He Zhizhong considered the situation. The old fox didn’t heed Prince Ning’s influence and had seized upon his weakness of doting on his daughter. Knowing that He Zhizhong had a family to support, he wouldn’t easily engage in a hard confrontation unless necessary. It seemed pointless to push further today; doing so might give the old fox an excuse to use with Prince Ning. Both sides had prepared backup plans, so there was no fear of tricks. He didn’t reject Liu Chengcai’s proposal.
He watched Liu Chengcai write the guarantee, seal it with his private seal, and carefully read it over to confirm its accuracy. After the ink dried, He Zhizhong carefully tucked it into his robe. He bid farewell to Liu Chengcai, thanked Qi Changlin, and left with his two sons, whose faces showed reluctance and fierce glares.
Unsure of the outcome, Qi Changlin asked Liu Chengcai, “Brother-in-law, how did it go? I need to report back.”
Liu Chengcai replied seriously, “Everything’s settled. Report that our families have agreed amicably to part ways peacefully. However, Zishu regrets it and is reluctant. We need some time to persuade him gently. This way, we can prevent him from troubling the He family’s Danniang in the future, saving face for everyone. That’s the most appropriate approach.”
Though his words seemed reasonable, the matter still wasn’t fully resolved. Qi Changlin said hesitantly, “I’m afraid they’ll think we’re just stalling. Why don’t you strike while the iron is hot and persuade Zishu properly? A great man shouldn’t worry about finding a wife. Why is he being so stubborn?”
Liu Chengcai was displeased to see Qi Changlin more anxious than the He family. “What do you mean, stalling? Did you see how shrewd and fierce the He family looked? How could we possibly stall them? I just wrote them a guarantee with my seal. Isn’t my guarantee worth anything? It just needs some time. Don’t worry, what’s our relationship? Would I deceive or harm you? I’ve never done anything to wrong my relatives!”
Since a written guarantee had been provided, Liu Chengcai wouldn’t back out. Seeing Liu Chengcai speak so righteously and realizing he had indeed never wronged his family, Qi Changlin felt embarrassed. He dared not say more and hurried off to report.
Liu Chengcai sat alone for a while, mentally rehearsing his next steps to ensure nothing would go wrong. Then he said, “Bring Xixa to me.” The He family was always cautious in business, with their methods that couldn’t be interfered with, so he had to approach through Mudan.
Liu Chengcai stroked his beard and thought silently, “He Mudan, you’ve never wronged my family, but I’m going to wrong you now. Who told you not to behave and instead put on this act?”
After leaving the Liu residence, the He family mounted their horses and rode slowly. He Dalang, no longer agitated, asked He Zhizhong quietly, “Father, he was deliberately making things difficult for us because of the money. Why didn’t we agree from the start? We’ve wasted so much time, and Mother and Danniang must be anxious at home.”
He Zhizhong patiently explained, “If I had been too willing at first, wouldn’t he have become suspicious? The harder it is to obtain, the more at ease he’ll feel, thinking we fear him. In the future, if anything happens, he won’t suspect us; at most, he’ll blame bad luck.”
It was like doing business: if a seller agrees too quickly to a buyer’s price, the buyer becomes suspicious. If the seller resists and negotiates hard, the buyer feels it’s worth it even if they pay a bit more. He Dalang chuckled, “It’s hard to swallow this anger. Once Danniang’s matter is settled, let’s leave quickly. Let that father and son pair suffer a great loss!”
He Erlang asked, “Father, let me see the old fox’s guarantee?”
He Zhizhong took out the folded paper from his robe and handed it to him. After carefully studying it, He Erlang smiled, “With this guarantee, we’re sure to get Danniang’s divorce papers.”
He Dalang asked to see it too. After examining it, he refolded it and returned it to He Zhizhong, saying, “The second brother’s plan was indeed clever. We needed someone more important than him to intervene; only then could this matter be resolved. Otherwise, who knows how long he would have dragged it out?”
He Erlang disagreed, “Actually, he doesn’t take Prince Ning seriously at all. This was just a convenient excuse. He’ll surely find other ways to trouble us in the future. We should all be careful.”
He Zhizhong said, “I know Liu Chengcai’s temperament. He won’t make mortal enemies or easily resort to life-threatening actions, but he’ll certainly make our lives uncomfortable. We should be cautious.”
He Dalang said, “Thanks to Xingzhi. Those two precious horses were exchanged for just a word from Prince Ning. Father, you mustn’t shortchange him!”
He Zhizhong smiled, “Of course not.” He looked at his eldest and second sons with satisfaction. These sons, one skilled in civil matters and the other in martial arts, had been a great help to him over the years. In their jewelry and spice business, good eyesight and knowledge of goods weren’t enough; one needed courage, wisdom, and the ability to go anywhere and protect their merchandise.
He Dalang was bold and strong, unafraid of challenges. If others were cruel, he could be even crueler. He could maintain composure even if he had to stab his leg to prove his toughness. He Erlang, unlike his brothers, was slender like Mudan, no matter how much he ate. In a world where physical strength was paramount, he learned early on that he couldn’t compete directly with others. He was more thoughtful and cautious, fond of literature and strategy books like Sun Tzu’s Art of War. The two brothers worked well together, forming an invincible team.
In a few years, when He Zhizhong grew old, he could confidently hand over the business to He Dalang and He Erlang. The younger children were also promising in their ways, especially the fourth son, who was both brave and clever. Once Mudan’s marriage was settled, there would be nothing left to worry about. Thinking of this, He Zhizhong’s mood greatly improved.
The father and sons returned home in high spirits, immediately surrounded by children as they dismounted. Seeing Mudan sitting in the corridor, they called out happily, “Danniang! It’s half done!”
Mudan had been anxious all day, unable to focus on anything. After tending to her twenty-some peony plants, she sat in the corridor outside Madam Cen’s room, watching her older nieces embroider partridges, geese, and mandarin ducks on their skirts with gold thread, while eagerly waiting for He Zhizhong’s return. She had imagined several possibilities, hoping for the best but prepared for the worst. She never expected this outcome – half done!
“What does that mean?” Before Mudan could speak, Madam Cen had already risen to greet them, chiding, “Either it’s done or it’s not. What does ‘half done’ mean?”
He Zhizhong showed them the guarantee, not mentioning Liu Chengcai’s difficulties, and just smiled, “Liu Chang is unwilling, so we need some time to fully settle it. But Liu Chengcai has agreed. I wasn’t at ease, so I made him write this guarantee.” He added, “Danniang, they say Liu Chang is under house arrest. I’ll have someone check; if he truly hasn’t left the house these days, you’ll be free to go out.”
He Dalang and He Erlang just smiled foolishly, not mentioning whether they got the money back. The three He men didn’t bring it up, having agreed beforehand that if the money was returned, it would go to Mudan. If not, they would use this as an excuse to secretly provide Mudan with extra support. Mentioning it now in front of everyone might cause the daughters-in-law to have thoughts, so they decided not to bring it up.
Madam Cen didn’t ask, knowing He Zhizhong must have his reasons for not mentioning it in front of everyone. Mudan didn’t ask, fearing they might think she was fixated on the money. However, one of the daughters-in-law eagerly asked, “When will their family return Danniang’s large remaining dowry? They’re not planning to keep it, are they?”
He Zhizhong and Madam Cen simultaneously glanced at the speaker – it was the youngest daughter-in-law, Sixth Son’s wife, Madam Sun. This was unexpected. Madam Cen usually wouldn’t speak in such situations, so He Zhizhong calmly replied, “It will be returned when the divorce is finalized. They can’t keep it.” His eyes, however, glared fiercely at Madam Yang, whose face had changed dramatically.
Most family members weren’t clear about the details of this large sum, only knowing it was Mudan’s dowry and that the Liu family had married Mudan for her substantial dowry. The exact amount was unknown. Only Madam Cen, Concubine Zhu, He Dalang, He Erlang, Madam Xue, and Madam Bai knew the full story. Madam Yang had coincidentally overheard some details. He Zhizhong had sternly warned her not to mention a word afterward. When Mudan returned home this time, she only mentioned that some of her belongings were still at the Liu residence, without going into details. How could Madam Sun ask so clearly now if not for Madam Yang’s gossip? He Zhizhong wanted to severely reprimand Madam Yang but feared drawing others’ attention, so he had to hold back for now and just calmly answer Madam Sun.
As soon as she spoke, Madam Sun sensed the atmosphere change. The sisters-in-law who usually showed affection and concern for Mudan were now silent. Madam Zhen looked at her strangely, and her parents-in-law’s expressions darkened. Madam Yang looked uneasy, while only Concubine Zhu and Mudan remained composed. Though she didn’t understand why, she sensed she had said something wrong. She became upset, thinking she had only asked out of concern. Surely they didn’t think she had designs on Mudan’s dowry? Fine, she wouldn’t ask about it again.
Observing the situation, Mudan sensed trouble and quickly approached He Zhizhong, coaxing him, “Father, yesterday Fifth Sister-in-law and Sixth Sister-in-law took me to eat cold noodles, but we couldn’t get any. The children also said they wanted some. Since you’re home early today, why don’t you buy some for us?”
He Zhizhong finally shifted his gaze from Madam Yang, who breathed a slight sigh of relief. While grateful to Mudan, she inwardly cursed her bad luck. She felt wronged, as she truly hadn’t mentioned this to anyone. How could she possibly contend with the united front of Madam Cen, Concubine Zhu, and their five sons? Moreover, she wasn’t foolish; she knew very well how Sixth Son had been treated over the years. He Zhizhong would surely not shortchange Sixth Son and her in the future, so why would she offend He Zhizhong and Madam Cen? She wondered who had instigated the foolish Sixth Son’s wife to say such a thing. Whoever was trying to harm her and Sixth Son, she wouldn’t let them off easily!