Chapter 70 Reaping the consequences

evening.

"There is a lantern festival tonight, mother. I want to take Chaochao out to see it." Lu Zhengyue held Chaochao in his arms and was having dinner in the hall.

On the first day of the Lunar New Year, there were so many visitors today that Ms. Xu was too busy to keep her feet off the ground.

Seeing Lu Chaochao's pitiful look, he smiled and agreed.

Just let her wear more clothes and bring a few slaves.

There is no one around you.

Lu Chaochao was overjoyed and her arms were bulging. These were the snacks she had secretly brought.

Today is the New Year, Xu Shiquan pretends not to have seen it.

"Madam, the Marquis has not returned home all night, will something happen to him?" Su Zhiqing dressed up extravagantly today, but after waiting for a day, Lu Yuanze did not return home.

Mrs. Xu said calmly: "The man has his own career outside. It seems that something happened in the court that got in the way. I am raising you to be my equal wife so that you can take good care of the Marquis and not hold him back."

Su Zhiqing said hurriedly: "How could it be possible? Madam, Qingqing is just worried."

Just as he was talking, he heard a voice coming from outside the door.

"Madam, the Marquis has returned home."

As soon as she finished speaking, Su Zhiqing held up her skirt, stepped on the snow, and ran towards the door.

Like a smart butterfly.

When he saw Lu Yuanze, he paused slightly and rushed straight towards Lu Yuanze.

"Master Marquis, you didn't come home all night, Qingqing is worried about you." Her eyes were red, her voice was sweet, and her words were full of the girl's admiration and admiration.

Lu Yuanze pressed his waist without leaving a trace.

Su Zhiqing's heart sank when she smelled the fragrance on his body.

"Today, Qingqing is recorded in the family tree, and she is the Marquis's woman. Qingqing... is so lucky to meet the Marquis." Su Zhiqing took Lu Yuanze in her arms and headed to Qingpingyuan.

Lu Yuanze's calves are still trembling, and his waist is still sore. Pei Jiaojiao is really a fairy!

Immediately he said: "Today there are visitors in the mansion, let's go see the clan elders first."

After saying that, he ran away.

Su Zhiqing's eyes inadvertently caught a glimpse of the red marks under his throat, and her eyes turned red with anger.

Mrs. Xu was a little surprised when she saw Lu Yuanze's figure.

I thought that Su Zhiqing would try her best to keep him.

"Why does the Marquis look extremely tired but doesn't have a good rest?" Mrs. Xu couldn't help but ask.

Lu Yuanze looked embarrassed.

He also didn't expect that Pei Jiaojiao would be so bold and so...

moving.

More moving than usual in more than ten years.

The little clothes he wears are also breathtaking.

"Last night, I accompanied some subordinates to discuss matters and forgot about the time. I had a few more drinks today. Fortunately, there is a lady in the house to take care of it. Thank you for your hard work, Mrs. Yun."

"Lu is lucky enough to be able to marry Yun Niang." Lu Yuanze's eyes were as affectionate as those of a dog.

Xu was addicted to it before.

Now, it's disgusting.

"Master Hou, it's better to visit the clan elder first. The clan elder will return to Qingxi tomorrow."

"Over Qingxi, they said they wanted to repair the ancestral hall. The old lady was quick to talk and immediately agreed to pay for it. Mr. Hou gave a piece of it by the way."

Mrs. Xu smiled, with a look of helplessness on her face: "I am thinking that after all, I am repairing the Lu family's ancestral house, and it is not easy for Yun Niang to get the dowry. In order to prevent outsiders from gossiping."

Lu Yuanze had such a good face that when he heard the dowry, he immediately said: "How can I let Yun Niang pay for the dowry?"

He was a little irritated. In the past, Yun Niang always said that what was hers belonged to the Lu family, regardless of you and me.

Yun Niang even begged him to use it, and he felt comfortable using it.

But now that she was talking about dowry, why was Lu Yuanze so embarrassed?

"I'll give it to the clan elder later." Lu Yuanze turned around to look for the clan elder.

I still feel a little irritated deep down.

The Lu family had a poor financial background, so they could use the Xu family's dowry to support Jinghuai and the Marquis Mansion.

Now, it is stretched thin.

When he heard that he wanted to give three thousand taels to the clan elder, Lu Yuanze's face turned green: "Three thousand taels?" Lu Yuanze's face turned livid.

"In previous years, your wife was given one thousand taels. This year, the old house and the ancestral hall have to be renovated. Three thousand taels is not high anymore." The patriarch frowned slightly. Why is Lord Lu so stingy?

The old lady sighed: "Your father is also buried in Qingxi, and your ancestors are all in Qingxi. Yuanze, you can't save this money."

"Just let your wife take the dowry." The old lady still expected to pay for Xu's dowry as before.

Lu Yuanze tugged on his clothes irritably: "Using your daughter-in-law's dowry to build an ancestral hall, what do you call this?!"

Usually, the Xu family paid for it and coaxed the clan members to return to Qingxi happily, but he never felt anything wrong.

But he was a little annoyed to pay for it himself.

His salary is only a few hundred taels a year.

The Xu family manages all the properties of the Hou Mansion, but they certainly cannot support the huge Hou Mansion. Most of the money comes from her dowry shop.

"Clan leader, why do we spend a thousand taels per year on clan studies?"

"In the past eighteen years, I haven't won a single prize." Lu Yuanze frowned.

The patriarch raised his eyelids: "Didn't you say one thousand taels per year back then?"

Lu Yuanze felt choked in his heart.

When the Xu family just entered the house, the clan elders came to fight against the autumn wind. When the Xu family paid, he specifically said it was high!

"Okay, okay, I'll send the money tomorrow." Lu Yuanze waved his hand.

Several clan elders were so angry that their faces turned red. Every time they came around, the Xu family didn't treat them respectfully.

When leaving, you should also give a big red envelope.

He immediately said: "It's better that your wife knows how to be a good person."

If it hadn't been the first day of the Lunar New Year, Lu Yuanze would have wished he could have kicked them out.

When the clan elder left, Lu Yuanze's face fell.

"Why are you having such a big reaction? Anyway, Mr. Xu was convinced by you, so you coaxed him to take out the money." The old lady looked calm, as if she didn't care.

Since Mrs. Xu married into the family, the food and clothing expenses of the Hou Mansion have improved by several levels.

The Lu family has no background. Before Mrs. Xu married into the family, the Lu family had everything they wanted.

"By the way, when will Jing Huai come home?"

"I really feel for my eldest grandson."

"Sanyuan Jidi is going to be in my palace, we can't let him live outside."

The old lady couldn't help but ask when she saw him.

Lu Yuanze was irritable: "Mom, I have a plan."

"By the way, your sister hasn't returned to her parents' home today. Why don't you go over and see what's going on?" The old lady had been looking forward to it all day, but she never saw Lu Wanyi returning to her parents' home.

"Mom, Wanyi has been raised by you to be too arrogant. Don't spoil her all the time." Lu Yuanze waved his hand and walked out of the door.

The old lady sighed angrily.

It was not until dark that the Lu family held a reunion dinner.

Only then did the Gu family's carriage appear.

In the six months since Lu Wanyi got married, she had lost a lot of weight.

Standing next to him was Gu Ling, the elegant number one scholar. Gu Ling had a gentle face and his eyes fell on Lu Wanyi. Lu Wanyi shivered hard.

The two of them entered the gate of the Hou Mansion hand in hand.

Lu Wanyi shrank his head and kowtowed to the old lady to pay New Year greetings.

Lu Wanyi knelt down.

Oh, tears welled up in my eyes.

"Mom! Mom, please save me, please save me!" She knelt forward and pulled the old lady's trouser legs, her voice trembling and desperate.

Gu Ling's face suddenly darkened.

Inside the house, the atmosphere was slightly cold.