Chapter 542
Chapter 542
"Oh? I wonder what business brings my aunt here in such a grand procession, gracing her nephew's humble abode?" Jiang Yuanrang said with a trace of mockery in his smile as he regarded the overreaching Madam Feng.
He thought to himself, surely Madam Feng didn't think that the Jiang family now belonged to the second branch?
"Rang'er, your aunt has heard that you're not actually a child of the Jiang family?" Madam Feng said, seated at the head of the room, looking at Jiang Yuanrang with smug satisfaction.
In her mind, if Jiang Yuanrang wasn't a true Jiang by blood, then the entire Jiang family's estate ought to belong to their second branch, didn't it?
Jiang Yuanrang took a light sip of tea, then looked at Madam Feng, curious to see what drama she intended to put on today.
"You know, a person shouldn't forget his roots. The Jiang family has raised you all these years, and it's time you repaid them." Madam Feng looked at Jiang Yuanrang triumphantly.
"Perhaps my aunt could teach her nephew what it truly means not to forget one's roots." Jiang Yuanrang replied coldly.
Everything the Jiang family had today had been built up by his own father through hard work. It had nothing to do with the second branch.
The second branch had merely ridden on the coattails of being his father's blood brothers, freeloading all along.
Back then, Madame Jiang had feared public censure and hadn't kicked them out.
And so they had been supported for these nineteen years.
Now they even dared to plan on seizing the family's properties for themselves — what a deep scheming plot.
"Rang'er, you can't write the character 'Jiang' with two strokes of the brush — there's only one Jiang family. Since these are Jiang family affairs, they naturally belong to the Jiangs." Madam Feng looked at Jiang Yuanrang.
She thought to herself, Jiang Yuanrang had better have some self-awareness and surrender all the family's assets.
Otherwise, she wouldn't blame their branch for being unkind.
"Aunt, the Jiang family's affairs have nothing to do with the second branch. I suggest my aunt go home and tend to Second Uncle and her two sons." Jiang Yuanrang set down his teacup, his voice laced with displeasure.
"Jiang Yuanrang, what do you mean? Are you claiming you have the right to take over the family's properties? These are Jiang family matters!" Madam Feng stood up in indignation, pointing her finger at Jiang Yuanrang and scolding him.
"Aunt, then who, in your opinion, should the family be entrusted to? My Second Uncle, who still lies bedridden? Or my second younger brother Jiang Yuanda, who's already a cripple? Or perhaps that useless fourth younger brother Jiang Yuanli? Oh, wait — I forgot. Your branch still has that perfectly fine illegitimate son, Jiang Yuanjie."
Jiang Yuanrang's smile grew wider as he spoke.
The second branch mocked the first branch for having no one, but he could easily throw that mockery right back at them.
So long as he remained in the Jiang family, the second branch could forget about harboring any designs on what rightfully belonged to the elder branch.
"You—you—" Madam Feng's hand trembled as she pointed at Jiang Yuanrang, unable to form a coherent sentence.
"Elder Brother, how could you talk like that? My husband may be injured now, true, but he will recover one day. Besides, my husband is a genuine member of the Jiang family by blood!" Young Madam Feng, Jiang Yuanda's wife, stepped forward in dissatisfaction.
"So what?" Jiang Yuanrang looked at the two women, mother-in-law and daughter-in-law, whose greed was frankly embarrassing to witness.
"So what? Elder Brother, don't tell me you think that because you carry the surname Jiang, everything belonging to the Jiang family is yours?" Young Madam Feng retorted. Since her own interests were at stake, she certainly wasn't about to let this vast family fortune be handed over to the man before her.
If her husband could inherit the estate, then her brothers on her mother's side could also receive a little help.
With that thought, Young Madam Feng silently resolved to do whatever it took to seize those assets.
"Elder Brother, now see here — a man can't lack conscience. The Jiang family raised you through all these years, and now you're doing things against your own moral character?" Madam Luo, who had stayed silent until now, couldn't help but chime in.
No matter how it played out, if the second branch inherited the Jiang family, it could only benefit them.
"The kingdom of Lannuo plainly states that adopted children have equal inheritance rights. Don't you think you're counting your chickens a bit too early?" Wen Xiu, standing by and watching these three women at each other's throats, couldn't help but sneer.
The women who had all been focused on Jiang Yuanrang turned their furious gazes on Wen Xiu.
At first, they hadn't paid much attention to her, but when they looked at Wen Xiu again, they found themselves completely taken aback by her stunning beauty.
This woman's face truly was exquisite — so much so that both Young Madam Feng and Madam Luo felt a stir of jealousy.
After all, Lu City had never produced a girl this beautiful. No wonder she could have Jiang Yuanrang so thoroughly ensnared.
Young Madam Feng and Madam Luo exchanged a glance, both reading the same decision in the other's eyes: they could not allow the family fortune to fall into the hands of these two.
"And who might you be, you vixen? This is a matter of the Jiang family — who gave you the right to poke your nose into our business?" Madam Feng snapped without a second thought.
"Aunt, Miss Wen is my betrothed — a marriage personally bestowed by Her Majesty the Empress herself through a golden imperial decree." Jiang Yuanrang frowned, for he could not tolerate anyone showing disrespect to Wen Xiu.
Madam Feng's eyes widened in disbelief. How in the world had this little wretch managed to receive an imperial betrothal from the Empress after a single trip away?
With that, Madam Feng looked at Jiang Yuanrang with a hint of suspicion.
How had he gotten so close to the Empress?
If her own sons could also forge a connection with the royal family, just think of what that could mean—
Her eyes darted about, thoughts racing.
In the end, she concluded that Jiang Yuanrang couldn't possibly have the connections to know such important people. Therefore, it must be this girl at his side who came from an extraordinary family, which was why the Empress had agreed to confer the marriage.
"Oh dear! This girl — why, she looks so dignified and refined! And with our Rang'er — truly a perfect, handsome couple, a match made in heaven!" Madam Feng hurried over to Wen Xiu, slid an ordinary-looking bracelet from her wrist, and offered it to her, saying, "Since we've just met, consider this a small token of your aunt's affection."
After speaking, Madam Feng couldn't help but cast an pained, reluctant glance at the bracelet, grieving inwardly.
This bracelet had cost her thirty taels of silver, and now she'd gone and given it to this little wretch. What a waste.
Wen Xiu gave the bracelet a single glance, then handed it directly to Qiuyue, who stood nearby.
"How thoughtful of my aunt." Wen Xiu said with a smile on her lips.
Young Madam Feng and Madam Luo, watching on the side, were green with envy. They'd long had their eyes on that bracelet, but the matriarch had never relented. Never did they think she'd hand it to an outsider today.
After all, the second branch lived under the Jiang roof and survived on the measly monthly allowance they received.
Being able to save thirty taels to buy a bracelet was a fortune for them.
And yet, Wen Xiu had looked at it with barely concealed disdain, which made the two women's blood boil.
"What aunt? I've accepted no such daughter-in-law!" Madame Jiang, having been informed, rushed over in a flurry.
What she saw was the second branch's wife warmly clasping Wen Xiu's hands, fawning over her.
Madame Jiang's heart burned with fury. How could this woman be so short-sighted?
Was she just going to be won over by a few petty little favors from the second branch?
The second branch could never have good intentions!
Wen Xiu heard what Madame Jiang said but paid it little mind. After all, she wasn't the one who had to live with the woman, and besides, she had no obligation to live under Madame Jiang's thumb.
At the end of the day, Madame Jiang was only Jiang Yuanrang's adopted mother. And that adoption — well, that was something worth investigating deeper. Wen Xiu could only hope that Jiang Yuanrang's past disappearance had nothing to do with her.