Chapter 151: Using Foreign Merchants as a Cover
He turned his head and glared at Old Man Gu, saying something very heartbreaking: "Second Uncle, whose children don't quarrel? In families with many children, all of them quarrel like a mess, but I've never seen any elders say that their children are stupid and vicious! You are the first one."
Old Man Gu still couldn't get used to the "Second Uncle" title, and he probably wouldn't be able to get used to it in the future. His lips trembled and his face looked grim when he heard it.
Gu Tang was still angry at first, but when facing Old Man Gu, she quickly put away her anger and turned her guns around, joining her father in fighting the same enemy.
"Second uncle, we sisters just had a few quarrels, it's not a life-and-death feud, how come you say we are 'stupid and vicious'? Instead of worrying about us sisters, you might as well focus on your cousin (Gu Liansheng).
My cousin has been taking the imperial examination for decades. He is almost 40 years old now. I advised him not to waste his time. Look, this good family has been torn apart by this. "
Gu Tang's words hurt even more than Gu Lianshan's. Old Man Gu immediately covered his chest and his face turned pale.
As if Gu Lianshan was not satisfied, he continued, "My daughter has a quick temper and is very protective of her shortcomings. She is also very young. You know this. If she says something unpleasant, just treat her as if she didn't exist. Don't take it personally. Look at your pale face. Don't blame my daughter for this!"
The clan leaders and elders were all shocked and looked at Gu Lianshan. Was this an attempt to persuade or add fuel to the fire? !
The Third Uncle glared at Gu Lianshan, then turned to Old Man Gu and spoke softly, "Don't you know what kind of people your son and granddaughter are? Why are you angry with them? Now that their whole family has been adopted, do you want to have another quarrel between you and your son, or between your grandfather and grandson, before they leave?"
When he heard the word "adoption", Mr. Gu felt a pang in his heart, his anger subsided a little, and he returned to the house without saying a word.
Gu Lianshan also felt unhappy. The home where he had lived for decades and the parents he had called his parents for decades had suddenly changed. Even if he was a simple man, he couldn't help feeling a little melancholy.
But there is no other way!
If his father had divided the family property peacefully, not letting his family suffer too much or bear too much, and if he had left his family a way to survive, he would not have chosen this path.
He has been living in loneliness for decades, he's had enough of that!
If he doesn't make changes, his daughter and son will sooner or later follow his old path and live a life without any hope.
After Mr. Gu entered the house, the clan leaders and elders also said goodbye.
Before leaving, the clan leaders and elders gave Gu Lianshan a few words of advice: "Let's not talk about the past. Now that you are adopted by your third uncle, you must control your temper when you meet your parents in the future. You must be nicer to them than when you were their son. At least you must save face and not let people criticize you..."
"Hey! My nephew will definitely behave like a junior in the future!" Gu Lianshan promised quickly.
The eyes of the clan leaders and elders fell on Gu Tang again.
Gu Tang said very politely: "I am just like my father! What happened today will never happen again!"
Third uncle also tried to make amends: "I'm watching over them, nothing will happen, just don't worry."
rest assured?
The clan leaders and elders looked at the father and daughter with sparkling eyes. They knew at a glance that they were not the kind of people who would settle down. How could they feel at ease?
I just hope that the father and daughter can know their limits and as long as they don't go too far, they won't bother to intervene.
Gu Lianshan escorted the people out of the courtyard and told them about dinner in the evening: "I am really sorry to trouble you uncles today. I will set up a table of wine and food at my father's (third uncle's) place tonight. You uncles must come..."
After seeing them off, Gu Lianshan and his third uncle returned.
When Gu Tang saw his uncle coming back, he returned the key to his uncle's house.
Uncle San confiscated it and said, "I have three keys for each of us in the house. I have one left. You can keep the one I gave you. I know you often go into the mountains to collect herbs, and you come back at irregular times. It will be much more convenient to have a key in hand."
Hearing this, Gu Tang was very happy and put the key away with a happy face.
The third uncle asked again: "Have you packed up all the things in the house?"
"We have moved all the light items such as bedding and clothes over. Now we are left with the bed, cabinets and other household items. These things are heavy and neither Ping An nor I can move them. We are thinking of asking someone to help us move them when Dad comes back."
Gu Lianshan agreed immediately: "Dad will find someone right away."
Gu Tang grabbed the corner of his clothes to stop him and told her father that Gu Laian had not returned yet.
"... Counting the time, it's been almost three hours! On normal days, two round trips would be enough! Now there's no sign of him, did something happen on the way?"
Gu Tang was not worried at all whether Gu Laian got into trouble or not. What she was worried about was Li Shunzi who went with them.
If something really happened on the road, the Li family would probably make a fuss.
Gu Lianshan's heart skipped a beat: "He hasn't come back yet?!"
Gu Tang nodded and was about to speak when his third uncle suddenly interrupted, "Did Lai'an go to the Feng family?"
"Yes, he left when the sky was about to turn white."
The Third Uncle felt relieved and assured Gu Lianshan: "The Feng family may have tripped up the person and are stalling for time. They will probably release the person when we have finished the matter here."
"Why is this?" Gu Tang was very puzzled.
Third Uncle paused and glanced at Gu Lianshan, not knowing whether he should say it or not.
Gu Lianshan didn't care: "My daughter knows everything about what the two elders did back then. Just tell her, it won't hurt."
That's good.
The Third Uncle secretly breathed a sigh of relief and whispered to Gu Tang about the Feng family: "After your grandparents did those dirty things, although they didn't make a scene, the clan still went to the Feng family to make a scene.
The elders from the Feng family have never dared to visit for decades. Even if there is something going on, they only let the younger generation who don’t know what’s going on come over.”
Gu Tang understood that he was in the wrong and did not dare to face the elders of the Gu family for fear that the incident would be mentioned again.
Gu Tang looked at her father: "If that's the case, Dad, you really shouldn't have asked my eldest brother to invite the Feng family today. My grandfather doesn't seem to have made any moves. He didn't even invite a single relative for such a big event as the division of the family."
Gu Lianshan slapped his forehead and said, "I didn't think of it for a moment. I just thought that I had to invite my uncle to my house to divide the family, but I forgot that the Feng family might not dare to interfere in our affairs.
The Feng family didn't dare to come, nor did they dare to let Lai An come back alone. They were probably afraid that if we didn't invite him the first time, we would have to invite him again later."
"Send someone to the Feng family to inform them of the adoption and bring An back in the future."
The third uncle doesn't like the Feng family, and even less so the Feng family. Since he has been adopted, the eldest son of the Lianshan family is from Gu Wancheng's lineage.
Gu Lianshan responded and hurried to the village to look for someone.
He first found two people to go to Feng's house together, and then found four acquaintances to come to his house to help dismantle and move the belongings.
Gu Tang and his third uncle, the grandparents and grandchildren, were sitting at the door of the kitchen, with a stove in front of them on which tea was boiling. One of them was drinking tea leisurely, while the other kept talking about how he wanted to change his career to making incense and didn't want to be a herbalist anymore.
As for Gu Ping'an, he was asked by Gu Lianshan to go to Gu Laian's house to help pack up things as Gu Laian had not returned home yet.
Gu Laian's room was stinking, and when Gu Ping'an went in, his face turned black!
He stayed in the house for a while, but he couldn't stand it anymore, so he had to open all the doors and windows and stand outside to wait for the smell in the house to dissipate before going in.
Gu Tang didn't notice Gu Ping'an's actions. He was concentrating on asking his third uncle if his idea might work.
Uncle San thought without hesitation: "It works, but you can't keep it. If the incense is really as you said, it is unheard of and unseen. You and I are both ordinary people. How can we keep the treasure that makes money?"
Gu Tang's heart trembled. These words hit the nail on the head. "That's what my grandson is worried about. That's why I haven't dared to take any action yet. I thought I could sell a batch of them first under the guise of buying them from foreign merchants, and get some silver to fill my family's coffers. We can discuss the rest later."
Third Uncle's eyes moved slightly: "You want Ping An to take the imperial examination, just to keep these incense recipes?"
"I have the treasure in my hand, but I dare not use it because of my family's financial situation. This is really frustrating. If my family can produce an official, we can have a say in this bitter and cold place. If I work hard and find the right opportunity, I will surely soar to the sky!"
Gu Tang's eyes were surprisingly bright.
This is the feudal era, which has both good and bad aspects. It depends on whether you can seize the opportunity.
Third Uncle didn't say anything, he just lowered his eyes and looked at the brown tea in the teacup.
After a long while, he suddenly asked, "Did Changshan Academy...really accept Ping An as an auditor?"
Um?!
Gu Tang glanced at him. Weren't they talking about making incense? Why did they bring it up with Changshan Academy?
"Tell the truth." Third Uncle's tone was neither light nor heavy, but it made Gu Tang's scalp tingle.
She swallowed her saliva and said flatteringly, "You really have a keen eye... I just thought of a clever idea in a hurry. I caught the deer, and my father gave me all the money from the sale. Why should he share it? I won't spoil him!"
Third uncle sighed, this is another dirty guy, and she is a girl.
If this girl gets naughty, she will be much harder to discipline than a boy.
"Now that you've told this, I'm afraid everyone in the village will know about it in a few days. After the New Year, I'll ask someone to find out. If I can spend some money to buy the qualification to sit in on the trial, this matter can be resolved."
Gu Tang immediately expressed his opinion: "Master, if you have the means, just go and ask! I will be willing to pay any amount of money as long as I can be an auditor!"
She has already boasted so much, if someone can help to make it happen and spend some money, she will definitely agree.
In her system backpack were placed the silver, jewelry, etc. looted from the east wing and the east ear room. Adding up, there were still four or five hundred taels of silver!
She just didn't believe it. After spending so much money, she couldn't buy the qualification to attend the class as an auditor?
The teachers at Changshan Academy also need to eat, and there are always a few who are greedy for money.
"Before that, don't let Ping An be distracted. Keep him in the house and I'll teach him some simple things. If nothing else, he must learn to read. You'll have to worry about this family in the future."
Gu Tang nodded repeatedly: "Okay, it's all up to you. A good blacksmith must have strong skills himself. Opportunities are reserved for those who are prepared. Just discipline him. If he dares not to listen, just tell me. I will make sure he behaves well! You don't have to worry about the family affairs. With me in charge, nothing will go wrong!"
While saying this, Gu Tang's mind quickly thought that this was a good opportunity to teach Gu Mei a lesson!
She has always remembered what happened just now.
Thinking of this, she got up and went to find Gu Ping'an.
Gu Ping'an was trying hard to suppress his nausea as he packed up things in Gu Laian's room. The room still smelled terrible, and the wide-open doors and windows did little to stop it.
Gu Tang had no idea and walked in without warning, and immediately retched: "Hey——"
Then he ran out of the house quickly!
Gu Pingan chased out with a bitter face: "Second sister..."
"Has this room been converted into a toilet? Why does it smell so bad?!" Gu Tang looked devastated.
Thinking about how Gu Laian has been in this room day and night and I have never heard him say it stinks, I feel like my whole body is breaking!
"Don't clean up! Go find me at the kitchen door. I'll leave this for my eldest sister to clean up! She calls herself the eldest sister, so she should act like an eldest sister. How can she stay idle in the house while the younger ones are doing the work?!"
Gu Tang pushed him to his third uncle's side, and went to Gu Mei's door, banging on it three times, asking her to come out quickly to help Gu Laian pack up her things.
Gu Mei didn't open the door, but just yelled in the room: "You and Sanlang have nothing to do, why don't you go and clean up? Instead, you shamelessly order me around!"
"What bullshit! He's your brother from the same mother! If you don't take care of him, who will? Count on us? Bah! Stop dreaming!
Come out now! Dad is going to deliver the household items and will be back soon. If you don’t go, you’ll have to wait for Dad to come back and punish you!”
Gu Tang put his hands on his hips, looking unruly, and his third uncle, who was not far away, was watching with eyelids twitching.
He asked the reserved Gu Ping'an in a low voice: "Do your second sister and your eldest sister often make such a fuss?"
Gu Ping'an shook his head: "Normally not. The eldest sister can't beat or scold the second sister. If the second sister is happy, the eldest sister will tease her. If the second sister is in a bad mood, the eldest sister will be so scared that she dare not even show her head. There are very few situations where she quarrels like this. Only when there are outsiders at home or when Dad is around, the eldest sister dares to make a fuss."
Understood.
It seems that one of these two sisters appears strong on the surface but is actually cowardly, while the other appears well-behaved on the surface but is actually tough and has her own ideas, and does whatever she wants.
Gu Mei clenched her lips and refused to come out. Gu Tang did not force her. He waited for her father to come back and let him discipline her.
Gu Tang came to his uncle with a flick of his sleeves, put on a smiling face and asked his uncle whether he had told Gu Ping'an the truth.
"I understand what you said." Gu Pingan replied first, "I know what my second sister is thinking. I will study hard in the future. When I get into high school, my second sister won't have to hide and make incense anymore..."
Hearing Gu Ping'an say this, Gu Tang kept smiling and saying yes repeatedly, but in fact, he kept complaining in his heart.
But forget it, by the time you enter high school, the opportunity will be gone!
She still has to make this incense and do this business.
All the methods were thought up by people. First, they used foreign merchants as a cover, sold a few batches of incense to get some silver, and then they could do anything after they had the silver.
The three generations of grandparents and grandchildren chatted and laughed, and decided that Gu Ping'an would go to school.
Gu Mei in the room couldn't hear clearly what they were saying, but she could still hear Gu Tang's laughter. She was so excited that she raised her hand and threw the things she had just sorted out.
The things that were scattered all over the ground because the bag was torn just now returned to their original place, and were collected in vain.
Gu Mei looked at everything in front of her and became even angrier!
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