The Little Demon King stood beside them like a clueless goose, his eyes wide as he devoured the juicy gossip.
Was Master Baili really going to adopt Auntie Hong as his goddaughter?
What about his brother?
Would his brother now have a grandfather too?
Zong Jincheng turned to see his brother, Zong Wenxiu, smiling faintly with happiness. Seeing his brother in good spirits, Jincheng’s mood lifted as well. He quickly sidled up to him and whispered, “Brother, does this mean you’ll be the legitimate son of the second branch now?”
Zong Wenxiu replied, “I suppose so…”
Truthfully, he had long grown accustomed to his status as a concubine-born son.
Apart from that one time at the hunting grounds when Wei Xinglu had taunted him, almost no one had brought it up again. And back then, his younger brother had chased Wei Xinglu for ages to avenge him.
Now, what mattered to him wasn’t legitimacy or illegitimacy, but the sense of stability. From now on, he could stay at the Marquis Manor for a long, long time, right?
Zong Jincheng was clearly thrilled, showing no signs of worry about being overshadowed. Instead, he exclaimed excitedly, “Congratulations, brother! You deserve the best!”
“Thank you,” Zong Wenxiu said, scratching his head sheepishly.
The two brothers’ harmonious bond was not lost on the elders. They remembered how, before their departure, the two boys had barely spoken to each other. Now, they were as close as real brothers, all thanks to their sister-in-law, Xu Wan.
After dinner, the Old Marchioness called Xu Wan over for a chat.
“Wan’er,” the Old Marchioness began, “I’ll be frank with you. I want to compensate them—Auntie Hong and Wenxiu. But I’m concerned it might affect how you’re raising Jincheng, so I wanted to discuss it with you first.”
“Affect me?” Xu Wan asked, not quite understanding what they had in mind.
The Old Marchioness sighed. “In the past, their allowances were based on their status as a concubine and a concubine-born son. Now that I plan to elevate their status, I want to give them the same allowances as the legitimate wife and son.”
Xu Wan nodded. “That’s only fair.”
However, she wasn’t sure how the Old Marchioness intended to treat Wenxiu. If it was like how Jincheng used to be, with unrestricted access to the Marquis Manor’s funds, that would be one thing. But if it was the current fifty taels, it wouldn’t feel like much of a compensation.
She guessed that, given the Old Marchioness’s mindset, she was leaning toward the former. But the Old Marchioness was being cautious, worried that Xu Wan might take offense.
Xu Wan, with her practical, employee-like mindset, decided to remain neutral and follow the “board chairman’s” lead.
The Old Marchioness paced for a moment before finally admitting, “I want to give Wenxiu a jade pendant—a rather expensive one, perhaps worth a few thousand taels… Jincheng had one like it before. My thinking is that since both are now legitimate grandsons, they should receive equal treatment. Otherwise, I fear others might look down on Wenxiu… Do you understand what I mean?”
Xu Wan nodded again. “I understand, and I think it’s a good idea. Wenxiu is responsible and level-headed. He wouldn’t let such a valuable item go to his head or mishandle it. The elders can rest easy.”
Relieved, the Old Marchioness smiled. “Good, good. That’s wonderful. I’ll go pick out a pendant for Wenxiu later. As for the monthly allowance, let’s keep it at fifty taels for now, the same as Jincheng’s. When you feel it’s time to raise Jincheng’s allowance, we’ll adjust Wenxiu’s accordingly.”
Xu Wan smiled back. “Thank you for your consideration, Mother.”
Her gratitude was genuine. The Old Marchioness had always treated her with respect, and even if she hadn’t, Xu Wan would still have worked diligently for the “company.” Thɪs chapter is updated by NoveI[F]ire.net
The Old Marchioness continued, “As for Auntie Hong, Master Baili has suggested giving her a new name, one that reflects his family name, Baili. Your father and I think it’s a good idea. We’ll formalize it tomorrow during the adoption ceremony. As for her monthly allowance… once she’s elevated to the status of a legitimate wife, it will be raised to one hundred taels.”
Xu Wan raised an eyebrow. Her own allowance had been raised to three hundred taels only after she took on the responsibility of educating the Little Demon King. She had assumed the Old Marchioness would compensate Auntie Hong with a higher amount than one hundred taels.
But no, it was exactly as expected.
It was often said that it was hard to treat two daughters-in-law equally, but the Old Marchioness had a knack for striking the perfect balance, ensuring no resentment arose in the main branch.
Xu Wan couldn’t help but admire her even more.
Still, she seized the opportunity to voice her own idea. “Mother, I’ve been thinking lately that Jincheng still lacks a proper etiquette tutor. I haven’t found the right person until now, but I’ve noticed that Auntie Hong might be a good fit. I’d like to invite her to assist in teaching, with an additional one hundred taels per month. What do you think?”
The Old Marchioness was pleasantly surprised. “That sounds excellent. As long as you two agree, it’s fine by me.”
Xu Wan nodded. “Then I’ll go ask her right away.”
As she turned to leave, the Old Marchioness suddenly called her back. “Wan’er, there’s no need to be so formal. Steward Liu mentioned that the last time you took the boys out to eat at Zuixiang House, you paid from your own allowance. That’s unnecessary. You’re now the mistress of this household, in charge of all its affairs. The funds are at your disposal.”
The Old Marchioness was used to seeing noblewomen in power spend extravagantly. Having a daughter-in-law who meticulously accounted for every penny was a bit unusual, especially in a household as wealthy as theirs. It made Xu Wan seem overly cautious.
She later thought it might be due to Xu Wan’s upbringing. Life in the Xu family had been so difficult that it had left her wary of taking even the slightest advantage of the Marquis Manor’s wealth.
Xu Wan didn’t deny it, simply nodding meekly. “I understand. I’ll keep that in mind. Thank you, Mother.”
After seeing her daughter-in-law off, the Old Marchioness turned to her husband, who was diligently practicing his calligraphy. “Your handwriting is so terrible. Is there even a point in practicing?”
The Old Marquis stroked his beard and replied, “I’m just trying to understand what it feels like to write. Why is our son Zong Zhao so obsessed with it that he wants to take the imperial exams?”
He couldn’t comprehend his eldest son’s passion and had tried to see things from his perspective, but to little avail.
The Old Marchioness rolled her eyes. “Instead of trying to figure out Zhao’er, why don’t you help me figure out Wan’er?”
The Old Marquis scribbled another character on the paper and said casually, “What’s there to figure out? She’s just like the managers you’ve worked with in various industries.”
The Old Marchioness paused.
She had felt the same way but hadn’t quite put it into words. Now that her husband had pointed it out, it all clicked.
She quickly snatched the brush from his hand. “If you’re just going to doodle, why not help me come up with a plan? Zhao’er isn’t here to guide us. What if Wan’er decides to leave once she’s saved enough money? I want to entrust the entire Marquis Manor to her!”