She had always believed that the siblings' biological mother, Aunt Wen, was dead.
Unexpectedly, he was still alive and practicing in the Shuijing Nunnery.
"Why have I never heard anyone mention this before?"
Qin Yuan was astonished.
Hongye hurriedly said from the side, "I remember seeing it in the account book. More than two thousand taels of incense money are sent to Shuijing Nunnery every year. I thought at the time that Shuijing Nunnery must be a place for the women in the family to pray for blessings, which is why it costs so much."
Qin Yuan pondered for a moment and then understood, because she had only sought a smooth takeover when she was in charge of the household, and had not carefully compared each expenditure.
The audit focused on finding omissions and deficiencies, so they failed to notice that this expense had a hidden meaning.
When Hongye suddenly looked at the accounts, she couldn't make sense of it at all.
Gu Shiba said, "Old Madam Wen never contacts the household, she once said..."
Seeing that he hesitated to speak, Qin Yuan asked, "Speak freely. I have never heard anyone mention Aunt Wen's matter. Is there some hidden story behind it?"
Gu Shiba said, "Actually, I don't know much either. I only know that not long after Aunt Wen gave birth to the Seventh Miss, she went into a nunnery with her hair still intact. She said she would send someone back to the manor after she died."
That would be tantamount to saying that she died at the Water Mirror Nunnery.
Qin Yuan was stunned.
Gu Shiba added, "Even if Sixth Master and Seventh Miss go, they won't be able to see her. I haven't even considered going to Shuijing Nunnery since Sixth Master came to the family temple this time. Seventh Miss is still young and wants to see her. I wonder if we'll be able to see her this time."
Qin Yuan was stunned again, and after a long while said, "...This, this means that Aunt Wen wants to sever her worldly ties and devote herself to Buddhist practice?"
Gu Shiba had no choice but to remain silent.
Qin Yuan came to her senses and said, "Go and find Sixteen."
After Gu Shiba left, Hongye couldn't help but sigh, "I never thought Aunt Wen was still alive. Was she too grief-stricken because of the old Marquis's accident? Who could abandon their young daughter to become a nun? And so heartless, even the child is gone."
It is clear that he felt pity for Gu Baozhu.
Qin Yuan didn't know how to evaluate it either; this Aunt Wen's behavior was indeed a bit strange.
Judging from the affection that Old Madam Gu showed to Sixth Master Gu and his sister, and the occasional remarks made by the servants in the mansion when they mentioned Concubine Wen, it is clear that Old Madam Gu was not harsh on her, and could even be considered kind.
Cui Ming slowly said, "Aunt Wen used to keep a theatrical troupe in the mansion, which shows that she loved liveliness. I don't know why she went to such a remote and quiet place."
Hongye sighed, "These past few days, the vegetarian meals have been so bland that I wish I could go back and eat some meat soon. Life in the manor is so good, how could she bear it in the temple? I wonder what has hurt her so much."
Qin Yuan said, "Stop, stop. You're not them, how would you know what they're thinking..."
Cui Ming said softly, "Two thousand taels of silver a year for incense expenses should be enough to live comfortably, just not as luxurious as the mansion."
The red leaves fell silent.
Gu Baozhu returned as dusk fell, her eyes slightly red and swollen, her lips pouting.
She couldn't hide anything on her face, and Qin Yuan and the others could tell at a glance that she hadn't seen Aunt Wen.
However, after playing with Kang Ge'er and the others for a while, she felt better again.
They get sad quickly, and they get happy just as quickly; before long, they've left all their sadness and sorrow behind.
Madam Gu truly doted on her; otherwise, she wouldn't have developed such character.
Qin Yuan sighed inwardly. Although Gu Baozhu was also a concubine's daughter, she lived a more carefree and unrestrained life than many legitimate daughters of officials. However, with such a temperament, she wondered what kind of husband she should find.
Her own cousin was obviously not a good match for her.
Upon learning that the Xu family's son had found a skull in a dry well, Gu Baozhu was both curious and excited, and said she wanted to go and see it.
Qin Yuan advised her, "What's the point of going now? Sixth Brother said he's going to hold a Buddhist ceremony to help the souls of the dead pass away. He's already had a group of monks chanting sutras there. If you go, you'll just be watching a bunch of monks in a courtyard overgrown with weeds, lighting incense and candles, chanting sutras around a dry well."
Now that you mention it, it does seem rather pointless.
I've had enough of watching monks chanting sutras these days.
Gu Baozhu then suppressed her curiosity and asked, "Third Sister-in-law, were you scared when you saw it?"
Qin Yuan laughed and said, "What's there to be afraid of? When I was a child, my father was in mourning, and I played with a group of cousins of similar age in my hometown. Sometimes I would accidentally run into the graves and see quite a few."
Gu Baozhu sighed, "I've never seen it before."
"Whether you are a hero or a beauty while you are alive, it doesn't matter if you turn into bones. It's good enough if you live a peaceful and smooth life."
Suddenly, Rong Momo blurted out a sentence.
Gu Baozhu laughed and said, "That's true, but who doesn't want to be a hero or a beauty? Speaking of which, my third sister-in-law and third brother are a hero and a beauty, they look so good together. With my looks, I must find a handsome scholar, so that I can also be a hero and a beauty."
Rong Momo frowned, but didn't say that she shouldn't have spoken like that. Instead, she asked her, "Are any of those girls you often hang out with a scholar in their family who would be a good match for you?"
"They're all spoiled brats who rely on their family's noble titles; it's good enough if they can even read a few words."
Gu Baozhu sighed, rested her chin on her hand, looked at Qin Yuan, and whispered, "While talented, handsome scholars are hard to find, they do exist."
Qin Yuan's heart skipped a beat, and she said seemingly unintentionally, "What's so good about marrying a pale-faced scholar? Will you throw a punch when he talks about poetry? Besides, most fickle men are scholars; just look at my sister."
Gu Baozhu also knew about the case of the Qin family switching daughters, and immediately asked, "Didn't she marry that Scholar Lin? I've met him before."
Hongye couldn't help but smile.
This young lady not only met them, but also caused a scene just to ask Qin Wan and Chang Qingling what they had to say.
Qin Yuan, intending to use Lin Ziqi to quell Gu Baozhu's thoughts, said, "My brother-in-law and my cousin are both successful candidates in the imperial examinations. In terms of learning, they are about the same. However, my cousin is not yet married. My second aunt is planning to find a woman skilled in managing a household, who can serve her mother-in-law, her husband, teach the children, and manage the household affairs. The Qin family was originally a prominent clan, but later declined, so they are very picky. They have always said that they want my cousin Siyuan to pass the imperial examinations and become an official before choosing a wife. Her family background cannot be too bad, but it cannot be too high either..."
Before he could finish speaking, Gu Baozhu asked, "Why is that?"
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "That's a bit tricky. How should a mother-in-law behave if she marries a daughter-in-law from a very good family? If you ask me, I'm afraid my second aunt thinks the same way after seeing the lawsuits involving Lin Juren's mother and my sister."
The group of people then started talking amongst themselves, recounting the details of what they could about Lin's mother, Madam Yu, and Qin Wan.
Gu Baozhu was stunned; she had never imagined that the pale-faced scholar's mother would be so difficult to deal with.
As the saying goes, strike while the iron is hot.
Rong Momo also wanted to give her some advice, so she said, "A good marriage is one where you understand me and I understand you. Look at your sixth brother and your sister-in-law, sigh..."
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