Chapter 77: Children and grandchildren will have their own blessings

Lu Xun glanced at his second son’s tea-soaked clothes and the shattered porcelain pieces at his feet, then looked at his son’s astonished face. Despite the lack of waves on his own face, he calmly said to Lu Chengzhang, “Our family faces pressure when sourcing goods from Hongdu Prefecture. Opening another shop will alleviate some of that pressure.”

Opening a branch store works in a similar way, just like how Liu Yu takes goods from home. However, he wondered if Lu Chengzhang could grasp this concept.

Lu Chengzhang couldn’t absorb anything; his ears were buzzing.

Lu’s family owned two fabric stores. Lu Chengzhang knew very well why the three of them had come to the county while the shop in town had an elderly manager in charge. Two years ago, when the county shop was opened, they needed manpower, so the three of them, father and sons, worked there. Later, it was because he didn’t want to return to town.

He didn’t want to go back, so his elder brother, Lu Chengzong, suggested he go back, saying their family and his wife and children were in town, and he should manage the shop there.

What Lu Chengzhang wanted was this outcome. He had foreseen that as long as he showed reluctance, his elder brother would voluntarily request to return to town.

Lu Chengzhang understood Lu Chengzong very well. He didn’t miscalculate at all; Lu Chengzong did indeed suggest that he return to town.

But Lu Chengzhang didn’t expect that neither his father nor his mother agreed to it. In the end, Uncle Yan, who entered the shop when it first opened, became the manager of the shop in town, while the three of them stayed in the county shop.

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Nw Ubldtgbydt oyp pvwddle cu vbkp, yde bkp lyap olal akdtkdt.

Ebu? Eyp kv clnywpl bl bye clld vyzjkdt ycswv vbkae casvbla?

Ls, bl clzklhle bl bye prsjld kd y ekpnallv xyddla; bl sdzu wple bkxplzq yp yd lmyxrzl.

But why did he use himself as an example? Why did he say that if it were him, he would open a shop?

At this moment, Lu Chengzhang really wanted to give a slap to the past him who had spoken those words.

Lu Xun sighed as he watched his second son’s ever-changing expression.

Too shrewd for his own good. But if this shrewdness isn’t applied properly, it’s not a good thing.

Two years ago, when Lu Chengzhang refused to return to the town, Lu Xun thought it was just a young man being dazzled by the bustle of the county. After all, who didn’t get caught up in such things in their youth? He understood.

But later, when Lu Chengzong suggested returning to manage the shop in town, Lu Chengzhang’s eyes betrayed his excitement, which made Lu Xun feel something was amiss. He discussed it with Chen Shi, and sure enough, she also refused.

In a clan society, direct lineage and seniority have always been valued. Elite families fear that splitting the family too many times will lead to the scattering of assets and the decline of family fortunes. Therefore, they have always followed the principle of inheritance by the eldest son. This is also followed in ordinary families. Even when splitting the family, the eldest son usually inherits seventy percent of the family’s assets.

There’s no reason for the second son to manage the large shop in the county while the eldest son is sent back to manage a small shop in town. Chen Shi immediately rejected this idea.

Lu Xun was broad-minded. At that time, Lu Chengzhang was still young, and after making the decision for both brothers to work with him, he didn’t think much of it. But when they went back to celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival in Changfeng Town, Lu Xun sensed something was wrong. At that time, he thought it was because of the Zhou Shi’s issue, and he discussed with Chen Shi about letting Zhou Shi move back to town in a month or two. It wasn’t until Liu Yu came to pick up the fabric, and then last night when Chengxiao mentioned wanting to trade, coupled with today’s visit from Liu Yanping and his own probing, that Lu Xun finally realized the true problem – it probably had nothing to do with his second daughter-in-law; it was his son who was crooked.

After a moment of silence, Lu Chengzhang finally regained his senses. “Father, we already have two shops. The one in town sells one or two pieces, and the one in the county sells three or four pieces. We’ve been doing this for the past two years.”

Lu Xun asked, “Have you calculated how much inventory is stocked up in the store?”

Of course, Lu Chengzhang knew. Ordinary small fabric shops wouldn’t need a warehouse, but their Lu family did. He persisted, “But we’ve been doing this for the past two years. The surplus fabric from the previous year can still be sold the next year.”

Lu Xun nodded. “Yes, it can be sold. But with new fabric continuing to pile up, most of our money is tied up in inventory, and there’s less cash on hand.”

Lu Chengzhang didn’t say anything. Lu Xun sighed. “We’ve only been in the county for a little over two years, not even three. Why can we hold down the old-established fabric shops in the county? It’s all because of the price and style advantages we get from collaborating with Longxing Fabric Shop in Yuanzhou. Have you ever thought that if Longxing becomes big one day and no longer needs us to collaborate, do they still have an obligation to keep us with them?”

Lu Chengzhang was dumbfounded. “Isn’t Mr. Qian of Longxing Madame Li’s cousin? With the relationship between our family and the Li family, even if Longxing becomes big, they should still be able to keep us with them, right? After all, it won’t cost them much money to keep us; it’s just a matter of course.”

Lu Xun chuckled inwardly. He didn’t know that his second son had two different standards, one for himself and one for others. When he gave fabric to the Liu family, he acted as if he had taken advantage of them. But now, with the Qian family’s money, they should naturally belong to them?

But Lu Xun didn’t say this. Liu Yu hadn’t entered yet, and he didn’t want to sow seeds of discord between his two sons-in-law and daughters-in-law right now. However, he became more determined to sharpen Lu Chengzhang’s mind. With a solemn tone, he said, “Have you ever seen someone walking on stilts at a temple fair? No matter how good the stilts are, without your own feet, it’s useless. Relying on others is only temporary. Only when you become strong on your own is it reliable, whether it’s doing business or living. You have to learn to think three steps ahead and prepare for the worst while hoping for the best.”

Lu Chengzhang was speechless.

Lu Xun stood up and stopped a couple of steps away from Lu Chengzhang. “A young eagle must leave the wings of the old eagle to fly higher and better. It’s the same for Chengxiao, and it’s the same for you.”

“Go on, someone will clean up these broken pieces of porcelain, and you should go back and change your clothes.”

With that, he prepared to go to the front of the shop.

However, Lu Chengzhang suddenly stood up and stopped him. “Father!”

Lu Xun halted and turned around. Lu Chengzhang clenched his fists, his eyes slightly red. “Is it because of last time when the Liu family came to pick up the fabric, and I was surprised by the price you gave? Is it because Chengxiao mentioned trading last night, and I asked how much money he was prepared to take? Is it because of this that you want to split with me up?”

The way he said it… avoiding the real issue and blaming himself completely instead, truly shocked Lu Xun. What really worried him was the resentment inside Lu Chengzhang, the feeling that he favored the third son.

“Is that what you’re thinking?” Lu Xun felt disappointed and exhausted.

He remembered when he was once alone, his family having fled as refugees. After losing his parents, he had no siblings or relatives. But with Lu Chengzhang, all his brothers and sisters were there. Yet, Lu Xun now watched coldly as the second son failed to appreciate what he had, blinded by the pursuit of profit.

Just the affairs of a small fabric shop in the county had occupied so much of his thoughts. What would happen in the future when each of his children had their own families? If the Lu family’s business grew larger, what kind of situation would they face?

They say that the leopard can’t change its spots. Lu Chengzhang was already twenty, and if all went well, he would become a father in one or two years. Could he really teach him well in just a year or two?

Lu Xun looked at Lu Chengzhang solemnly. Originally, he just wanted to sharpen his son’s mind a bit. But now, he realized that instead of letting things get ugly and damaging the bond between brothers in the future, it was better to prevent trouble before it happened.

Although he hadn’t discussed it with Chen Shi, Lu Xun’s sudden determination was firm in his mind.

Lu Chengzhang felt a chill in his heart as Lu Xun looked at him, but he didn’t want to go to the town. If he really was only getting four hundred taels, what did he have to do with the shop in the county? So he stubbornly said, “Yes, unless I’ve done something wrong that you can’t forgive, I consider myself diligent and hardworking. Apart from these few things that may make you uncomfortable, I can’t think of anything else that would make you have such thoughts.”

He was blaming Lu Xun for favoring the third son.

“You’re right. As long as we don’t split the family, there’s an old saying, ‘When the tree grows big, it splits its branches.'”

“You’re all grown up now, and it’s good for each of you to venture out on your own. Don’t accuse me of favoring anyone. Chengxiao will get four hundred taels, and you will too. I won’t favor anyone.”

“Your marriage was taken care of by the family, and so will his.”

“Chengzong is from the main branch, and theoretically, he could inherit seventy percent of the family’s assets. But he has always loved the three of you siblings, so I don’t think he would mind. We won’t do things that way in our family.”

“I’m not old yet, and I can still work for another ten or twenty years. Your eldest brother’s family follows me and your mother. This shop in the county is considered jointly owned by me, your mother, and the main branch. After we set aside the eight hundred taels for you, the rest is all goods. There isn’t much cash left, totaling just over a thousand taels. Chengxiao and Shuang’er haven’t gotten married yet. Their expenses will come from here. After deducting these expenses, your mother and I basically have four hundred taels each, and your eldest brother’s family has four hundred taels as well. It’s not like I’m giving you more. I haven’t even set aside anything special for your eldest nephew. When your mother and I pass away, this portion will all go to your eldest brother’s family.”

“As for the fabric shop in town, it will be part of Shuang’er’s dowry.” In Lu Xun’s eyes, sons and daughters were equal. With a firm decision, he quickly divided the family’s assets in just a few sentences.

“Until Chengxiao and Shuang’er’s marriages are arranged, they will still live at home. We won’t split the family, but once their marriages are settled, and you’ve earned enough money to start your own business, you can move out.”

“I’ll discuss the details again with Chengzong and Chengxiao tonight. I’ll have Babao go back to town later, and tomorrow, your mother and sister-in-law will come over. If your mother agrees, then it’s settled and won’t be changed. If she has any objections, I’ll take them into consideration.”

As for whether the sons had any objections, Lu Xun understood his three sons well. The eldest was simple-minded; even if he was only given a shop in town, he wouldn’t object. His eldest daughter-in-law was also good, so there was no need to worry. The third son was kind and ambitious; he wouldn’t fixate on the family’s assets.

As for the second son, his reluctance was irrelevant. Chengxiao’s marriage hadn’t been arranged yet, and negotiations for Shuang’er’s marriage hadn’t even started. Splitting up a good family like theirs was just to correct his already deviating mindset.

Each generation has its own blessings. In the future, they would all fend for themselves. There was no need to obsess over the family’s belongings like a blind chicken. Brothers should support each other, and helping each other out would show their true affection.

Lu Chengzhang was already dumbfounded, but Lu Xun felt relieved. Finally, he glanced at Lu Chengzhang, hoping that he would understand his painstaking efforts. With a wave of his hand, he asked him to change his clothes and went to the front yard to instruct Babao, who was working in the shop. Today, he would catch a ride back to Changfeng Town, and tomorrow, he would pick up Chen Shi and Qin Shi for a visit.

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