Chapter 99

"Since Xinxin is getting married, what about the family's money..." Gu Xinxin was lost in thought when Gu Chen suddenly asked from the side, "Should we also count it, so that we don't get confused after Xinxin leaves?"

Gu Xinxin glanced at her with a smile. Gu Chen shrank back, hid behind Gu Daniu, and poked Gu Daniu's back with her hand.

Gu Daniu coughed lightly and looked at Gu Xinxin: "Well, your stepmother has a point. You're getting married, and we, the rest of us, still have to eat and drink. We can't have no money at home. We can't live like this, right? Besides, don't we have to prepare some dowry for you, no matter how much?"

Gu Chen was really stupid. She immediately said, "Didn't you just say that you would give the Cheng family's betrothal gifts to Xinxin as a dowry?"

The Cheng family’s betrothal gift is five hundred taels of silver. Isn’t that enough?

Who in the countryside would dare to think of giving five hundred taels of silver as a dowry? For a girl to marry, a man who cared for her child might at most give her three or five quilts, two or three sets of clothing, and a hundred or two hundred copper coins. Those who didn't care for their child would often marry with only one set of clothing.

There are even those who don’t even have a new set of clothes and get married wearing clothes patched up with patches on them.

There is no other person in the whole countryside who has five hundred taels of silver like Gu Xinxin, or even in the whole county.

But because the betrothal gift was given by the Cheng family, and Gu Daniu himself decided to give it to Gu Xinxin, Gu Chen could not object.

But now that she has taken the betrothal gifts away, does her family still have to prepare a dowry for her?

Gu Chen felt as if her heart was bleeding.

To the surprise of Gu Daniu and Gu Chenshi, Gu Xinxin actually nodded: "Okay, then take out the money at home and count it so that we can divide it up."

She personally went to the house and brought out the jar from before. Most of the copper coins inside had been exchanged for silver. The broken silver was piled up in a pile, along with a few silver notes. Gu Xinxin took out the account book again and said, "I have recorded the daily income and expenses here. As for the workshop, we need to buy new eggs and lard every day."

Flour lasts long, so they could buy more and store it in the warehouse—not in the workshop, as Gu Xinxin was afraid of an explosion, and there were no fire departments back then. So, they rented a separate yard next door to store the flour.

Excluding the cost of buying eggs and lard over the past two days, as well as various seasonings, flour, honey, sesame seeds, etc., the Gu family had a total of 1,113 taels of silver, plus 30 acres of land, the original four acres of land, and this house.

Gu Xinxin said, "Because I earn most of the family's money, when I asked for a share, Gu Xiangrong, Gu Wenshu, and I got the same share."

Gu Daniu frowned: "What do you mean by sharing the money? When did I say I wanted to share the money?"

"Because I'm getting married." Gu Xinxin said with a smile: "I earned the money, so I should get the lion's share. Doesn't Dad agree? If so, I can give up the money, but the fate between us father and daughter will come to an end."

Gu Daniu's expression changed: "What do you mean by that? Do you still want to deny my father?"

"What's wrong with that? Obey your father at home and obey your husband when you leave home. Doesn't Dad agree with this? Didn't Dad also say that a daughter who is married off is like spilled water?" Gu Xinxin asked with a smile. Gu Daniu's expression was gloomy and unpredictable.

What Gu Xinxin said actually made some sense. If a married girl's husband's family didn't want her to go back to her parents' home, she would most likely not be able to return. If her husband's family didn't want her to take charge of her parents' affairs, she certainly wouldn't be able to do so either.

Of course, the Cheng family is a family of scholars and would not say or do such things openly, but what if Gu Xinxin said or did it in the name of the Cheng family?

Gu Daniu now has a clear idea of ​​what kind of personality this dead girl has. She only cares about herself and treats other people in the family, except Gu Xiangrong, as if they have nothing to do with her.

If Gu Xinxin was still the same Gu Xinxin as before, she got married and severed ties with the Gu family, and Gu Daniu would not think there was anything wrong with it.

But the current Gu Xinxin is no longer the same Gu Xinxin as before. The current Gu Xinxin is capable and can make money.

Gu Daniu didn't dare to say that he could make a lot of money and become a master by running this workshop in the village. But if Gu Xinxin left it alone, he knew that the Gu family would not benefit from Gu Xinxin's influence in the future.

"This money can be regarded as my repayment for my father's kindness in giving birth to me. From now on, we are even." Gu Xinxin continued. She was actually hoping that Gu Daniu would choose this. She really wanted to throw away the Gu family as a burden.

Therefore, her eyes were bright and full of anticipation: "What does Dad want? Silver? Or me, a married woman?"

She advised Gu Daniu: "Even if you choose me, I am already a married woman and will not care about the Gu family's affairs in the future."

Although she was reluctant to give the money away to the Gu family, she also knew that filial piety was paramount. If she didn't leave any for her parents, people would definitely talk about her. She wasn't afraid of being talked about, but she was afraid of affecting her reputation and jeopardizing Gu Xiangrong's future. After all, she and Gu Xiangrong were born of the same mother.

Therefore, keeping the silver is also to shut others up.

Gu Daniu originally wanted to choose Gu Xinxin, but after hearing what Gu Xinxin said, he suddenly hesitated. Yes, a girl who is married is like water spilled. What if Gu Xinxin doesn't treat them as relatives even if she takes the money?

Gu Chen poked Gu Daniu on the back: "Xinxin is just saying these words to you in anger. Xiangrong hasn't even gotten married yet, how could Xinxin abandon us?"

"That stepmother is wrong. I'm not saying this out of anger. Xiang Rong is only twelve now, and he'll be thirteen next year. At his age, it will take him five or six years to get married. By then, if he has achieved academic success, he won't be controlled by you. If he doesn't pass the exam, the most I can do is buy him a house so he can have a place to live. You think that if you control Xiang Rong, you control me too. You're really naive."

After a pause, Gu Xinxin smiled again and said, "As for Gu Wenshu and Gu Qiuhe, their future as siblings...it's all up to me to decide."

She reached out and nodded at Gu Qiuhe: "If I say a few bad words about Gu Qiuhe outside, her life will be ruined."

Gu Chen's expression changed constantly: "Do you think you are the county magistrate? People will believe whatever you say?"

"If I were rich, I'm sure there would still be a lot of people willing to believe what I say." Gu Xinxin waved her hand, not wanting to pay attention to Gu Chenshi. She only asked Gu Daniu, "Have you decided how to divide it?"

Before Gu Daniu could say anything, Old Lady Gu, who had been ignored by Gu Xinxin, suddenly spoke up: "Why divide it? The family should not be divided as long as the parents are still alive. You just got married, not died. Why should the money be divided? I know you don't want to give it to your stepmother, fearing that she will get it too easily. So, I'll keep it."

Gu Xinxin was stunned for a moment, then couldn't help but burst out laughing. She raised an eyebrow and said, "You old lady are quite interesting. I never see you at work, but now that it's time to divide the money, you show up. Don't worry, even if I don't give you the money, you will still need food and drink in this family. I advise you not to touch the money. Otherwise, I'm afraid someone will climb over the wall in the middle of the night, and you, an old lady, may not be alive by then."

After scaring Old Lady Gu, Gu Xinxin said impatiently, "Have you thought about it?"

Gu Daniu gritted his teeth and said, "Divide it. You and Xiang Rong and his brothers will get the same share."

Gu Daniu took a deep breath. He still thought of what the second aunt next door said. What good would it do him to offend the God of Wealth? The little that showed between Gu Xinxin's fingers was enough for him to spend in his lifetime.

He is now blinded by a few hundred taels of silver, and in the future he may miss out on thousands or even tens of thousands of taels.

He is now giving Gu Xinxin a few hundred taels more. Even if Gu Xinxin has no contact with the Gu family in the future, since she bought a house for Gu Xiangrong, can't he live there?

Besides, he really didn't know how to run a business. It was true that the workshop was left to the Gu family, but if something happened in the future, who else could he turn to if not Gu Xinxin for advice? He would probably be ripped off by anyone he turned to, and he might even lose everything in the workshop.

Even if it was for the purpose of hiring a manager for the workshop, he could not offend Gu Xinxin too thoroughly.

Without waiting for Gu Xinxin to speak, Gu Daniu spoke quickly, "Your grandmother has a point. As long as your parents are still alive, the family property shouldn't be divided. But since you're getting married and you have to divide it, then so be it. But the elders are still alive, so no matter what, you should give them a share. It's also a sign of your filial piety. So your grandmother and I will take the lion's share. We'll split 50%. The remaining 50% will be split between you and Xiangrong, the clerk. You'll each take 10%. No matter what Qiuhe is, she's still your sister. You can give her half of it as a token of your consideration as a sister. What do you think?"

Gu Xinxin looked at Gu Qiuhe expressionlessly. Gu Qiuhe was startled by her and waved her hands stammeringly: "I... I don't want to..."

She looked at Gu Chen, who pinched her hard under the table, bringing tears to her eyes. She opened her mouth to say something, but then stopped, lowering her head and staring at her fingers.

Gu Xinxin frowned. Actually, she and Gu Qiuhe didn't have any deep hatred before. Even if Gu Qiuhe didn't send her food when she was hungry, but she had a mother like that, how close do you expect her to be to Gu Xinxin?

She was just a few years old, and most of what she did was learned from Gu Chen.

She neither poisoned Gu Xinxin's food nor stabbed her with a kitchen knife in the middle of the night while she was sick.

Of course, she did some minor disgusting things, but she was not unforgivable. Her evil was not even one-tenth of Gu Chen's.

"Gu Qiuhe is young, so I'll keep her share for her." She wouldn't let Gu Chen get away with it, so she asked Gu Qiuhe, "Would you rather let me keep it, or let your parents keep it? Or, would you rather let your grandmother keep it for you?"

Gu Qiuhe's eyes suddenly lit up and she looked up quickly: "I'll ask my elder sister to keep it for me."