Exile with Storage Space: Family Fortunes in the Barren Lands-Chapter 752 - 705: The Seventh Cousin Who Fled the Marriage (2)
She mainly talked about a few aunts and cousins; the others are juniors and not significant.
Li Yuzhu generally understood the temperament of the Wei Family and noted it in her heart. After leaving Li Yuwen’s place, she took the maid Lady Sun, whom Li Yuwen had assigned to her, and followed the Wei Family’s housekeeper to the Wei Family.
She initially thought the Wei Family, as before, would have a quiet entrance.
But to Li Yuzhu’s surprise, there was a carriage parked at the Wei Family’s door.
Moreover, the carriage was extremely spacious and luxurious.
There weren’t many servants in the house; after passing through several courtyards, they only saw two or three elderly servants.
Arriving at the main room of Second Madam Wei, Li Yuzhu saw there were other people sitting inside.
They were a few women dressed rather impressively.
Lady Sun, who came along, softly said to Li Yuzhu, "That round-faced plump woman is from the Duke Zhongyi Mansion."
Li Yuzhu was taken aback, "The Duke Zhongyi Mansion, isn’t that the Yu Wen Family?"
Lady Sun nodded, "Exactly."
Li Yuzhu’s gaze slightly darkened; why were members of the Yu Wen Family at the Wei Family?
Entering the main room, Li Yuzhu stepped forward, nodded slightly to the guests as a greeting, and then asked after Second Madam Wei and her daughter-in-law, "Second Aunt, Fourth Cousin-in-law."
Second Madam Wei looked behind Li Yuzhu and exclaimed, "Why didn’t Yu Wen come?"
Li Yuzhu smiled and said, "Elder Sister isn’t feeling well and is resting in bed; I’m here to visit Second Aunt on her behalf."
Second Madam Wei looked disappointed, "What use is it for you to come...?"
Her daughter-in-law quietly tugged at Second Madam Wei’s sleeve, indicating there were guests present and to mind her words.
Second Madam Wei closed her mouth.
Li Yuzhu’s eyes flashed, "Second Aunt, did something happen?"
Second Madam Wei glanced at the guests and stood up.
She excused herself from the guests, instructed her daughter-in-law Mrs. Wei Si to accompany them, and pulled Li Yuzhu into the adjacent room.
Li Yuzhu glanced towards the main room and whispered, "Second Aunt, those people just now were from the Duke Zhongyi Mansion, right? What are they here for?"
Second Madam Wei wore a worried expression, "I was just about to tell you about this. Sigh, actually, I wanted to ask Yu Wen for help. Her husband is Mr. Pei, and Prime Minister Pei has some connections with the Duke Zhongyi Mansion, so he might be able to help with our family’s affairs. Who knew Yu Wen wouldn’t come."
"Second Aunt, what exactly is the matter?" Li Yuzhu asked again.
"The original wife of Young Master Yu Wen from the Yu Wen Family passed away from illness last year. The Yu Wen Family enlisted your eldest sister-in-law Xue Family’s father, Duke An, as a matchmaker to propose to your Seventh Cousin.
The Wei Family has fallen on hard times, and your Second Uncle thought that perhaps marrying into the Yu Wen Family might help the Wei Family recover, so he agreed, and the two families exchanged the Eight Characters and set the wedding ten days ago.
But your Seventh Cousin is a stubborn character; she refused to accept it. The day before you came, she left a letter saying she was leaving for distant lands and ran away without a trace. Now the Yu Wen Family is asking about the wedding date and wants to see your Seventh Cousin. Where am I supposed to find someone to send over?"
"Did you accept the betrothal gift?" Li Yuzhu asked.
"We did." Second Madam Wei sighed.
"If Seventh Cousin doesn’t want to marry into the Yu Wen Family, can’t you just return the betrothal gift to them?"
"But... the silver was all spent by your Second Uncle." Second Madam Wei angrily slapped her thigh.
Li Yuzhu suddenly understood, this wasn’t betrothal; it was selling their daughter!
But the daughter disagreed, so when she saw she couldn’t persuade her parents, she simply ran away, leaving it up to whoever was willing to marry.
Who knew her father spent all the money!
No, perhaps Miss Wei Qi already knew her father had squandered the betrothal gift and had no choice but to flee. She was only seventeen, while Yu Wen Zan was already twenty-six, and his brother was even older, already a widower, perhaps with children.
A seventeen-year-old Miss Wei Qi marrying a man ten years her senior to become a stepmother was indeed a huge loss.
Anyone would run away.
Li Yuzhu spoke irritably, "The betrothal gift was meant for Seventh Cousin, wasn’t it? The engagement was just set, yet Second Uncle already spent the entire gift. How could Seventh Cousin get married? How can she face people from the Yu Wen Family in the future? She must have run away in anger, right? Also, if I’m not mistaken, Young Master Yu Wen’s age is around thirty, while Seventh Cousin is only seventeen. Isn’t the age gap too large?"
"Young Master Yu Wen is thirty-five this year but doesn’t look old," Second Madam Wei mumbled in defense.
"Thirty-five?" Li Yuzhu was so shocked she almost lost it, "That’s more than half as old again as Seventh Cousin! He could almost be her father! Second Aunt, how could you agree to marry Seventh Cousin to such an old man? Aren’t there any men left in the Capital?"
Second Madam Wei retorted indignantly, "Do you think our family wanted this? Isn’t it all your family’s fault? If your family hadn’t offended the Emperor, your Second Uncle and First Uncle would still be working in the court. Our Imperial Merchant business wouldn’t have been shut down! It’s gotten so bad we nearly had to sell our house. How could the family recover without a good marriage? All you know is how to shout; what do you understand?"
Li Yuzhu was temporarily speechless due to her words.
Her family had indeed brought trouble to the Wei Family, but was that an excuse for the Wei Family to sell their daughter?
"I’m not against a good marriage to help the family through hard times. However, couldn’t you find a younger man for Seventh Cousin? How could she face her girlfriends if she marries such an older man? How could she stand in the Capital? She would have no status in the Yu Wen Family! Better to be a poor man’s wife than a concubine in a rich family, Second Aunt, that’s a saying you must have heard before."
Second Madam Wei’s face flushed red and then turned white after hearing Li Yuzhu’s words.
She shouted, "I sought help from you sisters for a solution, not to be lectured by you! She’s my daughter; I make the decisions! It’s not for you to interfere!"
Li Yuzhu nodded, "Alright then, Second Aunt can figure it out herself. I’ll go see Grandmother first."
She dusted off her sleeves and walked away.
Second Madam Wei, in her anger, stomped her foot, pointing at Li Yuzhu’s back, "That kid used to be so obedient; how did she grow up to be even more sharp-tongued than Yu Wen? How on earth did their mother teach them? All of them have sharp tongues!"
Li Yuzhu had a good memory. Remembering the route she learned a few days ago, she led Lady Sun to Mrs. Wei’s main room.
Mrs. Wei already knew about the Yu Wen Family pressing for marriage and was scolding Second Master Wei with a stern face.
Second Master Wei hung his head, kneeling in front of Mrs. Wei, saying nothing.
"In just three days, you spent 5,000 silver taels? You prodigal son! You’re going to be the death of me!" Mrs. Wei stomped her foot. After scolding him a few times still unsatisfied, she swung her cane at Second Master Wei.
Second Master Wei was so scared he rolled to the side, "Mother, at my age, how can you still hit me? How am I supposed to face my children and grandchildren? They will laugh at me."
"You still know your children and grandchildren will laugh at you? What were you doing before?" Mrs. Wei continued to scold and hit him.
Perhaps overcome with anger, she couldn’t catch her breath, and her body tilted to the side as she nearly fainted.
The maids and older women, startled, rushed to support her, "Old Madam!" 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞
A chaotic scene ensued with lots of shouting and confusion.
