Time Travel: The Noble Family-Chapter 1249 - 517: Kindness May Not Be Repaid

After handling everything, Mr. Yu Shan said to Dong Yuan: "This time the brothers are dividing the family, but there is no ancestral property. How to divide it, you decide yourself." Apart from this house, he planned to pack up and take all his belongings.

Although Dong Yuan was unwilling to divide the family, she didn’t dare to voice any objections at this moment.

Before they left, Mr. Yu Shan said: "Tell Madam Miao, if she dares to object, I’ll immediately send her back to her parents’ home."

Gu Jianzhang was frightened by Mr. Yu Shan’s tough attitude. After leaving the Upper Chamber, he asked Dong Yuan: "Why did Father get so angry this time? Are you hiding anything from me?"

Dong Yuan had no choice but to explain Madam Miao’s intentions about his father’s belongings.

Gu Jianzhang finally understood why the Old Master was so angry. The Old Master wasn’t even dead yet, and the younger generation was already eyeing his possessions. This truly made the Old Master disheartened.

Dong Yuan cautiously said: "Old Master, Father said he wants to divide the family. What do you think..."

Gu Jianzhang smiled wryly: "The Old Master has made up his mind, and neither you nor I can stop him. Forget it, let’s just follow the Old Master’s instructions. After dividing the family, we will live with Gu Li." Since Gu Zhe was planning to pursue a government career, he would certainly be away from home for long periods. Gu Li would have to support him in his old age!

Dong Yuan hesitated: "Father might leave this house to Zhe’er." Dong Yuan knew very well that her father favored Gu Zhe over Gu Li, and this house would likely be left to Gu Zhe. If that happened, wouldn’t they have to move out?

Gu Jianzhang couldn’t help but smile wryly: "We’ll discuss it when the time comes!" Even if the father-in-law wanted to leave the house to the eldest son, the eldest son couldn’t possibly drive his parents out!

Madam Miao initially thought the matter was over, but she had not expected such a shocking revelation awaiting her. Madam Miao wanted to cause a fuss, but after hearing the Maid relay the words, she no longer had the courage. 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

In Taicang County, Gu Zhe, upon receiving Mr. Yu Shan’s letter, was taken aback: "Why is Grandfather thinking about dividing the family? Has something major happened at home?" Gu Zhe immediately wanted to apply for leave to return to Hangzhou.

Madam Yao stopped Gu Zhe, calmly saying, "Let’s wait!" Madam Yao, assisting Dong Yuan with the housekeeping, had naturally placed many of her people in the household. Such a significant event had occurred at home, her people should soon deliver the message.

That evening, Gu Zhe and his wife learned the reason why Mr. Yu Shan wanted to divide the family. Gu Zhe laughed in anger: "Father and Mother actually didn’t divorce Madam Miao. A woman with such a sharp tongue would certainly disrupt the household peace."

After speaking, Gu Zhe looked at Madam Miao. Though he usually didn’t intervene in household matters, Madam Yao couldn’t possibly be unaware: "You knew about this earlier, didn’t you?"

Madam Yao did know about it earlier, and she smiled bitterly: "Husband, how was I supposed to mention it?" If she had complained, she would have been the one accused of being a gossip.

Gu Zhe was immensely troubled: "When our parents are still around, we as children divide the family, how will others perceive this?" He wanted to pursue a governmental career, so his reputation was particularly important.

Madam Yao felt that Gu Zhe was overthinking it. This matter was proposed by Mr. Yu Shan, not by them as a couple, so criticism wouldn’t fall on them. After all, as juniors, they couldn’t defy their elders, and deep down, Madam Yao still hoped for the family division. Living daily with such a sister-in-law, she feared that one day her patience would run out, and by then, things would get ugly.

Gu Zhe said helplessly: "I’m too busy with official duties to go back, you should return with the children! As for dividing the family, Father and Mother will make the decisions." He didn’t rely on his mother’s dowry to get by anyway.

Madam Yao nodded: "Husband, you should still go back! As the eldest son, for better or worse, you have to face it." It wasn’t that Madam Yao was worried about an unfair division; given her mother-in-law’s character, the division would surely be fair. She just felt that if her husband went back to personally witness the division, it would give her more peace of mind.

Gu Zhe nodded in agreement.

Five days later, Gu Zhe and Madam Yao returned to Hangzhou.

Upon seeing the couple return, the next day Mr. Yu Shan invited several elders from the Gu Family clan, not to make a judgement, but to have them serve as witnesses. Because once the family is divided, the household registration must be changed, and from then on, they would be separate households.

On that day, Mr. Yu Shan had given most of the family property to Dong Yuan as a dowry, making her dowry quite substantial, including fertile land, shops, and many antiques and paintings. However, this division was rather special because there was no ancestral property to divide; how the property was divided depended entirely on Dong Yuan.

Dong Yuan didn’t favor anyone; both children each received a thousand acres of fertile land, one shop, two thousand taels of Silver, and some antiques and paintings. After dividing these assets, Dong Yuan said: "The remaining assets are for me and the Old Master’s retirement, and after our time passes, the brothers can divide them evenly." It’s necessary to keep some money on hand; otherwise, it would be inconvenient to handle affairs in the future.