Contentment with modest wealth

Chapter 31 Are you coming or not?

Although his adoptive father Xie Zhang was meticulous, he was not long-winded, and he spent most of his time recuperating from illness.

Therefore, Lu Jia thought of his treacherous father, Lu Jie.

When she was little, Lu Jie would watch her intently as she drank soup, afraid she would choke.

She stepped over the threshold, but before she could even lift her foot, Lu Jie had already lifted her up.

She refused to learn needlework, so he patiently reasoned with her, saying that she should at least learn to make a purse and fan cover, otherwise it would be difficult for her to find a husband.

When she went out, he had to give instructions to all the maids, servants, coachmen, and guards, from top to bottom.

He was just repeating the same old things; even the dogs at the gate would turn and run away when they saw him coming.

He only became less talkative after he became a treacherous official.

Qin Zhou, who is usually slow and deliberate in everything he does, and seems to struggle to say even a few words, is unusually attentive today.

She stuffed a stack of banknotes back into her hands: "You earned this money, how could I possibly take it all? You should find a good doctor and get well soon. Settle down and have a wife and children, then you'll have something to look forward to."

Although I really wanted to take them all, if you fleece them too much, they'll die too. I'll keep him around and invite him to the casino next time I have some free time.

Shen Qingzhou was so choked by her previous words that he was practically on the verge of death.

He accepted the silver note that was offered to him.

Lu Jia thought for a moment, then asked curiously, "You can win a lot of money so easily, why do you live like this?"

He's a perfectly healthy person, yet he managed to starve himself to the point of fainting on the street!
Even if it's because of an illness and picky eating habits, wouldn't it be better to gamble a few more times, win some money, and cure the illness?
"Cheating isn't something you can do all the time."

Shen Qingzhou glanced at He Qu and Tang Yu not far away, paused for a moment, and said, "Farewell."

Lu Jia caught up with him: "Are you coming tomorrow or not?"

Shen Qingzhou was still angry.

How did he become someone like Lu the Thief?

But she persisted relentlessly, chasing after him until she was breathless.

That's it.

There are already so many people in the world bullying her, why add him to the list?

He turned around: "Come here."

Lu Jia smiled, suppressing her breath, and said, "Okay. Then hurry up! I'll stew some meat for you."

……

Although Zhang Lao Er was not ambitious, he was not as decadent as Lao San. He wanted the Zhang family to enter officialdom through his branch.

His eldest son was thirteen years old and had been studying for several years. Although he had failed the imperial examinations several times, he was never discouraged.

Many of the famous ministers in the court didn't pass the imperial examination until they were in their thirties or forties, so what was he afraid of? Anyway, his family had enough money to support his children's education, so he could take his time.

However, the account book that suddenly appeared in the Zhang family's possession also pierced his heart.

His ambitions lie elsewhere than in business. He follows the rules and doesn't interfere in the affairs of the counter, but that doesn't mean he doesn't care about money! Besides, the old man's money should belong to the three brothers.

The eldest son has already inherited such a large ancestral home, which is already somewhat biased. The estate and shops alone account for 50%, which seems a bit unreasonable.

But whatever. Countless families divide their property like that.

But what exactly happened with that account?
The couple spent the whole night thinking about it.

Before I could figure it out, Zhang Laosan burst in at the door in a flurry of activity.

"Second brother! Eldest brother is going too far! I want to completely separate from him and take back my share of the family property!"

The second son and his wife were both startled. Dividing the shop was no small matter; even brothers fighting over inheritance shouldn't have come to this. Besides, the account books were still up in the air.

Zhang Laosan said, "Let me ask you, since our Zhang family shop was taken over by the eldest brother, the profits have been declining. Doesn't it hurt?"

Isn't that obvious? It's their own money that's being lost; who wouldn't feel the pain?

"Then let me ask you again, with the way they run the shop, just like the other day, when the eldest sister-in-law used a yin-yang scale at Yufeng, and was exposed in public by Hongtai, her reputation was ruined throughout the entire Matou, and even the original customers were unwilling to come. If this continues, won't we lose more and more money?"

That makes perfect sense!
Whether or not the yin-yang scale can be used is another matter, but it's definitely wrong for He to have this matter exposed, affecting the business.

Whether it's a new shop or an old shop, everyone gets a share, and the lost business is also the money of the second and third branches!
"Then do you think we should take some measures?" Zhang Laosan said bitterly. "Doing business at the docks is like rowing against the current. If you don't move forward, you fall behind. The eldest branch is still courting death. Isn't this directly dragging us down?"

"I don't care whether the ledger is real or fake. Even if it's fake, I won't let them harm me."

"If it's true, then I can't tolerate their actions even more!"

As he slammed his hand on the table, the second son and his wife were also startled and jumped.

The third brother is absolutely right.

The accounts are secondary now. The important question is whether the eldest son and his wife are truly suited to manage the family finances.
Are they really cut out to be the head of the household?

Over the course of three years and more than ten quarters, no quarterly accounts could compare to those when the old man was in charge of the household.

Even the managers and accountants left behind by the old man have almost all left. Last time when Liu Xiyu went to Yufeng Company to slap him in the face, weren't the ones who helped him kick him when he was down the ones who ran away?
If the old accountant hadn't acted as a witness, not all the customers who came to the door would have believed it.

If that couple had been less stingy and had kept their men in line, they wouldn't have been betrayed like this!
So, to be fair, they even deduct wages from the workers below them. With such a large profit in front of them, how could the eldest son and his wife bear not to deduct it?
"I knew it! Even if we're losing money, there are still a lot of people coming and going in the shop every day. How could the money distributed to the counter each quarter be so much less than before?"

"On the contrary, the eldest branch of the family's food, clothing and daily necessities have not decreased at all! They even have spare money to bribe people in the county government. Aren't they even arranging a marriage alliance with the He family?"
"I'm afraid they're both incompetent at making money, yet they're also pocketing our money, leaving us with nothing but their own pockets!"

Zhao, the second wife's words, immediately ignited the second son's pent-up anger.

He jumped to his feet: "Bring me all the accounts from the last two or three years. I want to see exactly how much they've embezzled!"

……

After Lu Jia returned home, she told Xie Yi to ask the shopkeeper for leave the next day and not to go anywhere else, but to keep a close eye on the neighbors next door. She was to inform her immediately as soon as Zhang Laosan and the others arrived.

But the whole day was calm and peaceful.

As dusk approached, the twilight deepened.

While she was filled with anxiety, repeatedly wondering whether Qin Zhou was exaggerating or genuinely confident about last night's performance, Xie Yi, like a pebble launched from a slingshot, darted from outside the door and appeared in front of her.
"Sister! Zhang Laosan is here! He and his wife are here! Zhang Laoer and his wife are here too! They even invited the Zhang family patriarch!..."

In a flash, Lu Jia had already torn off her apron, stuffed a large piece of pork that she had bought earlier into Xie Yi's hands, said goodbye to Chen Quan, and rushed home!
(End of this chapter)