Fortunate Life of the Rural Beauty
Chapter 530 - 521: Separation of Family

Chapter 530: Chapter 521: Separation of Family

The Second Master was livid. Mrs. Li’s appetite was getting out of hand, as if a fifth-rank official was some sort of nobility. He did not hold back, lashing out at her with harsh slaps across her face.

His assault on Mrs. Li was propelled by her attempt to sabotage the marriage between Chu Zhen and the Fourth Young Master of Liu family. She had slandered the Liu family, causing them to reconsider the marriage. It was eventually the Second Master, who pleaded with the Third Madam to apologize on Mrs. Li’s behalf, that managed to appease the Liu family. This incident had not yet been addressed when she dared to bring another matter, even suggesting that his eldest brother was selfish. Now, even Second Master was aware of the suspicion the Emperor held for his older brother, yet Mrs. Li had the audacity to make such demands.

Mrs. Li had been feeling perpetually unsettled. She thought that Chu Zhen, as the legitimate daughter of Marquis’ Mansion, and Chu Ling’an, as the legitimate son, were both underperforming, one failing to secure a good marriage, the other unable to secure a good future. She felt they were falling way short compared to the legitimate children of the first and third families, they weren’t even as accomplished as their own illegitimate child.

When Second Master laid hands on her, all the pent-up rage Mrs. Li had been repressing within her exploded, and she retaliated. Second Master, who had already lost an arm and was further weakened by his indulgence in sexual pleasure could not stand a chance against Mrs. Li’s wrath. In a few rounds, she had left deep bloody scratches across his face.

Enraged beyond belief, Second Master roared, "Get out, go back to your mother’s house, I want a divorce!"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Li was petrified. She immediately ceased her attack, pleading tearfully for Second Master’s forgiveness. She even offered to give him 2,000 taels of silver, to buy the girl, Small Wushaung, whom he had long fancied at Yihong Pavilion, and also to purchase a house for her. Neither Marquis Chu nor Marquis Chu Jr. would ever allow a prostitute to enter their residence as a concubine.

Throughout the decade or more Mrs. Li had been managing Marquis’ Mansion, she had embezzled tens of thousands of taels of silver, which she stashed away as part of her own dowry. Previously, Second Master had squandered over ten thousand taels, and as she progressively invested in assets for herself and her children, she was left with over thirty thousand taels.

Upon hearing this, Second Master abandoned his earlier threats of divorcing Mrs. Li. Most of the money she had embezzled had been spent by him, which was why, no matter how much she infuriated him, she had managed to stay.

When word of this incident reached Marquis Chu and his servants, including Chen Afu, the Marquis was enraged and summoned Second Master to give him a dressing down.

Looking at his son’s scratched face and thinking of the courtesan he had brought as a concubine, Marquis Chu was filled with anger and frustration and gave him two more slaps. Grinding his teeth with resentment, he said, "Neither you nor your wife bring peace. Enough is enough, as soon as your third brother and Xuan’er return, we’ll divide the family property."

Shocked, Second Master fell to his knees and said, "How can we divide up while father is still alive? That would be unfilial. Besides, Imperial laws dictate that children cannot claim their inheritance while their parents are still alive."

Though he said this, he was secretly hoping for the division. Even though the main share would go to the eldest, the second branch would still receive a substantial amount. His father led a disciplined life and only had three sons. Unlike other families cluttered with legitimate and illegitimate children, there wouldn’t be much left once divided. If his father pitied him for being the poorest and gave him some extra private property, his portion of the inheritance wouldn’t be less than a hundred thousand silver taels. These resources would be at his disposal to spend as he pleased, and he would no longer have to tolerate Mrs. Li to get a bit of silver.

Marquis Chu knew what his son was thinking and said in a weary voice, "Although Imperial law exists, there are exceptions. When your third brother and his wife return, they will move to the Marquis of West Advancement Residence. Being the Western Marquis, he has already been awarded the mansion, that is his real home. Xuan’er will inherit my title, I and your elder brother will retire to the countryside, it is surely not suitable for your family to stay at your nephew’s place." He waved his hand and said,"You may leave, the less I see of you, the longer I might live."

After Second Master left, Marquis Chu went to Anrong Hall and summoned the Chief Steward. He discussed with Marquis Chu Jr. the matters regarding the division of the family property. After that, he had someone invite the Third Madam and Chen Afu to Anrong Hall as well.

Marquis Chu stated that they, as a group, should divide up the family property now. Once Chu Guangkai and Chu Lingxuan return, they would formalize the division at the yamen. He and Marquis Chu Jr. decided to share fifty thousand taels of silver, five thousand acres of fertile land, three estates and two storefronts with the households of the second and third wives, along with a reasonable amount of furniture.

The Third Madam was puzzled, "Father-in-law, why are we dividing the family property now? My husband and I have always wanted to stay by your side to serve you, and we are not in a hurry to move into the Marquis of West Advancement Residence."

Thinking of dividing the family property bring tears to the old man’s eyes. In a helpless voice, he said, "There’s no other way. The Second Master and his wife are reckless. I worry that after I and your elder brother move out to the countryside for good, Xuan’er and his wife may not be able to rein them in, and it would just cause more trouble."

Chen Afu, being a man of his previous life’s mindset, enjoys living a peaceful and quiet life, and he was eager to see the Second Master’s family divided. But he still made a few polite remarks, "Grandfather, you need not consider us. We, the younger generation, are willing to serve you. It’s merrier that way."

Marquis Chu shook his head, "Those who are filial, are always welcome around me. Those who aren’t, their presence only irritates me."

With that, no one dared to speak again.

Marquis Chu added, "Second child’s family is the weakest, I will additionally provide them with ten thousand taels of silver from my personal property. Both your families are wealthy, I don’t think there’s a need for me to contribute. After my death, you can split what’s left of my personal property amongst your families." Turning to Marquis Chu Jr., he said, "Mrs. Li took over fifty thousand taels of silver from you, well, pity the second child for his disability, give it to them."

Both Marquis Chu Jr. and the Third Madam agreed immediately.

The Third Madam, cheerful as ever, mused, "With all this property, I wonder how long it will take for the second uncle to consume it all."

Marquis Chu snorted, "If it were to be given to him directly, I don’t think it would last more than a decade. His great-grandchildren would then be pitiful. But, I have decided I will directly give the silver and the properties to An’er citing the second child’s bad health and Mrs. Li’s incompetence as the reason. An’er and his wife will manage the property. Furthermore, if the second child desires to spend a large amount of silver, An’er must report to me first. I will also assign Qi’er’s portion to him directly. He is a good boy and should not be held at Mrs. Li’s mercy."

Upon hearing this, both the Third Madam and Chen Afu began to laugh. They hadn’t expected the old master to be so cunning, completely shattering the Second Master’s delusions. If the Second Master wanted to indulge in luxury, he would still need to squeeze the embezzled silver out of Mrs. Li.

Marquis Chu then asked the Third Madam to quickly arrange marriages for Chu Lin and Chu Bi, the two illegitimate daughters of the Second Master. He wanted their marriages finalized before the official division of the property, as he didn’t trust Mrs. Li to manage their affairs. He also directed the Third Madam to draw out six thousand taels of silver from the second branch’s share for herself to guard for the girls’ dowry when they get married.

The Third Madam agreed readily. She had already identified several prospects and was in talks with them. She was more than willing to assist the two young ladies, not only because of her kind-heartedness but also because she did not want them to fall into Mrs. Li’s clutches after the division. If they were left in the hands of Mrs. Li, she could potentially sell them off without providing a decent dowry.

Afterwards, Marquis Chu Jr. began handing over the control of the properties and wealth in the Marquis’ Mansion to Chen Afu gradually.