Chapter 180

Chapter 180: Dividing the Family This was the most sensitive and most important matter to a man. If he hadn't cared about it, Song Shulan wouldn't have gone to Gao Jingzhi for medicinal wine. Before, the process had merely been unsatisfactory; now he couldn't even bear to look at his own member. When asking this question, Song Shulan didn't dare look directly into County Princess Rongjia's eyes, but stole glances from time to time. "Why doesn't the County Mistress say anything?" Song Shulan's heartstrings tightened. He had his dignity too, especially in front of his own woman. County Princess Rongjia certainly cared. She couldn't bear children to begin with—so why had she remarried? Because she liked Song Shulan, and she also wanted a man who would be attentive and warm her bed at night. Before, in the Du family, she and Elder Master Du had grown to loathe each other by the end, living like a widow with a living husband. She had thought remarriage would bring happiness, only to encounter this kind of problem. County Princess Rongjia still liked Song Shulan in her heart, but thinking that Song Shulan's member was useless—how could she not mind it? Facing Song Shulan's question, County Princess Rongjia could only say she didn't mind. "The feelings between me and Master Song have long transcended the mundane." "The County Mistress isn't just comforting me, is she?" "Of course not." "I think so too. The feelings between you and me—no one can change them." Song Shulan embraced County Princess Rongjia, enjoying a good while of tenderness. Although there was a reaction down there, they couldn't consummate their passion, so Song Shulan quickly released County Princess Rongjia to avoid his own embarrassment. Under Song Shulan's honeyed words, County Princess Rongjia still took out five thousand taels of silver. Returning to the front hall, Song Shucheng had already been caught and brought back, and Madame Jiang had also arrived. Only then did they learn that Song Shucheng's private assets had long been exhausted. Old Madame Song told Madame Jiang to pay, but Madame Jiang remained silent. "What, is Second Master no longer your husband?" Old Madame Song looked over with irritation. If it had been before, Madame Jiang would certainly have taken out the money, because she knew that if she paid, Second Master would be grateful to her, and the Old Madame would also have a good impression of her. But when He Pingping was giving birth, given Second Master's attitude and behavior—could a man really be relied upon? During this period, she had often privately discussed the affairs of the main branch with her maidservants. Why had Lady Cui taken back control of the household? And why had Lady Cui demanded the return of the money she had previously subsidized the Marquis's household with? Previously, she had still had some doubts, but it wasn't until He Pingping gave birth that she suddenly understood—only with money and power in one's own hands was it real. "To answer the Old Madame, Second Master is indeed my husband. But you don't know that before this, Second Master had already taken quite a lot of money from me. Now I don't have much... not much money left." Madame Jiang couldn't refuse to pay a single cent, but she also knew that with the Old Madame and the Marquis present, they would certainly resolve the matter for Second Master. Old Madame Song asked how much she had. Madame Jiang said she only had two to three thousand taels of silver, which was already her limit. "If it really won't do, I... I'll go back to my natal family to borrow. But my family has a stepmother, and she has never paid me any mind. If I don't tell the truth, my father probably won't lend me money." With that, Madame Jiang began to wipe her tears. "What is this all about? I hoped to live a good life with Second Master—how could he get involved in gambling?" Before Old Madame Song could rebuke her, Madame Jiang started crying first. Old Madame Song's head was spinning, and she couldn't very well let Madame Jiang go back to her natal family to borrow money. Song Shulan was even more choked with anger, and he delivered a vicious kick at his younger brother—only to pull something in his crotch, causing him to wince in pain. Seeing this, Song Shulan grew even angrier and roared loudly, "You still dare to dodge? You beastly thing—how could our Song family produce a scoundrel like you?" Song Shulan grabbed a horsewhip and lashed out fiercely. Song Shucheng howled in pain. "Mother, save me! Please, all of you, help me—I won't dare do it again!" He crawled on his knees to Old Madame Song's side. With the Old Madame present, Song Shulan had no choice but to stop. "Enough. He knows he was wrong now—what use is beating him? The urgent matter is to find a way to solve the problem!" Speaking of this, Old Madame Song grew increasingly dissatisfied with Cui Lingrong. Clearly Cui Lingrong had money in hand, yet at a time like this she watched and did nothing to help. Just then, Manager Zhu sent someone again to urge them, saying that it was getting dark. "Our manager says that if the Marquis's household truly cannot produce that much money, it can also be paid in installments, with interest calculated." The gambling den's interest compounded upon itself. Old Madame Song immediately said that wouldn't do. She had Mama Xu go fetch her private savings, and sent someone to the third branch to borrow money. Though it was called borrowing, Old Madame Song had no intention of repaying. In the end, the third branch also contributed two thousand taels of silver, and with Old Madame Song's farmland as collateral, they barely managed to pay off the debt. Song Shulan took the money and the land deeds to see Manager Zhu. "We've paid off this debt. If my second brother goes to the gambling den again, just beat him out. But if you lend him money to gamble again, don't expect the Marquis's household to pay a single cent!" "Marquis Song jests. Our gambling den opens its doors to do business—every guest who comes in is our honored customer. We can only welcome them; how could we drive people away?" Manager Zhu, having received the money, said with satisfaction, "Rather than warning us, Marquis Song would do better to admonish Second Master Song and tell him not to come to the gambling den." Song Shulan was left choking on his words, but Manager Zhu's words weren't wrong. After the others left, he would return to deal with his second brother. At that moment, Cui Lingrong arrived. "What are you doing here?" Old Madame Song said crossly. "When the marquis mansion was in trouble just now, you didn't show your face. Instead, you come at a time like this. What are you plotting?" "Old Madame is mistaken. Just now it was Second Master who was in trouble." Cui Lingrong had already learned of the solution Song Shulan and the others had devised. Seeing Song Shulan return, she turned to ask, "How does the Marquis intend to handle this matter?" Song Shulan looked at his second brother kneeling beside Old Madame, wishing he could beat the man to death. But he was his own flesh and blood after all. After a moment's thought, he said, "Since this is the first time, let Second Brother kneel in the ancestral hall and take twenty strokes of the board!" "Marquis, according to clan rules, anyone who indulges in gambling to the point of selling off family property should be expelled from the clan." No sooner had Cui Lingrong finished speaking than Old Madame Song immediately said that wouldn't do. Cui Lingrong continued, "I also know that Old Madame values family bonds, but with something like this, if there's a first time, who can guarantee there won't be a second?" "What exactly do you want?" Old Madame Song now hated Cui Lingrong to the core. "When we needed you to step forward, you didn't. Now you come with your after-the-fact advice. Cui Lingrong, either you stay out of it entirely, or you contribute money and effort!" Madame Jiang and the others also looked over. They had all contributed money—only Cui Lingrong hadn't. Moreover, they all knew that money would never be recovered. If Cui Lingrong paid a portion, they could each pay less. To say there was no resentment would be a lie. But Cui Lingrong remained perfectly calm. "Old Madame, I'm only thinking of the marquis mansion's welfare. If Second Master can't reform himself, and next time he racks up another twenty or thirty thousand taels of debt, can the marquis mansion afford it?" This time they'd barely scraped the money together, let alone a next time. Old Madame Song didn't want to look at Cui Lingrong and told her eldest son to speak. But Song Shulan wanted to hear Cui Lingrong's thoughts. "Lady Cui, go ahead and share your analysis." "Since the Marquis has asked, I'll offer a few observations." Cui Lingrong swept her gaze across everyone in the room. "No one's money falls from the sky—whether it's Old Madame's or Third Branch's. Although the family hasn't been formally divided, dividends are distributed to everyone every year. This time, Second Master's debt should be deducted from those dividends." Hearing this, Madam Li and her husband felt somewhat pleased. Two thousand taels was no small sum—it would take them three years of saving to accumulate that much. Madame Jiang's brows knitted tightly. She was from the Second Branch. If the Second Branch's dividends were deducted, how was she supposed to get by? Old Madame Song mentally tallied how much money had been spent this time, feeling a pang of heartache as she wavered over whether to heed Cui Lingrong's words. Cui Lingrong continued, "Of course, the Second Branch still needs to live. Leave two-tenths for Second Sister-in-law. As for Second Master—not a single cent. We must also inform the taverns and gambling dens that whenever Second Master comes, they are not to receive him. The Jiangyuan Marquis Mansion will not acknowledge any of Second Master's bills." "Elder Sister-in-law, I'm still a man who needs to socialize in official circles. If I don't have a single coin on me, how am I supposed to hold my head up?" Song Shucheng refused to accept this. He was used to drinking and visiting courtesan houses on a daily basis. "If Second Master truly cared about face, how would he have ended up in today's situation?" Cui Lingrong mocked him without any pretense. "Besides, you have no ambition whatsoever. It's just as well you skip the socializing—consider it saving money." Song Shucheng refused to back down. "Elder Brother, Mother, listen to what Elder Sister-in-law is saying! Is that even human words? She's far too heartless!" Song Shulan fell silent. He was indeed thoroughly disappointed in his second brother. Old Madame Song still held hope for her second son, but as she hesitated, Cui Lingrong's words persuaded her. "If Second Master truly needs to socialize, he can request funds from the Marquis. If it's legitimate socializing and the Marquis approves, the family coffers will cover it." Cui Lingrong looked at Old Madame. "Old Madame, you wouldn't want Second Master to drain the marquis mansion dry, would you?" Cui Lingrong had thought of everything, covering every angle. Old Madame Song couldn't find a single fault for the moment. Song Shulan immediately agreed. "We'll do as Lady Cui says. Qingshan, take Second Master to receive his beating—and make it good and hard!" Song Shucheng panicked. He'd never been beaten with boards in his entire life. When the board came down, the pain of his flesh splitting open made his scalp tighten. In the moment before he passed out, he gritted his teeth fiercely. "I don't accept this! I want to divide the family!"