Seeing how simple the room was, Gu Yaoniang felt a little uncomfortable.
As Bitao packed her box, she pouted and said, "These days, even buying groceries requires us to get money from the treasury. They say it's still our Gu family's money, but I think those constables are treating it like the national treasury. When I went to get money for tomorrow's meals at dinner, I got a scolding. They said the refugees outside can't even get enough to eat, but we're in such high spirits."
Gu Yaoniang paused in folding clothes, then continued as if nothing had happened, saying, "The princess has already taken good care of us. Don't complain about this little thing."
She sighed inwardly. Princess Ruining wanted to protect the Gu family, but these people were relatively polite to her when Princess Ruining was around, but as soon as she left, they became arrogant and haughty.
These little devils are really hard to deal with.
The Ministry of Revenue is still struggling to finalize its plans for disaster relief, and the princess says that the matter is still embroiled in disputes.
Gu Yaoniang couldn't help but sigh again, a bitter feeling welling up inside her. The disaster victims were the real concern right now. This morning, the manager of the Gu family's rice shop came over and said that grain prices throughout the city had skyrocketed, and if this continued, chaos was brewing.
Isn't everything already in chaos? If things continue to get chaotic... Gu Yaoniang didn't dare to think about it too much.
She has secretly ordered the Gu family to collect all the rice they can get, and to put some at a reasonable price in the shop every day. Starting tomorrow, the Gu family's rice shop will begin to limit purchases.
If all the rice shops in the city raise their prices, at least the Gu family's rice shop hasn't raised its prices, so the people won't go hungry anymore.
This is one of the few things she can make decisions about these days.
Naturally, she also informed Princess Ruining of this matter. After all, all of the Gu family's money was now registered, and any changes needed to be recorded.
"Wife, where should we put this?"
Bizhu picked up a small bundle and asked.
Gu Yaoniang looked at Bizhu and saw the familiar bundle wrapping, which brought tears to her eyes.
Bitao exclaimed, "Oh! My wife, isn't this the little bundle we packed when we came to Shuojing?"
Gu Yaoniang nodded gently.
At the time, she planned to run away with Bitao. She only packed this small bundle and tried to sneak out through the dog hole. However, her second uncle, who had heard the news, took her home.
Even now, it's still vivid in my mind.
However, when he left again, with Gu Xingzhi, the god of wealth, he took the simple bundle with him, but never opened it again.
Gu Yaoniang took the bundle and sat down on the couch.
She untied the tangled strips of cloth, and the moment she opened them, her eyes welled up with tears.
-
Mrs. Gu leaned on Mr. Gu's shoulder, surrounded by a desolate darkness.
"Master, do you think Yaoyao is worried because she hasn't received any letters from us for so long?"
Madam Gu gazed at the sparse stars in the sky. She wasn't sure if she was dizzy or if the clouds had truly parted and the sky was clearing. The once dark sky was now dotted with many points of light, quietly scattering a gentle glow.
The sound of metal clanging came from the darkness, accompanied by Mr. Gu's low voice: "We sometimes reply to letters late, and Yaoniang should know that. Don't overthink it."
He seemed extremely tired, his voice weak.
Madam Gu gave a soft "hmm" and wanted to get up to check on Mr. Gu, but for some reason, she didn't move.
She murmured softly, "I wonder how the two children are doing now. This is Yaoyao's first time going out on her own. She's been in Shuojing for so long, she must be homesick, right? I wonder if she's eating well, if she's lost weight... She's always been like this, never coming home even after being away for so long. She must be growing taller by now, right? She's at the age when she's really growing..."
Mr. Gu did not respond to her; his breathing gradually became even.
-
Gu Yaoniang's hands trembled slightly, her eyes filled with disbelief as she took out a small package wrapped in a silk handkerchief from her bundle.
This is her mother's silk handkerchief...
She couldn't mistake those familiar stitches. She had never been good at needlework or embroidery since she was a child, and her mother and aunt had taught her countless times, but she still couldn't learn it.
The mother often lamented that Gu Yaoniang's hands were so skillful at everything, but she struggled when it came to embroidery needles.
Gu Yaoniang had a vague guess in her heart. She took a deep breath and opened the small cloth bag.
Her tears fell in large drops.
Bizhu and Bishuang were at a loss, looking at Gu Yaoniang's appearance and feeling somewhat helpless.
Upon seeing the brand-new silver ingots in the small cloth bag, Bitao exclaimed softly, "My lady, I don't remember..."
She understood halfway through her sentence.
This was silver that Madam Gu had secretly slipped to her. On the eve of their secret plans to leave Qingyun County, Madam Gu had visited her wife's bedroom.
Now, the lady has thirty taels of official silver wrapped in the lady's embroidered handkerchief in her hand.
That was probably when the lady secretly slipped it into the wife's bundle.
It must have been tough on the lady with her kind and loving motherly heart.
Gu Yaoniang's eyes were red as she stared at the silver, her heart filled with a mixture of bitterness, heartache, and a faint joy of being favored.
Thirty taels of silver may not seem like much to the Gu family now, but back then in Qingyun County, the Gu family relied on the father's meager salary in the yamen for their livelihood. The importance of those thirty taels of silver can be imagined.
But her mother still secretly gave her the silver. She was even afraid that she wouldn't accept it, so she secretly slipped it into her bundle.
Gu Yaoniang wanted to speak, but found that her nose was completely blocked, making it difficult to utter a sound.
She suddenly remembered and asked, "Has there been any letter from home? We've gotten into trouble in Shuojing, will our parents be implicated as well?"
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