"Is this fit for human consumption? Take it away immediately." Madam Gu's brows furrowed with barely concealed anger as she slammed a bowl of bland bird's nest soup onto the table.
“Madam, since Miss Jiang broke off the engagement that day, the bird’s nest in the manor has been cut off. This is the only small piece of bird’s nest we have left. Please make do with it.” Granny Yang knelt at Madam Gu’s feet, trembling with fear, and said sincerely.
Madam Gu pinched the bridge of her nose. Jiang Luoluo, Jiang Luoluo again.
In the past, the bird's nest for the Gu family was personally delivered by the manager of Zuiyuelou. Madam Gu would drink a cup every day, and this had become a long-standing habit.
Madam Gu felt a tightness in her chest. Usually, the maids would have already lit the silver charcoal in the warm pavilion, but today the pavilion was unusually cold, and the entire mansion was empty.
Madam Gu adjusted her cloak, leaned against the soft couch in the warm pavilion, and said impatiently, "Useless thing. Without Jiang Luoluo, can the Gu family not survive?"
"Didn't I just give you the money the day before yesterday? Go to the market and buy it. It's such a simple thing, do I really need to teach you?"
Granny Yang looked worried. “Madam, you only gave me one tael of silver the other day. I have already asked, and the bird’s nest that Zuiyuelou sends every month is top-quality. One piece costs one tael of silver. I have already spent one tael of silver on some meat and vegetables, and I don’t have any more silver to buy bird’s nest.”
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's face turned pale and then red. What? A single piece of bird's nest costs one tael of silver? She used to eat a piece of bird's nest every day. How much silver did she spend in a year?
She felt even more frustrated, but she couldn't vent her anger. Her face darkened, and she waved her hand, "Go down, go down, hurry up and prepare lunch."
Granny Yang retreated in a huff, and all the maids and servants in the courtyard were driven away by Jiang Luoluo. Now, only three old women who used to follow her were left by Madam Gu's side.
One person sweeps the yard, another buys groceries and cooks; she only has one servant left by her side. Gone is the treatment she used to receive, with someone fanning her in the summer and someone burning charcoal and massaging her shoulders and legs in the winter.
She sighed heavily, only then realizing that Jiang Luoluo wasn't entirely useless. At least Jiang Luoluo was willing to spend money and served her comfortably and well.
Soon, Granny Yang returned with steaming hot food. Madam Gu looked down at the dishes in front of her: a plate of stir-fried greens, a plate of tofu in sauce, and a bowl of plain chicken soup.
Madam Gu frowned and stirred the food a few times with her chopsticks.
Granny Yang carefully ladled out a bowl of chicken soup for Madam Gu and handed it to her.
Madam Gu took a sip, and the disgust on her face could no longer be hidden. "How can you not even make a decent chicken soup? It has a fishy smell."
Granny Yang said with a worried look, "Madam, this is a free-range chicken that I specially bought. However, the cooks in our household used to be hired by Miss Jiang from Zuiyue Tower. Perhaps my skills are lacking..."
Madam Gu slammed her chopsticks down on the table, wiped her mouth with a handkerchief, and lost all appetite.
Indeed, it's true that people are prone to going from frugality to extravagance, but difficult to go from extravagance to frugality.
The old women were trembling with fear. Ever since Miss Jiang dismissed all the maids and servants in the mansion that day, Madam Gu had never given them a kind look.
Madam Gu sighed softly. Jiang Luoluo had given her five days, and three days had already passed. She needed to find a place to stay quickly.
She sent one of the old women to fetch the storeroom's account books. The Gu family originally ran a silk business in Jiangnan. When Master Gu was alive, the business was quite prosperous. They moved their entire family from Jiangnan to the capital and opened several clothing and fabric shops there.
However, after Mr. Gu passed away, Mrs. Gu took over the silk business, but the business plummeted and several shops suffered losses. Mrs. Gu then sold some of the shops. Mr. Gu had left some savings before his death, so although the Gu family's life was not prosperous, they were not poor either.
Later, Jiang Luoluo met Gu Boyuan. Jiang begged her older brother to help take care of the Gu family's business, and the three shops owned by Madam Gu turned from loss to profit.
Over the years, she has accumulated enough capital to buy a small house in the capital.
Madam Gu flipped through the account book in her hand, thinking that Gu Boyuan would be getting married soon, and if he bought a house, there would be no decent dowry.
Jiang Luoluo's outburst at the celebration banquet, which caused the Gu family to lose face, meant that the wedding had to be held in a grand and glorious manner, otherwise they would become a laughing stock.
Just as Madam Gu was in a dilemma, she heard a delicate female voice, "Auntie!"
Madam Gu looked in the direction of the sound and saw Yao Shiyu, dressed in a white silk dress, carrying a gilded box, walking in with light steps.
"Auntie, I know you like bird's nest, so I brought this for you specially!" Yao Shiyu said with a soft smile.
When Madam Gu saw the gilded box, she knew it was bird's nest from Zuiyuelou. Her brows relaxed slightly, and a smile spread across her face. She said politely, "Shiyu, it's enough that you're here. How can you go to such lengths!"
Yao Shiyu covered her mouth and chuckled, saying gently, "I'm glad you like it, Auntie. I'll buy it for you every time."
Anyway, she didn't have to pay any money; she got it from Su Cuirong.
A hint of satisfaction flashed in Madam Gu's eyes, and she nodded, "Shiyu is still the best. Your cousin is no match for you at all."
Yao Shiyu blushed and lowered her eyes, feigning grievance, "Auntie, I know my cousin sold this house. I'm the one who dragged you and Brother Boyuan into this mess."
As she spoke, Yao Shiyu took out a stack of silver notes from her sleeve and handed them to Madam Gu. "Aunt, this is a small token of my appreciation. I will accompany you to see the house today."
Madam Gu looked at the thick stack of silver notes, her gaze quickly sweeping over them as she silently counted them in her mind; it totaled 3,000 taels.
She feigned reluctance, saying, "Shiyu, how could I accept this money? Auntie can't take it."
Yao Shiyu took in every little move of Madam Gu. In her previous life, she had dealt with Madam Gu quite a bit. Madam Gu was a dancer by profession and was very shrewd and sophisticated.
But she bullies the weak and fears the strong, and loves to take advantage of small things. With the money right in front of her, how could she refuse it?
Yao Shiyu spoke gently and softly, “I know what Auntie is worried about. Don’t worry, the deed only has Boyuan’s name on it. This money is not a loan from you, but a token of my appreciation to you.”
Of course, you don't need to tell Brother Boyuan; this is something only the two of us know.
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's brows immediately furrowed, and her face beamed with joy. She took Yao Shiyu's hand...
She said, "Shiyu, you are truly a good daughter-in-law of the Gu family. Don't worry, this money is a loan from your aunt. I will pay you back when I have more money."
Let's start with the nice words. Once you're in the Gu family, there's no need to distinguish between yours and mine.
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