Each Had Their Own Plans

She smiled disdainfully, "The mothers of illegitimate children are either servants or from common families. Not only do they not receive a single penny of dowry, but their families also depend on the mansion for support. In the mansion, they only enjoy fine clothes and sumptuous food, and only know how to squander money, without contributing a single cent to the mansion's wealth. Why should their children enjoy the same treatment as the children born to the principal wife?"

"So your grandmother wasn't happy about dividing the money and land among your second and third uncles, not to mention the ancestral house. This house is in a good location, large in area, and was bestowed by the imperial family. Once it's divided, it will be difficult to get it back."

Xu Xi shook his head. "If we want to keep the house, we have to give them more land and shops. But there are only a few of us in our family, and we don't need many servants. How easy is it to maintain such a big house? If no one lives in the house for a long time, it will soon fall into disrepair."

She looked intently at the First Madam: "Mother, if we partition off the unused areas and rent them out, we could collect a considerable amount of rent each year, right? If so, would Grandmother agree?"

The old lady is so concerned about her reputation that she would probably refuse to rent out her ancestral home, something so shameful. But if she were willing, she wouldn't be at a disadvantage if she asked for less land and shops and kept the house.

The First Madam was taken aback.

She really hadn't expected such a bizarre move.

"This... this won't do!" She choked on her words.

Xu Xi's actions are truly subversive to the mindset of a woman from a wealthy family.

Wealthy and powerful families own many properties and don't care about money. They leave their houses empty and not rent them out, just so they can stay there occasionally during the year. They even have to send servants to guard and maintain the houses to prevent them from falling into disrepair. Moreover, they own more than one such house; they have two or three in the city and two or three outside the city.

That's called extravagance; that's called having plenty of money.

If even vacant villas are like this, one can only imagine the state of one's own house.

Unless one's family is so impoverished that they can't afford to eat, who would partition off a portion of their usual residence in the capital to rent out? This would probably become a laughing stock among the capital's aristocratic circles.

Upon seeing the First Madam's expression, Xu Xi knew that his idea was inappropriate.

"I was just mentioning it casually," she said with an awkward laugh.

"Madam, the Earl has returned and is with the Old Madam. He wants you to come over to discuss some matters," Caixia reported as she entered.

The servants in the manor are now in a dilemma about how to address Zhao Yuanxun. They used to call him "Lord Marquis," but that title is definitely out of the question now. Calling him "Earl" would be too offensive, as it might seem like they're hurting their master's feelings. Calling him "Master" doesn't seem appropriate either, for the same reasons.

In short, it's really difficult for people.

Not to mention the servants, even the First Madam herself was not used to it. She was stunned for a moment when she heard the words "Lord," before she realized that they were talking about Zhao Yuanxun.

"Miss Xi, why don't you go back and rest? I'm going to visit your grandmother," the First Madam said, standing up.

The two went out together. When they arrived near the Rongxi Hall, Xu Xi said goodbye to the First Madam and was about to turn back to Tea Tasting Residence when she saw a group of people coming from the direction of the Second Branch of the House. She stopped in her tracks.

"What are they doing?" The First Madam asked, frowning as she recognized the newcomers.

Several servants carried a stretcher, with Zhao Yuanliang lying on it. The four children from the second wife surrounded him, all heading towards him.

Xu Xi glanced at Zhao Ruyu and chuckled, "I guess she doesn't want to separate the family."

In the novel she was reading, the most glorious moment in the heroine Zhao Ruyu's life was when she married Fu Yunlang and later became the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan.

Now that Lady Wei has been convicted and executed, Earl of Suiping's Residence's mansion has been divided, Zhao Ruyu's situation is already awkward. After the division, she is no longer a noble lady, and she still has the burden of her adoptive mother who was beheaded by the court. Will the Wife of the Marquis of Pingnan still allow her to enter the family? It will be difficult for her to marry Fu Yunlang as smoothly as she did in her previous life.

In Zhao Ruyu's view, the stupid things Lady Wei did had completely ruined her life.

In the second branch of the family, Zhao Ruyu was unwilling to separate from the household, and neither was Zhao Jingli. It's likely that Zhao Yuanliang, who was the most capable of making decisions, was also unwilling to separate from the household.

If the family hadn't separated, Zhao Yuanliang wouldn't have had to worry about anything; he could have just lived a life of leisure. But after the separation, he had to arrange the marriages of his four children, the food, clothing, and other necessities for everyone in the household, and manage social obligations. For Zhao Yuanliang, who had never had to worry in his entire life, this was worse than death.

As for Zhao Jing'an and Zhao Rurui, they might not want to separate.

After the family splits up, given Zhao Yuanliang's carefree nature, the household will definitely be in chaos. Lady Wei was convicted and beheaded, so there's no need to worry about morality. Zhao Yuanliang might even bring in a stepmother for them during the mourning period.

With a stepmother comes a stepfather, and Zhao Jing'an can forget about his previous life. Zhao Rurui's marriage will now be in the hands of a strange woman.

In comparison, my kind and generous aunt is naturally more reliable.

The first wife naturally wanted to separate the family property. But thinking about her mother-in-law and looking at this large family, she got a headache.

Maybe this family won't even be divided.

"Mother, do you want to separate the family?" Xu Xi asked the First Madam before they got close.

"Of course I've wanted to, I've dreamed of it. But your grandmother..." The First Madam shook her head.

Xu Xi's eyes darted around, then she turned and instructed Caidie, "Go, call the Third Young Master here."

Caidie glanced at the First Madam, and seeing that she didn't object, she lifted her skirt and ran towards the main house.

"Sister-in-law, is my elder brother in the Rongxi Hall?" Zhao Yuanliang asked as he carried the stretcher to the First Madam.

"I'm here. Why aren't you resting? What are you doing running around?" the First Madam scolded gently. "Hurry up and take it inside."

A group of people entered Rongxi Hall, where the old lady and Zhao Yuanxun were indeed sitting and talking.

Without Zhao Yuanliang reminding them, Zhao Jingli's four children immediately knelt down before the old lady Zhao Yuanxun on behalf of their father.

"What are you doing?" Zhao Yuanxun stood up immediately upon seeing this.

Zhao Yuanliang, lying on the wooden plank, said, "Madam, eldest brother and sister-in-law, our branch of the family doesn't want to separate. I can't interfere with my third brother's side, but our branch doesn't want to be separated."

"This..." Zhao Yuanxun turned and glanced at his mother.

He knew his mother hadn't wanted to separate the family property before. She was quite angry about the house earlier.

If Zhao Yuanxun hadn't been heartbroken by Lady Wei's act of switching the children and Zhao Yuankun's cold behavior last night, he might have agreed to Zhao Yuanliang Zhao Yuanxun's request for his mother's sake.

But now he's not so happy about it.

It's said that brothers united can break gold. But his two brothers didn't help him at all; instead, they dragged him down. Zhao Yuanliang's wife had turned the family upside down; Zhao Yuankun saw him as an obstacle to his progress and wished he could get rid of him as soon as possible.

Living with a brother like that, he'll probably die a few years younger. It's bad enough that he himself dies young, but he'll also cause his wife to suffer.

Didn't Mother want the ancestral home? At worst, we can give more land and shops to both families. The eldest son's family lives a simpler life, but at least they'll have some peace and quiet.