“Miss, Second Miss…” Nanny Tong’s complexion didn’t look good. After curtsying, she said: “Steward Liu, whom our mansion sent back to our old hometown, Shouyang, to oversee the renovation of the ancestral residence, has returned and is currently reporting the renovation matters to Madam.”

“Is there something improper?” Bai Qingyan put down her teacup and asked.

“Those clan members in Shouyang are simply shameless…” Nanny Tong was so angry her temples were throbbing as she spoke. “When Steward Liu went back, he discovered that the Fifth Master’s entire family from the main branch was living in the ancestral residence. After Steward Liu inquired around, he learned that in previous years, our mansion would send word in advance that we were returning… only then would they move out. Once we left, they would move back in! Yet the clan still had the face to say they were taking care of the ancestral residence for our Bai mansion and asked Madam for benefits!”

“They send people to clean every time we return – that’s clearly because they’re afraid of exposing traces of their occupation, yet they dare to claim credit!”

Nanny Tong had already been disgusted to the extreme by the clan’s behavior and attitude during the Bai family’s great mourning. Hearing Steward Liu’s report about the Shouyang clan’s affairs, she was so angry that her heart, liver, and lungs hurt.

Bai Jinxiu’s face also changed as she heavily placed her teacup on the black lacquered side table: “How shameless!”

“Steward Liu also said that our residence had just been renovated, and before he could even leave, Fifth Master’s family moved back in, saying that the Shouyang ancestral residence was a house passed down by the Bai family ancestors, meant to be inherited by the eldest son and legitimate grandson…” Nanny Tong clutched the handkerchief in her hands, her eyes reddening. “They said our Bai mansion now has no men to continue the family line, so the residence should naturally belong to the clan. Their family has lived in the residence for many years with the clan leader’s permission! If the Bai family women return, the clan would pity them and build a wall in the middle, giving the Bai family women a small portion of the ancestral residence to live in. They also said… they would build the wall very high to prevent… to prevent our Miss’s malevolent aura from clashing with them.”

Bai Jinxiu angrily slammed her palm on the table: “This clan is going too far! If that’s their reasoning, where were they before? They waited until we finished renovating to shamelessly come and steal it. Do they think the Bai family has no one?!”

“That Fifth Master’s family, relying on having many supporters in Shouyang, had already called craftsmen to build a wall in the middle of the courtyard. Steward Liu sent people to desperately stop them and immediately rode back to report to Madam!” Nanny Tong was so angry that her chest heaved violently.

Bai Qingyan’s eyes darkened, and her heart felt like it was burning with fire. The clan… for years had been like blood-sucking parasites demanding benefits from the Bai family!

Now seeing that all the Bai family men were gone, they didn’t even want face anymore, only thinking about how to extract more benefits from the Bai family.

That old saying was right: “A bushel of rice creates gratitude, but a peck creates resentment.” It was the grandfather and father’s indulgence that fed the clan’s growing appetite.

“Elder sister, do you want to go ask about it?” Bai Jinzhi asked.

“I’ll change clothes and go over.”

Nanny Tong probably hadn’t heard all the details. Bai Qingyan needed to personally ask Steward Liu.

There were also the property deeds and land contracts for the ancestral residence – she didn’t know if they were with the clan or originally held by grandfather.

If they were with their grandfather, then their grandmother should have handed them all to their mother, Dong Shi, before going to the Imperial Pure Nunnery for spiritual cultivation.

If the property and land deeds were there, that would be manageable. If they weren’t… she’d have to think of another way.

Although Bai Jinxiu was already married, she still cared about the Bai family affairs. She waited for Bai Qingyan to change clothes and followed her to Dong Shi’s place, where Steward Liu hadn’t left yet.

Dong Shi was already so angry her face was iron-blue, and the handkerchief in her hands was deformed. If not for her upbringing and composure, she might have started cursing.

When Steward Liu saw Bai Qingyan and Bai Jinxiu enter and bow to Dong Shi, he hurriedly stood up, his eyes immediately reddening: “Miss! Miss has finally returned safely from Nan Jiang!”

When Steward Liu was still in Shouyang, every time he heard about the Nan Jiang war situation, he was on tenterhooks. Later, hearing that Miss had killed over a hundred thousand Xiliang surrendered prisoners in Nan Jiang and achieved a great victory, he was both happy and worried. He burned two incense sticks for Duke Zhenguo and Duke Zhenguo, praying for Duke Zhenguo Bai Weiting and Duke Zhenguo Bai Qishan to protect Miss’s safety, and even cried.

Now seeing Bai Qingyan appear before him completely unharmed, how could Steward Liu not be excited?

“I’ve worried, Uncle Liu!” Bai Qingyan smiled at Steward Liu. “Uncle Liu, please sit. Regarding the Shouyang ancestral residence matter, Jinxiu and I heard some from Nanny Tong. As for the specifics… please tell me in detail, Uncle Liu.”

Steward Liu told Bai Qingyan about the Shouyang situation in detail, which was roughly the same as what Nanny Tong had said, with some details slightly more complete.

For instance, the old steward who was supposed to watch over the ancestral residence for the Bai family had already been bought off by the Fifth Master. Even the renovation blueprints were drawn up by the clan’s Fifth Master beforehand, specifically to make the Bai mansion spend money… so they could live more comfortably.

When Steward Liu returned this time, Fifth Master took out the mansion’s blueprints and, with a grand stroke of his brush, divided the residence into two, taking the larger half for themselves and leaving the smaller half for the Bai family. He claimed their family had lived in those courtyards of the ancestral residence for many years, and since the Bai mansion now consisted only of orphans and widows, the front courtyards were meant for men anyway, so they wouldn’t give them to the Bai mansion.

That condescending attitude of bestowing charity upon the Bai family orphans and widows treated the ancestral residence passed down by the Bai family ancestors as completely their property.

Later, when the clan’s Sixth Master learned of this, he also wanted a share and was unwilling to let Fifth Master take everything, so the two brothers even fought.

This fight made everyone in the clan aware. Some felt this was improper, others intended to get a share, and still others, plotting to have Dong Shi adopt their descendants, clamored that the Fifth Master was going too far. Although all the Bai family heirs had died, as long as Dong Shi chose someone from the clan to adopt, the main branch would have an heir. They said Fifth Master’s behavior was too ugly.

In short, it was complete chaos!

Seeing this situation, Steward Liu first sent people to stop the craftsmen who were about to build the wall. Feeling that the clan was in fierce conflict and nothing would happen immediately, he returned to report.

“Mother, are the land contracts and property deeds for the ancestral residence with mother?” Bai Qingyan asked.

Dong Shi shook her head, her brow tightly furrowed: “If the land contracts and property deeds for the ancestral residence were all in our mansion, the clan members wouldn’t dare be so arrogant! Our mansion only has the land contracts – the property deeds are with the clan.”

Originally, the clan leader position should have been held by the legitimate second son of the main branch, so the Bai family’s property deeds had always been kept within the clan. Later, during the great war, when all the legitimate sons of Bai Qingyan’s great-grandfather’s generation died in battle, they recorded a concubine’s son under Bai Qingyan’s great-grandmother’s name as a legitimate son to hold the clan leader position.

By rights, when it came to Bai Qingyan’s grandfather Bai Weiting’s generation, it should have been grandfather’s younger brother who became clan leader, but grandfather had no younger brother…