Have You Written Your Will Today?
Chapter 49 Scrounging for Autumn Gains

Chapter 49: Chapter 49 Scrounging for Autumn Gains

Cui Yun also dealt with the backlog of official duties in time before the New Year.

"You have also been busy these days, you’ve lost weight. This is soup stewed by the kitchen with a lot of medicinal herbs, drink it while it’s hot."

Ms. Cui Xuan found time to come to the study, personally serving him a bowl.

Cui Yun said warmly, "You’ve gone to a lot of trouble, Mama."

Ms. Cui Xuan, looking tired but spirited, mentioned: "New Year’s is tomorrow, have you prepared the New Year gifts for those at the West Garden? They’ve come to seek refuge with the Cui family, and as a distant cousin, it would be impolite of you to neglect this. Mama was afraid that you were too busy and might have forgotten."

The West Garden was precisely where several of his cousins resided.

Ms. Cui Xuan suggested: "However, I’ve prepared a few pieces of jade at my place, so if you haven’t prepared anything, I’ll have the servants bring them over later, and you won’t need to bother yourself."

Cui Yun realized and then chuckled softly.

"I’m grateful Mama remembered, for I indeed forgot."

Ms. Cui Xuan gave him a look: "I knew it. When you’re busy, even your evening meal is an afterthought, how could you remember these trifles? If you were married, Mama could have one less worry."

"However, for your grandparents, what should be prepared must be done personally; this demonstrates filial piety."

The Cui Mansion had the simplest population, but the rules left by the ancestors were many and there was much to prepare. Ms. Cui Xuan had to be busy with everything, and though the eldest daughter-in-law was willing to help, she was also overwhelmed taking care of Rong, that little Demon King.

Even so, she still found the time to make this special trip, for even if her son was thorough, he still needed his mother’s reminders.

Ms. Cui Xuan thought of this and even felt a bit of joy. She had other matters to attend to and couldn’t stay long, and Cui Yun walked her out.

Ms. Cui Xuan, leading the servants out of the courtyard, saw her most capable old woman hurriedly approaching, bending over to whisper in her ear.

Ms. Cui Xuan’s face became cold at once.

"Is that so?"

The old woman spoke respectfully: "Miss Wu is outside alone with a bundle, in this harsh winter month, by the gate where people come and go. Upon seeing this servant, she started to cry pitifully, pleading with you, Lady, to give her a way out."

Upon hearing this, Ms. Cui Xuan’s face did not look good.

"After all these years of trying to reap benefits, what trick is she trying to pull now? The ignorant might think I’ve mistreated her. When the Old Marquis was alive, I had to endure, and now he is gone, I still have to endure."

The old woman was also annoyed but had to explain in detail: "She’s come all the way from Huai County, and from what I gathered, she intends to settle here."

"She’s sharper than anyone else. If she settles down, I assume this time she’s not planning to go back, probably at her parents’ instigation, specially begging me to find her a good match here in Shengjing!"

Ms. Cui Xuan mocked: "Back then, the Wu Family took the wrong side, supported the wrong person, and how could they not resent after the Emperor ascended to the throne? If Old Master Wu hadn’t cried before the Emperor and resigned from office to retire and leave Shengjing with his family, perhaps our Marquis Yangling Mansion could have been implicated."

The old woman showed a worried expression: "After so many years, the Emperor has probably forgotten about the Wu Family’s affairs. But the Wu Family has no foundation left. The noble and distinguished would not regard Miss Wu. And yet, she happens to be... the niece of the late Madam, who can’t simply be dismissed for fear of gossip. I took the liberty to invite her to the guest hall and then came to seek you, Lady."

Ms. Cui Xuan was the Old Marquis’s later married wife. The original wife was indeed the youngest daughter of Old Master Wu.

Ms. Cui Wu had been married to the Old Marquis for only a year before falling prey to a serious illness and passed away without leaving any children.

Old Master Wu was prudent in protecting himself, swiftly giving up fame and fortune without hesitation. He was the only person from the Wu Family whom Ms. Cui Xuan respected.

But how could those younger family members be willing to live in obscurity in the countryside?

When Old Master Wu passed away, those restless individuals inevitably came knocking on her door.

At first, when she had just entered the mansion as a new bride, the Dowager handed over the control of the household affairs directly to her.

But members of the Wu Family kept coming to the door crying poor, asking for money.

Once or twice was still bearable, but weren’t the monthly salaries for various members of the Marquis Yangling Mansion, the social obligations and feasting of my father-in-law and the Old Marquis, and the expenses of various feasts in the mansions all requiring money?

Back then, she couldn’t bear to refuse outright, for if they reached her mother-in-law, it would reflect her incompetence in managing affairs, so she felt she had no choice but to approach the Old Marquis about it.

But that led to a scolding from her bedmate.

"It’s just some silver coin, and you fuss over it like this?"

After a moment, Ms. Cui Xuan let out a heavy sigh.

"Well done."

Her tone was indescribably bland: "I bore the Old Marquis two sons, both paragons of excellence. I have been filial to my in-laws, managing the inner house for years. Yet his thoughts and memories remain with sister."

An alive person can never equal a deceased one, after all.

"He can now rest easy in seeking sister, leaving all the mess for me to handle."

Ms. Cui Xuan closed her eyes heavily.

"Let her stay in the West Garden."

"Both parents alive, yet she seeks refuge here—indeed raised in the countryside, really splendid upbringing and manners. Have the staff keep a close watch; don’t let just anyone get close to my boys."

"The ladies of the mansion each have their ambitions, but ultimately have their limits and wouldn’t dare make filthy moves under my watch—this one from the countryside though, that’s a different story."

After Ms. Cui Xuan left, Cui Yun stood in the courtyard, watching the snow that had fallen for several days. The ground was covered in a thick layer.

"Sir," Ji Qing stepped forward.

In his arms was a box, inside which were paintings and calligraphy works by Mr. Fan Cheng. There were three pieces in total, just right to be distributed among the three ladies of the mansion.

These were the ones Cui Yun had instructed him to retrieve from the storeroom that morning.

Now, there was no need for them.

Cui Yun’s gaze faintly withdrew.

"Sir, should your subordinate make a trip to Miss Shen’s place?"

If Ji Qing hadn’t mentioned it, Cui Yun would have forgotten that Shen Hua existed.

Although she was the lady he was supposed to take care of, Cui Yun couldn’t be bothered to give her the slightest attention, his tone indifferent and casual, "Just send the whole box over there."

Search the lightnovelworld.cc website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.