"But as juniors, it's not convenient for us to confront them directly, given their status," Wu Caiwei said with a troubled look at Mr. and Mrs. Zhou. Hu Lianyuan wasn't sure what she was planning, but he played along, putting on a distressed expression.
"Don't you have any solutions?" Mrs. Zhou thought about it. This was indeed a big problem. Even she, a shrewd person, had no chance against her mother-in-law, as the latter always stood on moral high ground.
"Originally, I had no solution. But now that you're here! Regardless of anything else, you are considered relatives of the Hu family, and your status is equal to theirs. As long as you back us up, the Hu family will have to consider it," Wu Caiwei said, looking at them expectantly. It was then that Hu Lianyuan understood her intentions.
Fearing they wouldn't give their all, he made a promise: "We'll keep it within the family. As long as you help me get the money, we'll split it fifty-fifty."
The Zhou family immediately looked at him with surprise and seriousness. They hadn't expected such good fortune. They had heard that the Hu family was one of the most prominent families in the city, with mountains of money. The thought of keeping half of it made their hearts pound with excitement.
"The money is what we'll work hard to get. You want to take half without lifting a finger, isn't that too unfair? How about this, we'll split it twenty-eight," Mrs. Zhou's son was her top priority. The thought of half the money being taken away made her heart bleed. She quickly began to haggle.
"No matter what, I am still a young master of the Hu family. You're acting under my name. Without me, you wouldn't be able to ask the Hu family for money. How about this, let's meet halfway, a forty-sixty split," Hu Lianyuan hesitated for a moment, frowning and looking reluctant.
"A final offer, thirty-seventy," Mrs. Zhou tested his bottom line again.
"Alright, we've agreed. Since the price is so low, I won't be involved in anything. I'll give you some money later, and you can stay at an inn for a couple of nights to make do. You also saw that my courtyard doesn't have enough space for you.
Besides, once you get the money, you won't be able to afford this small expense, will you? You must know that the Hu family's combined assets are worth well over hundreds of thousands of taels," Hu Lianyuan said, acting as if he had suffered a great loss. He angrily flicked his sleeves and, not bothering with them any further, walked inside.
Wu Caiwei looked at them apologetically and tried to catch up with her husband, perfectly portraying a young wife controlled by a wealthy family. She then quickly took a purse from her sleeve.
Before she could open it, Mrs. Zhou snatched it away. She glanced inside and pouted. There were only ten taels of silver, barely enough for their accommodation for the next couple of days. She had thought she would get a good deal.
"Is there any more? We've traveled a long way, endured the hardship of the journey, and haven't had a hot meal. This little bit of money is only enough for lodging. What about our food?" Mrs. Zhou said, scrutinizing her from head to toe, her gaze falling on a gold hairpin on her head.
Seeing Mrs. Zhou's gaze, Wu Caiwei quickly covered her hairpin and said nervously, "This hairpin is one of my few pieces of jewelry. When traveling, without decent things, one would be laughed at."
Seeing Mrs. Zhou's increasingly grim expression, she thought for a moment, then pulled out a silver hairpin from her head and carefully handed it to her. "Will this one do?"
Mrs. Zhou snatched it away and said ungratefully, "Still calling yourself a lady of a prominent family? Your ostentatious display is quite something. One would think you were wealthy, but in reality, you're already in financial trouble."
The more she spoke, the redder Wu Caiwei's face became, her head almost buried in the ground. Only then did Mrs. Zhou, led by a male servant, walk out towards the inn.
As soon as they left, Wu Caiwei's expression changed. She returned to her room and saw Hu Lianyuan sitting there leisurely drinking tea. She poured herself a cup and said indignantly, "You're so relaxed here. Don't you see I was almost berated into the dust?"
"I was just playing along with your act. I know that although you appeared to be at a disadvantage, you were secretly delighted," Hu Lianyuan said sharply, directly exposing her pretense.
In fact, he was also very happy. The Zhou family coming to Yuzheng was undoubtedly arranged by the Hu family. Weren't they trying to cause trouble for him? When they saw that the people they had gone to great lengths to bring ended up bothering them, they would surely fly into a rage.
"This is what I call turning their plan against them," Wu Caiwei rolled her eyes. The thought of a good show to watch made her feel a surge of excitement.
The Zhou family, having settled into the inn, gathered to discuss their next plan.
"Mother, do you think those two will trick us? If the Hu family's money was so easy to get, why wouldn't they go themselves?" Zhou Xueshan felt timid at the thought of dealing with a prominent family.
"That's where you're mistaken. While you were asking for directions earlier, I already had someone inquire. It's said that Hu Lianyuan's father is a concubine's son of Madam Hu. In other words, he's the son of a concubine, so it's understandable that the Hu family wouldn't accommodate him.
What you don't know is that when Hu Lianyuan left the Hu family, he was penniless. That means their current poverty has a reason. But don't forget, in our farming families, if the division of property is unfair, the maternal family can come and cause trouble. It's the same for prominent families. Didn't you just hear Hu Lianyuan say that the Hu family has hundreds of thousands of taels of silver?
The bulk of it will undoubtedly go to the legitimate heir, but no matter what, he, as a son of a concubine, should get a piece of the pie. This piece of pie is a drop in the bucket for the Hu family, but for us, it's a fortune we could never accumulate in a lifetime. I know this task is a bit difficult, but for this money, we have to try."
Mrs. Zhou, a peasant woman, knew so much because she had heard about the Hu family's affairs on the way and also listened to some opinions. She knew that the Hu family had only separated Hu Lianyuan. This was clearly unfair, and it would be a public disgrace. The Hu family cared about their reputation. As long as someone made a fuss, they would definitely pay money to resolve the issue.
Upon hearing this, Zhou Xueshan's initial fear subsided. Tens of thousands of taels of silver! Even if they only managed to get tens of thousands, it would be a sum he couldn't even dream of in his lifetime. He would buy a grand mansion, hire servants, and feast on delicacies every day. Wasn't the woman he left behind complaining about him? He would be so wealthy that she would envy him and regret her decision.
Each member of the Zhou family had their own little schemes, but the thought of the Hu family's vast wealth made them all eager to fight. They were prepared for a big undertaking tomorrow.