Chapter 75: Inheritance
However, as fate would have it, on the day of the accident, Li Jun still left the house. Fu Xiaowan and several others saw that he had encountered one bad thing after another, and thus invited him to go horse-riding to relax and enjoy himself.
Li Jun was in no mood to play.
Yesterday, his mother received a reply from his father, instructing Madam Lin to choose a day and send him to Rizhao, and he will be personally supervising his education.
In the past, if Fu Xiaowan invited him to play, he would have suppressed his unhappiness and went along. However now, he wanted to spend more time talking to Fu Xiaowan and his friends.
After leaving, who knows when or if he would return?
Instead of horse-riding, they went to Shen Fang’s residence. They passed the time chatting as they drank tea and listened to songs. It was only until the moon was well up in the sky that he finally returned home.
When Yu Tang heard that he returned home safely, the unease in her heart finally subsided.
She tried her hardest to safeguard Li Jun’s life, and so from now on, she and the Li family will have nothing more to do with each other. In the future, whatever grievances there are, she can carry out her plans with peace of mind, not having to care for his wellbeing anymore.
On the fourth day of the tenth month, Li Jun departed from Lin’an City.
Yu Tang was unaware of this.
She was with her elders and elder cousin at their ancestral home paying respects to their ancestors.
They had only just returned to the Yu family’s ancestral home and had barely even sat down, when fifth grand uncle came limping in, saying that someone wanted to visit them and asking if he should let them in.
After the seventh uncle incident, even with Yu Wen’s promise to care for fifth grand uncle until his death, fifth grand uncle seemed to have lost his vigor overnight. Every day, he did nothing but squat in the doorway smoking his hand-rolled tobaccos. Just the other day, he twisted his foot and Yu Wen sent for a physician to see him, but he ignored the physician’s instructions and refused to take his medicine. His days passed listlessly like this and he remained stubborn and set in his ways.
Yu Wen sighed as he watched him and said gently, “Your leg isn’t good, so don’t trouble yourself. I’ll go and see who’s at the door myself.”
Fifth grand uncle felt that he had failed Yu Wen and Yu Tang. Upon hearing his words, he let out a bitter smile and said, “You don’t need to care about me, i well know the condition of my own legs. The person who wants to see you is from the Lu family’s patriarchal house, the same Lu family whom you helped to organize the funeral proceedings for – Lu Xin.” The fifth uncle could not help but add, “They brought along a little child, I wonder if it’s the Lu family’s intention for the child to bear Lu Xin’s name, and thus came to look for you.”
This matter had nothing to do with the Yu family at all, but since the Yu family kindly helped with Lu Xin’s affairs, so if the Lu family’s patriarchal house wanted to have a heir for Lu Xin, for courtesy’s sake they should inform the Yu family so as to repay the Yu family’s kindness.
Yu Wen didn’t think too much of it. He spoke a few words with fifth grand uncle instructing him to take care of himself before meeting the people from the Lu family.
It turned out to be exactly as what fifth grand uncle had said. Since it was about time for the annual ancestral ritual held on the first day of the tenth month, The Lu family patriarchal house discussed the need to give Lu Xin an heir. He said to Yu Wen: “Before he passed, we were angry with him as he did not respect the authority of the patriarchal house. Since he is already gone, let bygones be bygones, lest our future generations think that we were too petty. As he’s a descendant of the Lu family, it is not right to let your Yu family help out with this. Several of our clan’s elders had a discussion and decided this boy would be Lu Xin’s heir. However, the child will still live with his biological parents. After New Year’s Day, he will offer Lu Xin incense and officially be known as his heir.”
Yu Wen thought that it was a good plan.
His friendship with Lu Xin should only be in his lifetime; his future generations shouldn’t have be obligated to pay their respects and offer incense to Lu Xin every year. Furthermore, Yu Tang disliked Lu Xin.
“That’s thoughtful of you!” Yu Wen thanked the Lu family’s clan house on behalf of Lu Xin.
It was only after saying this that the Lu family’s patriarch reveal his true intention. “Lu Xin didn’t leave much behind – only an old, dilapidated house that he sold to an outsider. We can’t let the boy have nothing to his name, right? I heard that when you came back from Hangzhou City, you brought a few of Lu Xin’s possessions back. At least it could serve as a proof of this child’s succession of Lu Xin ……”
Yu Wen was bewildered.
Previously he has discussed with Yu Tang the various possibilities how the Li family would try to take the painting.
Perhaps the Li family would have someone attempt to steal it again, or that someone would come to forcibly take it from them. After the whole Li -Yu family fiasco, he even harbored hopes that the Li family would leave them alone.
Never in his wildest imaginations did he expect that the Lu family would come knocking at his door to ask for Lu Xin’s so-called ‘inheritance’.
Yu Wen hesitated for a moment.
Lu Xin’s possessions were originally meant as a lure for the Li family, so if it was given to the Lu family, would this implicate the Lu family as well?
There were massive benefits to be gained from this nautical map, and who knows if there was another stronger and more influential power hidden behind the Li family supporting them? What the background of the people behind this? Just what was their goal and methods of operation?
A flash of greed appeared on the face of the Lu family’s patriarch.
Originally they didn’t have any interest in Lu Xin’s possessions. However, just a couple days ago, he inadvertently heard that Lu Xin had left a painting behind that was a genuine work of the previous dynasty. If it was sold in the market, he could easily get at least three to five hundred taels of silver. This made him greedy.
Hmph, that Yu Wen.. he only buried Lu Xin, which likely only costed him twenty silver taels, so why should he get this painting which was worth so much more in return?
The painting should belong to their Lu family!
After considering this, the Lu family’s patriarch got anxious and said, “Master Yu, I know that you helped in Lu Xin’s burial, so naturally, we shouldn’t ask for his things back. However, I am the Lu Family’s patriarch, so I can’t just leave Lu Xin without an heir. This was also stated in the family’s laws and showing respect for proper societal values. I have no choice in this. Therefore, you should do your good deed till the end and return Lu Xin’s rightful possessions to the Lu family. We will be immensely grateful for your kindness!”
After saying that, he got up and bowed towards Yu Wen.
Yu Wen wanted to return Lu Xin’s possessions to the Lu family too, but he was unsure if it was the right course of action. Thus, he tried to delay this matter. He replied, saying “Although Lu Xin didn’t leave many things behind, but I haven’t sorted them out properly yet. So, after we have performed the ancestral rituals, you can come back in a few days and we can discuss this further.”
The Lu patriarch was afraid that Yu Wen would change his mind, but he could not be too hasty lest he arouse Yu Wen’s suspicion, so he answered breezily, “That’s fine! When would you return to Lin’an City? I will bring the boy to visit you then.”
Yu Wen pushed for more time, saying “We will not return until the day after tomorrow. Why don’t arrange to meet five days later?”
The Lu patriarch bargained with Yu Wen and after much discussion, they finally settled on going to the Yu family’s residence in three days to settle the matter.
Yu Wen nodded in agreement helplessly as he sent the Lu family away. He quietly pulled Yu Tang aside to the front yard, under the balsam fir tree where Madam Chen couldn’t see them.
He told Yu Tang exactly what happened and asked, “What do you think we should do?”
Unconsciously, he had already seen his daughter as the main decision-maker.
They had shared this information about Lu Xin’s inheritance weeks ago, but neither the Lu family nor Li family came to ask about it at all. It was only now, after their Yu-Li Family’s matter was resolved, did the Lu family suddenly thing of having a heir for Lu Xin and ask for his possessions back. Clearly, there was something suspicious about this.
However, her viewpoint had drastically changed from previously.
In the beginning, she only wanted to be rid of this ticking time bomb, but now, she would do everything in her power to make things difficult for the perpetrator so as to lessen the resentment in her heart.
“Give it to them then.” Yu Tang coldly replied, “However, we have spent a lot of silver for Uncle Lu’s burial, so if their family wants to take the things back, they should at least repay the silver right?”
“That’s not right.” Yu Wen objected immediately, “Maybe they are victims too and were taken advantage of.”
“If they weren’t greedy, would they have fallen for their trap?” Yu Tang retorted. She was unmoved by his words and continued on, saying disdainfully, “Even if it was a big pit, they are the ones who chose to jump in, should we be blamed for not warning them? Even a three-year-old child knows that there is no such thing as money falling from the sky, and he, a patriarch, actually believes such a good thing will come at no cost? Are you saying that we should be patiently guiding him, telling him that we shouldn’t covet ill-gotten gains?”.
Yu Wen was convinced by his daughter and said, “Then what should we say when they come to our door? Do we ask for the silver upfront? How much is the right amount to ask?”
Yu Tang replied, “People like them, the more silver you ask, the less suspicious they will be. Didn’t Uncle Lu sell the painting to you for two hundred taels of silver? We’ll follow that price then. We don’t need more than that, just two hundred silver taels.”
“That’s a lot!” Yu Wen was shocked.
Yu Tang, however, said confidently, “Just listen to me, it’ll be fine. They resorted to murder to force a marriage for that painting. Anything that can be solved with money wouldn’t be a problem for them.”
Yu Wen agreed with some unease.
Yu Tang then asked the Qu brothers to investigate further.
Sure enough, someone ‘inadvertently’ shared with the Lu family’s patriarch, saying that there was a painting worth four to five hundred taels of silver among Lu Xin’s possessions.
Yu Tang ruminated on this matter for a while.
When the Lu family’s patriarch brought Lu Xin’s so called heir to visit, Yu Wen did not beat around the bush and directly asked for 200 taels of silver. Just as what Yu Tang had told him, he said firmly. “This painting was sold to me for 200 taels of silver. Regarding the burial fee and other expenses, as he is my brother and good friend, I’ll just consider it as my financial support for him, there’s no need for you to pay.”
The Lu family’s patriarch was greatly taken aback and said, “Why is it so expensive?”
Yu Wen pretended to be deep in thought, as he leisurely sipped his tea.
The Lu family’s patriarch gritted his teeth.
If the painting could be sold for 500 taels of silver, even after giving the Yu family 200 taels, the family could still get more than half.
That buyer was still waiting for the painting!
In order to avoid a nasty, long-drawn out negotiation, the Lu family’s patriarch reluctantly agreed. He immediately went to find the person who encouraged them to get the painting and borrowed 200 taels of silver to make payment to the Yu family. The exchange was smooth and he took away Lu Xin’s “possession”.
Looking at the four snowy white large silver ingots placed on the big round table in the hall, Yu Wen felt as though he was dreaming and asked Yu Tang, “These two hundred taels of silver were just obtained like that..”
Yu Tang looked at the four silver ingots and laughed, saying, “Isn’t it fortuitous? It can be used for brother’s marriage to sister-in-law.” She even teased her father, saying “Does that mean that I’ll get to keep the dowry that mother left for me?”
Chapter 75: Inheritance
However, as fate would have it, on the day of the accident, Li Jun still left the house. Fu Xiaowan and several others saw that he had encountered one bad thing after another, and thus invited him to go horse-riding to relax and enjoy himself.
Li Jun was in no mood to play.
Yesterday, his mother received a reply from his father, instructing Madam Lin to choose a day and send him to Rizhao, and he will be personally supervising his education.
In the past, if Fu Xiaowan invited him to play, he would have suppressed his unhappiness and went along. However now, he wanted to spend more time talking to Fu Xiaowan and his friends.
After leaving, who knows when or if he would return?
Instead of horse-riding, they went to Shen Fang’s residence. They passed the time chatting as they drank tea and listened to songs. It was only until the moon was well up in the sky that he finally returned home.
When Yu Tang heard that he returned home safely, the unease in her heart finally subsided.
She tried her hardest to safeguard Li Jun’s life, and so from now on, she and the Li family will have nothing more to do with each other. In the future, whatever grievances there are, she can carry out her plans with peace of mind, not having to care for his wellbeing anymore.
On the fourth day of the tenth month, Li Jun departed from Lin’an City.
Yu Tang was unaware of this.
She was with her elders and elder cousin at their ancestral home paying respects to their ancestors.
They had only just returned to the Yu family’s ancestral home and had barely even sat down, when fifth grand uncle came limping in, saying that someone wanted to visit them and asking if he should let them in.
After the seventh uncle incident, even with Yu Wen’s promise to care for fifth grand uncle until his death, fifth grand uncle seemed to have lost his vigor overnight. Every day, he did nothing but squat in the doorway smoking his hand-rolled tobaccos. Just the other day, he twisted his foot and Yu Wen sent for a physician to see him, but he ignored the physician’s instructions and refused to take his medicine. His days passed listlessly like this and he remained stubborn and set in his ways.
Yu Wen sighed as he watched him and said gently, “Your leg isn’t good, so don’t trouble yourself. I’ll go and see who’s at the door myself.”
Fifth grand uncle felt that he had failed Yu Wen and Yu Tang. Upon hearing his words, he let out a bitter smile and said, “You don’t need to care about me, i well know the condition of my own legs. The person who wants to see you is from the Lu family’s patriarchal house, the same Lu family whom you helped to organize the funeral proceedings for – Lu Xin.” The fifth uncle could not help but add, “They brought along a little child, I wonder if it’s the Lu family’s intention for the child to bear Lu Xin’s name, and thus came to look for you.”
This matter had nothing to do with the Yu family at all, but since the Yu family kindly helped with Lu Xin’s affairs, so if the Lu family’s patriarchal house wanted to have a heir for Lu Xin, for courtesy’s sake they should inform the Yu family so as to repay the Yu family’s kindness.
Yu Wen didn’t think too much of it. He spoke a few words with fifth grand uncle instructing him to take care of himself before meeting the people from the Lu family.
It turned out to be exactly as what fifth grand uncle had said. Since it was about time for the annual ancestral ritual held on the first day of the tenth month, The Lu family patriarchal house discussed the need to give Lu Xin an heir. He said to Yu Wen: “Before he passed, we were angry with him as he did not respect the authority of the patriarchal house. Since he is already gone, let bygones be bygones, lest our future generations think that we were too petty. As he’s a descendant of the Lu family, it is not right to let your Yu family help out with this. Several of our clan’s elders had a discussion and decided this boy would be Lu Xin’s heir. However, the child will still live with his biological parents. After New Year’s Day, he will offer Lu Xin incense and officially be known as his heir.”
Yu Wen thought that it was a good plan.
His friendship with Lu Xin should only be in his lifetime; his future generations shouldn’t have be obligated to pay their respects and offer incense to Lu Xin every year. Furthermore, Yu Tang disliked Lu Xin.
“That’s thoughtful of you!” Yu Wen thanked the Lu family’s clan house on behalf of Lu Xin.
It was only after saying this that the Lu family’s patriarch reveal his true intention. “Lu Xin didn’t leave much behind – only an old, dilapidated house that he sold to an outsider. We can’t let the boy have nothing to his name, right? I heard that when you came back from Hangzhou City, you brought a few of Lu Xin’s possessions back. At least it could serve as a proof of this child’s succession of Lu Xin ……”
Yu Wen was bewildered.
Previously he has discussed with Yu Tang the various possibilities how the Li family would try to take the painting.
Perhaps the Li family would have someone attempt to steal it again, or that someone would come to forcibly take it from them. After the whole Li -Yu family fiasco, he even harbored hopes that the Li family would leave them alone.
Never in his wildest imaginations did he expect that the Lu family would come knocking at his door to ask for Lu Xin’s so-called ‘inheritance’.
Yu Wen hesitated for a moment.
Lu Xin’s possessions were originally meant as a lure for the Li family, so if it was given to the Lu family, would this implicate the Lu family as well?
There were massive benefits to be gained from this nautical map, and who knows if there was another stronger and more influential power hidden behind the Li family supporting them? What the background of the people behind this? Just what was their goal and methods of operation?
A flash of greed appeared on the face of the Lu family’s patriarch.
Originally they didn’t have any interest in Lu Xin’s possessions. However, just a couple days ago, he inadvertently heard that Lu Xin had left a painting behind that was a genuine work of the previous dynasty. If it was sold in the market, he could easily get at least three to five hundred taels of silver. This made him greedy.
Hmph, that Yu Wen.. he only buried Lu Xin, which likely only costed him twenty silver taels, so why should he get this painting which was worth so much more in return?
The painting should belong to their Lu family!
After considering this, the Lu family’s patriarch got anxious and said, “Master Yu, I know that you helped in Lu Xin’s burial, so naturally, we shouldn’t ask for his things back. However, I am the Lu Family’s patriarch, so I can’t just leave Lu Xin without an heir. This was also stated in the family’s laws and showing respect for proper societal values. I have no choice in this. Therefore, you should do your good deed till the end and return Lu Xin’s rightful possessions to the Lu family. We will be immensely grateful for your kindness!”
After saying that, he got up and bowed towards Yu Wen.
Yu Wen wanted to return Lu Xin’s possessions to the Lu family too, but he was unsure if it was the right course of action. Thus, he tried to delay this matter. He replied, saying “Although Lu Xin didn’t leave many things behind, but I haven’t sorted them out properly yet. So, after we have performed the ancestral rituals, you can come back in a few days and we can discuss this further.”
The Lu patriarch was afraid that Yu Wen would change his mind, but he could not be too hasty lest he arouse Yu Wen’s suspicion, so he answered breezily, “That’s fine! When would you return to Lin’an City? I will bring the boy to visit you then.”
Yu Wen pushed for more time, saying “We will not return until the day after tomorrow. Why don’t arrange to meet five days later?”
The Lu patriarch bargained with Yu Wen and after much discussion, they finally settled on going to the Yu family’s residence in three days to settle the matter.
Yu Wen nodded in agreement helplessly as he sent the Lu family away. He quietly pulled Yu Tang aside to the front yard, under the balsam fir tree where Madam Chen couldn’t see them.
He told Yu Tang exactly what happened and asked, “What do you think we should do?”
Unconsciously, he had already seen his daughter as the main decision-maker.
They had shared this information about Lu Xin’s inheritance weeks ago, but neither the Lu family nor Li family came to ask about it at all. It was only now, after their Yu-Li Family’s matter was resolved, did the Lu family suddenly thing of having a heir for Lu Xin and ask for his possessions back. Clearly, there was something suspicious about this.
However, her viewpoint had drastically changed from previously.
In the beginning, she only wanted to be rid of this ticking time bomb, but now, she would do everything in her power to make things difficult for the perpetrator so as to lessen the resentment in her heart.
“Give it to them then.” Yu Tang coldly replied, “However, we have spent a lot of silver for Uncle Lu’s burial, so if their family wants to take the things back, they should at least repay the silver right?”
“That’s not right.” Yu Wen objected immediately, “Maybe they are victims too and were taken advantage of.”
“If they weren’t greedy, would they have fallen for their trap?” Yu Tang retorted. She was unmoved by his words and continued on, saying disdainfully, “Even if it was a big pit, they are the ones who chose to jump in, should we be blamed for not warning them? Even a three-year-old child knows that there is no such thing as money falling from the sky, and he, a patriarch, actually believes such a good thing will come at no cost? Are you saying that we should be patiently guiding him, telling him that we shouldn’t covet ill-gotten gains?”.
Yu Wen was convinced by his daughter and said, “Then what should we say when they come to our door? Do we ask for the silver upfront? How much is the right amount to ask?”
Yu Tang replied, “People like them, the more silver you ask, the less suspicious they will be. Didn’t Uncle Lu sell the painting to you for two hundred taels of silver? We’ll follow that price then. We don’t need more than that, just two hundred silver taels.”
“That’s a lot!” Yu Wen was shocked.
Yu Tang, however, said confidently, “Just listen to me, it’ll be fine. They resorted to murder to force a marriage for that painting. Anything that can be solved with money wouldn’t be a problem for them.”
Yu Wen agreed with some unease.
Yu Tang then asked the Qu brothers to investigate further.
Sure enough, someone ‘inadvertently’ shared with the Lu family’s patriarch, saying that there was a painting worth four to five hundred taels of silver among Lu Xin’s possessions.
Yu Tang ruminated on this matter for a while.
When the Lu family’s patriarch brought Lu Xin’s so called heir to visit, Yu Wen did not beat around the bush and directly asked for 200 taels of silver. Just as what Yu Tang had told him, he said firmly. “This painting was sold to me for 200 taels of silver. Regarding the burial fee and other expenses, as he is my brother and good friend, I’ll just consider it as my financial support for him, there’s no need for you to pay.”
The Lu family’s patriarch was greatly taken aback and said, “Why is it so expensive?”
Yu Wen pretended to be deep in thought, as he leisurely sipped his tea.
The Lu family’s patriarch gritted his teeth.
If the painting could be sold for 500 taels of silver, even after giving the Yu family 200 taels, the family could still get more than half.
That buyer was still waiting for the painting!
In order to avoid a nasty, long-drawn out negotiation, the Lu family’s patriarch reluctantly agreed. He immediately went to find the person who encouraged them to get the painting and borrowed 200 taels of silver to make payment to the Yu family. The exchange was smooth and he took away Lu Xin’s “possession”.
Looking at the four snowy white large silver ingots placed on the big round table in the hall, Yu Wen felt as though he was dreaming and asked Yu Tang, “These two hundred taels of silver were just obtained like that..”
Yu Tang looked at the four silver ingots and laughed, saying, “Isn’t it fortuitous? It can be used for brother’s marriage to sister-in-law.” She even teased her father, saying “Does that mean that I’ll get to keep the dowry that mother left for me?”
