All that glittering white silver, those gleaming jewels, and those stacks upon stacks of banknotes—Second Madam Chen’s eyes widened in shock. No wonder the third branch was making such a fuss about dividing the household; the third branch had really come into its own! But where on earth had the third branch gotten so much silver? They knew the third branch’s circumstances all too well. Even if they sold every member of the third branch’s household, they couldn’t scrape together this much money! Not to mention they had also acquired so much land and jewelry!
Second Madam Chen’s eyes went completely straight, stunned speechless by the third branch for the first time in her life. She hurriedly turned on her heel and left—this wouldn’t do, she had to go tell her mother-in-law, tell Old Madam Chen that the third branch wasn’t just trying to overturn heaven, they were clearly… household thieves?!
Nanny Wu, who had come with her from Old Madam Chen’s side, was no fool. As Second Madam Chen headed toward Old Madam Chen’s quarters, Nanny Wu was the first to call for the stewardesses and servants to seize all these things. How dare they steal silver from the household—this truly was rebellion!
Old Madam Chen had only just caught her breath with great difficulty. She was lying on her daybed, wheezing and gasping for air. When she saw Second Madam Chen rush through the door looking so flustered, she assumed there was more trouble from the third branch’s side. Immediately, she nearly couldn’t catch her breath again. Fortunately, though old, her spirit had always been strong and her ability to withstand shock was solid. After a moment’s recovery, she not only regained her composure but actually scolded Second Madam Chen instead: “What matter requires such panic? Speak properly if you have something to say!”
Second Madam Chen caught her breath, accepted the water that Huazhi handed her and took a sip, then recounted what had been uncovered from the third branch. Finally, she stared with eyes wide in utter disbelief: “I truly don’t know where the third branch found all these things. To put it bluntly, my sister-in-law’s dowry back in the day had a complete inventory list, and everyone knows roughly how much there was. Even if her dowry could multiply itself, it couldn’t suddenly become this much! You didn’t see it yourself—just the banknotes alone, stacked in a thick pile, amount to thirty or forty thousand taels…”
Third Madam Chen only knew that her lifeline had been intercepted. All the panic and anxiety in her heart vanished, and she stood at the courtyard entrance with the third branch’s servants, stubbornly pushing forward—these were things she had worked so hard to obtain. Some were meant for her daughter’s dowry, some for her son’s bride price. Her daughter had now had her engagement broken off, and though it wasn’t her daughter’s own fault, the current circumstances were unfair to young women. Girls whose engagements had been broken weren’t worth much anymore. For her daughter’s future, she had to accumulate more silver, save more dowry money for her so she could live better. And there were those large pieces of furniture she’d just had made—if only she’d known, she wouldn’t have brought them back here. Unfortunately, the residence outside hadn’t been tidied up yet; otherwise, she should have moved the furniture there first.
Her mind was in complete chaos, but one thing she understood crystal clear no matter what—right now, before Old Madam Chen and the others arrived, she had to get these things moved out!
Nanny Wu stood at the forefront, blocking Third Madam Chen’s path. She spread her arms wide, smiling without mirth as she looked at Third Madam Chen: “Third Madam is really too hasty. You say you want to divide the household just like that—has the clan agreed? How will the family assets be divided? Has the documentation been drawn up? Has it been filed with the Ministry of Rites? For Third Madam to be moving everything out right now doesn’t quite follow the rules, does it?”
Third Madam Chen had no desire whatsoever to speak with these cunning old servants. There wasn’t a single person around Old Madam Chen who wasn’t shrewd, and she simply couldn’t out-argue them. So she simply didn’t bother trying, instead directing her own people to force their way inside.
But Nanny Wu knew the matter was extraordinary. She was Old Madam Chen’s confidant, and after Nanny Chen had been sent away, she had become the foremost person at Old Madam Chen’s side. Now, concerning Old Madam Chen’s vital interests, she wasn’t willing to yield even half a step, nor could she absolutely yield. She immediately led her people to form a solid line across the courtyard, refusing to let Third Madam Chen carry away the trunks even if it killed her.
Third Madam Chen was so anxious her eyes turned red. Inside those trunks were the IOUs that Third Master Chen had signed for Zhou Chengfang! If these things were discovered, her heart raced with urgency, yet she couldn’t find a way through. Unable to help herself, she grew desperate, her reddened eyes fixing on Nanny Wu: “These are all my dowry! Could it be that your Chen family wants to privately swallow a daughter-in-law’s dowry?!”
Nanny Wu looked up at her coolly, still wearing that expression of watching a good show with disdain: “Whether or not it’s your dowry, tomorrow when we open the ancestral hall and divide the household, we’ll just compare it against your dowry list and we’ll know, won’t we? It’s only a matter of one night’s difference anyway. If Third Madam hasn’t done anything shameful or committed any contemptible acts, what is there to fear? If this really is your dowry, would Old Madam not let you take it when the time comes? You’re overthinking things…”
Third Madam Chen was so anxious sweat covered her forehead. One moment she cursed her own people as useless, the next she complained they were too few—after all, this was still the Chen family residence, and the third branch’s servants were also the Chen family’s servants. She couldn’t really command them effectively, which truly infuriated her. Watching time drag on longer and longer, she could no longer endure it. Pointing at Nanny Wu, she turned to her own dowry servants behind her: “Go tie her up for me!”
First tie up this troublemaker in front of her, move the things out, and then deal with the rest. Once the things were no longer in the Chen residence, she’d like to see how these people could do anything to her in the future!
Nanny Wu immediately began squealing like a stuck pig, crying out repeatedly that Third Madam was going to kill someone.
A maid at Third Madam Chen’s side came running in frightened: “Third Madam, Old Madam and Second Madam are heading this way!”
Third Madam Chen grew even more anxious. If these things were seen by Old Madam Chen and Second Madam Chen, then even jumping into the Yellow River wouldn’t wash her clean. In her panic, her actions lost all restraint. She stepped forward and viciously slapped Nanny Wu across the face, her whole body trembling with rage: “You shut your mouth!”
Nanny Wu struggled fiercely. With her hands pinned behind her back, she used both feet to kick wildly. Finally, she found an opening and bit down hard on someone nearby, managing to break free at last.
When Third Madam Chen saw her charging toward the trunks, she could no longer care about propriety or hierarchy. She rushed forward to pull Nanny Wu back. With this pull and Nanny Wu’s fierce struggling, Nanny Wu couldn’t stop her momentum and crashed straight into the sharp corner of a large cart, immediately striking her forehead bloody.
Waves of shocked cries rose all around. Third Madam Chen stood frozen in place, clutching Nanny Wu’s outer garment. Seeing Nanny Wu turn her head, face covered in blood, Third Madam Chen screamed in terror and hastily threw away the clothing in her hands.
Nanny Wu had been struck in the temple. She only managed to glance back toward Third Madam Chen behind her before instantly going limp and collapsing.