Su Qingyu was almost amused by the third wife of the Gu family. With the Gu family's status, they could not reach the Shen family even if they climbed up a ladder.
Three generations ago, the Gu family had people who could serve as officials in the imperial court. But in the past three generations, they have been forced to live on their ancestral property.
The young master of the Gu family, Gu Jinsong, was the only scholar of his generation. He relied on the Gu family's status as a wealthy family in Pingzhou to bully men and women. But the old lady loved him dearly and hoped that this nephew would become successful.
A family like this actually wants to get close to the Shen family. How audacious!
Just as Su Qingyu was about to speak, she heard Su Shunci, who was sitting next to her, laugh.
"Third cousin is such a joker! The legitimate son of the second branch of the Shen family is one that even a princess could marry. When you were looking for someone to propose marriage in the capital, no matchmaker dared to take the job, fearing that they would be kicked out by the Shen family."
"Besides, if cousins marry uncles and nephews, wouldn't that create a generation gap?"
Su Shunci's tone was joking, but it made the two wives of the Gu family blush. They wondered how this young illegitimate daughter of the Su family could be so sharp-tongued. She had seemed so cheerful and talkative yesterday, but today she was a completely different person.
Mrs. Gu San disagreed with Su Shunci's words. It was not common for a girl to marry into a wealthy family. Although the family background was a little different, she was afraid of scheming.
Then he blurted out, "Didn't Rujin also become Young Master Shen's concubine in the past?"
As soon as she finished speaking, she saw that the old lady and Su Qingyu's expressions changed.
He quickly changed his words with a smile, "That's true. The difference in generation is not in line with ancient etiquette after all."
"Young Miss has been married for a few months, right? She's not pregnant yet, is she? In my opinion, Lord Chen will have to take a concubine sooner or later. Why not let your cousin stay by your side and help you serve Lord Chen."
She made the decision in an instant. Given the Shen family's status and Shen Zhixiu's position, it would be a great fortune for her daughter to become a concubine.
The more she thought about it, the better this idea seemed to her, so even though Su Qingyu's expression darkened, she continued speaking.
"Your cousins will have someone to look after, which is better than marrying someone else into the mansion."
"Don't worry, your cousin is gentle and won't compete with you for your favor. I'm relieved that she's under your watch."
The third wife, Mrs. Hai, could not help but speak up and said, "What are you talking about, cousin? Qingyu just got married, so it's normal that she's not pregnant yet. If Jinlan wants to find a husband, she can slowly look for one in Beijing. The Shen family is not the only one. As elders, we can't force people into the rooms of the younger generation."
Mrs. Gu thought to herself that there were indeed many wealthy families in the capital, but she couldn't get close to them. The richest family she could get close to was the Shen family, so she naturally had to find a way to capture them.
Su Qingyu laughed out of anger. Do these people think the Shen family is a rag collector?
"I haven't seen my third cousin from the Gu family for a long time, and I have a big gift for him."
Mrs. Gu San didn't know how she got to the point of giving gifts, but since she had something to accept, she naturally wouldn't refuse.
"How can this be so embarrassing? I wonder what the eldest lady wants to give to your third cousin."
Su Qingyu smiled faintly and took a sip of tea to moisten her throat.
"I've thought about it, but I don't have anything good to give. Why not give two beauties instead? It's just the right gift to expand the Gu family."
"I heard that my third cousin's aunt gave birth to three daughters and no sons. And my third cousin doesn't have any concubines. How can this be possible?"
Turning to Feicui, he said, "Tell your men to find two beautiful women. They must also be in good health and look like they can bear children."
Everyone present knew that the third wife of the Gu family was a shrew. Having given birth to three daughters, she refused to allow her husband to take a concubine. Whenever he did, she would cause unrest in the harem, ultimately leading to the concubine's untimely end. These stories were a hot topic in Ping Chau, and everyone in the Su family had heard about them.
Not having a son and not having a concubine for her husband were the bottom line for Mrs. Gu San. When she heard Su Qingyu say this, she immediately looked displeased.
"Miss, you're nosy. What does it have to do with you whether we have a son or not?"
Su Qingyu sneered, "Third cousin is right. Whether my husband takes a concubine or not is none of your business."
When he said the last sentence, his tone suddenly became fierce, which frightened Mrs. Gu so much that she subconsciously shrank her neck.
Seeing this, the old lady knew that Su Qingyu was really angry. She quickly tried to smooth things over, "Your third cousin was just talking casually, don't take it seriously."
Su Qingyu glanced at Mrs. Gu San coldly, lowered her eyes, drank her tea and said nothing more.
Gu Jinsong, who was sitting next to Madam Gu Si, wanted to say something, but was stopped by Madam Gu Si, who shook her head at him. There was no need for them to get involved in such matters.
Su Qingyu also saw this scene and thought that the Fourth Madam was quite shrewd.
Madam Gu San, who was humiliated by Su Qingyu, did not feel ashamed at all. She continued to chat and laugh with the old lady as if nothing had happened.
Soon, Su Yihui came in with Gu Jinlan, the third daughter of the Gu family.
Seeing Gu Jinlan wearing a jade-colored skirt embroidered with broken branches and piled flowers, I knew it was a dress prepared by my grandmother. This style was newly popular in Beijing and was not cheap.
As expected, the old lady exclaimed in admiration, "They say clothes make the man. Jinlan looks even more charming in this dress. With this look, is there any worry about not being able to marry into a good family?"
This wasn't just the old lady praising her, Gu Jinlan was indeed pretty. Her face was like a peach, her skin was like cream, and her eyebrows and eyes were delicate and pretty.
Hearing the old lady say this, he lowered his head in embarrassment, feeling a little reserved.
Su Yihui smiled and said loudly: "If you want to talk about marrying well, it has to be the eldest sister. Not only is Elder Chen powerful in the court, but he is also particularly good to the eldest sister."
After that, he whispered to Gu Jinlan, "Although Elder Chen is older than us, he is handsome and has a graceful demeanor. He looks much more dignified than a boy of seventeen or eighteen."
My dear, there is more to this chapter. Please click on the next page to continue reading. It will be even more exciting later!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
