With the Mid-Autumn Festival approaching, the streets and alleys of Beijing are bustling with activity. Every household is decorated with lanterns and colorful decorations, and bright red lanterns are hung high, joyfully welcoming the festival.
However, the Gu family mansion in the west of the city presented a completely different scene. It was deserted and quiet, with the huge mansion silent and desolate, forming a stark contrast to the joy in the city.
Madam Gu sat on a wooden chair with a furrowed brow, two old women standing by her side with their hands at her sides. The bird's nest that Yao Shiyu had brought had already been eaten, and today she could only satisfy her craving with a few cups of tea.
Since Jiang Gan canceled her cooperation with the Gu family's fabric business, the Gu family's business has plummeted. These days, she has been running around seeking help, but there has been no improvement.
Madam Gu's brows furrowed more and more, and the nasolabial folds on her face seemed to deepen as well.
Business was going badly, and her son's marriage was causing her even more distress. Her son, Gu Boyuan, a renowned young general of the Great Qi Dynasty, was now to marry the daughter of a convict.
Thinking back to how much I looked forward to this marriage, I now feel just as disgusted with it.
For this wedding, the family practically emptied their coffers as a betrothal gift for Yao Shiyu, and now the Gu family is no longer able to afford a decent banquet.
All of this fell on her shoulders, leaving her feeling exhausted.
Madam Gu couldn't help but sigh, and Jiang Luoluo's image suddenly appeared in her mind.
In the past, she didn't need to do anything for such wedding banquets. Jiang Luoluo would arrange all the trivial matters perfectly, and she only needed to contribute a token amount of money.
Thinking of this, she felt a pang of nostalgia.
"Jiang Luoluo, Jiang Luoluo..." Madam Gu murmured to herself, a complicated expression on her face. "Speaking of which, that girl wasn't entirely useless. How could we have been so blind as to drive her away so cruelly?"
The two old women stood quietly to one side, heads bowed and silent. Ever since Miss Jiang and the young master broke off their engagement, the Gu family's fortunes had been declining.
Even their monthly allowance was cut in half, making their lives increasingly difficult.
Just as Madam Gu was sighing deeply, a soft female voice came from outside the courtyard, "Auntie, Auntie!"
Madam Gu looked up and saw Yao Shiyu carrying two or three gilded boxes, walking in with light steps.
Upon seeing the familiar gilded box, Madam Gu's eyes lit up, and a look of joy appeared on her face. She quickly stood up to greet her, "Oh, Shiyu, it's good that you're here. Why did you bring something?"
Yao Shiyu smiled slightly, placed the box on the table, warmly took Madam Gu's hand, and said affectionately, "Auntie, Shiyu thought of you and came to see you specially."
Upon seeing this, Madam Gu quickly instructed the servant to prepare another pot of good tea.
Yao Shiyu took a sip of tea gracefully, then took out a thick stack of silver notes from her sleeve and handed them over with both hands. "Auntie, please accept this ten thousand taels. It will be used to prepare for the wedding banquet of my brother Boyuan and me."
Madam Gu verbally declined, saying, "How can this be? How can this be!"
But she caught it faster than anyone else, and her smile deepened.
He couldn't help but admire Yao Shiyu's thoughtfulness. She always managed to offer timely help when the Gu family was in dire straits, making her a true lucky star for the Gu family.
Mrs. Gu and Yao Shiyu chatted enthusiastically, with Mrs. Gu praising Yao Shiyu's good looks, good temperament, filial piety, and virtue. She spoke of Yao Shiyu's good qualities as if they were her own treasures, and repeatedly exclaimed, "The Gu family is truly blessed to have married Shiyu!"
The two old women stood aside and exchanged a glance, secretly thinking: Just now, the madam was clearly complaining that the young master had married a criminal's daughter, but in the blink of an eye, she's praising him to the skies. She's faster than turning the pages of a book!
Just as the two were getting into a lively conversation, footsteps came from outside the courtyard gate. Gu Boyuan had returned from his shift.
"Shiyu, what brings you here?" Gu Boyuan asked as soon as he entered the door, his tone tinged with surprise.
After all, he had made a special trip to General Weiyuan's mansion the night before to have a long talk with Yao Shiyu by candlelight.
“Brother Boyuan…” Yao Shiyu lowered her head shyly, a faint blush on her face, “I came to see Auntie.”
When Madam Gu heard that her son had returned, she quickly stood up to greet him, still clutching the thick stack of silver notes in her hand.
Feeling guilty, she quickly stuffed the banknotes into her pocket and said with a smile, pretending to be nonchalant, "Boyuan is back. Sit down and rest!"
Madam Gu asked her servant to cook some good dishes in the kitchen, and the three of them sat down together for dinner.
After Yao Shiyu took her leave, Gu Boyuan's face darkened. He stared at Madam Gu and asked in a serious tone, "Mother, what's the deal with those silver notes?"
Upon hearing this, Madam Gu's hand froze, then she stammered and laughed to cover it up: "Silver notes? What silver notes? Are you sure you didn't misread it?"
Gu Boyuan, however, remained unyielding: "Mother, I saw you stuffing the silver notes into your pocket with my own eyes when I came back. You still want to hide it from me?"
Seeing that she couldn't get away with it, Madam Gu had no choice but to throw caution to the wind and say, "Those were the silver notes that Shiyu gave me. She wanted me to have a grand wedding."
Upon hearing this, Gu Boyuan's expression grew even more unpleasant, and he said coldly, "Mother, do you think it's acceptable to use Shiyu's money to hold her own wedding?"
"Are we, the Gu family, so desperate for money? How could you do this?"
Upon hearing this question, Madam Gu flew into a rage, and the grievances that had been building up due to the family's recent decline exploded in an instant.
She slammed her hand on the table and stood up angrily, saying, "Yes, I used Shiyu's money! What else could the Gu family use?"
You know perfectly well that your meager salary isn't even enough for the betrothal gifts, and you still have to rely on Shiyu to fill the gap.
Even the house we live in now was half-funded by Shiyu! And you still have the nerve to ask me why I used her money?
Upon hearing these words, Gu Boyuan was shocked, and his face darkened completely.
He never inquired about the family's finances, assuming that the Gu family's business was thriving and their savings were plentiful, and he never worried about expenses.
During the campaign in Yunchuan, Jiang Luoluo took care of all his needs, including food, clothing, and lodging. He felt that Jiang Luoluo had ulterior motives towards him and that it was only natural for her to take care of him.
The last time Madam Gu complained to him that the Gu family business was declining day by day, he laughed at Jiang Gan and suffered in silence. After that, he never inquired about the Gu family business again.
At this moment, Gu Boyuan suddenly realized that his family was already in dire straits, and even marrying a wife required spending her money.
Thinking of this, Gu Boyuan felt utterly humiliated, his heart sank into an ice cellar, and he felt even more sorry for Yao Shiyu.
A few days ago, Gu Boyuan was kicked hard by Jiang Luoluo, and a strange feeling inexplicably rose in Gu Boyuan's heart.
Looking back now, he only feels that he was a bastard. Yao Shiyu was so gentle and considerate, and she had endured so much grievance for him. He was still distracted by her. He really shouldn't have done that.
Thinking of this, he secretly made up his mind that he must treat her well in the future and live up to her sincere feelings.
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