Chapter 51 Sisterly Affection, Part Twenty-Eight

Madam Zhang also noticed the commotion over here.

Even though her daughter was utterly disappointed with this man and the two had completely parted ways, Madam Zhang still could not bear to watch Yu Shanmeng tangled up with Zhang Qingyao.

Damn it, were there really no other women left in this world?

Even a rabbit does not eat the grass near its burrow, yet Yu Shanmeng had not even left the burrow, sticking his neck right out to graze! He had completely thrown away all his shame!

"You two, let go of each other right now." With her fiery temper, Madam Zhang charged over on the spot. Moving at lightning speed and shouting at the top of her lungs, she immediately drew everyone's attention.

Zhang Qingyao abruptly yanked her hand back.

Yu Shanmeng still tried to reach out and hold it: "Mother, the Gao family has been good to me, and I am merely looking after the Gao family's female dependents. Besides, Qingyao is also a good woman..."

Chu Yunli clapped her hands together: "Splendid. Have you already decided to marry her?"

Yu Shanmeng did not want to face Zhang Qingxue; this matter was, after all, rather embarrassing. However, this was perhaps the only opportunity in his life to marry Zhang Qingyao, and he did not want to give it up for the sake of so-called pride and gossip. He felt that if he backed down now, he would surely regret it later. Gathering his composure on the spot, he said, "Yes! From now on, she will be my wife. If you are still willing to acknowledge her as your older sister, we can remain relatives in the future."

"I have no such sister. We are enemies." Chu Yunli untied the sachet from her waist and rummaged around inside it.

A sense of unease crept into Yu Shanmeng's heart, though he had not yet figured out the crux of the matter. Then, she saw the woman opposite her look pleasantly surprised: "Found it."

Chu Yunli pulled out a piece of paper folded neatly like a small pastry and unfolded it bit by bit, revealing dense rows of handwriting. Yu Shanmeng caught a glimpse of it inadvertently and found it exceptionally familiar, causing his heart to skip a beat with a sudden thud.

"Back then, you claimed that everything between you and Zhang Qingyao was completely innocent, that you had no improper thoughts toward her whatsoever, and you were even willing to sign an agreement." Chu Yunli pinched the paper between two fingers and lifted it high: "If you had anything to do with her, or if you harmed me because of her, all of the Yu family's wealth would be divided among the three children in advance. It is written in black and white, and you even pressed such a huge thumbprint on it. Now, it is time for you to fulfill your promise."

Yu Shanmeng's expression shifted slightly. Having reached middle age, he was at the prime of his life, eager to make a grand ambition come true. He had his two sons study, having no intention of handing the family business over to them for at least another twenty years. Now that he was asked to hand over everything he had in his hands, how could he possibly be willing?

Seeing the look on his face, Chu Yunli guessed his thoughts and bluntly asked, "What, thinking of going back on your word?"

She cast an amused glance at Zhang Qingyao: "Just a moment ago, the two of you were pouring your hearts out to each other here, and you even swore to take care of her for the rest of your lives. Are you going to back down over a bit of money? Well then, your affection... isn't quite as pure as you thought it was."

What cannot be obtained is always the best; for all these years, Yu Shanmeng had dreamed of being with Zhang Qingyao. In the past, that was an out-of-reach dream, but now the beauty was right before his eyes... Besides, once this business was given out, it was impossible for the children to completely ignore him. Furthermore, the two boys had been studying since childhood and had no clue about business; sooner or later, they would come back and beg him to manage it on their behalf. When that time came, whether the business was handed over or not would still ultimately rest in his hands.

No matter how harsh Zhang Qingxue could be, she would never make a mockery of the family business. The children were counting on these businesses to get through the second half of their lives. Could she really just watch the children squander everything?

No matter how scoundrelly he was, he would never make a mockery of the Yu family's ancestral estate, nor did he harbor any ill intentions toward his children. Zhang Qingxue understood this logic.

Chu Yunli smiled faintly, an expression that was not quite a smile: "A true man living in this world should keep his word. Yu Shanmeng, you must set an example for the three children! You had better not turn out to be a faithless scoundrel who breaks his promises."

Yu Shanmeng hesitated for just a split second before nodding and saying, "Alright!"

Zhang Qingyao looked up in astonishment.

Chu Yunli was stunned for a moment as well, then she clapped her hands and smiled: "Truly affectionate and righteous indeed. It turns out I just couldn't understand your profound love and ended up delaying you all these years. Once you two have picked a auspicious date, you must definitely send me an invitation..." Here, her voice trailed off, and she hesitated, "I only wonder if someone like you, who has lost the Yu family fortune, will even be able to afford to host a wedding."

Yu Shanmeng's face turned pitch black.

"I will definitely send you an invitation."

Zhang Qingyao took a step back and whispered softly, "Marriage is a major life event, not a joke. Let's go back and discuss it properly."

"Whatever you say." Yu Shanmeng looked at her with eyes full of tenderness.

Or rather, whenever Yu Shanmeng faced her, he was gentle at all times. Though it used to be extremely covert, it was now open and aboveboard.

The two of them walked away hand in hand, and Chu Yunli called out loudly from behind them: "Zhang Qingyao, he has waited for you all these years and is willing to give up all his family wealth just to be with you. You must not betray his sincere intentions. Don't go backing out of the marriage!"

Matters like this had no clear winner or loser. To continue bickering would only make them a laughingstock to onlookers, so Zhang Qingyao quickened her pace and vanished swiftly into the crowd.

Madam Zhang stepped forward and grasped Chu Yunli's sleeve: "Let's leave quickly!"

Once inside the carriage, Chu Yunli stroked the piece of paper bearing Yu Shanmeng's red thumbprint, the smile on her lips never fading.

In Madam Zhang's eyes, her daughter had been dealt too heavy a blow. After all, they had been husband and wife for many years, and upon learning that the man had remarried so quickly after their divorce, anyone would feel heartbroken, even if they had already grown completely disappointed in him.

"Qingxue, don't be sad."

"Why would I be sad?" Chu Yunli said with a beaming smile: "All three children are living with me. That means Yu Shanmeng has handed all the ancestral businesses directly into my hands. From now on, my life will only get better and better. Even if I do nothing for the rest of my days and simply squander what our ancestors left behind, I will certainly never feel sad."

Seeing that her daughter was genuinely jubilant, Madam Zhang was rendered completely speechless.

Upon returning home, Chu Yunli summoned the three siblings and informed them of the matter.

Not to mention Yu Xuehai, who had long been dissatisfied with his father, and the precocious Yu Xuejiao, even Yu Xuelin—the bookworm who devoted himself entirely to his studies—silently absorbed the news when he heard it.

"Then... neither my second younger brother nor I know how to run a business. We had better let Father oversee it and just pay him wages..."

Yu Xuehai secretly rolled his eyes. His eldest brother might not know how to run a business, but he did! In the past, things never grew very large because the capital in his hands was too small. Later, although his mother gave him a lot of silver, it still could not compare to the vast Yu family estate. If he could take over the whole thing... his eyes grew brighter and brighter.

"Mother, I will manage it properly."

Chu Yunli tapped him on the forehead: "This is the foundation upon which your eldest brother and third sister will make their living in the future. You had better not lose it all."

She was going to hand it over to him, but Chu Yunli would pull out a portion of the silver to fund her own separate ventures, so that even if Yu Xuehai managed to squander everything, it wouldn't matter. Besides, she would be keeping an eye on him from the side and wouldn't let him act recklessly. Furthermore, although Yu Xuehai seemed bold, he was actually quite cautious in his actions, and she felt quite at ease with this child.

"I won't." Yu Xuehai thought for a moment and said, "You accompany me, though, and keep watch right from the side."

"I don't have the time." Chu Yunli waved her hand dismissively: "Your father's wedding probably won't happen anyway, so you three shouldn't feel too upset about it."

The three siblings exchanged glances, and after a long moment, Yu Xuejiao revealed a look of sudden realization. Yu Xuehai also figured out the crux of the matter: "Zhang Qingyao is unwilling to marry him?"

Chu Yunli raised her eyebrows and smiled: "Tomorrow, you will go and take over the business."

The next day, Chu Yunli brought the three siblings to Yu Shanmeng's residence. Paying no heed whatsoever to Zhang Qingyao and her son who stood nearby, she directly instructed people to carry out the account books.

With the agreement in hand, even if Yu Shanmeng was unwilling, he dared not refuse.

Especially since Zhang Qingxue had recently become extremely fond of taking people to court, Yu Shanmeng really did not want people gossiping about him anymore and desperately wished to avoid stepping foot in a yamen ever again. He said coldly: "Once you take them away, make sure you don't lose everything completely. If you can't keep a handle on it, you had better come and ask me."

Chu Yunli reached out to take the seal from his hand and smiled: "You're overthinking it! There are plenty of capable people in this world; if worst comes to worst, I'll just hire someone..."

Yu Shanmeng warned her: "Anyone you hire might have ulterior motives, and as a woman confined to the inner courtyard, you will definitely be tricked."

Chu Yunli snorted coldly: "Don't trouble yourself over it."

Yu Shanmeng: "..." How could he not trouble himself over it?

He had taken over the family business since he was in his twenties and had managed it for so many years, harboring dreams of bringing greater glory to the Yu family before handing it down to his children. What would happen if it all got lost?

Filled with worry, he began plotting in his heart to have several of the head managers make trouble for the mother and children.

Nearby, Zhang Qingyao drew closer to him: "Brother Shan, you've handed all of this over to them. What do you plan to do about our wedding? How much silver do you still have on hand?"

What she actually wanted to ask was precisely this last sentence.

Initially, Zhang Qingyao was not someone who cared about wealth. Whether before or after her marriage, whenever she wanted something, there was never a time she failed to get it. But later, after the Gao family fell from grace and she was forced to depend on others several times, she truly understood the importance of silver.

Without silver, it was impossible to take a single step. If one wanted to live in comfort, the more silver, the better.

Yu Shanmeng suddenly remembered that both the residence under his name and the shops under his name had already been entirely divided among the three children. In that agreement back then, everything seemed to have been clearly split.

Earlier, assuming he would never get his wish in this lifetime and that his wife for the rest of his days would be Zhang Qingxue, he had kept no secrets from her. Moreover, she had never stopped him from spending money, so he had never thought of holding anything back for himself.

Now look at him—he didn't have much silver on hand at all.