Rebirth of a Farming Wife

Chapter 388: Chapter 395: A Place at the Table
Su Wenyue understood her father and brothers well, and her words struck right at the heart of Master Su and his sons. Initially, their long-held beliefs were shaken by Su Wenyue’s opinions, leaving them somewhat impacted. However, once Su Wenyue explained everything in detail and they weighed the pros and cons, they made their decision.

“Lady Yue is right, the current times are chaotic. We cannot simply stick to convention, changes must be made, and given that we have such favorable preconditions and knowledge of the future direction, if we don’t use this advantage to seek benefits for the Su Family, wouldn’t we be failing the good intentions Heaven has for us? In such troubled times, only by being sufficiently powerful can we secure a way out for the Su Family. Otherwise, mere wealth will make us nothing but sacrificial lambs in the eyes of others. It’s a disgrace that we are men and yet cannot see as clearly as Yueyue, a young woman from our family. Let’s decide on this. We shall do as Yueyue suggests!” As the head of the family, Master Su made the final decision with authority.

Su Hengyi and his brothers naturally had no objections; instead, they felt some shame. Their father’s teachings were correct; as men of the Su Family, their horizons had been too narrow. They failed to see as far as their younger sister. Having such an advantage but only using it for minor gains was truly unworthy. Fortunately, their sister reminded them, and they felt even more grateful and affectionate towards this sister. Now that the younger sister was married, she was thinking more of the family home than before, no longer the child who only knew fun and games. She had truly become sensible.

“Son will follow Father’s instructions.”

Su Wenyue had not expected to persuade her father and brothers so easily. She was prepared for a long struggle, as in her father and big brother’s eyes, the rules of the Su Family were absolutely inviolable and immutable. The outcome was somewhat unexpected: “Father is so decisive. Our Su Family will surely grow even stronger in the future.”

Upon hearing Su Wenyue’s words, there was a previously unseen passion and fighting spirit in the eyes of Master Su and his sons. After so many years, they could finally do what they desired, and Master Su seemed to be completely at ease.

The descendants of the Second House of the Su Family were all capable. For many years, bound by the Ancestral Teachings and rules of the Su Family, they could only traverse the business world, which was truly stifling.

Although the status of merchants in the Daming Dynasty was higher than in the Previous Dynasty, in the eyes of the world, they were still regarded as a lowly profession, and their status was not esteemed. Even though they had the support of Marquis Beian Mansion behind them, they had already branched out from the Marquis Mansion and became thorough Merchants.

Since childhood, Su Hengyi and his brothers had been educated in both governance and martial arts, yet rarely had the opportunity to apply them. They definitely didn’t feel exhilarated, especially when seeing their cousins basking in glory in public. Despite having the same noble background, the difference between them was like heaven and earth. They had felt injustices, but even without relying on Marquis Bei’an, they could not advance their futures solely on their own abilities, all because of the Su Family’s rules. Nevertheless, as proud sons of the Su Family, even amidst grievances and discontent, they knew the bigger picture was important and were willing to sacrifice for the sake of the entire Su Family.

The reason Master Su agreed so readily, apart from the fact that doing so was indeed for the good of the Su Family, was also because he felt indebted to his children. As legitimate sons of the Marquis Beian Mansion, they were slighted simply because of their birth order, second to none. Even lesser sons of the Mansion were treated better. If they were ordinary commoners, they could rely on their own efforts to enter officialdom. However, his sons could only follow the path of business. If they had been without talents, it would still be acceptable, as they would at least enjoy a life of wealth and worry-free subsistence; however, he knew his sons were all capable and resourceful. With the current opportunity, if the rules were not broken now, then when?

“Good daughter, our Second House finally has the chance to stand out. All of this is your merit,” Master Su felt all the more that his affection for his daughter was justified. His daughter was the lucky star of the Second House. If it wasn’t for her knowledge of future events, they wouldn’t dare to make such a gamble.

“Father, don’t say such things. It’s not my merit. If our Second House is to thrive, we must rely on big brother and Second Brother. In these troubled times, even Marquis Beian Mansion in Chang’an is struggling, otherwise they would not have sent Grandmother and eldest aunt here. If our Second House can find a way out, then the Su Family can maintain its past prosperity and avoid decline. Our ancestors would also be comforted if they saw this,” Su Wenyue added the last sentence considering her father and brothers’ emotions. In truth, she was a little selfish. Although the people from the Main House were kind to her, when it came to interest, she thought more of her own father and brothers. She believed the Main House did the same, prioritizing the interests of Marquis Beian Mansion, with familial affection coming second. In Aristocratic Families, everything was about the supremacy of family interests.

Su Hengyi and his brothers exchanged glances, seeing tenderness and amusement in each other’s eyes. How could they not understand their own sister? Being the young woman of the family, their sister was pampered and spoiled by them since childhood, not greatly bound by family loyalty. This high-sounding explanation was nothing but a way to comfort their father and ease any guilt in his heart.

If Su Hengyi and his brothers understood their sister, how could Master Su not understand his daughter? But his heart was warmed by her thoughtfulness nonetheless. However, the matter was not as simple as Lady Yue described, as he looked seriously at Su Hengyi and his brothers.

“Although the decision has been made, it is still just theory on paper. The actual execution is not so easy. Even if we know who will eventually take that position, the immediate step is to gain that person’s trust and be by his side. Having branched out from Marquis Bei’an, we might just be an ordinary Merchant family, and it’s uncertain if we will be valued by that person.”

Master Su had not been blinded by the anticipation of future events, and even with the foresight of what was to come, the rise of their Second House needed to be approached step by step.

For Su Wenyue, this issue was quite straightforward. She knew what Liu Xiu currently lacked the most. Liu Xiu maintained so many people under him that just the cost of food and other necessities was already a huge expense. The larger the army he supported, the greater the expense. Liu Family’s own wealth was insufficient to sustain such costs. That’s why Liu Xiu was willing to debase himself to endure Chen Li, a woman of fickle affections, valuing her solely for her ability to earn money. From this perspective, Liu Xiu truly was a man of great flexibility and strength.

“Father, rest assured, if daughter proposes such a suggestion, she naturally has considered how to gain that person’s trust. Moreover, that person might need the Su Family’s help right now. If handled well, we can definitely secure the greatest benefit and hold a place by his side,” Su Wenyue asserted confidently.

Su Wenyue believed that compared to Chen Li, Liu Xiu would value the Su Family more. Chen Li, despite her abilities, was a newcomer who had just risen to prominence, and how could she compare with the deeply rooted and financially strong Su Family? Moreover, Su Wenyue had a general idea about the tricks and tactics Chen Li employed in the business world.