After Marrying My Ex-Fiancé’s Younger Brother

The rising sun struggled to break through the thick clouds, its dazzling rays seeping through in thin streams and casting light onto the path leading to Madam Li’s Yunluo Courtyard. The cold wind howled, carrying a piercing chill, like icy tendrils that mercilessly invaded passersby. As they conversed, the two unknowingly arrived at Yunluo Courtyard.

Concubine Song had been waiting there for a while, carefully attending to Madam Li’s side.

Father Liu was already dressed in his official robes, preparing to leave. Upon seeing Liu Chuirong and Liu Yifei approaching, he swept his gaze over them. When they started to greet him formally, he quickly waved his hand and said, “No need for that, go inside—your mother is waiting for you.”

Father Liu had reached his forties, and his appearance had not changed much since she had left home. However, when Liu Chuirong inadvertently caught sight of his temples, she noticed a few strands of silver hair—an added touch of weariness to his demeanor.

Liu Chuirong hastily said, “I heard that Father has been coughing at night lately. I brought some pear syrup from Qingzhou—I’ll have someone send it over later.”

Hearing this, Liu Yingji looked up at Liu Chuirong, whose features bore some resemblance to Madam Li’s. His expression faltered for a moment, and a trace of guilt and helplessness flickered in his eyes. “That’s thoughtful of you.”

Leaving those words behind, he hurriedly departed. Liu Chuirong watched her father’s retreating figure, her heart filled with mixed emotions.

As she entered the courtyard, she saw Concubine Song playing with a baby in her arms. Lvzhu had mentioned on the way that Concubine Song had recently given birth to a son, and this must be her younger brother, whom she had never met before.

Seeing Liu Chuirong enter, Concubine Song quickly handed the child to the wet nurse beside her, hastily smoothing the wrinkles in her clothes before standing up.

“This must be Rong, isn’t it? It’s been years since I last saw you, and you’ve grown into such a fine young lady. No wonder your mother always talks about you,” Concubine Song said with a smile.

“Greetings to Mother and Concubine Song.”

“Oh, good child. You’ve just returned, and the servants may not have attended to you properly. If you need anything, just tell me.”

Liu Chuirong replied, “Thank you for your concern, Concubine Song. Mother has already arranged my courtyard well, and the maids she assigned are all capable. I lack nothing at the moment.”

She had little impression of Concubine Song, only remembering that her family ran a silk business in Jiangnan. She was not particularly bright, but she wasn’t malicious either—otherwise, Madam Li wouldn’t have tolerated her presence in the marquis’s household.

Now, to secure a good marriage for Liu Yifei, she was going to great lengths to curry favor with Madam Li, as her own daughter’s future depended entirely on a single word from Madam Li.

“Seeing how concerned Sister is for Rong, she’s truly fortunate. However, as her mother, I will naturally take greater care of her myself—there’s no need to trouble you,” Madam Li said, her words laced with implicit criticism. She made it clear that Concubine Song was overstepping, as she was still present to care for her own child.

Hearing this, the smile on Concubine Song’s face froze for a moment. She awkwardly laughed, then took her son from the wet nurse, pulled Liu Yifei along, bid farewell to Madam Li, and left the courtyard.

Once Concubine Song had departed, Madam Li dismissed the other servants, leaving only Nanny Liu to stay in the room.

She handed Liu Chuirong a ledger. As she flipped it open, she saw that it was filled with records of the dowry Madam Li had prepared for her—twelve entire estates and shops.

“Mother, this is…” Liu Chuirong felt as if the ledger in her hands weighed a thousand pounds. Her heartbeat quickened, and an ominous premonition surged within her.

“I know you harbor resentment toward me. The Guogong(Duke’s) Manor has offered a generous betrothal gift, and your dowry naturally cannot be lacking. Otherwise, if word got out, people would surely criticize me as an unfit mother.”

These words were not untrue. While this dowry was already extravagant by ordinary standards, compared to the Duke of Wei’s estate, it was still insignificant.

Madam Li glanced at Nanny Liu, who immediately understood and left the room. Not long after, she returned, leading in an older servant woman whom Liu Chuirong did not recognize.

“This is Nanny Wu, who has been managing my estates. Now that these properties are yours, you’ll need someone experienced to guide you. You should review the account books one by one. While you were in Qingzhou, your grandmother was likely too busy to teach you these matters. Now, you must learn from Nanny Wu. When you marry into the Guogong Manor, don’t let them think our household lacks proper training.”

Recalling her grandmother’s cryptic words that morning, Liu Chuirong suspected that the situation in the Duke of Wei’s estate was complicated. If she were to marry into that family, she would need to be extremely cautious. Learning to manage estates now would only benefit her.

“Yes, I understand,” she replied.

Nanny Liu instructed the servants to carry several large chests of account books into the room. Liu Chuirong took a deep breath as she faced the daunting task ahead.

Before long, she began to notice discrepancies in the records—many expenses and incomes didn’t align. Some prices were inflated beyond normal rates, and several large expenditures were unaccounted for.

She ran her fingers lightly over the pages, as if trying to uncover hidden secrets within their rough texture. Her brows furrowed deeply, and the unease in her heart intensified.

Such significant discrepancies—there was no way Madam Li was unaware. She had likely been using these funds to support the household, but the accountant had done a sloppy job trying to cover it up.

The marquis’s household had long been struggling financially—Liu Chuirong had known that much. But she hadn’t expected it to be severe enough that Madam Li had to dip into her own dowry to keep things afloat. Her mother’s eagerness to marry her into the Guogong(Duke’s) Manor was undoubtedly tied to the hefty betrothal gift.