The old madam was somewhat at a loss for words. Could she say that was precisely what she thought? However, she disliked his attitude immensely. "What kind of attitude is that? I am your grandmother, your elder. Is this how you speak to me?"
After taking several deep breaths and trying to calm herself, she quickly admitted her fault. "Your grandson was too overcome with grief and became agitated, saying the wrong things. I beg your forgiveness. However, Grandmother is always fair in her dealings. I trust Grandmother will give us a satisfactory answer. After all, our third branch is also part of the household. Grandmother would not let us feel disheartened."
"That is only natural. I will not show favoritism." As she said this, the old madam felt a moment of guilt. At the same time, she harbored resentment, feeling he had cornered her into a predicament where she was compelled to severely punish the second branch.
But that was a human life. How was she to deal with it? A light punishment was clearly out of the question, but she was reluctant to impose a severe one. Caught between a rock and a hard place, she decided to pass the buck directly to Lou Qinshu.
"How do you think I should deal with her?"
"A life for a life."
"That won't do. Your second aunt has served me diligently for so many years. If she has no merit, she at least has labor. Moreover, your elder cousin and second cousin will not agree. If this matter were to spread outside, it would be a devastating blow to our Lou family. Who would dare marry their daughters into our family in the future? Which young man would dare marry our daughters?"
The old madam immediately retorted. She was actually quite fond of this second daughter-in-law and wished to protect her.
"If that is the case, then the branches must grow apart. I do not wish to live in the same mansion with a murderer every day. Seeing her reminds me that her hands are stained with blood. If she pushes me too far one day, I do not know what I might do," Lou Qinshu gritted his teeth.
"How can this be?" The old madam dreaded the disintegration of the family the most. In her eyes, even if brothers did not live in the same mansion and did not see each other daily, their feelings would inevitably fade. Her greatest wish was to, during her lifetime, hold the hand of the third son and look after the eldest and second sons.
"This won't do, and that won't do either. Grandmother must already have a decision in mind." Lou Qinshu put on a heartbroken demeanor, looking at her with expectant eyes.
"I naturally have a plan, but I must still discuss it with your grandfather." With that, the old madam pulled the second madam and fled in haste.
Unclear, watching their retreating figures, he then said that if they decided to resolve this by dragging their feet, they had miscalculated. This time, he would absolutely hold onto this matter and demand an explanation.
Seeing the two families kneeling before him, Lou Qinshu directly ordered people to escort them to the old madam's courtyard and let the old madam handle the matter.
His father watched his wife and son toil over this matter. Although he had never voiced his opinion, did he not harbor resentment in his heart? Why did he, another son of the Lou family, have to shoulder such burdens? Was it not natural for him to be the focus of their attention? What about his elder and second brothers? They were like mud that could not be plastered onto a wall, unable to achieve anything even with resources piled upon them. Was he supposed to be bled dry just because he showed some promise?
He had dedicated himself to the family's public affairs without complaint for so many years, and had even promoted his nephews. Had he not done enough? He had the obligation to support his wife and children, but he did not have the obligation to support the families of his elder and second brothers as well.
Despite all his efforts, he had not received a single word of gratitude. Some were even insatiable, instigating the old madam to demand more from him. He was no longer young. Others his age already had grandchildren. It was time for him to draw a clear line.
With the old madam and the old master present, the old master looked at his crying third son as if he did not recognize him. He said that crying children get milk. The reason the third son was not as favored in his childhood was that he was exceptionally well-behaved. Even his father had praised him when he attended private school. In their minds, they did not need to worry about the third son, unlike the eldest and second sons who were unproductive. It was natural for parents to show some favoritism.
This was the first time they had seen him in such a vulnerable state. They were flustered and at a loss, quickly approaching him to help him up. However, the third master was resolute; he wanted to kneel properly.
"Please, Mother, do not help me up. Let your son cry for a while longer. Only then will my heart feel better," the third master choked out.
"Tell us what's troubling you. Let's see if we can help. A man doesn't shed tears easily." The old master had known his intentions for a while, but he still needed to offer comfort.
"Others my age already have grandchildren. I heard he finally agreed to marry, and I thought I would soon have a grandson or granddaughter. Who knew that shortly after entering the mansion, the person would be gone? What's more infuriating is that the child is stubborn and says he will never marry again in his life. This is simply going to kill me! How could such a devoted lover emerge from our family? My heart aches!" Third Master Zhou cried, mixing truth with falsehood, using this opportunity to vent his grievances. He also couldn't understand why other people's children were normal, but his was so difficult. There were plenty of beautiful girls in the world; why was he fixated on a man? The more he thought about it, the more worried he became, and the more genuinely he cried.
The old master and the old madam tried to pull him up for a long time, but he wouldn't budge. The old master Luo sighed to the heavens and, with a look of determination, said firmly, "I have seen all your contributions over the years, and I have a general idea of what you are thinking. With this incident happening, it is impossible for you brothers to continue living in harmony. It would be better to divide the family before things completely fall apart."
"We cannot!" The old madam Luo shrieked as soon as she heard this.
"Silence. I have made up my mind." He then instructed his attendant to summon the eldest and second sons to discuss the family division.
Seeing that his objective had been achieved, the third master finally stood up. No matter how unwilling the old madam Luo was, her husband's decisions were never reversed. She usually indulged the third son in his decisions, but in reality, she also wanted him to look after the elder and second sons. Now that he had personally spoken, the old madam Luo had no choice but to comply.
His grandfather and second grandfather arrived quite quickly. With so many incidents happening in the mansion recently, they hadn't even had the inclination to go out and roam. They stayed put, fearing something might happen to the fox. When they heard about the family division, they both looked displeased.
The second grandfather was more restrained, knowing his wife had made a mistake and daring not to speak rashly. The eldest grandfather, however, was less hesitant. "We brothers have lived in the same mansion harmoniously. Who wants to talk about dividing the family just like that? If brothers don't live in the same mansion, they won't see each other when they look up, nor when they look down. What's the difference between that and being outsiders? I don't want my brothers to become estranged."
The eldest grandfather was a hundred percent unwilling. For so many years, living with the third branch, he had reaped countless benefits. Although he was not a Zhong Kui, he knew that his own bearing and income were insufficient to support such a luxurious lifestyle.