Yuan Mengzhu, however, slightly raised her eyebrows, "Oh, you’re not going to spend time with your lovely concubine tonight?"
"You, my wife..." Fang Dehua immediately frowned, "You agreed to me taking a concubine at the beginning, and it was also for the sake of having an heir, wasn’t it? Now that Zeze is well, even though he is the only one, I am content, am I not? And yet, you are now jealous..."
"There’s no woman who wouldn’t be jealous," Yuan Mengzhu sighed.
"Alright then, those two, if you think they’re honest, keep them; if they’re an eyesore, send them away," Fang Dehua suddenly spoke very seriously.
"Don’t make me sound so heartless," Yuan Mengzhu glanced sideways at Fang Dehua, "Both of them are quite honest, and they’ve been well-behaved over the years. Don’t worry, as long as they don’t make trouble, I will let them enjoy their latter years in peace."
"I know you’re a good person..."
"Good that you know." Yuan Mengzhu stood up and followed Fang Dehua into the inner room.
"By the way, I heard from Liuyun that Miss Yang is quite skilled. In the village, she managed to help someone who hadn’t had children for over a decade conceive after just a month under her care... Madam, when Miss Yang arrives, why don’t you have her take a look at you as well? Who knows, perhaps she could bless Zeze with a little brother or sister..."
"At this age, you..."
The rest of her voice was drowned out by the enchanting ambiance of the room.
In the main room of the Fang Family, nobody was asleep at this moment; they had all gathered together.
Fang Decheng sat in the seat of honor, his face a picture of gloom, and the expressions on the others’ faces weren’t much better.
Everyone knew the condition that Fang Tianze had been in; even the doctor had pronounced a death sentence upon him, saying he wouldn’t live past fifteen. And over the years, Fang Dehua wasn’t without concubines, but not one of them bore him a child. If Fang Tianze were to die, it would mean the end of the second branch of the Fang Family. There would be no one to carry on the lineage, no one to hold the family banners or break the mourning bowls. So, the Old Master of the Fang Family had suggested adopting a son from another branch to continue his lineage. Although an adopted child, if raised well, wouldn’t be much different from a biological one.
Although Fang Dehua was merely a small County Magistrate, the dowry Yuan Mengzhu brought was substantial. The Yuan Family had been in business for generations, accumulating considerable wealth. When she got married, her bridal procession stretched for miles; if not for her dowry, Fang Tianze’s illness alone could have bankrupted the Fang Family’s assets.
Because of this, when Fang Decheng first heard the news, he started to scheme. He had two sons and he saw opportunities abroad... Thus, he thought of sending one of his sons to his brother, and that would eventually make his brother’s wealth his own. Tiangang loved to study and was quite the charming nephew, originally thinking it was a sure thing. But to his surprise, Fang Tianze got better, which upset all his careful planning completely.
"Boss, we need to come up with a plan; otherwise, all these years of scheming will have been for naught," Sun Family had always lusted after Yuan Mengzhu’s lifestyle. The clothes and provisions she had wouldn’t just be top-notch in Baihua County but even if she went to Beijing. Thus, she dreamt of usurping the other’s wealth.
"Do you all have any ideas?" Fang Decheng glanced at his two sons, "Boss, you first."
"I’ll follow Father’s orders," the eldest son Fang Tianshuo replied with a faint smile. His words were proper, but his attitude was clearly aloof; he never inquired or spoke up whenever this matter was discussed.
Fang Decheng frowned, but knowing his eldest son’s personality, he said no more and turned to his younger son, "What about you?"