Shen Qing returned to his room, drank a large pot of tea to relieve his dryness, and then asked Chunju to summon the most senior maid and servant of the Gao family.
She sat on a round stool by the round table, her legs crossed under her skirt, and looked indifferently at the maids and servants standing in front of her: "The old lady's birthday is in three days, and we must make it a grand and lively celebration."
Her words were devoid of emotion; she was calm, composed, and possessed the demeanor of a matriarch.
The maids and servants had served Gao Liushi for many years, and they were always bossy and domineering in the Gao family. They looked down on the new widowed young mistress of the Gao family. Before they came, they were determined to put on airs with her.
Unexpectedly, he nodded as if possessed: "Young mistress, please tell me if there's anything you need me to do."
Shen Qing got up, walked to the desk, picked up the brushes on the brush holder: "Tell me the names of all the master's brothers, and I will draft invitations to invite them to the old lady's birthday banquet."
The maids and servants quickly rattled off a string of names with the surname Gao.
Shen Qing wrote them all down, and after he finished, he asked, "Who is the richest person here?"
“Uncle Gao, he’s in the horse feed business, and he has the most cash.”
Shen Qing marked the name after Grandpa Gao's name.
Next, several relatives with spare money were selected.
Chunju waited by, and only after the maids and servants left did she whisper, "Young mistress, do you want to borrow money from them?"
Shen Qing smiled, folded the list, and put it in her purse: "No. Let's go find a theater to watch a play!"
Three days later, at the Gao residence.
The place was bustling with activity from early morning. Maids were cleaning every nook and cranny, and servants were hanging lanterns and flowers, making it a festive occasion. A large stage had been set up in the center of the courtyard, with five large tables placed below it, and the kitchen was also busy at work.
The Gao family hadn't been this lively in a long time, and everyone was quite happy about the sudden joyous occasion.
Shen Qing also changed into a dignified yet festive Qing-style jacket and skirt.
The light orange silk jacket was embroidered with auspicious cloud patterns in light green, with several bright red phoenixes soaring among the clouds; the edges of the jacket were wrapped with gold thread, and even the buttons were made of gold thread.
With Chunju by her side, she inspected each place one by one, starting with the main gate, then going to see the opera troupe, and finally arriving at the kitchen.
He instructed the kitchen staff to ensure that today's meal was fresh and clean before taking Chunju to Gao Liushi's room.
Madam Gao was combing her hair, her face lifeless. Seeing her festive attire, she pursed her lips and muttered a few words.
They were probably still complaining about her, that she had just lost her husband and yet still had the mind to dress herself up.
Shen Qing ignored her, crossed her arms, leaned against the door and said, "Your birthday banquet will begin in half an hour. Come out when you're ready."
Just then, a maid came in to announce that Master Gao had arrived, and Shen Qing quickly went out to greet him.
Although this Third Master Gao made his fortune in the past by relying on the Gao family, in terms of wealth, he could not compare with the eldest and second sons, but he still had some money.
Just then, a thin, middle-aged man walked towards them, with sloping shoulders, a long, thin neck, and a face as sharp as a rat's.
This is exactly the kind of person described as shifty-eyed and sneaky. And despite his advanced age, he doesn't seem to know his place, daring to trespass into the owner's backyard.
Shen Qing suppressed her disgust, smiled, walked towards him, clasped her hands in a fist and bowed, saying, "Third Uncle, you've arrived."
Third Master Gao's narrow eyes swept over her, and he said in a sarcastic tone, "Is Second Sister-in-law inside? I'll go in and check on her."
Shen Qing smiled and straightened up: "My mother is getting ready, so it might be inconvenient for her. Please go outside and sit down, and chat with the other relatives."
Master Gao didn't move an inch, his eyes darting around as he looked at the surroundings: "Then I'll wait for her here."
"Young mistress, the master is here!" the servant called from outside the courtyard.
Upon hearing this, Shen Qing disregarded Master Gao and quickly led Chunju out to greet them.
Grandpa Gao was a burly man with a square face and a lot of flesh on his face; he certainly had the air of a wealthy man.
Shen Qing secretly memorized his appearance, smiled and went to greet him warmly, saying, "Uncle, you've come! I've been waiting for you for so long."
She invited Grandpa Gao to the table facing the stage: "This table has a good view and was specially prepared for you."
Grandpa Gao burst into hearty laughter.
The older a person gets, the more financially capable they become, and the more they value the respect shown to them by their subordinates.
Grandpa Gao and his family sat down with satisfaction. Looking around, he didn't see Gao Liu Shi and asked, "Where's your mother?"
Shen Qing quickly led Chunju into the backyard.
Without Gao Liushi in charge, it would be difficult for her to discuss things with these people.
Upon entering the backyard, Shen Qing did not see Third Master Gao. He assumed that he had gone to wander off somewhere else. He went into Madam Gao's room to urge him on, and then hurriedly returned with Chunju.
Just as he passed through the hanging flower gate, he caught a glimpse of a thin, furtive figure out of the corner of his eye.
Shen Qing stopped in his tracks, signaling Chunju to be quiet, while he quietly pressed himself against the door, silently observing the figure.
Old Master Gao crouched down and carefully tapped a certain brick on the wall in the corner, as if there was some secret hidden there.
Shen Qing observed secretly for a while, then gestured for Chunju to come out with him.
She whispered to Chunju, "I'll go outside and greet the guests first. You keep an eye on Master Gao and see what he's doing."
Chunju nodded obediently.
Shen Qing reminded her to be careful before returning to the courtyard.
After a short while, Gao Liushi entered the courtyard with the help of her maids and servants.
Seeing a large stage set up in the center of the courtyard, with all of Gao's relatives present and the place bustling with activity, his long face finally broke into a slight smile.
Shen Qing stepped forward to help her and led her to sit down next to Grandpa Gao.
Grandpa Gao quickly turned around and asked, "Sister-in-law, how are you feeling?"
Gao Liu nodded with a pale face and said "Yes".
Grandpa Gao: "Are you having any difficulties in your life?"
Gao Liushi remained polite, saying "yes" but refusing to mention the debt.
Shen Qing knew that she would never ask the other two branches of the Gao family for money.
Of the three daughters-in-law in the Gao family, she came from the best family background. She had been proud and aloof for most of her life, and her pride was more important than anything else. Asking her to borrow money from someone was more painful than killing her.
But Shen Qing was different. She had died once and knew the importance of her life. She had already pleaded with Cheng Zhiwen, let alone the Gao family, who were completely unrelated to her.
She doesn't care what others think.
Seeing that almost everyone had arrived, Shen Qing instructed her maid to tell the kitchen to serve the dishes and start the opera.
This is the best opera troupe in Jiangzhou, and Shen Qing spent a lot of money to invite them.
The opera we're performing tonight is called "Brothers United, Family Prospering Forever".
The story tells of three brothers in the countryside. One of them made money in the city and brought his brothers to the city as well. They worked together and eventually made a lot of money, becoming an unshakeable family in the area. They remained prosperous for many years, and their descendants were all very promising.
Mrs. Gao watched intently, while Grandpa Gao was filled with excitement, clapping and cheering continuously.
As the eldest son of the Gao family, he actually had the strongest sense of mission.
Shen Qing deliberately had the opera troupe perform this play for him to see, in order to stir up his emotions.
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