The Wedding Date

"Old Madam."

Lin Yunjiao is gone, leaving only Lin Yunwan.

She hadn't expected that Old Madam Lin would go all out and promise to take half.

In other words, the Lin Residence returned the Su Shi's dowry in full, but half of it ended up in her hands.

"Yun Wan, I've said everything I needed to say. You don't need to overthink it. Everything I said is true."

Lin Yunwan nodded; she knew the Old Madam wouldn't lie.

Old Madam Lin smiled gently and said, "Didn't your friend also want to give you some luggage as a token of appreciation? Go back now, I want to rest too."

"Yes."

Lin Yunwan curtsied and left.

After everyone had left, Old Madam Lin rubbed her temples and said to Nanny Fan, "... Why are my eyes so blurry?"

Nanny Fan sighed and waited a long time before saying, "You've stood up for the Second Master so much, have you thought about what will happen in the future?"

"The dowry that Su Shi brought back back then was no small sum."

Old Madam Lin also sighed deeply.

How could she not guess that her selfish and foolish son probably only had half left to give back to its rightful owner?

"If you can't give them the whole amount, you should at least give them half to the Su Family!"

Old Madam Lin said meaningfully, "Otherwise, do you think they would let it go so easily?"

Nanny Fan remained noncommittal.

She helped the Old Madam to rest, saying, "You really need to rest well. The Second Master will probably come over again after he finishes his wine."

That was another storm.

"I know."

Old Madam Lin calmly went to rest.

There's nothing you can do about the mess you made.

As soon as it got a little dark, Lin Huabin and his relatives finished drinking and rushed to the Old Madam's place without even changing their clothes.

He didn't dare to show his anger openly, but his tone of voice wasn't very good.

"You are very understanding. Have you thought about your son? So much money... I've spent years managing things, it's impossible for me to leave without touching a single penny."

"You immediately offered to refund half. Sigh, how could you know the pain my son is going through?"

Old Madam Lin watched her second son quietly, and only asked after he had finished speaking, "Are you finished? Is there anything else you want to say? Please say it all."

Lin Huabin's face was ashen. "My son has finished speaking."

Old Madam Lin calmly said, "I only have three questions for you."

"Ask whatever you want!"

Lin Huabin still looked unconvinced.

Do you and the Su Shi have Legitimate Son?

"If this goes to court, do you have the ability to bribe the Prefect Jiangqian to protect you? Will your daughter, Yun Wan, help you take on this hot potato?"

"Do you want to return all of Su Shi's dowry?"

Lin Huabin's mind immediately cleared.

This isn't a question of whether he wants to return it or not; it's that he has to return it!

If it weren't for the Old Madam's intervention, Yun Wan had insisted on refusing, the Su Family would have taken it to court, and they wouldn't have given her just half...

"Mother, son... son..."

Old Madam Lin said sharply, "Back then, you never listened to a word I said."

"After Su Shi's death, not a single penny of her dowry was touched, nor was any money used for Yun Wan, who lived in the countryside. You can't get away with it even if you want to."

"You blocked your own path; you can't blame anyone else."

Overwhelmed with shame, Lin Huabin lowered his head helplessly and said, "Mother, your son was wrong."

Old Madam Lin remained silent.

Lin Huabin looked up at the Old Madam, his face flushed, and asked, "Mother, what should I do now?"

Old Madam Lin paused for a moment before asking, "How much of Su Shi's dowry is left?"

"Half... half!"

Lin Huabin couldn't hear the Old Madam's voice, and his heart pounded. He said, "The Su Shi family owns too many shops. Some were poorly managed, so my son sold them off or switched to other businesses. If those didn't work out, he had to sell them off again."

"Is there anything else...?"

"That's enough. Stop talking."

Old Madam Lin looked annoyed and said, "Let's focus on giving Yun Wan her dowry first!"

"As a dowry for Yun Wan?!"

Seeing the Old Madam's expression, Lin Huabin knew she wasn't joking, so he asked, "Really?"

Old Madam Lin sneered, "Do you think you can fool Prince Huan, or your Elder Brother-in-Law- in-law?"

Neither Prince Huan nor Yun Wan would take the blame for him.

Master Su is not easily fooled.

Lin Huabin stammered, wanting to say something, but his mind was a complete mess.

He was already caught in a state of anxiety.

Old Madam Lin smoothed out the faint wrinkles on her sleeves, trying to remind him, "Your Elder Brother-in-Law is much easier to talk to than Yun Wan and Prince Huan. You should consider this carefully."

"Then I'll do as you say."

Lin Huabin was still very troubled. "Then, what about the half that goes to the Su Family? What about our son?"

He simply couldn't produce it.

Old Madam Lin had also considered this, and said, "Move out what you should move from your residence. Sell what you shouldn't have taken with Zheng Shi and Yun Jiao, and take out what you should take out."

Lin Huabin was very reluctant and was still trying to find a way to refuse. "Mother, but this way it can't possibly match the original dowry list exactly."

It would be better if we could give less, or not give at all!

"The Su Family isn't stingy. Even if they can't return it exactly as it was, you can at least give them a similar amount, and they can make up for it gradually later. That should be acceptable."

Old Madam Su closed her eyes, growing impatient. "Stop nagging! Go and call your Elder Brother and Third Younger Brother over."

Does this mean we need to ask our Elder Brother and Third Younger Brothers for help?

Lin Huabin breathed a sigh of relief and said, "Son, I'll go right away."

Old Madam Lin shook her head in disappointment.

Nanny Fan said helplessly, "Second Master probably thinks you want Eldest Master and Third Master to cover for him."

He's dreaming.

Old Madam Lin wasn't senile yet. She said coldly, "Back then, he was afraid his brothers would take the Su Shi's property, so he insisted on dividing the family assets. I already gave in to his demands. Now he wants his eldest and third sons to clean up his mess? That's wishful thinking!"

She leaned back and sighed, "The same character 'Lin' can't be written with the same brush. Our Lin family still needs to consider the reputation of the Lin Clan. But what he owes the Su Shi, he has to repay himself."

Nanny Fan sighed inwardly.

Being a mother is tough!

But the most pitiful were Su Shi and her daughter who died young.

Why are you standing there waiting for me?

When Lin Yunwan returned to the Bixi Hall, she saw that Dong Shuangshuang's belly was already round and showing.

Dong Shuangshuang smiled and said, "I was tired of sitting, so I came out for a walk, and you just happened to be back."

The two went inside hand in hand, just as Cuiqin was changing the tea.

"Yun Wan, you scared me to death!"

Dong Shuangshuang, holding Lin Yunwan's hand, said, "I was so surprised to hear you were going to marry Prince Huan; I thought it was a lie!"

Until Lin Yunwan wrote to her.

The two chatted and laughed. Although Dong Shuangshuang found Lin Yunwan's marriage surprising, she was more concerned about whether Yun Wan was doing well.

"With my Old Madam at home, my life is excellent. How are you?"

Dong Shuangshuang mentioned her husband indifferently. "He can't move anymore. When he gets angry, he just smashes things. My Little Miss and I have moved to another Courtyard."

She touched her belly and smiled, "The Old Madam prays to the gods and Buddhas every day, hoping that I will have a boy this time."

"You have no idea how incredibly generous my Old Madam is to me and my Little Miss these days. She sends us all sorts of delicacies and tonics every day."

Lin Yunwan was very curious. "Your Old Madam doesn't care about her son's gambling debts, yet she's willing to give you nourishing foods?"

Dong Shuangshuang also found it laughable. "Do you think the Lu family has no money?"

"The Lu family is quite wealthy, with businesses spanning far and wide. However, the Old Madam is unwilling to give anything to her gambling son. Now, she's counting on this baby in my belly..."

Lin Yunwan seemed lost in thought.

Dong Shuangshuang looked at her and asked, "What's wrong?"

Lin Yunwan smiled and said, "Your good days are yet to come."

Dong Shuangshuang looked a little bewildered.

Lin Yunwan said, "Don't forget, the Lu family has had only one son for three generations. You're supposed to be the matriarch of the family after you marry into it."

"Mistress..."

Dong Shuangshuang murmured to herself, she had never imagined doing what her mother-in-law had done!

But she has two children, so she has to do it.

Yun Wan and Qi Lingheng's wedding date was set for Winter Month.

The Lin Residence was "lively" for several days.

Apart from the Bixi Hall, things were being moved everywhere in the Second Branch, mostly outwards, with very little being moved inwards.

They claimed it was to prepare a dowry for their daughter, but everyone in the Lin Residence knew that the Second Branch was actually paying off debts.

"Did your Madam not make a fuss?"

After listening to the commotion for several days, Lin Yunwan felt that the Zheng Shi was being too quiet, abnormally so.

Cuiqin said, "Madam didn't quarrel with Master. It was Second Miss who argued with the Matron and servants who were moving things, but as soon as Madam went over, Second Miss behaved herself."

Lin Yunwan smiled, "When did Second Miss become so obedient? She hates it when others take her things away from her."

Indeed, Lin Yunjiao almost ripped the roof off when she saw others moving away her familiar belongings.

Zheng Shi rushed over and subdued her with a single sentence.

"Do you want to be the Prince Huan Consort?"

The mother and daughter closed the door to talk. Zheng Shi muttered to herself for a while before finally saying, "... What's happening now is nothing. When you go to Prince Huan's Residence, you'll find even better things."

"Besides, these things are only being moved temporarily; they'll still be yours later."

Lin Yunjiao still had tear stains on her face.

"Mother, really?"

Zheng Shi wiped away her tears and said, "When have I ever lied to you?"

Lin Yunjiao skeptical.

She muttered, "But Mother, how come all the things I use are left behind by Yun Wan's mother...?"

Zheng Shi moved her lips, but did not give a reason.

"Good boy/girl. Just listen to your mother. I'll make sure you live a good life forever."

Lin Yunjiao nodded.

Once her mother left, she inevitably thought of her Cousin Wenhai again.

"Cousin..."

What exactly is her mother trying to do? Has she been lying to her all along?