Chapter 75 Truth or Falsehood
"Da Shun's father, say something! What should we do?" Zhou was as anxious as an ant on a hot pan. She asked who in the Gu family treated Gu Jiao the worst, and the answer was either Wu or her.
Of course, Liu was no saint either, but Gu Xiaoshun took away half of the anger from Liu, and Liu beat Gu Xiaoshun the most.
There's a saying, "Anger arises from the heart, and evil springs from the gall," meaning that when people are extremely angry, they are capable of anything. Similarly, when people are extremely frightened, they are capable of anything to protect themselves.
Gu Changhai made a bold decision: "Let Yue'e go."
"What?" Zhou was taken aback.
Wu and Gu Changlu were also stunned.
Did they hear wrong? The eldest son's wife wants to take his own daughter to replace the bride?
"Brother, you mustn't!" Gu Changlu was the first to object.
Putting aside his guilt towards the third wife, he was too timid to do something so daring.
Madam Liu was also not very happy. It wasn't like her daughter was going to be a noble lady in the Marquis's mansion. Instead of enjoying the good life, she was following the eldest son's family and living in fear. She wouldn't do it!
Wu and Zhou remained silent. One was Gu Yue'e's wet nurse, and the other was Gu Yue'e's mother. They were the ones who could directly benefit from this.
Moreover, they are both quite daring.
Gu Changhai began to persuade the second branch of the family: "Second brother, second sister-in-law, if you don't think about yourselves, don't you think about Ershun too? Ershun is also a very smart child, it's just that Dashun was born first and went to school first, and the family couldn't afford to support two children, so Ershun's studies were delayed. Now that Yue'e has gone to the Marquis's mansion, I will definitely have her take Ershun to the capital to study! With Ershun's intelligence, how could he not make a name for himself?"
These words struck a chord with Liu.
Liu dreamed of benefiting from Ershun's success, and she firmly believed that Ershun was destined for greatness, but all the opportunities were taken by Gu Dashun!
Gu Changhai said, “Our third brother’s child isn’t close to us, we can’t count on her, and who knows, the Marquis’s mansion might send her back! Don’t expect the Marquis’s mansion to compensate us with money either, they’ve raised our third brother’s daughter, so we’re even! If anyone owes anyone anything, it’s us who owe them! How much does the Marquis’s mansion spend on our third brother’s daughter every year, and how much do we spend on our daughter? If we really calculate it, shouldn’t we have to pay them money?”
Upon hearing about the compensation, the second wife's expression changed drastically.
Gu Changhai continued, "But as long as Yue'e goes over there and puts a good word for us, how could the Marquis's mansion not go along with her? You've watched Yue'e grow up, don't you understand her personality? She's closest to her second aunt!"
Liu straightened her back.
Gu Yue'e and Liu Shi's relationship was not actually very close. However, Gu Yue'e was obedient, hardworking, and gentle. Liu Shi did not dislike her, and she never argued with Liu Shi.
Zhou quickly chimed in, "Yes, she always tells me she likes Second Aunt the most! She also says Second Aunt is prettier! Much better than me!"
In the past, Zhou would never have admitted that Liu was prettier than her, but now she had to coax Liu, didn't she?
Liu was successfully coaxed and smiled sheepishly: "Who doesn't like Yue'e?"
After successfully taking control of the Liu family, Gu Changhai turned to Gu Changlu and said, "Second brother, I know you don't like farming, but you like doing business. Once Yue'e goes to the Marquis's mansion, I'll have her buy you the best shop in town. You can sell whatever you want!"
Gu Changlu suddenly couldn't speak.
He did feel guilty towards the third wife, but... he also really wanted to have his own business.
"What about Father..." Liu asked weakly.
Gu Changhai knew the old man's character well. It was true that he was cold-hearted towards Gu Jiao and favored sons over daughters, but he might not be able to do such a morally reprehensible thing.
I'll tell him later.
Liu pouted and said, "Then you say it, but don't drag us into it!"
Gu Changhai grinned: "Don't worry, second sister-in-law, it was my idea. If the old man wants to scold someone, he should scold me."
"Won't the Marquis's residence become suspicious?" Gu Changlu suddenly asked.
Gu Changhai laughed and said, "How could that be? Who could have guessed that we would have such courage? Besides, that person asked around in the village before coming to the Gu family, so he won't ask any more questions."
Zhou said, "Blood kinship test? I've heard of such a thing."
Gu Changhai's smile deepened: "That would be even easier. Yue'e and my third brother's daughter are blood relatives. When the time comes, we can have Yue'e find a way to replace the blood in the Marquis's mansion with the blood of my third brother's daughter, and we can naturally deceive everyone."
The whole family just decided Gu Jiao and Gu Yue'e's lives like that, just like when they decided Gu Jiao and Xiao Liulang's, without ever considering whether the parties involved agreed.
Gu Yue'e cried, not wanting to become someone else's daughter. Zhou and Liu tried to persuade her, but she wouldn't listen. Gu Changhai slapped her, and she became obedient.
Zhou changed her daughter into a decent set of clothes, and Liu took out the jewelry she had taken from Xu and put it on Gu Yue'e.
Gu Changhai's slap landed on the back of Gu Yue'e's head, leaving no mark on her face, but she had been crying and her eyes were red and swollen.
The Gu family explained that the little girl couldn't accept this fact and was somewhat saddened.
Huang Zhong felt this was only natural; the kindness of raising someone is greater than the kindness of giving birth, and after so many years, they should have developed feelings for each other.
Huang Zhong had no idea that the young girl who opened the door for him was his own young lady. Just now, she was dressed even more shabbily, looked even more timid, and her every move was full of petty mannerisms.
Huang Zhong thought of the dignified and elegant Gu Jinyu again and couldn't help but sigh.
Gu Yue'e kept shedding tears.
Huang Zhong said with a pang of pity, "The Marquis isn't going to take you back immediately. He came today just to see you first. If you really can't bear to part with him..."
Madam Wu quickly replied, "No, that's not true! It's only right for the family to reunite! What's there to be reluctant about? The Marquis is her real father!"
Huang Zhong personally opened the carriage curtain: "Miss, please get in the carriage."
Gu Yue'e didn't move, so Madam Wu urged, "Go, Yue... cough, Jiao Niang."
Zhou and Liu helped Gu Yue'e into the carriage.
This was probably the most valued Gu Yue'e had ever been since her birth; the whole family treated her like a goddess. However, Gu Yue'e couldn't be happy.
She didn't want to go to an unfamiliar place, and she didn't want to leave home.
The family didn't care whether Gu Yue'e lived or died; they were all indulging in their own pipe dreams.
Gu Changhai urged, "It's getting late, let's go and come back soon."
If we don't leave now, the old man will come back soon, and then Gu Yue'e won't be able to leave.
To their surprise, Huang Zhong and Gu Yue'e didn't run into the old man, but instead encountered Gu Xiaoshun, who had returned from the academy!
Gu Xiaoshun walked back in a nonchalant manner, swinging his book bag as he went.
Gu Changhai's brow twitched: "Why is Xiao Shun back so early?"
Xiao Liulang went to the provincial capital to take the prefectural examination. Gu Xiaoshun didn't need to ride in Uncle Luo's oxcart; he walked back by himself, which was much faster than the oxcart!
At this moment, Huang Zhong's carriage was almost out of the village, and Zhou said, "It's alright, he can't see it anyway."
Gu Yue'e was sitting in the carriage. Could Gu Xiaoshun possibly be so impulsive as to lift the curtain?
Useless at everything, but a habitually fidgety hand ←_←
(End of this chapter)
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