[Family estate? What estate does the Marquis’s house still have? Could it be that Jin’er didn’t dare tell his wife about the Marquis’s situation?]
[Fortunately I acted quickly and tossed the household authority to the heir’s wife. If the heir had told her the Marquis’s household situation, she absolutely wouldn’t have accepted it.]
An hour had not yet passed, so Wen Qingwan could hear the inner thoughts of Madam Xiao and Lady Xiao Wang.
Hearing the inner voice, Wen Qingwan could only grumble inwardly: Your Jin’er not only spoke, but spoke in great detail.
But she likes merit points!
“Estate? Our household has long had no estate. Just use your dowry to let the steward buy grain,” Xiao Jinying said gleefully at another’s misfortune.
The people of the Marquis’s household tacitly lowered their heads; they all agreed with Xiao Jinying’s words.
Madam Xiao, leaning on her dove‑headed staff, roared: “Sixteen, where are the rules you learned? Have you swallowed them all into your belly?”
“Rules? What rules does our Marquis’s household have? Whoever has money to buy food is the boss,” Xiao Jinying shouted, stiff‑necked.
The old Madam, usually kind‑eyed and gentle, was now angered by her granddaughter to the point of unsteady footing, swaying as she clutched her dove‑staff.
“Rebellious! Utterly rebellious! Wan’er, you may deal with Sixteen however you wish. From now on, the household is yours to command.”
Yet in the old Madam’s heart: [Hmph! I give you authority, but you won't dare to use it. Don’t blame your grandmother for not helping you—after all, Sixteen’s maternal grandfather is the richest man in Jiangcheng!”
[The dowry prepared by the Wen family for you is all plain, clumsy, bulky things that take up space—so shabby even the pawnshop would despise them.]
[In the future, this old body must rely on Concubine Li’s support to get by. Alas! I also fear dying with no face to meet my husband, so I can only cling to life, hoping that among the grandchildren one will make something of themselves.]
“Since Grandmother and Mother have said it, from now on I will manage the Marquis’s household—so all of you listen to me.”
“From this moment on, whoever disobeys will be given household authority; if they refuse and still disobey, they will be expelled from the ancestral hall and struck from the family register.”
Wen Qingwan’s voice was icy cold; standing there with heroic bearing, she radiated an untouchable majesty.
It made most of the Marquis’s household submit from the depths of their souls, and instinctively they spoke in unison: “I will obey everything the household mistress says.”
The Marquis of Cheng’en and Madam Xiao naturally were not among the ranks of submission, nor were the second son, the third son, and Xiao Jinying.
From childhood to adulthood, Xiao Jinying never listened to the household mistress; she and her concubine‑mother did not rely on the mistress’s dowry to live.
The Marquis of Cheng’en and Madam Xiao, though they did not voice agreement, also did not speak in opposition.
In their subconscious, it was all the same who managed the household—after all, no one would dare cut their food supply.
“Mm. Since everyone has no objections, return to your seats and eat. From now on, the main seat will be reserved for the heir and me.”
As Wen Qingwan spoke, she pulled Xiao Jin toward the main seat; she had realized that the Marquis household’s authority was nothing but a scalding hot potato.
If someone were to oppose, all the better—after all, her one thousand merit points had already been spent.
Her looks were rather flamboyant, resembling the demons in storybooks who drain human essence; though she ruled strictly at this moment, she did not provoke dislike among the people.
"......"
The Marquis of Cheng’en was dumbfounded!
For a moment, he actually forgot to argue back.
Seeing that the Marquis and the old Madam said nothing, the others naturally kept silent too—after all, the main seat was never theirs to claim.
Everyone in the Marquis’s household knew full well—the estate truly had nothing left.
“You’re called Sixteen?” Wen Qingwan asked casually as she passed by Xiao Jinying’s side.
“My name is Xiao Jinying, sixteenth in rank,” Xiao Jinying said loudly.
“Heh… you just said the Marquis’s household has no property, and you expect me to use my dowry to subsidize your food and clothing?”
She smiled as she pointed at Xiao Jinying and asked; her smile was domineering and flamboyant, dazzlingly beautiful.
“No… no… I don’t know how to manage the household, that was nonsense I said.” Xiao Jinying had no wish to take charge, and even less to be expelled from the family register.
Her maternal family treated her well only because she bore the identity of the Marquis’s daughter.
“Though you spoke nonsense, you reminded me: no one is obliged to support you for free.”
“If you wish to remain in the Marquis’s household, you must obediently follow my words; whatever I command, you shall do.”
“If you won’t obey, then don’t stay in the Marquis’s household. Don’t think that just because you eat your own food you can disobey and swagger about here.”
"After the meal, Leng Yan and Jinque lead people to search out all the private stores in each courtyard and hand them over, including even the Madam’s dowry."
"Since the Marquis’s household has no property, we’ll first borrow everyone’s private assets. The steward will compile a unified register, and when the household treasury has surplus, it will be returned to you."
“I repeat: whoever disobeys will be struck from the Xiao family genealogy, and those not on it will be expelled from the Marquis’s household.”
Wen Qingwan spoke with unusual calm, and it was precisely this calm that made everyone uneasy.
Xiao Libo let out a sneering laugh—want his private property? That was impossible.
Wen Qingwan glanced at him once; with paths so different, there was no point in plotting together—she couldn’t even be bothered to say more.
The third son, Xiao Litao, gazed at Wen Qingwan with admiration; he had never met such a woman—so full of character—and he liked her very much.
Xiao Jin cast a sidelong glance at his third brother, his eyes full of warning: she is your sister‑in‑law, don’t look at her that way.
“…” Xiao Litao immediately lowered his head; in the Marquis’s household, he feared only this elder brother, for that brother had once saved his life.
Xiao Jin’s gaze toward his wife was burning hot; he loved most to see her arrogant manner, and also to see her in command of others.
Even...he likes to see her controlling him.
At the meal, Xiao Jin was no longer his usual cold and distant self, fawning like a lackey as he picked dishes for his wife.
Everyone was so shocked their eyes nearly fell out; all in the Marquis’s household knew the heir was cold in temperament and kept away from women.
They never imagined that once he married and broke his abstinence, he seemed like a different person.
The Marquis saw his eldest son regain some vitality; though he looked rather servile, it was better than being decadent.
The eldest daughter‑in‑law’s undeniable confidence and unique charm could actually conquer this unruly eldest son.
He sat below Xiao Jin in silence, eating his meal; that main seat he had long wished to yield to his eldest son.
His father did nothing himself, yet always wanted to force him to succeed.
But he only wanted to eat, drink, and enjoy himself, living a steady life.
At tomorrow’s morning court, he would tell the Emperor to pass the Marquis of Cheng’en title to his eldest son, Xiao Jin.
Anyway, his presence at court was merely ceremonial; he didn’t need to say a single word.
At this meal, no one dared to stir up trouble anymore.
From yesterday’s banquet to today’s family feast, it was Xiao Jin who paid in silver, so everyone was essentially eating the host’s food.
After finishing her meal, Wen Qingwan left without a word; Xiao Jin immediately supported her arm as they departed.
Behind her followed two maids, fanning and shading her from the sun.
“Lord Marquis, please enjoy your meal slowly. I will take our son and daughter back to the courtyard first.” Xiao Wang’s voice was hoarse beyond recognition.
Like a parched riverbed, covered in cracks, even the slightest movement carried a bloody scent.
In the span of a single meal, she was so angry she bit her cheeks raw; she had never realized that being the household’s mistress could be like this.
She spent all her dowry to support everyone in the household, yet no one was grateful, as if it were simply her duty.
She merely fell in love with a man, yet suffered for many years—what sin had she committed?
“Madam, go and check your belongings first.” Leng Yan’s cold, ruthless voice rang out.
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