Chapter 21 Doesn't Feel Right

  Qing Tong brought He Huan back to the flower hall, and saw that the two plates of pastries on the table had already been reduced by half. She couldn't help but glance at Cao Shi.

  Cao's face fell, and he said displeased: "What are you looking at? Hurry up and bring some melons and fruits over." Seeing Qingtong lower his head and retreat, he said to Hehuan again: "I didn't eat it all, I left half for you."

  "You're just eating, have you heard anything?" He Huan took a sip of tea. She never liked sweet pastries.

  Cao saw that she wasn't eating, so he picked up a piece of lard cake and took a bite, muttering to himself: "As for the division of the family property, neither you nor I know the inside story, so how would those servants know?" As he said this, he leaned in close to He Huan and whispered with a smile: "Come to think of it, I happened to hear something a couple of days ago. I just quietly asked about it, and it seems to be true."

  "What's wrong?"

  "Your third uncle has a mistress outside." Cao's eyes were filled with amusement.

  He Huan slightly furrowed her brow. In the past, He Baihai had always been in charge of the three houses, and if he wanted to take a concubine, it would be as simple as having a small sedan chair carried into the house - there was no need for all this sneaking around. "Speak more specifically." She vaguely felt that something wasn't right.

  "I didn't know the specifics, I just heard the little maid say that your third uncle is busy with business and has been living in the shop these days. I guess he's not living in the shop, but rather in the small courtyard behind the shop."

  He Huan hesitated for a moment and whispered to Cao Shi: "Don't mention this matter to anyone for the time being."

  Cao was originally angry with Zou, and had wanted to expose the matter of his outer chamber in order to vent her anger at Zou. Hearing He Huan say this, she suddenly felt a bit displeased, muttering under her breath: "You're just a young lady after all, whether or not there's an outer chamber is none of your business..."

  "Mother Cao, think about the ten taels of silver in your pocket. In your eyes, what's more important, the silver or the pleasure of speaking loudly?" He Huan believed that He Baihai didn't have a mistress. There must be another hidden reason for this matter.

  Aunt Cao's eyes sparkled with delight as she exclaimed: "You mean that all ten taels of silver belong to me?"

  He was delighted to see her joyful expression, and he secretly sighed in his heart. More than 20 years ago, the He family built their current old house. The four-entry mansion with a large garden was considered "unique" in Jizhou at that time when Shen Jinglun was still in Beijing. In just over 20 years, the garden disappeared, and the four-entry mansion became three-entry. Nowadays, not to mention repairing houses, even warmth and food have become big problems.

  In fact, if it weren't for Shen Jinglin's support, the Lin family would probably have ended up like the He family. However, even so, the current situation of the Lin family today cannot be compared to that of twenty years ago. In fact, even the Shen family, who had never been involved in maritime trade, had also suffered greatly due to the rampant piracy and their family fortune had thinned out a lot.

  Of course, fishermen like Cao Jia were the direct victims of pirate atrocities. Cao's father and brother had died at the hands of pirates. He Huan had heard Shen Jinglun say that many coastal fishing villages had been abandoned. Pirates were greedy by nature, and it was possible that one day they would take a risk and enter cities like Ji Zhou and Ling Cheng to burn, kill and loot.

  He Huan had never seen a pirate, nor did she understand why pirates were rampant and grain prices would rise. She didn't understand why families who didn't do business on the sea would have harder days. All she knew was that both Lin Xiyu and He Huan's fathers died at the hands of pirates. Lin Xiyu understood the hardships of life at nine years old, while seventeen-year-old He Huan was forced to take her own life in front of her parents' graves. It all had a beginning and an end!

  Before she could think twice, someone led her to He Bai Hai's study. She secretly took in the entire room.

  Compared to the living room's gaudy decorations, the study was relatively simple, but the quality of the antiques and calligraphy had clearly improved. If it were a few years ago, she would have thought these were similar to those in the living room, but after being married to Shen Jinglun for over a year, her tastes had naturally changed; otherwise, she wouldn't have been able to tell at a glance that the wooden carvings on the screen were the work of a master craftsman.

  He Baihai raised his chin and glanced at He Huan, pointing to a chair beside him. "Your aunt told me that you've been having a very hard time lately. These past two years, I've been busy running around for your cousins, and haven't fulfilled my responsibilities as an elder to take good care of you and Jing'er. Although we have our own difficulties, at least we have food on the table." He patted a small box on the table, "This is the dowry that your aunt and I prepared for your second sister's marriage, but now we'll lend it to you first, we can't let you go hungry."

  He Huan raised her eyes and took a look at the small box. In her estimation, there was at most one or two hundred taels inside. She shook her head and said: "Don't deceive Uncle San, our family is indeed having a hard time, but the one who wants to marry my second sister is the Lü family of Ling City. My second sister's dowry must not be touched, otherwise she will definitely be looked down upon by her mother-in-law in her husband's home. I am the elder sister and cannot ruin my younger sister's lifelong happiness."

  "It's okay, it's okay, the dowry can be accumulated again. Although we've separated households, we're still one family, blood is thicker than water, how could I bear to watch you go hungry? Besides, those who know the inside story understand that you're considerate and sensible, while those who don't might think me heartless and unrighteous. Even though I'm upright and straightforward, not afraid of others gossiping behind my back, I really can't bear to watch you go hungry." He Baihai said, pushing the small box towards He Huan, indicating for her to take it.

  What a delightful surprise, He Bo Hai was warning her to stop while she's ahead. Her gaze inadvertently swept over the landscape painting behind him.

  Thinking carefully, Shen Jinglin's study also had a landscape painting in a similar style. Shen Jinglin treasured it and forbade anyone from touching it. She quietly asked Wen Zhu, Shen Jinglin's servant, who said that the painting was done by the famous landscape painter Qi Dashi. This person had a proud personality and before his death, he burned most of his works. The one in Shen Jinglin's hands was given to him by the former crown prince, and it was priceless.

  He Xuan stood up and pressed his right hand on the small box.

  He Bai Hai saw her action and smiled slightly. Just as he thought the whole thing was about to be resolved smoothly, he suddenly saw He Huan push the small box in front of him. "Huan'er, aren't you dissatisfied with the amount of silver?" His smile froze.

  "Third Uncle, you dote on your niece and my niece understands that in her heart, but I absolutely cannot take Second Sister's dowry." Hehuan shook his head gently, looking embarrassed, and once again fixed his gaze on the landscape painting. Upon closer inspection, the pattern of the seal was exactly the same as the one on the Shen family's painting.

  He Baihai followed her gaze, reached into his pocket and took out a silver ingot, placing it on the box. "This is your elder brother's and second brother's gift, I'll give them to you all at once now."

  "It's not only the younger brother, but also the second brother's burden, I can't take it even more." He Huan shook his head repeatedly and said with his head down: "Third uncle, why don't you give that painting on the wall to your niece, let her take it to the pawnshop to exchange for some rice?"

  He Baihai's expression was taken aback, and he looked deeply at He Huan with a serious expression that was several degrees more solemn.

  He Huan didn't raise her head, but she could clearly feel that the atmosphere in the room had changed. Her heart was even more puzzled, and she said in a low voice: "Third Uncle, the dowry for my second sister, the gifts for my elder brothers, I really can't accept them. As for this painting, two years ago, I often pawned Father's calligraphy and paintings with the owner of the painting shop, so I'm familiar with him. I think that the painting hung in Third Uncle's study must be worth more than Father's paintings. This painting should be worth at least ten stones of rice."

  He Baihai hastily composed himself and said with regret: "This is just a fake, it's not worth much money."

  "How can a fake be painted so well?" He Huan was shocked, her eyes wide with surprise. Taking advantage of He Baihai's inattention, she quickly walked around the table, carefully identifying the brushstrokes of the calligraphy and painting, which were indeed identical to those she had seen at the Shen residence. She stretched out her hand, making a gesture as if to touch the signature.

  "What are you doing?" He Baihai pushed He Huan away with one hand.

  He Huan raised his head and looked at him innocently. "Third Uncle, what's wrong?"

  "There's nothing." He Baihai awkwardly withdrew his hand and perfunctorily said: "I'm afraid you'll get your own hands dirty."

  "It's like this." He Huan smiled and turned his head to look at another painting.

  He Baihai stepped forward, blocking her line of sight, grabbed the silver on the table and stuffed it into He Huan's hand, saying urgently: "You take the silver back home first, as long as we have a meal to eat, we will never let you go hungry."

  Seeing He Bo Hai's tension, He Huan felt that the whole thing was not simple. For now, she couldn't grab the book and painting on the wall, nor could she force him to ask questions, so she had no choice but to sit in the ox cart with Cao Shi and head back home.

  As soon as He Huan stepped out of the study, He Baihai immediately took down two portraits from the wall and carefully placed them in a wooden box.

  "Master." Zou pushed the door open and rushed in, saying hastily: "Master, she said she would come again another day. What does that mean? Didn't you make it clear to her?"

  He Baihai ignored her and picked up the copper lock to lock the box.

  "Old master, why did you take everything down?" Mrs. Zou knew that those two paintings were her husband's treasured possessions, and not even their precious son dared to touch them.

  He Bo Hai still didn't answer, his face sinking as he said, "If she comes again, just send her away with silver."

  "Old master, how can this be! The silver is what we have earned through hard work. Even if we were to give it to beggars, we cannot simply give it away to them for no reason!"

  "You fool, what's more important, the silver or your daughter's marriage?" He Baihai rebuked loudly.

  "Master, one thing at a time..."

  "Shut up!" He Bo Hai's face grew even darker, his voice suppressed: "Why don't you use your brain? Now we're just being cautious for the sake of Xin'er's marriage. In the future, after Xin'er gets married and leaves, as long as we spend a bit of silver, those people in the old mansion will still be under our control."

  "Master, actually we don't have to put up with her temper! You've forgotten, we have leverage over Old Lady Zhuan." Zou's wife whispered in He Baihai's ear.