Seeing her cry, Lou Qinshu's heart finally softened. He sighed, "I'll go back to the room with you today."
Perhaps it was because of what had just happened, but Gao Xuejuan sat on the bed and watched Lou Qinshu making his bed on the floor. She felt nothing in her heart. No matter what, the immediate difficulty had been overcome.
Gao Xuejuan lay on the bed all night, sleepless. She listened to the faint breathing beside her. It was clear that the carefree man had already fallen asleep. She couldn't help but feel a surge of sorrow.
Fortunately, the tea ceremony the next day went without a hitch. Just like when the Third Madam Lou had presented the betrothal gifts, everyone's attitude towards her was indifferent. Not enthusiastic, nor intentionally difficult, which was the best outcome for her.
She had initially expected her life in the manor to be difficult, but unexpectedly, after three days, the Madam sent someone to convey that she no longer needed to go to the front courtyard to observe the rules or pay respects.
The various branches of the household interacted harmoniously, and the servants were respectful to her. Apart from her husband, whom she never saw, she found her days to be exceptionally smooth.
Gao Xuejuan was different from others. When she had nothing to do, she liked to stir up some trouble to avoid her days from becoming too boring.
After entering the Lou family, she realized that her father-in-law held the highest official position, her eldest uncle was the head of the family, and the Old Master and Old Madam Lou doted on her second uncle the most. Therefore, all the young masters in the manor had a strong sense of presence.
The third branch was uninvolved in disputes, the eldest branch was responsible for the Zhong Kui, and only the second branch visited the Old Master and Old Madam every day to curry favor. After all, they relied on the elders to establish their position in the manor.
Although Madam Lou, the third wife, disliked this daughter-in-law immensely, the Lou family was destined to be divided eventually. As the future matriarch, she still brought her along to teach her the ways of managing the household.
Her mother had taught her these things before her first marriage, and she had managed the Liu family for a period, so she understood them to some extent and learned them quickly. When she saw that seven-tenths of all rewards or profits from the shops had to be handed over to the manor, she was astonished. As far as she knew, all expenses in the manor were prioritized for the Old Master and Old Madam's courtyard, followed by the eldest branch, then the second and third branches. The second branch, at least, had the elders supporting them, leaving the third branch to bear the true hardship.
Her being the eldest daughter-in-law of the third branch, yet having no say, made her feel exceptionally uncomfortable. The entire third branch of the Lou family would be hers in the future, which was equivalent to giving away her own assets to others. She couldn't sleep thinking about it.
Although Lou Qinshu usually paid her little attention, he would fulfill her small requests. After testing him dozens of times, Gao Xuejuan felt he was quite easy to talk to and decided to start with him. Su Dan Novel Network
"I heard that you've been revising your studies diligently lately. Are you preparing to achieve good results in the upcoming provincial examination in a few months?" This day, Gao Xuejuan deliberately intercepted him on his way back. They walked side by side, chatting casually.
"Yes, isn't ten years of arduous study precisely for that day?" Lou Qinshu said casually. He knew that she never approached him without a reason. She was just making small talk as a prelude to her request. As expected, she dismissed the surrounding people. Facing everyone's collective gaze, she nodded slightly, wanting to see what this woman was up to.
Gao Xuejuan pulled him to a pavilion in the middle of the lake. Making sure they were alone, and even if there were people, they were standing far away and couldn't hear their conversation, she said solemnly, "I've been learning household management with my mother lately. Guess what? No matter what our household earns, we unyieldingly pay seven-tenths to the common treasury. But when we need money, we have to take it out of our own pockets. Don't you think that's incredibly unfair?"
"I know. What about it? Do you have any opinions?" Lou Qinshu asked, confused. He had known this since he was a child and didn't understand why she was so surprised.
"Don't you think about who gets all the money we pay each year? Eventually, the Lou family will be divided. If we don't start accumulating wealth now, we'll be surpassed by them and be laughed at." Gao Xuejuan thought the people in the third branch were foolish for not objecting to such a disadvantageous arrangement.
"This is not something for you and me to worry about. If the sky falls, our father and mother will bear it." Lou Qinshu considered it a minor issue. He believed his parents had their reasons for agreeing to such terms.
Seeing that she still wanted to speak, he lost interest and turned to leave.
"Hey, don't go, we haven't finished talking," Gao Xuejuan quickly shouted. Unfortunately, Lou Qinshu only left her with his retreating back. Knowing that this man was not on the same side as her, she stamped her foot in frustration.
"If you don't help me, I'll find my own way," she muttered to herself, standing there.
A few days later, Madam Lou, the third wife, handed over the management of the Lou family's third branch's Zhong Kui to Gao Xuejuan. As soon as Lou Qinshu heard about it, he rushed to find his mother.
Madam Lou, seeing his anxious demeanor, knew what he was about to say and preempted him. "If you want to talk about the new wife, there's no need to say anything more. My mind is made up."
"But she has ulterior motives. She actually tried to sow discord between us and the eldest and second branches in front of me. Moreover, with her intelligence, handing over the management power to her will only lead to trouble." Lou Qinshu said to his mother with some concern.
"I know. Just as she said, our third branch cannot continue to suffer such losses. Even if the connections and resources that should have been divided among your eldest uncle were given to your father, allowing him to be promoted so quickly, we have paid a lot of money to the Zhong Kui over the years. Your father has also promoted your cousins many times. All the favors have been repaid. Yet your grandmother is still not satisfied. She called me over a while ago and told our family to be responsible for everyone's funerals and weddings." Madam Lou snorted coldly.
"How much money would that be? Besides, if there's the slightest mistake, they'll definitely cause trouble. How could Grandmother think of such a thing?" Lou Qinshu was stunned.
"Therefore, this time, we'll use her to tear down this façade." Madam Lou said solemnly. Seeing his pained expression, she knew what he was thinking and said helplessly, "I know you're fond of your new wife, but you also know that she's not a peace-loving person. If it weren't for Shangguan Ke's plea, how could she have entered our family?"
Yes, this marriage had been a scheme by Wu Caiwei and Shangguan Ke from the very beginning. Wu Caiwei had deliberately provoked her, causing her to readily agree to the marriage. Although Lou Qinshu's character was beyond reproach, he had one major flaw: he loved men, not women. It just so happened that the other party also needed a wife to act as a cover for him. They were both getting what they needed.