Chapter 112: Gray Shadows
This novel is translated and hosted on bcatranslation
“Out! Out! Out!”
“I want to see how you survive without me! Let’s see what kind of good days you’ll have!”
Lu Yuan Ze’s heart twisted with pain as he looked at the state of Marquis Zhongyong’s Manor. Now, he stood before the grand gates, spitting harsh words at Madam Xu.
The surrounding crowd laughed and pointed, their mocking gazes like knives stabbing into his pride. Lu Yuan Ze’s head swam with dizziness.
“Without Madam Xu, the Marquis’s Manor is reduced to bare walls.”
“It really is just a few broken walls. Hahaha…”
Lu Jing Huai stepped forward to steady his father.
“Father, Jing Huai will take care of everything,” he said firmly. “Today’s humiliation will be etched into my heart. I swear to become a Provincial Top Scorer, achieve the Triple Crown of Excellence, and bring glory to our family. I will ensure the Marquis’s name shines far and wide.”
Lu Yuan Ze’s anger eased slightly. He tightly grasped Lu Jing Huai’s hand.
“Yes, I still have you,” he murmured. “Tomorrow, I will submit a memorial to the Emperor, declaring you the heir.”
“You’ve endured so much these years away. I should have brought you back sooner. Yan Shu is just a cripple—he’s wasted so many years for the Marquis’s family.” Lu Yuan Ze sighed deeply.
“Let’s start by tidying up the estate. I…” He hesitated, intending to use his own money to refurbish the manor, but his pockets were empty. Over their eighteen years of marriage, Madam Xu had managed everything. He had never had to worry about finances.
After some thought, he decided to visit the moneylender. But when the shopkeeper saw him, he frowned.
“Marquis, you’re an official of the court. If you’re caught borrowing at such rates, it will cause trouble.” The shopkeeper’s tone turned stiff. “Besides, you still haven’t repaid the thirty thousand taels you borrowed last time. With interest, it’s now thirty-three thousand.”
Lu Yuan Ze’s temper flared. “Thirty-three thousand? It’s only been a month! How has it grown by three thousand taels?”
The shopkeeper smiled wryly. “Marquis, it’s usury. Interest piles upon interest. That’s how it works.”
“You should repay the previous amount first. How could someone like you lack funds? After all, your wife once bought hair ornaments worth thousands of taels.”
Word had already spread across the capital—Madam Xu had taken everything during the divorce, leaving the Marquis’s Manor barren.
Lu Yuan Ze’s face darkened. Without a word, he turned and left. The forces behind the moneylenders were not to be underestimated, and confrontation would only bring further humiliation.
Returning home, he finally began combing through the Marquis’s earlier assets. Madam Xu had been an exceptional manager, reviving many dying businesses. The estate had three farms and three storefronts.
The largest property, a hot spring estate, was initially meant for Lu Jing Yao. However, Madam Xu had given it to Lu Chao Chao.
“Sell two shops,” Lu Yuan Ze decided bitterly. “Use the funds to repair the manor and furnish it. Jing Huai and his siblings must not suffer.”
Selling the two shops brought in only six thousand taels. Three thousand went into repairs, leaving just enough for basic furnishings.
When Madam Pei entered the house, her expression soured immediately. With a loud crack, she shattered a newly placed teacup.
“That wretched Madam Xu!” she hissed through gritted teeth. “Why? Why?”
She had triumphed over the household, becoming the new mistress. But the Marquis’s Manor… was an empty shell.
“Why are there only six hundred taels on the books?” Madam Pei demanded, her face red with fury. “How could such a vast estate have so little? Did Madam Xu embezzle the family’s fortune?”
The maid, trembling with fear, whispered, “The estate’s income has always been modest. The shops were revived by Madam Xu. The farms are visited only during summer and yield little. The household expenses have long been covered by the previous madam’s dowry.”
Hearing this, Madam Pei’s body shook with rage.
“Six hundred taels?” she murmured in disbelief.
The maid’s voice grew smaller. “Tomorrow, monthly wages need to be paid… about one hundred sixty taels… not including other expenses.”
Madam Pei’s vision darkened, and she fainted on the spot.
…
Meanwhile, Lu Chao Chao’s family was in high spirits.
“Mother, will we live at Grandma’s house?” Lu Chao Chao asked, hugging a large dog.
Madam Xu gently stroked her daughter’s head. Her usually furrowed brow was now relaxed.
“No, I bought a five-courtyard mansion on Yu Lin Alley. Everything has been prepared. We’ll move in soon.” Madam Xu had long planned for the divorce and left no loose ends. Yu Lin Alley was closer to the Imperial Palace than the Marquis’s Manor, a more prestigious location.
“Wow! New house, new home… Chao Chao likes it!” Lu Chao Chao squealed, hopping off the carriage and running toward the mansion.
“Lu Residence,” Lu Yan Shu murmured with a faint smile. “From now on, this is our home.”
The children each chose a courtyard, and Madam Xu arranged a celebratory family dinner.
Back at the Marquis’s Manor, Lu Yuan Ze hosted a banquet to celebrate Lu Jing Huai’s formal return to the family.
“Invite everyone who gave gifts for Lu Chao Chao’s birthday,” he ordered dismissively.
The Old Madam reluctantly contributed two thousand taels from her savings, heart aching. It had originally been given by Madam Xu as filial support.
However, when the invitations were sent, most were declined. Officials feigned illness, while others outright rejected them. Only a few acquaintances attended.
Lu Yuan Ze felt humiliated, wondering why so many had sent gifts to Lu Chao Chao but now ignored him. He assumed it was due to making his concubine the main wife, a decision that had offended others.
At least Lu Jing Huai’s classmates showed up, eager to congratulate him. Yet, after a few drinks, Lu Jing Huai staggered and mistook Su Zhi Qing for someone else. He grabbed her wrist.
“You entered the manor and now ignore me? Have you fallen for Lu Zheng Yue?” he slurred, his frustration boiling over.
Su Zhi Qing paled and tried to pull away.
“Ignoring my letters, avoiding me… Su Zhi Qing, don’t forget, you’re my woman!” He pinched her chin harshly. “Is Lu Zheng Yue so good you fell for him?”
“Scoundrel! Do you realize I’m your…” Her words were silenced as he kissed her forcibly.
With a loud crash, a maid opened the door, dropping the teapot she carried. The fragments scattered as she stood frozen in shock.
“You wretch! What are you doing to your little mother?!”
The old clan patriarch stumbled in, sobered by the scene. His eyes widened at the sight. Su Zhi Qing… wasn’t she the one he had personally added to the family registry? She was Lu Yuan Ze’s equal wife!
Hahaha cuckold being cuckolded
Yo, site has an error, its not chapter 112, its 122