TTTQF Chapter 102

Unreasonable

Upon returning to Pei Che's courtyard, the maids following them place the items they received today on the table and then withdraw.

The gifts from others are easily recognizable and not particularly interesting. However, two pouches from Pei Che's grandmother catch Jiang Miao's attention. He picks one up, pulls open the cord, takes out the contents, and immediately widens his eyes.

"There’s a land deed in this pouch!" Jiang Miao examines it closely and finds that the land is located to the east of the city, about 30 or 40 li from Liangjing. It is a farm of over 200 mu. Judging by the location, it seems to be quite close to Jiangjiawan.

Pei Che opens the other pouch, which also contains a piece of paper. Jiang Miao leans over to look and sees that it is a property deed, with the address listed as Minghua Street.

"Minghua Street? Is that the street where Meiyuan is located?" Jiang Miao asks. He isn’t very familiar with the upper city. Aside from the street where he sold lanterns last time, the only other place he has visited is Meiyuan. He vaguely remembers that it seems to be called Minghua Street.

Pei Che says, "Yes, it is that street. I didn’t expect Grandmother to give us the shop there." He looks somewhat incredulous.

"Is there something special about that shop?"

"Minghua Street is the busiest street in the upper city. Every shop there has strong backing, and the goods they sell are extremely luxurious, far beyond what ordinary people can afford," Pei Che explains. "Grandmother's shop there sells glass ornaments. Not only do the noble families of Liangjing frequent it, but people from other regions often come to buy as well. The business is booming—to say it brings in gold daily wouldn't be an exaggeration."

Jiang Miao can’t help but shed tears of envy. He asks, "Just what kind of background does your grandmother have?" He has heard many stories about Pei Che's grandmother but still doesn’t know which family such a person could have come from.

Pei Che smiles: "Have you heard of the Bai family?"

"The Bai family?" Jiang Miao thinks for a moment before cautiously asking, "Is it the Bai family with two prime ministers?"

"Exactly. The current head of the Bai family is my grandmother's grandnephew. My grandmother is the only girl in her generation of the Bai family and is deeply loved by Prime Minister Bai. Her mother is also the daughter of a very wealthy family, so Grandmother has always been quite affluent. You could say that the entire Duke's Manor today is mostly supported by her businesses."

"Duke's Manor, was it so destitute before?" Jiang Miao asks, realizing a bit late that the question might be inappropriate.

"Yes, back then, not long after my grandmother married into the family, my great-grandmother passed away due to illness. After her death, my great-grandfather lost all restraint, spending his days indulging in brothels and taverns, drinking and making merry. Later on, he became addicted to gambling. Not only did he squander the family's savings, but he also sold off more than half of the extra properties and land deeds. If the Duke's Manor hadn’t been an imperial gift, he probably would have sold it too," Pei Che sighed, though he didn’t seem upset, just stating the facts without fear of judgment.

Because of this, his grandfather and grandmother developed a deep-seated hatred for gambling. From the masters to the servants, no one in the manor dares to gamble. Yet, when his second uncle takes charge, gambling rears its ugly head once again.

Jiang Miao remains silent for a while. Gambling is indeed a destructive vice.

"And what happens after that?"

"After that?" Pei Che laughs mockingly, "Afterward, my great-grandfather had a big win at the gambling house, but in his excitement, he suffered a fatal attack. Once he passed, my grandfather took over as the Duke. The manor's finances were completely empty at the time, and it was only thanks to my grandmother's dowry that we could maintain the last semblance of dignity for the Duke's Manor. Over time, my grandmother's business thrived, and most of the current assets of the manor were established by her."

This is also why his uncles show great respect for his grandmother. Even his second uncle, after becoming the Duke, doesn’t dare act recklessly in her presence, only daring to pull small tricks behind her back. The incident where they plot Pei Che's engagement to the princess succeeds only because they use influence from the palace and inadvertently catch Emperor Liangping’s attention. After that, Pei Che's grandmother withdraws some of the family’s assets, and the members of the Duke's Manor suffer through a very difficult period.

Jiang Miao nods in understanding. Without Pei Che's grandmother, the Duke's Manor is merely an empty shell. No one can single-handedly uphold the family's dignity.

"Now that she’s given us this shop, I know nothing about running a business, so I’ll leave it to you," Pei Che says, without giving Jiang Miao a chance to object, as he stuffs the property deed into Jiang Miao’s hands.

"Hey!" Jiang Miao clumsily pulls the deed out of his grasp. This is valuable—what if it gets damaged? He carefully unfolds the deed, relieved to find it unscathed. "You—"

"Ah Miao, shouldn’t we go pick up Xiao Shitou?" Pei Che interrupts him, cutting off any words of refusal.

"I—"

"We need to leave early and return quickly. If we take too long, Xiao Shitou will be upset," Pei Che says, standing up gracefully and walking out the door, leaving behind Jiang Miao, who has now been interrupted twice and forgotten what he was going to say.

Pei Che, along with Pei Mu and Jiang Miao, leaves the Duke's Manor on the first day of their marriage and returns to the Jiang residence.

Since Jiang Miao mounted his horse the previous day, there hasn’t been a trace of a smile on Xiao Shitou’s face. No matter how Uncle Jiang and others try to comfort him, or how Jiang Xin makes funny faces to amuse him, nothing can lift his spirits.

This morning, he sits directly on the steps outside the main gate, resting his face in his hands, staring forlornly into the distance. Master Yu, having learned that his older brother just got married, gives him a few days off. But judging by Xiao Shitou's current mood, it might have been better to send him to study and distract him.

"Brother Shitou, why are you always outside?" Jiang Xin runs out and sits beside Xiao Shitou, puzzled.

"I'm waiting for my brother."

"But Brother Miao said he’d be coming today." Jiang Xin still doesn’t understand. "Let’s go inside and play. The fish in that big pond are so plump and colorful!"

Xiao Shitou, noticing Jiang Xin's hungry expression, immediately becomes alert. "Brother said those are koi, and they bring good luck. You can’t eat them."

"Oh, then we won’t eat them," Jiang Xin says, slightly disappointed. He had been curious about how those pretty fish would taste. He looks up at Xiao Shitou, about to say something, when suddenly Xiao Shitou stands up, eyes shining, staring ahead.

"Brother Shitou, what is it?" Jiang Xin stands up as well and looks down the alley but sees nothing.

"My brother’s back!" Xiao Shitou exclaims excitedly. "The sound of their carriage is different from the others. Listen, my brother is back!"

Jiang Xin frowns, straining to hear. It does sound like wheels rolling, but how could Big Brother Shitou tell the difference? Still, he understands—he himself can recognize his father’s footsteps among many others.

The carriage turns into the alley, coming closer before stopping. The curtain lifts, and out come Jiang Miao and the others.

"Brother!" Xiao Shitou rushes forward and hugs Jiang Miao tightly. Though they had parted before, Xiao Shitou somehow understands that things are different now.

Jiang Miao catches him with a smile. "Didn’t I tell you I’d come? Waiting here since early morning? Have you eaten yet?"

Xiao Shitou buries his face in Jiang Miao’s chest, shaking his head. He is feeling extra clingy today due to a lack of security.

On the other side, Pei Che steps out of the carriage with Pei Mu. As soon as Pei Mu spots the sturdy little boy, he is reminded of the wriggling eels in the wooden basin from before, and his face changes slightly.

But Jiang Xin, unaware of this, moves closer and greets him with a cheerful “Brother Mu.” Then he looks at Pei Che, tilts his head, and after a moment of thought, calls out, “Brother-in-law.”

Pei Che bursts into laughter at this and pulls out a red envelope he had prepared in advance, handing it to the energetic little boy in front of him. "You must be Xin'er, right? Here’s a gift from your brother-in-law. Take it."

Jiang Xin shakes his head. “I already got so much yesterday. No need for more today!” Yesterday, when Pei Che came to fetch his bride, he had scattered copper coins from baskets all the way from the alley entrance to the door, tossing handfuls to the people blocking the door to bring good luck.

Although Jiang Xin is quick and agile, darting through the crowd and collecting a whole bunch of coins—at least twenty to thirty. His fourth sister picks up even more, around fifty or sixty. Their parents tell them they can keep the money, which makes Jiang Xin smile in his sleep that night.

What Jiang Xin doesn’t know is that Pei Che is even more generous afterward, handing out red envelopes filled with silver ingots to close friends and family. That money never stays in Jiang Xin's hands long—it quickly finds its way into his parents’ pockets.

“Yesterday was yesterday, and today is today. Take it, everyone gets one,” Pei Che says, stuffing the red envelope into Jiang Xin’s hands.

Xiao Shitou, the proper younger brother-in-law, isn’t left out either. After receiving his red envelope, he finally calls Pei Che “brother-in-law,” though it’s clear he still harbors some resentment toward the man who took his brother away yesterday.

The group makes their way inside, where Jiang Ershu and Jiang Ershen are helping Steward Wu tidy up. The two are never ones to sit still. Despite being served good food and drinks and kept from doing any work these past few days, they have become rather listless.

Since today isn’t the official third-day visit back to the bride’s family, Jiang Miao and the others can’t stay long. After Pei Che finishes handing out the red envelopes and they chat briefly, they take their leave.

After returning to the Duke's Mansion, Chan Yi and Wen Jing immediately come forward to greet them, informing them that Grandma Gao had just been by to say that Grandmother Pei has called everyone for lunch today.

It’s already close to noon, so Pei Che and Jiang Miao quickly change into fresh clothes with the two younger ones, and they head to the rear courtyard. By the time they arrive, most of the others have already gathered..

Pei Qi sees that the boy who helped Pei Mu beat him last time is also here and immediately lets out a "hmph." Before he can say more, his mother quickly pulls him over and covers his mouth.

"Big Brother, Sister-in-law," greet the younger generation after Pei Che and Jiang Miao pay their respects to the elders. Despite what they might feel inside, they all show outward respect.

During the tea ceremony in the morning, they each sit behind their elders, and Jiang Miao only glances at them briefly, not seeing clearly. Now, standing together with them, he realizes that the Duke’s Manor has strong genetics. The men are handsome, and the women are beautiful—though not quite on the level of Pei Che and Pei Mu, their looks still far exceed the average.

The most notable among them is Pei Yage. It’s her, known by the people as "Liangjing's Most Beautiful Woman," who sparks Jiang Miao’s interest in the Duke's Manor. She has an air of cold elegance, and though she smiles when looking at him, there isn’t a trace of warmth in her eyes, creating a palpable sense of distance around her.

"From now on, don’t call him Sister-in-law, just call him Brother Miao," Pei Che says, casually glancing at the group of siblings and issuing the order in a calm tone.

"Big Brother, isn’t that inappropriate?" Pei Pu from the second branch questions with a smile.

Pei Che fixes him with a sharp gaze, the intensity making Pei Pu’s smile falter as his eyes instinctively avoid his.

"What I say, you do. Whether it's appropriate or not is up to me," Pei Che said arrogantly.

His words surprise everyone. Ever since the passing of the previous heir and his wife, Pei Che’s temperament has changed. He has become gentle and polite, almost a mirror image of the former heir. Few remember that as a child, he was quite domineering.

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