My stepmother is here, all the rebellious sons and evildoers should kneel down!

"In that case, why are you making things difficult for me?"

Lu Zhanyao looked extremely angry, as if he had really suffered a great injustice.

Wen Qiqi shrugged her shoulders, looking innocent: "Making things difficult? Lu Zhanyao, when did I ever make things difficult for you? All this money is actually owed to me by the Lu family.

She pouted and sat down in frustration.

"If you don't have money, you can write an IOU. But I think you have married five wives now, and it would be unreasonable if you still owe money to me, the first wife."

Wen Qiqi paused, somewhat complaining:

"After all, this Miss Pearl came from the red-light district. Even though she is now the adopted daughter of Lord Yu, many men in Kyoto know her name. I don't want people to say that I, Wen Qiqi, spent my own dowry to find a top prostitute in the red-light district for my husband!"

She muttered quietly, and it really sounded like she was just complaining.

But no matter how quietly these words were spoken, it was like a bolt from the blue to Lu Zhanyao!

"Besides, my dowry was given by the Emperor and the Empress Dowager. The Emperor's grace is so great that I can't just change that... that one back, right? Ahem!"

"enough!"

She actually used the emperor's grace to pressure herself!

Lu Zhanyao must return this money!

He is not a man without temper.

On the contrary, he has a very bad character and especially can't stand being told that he is poor!

It would be fine if those officials in the court looked down on him.

Lian Wen Qiqi is the same!

At the beginning, he was afraid that Wen Qiqi would always think of his mother's family's status and look down on him all his life.

That's why Meier...

Originally, he felt a little guilty towards her, and thought that if she went all out to help the Lu family, he would be nicer to her.

Unexpectedly, she dared to say these words on her wedding night with Yu Zhenzhu!

"I will return your silver to you."

"That's great."

Wen Qiqi's eyes were filled with smiles, and she looked bright and cheerful.

"By the way, you also took away a pair of gold-encrusted jade necklaces, a pair of agate bracelets, and a pigeon blood ruby ​​from me... I gave them all away; and my mother took away a pair of glass hairpins and a pair of jade earrings from me and gave them to Madam Yu and Madam Qin as gifts!"

She has such a smart little head and remembers it so clearly!

Lu Zhanyao was angry and waved his hand, saying, "I'll pay you back for everything."

"Ugh! I knew that a grown man like you wouldn't default on your debts. It's just...it's just...these jewelry will cost at least two thousand taels of silver."

She stammered, looking sympathetic: "Do you want to write me an IOU?"

"IOU? Of course not."

If outsiders knew that Lu Zhanyao wrote an IOU to Wen Qiqi, they would laugh so hard that their teeth would fall out.

"..." Wen Qiqi puffed her cheeks and looked at him.

What kind of expression is this!

What kind of look is that!

Do you look down on Lu Zhanyao and think he is going to cheat?

"Our Lu family's clothing shop is doing very well. I will mortgage our two largest shops to you."

Qiqi is a member of the Lu family.

Now that she is angry, just give the shop to her.

After Pearl had been married for a while, her anger had subsided and she could be coaxed back with a few nice words.

Wen Qiqi thought about it and said, "Okay!"

Lu Zhanyao left angrily, while Wen Qiqi was overjoyed.

After all the calculations, there are only less than ten valuable items left with Aunt Mei and Old Madam Lu...

As soon as Yu Zhenzhu got married, she wanted to make back all the money she had lost over the years.

This is not just a pearl, it is her little lucky star!

For ten consecutive days, Lu Zhanyao stayed in the fifth room because he was angry.

Aunt Mei was extremely anxious. As the Mid-Autumn Festival was approaching and the Lu family was going to make mooncakes and plum wine, she came to discuss it with Wen Qiqi in advance.

"Is Aunt Mei's throat better? Can she speak now?"

Wen Qiqi asked seriously with concern.

Aunt Mei coughed and said in a deliberately hoarse voice, "Better now. The fifth room has been married these days, so we have a lot of free time. I thought it was almost Mid-Autumn Festival, so I came to discuss making mooncakes and plum wine with Madam."

The Lu family is particularly particular about festivals and they make seven or eight kinds of mooncakes during the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Aunt Mei is responsible for buying the fillings for the mooncakes every year, and she can earn at least ten taels of silver.

After the mooncakes were made and the plum wine was brewed, Madam Lu would send someone to invite Madam Qin and Madam Yu to the Lu family's garden, where everyone would drink and enjoy the moon together.

This is also the Lu Mansion's unshakable expenditure every year...

"We'll just make less this year. Five dollars per room. Ten dollars for the old lady's room! Three dollars for Sheng Shi."

In ancient times, only masters could afford exquisite mooncakes, and the servants of the Wen family were given one every year.

The Lu family would not share the money with their servants. They would only give them some silver and ask them to go to the entrance of the alley to buy some coarse-grain mooncakes to taste.

"As for plum wine, I don't plan to make it anymore. I'll just buy some corn wine from the alley."

Wen Qiqi said lightly.

"What? Buy corn liquor?"

Aunt Mei looked at Wen Qiqi in disbelief: "Old Madam Yu likes to drink the plum wine brewed in our house the most. Mother also said last year that we should brew more in the next few years."

Wen Qiqi must be confused by the news of the fifth branch entering the mansion, right?

He even forgot such important instructions from old lady Lu.

“Isn’t brewing wine free?”

Wen Qiqi looked at Aunt Mei unceremoniously and said, "How about you pay for it?"

"Where do I have the money?"

Aunt Mei could tell that Wen Qiqi was not speaking properly, so she quickly softened her tone and asked carefully, "Madam, is it possible that our Lu Mansion is short of money?"

The Lu family is short of money, but there is still Wen Qiqi!

Her dowry was generous, and any bit of it would be enough for the entire Lu family to enjoy a good life for a while.

It’s not like I haven’t used it to please the old lady before…

"The Lu family is indeed short of money, and we need to save at least half of our expenses in the future. So starting this year, we can't invite Madam Yu and Madam Qin to the garden to enjoy the moon."

Wen Qiqi stood up and said, "I was just about to talk to mother about this. Do you want to go with me to pay my respects to her?"

Aunt Mei nodded quickly: "Okay! My throat is better now, I should let mother know."

Madam Lu loves luxury very much and always compares herself with Madam Qin and Madam Yu in Kyoto.

When Wen Qiqi talked to her about the word "thrifty", there was no other result except being turned down.

Aunt Mei was secretly happy but did not show it. The two of them went all the way to Old Madam Lu's yard.

On the way, Aunt Mei tried to bring up the matter of the fifth room several times, but was stopped by Wen Qiqi.

Aunt Mei could only follow along...

Old Madam Lu was admiring the flowers in the yard. A few days ago, she ordered people to move many flowers and plants from the garden and plant them in her own yard.

Anyway, Wen Qiqi takes good care of the garden every year. She likes these flowers and plants, so she just moves them here.

"You two are here."

When Mrs. Lu heard that Wen Qiqi had taken over the shop, her face turned so ugly that it was almost scary.

Aunt Mei realized something was wrong and said with a smile, "Mother, I haven't been able to speak these days because of my throat pain. I didn't come to pay my respects to you. Today, as soon as I feel better, I hurried over with Madam."

"Well, I know you are filial, but some people may have already forgotten their identities!"

As soon as Mrs. Lu said this, Aunt Mei felt relieved!

It would be better if I wasn't angry with her and Xingcheng.

"Mother, what are you talking about? Madam...isn't she here too? Madam has mother in her heart."

Aunt Mei tried to say nice things.

Madam Lu sneered and rolled her eyes: "She has me in her heart? Haha, this is also called having me in her heart! It's just that I, as her mother-in-law, spent some money on her medicine and started to settle the accounts!"

When Aunt Mei heard this, she gasped in surprise. It was so exaggerated.

Wen Qiqi had already had enough of their performances of singing in unison. In her previous life, she had watched it for so many years and was already bored of it.

"Mother, Zhan Yao and I calculated the expenses over the years. We have spent a lot of money and wasted it. Now the fifth wife has come in, and two more maids have been added, bringing two more maids. With five more people, I'm afraid the expenses will be even greater. The Lu family only has that much income, so there is no other way. We can only save money in the future."

She said it bluntly.

Old Madam Lu was thinking about Lu Zhanyao's instructions and did not curse at anyone.

There is ample time!

There is ample time!

"Qiqi, you are right, but money is secondary. The most important thing for us in the Lu family is harmony, respect for the old and love for the young, and harmony among the families."

Be harmonious?

Respect the old and love the young?

Harmony among the families?

Which one doesn’t cost money?

Those flowers were all Wen Qiqi's dowry.

She would have great use for the money she collected, and she would definitely not spend a penny for the Lu family again!