Chapter 41: Old Man Yao's Beating

  Gu's eyes flashed, and she couldn't help but pay attention. Her eldest son, Yao Shihua, had been doing the silk business for many years, but it was only sometimes good, sometimes bad, not making much money, barely enough to make a living with a little leftover! He had been running around in two places for many years, buying and selling goods, working very hard.

  If you can get on the Jiangning weaving line, even if they just give you a little bit through the cracks in their fingers, it's enough to make a living for a lifetime!

  Gu's heart was racing, and her head felt hot with excitement, the more she thought about it, the more she couldn't calm herself down.

  "It's not that," sighed Mr. Gu, half complaining and half probing: "Your eldest brother is not capable, he just messes around with some small business to make a living, always running around outside to purchase goods and sell them, one trip comes back and can't even earn much money, but gets exhausted to death! I find it heart-wrenching too, didn't want him to suffer so much, but he's been doing this for many years, got used to it, what else can he do? It's laughable, he himself has big ambitions in this area, says as long as he works hard and persists, there will be a day when he'll make a name for himself, insists on not giving up, I just have to let him be!"

  "Eldest brother has this heart, his will is so firm, and he can endure hardship and toil. He will surely have a bright future! Eldest aunt can just wait for a life of ease and comfort! Eldest aunt also knows that elder sister is the best, in the future if eldest brother goes to Jiangnan on business, he must go visit elder sister!" Yao Cunhui said with a smile.

  "Hehe, although we are relatives, I'm afraid the threshold of the Xie estate is too high, how can one enter?" Madam Gu said with a smile.

  "How could that be!" Yao Cunhui retorted: "Doesn't Elder Sister know the temperament of Eldest Aunt? I heard from Rong's mother and others that the Xie family is also a scholarly family, with strict family rules, respecting relatives and being polite to people and things!"

  Gu's family smiled: "The person chosen by Old Lady Yun must have good conduct!"

  Yao Cunhui also smiled and agreed.

  Just as they were talking, Yao Shizan suddenly shouted "Second sister, Xiantang sister" and ran in from outside, with Xiao Jue and Wu Guang following closely behind.

  "What's wrong with you again, running so fast for what! Haven't you met your aunt yet?" Yao Cunhui lovingly took her hand and led her forward, taking out a handkerchief to wipe the sweat for her.

  Yao Shizan's beady eyes glanced at Gu Shi, and he walked up to her with a stiff gait, bowed his head and saluted.

  "Good boy!" Madam Gu smiled and raised her hand slightly.

  Yao Cunxian smiled and said, "Zan'er has gotten some new toy again? And she's brought it to show her sister again!"

  Yao Shizan and Yao Cunxian have become quite familiar with each other in the past few days. Upon hearing this, she smiled and said: "I know that Sister Cun is going home tomorrow, so I brought something for her!" Yao Shizan took a small food box from Xiao Jue's hand and handed it to Yao Cunxian, saying: "This is Pinxiangzhai's eight-piece set, which Father specially bought for me yesterday. It tastes great! I saved it especially to give to Sister Cun to eat on the road!"

  Gu's family and Yao Cunhui burst out laughing. Yao Cunhui laughed and said, "How embarrassing! You even brought a box of pastries to show off!"

  Yao Shizan pouted and muttered: "Wait till I grow up, I'll give Sister Xiantang even more and better things!"

  Everyone listened to his childish and serious words, couldn't help but laugh even more.

  "Thank you, Zan'er, Zan'er is really kind-hearted! Sister Xian likes it very much!" Seeing the anxious and urgent look on Yao Shizan's face, Yao Cunxian felt a warmth in her heart. She quickly took over the pastry box, put her arm around Yao Shizan's shoulder, gently patted and comforted him, with an extremely affectionate expression.

  "Really? Really?" Yao Shizan was extremely delighted.

  "Of course, Xian sister likes Zan the most, how could she cheat on Zan?"

  “……”

  Yao Cunhui also smiled and joked, for a time the house was filled with joyful voices and laughter, happy and harmonious.

  Gu's family smiled and looked at each other, their eyes shining brightly.

  The next day, the two brothers of Yao's second house, Yao Cun Jia and his siblings, politely sent off Gu Shi and Yao Cun Xian, bidding them a reluctant farewell.

  "Everyone scatter and go back!" The carriage of the Gu mother and daughter disappeared from view, Old Master Yao's gaze swept across, his tall and straight figure was full of the air of a family head.

  Everyone dispersed.

  Mr. Yao briefly instructed Mr. Yao II a few words about the affairs of the rice shop and turned to walk towards the main courtyard.

  "Isn't Master Lao going out today?" asked Mrs. Ma, seeing Mr. Yao enter with his feet together, and hastily got up to ask with a smile.

  Mr. Yao nodded slightly and said slowly, "I have something to say to you."

  "Please instruct me, sir." Madam Ma smiled and personally served the best Longjing tea that had just been brewed, and dismissed all the servant girls.

  Mr. Yao held the tea bowl, lifted the lid and gently stirred the tea water, and after a moment, he put down the tea bowl, glanced at Mrs. Ma and asked faintly, "How's the preparation for Jia'er's dowry going?"

  Madam Ma's smile froze for a moment, and she secretly felt annoyed. She smiled and said: "How did Master think of asking this? Everything is almost ready, Master can rest assured! Why don't I make out the dowry list tomorrow and show it to Master?"

  "All right, send it to my study tomorrow!" Old Master Yao nodded and said with emphasis: "The Xie family is not an ordinary family. They have been hereditary Jiangning Weaving Officials for three generations. Who in the three provinces of Jiangnan does not know the name of the Xie family? Our Yao family's business wants to be done in the south, and we will rely on the Xie family more in the future! This marriage is also presided over by the old lady of Yunfu, so we must be careful again and again, and cannot make any mistakes!"

  "Yes, sir! I understand the pros and cons of this matter!" Madam Ma did not expect Old Master Yao to actually want to see the dowry list, and her heart suddenly felt stifled and indignant. Upon hearing that Old Master Yao held the Xie family in such high regard and also mentioned the Yun estate, she became even more displeased and jealous, her eyes almost turning red with envy: Why did Yao Cunjia get to marry into such a good family?

  "It's fine as long as you understand," Old Master Yao said with a smile: "Jia'er is my eldest daughter, and if her marriage is not handled properly, the two younger daughters will also be affected. You must take it to heart! Also, taking advantage of this period of good weather and little rain, tidy up and arrange the two or three courtyards in the south. Next year when Jia'er gets married, the elder relatives from our clan will come to attend the ceremony, and we need to have a place for them to stay. Otherwise, it'll be chaotic at the last minute, and people will laugh at us!"

  Ma immediately thought of Gu, and her heart skipped a beat. Her face showed two parts displeasure as she complained: "What does Jia's marriage have to do with the clan? It's really hard for them to come all this way! I think they just want to take advantage of the situation and get some benefits, Master is too kind!"

  "How dare you!" Old Master Yao slapped his thigh and scolded. Mrs. Ma was frightened, she stood up immediately, lowered her head and remained silent.

  "You don't understand the ways of women!" Old Master Yao said coldly, "The elders of our clan are willing to come, this is a matter of face for our second house and also for Jia'er. The Xie family will not dare to look down on Jia'er and our family! This is something that can't be bought with any amount of money! You'd better listen clearly, this marriage must be done well, if there's even a slight mistake, I won't forgive you!"

  Mr. Yao gave Mrs. Ma a cold glance, thinking to himself that women are just women, short-sighted and only seeing the few dollars in front of them, completely lacking long-term vision.

  When a granddaughter gets married, the elderly relatives in the old family are willing to come from thousands of miles away to attend the wedding. What does this show? It shows that this granddaughter is knowledgeable and reasonable, virtuous and gentle, and is an outstanding person. The elders dote on her, which is why they are willing to come! Does she think that any ordinary granddaughter gets married, and all the elderly relatives in the clan would be willing to travel far and wide to attend? What a joke!

  Jia'er received this honor, and the second house naturally followed suit. When the time comes, won't the Xie and Yun families have to look up to their own family? This will also be beneficial for future relatives to interact with each other. As long as they make an effort to interact with each other, won't a good relationship develop? With a good relationship, what can't be accomplished?

  "Yes, yes, I was wrong!" Madam Ma had not been scolded by Old Master Yao in many years and was immediately embarrassed, her face turning bright red as she hung her head in shame, not daring to look up.

  Mr. Yao snorted and walked out with a raised foot.

  Ma became more and more angry, grabbed the Qinghua tea bowl on the table, and slammed it to the ground with a bang. The scalding hot tea splashed all over the floor, rising in swirling clouds of steam, filling the air with the fragrance of tea, but Ma's heart was even more chaotic!

  Qiao's mother saw Old Master leave with a stern face, and the house was in an uproar again. She hurriedly lifted the curtain and came in. Seeing the broken tea cups on the floor, she quickly ordered the young maid to come and clean up, while she herself walked forward slowly, softly calling out "Madam" as she supported Mrs. Ma into her daily living quarters.

  "Madam, why get agitated for no reason? It's not worth getting angry and hurting your body!" Old Lady Qiao accompanied her words with a smile, supporting Mrs. Ma as she leaned back on the imperial couch, gently massaging her shoulders.

  "Hmph!" Ma sneered: "I'm not angry, I'm——" Ma let out a soft sigh, but ultimately felt that she couldn't hold it in and said with hatred: "That old prostitute Gu is actually daring to play tricks on me! I'll remember her!"

  "What's going on here?" Mrs. Qiao exclaimed in surprise, "The mistress gave her so many valuable things and she accepted them all! How could this be? She received gifts from someone and yet she still dares to oppose them!"

  Qiao's mother indignantly spoke on behalf of Ma Shi, voicing her grievances.

  "It's true what they say, 'poor mountains and evil waters produce wicked people'! Ma was still fuming, her anger not dissipating in the least. She recounted to Qiao Mama everything that Old Master Yao had instructed earlier, and finally huffed: "You tell me, is Old Master being foolish or not? Our Yao family is large and prosperous, why must we curry favor with the Xie family and follow their lead?"

  Qiao's mother knew that she was not a good match for Yao, and also knew what kind of thoughts she had been thinking about. Now that Old Master Yao has made things clear, and with both the old family and the Yun family involved, if Madam Ma still harbors such thoughts and is discovered by Old Master Yao, the consequences would be unthinkable!

  After weighing the pros and cons, Mrs. Qiao thought for a moment and then tentatively smiled and persuaded: "The young lady is our family's legitimate eldest miss, you are her real mother, how can she not recognize you as her mother and not be filial to you? Since Master has said so, Madam must take care of this matter carefully, handle it properly, make Master happy, and the young lady will certainly be grateful to you!"

  Ma looked at Qiao's mother from head to toe, her face sinking as she said coldly, "I've always considered you a confidant! How could you say such a thing?"

  She had just been stimulated by Old Master Yao, and was also annoyed with Madam Guo's two-faced behavior in front of Old Master Yao, not knowing what kind of tongue she had used. Now hearing that Qiao Mama, who had always been on the same side as herself, also spoke out this kind of reasoning, Madam Ma felt indignant and hard to bear, her chest churning with anger.

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