A midsummer afternoon.
The leaves were curled up, as if they were about to be sucked dry by the sun.
The cicadas chirped one after another, and it made me feel hot just listening to them.
There seemed to be a halo in the sky, making it impossible to open one's eyes.
In the small study in the east courtyard, there was an ice basin, which brought a slight coolness, but it was not enough to suppress the heat in people's hearts.
The summer of Kaiyao's thirty-seventh year was exceptionally hot and came exceptionally early.
Before I could fully experience the warmth of spring, the weather suddenly entered barbecue mode.
Gu Jiu was very agile despite being pregnant for more than five months.
She felt unusually relaxed during this pregnancy.
I didn't have morning sickness or sleepless nights, and my appetite was normal. My taste was the same as before I got pregnant.
I don’t crave spicy food or sour food, just normal taste.
No back pain, and I sleep soundly at night.
Fetal movement is also normal.
Everything is normal, which is the best news.
The weather was hot, so she ate two slices of frozen watermelon. She wanted to eat more, but Qingmei took the watermelon away.
They even said, "Watermelon is cold in nature, so you shouldn't eat too much."
Gu Jiu felt a little depressed, "Go peel a cucumber and I'll eat it."
"Cucumbers are also cold in nature. If you eat watermelon today, you can't eat cucumbers. You can eat cucumbers tomorrow."
Gu Jiu was a little irritated, "Then what can I eat?"
"Madam, please drink some soup. Soup nourishes the body."
“No!”
Gu Jiu refused bluntly.
Actually, she didn't really want to eat watermelon or cucumber. She just felt a little angry, commonly known as getting angry, and wanted to eat something cool to calm down.
The biggest impact of pregnancy on Gu Jiu is her mood swings and unpredictable changes.
She might be happy one moment, but turn hostile the next because of a word or a look from Liu Zhao.
In fact, Liu Zhao was just speaking normally.
She stood up and walked around the room.
Walk from the study to the bedroom, and then walk back from the bedroom.
She asked Qingmei, "Where did Xiao Cui go?"
"Madam, Xiao Cui wants to talk to some sisters from Xile Hall."
Xile Hall is the courtyard of the second wife's house.
In the first month of the lunar year, Ouyang Fu gave birth as expected, a girl weighing 5.6 jin.
Gu Jiu didn't go when Ouyang Fu gave birth. He didn't see how disappointed and frightened the Second Young Master looked when he found out it was a girl.
She still listened to what Xiao Cui said. She said that the midwife brought the child to the second young master. The second young master glanced at her, gave a few instructions, and then left with a wave of his sleeves.
From beginning to end, she had no intention of going to see Ouyang Fu, nor did she ask the midwife if Ouyang Fu was okay. It seemed that she didn't care whether Ouyang Fu was dead or alive.
Xiao Cui also said that when Ouyang Fu found out that she was giving birth to a girl, she burst into tears before she even left the delivery room.
All in all, the scene was very awkward and embarrassing.
People from the Ouyang family were also present at the time, but because Ouyang Fu gave birth to a girl, they felt guilty and had no confidence. They didn't dare to say a word, let alone support Ouyang Fu.
When the child was having his third bath, Gu Jiu went to visit the child.
The child is growing up well. She is a beautiful little girl even though she is only a few days old.
Ouyang Fu had just come back from a near-death experience and was very haggard. She looked as if she hadn't had a good rest since the birth of her child.
Gu Jiu wanted to ask about it, but Ouyang Fu didn't want to reveal her miserable side to others.
Gu Jiu had no choice but to give up.
Anyone with eyes can see that the second young master dislikes his daughter.
It was said that during Ouyang Fu's confinement period, the Second Young Master only entered her bedroom twice, and each time he stayed for no more than half an hour.
He didn't even name the child and seemed to have completely forgotten about it.
After Ouyang Fu finished her confinement, she went to Princess Pei and asked her to name the child Liu Nian according to his generation.
In the lineage of Prince Ning, all girls of this generation are named with the character "心" (xin) in their names.
After being given a formal name and registered in the family tree at the Shaofu, the little girl finally had an identity.
Although Pei was very sorry that Ouyang Fu did not give birth to a son, she did not blame her. She even gave a generous gift to celebrate the baby's full moon.
As for the second young master, Pei was too lazy to ask.
Concubine Shen had never been kind to Ouyang Fu because she gave birth to a girl.
On several occasions, Gu Jiu heard Concubine Shen scolding Ouyang Fu with her own ears. The implicit meaning of her words was that she disliked Ouyang Fu's poor pregnancy.
Originally, this mother-in-law and daughter-in-law were very harmonious. Concubine Shen had been very kind to Ouyang Fu for many years.
Once a daughter is born, everything changes.
When Gu Jiu saw this, he was really dissatisfied. Is it so despised to give birth to a girl? If you don't give birth to a girl, will your son be able to marry a wife and have offspring?
She endured it and finally managed to suppress her temper.
Because Ouyang Fu gave birth to a daughter, the Second Young Master had even more reason to favor his two concubines. It seemed as if he was pinning his hopes of having a son on the concubines.
Gu Jiu had nothing to do, so she took her own pulse and did a prenatal checkup.
The pulse is strong and everything is normal. But I am very irritable.
Liu Zhao went to work in the government office, and Gu Jiu couldn't find anyone to beat up.
Because of her pregnancy, she was not even interested in doing business to make money.
All matters were handed over to the people below him. Gu Jiu would only step in when the people below him were unable to make a decision.
The first phase of the project outside the South City Gate started last month.
The tens of thousands of refugees gathered outside the city gate are not so easy to deal with.
If we want to start construction of Phases 1, 2 and 3 at the same time, we have to relocate the people first.
There was no other way, Gu Jiu could only mark out an area on the outskirts and build the cheapest resettlement housing first.
This will give the refugees hope and facilitate the subsequent work.
After walking for a cup of tea, Xiao Cui came back under the scorching sun.
The ice basin placed in the room made Xiao Cui exclaim in relief. She simply picked up an ice cube and put it in her hand, feeling cool all over.
Qingmei asked her, "Where did you go to play again? You're all sweaty."
When you get close to Xiao Cui, you can almost smell the scent of sunshine.
Xiao Cui chuckled, "I went to the Joy Hall and then to the West Courtyard. I ate melon seeds and chatted with the sisters."
Gu Jiu asked her with a smile, "Did you hear any gossip?"
"Yes, yes." Xiao Cui's eyes were round and she was very excited.
Gu Jiu casually said, "Tell me, whose gossip is this?"
Xiao Cui said with a smile: "The Second Madam is setting rules for the two concubines today."
Huh?
This is strange.
Ever since the second young master took a concubine, Ouyang Fu's attitude has always been to not care. Why did she suddenly think of setting rules for the concubine?
"Is there any reason?"
"I heard from the sisters in Xile Hall that they were saying bad things about Nian Jie'er behind her back, and the news even reached the ears of the Second Madam. So the Second Madam asked them to set some rules."
"Second Young Master doesn't know about this, right?"
"I probably don't know yet."
Gu Jiu understood and nodded.
Qingmei was a little worried, "Will the Second Young Master and the Second Madam quarrel?"
Gu Jiu thought about it and finally shook his head, "Probably not."
The Second Young Master is a dagger hidden in his sleeves, and he will not directly break up with Ouyang Fu just for his two concubines.
He also hoped that Ouyang Fu would give birth to a legitimate son for him.
Yes, legitimate son.
My son is precious, but if he is not a legitimate son, he will never be beautiful.
Qingmei said, "It's good that there's no quarrel. The Second Madam has been through a lot these past few months, and we servants have seen it all and feel sorry for her."
Gu Jiu smiled and said nothing.
Xiao Cui was very direct, "What if Madam's baby is also a girl? Will the young master treat Madam coldly like the second young master?"
"If you don't know how to talk, then don't talk." Qingmei was furious. Xiaocui was just too careless with her words.
She was very worried that Gu Jiu would think too much after hearing this.
Gu Jiu laughed, "Don't worry, the Second Young Master is the Second Young Master, and you are different from him. As long as they are my children, you will like them all."
Gu Jiu is so confident.
Qingmei laughed, "The young master is very kind to his wife. He loves her and everything in her. Naturally, he loves the baby in her belly very much."
Gu Jiu leaned on the couch, intending to take a nap.
The servant reported that Deng Cunli wanted to see him.
Gu Jiu opened his eyes and said, "Ask him in."
Deng Cunli came here at this time, something must have happened.
Deng Cunli washed off the smelly sweat on his body, changed into a thin long gown, and then walked into the cool little study.
So comfortable!
He bowed and said, "This old servant pays his respects to the Madam."
"No need to be polite! Sit down and talk."
"Thank you, ma'am."
Deng Cunli sat down on the stool and, without waiting for Gu Jiu to ask, he said, "I came here today because I need your help on something."
"you say!"
"Today, the Young Master sent someone to ask if you still want the remaining loan. I wonder what Madam's plans are?"
Gu Jiu got a toothache when the topic of money was mentioned.
It’s not because there is little money, but because there is a lot of money.
At the beginning of spring, the steward of the palace first sent her 100,000 taels of silver, saying that it was something that Prince Ning had instructed her to do when he left the capital.
Of the 100,000 taels, 50,000 went into the public account, and the remaining 50,000 was Prince Ning's private money. Pei Shi didn't even know that Prince Ning had so much private money on hand.
The palace steward also specifically instructed Gu Jiu not to spread the news and not to let Pei know about the existence of the 50,000 taels of private money. When doing the accounts, a separate book should also be made.
Gu Jiu reluctantly accepted the money.
With the money sent by his sisters one after another, Gu Jiu already had nearly 200,000 taels of start-up capital before construction even started.
When she was about to ask the Shaofu to borrow the remaining 800,000 taels, Chen Dachang sent someone to deliver the money.
She said that the emperor was optimistic about her project, so he wanted to invest some money so that she could earn some pocket money.
One move costs one million taels.
Gu Jiu was almost scared to death.
He was not scared to death by money, but by the emperor.
The plate was originally worth one million taels, but the emperor paid for it for one million taels at once. What does that mean?
Are you trying to snatch the project away midway?
Another thing is that the projects outside the South City Gate are not as profitable as imagined.
From the very beginning, she positioned it as a low-profit project.
So Gu Jiu simply refused the one million from Tianzidi, saying, "I can't afford it."
Because of this, the emperor summoned her into the palace.
When we arrived at Xingqing Palace, there was another round of back and forth and bargaining.
In the end, Gu Jiu reluctantly accepted the emperor's investment of 300,000 taels.
The emperor was very depressed.
Pointing at Gu Jiu, he said, "He is a hundred times more treacherous than Liu Zhao."
Gu Jiu's mouth twitched, and he really wanted to retort, "Your Majesty is the most treacherous person in the world."
Gu Jiu did not borrow money from the Shaofu, and she already had 600,000 to 700,000 yuan in start-up capital on hand, so she simply postponed the loan time.
The first phase of the project will not cost much money, and the start-up capital on hand is sufficient for turnover.
She said to Deng Cunli, "Tell the Minister of the Interior that I will definitely take out a loan. However, the relocation of the refugees outside the South City Gate is slower than planned, and the funds needed are not much for the time being, so I asked them to wait."
Deng Cunli bowed slightly. "The Shaofu has also considered this issue. They asked how long we have to wait."
Gu Jiu asked him in return, "How long do you think we have to wait?"
Deng Cunli said: "According to the plan, some people will take the initiative to start moving in half a month."
"Will it go smoothly?" Although Gu Jiu didn't pay much attention to the project outside the South City Gate because of her pregnancy, she had an idea in her mind.
Relocation is a big project and any accidents can happen.
Deng Cunli said, "I estimate that at the very least, we can release the land for the second phase of the project. If all goes well, at least 10,000 to 20,000 people can be relocated."
“It looks like the first batch of houses are about to be built.”
"Exactly."
Gu Jiu became interested and said, "I'm going to go and take a look at it someday."
Qingmei became anxious when she heard this.
"Madam, you are pregnant and can't go to that kind of place. What if someone bumps into you and something happens?"
Deng Cunli nodded repeatedly, "Madam, you should not take risks lightly. Although no treacherous or evil people have been found among the refugees, that place is still not safe. If you appear anywhere, I'm afraid it will attract a large number of onlookers and cause accidents."
"Forget it, I won't go."
Gu Jiu readily accepted the advice. In fact, she was also a coward, and she would consider her children even if she didn't consider herself.
There are tens of thousands of acres of land outside the South City Gate, and it is definitely impossible to repair them all this year alone.
It won’t be too late to go after she gives birth to the baby and recovers.
After Deng Cunli received the confirmation, he stood up and said goodbye.
There are still many things waiting for him to decide on at the construction site, and he cannot leave for a long time.
…
early morning.
Just as dawn broke in the east, the refugee shacks outside the South City Gate were already bustling with activity, as lively as a market.
Looking around, there are thatched huts, low and narrow. Except for children, adults have to bend down to enter or exit.
The shack was pitch black, with no light getting in.
Not only that, there is also a strange smell inside that can make people faint.
Human and animal excrement piled up in the alley outside the shack. Flies had already started their work early in the morning, buzzing around them and making it impossible to get rid of them.
It's dark, dirty and poor here.
In the past, everyone's face was numb and they lived one day at a time.
No one cares about how dirty the environment is.
When people can barely survive, who cares if others are pooping on the street?
But in recent months, the faces of these refugees, especially the young and strong laborers, have gradually regained color.
There was light in their numb eyes again.
People who didn’t even have a shack in the past now have the money to build one for themselves.
A teenager of about seventeen or eighteen years old walked out of a low shack not far from the garbage and feces.
He was very thin, with his upper body bare and his ribs clearly visible.
"root……"
Following closely behind, a short, dark and thin woman walked out of the shack, holding a steamed bun in her hand.
The steamed corn bread was soft and hard.
The woman gave him the steamed bread and said, "Take it and eat it.
Wang Jiangen waved his hand, "I don't need it. Meals are provided at the construction site."
"The construction site only provides lunch and dinner. Can you handle all the work without eating in the morning? Take it!"
Wang Jiangen grinned. "I can handle it. There's buckwheat tea at the construction site, and I can get full after drinking it. Mom, give the steamed buns to my brothers and sisters."
At the door of the shack, several pairs of bright black eyes appeared, all staring at the steamed bread in the woman's hand.
The woman looked back at the children and suddenly wiped away her tears. "If your dead father were still alive, our family wouldn't have to rely on you alone. You wouldn't have to..."
"Mom, stop talking. Now I have steamed bread to eat every day and I get paid. It's so good."
The woman, Wang Lian, nodded repeatedly. "You're right. It's a pity that your brothers are too young and the construction site doesn't want them."
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Three gongs and drums sounded.
The entire shack area fell silent after hearing these three noises.
Immediately afterwards, the entire shantytown was in an uproar.
Because this is a signal for recruiting workers.
The already bustling shantytown seemed to be fueled by a burst of activity, with people all rushing towards the big locust tree, fearing that if they were late, their jobs would be snatched away by others.
The woman, Wang Lian, looked towards the locust tree and said, "I wonder what kind of people they're recruiting this time. I'll go and take a look."
"Mom, you're not well yet, don't go." Wang Jiangen stopped her.
Wang Lian waved her hand. "I'm fine. The medicine you brought back is very good. I haven't coughed since I drank it. Eat the steamed bread quickly, don't be late. I'll go over there first. If it's light work, I can help you relieve it."
Wang Lianshi brought a few half-grown children and rushed to the big locust tree.
This place has already been surrounded by three layers of walls, inner and outer.
Everyone stared at the person on the platform.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
