Chapter 143
While the entire Xiaxi Village was happily attending the Lu family's wedding banquet, Qin Si, who had heard the news early and arrived early, hunched over, hugged his worn winter clothes, and wandered at the other end of Dayu Lin Road, looking dazed amid the sound of firecrackers.
Impossible.
Just like Jiangjiang when he heard about the marriage, Qin Si still refused to accept this fact.
Gu Erniang had been divorced for many years and had not remarried. Even from last year to this year, he had heard many people, families and matchmakers from all over the country, introduce countless couples to Gu Erniang, but none of them worked out.
Why did she fall for that young man from the Lu family?
Why are you planning a wedding now?
Who is that Lu Langjun, and how did he marry Gu Erniang?
On the Qinsi Dayulin Road, looking at the houses at the end of the road from afar, you can vaguely see a house in front decorated with lights and many people coming in and out.
The intermittent sound of firecrackers came from there.
Qin Si licked his lips, which were dry and chapped, and finally mustered up the courage to slowly walk over.
Qin Si, how come he appears in Xiaxi Village?
This has to do with the story that in March this year, he took the imperial examination again, but still failed.
Originally, he relied on the excuse that if he could pass the exam, he could reconcile with Gu Erniang, and deceived the Qin family into continuing to support his studies. Qin Si was also very ambitious. Once he had achieved fame, his future would be stable, and the chances of remarrying Gu Erniang would also increase greatly. By then, he would be very proud.
Unfortunately, he was powerless. No matter how hard he tried to seize another chance, his name was still not among the students who passed the exam.
Looking at the red list, Qin Si's heart sank.
Qin San, who came with him to see the list, read the red list posted by the government carefully three times from beginning to end. When he was sure that Qin Si's name was not on it, his face immediately turned ugly.
The Qin family is no longer the Qin family that just arrived in Minzhou. Their life was hard to begin with, and their family expenses have been reduced again and again. Now they can only rely on the little income from renting the land to support themselves. Their expenses are not enough to make ends meet. This year, they have been willing to grit their teeth and spend money to send Qin Si to school. One reason is that they hope that he can bring practical benefits to the Qin family after passing the examination: food rations and money issued by the government every month, and 100 acres of tax-free farmland.
Secondly, of course, they were thinking about the huge sum of money that Qin Si would be able to remarry Gu and bring to the Qin family: with such a large river island and countless orange trees on it, the annual income would probably be several hundred taels.
A few hundred taels. When they were still in the Prime Minister Qin's Mansion, although a few hundred taels of silver could not be taken out casually, it was also common. But now, a few hundred taels is what they can only dream of as a wealthy family.
But now, Qin Si failed to pass the examination. Not to mention the benefits of fame, what about his marriage with Gu?
"In any case, our Qin family has provided you with schooling according to her request. Silang, you also went to study and took the exam. Even if you fail now, you have tried your best." Mrs. Qin looked at Qin Silang, and the disappointment on her face could not be further increased.
Back and forth, I have already supported him several times to learn
It turned out that he was a hopeless person. This time, Mrs. Qin completely gave up the idea and no longer expected Qin Si to succeed in studying and becoming an official, but she could not say so.
The money she had in her hands had run out, and she had to throw away all her past concerns. Now she just wanted to have clothes to wear and food to eat, and she held on, hoping that Qin Si and Gu would remarry, and then the situation would improve.
Gu has a lot of money, maybe they can support this useless guy to continue taking exams after marriage.
"Although the results didn't meet Gu's expectations, you must let her know about your hard work and efforts. Go to Xiaxi Village to meet her and promise to study as diligently as you do now after marriage. If she has you in her heart, she will naturally understand your sincerity."
When Gu becomes the wife of Qin, will she not give money to help the Qin family?
Mrs. Qin was eager for Qin Si to meet Gu as soon as possible, and to arrange a marriage for him and bring the huge orange orchard with him.
Qin Si naturally didn't dare to go to Xiaxi Village to see Gu.
He was really scared after being beaten that time.
Now, Gu Er Niang is no ordinary lady. She is very famous in Xiaxi Village. If he goes to her house to provoke her again, he will probably be beaten out by that rude woman again.
After failing the exam this time, he returned to Pingtan Village. Many villagers who usually did not dare to look down on the Qin family began to whisper and mock him for his repeated failures.
As for A'niang, my third brother, and other people in the family, not only would they not be persuaded by him to pay money for his education, but given the tempers of A'niang and my third brother, they would probably kick him out if they knew that he had been deceiving them for the past few months.
But Qin Si didn't dare to say no, nor did he dare to say yes. He stammered, "Mother, I, I don't have the face to see her."
"You're her husband, how could she despise you for being shameless?" Mrs. Qin was truly anxious and urged, "Look, the family is barely making ends meet, and Mother is willing to wear patched clothes for you without fear of embarrassment. What are you afraid of? If you're not in a hurry to remarry, why not borrow some money from her?"
"Mother, even if I want to remarry Second Mother, I still need the elders in my family to propose to her family first."
"Okay, then your third brother and I will make this trip for you and resolve this remarriage as soon as possible." Mrs. Qin was at her wit's end. At this moment, she could not care about anything else. She said anxiously, "Sanlang, come with me to Xiaxi Village tomorrow."
"No problem, mother, I'll do as you say." Thinking that he could borrow money, Mr. Qin San's expression improved a little.
Qin Si didn't dare to stop his mother and third brother, but he also knew that he would be in trouble when they returned. So the next day, he watched the two of them go out, rummage through the boxes and cabinets, and took out all the money he could find in the house, even things that could be sold for money. He put all the money he had secretly hidden into his bag, and then hurried away from home.
There was no way he could stay in this broken house and this broken village any longer. He might as well pack up the last valuable things and go out to have fun.
That night, when Grandma Qin came back from the private school, she saw the mess in the house and thought it had been robbed. Later, after hearing what the villagers said, she realized that it was her fourth uncle who did it. She was furious.
Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin Sanye finally found the Gu family's small house in Xiaxi Village and met Gu Erniang, whom they had not seen for many years.
When I first saw this small house, the uneasy feeling I had on the way here was relieved a lot.
"Isn't it said that Gu Erniang is General Qiao's savior and even returned to the capital to see the emperor? Even if the reward she received was not much, she should have received a few hundred taels of silver. Why does she still live in such a cramped courtyard?"
"Yes, mother, it looks much smaller than the big house we live in now."
Mrs. Qin felt confident and straightened her clothes, which were starched and whitened. It was the only piece of clothing that was not patched and was only worn when she was meeting guests. She had changed into it specially today to meet Gu Er Niang. Then she knocked on the door of the house.
"Who is it?"
Inside the house, a voice that was both familiar and unfamiliar was heard.
Mrs. Qin took a long time to recognize the voice of her fourth daughter-in-law. Recalling how timid Gu had been in the capital, she couldn't help but feel a little contempt.
Thinking that no matter how powerful the Gu family was, she still had no right to marry her fourth son, Mrs. Qin felt even more confident and replied with dignity, "It's me."
"Who are you? Why don't you introduce yourself when you come to my house?"
The door of the small house opened, and both Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin San saw Gu with the cat in her arms.
Looking at the woman in front of them, dressed in simple and elegant clothes, exuding a sense of leisurely nobility and laziness, Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin San were stunned for a moment.
This is, they want to see Gu Erniang
"Who are you looking for?" Gu Ran did not recognize Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin San.
Originally, she was not the original owner and had almost no contact with Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin Sanye, so she did not have a deep impression of them at the beginning. Besides, she never remembered people who had little to do with her. After so much time, she never missed anyone in the Qin family.
It was Qin Si. If he hadn't come to her, she would have almost forgotten about this person. After Qin Si left, she had completely forgotten about him.
For her, it's not worth it to say a word to such a person.
Now, looking at the pair that appeared in front of him, the mother and son were wearing the old clothes of ordinary people, with surprised expressions on their faces. Naturally, he would not think that they were from the Qin family. He thought that they were some family from the surrounding area, who brought their sons to the Gu family's small house to find a job working in the orange grove.
Now it is March, which is the season with the highest survival rate of transplanted orange trees. She has asked Manager Xu of Fusheng Trading Company to purchase a batch of mature orange trees and continue to develop the orange grove on Dunzi Island.
Because she recently planned to expand her recruitment, many families were eager to send their sons to the island!
"You, Gu Er Niang, have you forgotten who I am?" Mrs. Qin was angry and amused when she saw that Gu Ran really couldn't remember her.
She is her future mother-in-law, and she wants to remarry her fourth son. She can't even remember what her mother-in-law looks like.
This Gu, no matter how many years pass, will definitely not be a good daughter-in-law!
"Should I remember who you are? I know you." Gu Ran was surprised. "I'm so sorry, I really forgot. Which family are you from?"
"We are from the Qin family. We are from the Qin family." Mr. Qin Si, who was standing next to Mrs. Qin, was also embarrassed and vaguely sensed that something was wrong.
Fourth brother also said that Gu Erniang wanted to remarry him, but now it seems that Gu Erniang has even forgotten the people of the Qin family. Is it true that Gu Erniang wants to marry into the Qin family again? I am afraid she is lying.
"Qin family, which Qin family?" Gu Ran was stunned and did not react for a moment. When he saw Mrs. Qin's face become ugly, he slowly came to his senses. Could it be
"The Qin family, which Qin family?"
Mrs. Qin got angry, roared loudly, pushed Gu Ran, then slammed open the door of the house and walked straight into the courtyard.
"Wait, what do you want to do?"
Gu Ran was also angry. She had never seen anyone dare to enter a house uninvited. She quickly walked in and followed behind Mrs. Qin, reaching out and grabbing her arm.
Mrs. Qin looked at the dried vegetables and meat drying in the courtyard, and the cats darting around the yard. Before she could say anything, Gu Ran grabbed her and shook her hand off. "What I want to do is, of course, speak to you on behalf of my son Silang. Let's see when your marriage will be finalized!"
"What?" Gu Ran was angry and laughed: "Are you Qin family members crazy?"
"Who's crazy?"
Later, Mr. Qin Si also rushed in. When he heard Gu Ran mocking the Qin family, he also became angry.
"Ms. Gu, please be more polite when you speak. Otherwise, I may not agree to your marriage with our Silang." Mrs. Qin held her head high and looked arrogant.
"What marriage?"
In the main house, Village Chief Wu and Mrs. Lin, who came to visit Gu Ran today, heard the quarrel outside and came out, looking at the mother and son who suddenly appeared in the courtyard in surprise.
"Second Mother, I'm here to propose marriage to you again." Second Sister Lin was confused and said: "Whose family is it this time?"
“不是说亲的，他们呀，可是秦家的，以前我嫁了又和离过的秦家。”顾冉也怒了，看着秦大太太道: “秦夫人，我不知道你们误会了什么，可是我顾二娘今日就当着你们的面说清楚了，我一点儿也不稀罕你们家的郎君，和离后，便不会再想走旧路再嫁进你们秦家，你们以后有点自知之明，不要再来找我了，不然像秦四上次那般，来一次，揍一次。”
"What did you say?" Mrs. Qin looked at Gu Ran in shock.
When Mr. Qin Si heard this, his face turned ashen.
"I'm saying, I despise your Qin family and don't like your Qin man at all." Gu Ran reiterated.
"Impossible, you obviously want to remarry our Silang." Mrs. Qin was struck by lightning and shook her head repeatedly.
"Remarriage is a joke!" Gu Ran laughed. "I, Gu Erniang, can marry anyone I want now. Why would I want to remarry Silang? How could I ask for trouble and do such a stupid thing?"
"That's right. All the young men in our village are vying to marry Er Niang. Your Qin family treated Er Niang badly back then, and you still expect her to come back? Isn't that wishful thinking?"
Mrs. Lin and Village Chief Wu knew that Gu Ran was alone and helpless when she first came to Xiaxi Village. They also knew that she had divorced her husband's family after arriving in Minzhou. Naturally, they had no good feelings towards the Qin family.
Today, they finally got to meet the Qin family. The two of them had never heard that Gu Er Niang had any plans to remarry. When they heard the Qin family mention wanting to reconcile, they thought it was nonsense and felt that the Qin family was really thick-skinned.
If Er Niang wants to remarry, why would she ask Fu Po to introduce someone to her?
How good is the Qin family? Judging from the clothes of the mother and son, they don't look like they are from a wealthy family. The young man doesn't look very outstanding either. There are so many good young men introduced by the fortune lady. Why does she have to hang herself on this crooked tree of the Qin family?
Over the years, they have watched Gu Ran slowly get back on his feet and live a good life. They all admire him and believe in Gu Ran's character and behavior. They will never misunderstand that Gu Ran wants to go back to his old ways.
"No, Qin Si clearly said you..." Mrs. Qin gritted her teeth.
"That was what Qin Si said, not me." Gu Ran interrupted Mrs. Qin. "I, Gu Er Niang, can swear to heaven that I will never want to marry him again."
"Yes, I'm the head of Xiaxi Village. I can vouch for Er Niang that she never said she wanted to remarry into the Qin family." Village Chief Wu saw something was wrong with her expression, and glared at Er Niang Gu as if he wanted to devour her alive. He stepped forward and explained, "If you two have nothing else to do, please go back."
At this time, what else did Mrs. Qin and Mr. Qin Sanye not understand?
They were afraid that they had been deceived by Qin Si.
"Mother!" Third Master Qin supported Mrs. Qin and walked out of the small house. Mrs. Qin was trembling all over. "Qin Si, Qin Zhikai, he actually dared to lie to me..."
Not only did he cheat her out of so much money, he also tricked her into running all the way to Xiaxi Village and humiliating herself here with Gu Erniang.
She has completely lost face today.
Mrs. Qin was so angry that she wanted to go back to settle the score with Qin Si. As soon as she got home, she heard from her eldest daughter-in-law that Qin Si had looted all the valuables in the house and ran away. She fainted from anger.
When he woke up again, this man who had always been proud and arrogant had fallen seriously ill. His body, which had barely held on, could no longer hold on and gradually weakened. He passed away within two months.
Seeing that their income was not enough to cover their expenses, the Qin family finally had no choice but to sell their only big house and bought a dilapidated small house. The Qin family fell into decline.
Qin Si, who had the last sum of money in his pocket, was afraid that Mrs. Qin and Qin San would send people to look for him, so he did not dare to stay in Fengzhou. He went all the way south and somehow ended up in Jianzhou. He rented a house in Yongchang County and worked as an accountant in a small shop, earning 200 coins a month, just to make a living.
But if I still want to study for the imperial examination, it is impossible.
Qin Si lamented that he was born at the wrong time. Apart from doing his daily chores, he was keen on hearing about the Gu family's affairs in Xiaxi Village.
When he came to Yongchang County for some unknown reason, wasn't the secret in his heart that he wanted to be closer to Xiaxi Village and hear more about Gu Erniang?
Through the bits and pieces I heard, I reminisced about the time when I had Mrs. Gu as my wife—that acclaimed Mrs. Gu was once my own wife!
Before, he was far away in Fengzhou and didn’t hear much. Now he is in Jianzhou and hears a lot, but Qin Si feels uncomfortable.
The better Mr. Gu's business is, the more money he earns, and the more miserable he seems now.
Especially when he heard people say from time to time that the son of so-and-so was married to Mr. Gu, he became even more anxious.
If Gu Dongjia didn't marry, then he would be the only husband she had ever married. He felt that he was a special existence, and he could also say that none of the other men who later married Gu Dongjia were as good as him, Qin Silang. Otherwise, why would Gu Dongjia not marry?
Deep down in her heart, she should have understood clearly, but she still deceived herself and held on to a glimmer of hope: Perhaps, if Boss Gu never married, then she would be her only husband for life.
This is just like Mr. Gu, who is keeping his chastity till old age!
Qin Silang felt an inexplicable sense of pride in his heart.
So when he heard that someone had introduced another marriage to the Gu family, he felt anxious, and when he heard that the Gu family had rejected the man introduced by others, he was secretly happy.
This went on like this, and by August, someone introduced Mr. Lu to Mr. Gu.
Qin Silang, who had heard of many failed introductions, did not take this young man Lu seriously. He was shocked until he heard that the Gu family had actually agreed to this marriage.
After the shock, my body gradually felt cold.
It's impossible, Gu Erniang, how could she possibly agree to Lu Langjun's marriage proposal?
She hasn't gotten married in all these years!
Even after talking to so many families, she still refused to give in!
Why did she agree?
How could she respond?
She should have been alone until she died.
Qin Silang was just asking around at first, but later he couldn't sit still anymore, so he went from Yongchang County to the ferry crossing of Xiaxi Village, and then quietly walked to Xiaxi Village. However, he didn't dare to enter the village and could only wander around outside.
After confirming that Mr. Gu and Mr. Lu were engaged and the wedding date was set, he returned to Yongchang County in a daze.
Impossible, those people are talking nonsense, they are all lying to him, or he is dreaming!
He was in a daze until the day when the rumored Gu Dongjia got married. Finally, he couldn't help it and secretly came to the ferry again, walking from the Dayu Lin intersection to Xiaxi Village.
Amid the sound of firecrackers, he saw the new house decorated with festive red lanterns.
He had been there before, so he knew what it was: Lu Langjun's newly built home.
It doesn't look like a big seat, and I guess that Mr. Lu is not a very powerful person.
Qin Si secretly complained in his heart and slowly walked towards the house.
The sound of firecrackers became louder. On the path next to the house, two men in bright red clothes came walking. Four of them each carried a basket of copper coins, scattering them as they walked, which attracted cheers from many people.
When they arrived in front of the bridal chamber, even more copper coins were scattered around. Many people rushed forward to snatch the wedding money from the Lu and Gu families.
Qin Si, who had just arrived in front of the bridal chamber, saw the copper coins scattered all over the floor. As he was short of money, he could not help but join the crowd to grab the wedding money.
The snatching was swift and fierce, until the matchmaker shouted: "The bride and groom are here!"
When the people who were trying to grab the wedding money were leaving, he was still putting the last piece of wedding money he had snatched into his arms when he was forcibly pulled aside.
He stood up and looked up, and saw Mr. Lu, dressed in red as a groom, riding on a tall horse. He was handsome and full of energy.
Qin Si looked down at his worn winter clothes that had been neglected. He felt inferior in comparison and suddenly felt ashamed and angry. He wanted to throw the wedding money he had just snatched onto the ground with his hands in his arms, but after raising his hands, he finally put them down slowly, put the last handful of wedding money into his pocket, and slowly backed away in the crowded crowd.
The groom arrived at the door of the house on horseback and stopped. The bride's red sedan chair was kicked up amid firecrackers and cheers. When a pair of embroidered shoes popped out of the sedan chair, Qin Si had already turned around and stumbled towards the Dayu Lin intersection.
"What a handsome groom!"
“The bride is beautiful too!”
"Of course, our village's Madam Gu is so nice!"
How could I have lost such a good lady like Gu?
As if there was something terrifying following him from behind, Qin Si walked faster and faster, and finally disappeared alone on the empty Dayu Forest Road.
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Thank you Miaomiao for the bottle of nutrient solution!
Thank you carry1007 for the 10 bottles of nutrient solution for irrigation!
Thank you April Happy Irrigation for the bottle of nutrient solution!
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