Chapter 21: Are You Joking?
Jiang Ruanxi concealed the mockery in her eyes. “Mother, although my dowry cannot be used, don’t you still have your dowry?”
Madam Zhou’s mouth fell open, completely unable to react. Jiang Ruanxi continued, “You told me before that after marrying into the Lin Family, I naturally became one of the Lin family members. The Marquis is your son, and now he’s encountered difficulties. As the Marquis’s mother, you surely can’t refuse to help, right?”
Lin Ningkun’s mind stirred, his eyes lighting up as he looked at Madam Zhou, full of expectation in his gaze.
“This… how can this work?” Madam Zhou’s heart was bleeding. It wasn’t that she was unwilling to use her own dowry to help her son, but her dowry hadn’t been much to begin with. She had already put a lot into it when the Marquis Manor fell into decline, and what remained now was what she had saved for her old age.
“Why not?” Jiang Ruanxi said in astonishment. “Mother, didn’t you say it yourself? If the Marquis gets promoted, as his mother, your status will rise with him, won’t it? Besides, you’re only lending your dowry temporarily. Once the Marquis is promoted, there will be more ways to make money, and naturally more silver money in the future. By then, the Marquis will surely repay you.”
Madam Zhou’s body stiffened. She never imagined that Jiang Ruanxi would use her own words to persuade her. She truly had difficulties she couldn’t voice.
“This…” Madam Zhou definitely had selfish thoughts at heart, but under Lin Ningkun’s gaze, she couldn’t say certain words.
“Mother, the Marquis is your own son. Surely you’re not reluctant to part with your own dowry?”
Jiang Ruanxi felt the fire wasn’t hot enough, so she continued adding firewood.
Lin Ningkun also started to believe it, looking at Madam Zhou with disbelief, his gaze carrying a bit more scrutiny.
Madam Zhou retorted, “That’s of course not what I mean. If I can help the Marquis, I definitely will. But as the Clan Leader just said, using a woman’s dowry—if people find out, it definitely won’t look good. There might even be more gossip, which would be making things worse instead of better, wouldn’t it?”
Lin Ningkun frowned, as if pondering this issue.
Lin Runkun also stroked his beard, seeming to fall into contemplation.
Seeing them like this, Madam Zhou thought her words had worked and she could escape. She breathed a sigh of relief in her heart, but before she could feel happy for long, Jiang Ruanxi smiled at her.
“Actually, if it were to use Mother’s dowry, others wouldn’t gossip. They might even praise you.”
Madam Zhou was puzzled, thinking Jiang Ruanxi was talking nonsense.
Lin Ningkun and Lin Runkun both perked up and asked in unison.
“How so?”
“Really?”
“Does everyone still remember the new Top Scholar from not long ago?”
Seeing everyone listening seriously, Jiang Ruanxi continued.
“I remember this new Top Scholar came from a poor family, but his mother used her own dowry to support him. Not only did she raise him, but she also went everywhere to wash clothes for wealthy families, earning meager income to fund his studies. When His Majesty learned of it, he wasn’t displeased that the new Top Scholar had used his mother’s dowry. Instead, he was deeply moved.
With a wave of his hand, he directly wrote, ‘Pity the parents’ hearts in the world,’ personally appointed him as the new Top Scholar, even conferred on him the rank of Sixth Rank official, and rewarded him with ten thousand taels of gold. This was a first in the Qin Kingdom. If Mother could do the same as that Top Scholar’s mother and make sacrifices for the Marquis, I think everyone would only sympathize with Mother’s heartfelt intentions and absolutely not mock her.”
Hearing this, Lin Ningkun’s eyes lit up, while Madam Zhou felt very uncomfortable. She had never imagined such a thing existed.
“I think it’s feasible.” Lin Runkun, upon hearing this, looked at Madam Zhou with eyes practically sparkling with gold stars. “If you bring out these dowries, I believe no one will say anything by then, and they might even sympathize with your heartfelt intentions.”
“This… this…” Madam Zhou hadn’t expected Lin Runkun to agree. She wanted to refuse but couldn’t, wanted to agree but couldn’t speak.
“Mother, what are you still hesitating for? For the Marquis’s future prospects, are you unwilling to bring it out?”
Jiang Ruanxi’s words made Lin Ningkun frown slightly, his handsome and stern face showing a bit of resolve. “Mother, do you have some difficulty?”
“Ningkun, it’s not that I won’t help you; it’s that I truly can’t.” Madam Zhou knew some things could no longer be hidden.
Jiang Ruanxi looked surprised. “Mother, how could you not be able to help? Are you joking?”
Lin Ningkun’s face also showed some displeasure. “Mother, at this point, just say whatever it is directly.”
This was originally a family matter, and Madam Zhou hadn’t wanted to say it out loud, but she couldn’t withstand her son’s questioning, and she was also afraid Lin Ningkun would overthink it. After thinking for a few seconds, she could only confess everything.
“The silver you need is a lot. The dowry under my name probably can’t make up that much silver.”
Jiang Ruanxi was surprised again. “Mother, you’re joking, right? These years, I’ve been managing the household. You had no place to spend silver, so how could you not have that much?”
Madam Zhou’s face paled, faintly showing some unnaturalness.
“Before you came, I was always managing the Lin Family. Back then, I wasn’t good at it, and most of the family industries were losing money. I put a lot of my dowry into them.”
Although over these years, she had felt it was only natural for Jiang Ruanxi to manage the household and hadn’t thought it was anything impressive.
But saying it now undoubtedly admitted that she wasn’t as good at managing the household as Jiang Ruanxi.
Though it was a bit embarrassing, there was no other way.
It was better than not being able to produce the silver later and then saying these things.
“But Mother, that doesn’t add up. When I married into the Lin Family and took over the household affairs, I clearly saw the list of your dowry. A portion had been put in, but it shouldn’t be to the point that even the silver the Marquis needs can’t be covered, right?”
Jiang Ruanxi’s words made Lin Ningkun’s expression change drastically.
“Mother, the Marquis is your biological son. You’re not refusing to help and making excuses here, are you?”
Lin Ningkun’s heart was already filled with pent-up anger, and now he was thoroughly angry.
“Mother, do you really not want to help me?”
“No, you are my son; of course I want to help you.” Madam Zhou felt she had difficulties she couldn’t voice.
Facing Lin Ningkun’s questioning, she very much wanted to explain, but the words reached her mouth and she couldn’t say them no matter what.
“Mother, if it’s not that you don’t want to help, then what difficulties do you have? This matter concerns the Marquis’s future prospects. If you keep hesitating, the opportunity might be lost. Are you worried that after you hand over the silver, once the Marquis rises high, he won’t provide for your old age?”
