You expect me to serve your mistress? The mistress is driving this scumbag and his entire family cra

Chapter 27: The only option left is to sell the ancestral home.

Grandma Fang was still feeling unwell. Even after taking nitroglycerin pills, her chest still felt tight and aching.

Throughout the year, Liang Jiang's mother frequently visited the household and helped her recover very well.

However, this blow immediately revealed the true nature of her condition.

But she was too embarrassed to ask anyone to go find Liang Jiang again, so she could only endure it.

The one who has been most exhausted these past few days is naturally Fang Chengxu.

Fang Yuan was spoiled and knew nothing about household affairs. She felt bored if she stayed with Old Madam Fang for too long, and at night, she would go back to her own room as soon as it got dark.

And she argued with conviction: "In the past, whenever my mother had a headache or fever, it was Liang Jiang who took care of her. I don't know anything about medicine, so there's no use in keeping me here."

Fang Chengxu made do with sleeping on the couch in the outer room for several nights.

The long couch was a bit narrow, and it was uncomfortable to sit on it all the time.

Old Mrs. Fang in the inner room also couldn't sleep well, tossing and turning, sighing and fussing, always bothering the old woman who was keeping watch at night, but she didn't need anything.

Fang Chengxu often thought that Liang Jiang must have had a very hard year, managing the Fang family mansion and dealing with those tedious and troublesome matters during the day, and taking care of her mother at night.
However, in just three days, when he returned to the capital, the spirit and high spirits in his eyes gradually dimmed, and he looked much more haggard with a stubble beard.

A servant rushed to report that Madam Tong had suddenly arrived. Fang Chengxu was very surprised and immediately ordered people to change their clothes. Naturally, he was negligent in greeting her when he went out of the mansion.

When Madam Tong learned that Old Madam Fang was ill, she couldn't find fault with her and went with Fang Chengxu to visit Old Madam Fang first.

After exchanging pleasantries, I directly stated my purpose.

"Yesterday I went to Huguo Temple to donate lamp oil. When I came out, there was a fortune teller at the gate who said that someone in my general's mansion might die this month."

What does "出人" mean?

"That means there should be fewer people in the family."

Grandma Fang comforted her, saying, "I'm afraid the sorcerer saw that you, Madam Tong, were wealthy and wanted to swindle you. That's their usual tactic, coaxing you into willingly spending money on rituals or ceremonies to ward off misfortune. Don't take it to heart."

Madam Tong shook her head: "It's better to believe in something than not to believe in something. I asked at the time if there was a way to resolve this."

The gentleman said that those who claim to be able to defy fate are all charlatans. How can things predetermined by fate be changed?
Unless, of course, a daughter in the family marries and takes her husband's surname, which is considered a sign of good fortune and fulfills this saying, the calamity can be averted.

Grandma Fang immediately understood the purpose of Madam Tong's sudden visit.

"Does your family intend to hold the wedding before the end of the month?"

Madam Tong nodded: "That's exactly what I was thinking."

"But there are only a dozen days left until the end of the month. The time is too short."

"When I came here, I also asked the fortune teller to check the birth charts of the two children. The 26th or 28th of this month is an auspicious day for marriage."

Grandma Fang was also afraid that if things dragged on for too long, something might go wrong. She agreed in her heart, but on the surface she looked very troubled.

“Of course we want Zhao’er to come into the family as soon as possible, but now I am sick and Zhao’er is in confinement after childbirth, so Chengxu is the only one taking care of everything inside and outside. There is no time to prepare many things, so it is a bit rushed.”

"We won't make a big fuss about the General's Mansion; we'll keep everything simple. As for the Fang family, we'll just follow the normal procedures, which will save us a lot of trouble. Ten days or so is enough time to prepare for the wedding and organize the banquet."

Old Mrs. Fang was eager to save money: "What about the betrothal gifts..."

"No need to worry about small, miscellaneous items, but the dowry absolutely cannot be less."

The mere mention of the dowry caused Old Mrs. Fang to become anxious and unwell again, groaning and moaning. A servant came in to administer her medicine, but she remained sluggish for a long time.

Upon hearing that her mother had arrived, Tong Zhao'er immediately sent Zhao Ma to invite her.

Upon meeting Madam Tong, he truthfully recounted everything that had happened at the Fang family in the past two days.

"I just found out that the Fang family has nothing left but an empty shell, and they even owe Liang Jiang several thousand taels of silver. Where would they get the money for the betrothal gifts? Mother, do you think the betrothal gifts could be reduced?"

Madam Tong looked at her daughter with disappointment and wanted to drag her back to the General's Mansion immediately, but the child had already been born, and the Fang family had already spread the word.

If I were to marry him, I would feel utterly stifled.

Madam Tong stopped complaining and gritted her teeth, saying, "Silly girl, the less money the Fang family has, the more we must have this betrothal gift! Their family business belongs to the two brothers, but the betrothal gift will be yours in the future. Your mother will put it all in your dowry."

Even if they force Fang Chengxu to sell the house, the dowry cannot be reduced.

Tong Zhao'er asked, feeling wronged, "If we sell the ancestral home, where will we live?"

"With your mother here, how could you be left to wander the streets? Your father and I have already agreed that the house on West Street will be your dowry."

After you two get married, you'll move into the house. Then you'll be the real mistress of the house, staying far away from this family. Why should you care how they live?

After considering this, Tong Zhao'er immediately beamed with joy.

Madam Tong called Fang Chengxu aside and said these words.

"A bride price is absolutely necessary; that's an old saying. Otherwise, no one in the husband's family will cherish a bride who comes for free."

But my general's mansion doesn't care about this little bit of silver. In the future, we will give it all to Zhao'er as a dowry to take back to the Fang family. Moreover, we will give Zhao'er a house in the capital as part of her dowry.

"We've already made our final concessions. If your Fang family continues to make excuses, you're being incredibly ungrateful. You'd better figure it out yourselves!"

Fang Chengxu was indeed too ashamed to refuse. After some back and forth, Madam Tong finally made a concession, agreeing to reduce the betrothal gift by another two thousand taels.

Before she left, she set a wedding date for the two of them, along with some specific details and procedures. She also left several servants for Tong Zhao'er, partly to provide support and partly to help the Tong family prepare for the wedding.

Fang Chengxu recounted Madam Tong's words to Old Madam Fang. Old Madam Fang asked with a worried look, "We can't afford to offend the General's Mansion. They're asking for an exorbitant amount, and we can only swallow our pride and bear it. But the Fang family is already at its wits' end. Where are we going to get so much money?"

Fang Chengxu gritted his teeth: "There are so many rumors going around in town these days, and the things people say are really nasty. I'm afraid I won't be able to borrow even a tael of silver."

The money for your daily expenses and medicine during your illness these past two days was borrowed from my classmates who passed the imperial examination with me.

"The only way to obtain this betrothal gift is by selling ancestral property."

Grandma Fang was startled, and Fang Yuan, standing beside her, was even more indignant: "What! Selling the house and land just to get you a wife! Big brother, how can you be so selfish?"

"The money will be returned. I'll coax Ah Zhao into redeeming it then."

"She's stingy even with five hundred taels of silver, would she really be willing to take out several thousand? Tong Zhao'er is openly trying to pocket all of the Fang family's assets! Brother, how can you be even more naive than me?"

Fang Chengxu stammered, "I've already inquired about my reward. According to custom, the court will at least reward me with four or five thousand taels of silver, silk and satin, or a mansion, etc. I'll try to raise some more money then, which should be enough to solve my immediate problem."

Fang Yuan was even more indignant: "The plan was well made, but everything is subject to change. What if this house is lost?"

I originally thought you'd married into a high-ranking family, bringing glory to your ancestors and allowing us to share in the good fortune. Now, however, you're going to go bankrupt marrying a penny-pinching miser!
"If I had known this would happen, I would have preferred things to be better when Liang Jiang was in charge of the household. Although I wasn't extremely wealthy, I lived a life of luxury and comfort."

Fang Yuan launched into a tirade, while Fang Chengxu, his face flushed red, remained silent.

(End of this chapter)