Chapter 37: Mother and Son Heart-to-Heart_i
Translator: 549690339 |
Of course, Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui could not participate without discretion, otherwise it would instill fear and unease instead of boosting the morale of the household staff and servants.
With the logistic channel foundation in place, Wang Shouzhe was no longer involved in it. Such a large quantity of food transport wasn’t something to be accomplished in a short while.
This wasn’t some game world where a mouse click completes the food transportation mission.
Moreover, as a clan leader, he should focus on the bigger picture. If he were to get hands-on with everything, from beginning to end, then what use would the clan members and the household staff be?
Even Gongsun Hui, the lady of the house, was asked to leave. Wang Luotong, a female member of the family, was put in charge of the final stretch of the transportation line. The girls in the family also needed to shoulder responsibilities.
As he walked and chatted with Gongsun Hui, they passed through the large backyard garden and entered the rear courtyard of the Wang Family’s main residence, slowly making their way to the Young Clan Leader’s courts where he grew up.
The personal attendant, Wang Gui, leading two servants in tidying up the courtyard, immediately stepped forward to perform a salute when he saw Wang Shouzhe and Gongsun Hui, “Respects to the Family Head and the Madam.”
Wang Gui served Wang Shouzhe. He hailed from the collateral line of the Wang family and had a clear background. Most importantly, he was a promising youth with Class C talent, a rarity among the collateral line.
Despite being a mere personal attendant, serving the Young Clan Leader from a young age, he was destined to become Wang Shouzhe’s confidant. Once he was established, and gave birth to offspring with quality bloodline, he would have the opportunity to be reclassified into the main family line, and his name would be added to the family records.
“Wang Gui, this is a Shanyang Spirit Seed, brew a pot of its tea for Madam and me.” Wang Shouzhe passed the spiritual tea he brought back to Wang Gui. “Spiritual Tea?” Wang Gui, who has been with Wang Shouzhe for ten years, looked dazed, having only seen spiritual tea once or twice before.
“Zhe Er, absolutely not. This is for you alone, given by your maternal grandfather,” Gongsun Hui immediately declined. “These are the crucial years for your growth, you should try your best to reach the Level Eight or even Level Nine of the Vital Energy Refining Realm. That would be more in line with your strength as a Clan Leader!”
“Madam, please don’t refuse. Weren’t you curious where we got this batch of old grain from? Let’s have some spiritual tea, and I’ll tell you everything.” Wang Shouzhe invited unwaveringly, and scolded Wang Gui, “Why are you still shocked? Go and brew the tea.”
“Yes, of course.” Wang Gui shivered and quickly left.
With her son so determined, Gongsun Hui had no good reasons to refuse. They sat opposite each other at a square table in the side hall of his courtyard. Before long, Wang Gui served a pot of spiritual tea along with some fruits and snacks, then bowed his head and withdrew.
“Zhe Er, this courtyard of yours no longer suits your status as a Clan Leader.” Gongsun Hui looked around and said, “Wait till I complete my year of mourning, I’ll move out of the main yard and make room for you. This way it will be convenient for you to bring Miss Liu home.”
“Madam, there’s no need.” Wang Shouzhe casually smiled and poured a cup of tea for both of them. “I like this courtyard, and I’m used to living here. You just live here comfortably with Sister Luomei, and don’t cause any unnecessary fuss.”
“How can you call it a fuss? You are now the family head and should live in the main residence,” said Gongsun Hui. “Plus, just because you are comfortable here doesn’t mean Miss Liu will be. Once she joins the Wang family, I have to hand over the household accounts and finances to her, this is the rule in prominent families.”
Wang Shouzhe shook his head, “She’s marrying in as your daughter-in-law, how could she suddenly take charge? Let’s not talk about that now. Madam, have a cup of tea first. I’ll tell you what happened on this trip in detail. There are many things that I need to discuss with you.”
For Wang Shouzhe, Madam Gongsun Hui was mature and steady, and because of her status, she held great prestige within the family. Even the elders’ prestige was not as high as hers.
If the family could be revitalized by daily cultivation, he wouldn’t mind doing so. However, his vision and goals far exceeded those of the clan elders. As a young Clan Leader, if he wanted to implement broad reforms in the family, he would inevitably face resistance from the conservatives.
And Madam Gongsun Hui, as his strongest and most steadfast ally, was the legitimate daughter of the Gongsun Clan of Shanyang!
Gongsun Hui took a sip of the spiritual tea as instructed, her eyes filled with curiosity. Ever since her legitimate son took charge of the family affairs, he had matured rapidly and utilized strategies that even she couldn’t comprehend.
After a brief pause, Wang Shouzhe explained how he had procured a large sum of funds and food supplies from the Qian family’s business. Of course, he kept his secret alliance with Qian Xuean undisclosed.
Gongsun Hui’s mouth opened wide in shock, her eyes gradually bulging in disbelief. This was simply too incredible, too audacious. Relying on early information about the outbreak of locust plagues, he had boldly manipulated the Qian family with such compelling force.
This strategy was something Gongsun Hui couldn’t have thought of. And she was still frightened, after all, Shouzhe had pledged 4200 Qian Gold with the family’s reputation as collateral! If his prediction failed, he would become the most extravagant spender in the history of the Ping’an Wang family!
Even though everything was successful, Gongsun Hui was still trembling, unable to calm herself. It was truly audacious!
“Please do not blame me, mother, for not consulting with you in advance. The timing of this matter was fleeting and it would have taken too long for the family to deliberate,” Wang Shouzhe calmly said as he drank his tea, “This funding can be entered into the family accounts, but for the several elders within the family, we simply announce that it was borrowed from the Gongsun clan of Shanyang and the Lu Clan of Yingxiu. This is to prevent the elders from being unable to digest such news and causing a fuss.”
“I understand.” Gongsun Hui took two more sips of the spiritual tea to calm her nerves and eliminate her distracting thoughts. She finally understood why her legitimate son wanted her to hear the news while drinking spiritual tea. The impact of the news was too great, and he was afraid she wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Settling her mind, Gongsun Hui slowly said, “The reason Zhe Er invited me to drink spiritual tea couldn’t be just to deliver the news, right?”
“Hehe, Mother, your insight is sharp, Zhe Er’s little tricks could not be hidden from you.” Wang Shouzhe laughed, “Just looking at the family’s system, there are some defects, especially in terms of ranking by bloodline, talent, and gender etcetera, without any competitive mechanism, and overindulgence in nurturing the younger generation.”
Gongsun Hui frowned slightly, “You’re referring to the Zongwei child, aren’t you? I’ve heard about his affair, and now he’s been brought back by Shouyi’s men. I heard that Shouxin was so furious after hearing that he rushed back from Silkworm Manor and almost broke Wang Zongwei’s legs. I heard he is still locked up in the firewood room.”
“Mother, what is your opinion on this?” Wang Shouzhe asked casually as he drank his tea.
Gongsun Hui pondered for a moment, “That child indeed messed things up bad, and as a clan leader and elder, openly reprimanding him is necessary. However, you must also consider the feelings of the Second Grand Elder and Uncle Dingchuan, as well as your elder brother Shouxin. After all, they have painstakingly managed the family for years. It’s not possible to transfer all his resources and privileges to Luotong forever, right?”
“You see, Mother, this is why Zhe Er invited you for tea and consultation. Even you think in this manner, let alone others,” Wang Shouzhe said with a confident smile.
“Are you really going to strip Wang Zongwei of his resources forever?” Gongsun Hui asked in surprise, “Wouldn’t you damage the relationship with your elder brother Shouxin then?”
“I can’t say forever, but if he wants to take back what is his, no one can decide, me included,” Wang Shouzhe replied calmly.
Gongsun Hui was taken aback, “If even you can’t make the decision, then who can?”
Just when he was about to answer, a female voice from outside the door interrupted, “Fourth Uncle, is Uncle Shouzhe home?”
Gongsun Hui’s expression changed slightly, “That’s Wang Zongwei’s mother, Mrs. Xu. Born into the Xu family of Changning, she has always been arrogant and difficult to deal with. Shouzhe, you need to be careful.”
Wang Shouzhe laughed confidently, “Mother, you joke too much. Mrs. Xu is like a sister to me. After all, we are a family, what’s there to talk about dealing with?”
Immediately, he went to greet her at the door. With a radiant smile on his face, he bowed and said, “Sister-in-law, you should have informed me in advance of your visit, so I could have come out to greet you.”
Watching his seamless change of demeanor left even Gongsun Hui somewhat stunned. This legitimate child of hers was truly something. Comparing him to her brother Gongsun Qiang, and even her late husband Wang Dingyue, they both paled in comparison to him.