Chapter 1281: Chapter 1281
Jin Fengzhao coldly said, "Father, you are no longer a countryside man. You are now a wealthy and influential man from a distinguished family, so you mustn’t act so petty."
The patriarch He nodded repeatedly, with a hint of pride. "Yes, yes, Father is now the richest man in this town."
Jin Fengzhao nodded lightly, glanced at the Concubine, and continued, "Since you belong to a distinguished family, you must present yourself as such, or else people will think you’re just a parvenu—rich, but lacking the air of a patrician."
"The air of a patrician?" The patriarch He had no idea what that meant; after all, he truly was a parvenu. He asked, "Fengfeng, what do you mean?"
"In a distinguished family, there is a rigid hierarchy between wife and concubines. A concubine, at the end of the day, is still a servant of the household. If you are pleased, you may reward her with something. If not, she is to be treated accordingly. Such unruly servants must be disciplined, or someday they will dare to climb over their master."
She exchanged a glance with the maid by her side. The maid promptly chimed in, "Master He, in distinguished families, hierarchy and household rules are strictly observed. The real masters of the house are only you and Madam, as well as the legitimate children born of you and Madam. Concubines and their children are not regarded as legitimate masters. The reason prominent families can maintain their wealth and legacy for centuries is because they value rules. If you spoil a concubine and neglect your wife, your prosperity will only last one or two generations. It’s a bad omen."
The patriarch He looked at the Concubine, who was too shocked to speak, then at Jin Fengzhao, who stood with an air of superiority. For a moment, he was also too stunned to respond.
A mere parvenu, he had only sought momentary joy. How could he have understood so much about standing and propriety?
Jin Fengzhao helped the elderly Madam to sit on a stool, feeling that there was no need to ask further questions about this matter.
Her mother must have endured immense mistreatment, and as for her elder brother, he was certainly no better off than that fat, piggish younger half-brother.
Her time was limited, nor did she expect her father to suddenly understand morality, so she spoke bluntly.
"I came back to see all of you. Tomorrow, I will leave."
Upon hearing this, everyone collectively heaved a sigh of relief.
She then added, "The family’s assets shall belong to my elder brother in the future. The second brother is a son by a concubine and has no inheritance rights. Father, do you plan to proceed as I have said? If not, I’ll send someone to summon the County Magistrate to formalize a document and immediately shift the family’s authority to my elder brother. After all, my visit here is not frequent, and I cannot keep constant watch over this."
The patriarch He nearly stumbled at these words. To summon the County Magistrate? She spoke as if summoning the Magistrate were no more trouble than ordering a servant in the household. Just whose household had raised her to have such audacity?
The patriarch He wiped away his cold sweat and still managed to ask the question.
"Fengfeng, where have you been living all these years? Let your father search for you."
Search? After running off with the money, what was there to search for!
Jin Fengzhao cast him an indifferent glance and replied, "I’ve been living in the North all these years, in a household with the surname Jin."
The North? A household with the surname Jin?
All the Jin families in the North were dignitaries. The Imperial Family itself bore the surname Jin. The patriarch He was now convinced that this daughter truly had the means to summon the County Magistrate.
No wonder the man back then was so generous. A young girl sold into servitude would normally fetch at most ten taels of silver, yet he had paid a sum sufficient for a lifetime of comfort to buy her. If he hadn’t been someone with money to burn, who else would have done such a thing?
The patriarch He nodded repeatedly. "Very well, very well. Father understands now. In the past, Father was blind. From now on, I will know how to act."