The Eldest Daughter-in-Law [Reborn] - Chapter 48

“You are simply unreasonable!” The Third Master felt that the Third Madam was very stubborn. He was too disdainful to argue with her. He angrily swung his sleeves and rushed out of the door.

When her trusted maidservant, who had heard everything clearly outside, came in and saw that her mistress was calm and composed, she couldn’t help but smile bitterly.

“Mistress, what’s wrong with you? Even if you don’t care about the Third Master becoming Duke, you have to think of your son. If the title of the Duke belongs to the Third Master, won’t it belong to your son in the future?

The Third Madam shook her head and looked at the maid. “It’s better to rely on yourself than on mountains, land, or your parents. Only what you earn yourself is safe and secure. What’s the use of giving him the title? Won’t he just be lazy and idle all day? Only when he has nothing will he know how to make progress.”

“In my life, I don’t seek wealth and glory; I just want to have a clear conscience.”

“If the Duke and the Princess hadn’t insisted on keeping me in control, I would have truly let go.”

The Third Madam ignored her husband and went to sleep.

Everyone in the household had their own thoughts that night. The next morning, an old woman pushed open the door with a creak, yawned, and began sweeping the courtyard with a broom. 

Because the Duke was at home, Mama Lin woke up Xie Yunchu early. Xie Yunchu had just woken up from a hangover and felt dizzy. She drank a bowl of honey water before feeling better. She was glad that the Duke and the Princess didn’t come back often; otherwise, the entire day would be restless.

After finally finishing her tidying up, she came to the door and asked the maid, “Where is the Second Young Master?”

In the past, when the Duke was at home, Wang Shuhuai would go with her to pay his respects.

The maid shook her head and said, “To answer, the Second Young Master has already left.”

Xie Yunchu thought she was late and hurried to Qinghui Hall. This time, the door was wide open, and the younger generations who arrived early were called in. Xie Yunchu saw Wang Shuhuai, who stood out from the crowd.

After a while, the Duke’s servant came out and told everyone to disperse.

After a while, when Wang Shuhuai came out, Xie Yunchu happened to see him. The couple looked at each other across the crowd. Wang Shuhuai’s eyes were no longer as gentle as before, but indifferent and stern.

Xie Yunchu was totally confused. Did she offend him?

Maybe he didn’t get the longevity noodles prepared for him the previous night, and he felt bad.

That’s not right. Wang Shuhuai was not a narrow-minded person, unless he found out about the sale of the birthday gift.

That’s not right either. Wang Shuhuai had never paid attention to these things.

At that moment, Xie Yunchu suddenly lowered her eyes and saw her bulging chest. She then glanced at Wang Shuhuai lightly, and Wang Shuhuai’s eyes became deeper.

I see.

Xie Yunchu waved the fan and turned around leisurely, leaving only a cold and elegant back for Wang Shuhuai.

Wang Shuhuai: …

His brows knitted slightly.

Xie Yunchu returned to Chunjing Hall and planned to go out. She thought of doing some business, so she sent Mama Lin to the upper room to inform Madam Jiang. Madam Jiang was in high spirits, but when she heard that Xie Yunchu was going out, her face darkened, and she told Mama Ming beside her, “Send someone outside to stop her and tell her that I want her to serve me.”

Her son had made great progress and won favor in front of the Emperor and officials, which gave Jiang confidence.

Mama Ming was Jiang’s companion and the mother of Ming Gui and Ming Lan. She did not respond, but only gestured to the maids to leave. Then she knelt before Jiang and said earnestly, “Master, think about it carefully. Huai’er is your son and her husband. You think it’s respectable, and so does she. Besides, we can’t outlast the young people. In the future, she will be the one who makes the decisions for our second branch.”

Jiang was not convinced. “Then he can divorce her.”

Mama Ming smiled bitterly. “Look at you, just saying such foolish things. Who arranged this marriage? Are you going to disobey the order?”

Seeing that Jiang fell silent, Mama Ming struck while the iron was hot and said, “The Duke and the Princess both think highly of her. She and the Young Master have a bright future. You should focus on yourself and treat her well. If you offend her too much, your future will be limited.”

Jiang paused for a moment and said nothing more.

Wang Shuhuai was summoned to the palace by the Emperor to take over trade negotiations. He had become a favorite of the Emperor, and Xie Yunchu also got into the carriage and left early.

Xia An asked her, “Where are we going?”

Xie Yunchu replied, “To a very good place.”

Half an hour later, the carriage stopped on a wasteland. A wide stream ran beneath their feet, extending eastward to the city wall, bypassing a dense green bamboo forest. In the distance, there were a few farmhouses, plots of land, orchards, and vegetable seedlings stretching as far as the eye could see.

Xia An’s face fell. “Miss, this place is so desolate. How can it be called a good place?”

Xie Yunchu smiled and instructed Uncle Lin, who was accompanying them, “Find out if the fields and houses on both sides of the river can be sold. If so, we will buy them.”

Uncle Lin and Xia An’s expressions changed. The area was bordered by sloping green hills, with the water flowing eastward to Guangqumen outside the city and extending westward to the vicinity of Anhua Temple at the junction of Chong Nanfang and Chong Beifang. Although it wasn’t completely deserted, it was far from lively.

Both Uncle Lin and Xia An gave her puzzled looks, but Xie Yunchu couldn’t explain her reasoning to them yet, so she simply said, “I have my own intentions; just go and do it.”

There were two water transport routes for the Jin Dynasty to enter the capital. One was the North Gate waterway near Xuanwu Gate, which was exclusively for official transportation. The other was the East Gate waterway, reserved for civilian or commercial use.

Unfortunately, in the summer of the ninth year of Tianxi, a massive flood severely blocked the Caohe River outside Dongbianmen Gate, causing the river embankment to collapse. Later, officials from the Ministry of Labor surveyed the area and found that too much silt had accumulated, making it impossible to build a solid embankment. Clearing all the silt and constructing a new embankment would have been costly. Instead of attempting to rebuild an unstable Caohe embankment, it was deemed better to find an alternative.