Chapter 140: 140 businesses have been handed over (edited)
Zhao’s tears finally fell after waiting for so long without a word from He’s and Old Man Ye, “I know I was wrong, is it not enough if I stop covetous of the family business? I have also been scared by the hardships of life, and I don’t want to scheme against my younger sister and fourth brother. But seeing Wenyu and Wenhao struggling for food, it breaks a mother’s heart…”
Seeing Zhao truly made Ye Jiu feel both pity and frustration.
Yet, Ye Jiu really couldn’t bear to indulge herself while watching her brothers and nephews worry about making ends meet every day.
However, Ye Jiu was afraid that easily handing over the business to them would only encourage their arrogance. Even more so, she did not want them to think that they could have whatever they wanted from her whenever they wanted it.
After all, people are selfish. Ye Jiu could look after and support them, could try to provide them with a good life, but she couldn’t possibly share everything she had with them.
After pondering for a long time, Ye Jiu finally spoke up, “Actually, it’s not impossible to split the soap business.”
“Jiujiu…” The first one who couldn’t sit still was He’s.
He’s originally favored her own children, and lately, because of the division of the family estate, she had grown to dislike the first and second branches. Now, seeing that Ye Jiu had softened her stance on such a crucial matter, she naturally felt upset and frustrated, mixed with a sense of disappointment in her daughter.
Ye Jiu looked at He’s, walked over, and held her hands, saying, “Mother, can you trust me?”
Although she was still upset, He’s said nothing further.
Following that, Zhao’s voice came with disbelief, “Younger sister, are you serious? Are you truly willing to share a portion of the business with us?”
She was somewhat confused. When she had just asked, Ye Jiu was unwilling to share, but now that she had given up, her younger sister had softened her stance.
In fact, she knew in her heart that both the first and second branches had their own ulterior motives.
Just like Ye Gaoshui at this moment, spouting nobility with his words. Yet, when Zhao was scheming here, hadn’t he been hopeful all the same? Otherwise, he would have intervened from the beginning, not wait until Ye Jiu was angry to speak up.
However, he did have some conscience and knew to stop Zhao’s persistent badgering.
And as for the first branch, they had not gotten involved in the division of the inheritance initially started by the second branch, not wanting to bear the name of unfilial, yet they were happy to benefit like a fisherman waiting for the gains. Now, with Zhao’s intentions, they still did not get involved, probably holding on to the hope that if the second branch got a share of money, they would not miss out on theirs.
Ye Jiu truly did not want to think of her family members as being so calculating, but reality was just so.
However, these matters were no longer important. Just like Zhao had said, for the sake of her nephews and nieces, she could not simply indulge herself while letting the children suffer with poor food.
But the business could not be obtained too easily by them either, or else, it might only breed greed.
With that in mind, Ye Jiu spoke, “Second sister-in-law must know, I came up with the soap-making method, and I provided the materials used for making it into fertilizers. Now that you all want to divide the money, you should at least repay the capital I invested. It shouldn’t be that I put in the money and effort, and in the end, all the earnings are given to you, right?”
“Of course, just say how much capital you want, sister-in-law. We wouldn’t possibly take advantage of you to such an extent,” Zhao said, immediately smiling again.
“Twenty taels per family. Both the first and second branches can join in,” Ye Jiu said with a stern face. “If you’re unwilling to pay, you also have no share in the soap business.”
Knowing that both the first and second branches received twenty taels of silver in the division of the family estate, Ye Jiu realized that giving away the soap business for no reason would cause He’s, who was already unhappy about the estate division, to feel even more distressed. This was why Ye Jiu had this plan in mind.
It would give them a livelihood and also let them know that such a livelihood does not come for free. It would also give He’s a sense of satisfaction.
Immediately, the smile on Zhao’s face disappeared without a trace, her entire face twitching from not being able to comprehend, and her expression full of disbelief.
“Isn’t that a bit too much to ask for, younger sister?” She knew well enough. The raw material was just some lard, and even if there were other things added to it, it surely couldn’t amount to a cost of twenty taels each, could it?