39 Deep Sisterly Bonds: Fifteen

At first, Master Zhang wanted to give his sister and her husband time to reconcile, so he did not press for the return of her dowry. Later, however, the Fu family arranged a new betrothal, and since the young lady in question was marrying for the first time, there was absolutely no reason for her to be cast aside.

From that moment on, Master Zhang had wanted to reclaim his sister’s dowry, but he found it difficult to bring up. After all, any woman would be heartbroken in such a situation, and he feared upsetting his sister. Only yesterday, when he tentatively broached the subject, he had expected to easily send someone to retrieve the dowry. He had assumed the Fu family was being dishonest, but he never imagined the money had already been spent.

How was it spent? Tens of thousands of taels of silver—what could she have possibly bought?

It was impossible to exhaust such a vast sum merely on jewelry and daily expenses. Surely there should be some major assets to show for it? Shops? A mansion? Farmland? Or, at the very least, some antique paintings or relics from the previous dynasty?

There was nothing.

Something was wrong. Zhang Huiniang had lived quite well at her husband’s house all these years. Master Zhang acknowledged that his brother-in-law was a decent man, and because he had never intended to touch his sister’s dowry, he had never inquired about these matters before.

Zhang Huiniang merely stammered and refused to tell the truth. When pressed, she would only repeat, "It’s all spent!" If Master Zhang asked any further, she would start to cry. Thus, the matter had dragged on until now.

When Madam Zhang heard her husband’s account, her face filled with astonishment. Seeing that he was not joking, she asked in shock, "That was no small sum. What did she buy with it?"

Zhang Huiniang roared, "That is none of your business!"

When it came to the dowry, Madam Zhang had already married into the family at the time. She had harbored some complaints about her husband preparing such a massive dowry for his sister, but because the two were close and the dowry consisted of ancestral assets of the Zhang family, she, as a new bride, could not interfere. However, Master Zhang had given far too much, and she often felt displeased whenever she thought about it.

A dowry is a woman’s private property; the moment Master Zhang transferred those items to his sister’s name, they no longer belonged to the Zhang family. Madam Zhang had her own substantial dowry, and since Master Zhang’s business had been doing well over the years, she had pushed the matter to the back of her mind—partly because thinking about it only made her feel bitter.

But if one were to truly nitpick, had Zhang Huiniang not taken away so many assets, they would have eventually belonged to Zhang Qingdong—that is, to Madam Zhang’s own children and grandchildren. She had not wanted to squabble with Zhang Huiniang over the dowry, but feeling disgruntled at the moment, she immediately retorted, "The dowry was given to provide you with security so that you would never have to beg from anyone. And yet, you squander it all, only to return and live under someone else's roof..."

Zhang Huiniang snapped again, "None of your business!"

Madam Zhang narrowed her eyes, surveying her up and down. "Huiniang, all these years, you have never told us who Qingyao’s biological father really is. Could it be that he wasn't the married man we assumed, but someone of low status, and you spent your entire dowry on him?"

"Nonsense!" Zhang Huiniang glared at her, agitated. "I am a lady of a respectable family; how could I be involved with some penniless boy?"

Madam Zhang offered a mocking smile. "Huiniang, you are too anxious, and your tone is too sharp. This is highly unusual. Could it be that I’ve guessed your secret?" As she spoke, she looked toward Master Zhang. "So much dowry is gone; there must be a reason. If Huiniang had spent it on herself, that would be fine—at least she enjoyed it. But what if she gave it to someone else to spend..."

Master Zhang frowned. "Huiniang, is it true, as your sister-in-law says, that you gave the money to Qingyao’s father?"

Zhang Huiniang turned her face away. "You believe everything your wife says. Why bother asking me?"

Master Zhang sighed. "I am afraid you are being deceived."

Zhang Huiniang blurted out, "He would never deceive me."

Madam Zhang: "..." Oh, my! So it really was him!

Seeing her sister-in-law’s enthusiastic gaze after the words slipped out, Zhang Huiniang immediately felt a pang of regret. She was not typically this impulsive, but she had grown lazy about hiding her feelings in front of her brother.

On the side, Chu Yunli sat leisurely, snacking on a plate of pastries and having someone swap out her teapot, watching the drama with great interest. Meanwhile, Zhang Qingyao’s expression shifted slightly.

Chu Yunli asked curiously, "Zhang Qingyao, do you know who your real father is?"

Master Zhang glared at his sister, feeling a sense of frustrated disappointment. "A responsible man would never leave you pregnant out of wedlock! Even if it were a momentary impulse, he would have done his best to make amends upon learning of your pregnancy and taken the initiative to send a matchmaker to propose. Instead, you refuse to say who he is, and that man never shows his face, even watching coldly as you marry someone else. What kind of man is worth waiting for? You actually gave him our money—money that we worked so hard to earn..." He grew more agitated as he spoke. "I gave it to you because I wanted to cherish you. To see you disregard my intentions like this is truly heartbreaking."

Zhang Huiniang wanted to explain, but after glancing at Chu Yunli and Madam Zhang, she held her tongue.

Master Zhang understood his sister well enough. Seeing her hesitation, he said, "Wife, take Qingsue and step outside."

Madam Zhang remained seated. "That money, when calculated, included a portion that belonged to Qingdong. As his father, you have the right to distribute it to his aunt, but I have a right to hear where his money ended up and who spent it." She turned to Zhang Huiniang. "Speak!"

Zhang Huiniang did not want to tell her sister-in-law, so she simply turned her head away.

Chu Yunli clicked her tongue and shook her head. "Does the Fu family know you were secretly subsidizing another man? It seems you deserved that divorce letter after all. Anyone would divorce you for something like this." She looked at Master Zhang. "Father, when you married Aunt off back then, you were actually harming the Fu family."

While the point was valid, the person who had done such a thing was his own sister. Master Zhang did not want to admit it, so he scolded, "A junior should not speak of the faults of an elder!"

Chu Yunli hummed and continued drinking her tea.

Madam Zhang pressed on, "Who is the man?" She frowned. "Zhang Hui, I think it is necessary to track him down. If we can recover even a little, we should."

Master Zhang agreed completely. Seeing that Zhang Huiniang still refused to tell the truth, he grew annoyed. "Huiniang, I am the one who treats you best in this world. No matter what happens, you should not keep things from me. Who exactly is that man!"

Zhang Huiniang looked everywhere but at her brother. "He was just unlucky. A business he had planned was snatched by someone else, and he lost some money. But I believe he will succeed sooner or later, and he will reach a height that none of you could ever hope to attain..."

Hearing this, Master Zhang’s face turned black.

Madam Zhang’s lips curled up. "Oh, no wonder you weren't the least bit anxious after being divorced; it turns out you had already found your next destination. In a way, I suppose I helped you—if I hadn't gone over there to expose you, you probably wouldn't have had the courage to ask for a separation. Huiniang, you should be thanking me."

Zhang Huiniang did not want to say a single word to her. She looked only at her brother, insisting, "Big Brother, he really isn't just squandering my money. He just had bad luck..."

"Who is he!" Master Zhang was losing his patience. "I need to see if he is a fraud and if he is worth your devotion."

Zhang Huiniang lowered her head. After being pressed several more times, she finally spat out a name.

"Liu... Liu Linfeng."

Master Zhang had heard of this man. Naturally, as a businessman himself, it would be strange if he hadn't heard of someone who handled such large sums of money.

Previously, many had said that Liu Linfeng’s methods were unorthodox; despite his humble origins, he was remarkably generous with his spending. People had never said it to his face, but everyone suspected his money came from illegitimate sources... and damn it, it really did come from illegitimate sources.

It turned out he had been swindling the money from his own sister.

Master Zhang knew the man, and naturally, he had heard the rumors surrounding him. He looked at his sister with a gaze full of complex emotions.

Chu Yunli finished a pastry, wiped her fingers, and asked curiously, "Is he Zhang Qingyao’s father?"

Zhang Huiniang glared at her, but she did not deny it.

Silence was admission. Chu Yunli excitedly turned to Zhang Qingyao. "You should change your name to Liu Qingyao."

Zhang Qingyao was so angry her face turned pale. "I am a daughter of the Zhang family!"

Chu Yunli scoffed in disdain. "You are just a gold-digger. If his business had actually taken off and he were wealthier than the Zhang family, you would have run off to claim him as your father long ago. In my eyes, you aren't looking for a father; you are looking for money."

Zhang Qingyao usually spent her time weeping and waiting for others to seek justice for her, but at this moment, Zhang Huiniang looked dazed. Master Zhang was busy trying to recall everything he knew about Liu Linfeng and his assets, secretly calculating how much could be recovered... The more he thought, the colder his heart became.

Liu Linfeng had dabbled in several businesses over the years, but due to his shallow foundations, every single one of them was losing money. Most importantly, he already had a wife, concubines, and children. If he truly had such deep feelings for his sister, he should not have married.

What made him feel even more desperate was that despite Liu Linfeng’s lack of integrity, his sister still held a torch for him.

"Huiniang, you are too foolish," Master Zhang finally snapped. "Even if his business takes off, can he marry you? Can he look after you openly?"

Zhang Huiniang lowered her head. "He can!"

"He can my foot!" Master Zhang swore in frustration. "The man has a wife and children. What are you to him?"

"A wife can be divorced, and his children can be driven away," Zhang Huiniang argued vehemently. "He promised me."

Master Zhang: "..."

He had never known that his sister’s mind was still obsessed with the man who had caused her to be pregnant out of wedlock in the first place. Thinking of this, he felt a bit of sympathy for his former brother-in-law; the Fu family had actually been quite good... He said angrily, "You were divorced by your husband's family—has he shown any concern for you? Has he mentioned when he will divorce his wife? Has he set a date to marry you? Has he even suggested what he might offer as a betrothal gift?"