the top earner hitting 2 million—proof that Hong Kong was brimming with talent.

Xie Junhao lightened Xie Junyao’s workload, so he stayed home to keep his wife company and help organize the manuscripts.

Lu Mingzhu was bored out of her mind. 'Let’s take the script to the film company and get some fresh air.'

'Sure,' Xie Junyao said, completely at her beck and call.

When Wang Tao saw Lu Mingzhu, he was over the moon.

'Have you finally started writing scripts?' He could hardly believe his luck, given she’d been tied up with her wedding for months and was now a newlywed. And with such a hefty dowry, she certainly wasn’t strapped for cash.

The film company’s dividends likely paled in comparison to the interest from her bank deposits.

Though the exact figure of her dowry was a mystery, judging by the lavish wedding, it had to be in the tens of millions, if not hundreds.

Lu Mingzhu smiled faintly, "I finished them a while ago. There are fourteen scripts in total. Take your time filming them; don't rush to do them all at once."

Wang Tao was stunned.

"You wrote so many scripts, why didn't you have Secretary Shang deliver them? If you were busy, you could have called me to pick them up!" Wang Tao felt frustrated, thinking he had missed out on many money-making opportunities.

Lu Mingzhu gestured for Xie Junyao to place the copies of the scripts on his desk.

"Blood Splatter at Xuanwu Gate" features Li Shimin as the protagonist, "Empress Wu Zetian" is about Wu Zetian, and "The Burning of the Old Summer Palace" stars Empress Dowager Cixi. Although it shares the same title as a movie she saw before her time travel, the content is entirely different. Lu Mingzhu has no interest in plagiarism.

She also adapted the novel "Sunset Glow" into a movie script and turned the ten units of "The Legend of the Great Ming Chivalrous Heroes" into ten scripts.

Ming Hui came over when he heard about it and saw the scripts. "You've really put in the effort."

"Shouldn't you be at the insurance company?" Lu Mingzhu was surprised to see him.

Ming Hui laughed, "I guess I knew you'd be back today, so I came early to check on things."

Actually, that wasn't the case at all.

He just came over because his new company was running smoothly, and he had some free time. He wanted to check things out and incidentally ask about the expected dividends for next month. After getting the expected figure, he was satisfied.

If Ming Yue successfully found a husband, he would need to prepare more money for her to raise grandchildren.

Feeling pleased, he invited Lu Mingzhu and Xie Junyao to dinner, along with Wang Tao, Fu Yulin, Yang Huan, and Xia Lin. Fu Yulin, who was on winter break, happened to be at the company.

Unfortunately, they bumped into Ming Heng, accompanied by a young lady who was visibly pregnant.

Ming Hui's expression darkened immediately.