Madam Gu wasn't annoyed, she just said, "So what if I let you just watch and drool?"
The two were quite old and still bickering, which showed that they had a good relationship. However, Qin Yuan had never met this person before, so she just smiled and remained silent.
The old woman then said to Qin Yuan, "Child, don't be like your mother-in-law. She loves to show off in front of me. These past two years, my legs haven't been very strong, so I've rarely come to talk to her. I thought that now that my son is married, he should be more mature, but I didn't expect that... she hasn't changed, cough cough... old habits die hard. She's still the same scoundrel and troublesome person."
Madam Gu said, "Go away! Is it because your legs are too weak to come? I heard from my sister-in-law the other day that you were wandering around..."
Before he could finish speaking, the old woman quickly stopped him, saying, "You mustn't speak carelessly in front of the younger generation."
Madam Gu smiled and let it go, and didn't stop Qin Yuan from going over to talk.
The old woman, beaming, took Qin Yuan's hand and asked her how old she was, whether she got along with her mother-in-law and sister-in-law, and whether Gu Sanlang was a loving husband... and so on. As she spoke, she winked at Madam Gu and called her daughter-in-law over, saying, "Look how beautiful she is, she's really good-looking. Sanlang is so lucky."
Her daughter-in-law glanced at Old Madam Gu's expression and laughed, "Mother, you really are something. Now that your son has made a pact with the Marquis and we're all working together, why are you bringing this up? If you upset the old lady and she complains to the Marquis, won't your son be in trouble? Besides, the Marquis is a blockhead to us people, but he'll definitely be a caring and considerate young man to the Marquis's wife."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Qin Yuanfei blushed and didn't answer. She just thought to herself, "These past few days, Lord Gu has been busy with all sorts of things. I wonder what he's up to. It seems like he's mobilized all the members of the Gu family."
After the excitement subsided, they got down to business. Old Madam Gu had Qin Yuan explain the benefits of the clan purchasing sacrificial land. However, since the Marquis's mansion also needed to consider the servants and veterans who had followed the Gu family to the battlefield, a separate plot of land needed to be allocated and recorded in the clan.
"...Although it's nominally a clan property, the majority of the income actually goes to them, but there's one advantage to that..."
The crowd listened quietly, occasionally interjecting with questions.
Qin Yuan explained several times to ensure that everyone understood the benefits of the charter.
The old woman clapped her hands and said, "This method is excellent. I heard a while ago that the Marquis's mansion distributed money and rations to the veterans, and they were all very grateful. This is a good thing. However, for those of us who rose from the brink of death, most of our wealth came from swords and spears. If we can't fight anymore, we'll easily squander our wealth. We can manage for a while, but not forever. These people's ancestors risked their lives alongside our ancestors, hoping that their descendants could have protection. Even though there are no more wars to fight, we can't lose what our ancestors passed down. If something happens, where will we find people to use it?"
"Yes, that's why they say you raise an army for a thousand days to use it for one. They are the foundation of our family, and we can't abandon them."
Someone chimed in agreement.
Qin Yuan breathed a sigh of relief, knowing that Old Madam Gu's frequent visits had worked. Sure enough, everyone said it was good, with only a few people having some complaints.
"Ten fingers are of different lengths. Some wealthy families look down on these few fingers, but some families who are struggling have no choice but to be more considerate. If the clan's assets are abundant, the money and grain distributed each year will be more, and the children will have more confidence in going to school and finding jobs."
"Yes, the seven necessities of life—firewood, rice, oil, salt, soy sauce, vinegar, and tea—are all free. Money is a person's confidence. With money, you can stand tall; without money, you can't even hold your head up in front of servants. Allocating some land to them isn't a big deal, after all, they've been to the battlefield with our ancestors. But we also need to think about leaving some room for maneuver. We can't let these servants climb over the heads of their proper masters in the future. Not to mention, sometimes when we want to seek benefits from the Marquis's mansion, we have to be mindful of the servants' attitudes. It's true that the masters are not as good as the servants."
Qin Yuan remembered them all.
Madam Gu said, "Since everyone has no objections, let the men handle this matter. As for the share you mentioned, let them worry about it. The Marquis's mansion will cover the majority of the expenses, and each family will contribute according to their circumstances. They can decide the specifics. In any case, once this property is acquired, the annual distribution to the clansmen will be much greater. I think we can provide more relief in the future, and also distribute more money and grain."
Everyone nodded in agreement, even the few who had the strongest opinions said, "It's certainly much better than nothing."
There was too much meat in the pot, so each person got a few extra pieces.
They don't care because they have plenty of meat to eat.
But it's different for those who rely on this little bit of meat to make a living.
After seeing everyone off, Madam Gu smiled and said, "Yuan'er, you did a great job today. I think no daughter-in-law or granddaughter-in-law is as clever and quick-witted as you. They can't even compare to a fingernail of yours."
Qin Yuan helped Old Madam Gu walk back slowly, and said with a smile, "Mother likes me so much that she loves me more and more every time she looks at me, and feels that no one else's child is as good as her own."
Madam Gu laughed heartily: "But I feel that the third son is not as lovable as other people's children."
It's true that you can't talk about someone behind their back. Lord Gu said with a wronged tone, "I never thought that Mother would despise her son to this extent. Ever since I got married, Mother has become more and more intolerant of me."
The mother-in-law and daughter-in-law turned around and saw Lord Gu, dressed in court robes, with his hands behind his back, following silently behind them like a ghost.
Madam Gu picked up her cane as if to strike.
"You little rascal, don't you know that scaring someone can be deadly? If Yuan'er heard this, she would only think about how to please me, but you, on the other hand, only think about scaring your old mother. Tell me, who is more filial, you or Yuan'er?"
Lord Gu glanced at Qin Yuan, stretched his neck and said, "Even if you have a daughter-in-law, you can abandon your son. If you don't care about your son, then beat him."
Old Madam Gu could no longer put her cane down.
"You scoundrel, what nonsense are you spouting? Of course, your mother is worried about you."
Lord Gu, taking advantage of the situation, shamelessly said, "Then Mother should also share some of the affection she has for her daughter-in-law with her son. I would like to have a meal at Mother's place and listen to Mother's words."
With just a few words, he made Old Madam Gu smile from ear to ear. "Haha, alright, go ahead."
Lord Gu then said seriously, "Then my son will send someone to invite my sixth brother and seventh sister. It's been a long time since our family has sat down and had a proper chat."
Qin Yuan knew that Lord Gu had something to say, probably related to the things he had been busy with these past few days.
I'm afraid I'll have to wait a while longer to say what I want to say.
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