Springtime Farming: A Happy Wife At Home

“We can’t let him off so easily!” Zhao Ye exclaimed. “Dad, that’s too much. 3,500,000 liang is not a small amount, and we need time to deal with it, right? How can we ask for so much all at once?”

Zhao Mu’s heart skipped a beat. His Second Son was right. This way, they could carefully strategize and delay as much as possible. Handling this matter slowly would be more prudent in the long run. They could stretch it out over eight or ten years, and it would yield better results.

However, when he thought of Madame Shao, who was always soft-spoken and wore a perpetual smile, Zhao Mu couldn’t help but feel uncertain. This woman was an enigma.

Zhao Ye suggested, “Dad, what if I consult with our strategist about this?”

Zhao Mu agreed, “That’s a good idea. Go ahead.”

“Okay, wait for my good news!”

Zhao Zhai, who was seeking help from others, sneered, “We’ve suffered a significant loss in this lawsuit, and the official can’t afford to offend them. Let’s not waste our efforts!”

He resented Zhao Shu for prioritizing his own family, but seeing how determined Zhao Ye was made him sneer. However, his constant opposition to his father, Zhao Mu, always infuriated him.

It was no different this time. Zhao Mu was already quite frustrated. His second son was actively contributing to the family’s cause, while their eldest son not only remained unhelpful but also made sarcastic remarks.

Zhao Mu shot him an angry glare and snapped, “Just be quiet! Your brother is working for the family’s benefit, and what about you? You’re not contributing anything but rudeness. Leave right now!”

Frustrated and furious, Zhao Zhai was expelled from his father’s study. He lingered outside the closed door for a while before departing in anger.

Why hadn’t he been able to offer any assistance? He had been keeping an eye on family matters, but his injured leg made it inconvenient for him to contribute.

Zhao Ye returned shortly after, wearing a dejected expression. It was evident that their initial efforts had not gone well.

The strategist didn’t provide a direct answer but rather remarked, “There are established rules for everything. We can simply adhere to these rules and spare ourselves unnecessary trouble, don’t you think?”

What he didn’t disclose to his father was that he had paid the strategist 100 liang just to extract these words. The strategist’s intentions seemed increasingly dubious.

Zhao Mu remained silent for an extended period.

The following day, Qiao Xuan was given properties valued at 3.5 million yuan, along with divorce papers for Ms. Zheng. Qiao Xuan had someone assess the value and handed over ten IOU notes.

The 3.5 million yuan included 26,000 mu of farmland and 53,000 mu of mountainous terrain, amounting to 550,000 liang in total.

There was also 550,000 liang in cash.

The two mansions were situated in prime areas of Yangzhou, one spanning 12 mu and the other 16 mu, with a combined value of 400,000 liang.

The remaining balance was compensated with various valuable antiques.

In any case, the settlement was even.

Seeing such a substantial sum being taken away, Zhao Mu felt a profound sense of loss, as though a part of his heart had been hollowed out. His expression darkened.

Qiao Xuan smiled and remarked, “Old Master Zhao, you should be content. The original sum was supposed to be 7,000,000 liang, but it has been halved. You haven’t suffered any loss at all!”