Chapter 133
At this time, Qin Zhikai was sitting in the banquet hall outside the orange grove, which was specially used to entertain guests.
After building houses for the servants and their families outside the orange grove, Gu Ran also asked Uncle Wu to build a large house specifically for office use.
The big houses were built one after another. At the beginning, there was only a small house for Lu Bo and Lin Erdeng to handle official business. Later, more houses were built later.
In the past, when entertaining traveling merchants like Xu Sanxu Guanshi, they would go directly to the big house in the orange grove. Now, they can go directly to the big house here. The oranges sold to them will be delivered from the warehouse in the orange grove to the big yard outside the house for trading.
Most of the guys working in the orange grove live outside. They are only allowed to go in after registering with the guard at the gate of the orange grove when they need to work.
This can reduce the damage to the orange trees. It can not only prevent bad people from sneaking in and causing damage to the orange grove, but also help us know which groups of people are working every day.
As for the original large house in the orange grove, it is now used to count the harvested oranges during the harvest season, as well as for the official arrangements for the distribution of various orange products.
The side rooms inside are still the private rooms of the two owners.
Several other houses were built around the big house to provide temporary accommodation for farmers and their assistants when they were busy with the orange tree work - for example, when the oranges were harvested, they had to go to the back mountain to take care of the orange trees and would return home late.
However, the guards responsible for the defense of the orange grove all live here to facilitate the performance of their duties.
Qin Zhikai sat in the banquet hall, looking at the bright windows and clean tables, feeling quite satisfied.
It's clear that the operation of this orange grove is quite orderly. No wonder that woman can earn hundreds of taels of silver a year just by planting orange trees. I wonder what kind of luck she has? Or maybe she has some expert guidance behind the scenes!
But it doesn’t matter. No matter if it’s due to good luck or the help of an expert, in the end, this orange grove will still belong to Qin Zhikai.
Knowing that the man who greeted him, Mr. Lu, had gone to the orange grove to call Gu Er Niang, Qin Zhikai waited patiently.
For the sake of this island and the generous reward in her hands, she had to endure it no matter what.
Qin Zhikai had even imagined countless times how moved he would be when he reunited with Gu Erniang, and he was actually very excited while waiting.
But he didn't expect that after waiting for a long time, he heard that the person who came late was not Gu Er Niang, but the second boss of the orange grove.
"Second Boss?"
"That's right. Originally, this orange grove was cultivated by Mr. Gu and our second-in-command together. So Mr. Gu is our first-in-command, and Madam Pei is our second-in-command."
Madam Pei?
"Nonsense, I told you I want to see your Boss Gu, why would I want to see your Second Boss?"
When Qin Zhikai was scolding, Pei Liu had already stepped into the banquet room.
He turned around and was stunned for a moment. Where did this Yulang come from?
But this young man, with a face as white as jade and black hair tied up with a dark headband, was only wearing a green robe with wide sleeves and bamboo patterns, but his whole demeanor was elegant and noble, as if he was a young man from a noble family who appeared out of nowhere.
Qin Zhikai felt himself dwarfed by the others, and suddenly felt uncomfortable all over. He secretly clenched his fists, but before he could say anything, the waiter who greeted him rushed over and called out, "Second Boss, you're here! This is Master Qin!"
Second boss?
Is he the second boss?
Wait, isn’t it said that the second boss is a Miss Pei?
Qin Zhikai was shocked. He looked up and looked at Pei Liu again. He was startled again when he met his sharp eyes.
Pei Liu glanced at Qin Zhikai and saw that he was dressed properly, but his expression revealed a sense of dejection, and his eyes were flickering, and it seemed that he had no good intentions.
"Young Master Qin, which Young Master Qin?"
Knowing that the man who came here looked like a nobleman, but was actually just the second master of a woman's family, Qin Zhikai regained his confidence a little and straightened himself up: "I am the fourth son of the Qin family in the capital, and also the husband of Gu Erniang. I came here today to ask to see Gu Erniang."
"Oh, the Qin family in the capital? That's the Qin family of Prime Minister Qin? Didn't Prime Minister Qin die a long time ago for the crime of treason? Are you the fourth son of his family?" Pei Liu pretended to be quite surprised and looked him around.
"It's really me."
"So it really is Qin Silang. I almost didn't recognize him. It looks like Qin Silang is having a hard time being exiled to Minzhou, right?"
"You..." Qin Zhikai looked at the androgynous second boss and felt a surge of anger.
He came to see Gu Er Niang, not to be criticized by others.
"I want to see your boss, Gu Erniang. Who do you think you are?"
"Didn't you hear what the guys said? I'm the second boss here. Seriously speaking, you're nothing." Pei Liu snorted coldly.
Qin Zhikai stood up suddenly and said angrily: "What did you say? I am..."
"You are Er Niang's ex-husband, whom she divorced a long time ago. Remember, it's her ex-husband." Pei Liu interrupted him impatiently, "Don't use Er Niang's name to deceive people outside."
Qin Zhikai was embarrassed and angry, and his face turned pale and blue.
"You have nothing to say to your second boss, call Gu out for me."
"I'm standing here, don't you understand? Er Niang doesn't want to see you."
"I don't believe it."
"You have to believe it whether you like or not." Pei Liu looked at Qin Zhikai and recalled the time when he was in exile. Qin Zhikai actually abandoned Er Niang in Qingyi and let her fend for herself. After Er Niang finally survived, he still had the audacity to ask her to serve that ungrateful man. He couldn't help but feel annoyed.
I was so mean to Second Mother back then. I don't know how much suffering she endured when she married into the Qin Mansion.
Seeing that the Qin family couldn't wait to divorce Er Niang as soon as they arrived in Puzhou, and now that Er Niang has become famous, they are trying to get close to her. Everyone knows what Sima Zhao is thinking. He is simply shameless!
"Qin Si, Second Mother isn't someone you can manipulate at will. Since she divorced you, she has nothing to do with your Qin family, let alone you, Qin Si." Pei Liu sneered, slowly standing up and taking a step forward to approach Qin Zhikai. "Next time, if I find out you're lying to others about being Second Mother's husband, I'll tear your mouth apart."
Feeling the pressure of a powerful force, Qin Si's legs trembled and he couldn't help but take a step back, but he still shouted in a stern voice: "You dare?"
"Dare, why wouldn't I dare?" Pei Liu looked at Qin Si's pale face and felt inexplicably better. "You probably don't remember who I am, right?"
Qin Si was surprised and looked up suddenly, staring at Pei Liu's face.
He really couldn't remember any Miss Pei who looked like him?
"Back when we were exiled, I was fortunate enough to be a prisoner traveling with you, Erniang, and me. Do you remember Pei Liuniang from Zhengzhou?"
Qin Zhikai suddenly remembered.
Is she the Pei Liuniang who hired the evil thieves to wipe out the entire Qin family and then retaliated by killing her father's enemy?
At first, they didn't dare to embarrass Gu because they were afraid of this...
It turns out that she is Pei Liuniang?
"You remember?"
Pei Liu was half a head taller than Qin Zhikai. He leaned forward slightly so the other party could hear more clearly: "I even dare to kill people. What else do you think I dare not do?"
Qin Zhikai's hair stood on end. He opened his mouth, but found that he dared not say anything.
"Don't bother Er Niang anymore, get out!"
With a stern shout, Qin Zhikai stumbled and ran out in a hurry, fearing that he would be too late and really be torn to pieces by Pei Liuniang.
"Second Boss?"
"Tell Uncle Lu and the people at the ferry to keep an eye on Qin Si until he leaves Dunzi Island. From now on, if you see him, don't let him go onto the island."
"But he said..."
"What nonsense he's talking about. In all these years, have any of you heard Second Mother say that she has a husband?"
"Not really. But what about Mr. Qin?"
"That's Second Mother's ex-husband whom she divorced years ago. They divorced because the Qin family treated her badly. Second Mother had worked hard to save up some wealth over the years, and the Qin family was jealous and wanted to take advantage of her!" Pei Liu said, "Tell me, are these people hateful or not?"
"Damn it! I'll go ask Uncle Lu to make arrangements right now!"
Pei Liu heaved a sigh of relief when he heard from his waiter that he had seen Qin Si leave Dunzi Island in a daze, but he still felt upset!
He is sixteen years old this year.
If it weren't for his identity as Pei Liuniang, he would have been an old man of marriageable age.
When he was young, he admired Ai, and he knew early on who he admired.
It’s Mr. Gu’s second mother!
The longer he lived with Gu Er Niang, the more certain he became of his feelings, and the more he wanted to stay with her forever as her husband, just like now.
Among Pei Liu's wives, no one else had ever thought of him except her.
But his Gu Er Niang is so nice.
Smart, capable, and beautiful.
Over the years, there have been families who wanted to discuss marriage with her, but Er Niang had no intention of getting married again, so she rejected them all.
Now she is famous all over the world, and more people are coveting her.
A few days ago, there was Xu Sanlang who was scheming, and now there is Qin Silang who is wishful thinking. In the future, knowing how good Er Niang is, I am afraid that there will be many men who are unwilling to give up and come to her.
How many could he chase away? What if there was a family that Er Niang liked? Then he...
So Pei Liu was a little panicked, and even the way he looked at Gu Ran these days was not right.
Even Gu Ran could easily see it.
She knew that Qin Si came to her house and was driven away by Liu Niang because it was Lu Bo who told her.
It was only after Lu Bo arrived in Xiaxi Village that he heard Li Ji talk about Gu Ran in detail. Before coming, he only heard Li Si say that his second uncle worked for a family in Xiaxi Village that planted orange trees. The farmer was a female prisoner that they had escorted before. She was capable, so she was sent to Minzhou and gradually became rich.
Later, when Gu Ran wanted to find a manager for the orange grove, Li Ji recommended him, and Gu Ran was actually asking him to give it a try, and then he explained Gu Ran's background in detail.
She was a daughter brought back by mistake, the adopted daughter of the Ningyuan Marquis's Mansion, the fourth grandmother of the Qin Xiang Mansion, and then a divorced woman. However, she was able to buy such a big Dunzi Island and reclaim forest land to plant such a large orange forest just by relying on her own talents. It was impossible not to make Lu Bo admire her.
Because if a pampered woman like Gu Er Niang did not have some real ability, she would not have fallen into the desperate situation of exile, and she would not have resolutely decided to divorce her ex-husband. Now the lush orange grove is flourishing, and she has even been hired as the manager, which is enough to prove the extraordinary nature of Mr. Gu.
Nowadays, the Gu family is also well-known.
Because of his actions, many people came to the island these days to see traces of Qiao Jinjin's life, including some who came for Gu Dongjia.
Some of them seem to want to form an alliance with the Gu family by cooperating with the Gu family's tribute oranges.
But they were all rejected.
So when he saw Qin Si coming to him that day, Lu Bo's attitude was very hesitant.
Of course, he could tell at once that this Qin Si was the fourth son of Prime Minister Qin's mansion and the ex-husband of Mrs. Gu.
Qin Si also claimed to be Gu Dongjia's husband, and in Lu Bo's eyes, Gu Dongjia had worked hard since his divorce from Qin Si, accumulated various industries, and even built this large orange grove, which was praised by people.
But at the same time, Gu Dongjia has been divorced for so many years, but is still alone. Doesn't this seem like Gu Dongjia still has feelings for Qin Si?
When a matchmaker came to the house before, Mr. Gu refused because he was still heartbroken. So, is Mr. Gu still obsessed with Qin Si?
Is it because she has built up such a reputation in such a capable way that she is still angry about the divorce? She wants to show Qin Si that she is such a great wife and vows to make Qin Si regret it. One day in the future, Qin Si will come to her house and ask for reconciliation?
So when Qin Si claimed to be Gu Dongjia's husband, Lu Bo thought he understood, and politely invited Qin Si to wait in the banquet hall, while he asked the waiter to go find Gu Dongjia.
Unexpectedly, it was not Mr. Gu who came, but Pei Liuniang, who got angry and drove Qin Si away.
Well, Liu Niang couldn't bear to see Qin Si divorced from Gu Dongjia back then, so now she wants to give Qin Si a warning to vent her anger on behalf of her good sister, right?
Lu Bo also felt that Qin Si's behavior was not fair, but Gu Nian knew that he was the person that Gu Dongjia had always been thinking about, so after Qin Si was driven away, when he met Gu Dongjia, Lu Bo quickly told her about it.
Wouldn't it save people who have loved each other for many years from missing the opportunity to rekindle their old relationship?
"Who? Which Young Master Qin are you talking about?"
Uncle Lu looked at Mr. Gu with his eyes wide open. Something was not right. Could it be that he had guessed wrong?
Gu Ran looked at Lu Bo's expression of having seen a ghost, and thought for a while: Oh, yes, the original owner's ex-husband seemed to have the surname Qin?
"Could it be that Qin Si from the Qin family?"
Lu Bo nodded.
"What is he here for?" Gu Ran tried hard to recall, but she could no longer remember what the fourth son of the Qin family looked like. Even the original owner's memory of these past events had gradually become vague, and she was too lazy to look for it.
"He didn't say anything. He just said he wanted to see you, and then asked Liu Niang to chase him away." Uncle Lu said worriedly.
"Just drive him away!"
There was really nothing to see between her and this Mr. Qin Si.
Why would you meet someone you never cared about at all?
But Gu Ran’s absence doesn’t mean Qin Si has given up.
Although he could not go to Dunzi Island, Pei Liu ordered the guards at the ferry not to allow Qin Si to go to the island, so he naturally could not set foot on Dunzi Island again.
But just because you can’t go to Dunzi Island doesn’t mean you can’t go to Xiaxi Village.
So Qin Si didn't go to Dunzi Island, but went to Xiaxi Village instead.
He still didn't believe that Gu Ran would be unwilling to see him.
Pei Liuniang was cunning and treacherous, full of tricks. She might have stopped him from seeing Gu Erniang just because she was the second boss and was afraid that he would get back together with Gu Erniang, which would damage her income from the orange grove.
He won't give up until he sees Gu Er Niang with his own eyes.
Qin Si waited in Xiaxi Village for a few days and finally waited for Gu Ran to return to the village.
In fact, these days, Gu Ran, who was living comfortably on Dunzi Island, simply didn't want to go back to the village. However, after all, the Daju family was still living in the small house, and there were three pregnant cats that he had to take care of personally, so he still had to come back to visit every two or three days.
That day, she took a bus from the Xiaxi Village ferry and returned to Xiaxi Village. When she took out the key to open the house, a strange man suddenly rushed out from the side, scaring her.
"Second Mother, it's me, you..."
Qin Si was about to say that he was Gu Erniang's husband when he saw Pei Liuniang, who was accompanying her. She shot him a cold and fierce look, and swallowed the word "husband" back. She changed her words and said, "I am Qin Si, and I came to see you!"
In fact, he had already expected that since Pei Liuniang made a living together with Gu Erniang, she might come back with Gu Erniang when she returned to the village.
She had threatened him, but in order to save Gu Er Niang, no matter how much she threatened him, he had to see Gu Er Niang.
So when he suddenly saw Gu Er Niang coming back today, he was shocked and scared, but he still rushed out.
"Qin Si?" Gu Ran opened the door of the house and turned around to look at Qin Si.
Tsk, this is the original owner's ex-husband. After not seeing him for a few years, he doesn't look like the noble young master of Prime Minister Qin at all. It's like he has become a different person. Or has he always looked like this?
"Do you have something to talk to me about?" Gu Ran asked directly.
She had not forgotten that the original owner and Qin Si had not had a good relationship even when they were married. Now she and he were divorced, so there was no reason to be polite to this man.
Besides, after hearing Uncle Lu say that he went to Dunzi Island to look for someone, I understood his intentions a little.
But when Pei Liu heard Gu Ran's question, his face turned cold.
Qin Si heaved a sigh of relief and smiled, "Of course I came to see you because I have something to ask."
"What's up?"
Gu Ran pushed open the door and motioned Pei Liu to go in first. Pei Liu made a long face, but went in anyway.
Qin Si glanced inside the house and smiled, "Shall we go in and talk?"
We? When did she and he become us?
"No, no, I'm very busy. If you have something to say, just tell me outside."
Qin Si was startled, his expression gradually becoming ugly: "Ran Ran..."
"Hey, don't call me Ranran. I'm not familiar with you, Fourth Master Qin." Gu Ran didn't beat around the bush. "Actually, I don't have anything to say to you, Fourth Master Qin. If you don't tell me directly, I'll just send you away."
"You, you don't care about our old friendship at all?" Qin Si couldn't believe it.
"Master Qin Si, please don't joke around. We've never had any feelings for each other." Gu Ran couldn't help but spit in his heart, "How many years have we been divorced? We haven't been doing well these past few years, just going our separate ways. Master Qin Si, you suddenly come and say that you don't have any feelings for me. Don't be so joking."
"If you don't care about our past relationship, why haven't you found someone else to marry in all these years? Isn't it because of me?"
"Master Qin Si, look in the mirror. Who wouldn't marry you?"
It's ridiculous. Where does Mr. Qin Si get his confidence from?
Gu Ran laughed angrily, "I will marry if I want to, and I won't marry if I don't want to. It's because I like you, not because of you. Don't flatter yourself."
"As a woman, how long can you live without getting married?" Qin Si was embarrassed and annoyed, and almost lost his temper. But thinking of the huge reward and the vast island, he had to be patient and said, "You are now a big tree that attracts wind. How can you not find a husband's family to rely on? Since you haven't found anyone else, why don't you..."
"Not as good as what? Do I still have to marry you?" Gu Ran was shocked.
Fourth Master Qin straightened his chest and held his head high. "Why not? After all, you can't find someone as suitable as me. I am willing to lower myself and ask you to get back together. You can marry me again."
"Dream on, Fourth Master Qin!"
Gu Ran had never seen such a shameless person. "I, Gu Erniang, have all the fame and money I want now. Why would I choose a better husband than you, a worthless piece of shit?"
"Mrs. Gu, who do you call a loser?"
Although Fourth Master Qin had been ridiculed for failing the imperial examinations over the years, his character had been tempered. But now, hearing the woman he had despised and divorced humiliate him like this, he finally broke down and gave up his pretense of elegance. "Do you think anyone would care about you, a fallen woman, if it weren't for me?"
When Gu Ran heard that Qin Si had the audacity to curse, he spotted a wooden rake beside him. It was the one he used to rake the grass when they dried the fairy grass. He grabbed it and smashed it down on Qin Siye's head: "Who are you scolding? Who cares about who now? You scoundrel!"
The wooden rake hit Qin Siye's shoulder, causing him to scream in pain. Seeing Gu Ran raising the rake to hit him, he immediately ran away, howling: "Gu Erniang, you wild and shrewd woman, how dare you treat me like this today? Don't regret it in the future!"
"I regret it because my brain is broken!"
Gu Ran chased after him for two steps, holding the wooden rake. Seeing that Fourth Master Qin had run away, he stopped, spat, and was about to go back with the wooden rake. When he turned around, he saw Pei Liu coming out of the house holding Xiaohua. "Sixth Mother!"
"others?"
"He ran away!" Gu Ran said with a sigh, "What bad luck! What a bad day it is today that I got to see this shameless guy."
Although Pei Liu entered the house, he did not go far. He was listening outside the door. He had heard the conversation between the two people. When he knew that Gu Ran had scolded Qin Si, he felt relieved. But when he heard Qin Si cursing, he felt angry.
"Back, leave him be, you stinky thing."
"Second mother!"
When Gu Ran walked up to Pei Liu, he immediately handed the small flower in his arms to her.
"I'll go check again to make sure that stinky thing isn't coming around anymore."
"Okay." Gu Ran understood Pei Liu's intention. As he took the flower, he gave him a stern warning, "Hit him harder. It would be best if he doesn't dare to come to me and embarrass himself again."
"Okay." Pei Liu smiled and nodded vigorously.
On the Dayu Forest Road leading to the ferry, Qin Si lost all his composure and ran breathlessly. Looking back, he saw no one was catching up, so he stopped and cursed: "What a shrew no one wants, a bitch. She thinks she can be so arrogant just because she has some money. When I pass the exam and restore the Qin family, I will make her beg for forgiveness on her knees, and even her..."
"What else do you want her to do?"
A stern shout came, and before Qin Si could react, he was blown into the woods beside the road by a gust of wind.
When he was thrown to the ground and was in pain all over, he opened his eyes and saw the evil-looking Pei Liuniang. He was scared out of his wits.
"Remember, I told you not to bother Er Niang anymore? Do you dare not listen?"
"She is me..."
Pei Liu didn't allow him to quibble, and he didn't want him to say Er Niang's name with that mouth, so he punched him, hitting him directly in the chin.
Qin Si howled in pain, clutching his jaw. Just as he was about to curse, he saw another fist coming down.
The continuous howling sounds came from the woods on the side of the Dayu Forest Road, making the villagers who were returning to the village on the road feel numb.
"Why are there shouting at this time?"
"Is it coming from the woods?"
"Why do I hear voices that sound a bit like people? Did someone get into trouble in the woods?"
"Could it be a mountain beast?"
The villagers looked at each other and asked, "Did anyone in the village go hunting in the mountains today?"
"Seems like, no?"
So everyone took a few quick steps and put the screams behind them!
"This time, remember this. If I see you again, you'll be dead!"
In the woods, Pei Liu was in a good mood. He left the dying Qin Si and walked out quickly.
He has to go back quickly, Er Niang is waiting for him to come back for dinner!
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
