Why? Gu Xingzhi didn't know.
Perhaps they had tasted all the suffering themselves, and thus relished the misfortunes of others; or perhaps they genuinely believed that Gu Yaoniang was not as she appeared on the surface, but was actually as wretched as they claimed. Misfortunes in this world always have a cause, and if the victim's own mistakes are to blame, then they need not worry about misfortune befalling them.
But these principles are so weighty! Gu Xingzhi hesitated and did not speak.
Gu Yaoniang didn't really want an answer; she continued speaking on her own.
"Second Uncle, I'm really scared. I've only been jilted, and now I'm considered a person of poor character and with a hidden illness. What if the person I marry in the future is not a good man and treats me badly? Wouldn't it all be my own fault?"
I can still live with the Gu family and my second uncle now. But if I get married in the future, won't I be destined to waste my life in someone else's secluded mansion?
I don't want this! Second Uncle, can I not get married?
Gu Yaoniang raised her head, her cheeks streaked with tears, and looked at Gu Xingzhi with red eyes.
Time seemed to overlap. Years ago, she had the same face, her eyes red and swollen, clearly overcome with grief, yet she stared wide-eyed, trying to smile at him. Looking at Gu Xingzhi, she said, "Fine, Xingzhi. I won't marry."
Gu Xingzhi felt a sharp pain in his heart.
He reached out and stroked the girl's soft, long hair, his heart filled with tenderness.
“Yaoyao, you can choose not to marry. And then what? Your second uncle can support you for the rest of your life. But now you're afraid of the rumors and choose not to marry. Not marrying will only lead to more rumors, and then what will you do? Are you going to marry again out of fear of the rumors?”
“But…” Gu Yaoniang clearly hadn’t thought of this. She paused, then stammered, “But I have a second uncle.”
Gu Xingzhi was extremely pleased with Yao Niang's unguarded trust, and he coughed softly.
"As long as your second uncle is alive, he can support you. But you also need to stand on your own two feet to have confidence. Yaoyao, you don't have to get married; girls aren't born to get married. But you can't do nothing!"
You need to have things you enjoy doing and things you want to do, and you need to do them well, better than anyone else, so that others won't look down on you!
Gu Yaoniang never expected Gu Xingzhi to say such a thing! Could she really do that?
"But I'm just a woman." She was both excited and timid. "What can I do?"
"Of course you can! In the past, there was Mulan who joined the army, Wan'er who became a prime minister, and Su Niangzi who went into business. Now that the new policies have been implemented, women can enter government schools and take the imperial examinations. You can do anything that men do! My Yaoniang is so intelligent, what can't she do!"
"But I've observed so many extraordinary women in the past, yet some people always say they weren't gentle enough and had unhappy marriages..."
Gu Xingzhi interrupted Gu Yaoniang: "But more often, people praise their intelligence and decisiveness! Yaoniang, you should know that once you have more, you won't care about these idle gossips anymore."
Seeing that Yao Niang seemed bewildered, he knew that his brother had never taught her to be independent, but only wanted her to marry a good man and have a happy and smooth life. Now, hearing such words for the first time, he knew that accepting them would not be something that could be done overnight.
"You don't need to rush to tell me what you want to do. Whatever you want to do, whether it's to enter officialdom, pursue scholarship, or something else, I can find you a renowned teacher. As long as it's what you want to do."
Gu Yaoniang nodded. Her eyes were full of admiration as she looked at Gu Xingzhi.
This is her second uncle.
These days, what women learn from a young age is how to be a good wife who can please their husbands. No one ever teaches them how to be themselves. She only felt that her second uncle had shown her a world she had never seen before.
The thought that had crossed her mind before resurfaced, and she no longer hesitated.
"Second Uncle, I want to learn how to do business from you!"
Gu Xingzhi was taken aback.
"Did you know that throughout history, merchants have always been the lowest-ranking?"
Gu Yaoniang nodded: "I know. But I'm really terrified of being poor. You don't know, the past two years, we were both financially depleted because we were raising money for Qin Yuxiu to take the imperial examination. You know how much my father earns; without our previous savings, and with all the tuition fees he's received in his life, we simply can't save any extra money."
Since I don't have money to buy snacks outside, I've been trying to learn how to make them myself. Now I can cook most common dishes and snacks. I have a sweet tooth and love steamed pork with rice flour. If I buy it outside, a small bowl costs fifty coins, and it's just a tiny bit, not even enough to be eaten as a main dish, only as a snack. But if I grind the flour and steam it myself, fifty coins can make a big bowl, enough for me and my parents for a meal!
I used to long for Qin Yuxiu to return home in glory, so I could become an official's wife and never have to worry about food or clothing again. But now that's impossible. I just want to live my life from now on, and whatever I want to eat, no matter how much money it costs, I'll buy it for myself.
Gu Xingzhi felt as if a large hand was tearing at his heart, and he felt waves of pain. Because his family disapproved of his business dealings, he rarely went home, and when he was busy, he didn't have the mind to pay attention to the trivial matters at home. He had thought that no matter what, with the family's savings and his brother's salary, life wouldn't be too difficult.
I never imagined I'd be in such dire straits!
Although Yao Niang and Qin Yuxiu haven't met or talked things out yet, he already has no good impression of Qin Yuxiu at all.
So what if he's a prodigy? In the end, he's completely ungrateful!
Gu Xingzhi said, "I have money, so you don't need to learn to do business just for money. Although merchants are not considered lowly these days, it is still quite difficult."
"Your money is yours, but I'm happier spending the money I earned myself."
Seeing the disapproval in Gu Xingzhi's eyes, Gu Yaoniang became suspicious. She added:
"Second Uncle, please listen to me."
Now that the new policies have just begun, although women are allowed to enter the court, I haven't read the classics since I was a child; I've only read ordinary books, one after another. My knowledge is scattered and disorganized, so I'm afraid I'm not suited for officialdom, let alone scholarship.
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