The father and his two sons squatted in a secluded spot, watching Steward Cao escort Wu Guanbao Zhangzheng out of the mansion. A little while later, he came out again and called Gu Shiliu to hurry up and go to the accounting office to withdraw silver.
Upon hearing about the money, Lord Xu immediately perked up, his eyes widening in surprise.
The father and his two sons hurriedly went back into the house, where they saw Steward Cao saying to Lord Gu, "When Steward Wang's godson heard that our Sixth Master wanted to donate a nominal title, he said that he would just give some money to the children who would run errands in between. He will send over the official certificate and resume of a fifth-rank garrison commander in a little while. Sixth Master can fill them out and that will be fine. There is no need to worry about anything else."
Lord Xu was envious.
He used to look down on his brother-in-law for not having any official rank, but now he's easily acquired one by spending a little money. Although it's just a nominal title, his rank is higher than his.
It's clear that the Gu family doesn't care about this; otherwise, they would have already donated money to obtain official titles. For a moment, he felt a little annoyed. When his sister was alive, his brother-in-law was a good-for-nothing who pretended to be cultured. Now that his sister is dead, his brother-in-law has donated money to obtain official titles. He really doesn't benefit from it at all.
Sixth Master Gu stood to the side, hands in his sleeves, lips downturned, looking somewhat dissatisfied.
"Since I'm not going out to do any work anyway, why not donate money to become a civil servant so I can go out and socialize?"
Lord Gu was taken aback.
Qin Jijiu said from the side, "Perhaps it's because the Marquis of Dingbei is a military hero."
Sixth Master Gu then fell silent.
Qin Siyuan laughed and said, "Now that you've become an official, you'll have to pay your respects to the garrison commander every time we meet in the future."
Sixth Master Gu quickly waved his hand and said, "What's this? I'm still me."
Lin Ziqi was extremely envious and said with a hint of sourness, "Sixth Master doesn't need to complain about not having any official rank anymore. Even if we pass the imperial examination and are selected as officials, we'll only be seventh-rank officials. How can we compare to Sixth Master's dignified and grand demeanor?"
Upon hearing this, Qin Siyuan's expression turned somewhat unpleasant.
Because of his third brother's instructions, Master Gu had become less affectionate towards Lin Ziqi. Now, he pretended not to hear and only asked Steward Cao, "Can we only donate military titles? Speaking of which, I always feel that it is a bit pretentious for a garrison commander to write poetry."
Speaking of which, a poem written by a certain garrison commander is far less elegant and refined than a poem written by a certain young man.
Lin Ziqi couldn't help but chuckle, then quickly covered his mouth, thinking to himself that he was just trying to appear refined, but he said aloud, "Sixth Master is quite witty, I was a little out of line. But Xin Qiji was also a military general, his poems are bold and widely praised, why should Sixth Master be so concerned with such superficialities?"
Qin Jijiu couldn't help but frown slightly.
This son-in-law is becoming increasingly aloof and unconventional.
Master Gu said seriously, "Ziqi is right. I was just being too attached to appearances."
He just wanted to write good poetry; he really shouldn't have cared about these empty fame and worldly things.
So, Master Gu instructed Steward Cao: "Let's do it this way. Having a nominal title will save us from arguing with those snobbish people. The lady's funeral should also be held in a dignified manner."
Xu had many complaints and dislikes towards him during her lifetime, and he was not exactly kind to her either. Now that she has passed away, it would be good to let her leave in a dignified and respectable manner.
Qin Siyuan breathed a sigh of relief and gave Gu Liuye some advice: "When people go out and write poems or paint, they all have a name. Most people use their name, and very few people use their official title. You should think of a name."
Sixth Master Gu nodded repeatedly: "Brother Siyuan, you have considered things very thoroughly for me. These days you are busy preparing for the exam and helping to publish your poetry collection. We haven't seen each other for a long time, and I miss you dearly. After you pass the exam, I'm afraid you will have to go back to your hometown to pay respects to your ancestors. If you are serving in the capital, we can visit each other more often. If you are serving as an official in another city, we will only be able to communicate by letter."
The person who understands him best in this world is his virtuous brother Siyuan; it's no wonder they hit it off so well at first sight.
The two were so engrossed in their conversation that they completely forgot about Lin Ziqi.
Lin Ziqi's face slowly darkened.
Gu Jinghui disliked him from the start, and after exchanging greetings, he stopped speaking to him. Qin Siyuan also developed a grudge against him. When Gu Liuye said things like "looking down on people," it seemed like he was being talked about. He sat there blankly, feeling increasingly out of place.
An unspeakable jealousy welled up in my heart.
My head seems to be throbbing again.
At this moment, Cui Shi, along with Qin Wan, was also talking to Qin Yuan about the Lin family.
"It's difficult to even see your sister now. If it weren't for the funeral of the Sixth Madam, I'm afraid we wouldn't be able to see her until the Mid-Autumn Festival. Your mother-in-law is really hard to deal with. I used to respect her because she was a young widow who raised Lin Juren, and I thought she must be a well-educated and reasonable person. I didn't expect her to be so difficult."
Just as Qin Yuan was about to speak, Madam Cai came and asked, "Madam, is the caisson set up now?"
Qin Yuan handed over the plaque and said, "The materials have all been calculated. Hurry up and set it up. Steward Han has already invited monks and Taoist priests, who will come to the manor tomorrow. We also need to prepare the altar for the ritual. You'll be busy."
After receiving the token, Mrs. Cai hurriedly went out.
Qin Yuan then said to Cui Shi, "Does Lin Juren's mother keep my sister at home and not let her go anywhere? I heard Qin Heng say before that my sister and brother-in-law often come back to the mansion. Even if it is inconvenient for a married woman to return to her parents' home, she should still prioritize things. Lin Juren is a student of his father, so it is normal for him to visit his wife more often."
In her previous life, even though Old Madam Lin was difficult to deal with, she wasn't this difficult. After all, her dowry was meager, and the Lin family's expenses all depended on her to raise money.
Madam Cui's eyes suddenly reddened, and she sighed, "You said it yourself, it was before, and it's only been a few months. I don't know how difficult it will be for her in the future. Even the maids will be scolded and reprimanded for their interactions. It's truly a tragedy. Before, Wan'er had a big fight with her, and even the village head and headman had to come out to mediate. Your father and I were too considerate and took the initiative to back down, ordering Wan'er to visit her parents' home less often. Who knew she would take it even further?"
As she spoke, she nudged Qin Wan, who was standing there blankly, and asked, "Why aren't you saying anything?"
Since Qin Wan arrived at the Marquis's residence and asked a few questions, she has remained silent, like a mere decoration.
After being poked by her own mother, she said weakly, "My mother-in-law told me to follow the rules of a new bride. She also said that my sister is also a new bride, but she doesn't run to her parents' home all the time like me. You and Father also told me to consider my status and go back to my parents' home less often. What can I do?"
Upon hearing this, Cui retorted angrily, "The Lin family only has a few people, while the Marquis's mansion has many. Besides, your sister has been managing all the affairs inside and outside the mansion since she married into it. Your mother-in-law originally said that you would manage the household, but now she listens to her in everything and even wants you to use your dowry money to support her cousin. What kind of behavior is this? She talks about dignity every day, but where is there any dignity at all?"
Qin Wan felt embarrassed and whispered, "Mother, let's not delay my sister's work here. Why don't we go and talk to the old lady?"
Madam Cui hurriedly looked at Qin Yuan and sighed, "Yuan'er, I didn't originally come to talk about this, but I haven't seen your sister for a long time, and I saw how well you manage things, so I brought it up."
Qin Wanmu stared blankly, her face growing even uglier.
Qin Yuan smiled and said, "It's nothing, we're just family chatting. I'll go with you later."
In her previous life, after returning to the capital with Lin Ziqi, Cui often complained that Qin Wan was not doing well in her husband's family and hinted that she should stand up for Qin Wan. She had long been used to it.
If Cui hadn't said anything, she would have found it strange.
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com