Ever since Hejian County was conquered by Huang Song, the Liu's had been living in seclusion. They refused all activities and invitations.
Hearing that Jiang Pengji was independent, the Liu's were calmer than the outside world.
The reason was that Jiang Pengji and the Liu's had little contact in the past few years. She didn't ask for help from the family when she was in danger, and she didn't help the family during her glory days. At first, the Liu's were a little uncomfortable, but they understood after a while.
Jiang Pengji was rich and never thought of giving benefits to the family. They couldn't be thick-skinned and stick to her.
A few elders reacted fiercely. They were angry at Jiang Pengji's behavior.
The Liu's didn't enjoy the benefits Jiang Pengji gave them. Instead, they made the family suffer. Now that they were in trouble, they kicked the family away.
What a heartless woman!
A gray-haired elder sneered and said sarcastically, "Like father, like daughter. Liu Xi's parents, Liu She, were the same. They guarded against the family like thieves! Liu She and his wife didn't use their brains to think. If the Liu's didn't support them, how could the second branch take over the entire bamboo paper workshop? Their daughter is also an ungrateful wretch. "
Although the bamboo paper workshop was built by Gu Min with her dowry, didn't the resources she used come from the family?
Gu Min improved the existing rough papermaking technology. The bamboo paper in Hejian became a treasure that the upper-class families fought to purchase. The profits were shocking.
They didn't covet a mere papermaking and cooking, but Gu Min monopolized all the profits. It was unsightly.
Logically speaking, she should donate some of the profits to the family.
Only when the family was strong could they protect the family.
"How many years has it been? Why are you still bringing it up?" Another gray-haired elder frowned. "Although it's a bit heartless, Liu Xi did it to protect the whole family. Even if the family is divided, the ancestor is still the same ancestor. "
Money, power, and status were precious, but compared to one's life, one's life was more important.
"Why can't we bring it up? It's not like you don't know the current situation of the clan. " The white-haired elder rolled his eyes, still angry. "The assets of a mere second branch is much more than the public property of the clan. The family has nurtured them for so many years, but they don't know how to return the favor! There was a thunderstorm a while ago. The eaves of the ancestral hall have been in disrepair. and the ancestral tablets were almost wet. The family school is not doing well either. My great-grandson said that the food provided by the family school is not tasty … "
The grey-haired clan elder said, "This is because the clan's harvest is not good. The clan's accounts have been in deficit for years, and the clan leader is also worried …"
"That's true. But if Liu She and his daughter can help the clan …"
Thinking of this, the clan elder became even angrier.
The clan raised them, so it was only right that they returned the favor.
Now, one or two of them were ingrates. Who wouldn't feel stifled?
"The situation is stronger than the person. Can you force the father and daughter?" The grey-haired elder rolled his eyes. "Moreover, it was Liu Xi, not Liu Xi. Both branches of the She Family were separated from the Liu Family. The gray-haired elder rolled his eyes. "Besides, it was Liu Xi who separated the family.
She is a woman. She has to marry someone … "
"Marry? Won't her assets be taken by others? "
"Do you want her to marry someone from the same clan? Calm down. People will think that the family covets the assets of a woman. That's shameful! "
Marrying someone with the same surname is against ethics.
The gray-haired elder was full of anger. He didn't feel comfortable.
The gentry family was glamorous to the outside world. But the resources were limited. It was impossible for every family to live a carefree life.
As more and more people were born, there were fewer and fewer things that no one could share.
This was one of the reasons why many gentry families were getting worse and worse.
The huge population was not a help. Instead, it became a burden that couldn't be gotten rid of.
The Liu family was not a first-class family in Hejian County. At most, it was a second-class family.
The direct line of descent was still considered well-off, but the side branches outside of the Five Kingdoms were very poor, and the clan could only barely help them.
Liu She was the second branch of the direct descendants. His wealth was more than the family property. How could the other family members not be jealous?
If the property was not the private property of Liu She and his wife, and Liu She was capable, some people might have forced them to confiscate the property.
Jiang Pengji was even more powerful. The northern borderline had been hers for a few years. Most of Dongqing's land had been in her pocket. She just needed to wear the imperial robe to rule the world. As long as she was willing, she could reveal her intentions and help the talented people from the Liu family. When one person achieved the Dao, even the dogs and chickens of the Liu family would rise to heaven.
But now they had to separate and draw a line. It would be strange if some of the Liu family members felt comfortable.
Why wouldn't they help the family members if they were so rich?
Jiang Pengji would marry someone in the future. Wouldn't it be better to help the family members than outsiders?
Even if they knew it was wrong and shameful, they couldn't accept it emotionally.
The two elders talked for a while. Their brows were furrowed with worry.
They were worried, but Liu Zhai, the leader of the Liu family and Liu She's elder brother, was even more worried.
Ever since Jiang Pengji and Huang Song stationed their troops in the north and south of Hejian County and confronted each other, he knew his family was in trouble.
He didn't expect the trouble to come so quickly and so urgently. The Zhang family in Hejian betrayed the Liu family, which caught him off guard.
"Father … the children in the family are talking about it. Do we really not have to stop it?"
Liu Heng, who was about to enter his thirties, frowned, leaving a shallow wrinkle between his brows. If Jiang Pengji was there, she might have lamented that time and tide wait for no man. Liu Heng, who was elegant and funny in the past, was now a mature and steady middle-aged man.
"How do you explain it?" Liu Zhai was worried. "Let them be."
Liu Zhai was much older than Liu She. His hair had been dyed gray. He looked slightly old.
If he didn't have a good temperament, he would probably look older.
"If I don't do anything, my cousin will really break with the family …"
Liu Heng still liked his cousin very much. But after the incident at the Flower Festival when she was 12, her personality changed drastically. Not only did she not get close to him, but she also didn't give him gifts during the four seasons and eight festivals. The relationship between the first and second branch had become as thin as plain water.
Liu Zhai smiled bitterly. "Break? Break up a long time ago. That year, when my second brother went to Hu County, he asked his relatives to move out of the family land … From then on, we didn't have any contact. I'm not surprised that Lanting took the opportunity to break up with the family. "
As he spoke, there was a sound of crutches hitting the ground and many footsteps.
"What's wrong? You're blaming me now?"
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