Three Wives and Four Concubines in the Dream of the Red Chamber

Page 155

It's just a pity...

"If we could get our hands on Yingkexuan..."

Although it was obvious to anyone with a brain that this was impossible, Jia She still felt a pang of regret. Watching the mountain of gold float past his eyes, who wouldn't want to pounce on it and take a few big bites?

"Uncle is so concerned with national affairs that he really doesn't know much about running this household. Eight thousand taels of silver—even in the capital, not many families can pull that out on the spot, can they? I heard the other day that the income from the estates this year is only three to five thousand taels?"

Before Jia She could refute, Gu Yu continued:

"Moreover, everything is governed by rules. Uncle, are you aware that two months ago, the heir of the Prince of Dongping took the young daughter of the magistrate of Fengyang as his concubine, paying only one thousand taels of silver? Do you think you would dare to overstep the bounds of the Prince of Dongping's authority?"

"This this…"

Jia She panicked. Looking at Gu Yu's smug and eloquent manner, he didn't have time to be angry or to think about where Gu Yu got the information or whether it was fake. He just felt lost and confused, and felt a strange sense of disappointment and hatred.

It's all that wicked Yingchun's fault! Why wasn't she a legitimate daughter? How dare she sell a mere illegitimate daughter as a concubine to someone else for a higher price than the royal family offered?

Although he held the title of a first-class general, he spent his days indulging in pleasure and knew nothing about the dynamics of officialdom. He was even less knowledgeable than Jia Zheng, who would soften upon hearing the name of the Prince of Dongping's Mansion and could only secretly curse himself for losing money.

Gu Yu waited leisurely for Jia She to mentally prepare himself, not in a hurry at all.

Ever since he met Madam Xing here and saw through Jia She's incompetent and useless nature, his mental plan was immediately revised. He was determined not to let the old man gain any advantage.

"Maybe we can kill two birds with one stone!"

Hearing the belated footsteps outside the room, Gu Yu lowered her head and picked up another piece of food with her chopsticks, as if to recoup some of her losses.

"Master, the wine is here."

Madam Xing figured the conversation here should be over by now, so she led her maid back with a pot of wine. However, she didn't expect to find Jia She with a dark face and not saying a word. The atmosphere at the table was somewhat tense, and she felt uneasy for a moment.

"This is…?"

"Thank you for your hard work, Auntie."

Gu Yu smiled and immediately took the initiative, warmly inviting Madam Xing to sit down. He put aside the withdrawn Jia She and began chatting enthusiastically with Madam Xing.

"I heard that Miss Xing in the garden is a relative of your aunt?"

"They're not exactly important relatives. If they offend Yu-ge'er, don't worry about saving face. Just teach them a lesson."

Madam Xing forced a smile and subconsciously tried to distance herself from the relationship, but her words were indeed sincere.

After all, although she was his only niece, he was not familiar with her, and their relationship was complicated. He was not even familiar with Xing Zhong, his half-brother, let alone her daughter.

Furthermore, this poor relative family had come to her because they couldn't make ends meet. Not only were they of no use to her, but they also became another laughing stock in the mansion. How could Madam Xing be so magnanimous as to protect them?

Chapter Thirty-Six: Cleverness Backfires

That's why Madam Xing was able to suggest that Xing Xiuyan take one tael from her two-tael monthly allowance to support her parents.

Why not avoid being gossiped about and have your poor relatives leech off you, while also getting your revenge?

Moreover, the person in front of her was Yu-ge'er, who even had some influence with the old lady. Madam Xing was even more unwilling to offend him for no reason, so she took the initiative to offer a suggestion:

"If that country bumpkin ever behaves improperly, I'll have her parents take her out and give her a good scolding tomorrow, how about that?"

Gu Yu's eyelids twitched. For some reason, the thought of Xing Xiuyan, who was content with a simple life and lived like a hermit, being described as a country bumpkin in Madam Xing's words made her want to laugh. Too lazy to play games with Madam Xing anymore, she asked directly:

"Miss Xing is of marriageable age, isn't she? Her parents are unfamiliar with the place and have no connections in the capital. Won't this delay Miss Xing's important life event?"

Madam Xing felt a pang of unease. What did it matter to her whether that wild girl got married or not? She'd rather her family rotted away so she could laugh about it for the rest of her life!

Jia She, who was standing nearby, suddenly perked up, his mind racing. He interrupted Madam Xing and said:

"Does Brother Yu have some ideas?"

It seems that the rumors in the manor that Yu-ge'er has feelings for the Jia sisters are just lies; he's already taken a liking to the newcomer after only a few days.

Jia She sneered inwardly, thinking he had seen through Gu Yu's hypocrisy, but at the same time he was extremely frustrated.

Since that's the case, my original hope of ripping people off is going to be dashed.

This kid falls in love with every girl he sees. How could he be so deeply in love with her, as I originally thought? Judging from his expression just now, he clearly doesn't care! He probably wouldn't even spend two thousand taels. Is that what you call deep affection?

Gu Yu deliberately glanced at the maids who followed Madam Xing in, and Jia She, with great insight, chased them all away, while cursing them even more in his heart.

This little bastard is afraid of revealing his true colors? Bah!

Seeing that only three people remained in the room, Gu Yu finally reached out and took out a contract from her bosom. Jia She's eyes lit up, and she quickly reached out to take it, but Gu Yu dodged her.

"Hey, hey, hey~ what's this, my dear nephew?"

Gu Yu chuckled, waved his hand in front of Jia She, and then said leisurely:

"This is the land deed for a shop at the entrance of East Street. Even if it's sold quickly, it's worth more than five thousand taels."

"Hi~!"

He truly loves my second daughter!

Jia She's eyes reddened, and he raised his hand to take it, but this time Gu Yu withdrew even faster, finally igniting Jia She's anger. However, before he could speak, Gu Yu continued:

"Actually, there is another business deed. This large shop can bring in about a thousand taels a year. In just a few years, the income will be much more than if the land were sold directly."

"Which one do you think is better, Uncle?"

Can I have it all? Give me the land title and the business deed too!

Jia She opened his mouth, only to find it extremely dry.

The Rongguo Mansion's income is already meager, decreasing year by year, and they're practically running out of money. How can he possibly spend it as he pleases?

Besides, he doesn't have any power in managing the household, so no matter how much income the family generates, it's none of his business!

With a windfall lying right in front of him, how could he not be incredibly eager for it?

Although I made a fortune a few months ago, not to mention that it was originally taken from the mansion, I was just sitting around eating away at the end of my savings. Now I have an extra income of one thousand taels a year!

For once, Jia She put his mind to work. Remembering Gu Yu's mention of Xing Xiuyan, his eyes lit up, and he quickly said:

“What Yu-ge’er said makes sense, then what about Xing—Xing?”

"She is Xiuyan's niece."

"Yes, that's right! Xiuyan is also my only niece, so naturally I should help her. If she can find a suitable match, I'm sure her parents won't object!"

Seeing Jia She staring intently at the contract in her hand, speaking with absolute certainty that he had bypassed Xing Zhong and directly secured Xing Xiuyan's right to marry him, Gu Yu glanced at Madam Xing, who was still not fully aware of the situation, and finally smiled.

"In that case, if the two are mixed together, it won't be clear to outsiders, and it won't be considered against the rules. But which one does Uncle want to choose?"

Jia She sat pacing restlessly in his chair, wanting to snatch the contract and secure his gains, yet also preoccupied with the business Gu Yu had mentioned, which promised a thousand dollars a year. After much internal struggle, he remembered the remaining wealth in his private treasury and finally managed to suppress his shortsighted greed.

"They say a steady stream of income is never too slow, but I wonder if Yu-ge'er's business of earning a thousand taels a year is stable? We, as a family, should not get involved in illegal and criminal activities."

Gu Yu glanced at Jia She's pretentious demeanor, then inadvertently noticed the landscape painting hanging behind him, and suddenly found it quite comical and absurd.

The Rong and Ning families had worked so hard to build up their fortune. In this vast mansion, even a single painting could be worth tens or hundreds of taels of silver, and there were countless other collections worth thousands of taels. Yet, the family members were behaving in such a way for a few thousand taels of silver in cash, creating a stark contrast between having a mountain of gold and eating coarse food.

Although selling off family property is considered unorthodox and ungrateful in this day and age, it doesn't stop Gu Yu from using it to thoroughly ridicule Jia She and his ilk. Of course, it's not like Jia She and his group haven't sold before, so Gu Yu's mockery is all the more justified.

"Uncle, please rest assured, as long as you are alive, this money will be handed over to you in full."

He gave Jia She a knowing smile, and the two of them were immediately in high spirits, and the atmosphere in the room finally became lively.

Madam Xing sat beside Gu Yu in a daze for a while, and only after personally seeing Gu Yu off at the door did she return and couldn't help but ask:

"Master, what's going on here... why are you bringing up that girl Xing Xiuyan again?"

Jia She tilted his head back and downed another cup of wine. In a rare moment of great joy, he began to explain:

"Your nephew—oh no, I mean my dear niece, hahaha! She's really valuable…tsk tsk, buying both of them together would be a huge profit! Tomorrow you go to your brother's house and tell him that his daughter's marriage is in the hands of the Jia family. We'll guarantee to find her a good family! Hiccup~"

"This……"

Madam Xing finally realized what was happening and couldn't help feeling a little jealous. Although it seemed like she was just going to be someone's concubine, in her eyes, her niece's good fortune in getting close to Gu Yu was simply incredible!

"They're just young people, all they care about is looks..."

After muttering to herself for a moment, Madam Xing quickly cheered up again, because Jia She waved for her to come closer and whispered:

"Remember to bring twenty taels of silver. Just say that you've already found a match and this is a special betrothal. They don't need to worry about anything else. The Jia family will also provide the dowry for them!"

"Eh."

Madam Xing's eyes lit up, and she quickly agreed. She had overheard them saying it would cost about a thousand taels a year!

Although our family also produced a Yingchun, judging from the master's words, Xing Xiuyan also contributed, and her father will receive thirty or fifty taels of silver later.

Chapter Thirty-Seven: What You Say Comes to Pass

As soon as she returned to the garden, Ying'er brought a bundle to Lihua Chunyu. Seeing that Gu Yu had already returned, she hurriedly walked a few steps, smiling as she lifted the bundle in her hand.

"Sir, the young lady asked me to deliver this cotton-padded coat, and the fare is wrapped inside."

"You must be freezing after making this trip. Here, let me warm you up."

Smiling, Gu Yu took Ying'er's slightly cold, fair hand, rubbed it in his hand, and breathed warm air on it, which immediately made the girl lower her head in embarrassment.

"Master~"

"What's there to be shy about? Come in and sit down to warm up before you leave, okay?"

"No... Qingwen and the others are watching..."

"..."

The girl shyly withdrew her hand, then secretly glared at the person who had deliberately ruined things in the distance before heading back, looking back every few steps.

Gu Yu turned around and saw the curtain being hurriedly lowered not far away. She could only grit her teeth angrily, pick up her small bundle, and go inside to settle accounts with the person.

This cotton-padded coat was the one that Xing Xiuyan had pawned at the Xue family's shop. Because the place where it was kept was so special, the shopkeeper dared not touch it and quickly asked for permission. It ended up in Baochai's hands that same day.

Now, in order to bring Gu Yu and Xing Xiuyan closer together, Baochai naturally handed it over so that Gu Yu could make the most of it.

She spread the bundle out on the table, revealing a pawn ticket from Heng Shudian on top. Gu Yu glanced at it twice, then tucked it into her bosom, shaking out the cotton-padded coat inside.

"Looks pretty good..."

Although Gu Yu herself couldn't sew, she had a maid named Qingwen, who was skilled in needlework, by her side. Qingwen had a discerning eye and couldn't help but nod slightly after just a glance at the stitches.

Such a virtuous woman should not be let go!

Fearing being caught and punished, Qingwen, feeling guilty, had already run to the side pretending to be busy. Xiangling came in carrying hot tea and happened to see the cotton coat in Gu Yu's hand, so she smiled and said:

"Grandpa, where did you get this cotton-padded coat? It looks quite new."

Hearing the commotion coming from the next room, Gu Yu couldn't help but smile, and then deliberately beckoned Xiangling to go up and take a closer look.

"What do you think of this needlework? Since someone keeps avoiding me, I'll have to find someone else to make my clothes."

Seeing his signal, Xiangling quickly suppressed a laugh and obediently cooperated, saying:

"In my opinion, even if it can't compare to Qingwen's skills, it's not far off. Since Qingwen is avoiding you, just replace her. Disobedient maids should be kicked out!"

"Xiangling! You're talking bad about me again! What have I done wrong? Master~..."

Qingwen, who was hiding in the inner room, suddenly became anxious and hurriedly ran out. She saw that Gu Yu was indeed carrying a cotton coat in his hand. Before she could even take a closer look, she pitifully ran to Gu Yu's side and acted coquettishly.

"Master...you promised—hmm?"

As she got closer, Qingwen finally saw the style of the cotton-padded coat in Gu Yu's hand. It was clearly a girl's style, and she was momentarily stunned.

Amused, Gu Yu pinched Qingwen's little nose, then casually put away the cotton coat she was holding, folded it aside, and said without turning her head:

"When have I ever forgotten? You're so jealous all the time, you're so spoiled! Xiangling, go and close the door."

"Hey."

The girl's pretty face immediately turned bright red, even though it wasn't dark yet!

"Sir~ I just had it done the other day, my genitals are still swollen..."

"Oh."

"How about... how about I go and call Ying'er back? I'll be right back!"

"hehe."

"Ah~!"

Grabbing Qingwen, who was trying to run away, Gu Yu deliberately reached out to tease her, but didn't actually hurt her.

After all, didn't he know how the battle was going?