Chapter 19: Can’t Make Waves
Madam Gu was dumbfounded: “How can that be! That’s no different from giving it to us!”
This house is so big, and the yard is also big, it has to be at least ten taels.
Yang Shi then said: “Aunt, five taels is not a small amount! This house has not been repaired for many years and is not worth much silver. After a few more years, it will collapse, and it won’t even be worth five taels. Moreover, it’s a bit far from the village and close to the fields, with many mosquitoes. No one likes to live here.”
Madam Gu waved her hand: “I can’t take advantage of you like this. This house and yard are so big, with vegetables and land, I can’t take advantage of you like this . . .”
Village Chief Gu shook his head: “Aunt, that’s not right. What do you mean by taking advantage of me? This house was built with the help of Uncle Chongshan. When Uncle helped me back then, what did you say? You said, shouldn’t you, as aunt and uncle, take care of your nephew? Today, can’t I, as the nephew, take care of my aunt? It’s been over ten years since this house was built. Can’t I sell it at half price?”
Village Chief Gu’s current good life was thanks to the hunting and archery skills he learned from Shen Chongshan when he was a child, as well as some martial arts. Shen Chongshan had even saved his life, otherwise, he would have been eaten by a tiger.
And he had shared half of the silver from selling that tiger with him, which led to his success today!
Shen Chongshan’s kindness to him was as heavy as a mountain.
He had always wanted to help Madam Gu’s family and wanted them to move back, but Madam Gu was unwilling. This was truly a good opportunity.
The Village Chief’s Wife nodded: “That’s right! Aunt, if you think we’re selling it too cheaply, consider it as our filial piety! We’re giving it to you! Actually, we shouldn’t even charge any silver, but you wouldn’t feel at ease.”
Madam Gu still wanted to say something, but Village Chief Gu said: “Alright, Aunt, if you say anything more, I won’t charge a single copper. Will you buy it for five taels? If not, we’ll just give it to you! Let’s calculate how much Uncle Chongshan helped our family back then, how much he helped me. If it weren’t for . . .”
Village Chief Gu started his long-winded speech again!
He rattled on and on.
“. . . Aunt, do you think I should accept this silver?”
Madam Gu couldn’t stand it: “Alright, stop talking. Seven taels of silver, I’ll buy it for seven taels. Otherwise, I won’t move! Even at seven taels, I feel like I’m taking advantage of you, I’m embarrassed.”
Madam Gu thought that she would slowly pay it back bit by bit in the future.
She never thought that the good deeds she had planted in the past would bear such great fruit today.
In fact, Village Chief Gu had already helped them a lot over the years.
They truly didn’t owe his family anything.
Village Chief Gu wanted to say something.
Yang Shi quietly pulled him and said with a smile: “Then let’s settle for seven taels!”
They would spend some silver later to properly repair the house and the courtyard wall.
Madam Gu breathed a sigh of relief. She finally managed to spend the seven taels!
Village Chief Gu said happily: “Uncle Yuxia and the others will be very happy to know that you’re moving back, Aunt.”
Madam Gu’s smile stiffened at his words. She felt a little afraid to face her younger brothers.
Yang Shi quietly pinched the flesh on Village Chief Gu’s waist hard.
Village Chief Gu’s face contorted in pain.
Xingnong took out the seven taels of silver: “Uncle Gu, here you go.”
“Alright, I’ll take it. Tomorrow, I’ll find someone to help repair the house.” Village Chief Gu took the silver.
He was thinking about how to spend these seven taels on the house.
Xingnong didn’t like rooms that were too dark, so she said to Village Chief Gu: “Uncle Gu, when repairing the house, can you make the windows in the rooms bigger so that more light can come in?”
She could give another ten taels as a deposit tomorrow, and then she would secretly give the silver for the house repairs to Village Chief Gu.
“Alright, how does Xingnong want to change it? Come, tell me, which room needs to be changed?”
Xingnong and Village Chief Gu entered the house together.
✿✿✿
Gu Zesen and Xingqing also followed them inside.
Seeing this, Madam Gu hurriedly pulled the Village Chief’s Wife aside and whispered:
“Zesen’s Mother, I want the land deed and house deed to be written in Xingnong’s name. Xingnong earned the silver to buy this house. When she was washing dishes at the restaurant, she learned some cooking skills and developed a few recipes, and she earned some silver by selling them. You also know our family’s situation. If the house is in Xingnong’s name, she and her daughter will have some security in the future.”
Of course, Yang Shi knew about Madam Gu’s situation. No one knew better than her. After all, her husband had reminded her back then. Alas, it had been so many years, and Aunt had not had it easy. Otherwise, how could her life have been so difficult?
But after so many years, it should be fine, right?
They were far from the capital, that person couldn’t possibly be watching their family all the time!
Would a person of that status have that much free time?
But it was better to be careful.
“Alright, we’ll write it in Xingnong’s name. It’s been so many years, Aunt, don’t worry! Look, Xingnong even knows how to earn silver now. The children have all grown up, and you can just wait to enjoy your life!”
Madam Gu smiled, but she still seemed worried: “The children are all sensible, and my life is indeed much easier now. I just hope that they will all be safe and healthy in the future, then I’ll have no regrets.”
The Village Chief’s Wife comforted her: “Aunt, what are you saying? Xingnong and the children’s good fortune is yet to come! They’ve already endured all the hardship in this life!”
Madam Gu shook her head: “I hope so, but I don’t know how Ruolan is doing.”
“Ruolan is such a kind and intelligent child . . .”
Eldest Princess’s Residence in the Capital City
In a garden filled with blooming flowers and lush greenery, a woman dressed in simple yet elegant white clothes, her exquisite beauty undeniable, sat in a pavilion by a pond filled with lotus flowers, playing a guqin.
The sound of the guqin was mournful and sorrowful, like a lament, weighing heavily on the hearts of those who heard it.
An elderly nanny couldn’t help but shed tears. The Princess was thinking of the Eldest Princess again.
At this moment, a maid hurriedly emerged from the other side of the artificial mountain, approaching the pavilion and bowing respectfully to the woman playing the guqin. She then presented a letter with both hands: “Princess, Princess Wuyang has sent someone with a letter for you.”
Princess Changle gently withdrew her hand, the sound of the guqin abruptly ceasing.
“Bring it here.”
The maid kept her head lowered, her hands maintaining their original position, and respectfully walked up to the pavilion, stopping a step away: “Princess, the letter.”
The personal maid beside Princess Changle took the letter, opened it but didn’t dare glance at its contents, keeping her head bowed and her posture respectful as she presented it: “Princess, please have a look.”
Princess Changle finally took the letter and began reading. Her delicate and beautiful willow-leaf eyebrows furrowed unconsciously.
Truly incompetent fools!
Who told them to force those people into homelessness, to the point where they had to report to the authorities? Even a cornered rabbit will bite!
But why did Ren Zilin go to Pingyuan County to be a magistrate?
How annoying!
She didn’t want him to discover anything. That man had always been a blabbermouth.
If he knew, it would be as if the entire capital knew.
“Reply to Princess Wuyang’s people, tell them there’s no need to worry, they can’t make waves.”
“Yes!” The maid responded respectfully and retreated.
At this moment, a man with a refined and scholarly air, middle-aged yet still handsome and extraordinary, approached: “What can’t make waves?”
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