novelraw Chapter 176 The Zhu Family Comes to Propose Marriage
Chapter 176 The Zhu Family Comes to Propose Marriage
Chapter 176 The Zhu Family Comes to Propose Marriage
Gu Lai'an didn't care about any of that. When he heard that his third uncle was going to share half of the mutton soup with him, he ate half a bowl of porridge in one go, despite his father's fierce glare, and then handed the bowl over.
"Sir... just pour the mutton soup into my bowl."
Did you pour it into the porridge bowl?
Uncle San was stunned. Had the flavors mixed up?
He pointed to the kitchen and told Gu Lai'an to get a bowl: "It's only a short walk, go get another bowl."
Gu Lai'an was reluctant to move: "It's the same if you pour it into the porridge..."
Halfway through his sentence, Gu Lianshan suddenly slammed his hand on the table, startling Gu Lai'an, who immediately stopped talking.
"Please don't pay him any attention. I haven't held his actions against him these past few days and have been feeding him good rice and flour. If you give him mutton soup again, he'll probably become even more arrogant!"
These words were meant for Third Uncle.
After saying that, he turned and glared at Gu Lai'an: "Today you are only allowed to eat one bowl of porridge and one pancake. You are not allowed to eat anything more! If you dare to steal any food, I will kick you out right now!"
Gu Lai'an trembled, hurriedly took the bowl back, lowered his head and continued eating, not daring to make any more noise.
Judging from his father's tone, he was probably joking. If he were really kicked out, where would he go in the middle of winter?
Third Uncle wanted to offer some advice, but Gu Tang secretly tugged at his clothes, signaling him to stay out of it.
"Sir, mutton soup is better for older people. Please eat quickly, or it will get cold."
Gu Tang pushed the bamboo bowl containing mutton soup towards her third uncle, urging him to eat it while it was hot.
Third Uncle paused, hesitated for a moment, swallowed back the words he was about to say, and picked up the mutton soup.
Gu Tang had been keeping an eye on Gu Lai'an. Seeing that he had finished all the porridge in his bowl and was also eating the pancake in his hand, she took the opportunity to ask him a question.
"Big brother, you and big sister often talk together, why didn't she come out for dinner today? Isn't she hungry?"
Upon hearing the sudden mention of Gu Mei, everyone in the room except Gu Lai'an instinctively glanced around. Was Gu Mei not there?
Well! Nobody really noticed that.
"Where's your sister? Is she throwing a tantrum? Or did she go out?" Gu Lianshan asked the last question casually.
In fact, he had a guess in his heart. His eldest daughter must have been angry with him and caused a scene at the Zhu family. She was throwing a tantrum and going on a hunger strike.
But it was precisely this last sentence that made Gu Lai'an turn pale, his eyes filled with panic and helplessness, which was spotted by Gu Tang, who had been watching him closely.
Gu Tang felt a sudden jolt, sensing that Gu Lai'an's reaction was not right.
Gu Lai'an had already planned his strategy: if his father asked Gu Mei why she hadn't come out to eat, he would say she was angry and didn't want to eat.
Knowing his father's temperament, he definitely wouldn't go over and knock on the door to call people out for dinner.
In this way, the fact that Gu Mei wasn't home could be covered up.
But plans can't keep up with changes; his father didn't ask, but Gu Tang did.
Gu Lai'an's expression changed several times. He cursed Gu Tang under his breath, then forced himself to say to his father, "Sister...sister said she's so angry she feels terrible, she doesn't...she doesn't want to eat..."
He stammered as he spoke, and Gu Lianshan glanced at him, knowing immediately that he wasn't telling the truth.
He became even more certain that his eldest daughter must have harbored resentment towards him because of the Zhu family's affairs.
Gu Lianshan had long given up on disciplining him, and said calmly, "Since you don't want to eat, then let's starve you for three days first."
After saying this, he instructed Gu Pingan and Gu Tang: "From now on, whether it's day or night, as long as it's not mealtime, lock the kitchen door. After all, it's hard to guard against thieves in this house, so you two should take extra care."
"Sigh!" the siblings responded, their eyes constantly glancing at Gu Lai'an.
They knew perfectly well who this thief was referring to.
But Gu Lai'an was oblivious to his own limitations, thinking that this was to protect his sister Gu Mei and had nothing to do with him, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief.
Since his sister isn't home, it doesn't matter whether the kitchen is locked or not.
To avoid saying anything wrong, Gu Lai'an didn't dare stay there any longer. He wiped his mouth with his sleeve, got up, and slipped away.
Third Uncle glanced at him, somewhat uneasy: "This child isn't telling the truth. Should we go over and check on him? Just in case something goes wrong."
"No, she won't." Gu Lianshan shook his head, reassuring his third uncle: "Mei'er is just being stubborn. If she goes hungry today, she'll be up early for breakfast tomorrow morning."
Third Uncle and Gu Mei had never met before. In the few days since she moved in, Gu Mei had only come here for meals, otherwise she had stayed in her room and ignored everyone.
Therefore, the third uncle did not understand Gu Mei's personality, and believed Gu Lianshan's evaluation of Gu Mei.
"That's good, as long as you know what I mean."
Do you know what is going on?
Upon hearing this, Gu Tang glanced at her father and had a premonition that he was probably wrong this time.
Judging from Gu Lai'an's reaction just now, there's definitely something fishy going on!
Of course, whether there are ghosts or not, as long as it doesn't bother her, it's none of her business, and she won't remind her father.
After the meal, everyone went back to their rooms to rest.
Gu Lianshan lived in the east wing. As he approached the door, he glanced at the room next door where Gu Mei lived. There was no light coming out of the window; it was pitch black, clearly because no lights were on.
That's rare!
Gu Lianshan was very puzzled. In the past, the lights in this room would stay on for half the night, as if the oil lamps had fallen from the sky and were free. Why were the lights turned off so early today?
Maybe he's up to something bad again.
Gu Lianshan frowned, a moment of panic crossing his mind. He had a feeling that his eldest daughter was about to cause some trouble.
It has to be said that Gu Lianshan's sixth sense was quite accurate; he would soon find out what trouble Gu Mei was going to cause.
The next morning, just as dawn was breaking, someone knocked on the gate of the Gu family's courtyard.
Hearing the commotion, Gu Lianshan quickly put on his clothes and went outside.
Once inside the courtyard, the door to the main room opened, and Uncle San came out wearing a fur coat.
"Father, go back to your room and rest. I'll go open the door." After seeing his third uncle back to his room, Gu Lianshan walked towards the courtyard gate.
As he walked, he kept asking, "Who is it? It's so early in the morning, and my family isn't up yet!"
The person outside didn't make a sound, but knocked a few more times intermittently, which was very rude.
Gu Lianshan became suspicious, picked up the mallet that was placed under the eaves, went behind the door and asked again, "Who's outside?! If you don't speak, I'll call for help!"
These words made the person outside the door change his expression, and he hurriedly whispered to the door, "Brother-in-law! It's me, the third son of the Zhu family..."
Zhu Laosan?!
I listened carefully through the door, and it was indeed Zhu Laosan's voice.
"What are you doing here? Didn't you get scolded enough yesterday?" Putting down the mallet in his hand, Gu Lianshan muttered angrily as he opened the door. Only one side of the gate was open, and Gu Lianshan was immediately stunned when he saw who it was.
Outside the door were not only Zhu Laosan, but also Zhu Laosan's wife Yan, Zhu Laotai, Zhu's patriarch, and a strange woman.
Not far away, there was also an oxcart parked.
"What are you doing?" Gu Lianshan looked at the Zhu family members with a bewildered expression. "What? I caused a scene at your Zhu family yesterday, and now your Zhu family wants to cause a scene at my Gu family?"
These words were extremely harsh and showed absolutely no consideration.
The smiles on the Zhu family members' faces froze. They didn't know how to respond, and their eyes all fell on the unfamiliar woman beside them, signaling her to speak.
The woman, in her thirties, with a round face and round eyes, smiled at everyone she met: "Brother Gu, we've come to tell you some good news!" As she spoke, she tried to squeeze into the courtyard.
If it were any other man, to avoid suspicion, he would definitely take a few steps back if he saw a woman crowding towards him.
With this retreat, a path was cleared, allowing the woman to lead the Zhu family into the courtyard.
Unfortunately, the woman encountered Gu Lianshan.
He stood in the doorway, refusing to budge, rolled his eyes at them, and said impatiently, "Announce good news? What good news?!"
The smiles on the Zhu family members' faces became increasingly forced, almost impossible to maintain.
This woman, who had seen all sorts of people, maintained her smile without wavering, and whispered, "Your eldest daughter's marriage is settled! Shall we talk inside? There are some things that are better left unsaid outside..."
Upon hearing this, Gu Lianshan was taken aback. This woman in front of him was not the matchmaker he had previously hired. How did she know that his eldest daughter was seeking marriage everywhere?
When their eyes fell on the Zhu family, the expressions on their faces were quite interesting.
There was trepidation, dissatisfaction, and excitement.
Seeing this somewhat comical scene, Gu Lianshan had a sudden flash of inspiration, as if struck by a heavy blow, and suddenly understood.
He immediately questioned in a dark tone, "What do you mean by that? Explain yourself!"
The Zhu family was startled by his sudden change of attitude and instinctively wanted to back out.
But then they thought again, no, this is in their favor now, and they'll miss this opportunity.
This marriage must go through no matter what!
The woman was not intimidated, and her smile remained unchanged: "Brother Gu, your eldest daughter and the only son of the third son of the Zhu family have actually taken a liking to each other! The Zhu family asked me to act as matchmaker, but there are some things involved that are not easy to say or hear. Let's talk about it inside."
His eldest daughter and the only son of the third son of the Zhu family fell in love...
These words were all over Gu Lianshan's mind, and he was so angry that he saw stars.
He assumed the Zhu family was plotting against his eldest daughter, and glared fiercely at the woman and the Zhu family members.
"Get out! Even if my daughter, Gu Lianshan's daughter, becomes a nun, she would never marry into the Zhu family!"
Grandma Zhu panicked and blurted out, "Mei'er is living in the Zhu family now, and she and my grandson are already pregnant..."
"Oh, Aunt Zhu! How can you say such things outside?" The woman interrupted Old Lady Zhu, giving her a light glare, her smile unchanged.
Then he continued to pester Gu Lianshan: "Brother Gu, you heard it too, it's because of this incident that the Zhu family rushed to ask me to come. After all, if this gets out, it won't be good to talk about or to hear about it..."
Gu Lianshan took a deep breath, his mind a jumble, recalling what his eldest son had said last night.
He said his eldest daughter was so angry that she didn't want to eat.
But today the Zhu family said that their eldest daughter is currently living in the Zhu family home.
It's easy to find out who's lying; just go to the east wing and you'll see.
Gu Lianshan turned and went to the east wing, leaving the woman and the Zhu family behind, but the courtyard gate was not closed.
The woman's eyes flickered slightly, and she gave the Zhu family a smug smile: "Even the most wicked person will eventually accept their fate after learning that their daughter has done something so outrageous."
"Yes, yes, thank you for your trouble. As long as this marriage goes through, our Zhu family will definitely send you a generous thank-you gift!"
The Zhu family spoke in a fawning tone, their faces full of flattery.
They were helpless. Although Gu Mei came to their house yesterday and came up with a "good" idea, the Zhu family members were too weak to stand up for themselves and were all afraid that Gu Lianshan would beat them up.
After thinking it over, he decided to spend some money to hire Zhao, the village matchmaker, to accompany him on the trip.
The reason for inviting Zhao was twofold: firstly, Zhao was eloquent and could persuade Gu Lianshan; secondly, with the matchmaker's presence, Gu Lianshan wouldn't dare to physically assault her, no matter how angry he was.
Secondly, involving outsiders was a way of warning Gu Lianshan not to try and silence the Zhu family. Besides the Zhu family, others also knew about the despicable things his daughter had done.
The Zhu family feared Gu Lianshan and wouldn't spread the news, but the outsider, Zhao, was different.
As the matchmaker, if Zhao spreads this news, not only will Gu Mei be too ashamed to get married, but Gu Lianshan's other children will also be unable to find wives and husbands!
Therefore, the biggest purpose of Zhao's arrival was to tell Gu Lianshan that his daughter Gu Mei had no other way to go except to marry into the Zhu family.
As for whether Zhao would slip up and brag about it later, the Zhu family didn't care.
In this kind of situation, it's the girl who suffers, while the Zhu family's grandson will only be praised for his ability!
"Let's not stand here any longer, it's quite cold. Let's go inside and warm up," Zhao said to the Zhu family. She stepped into the courtyard, glancing at the well-made gate as she went. She immediately realized that the Gu family was quite wealthy.
Zhu Laosan lagged behind, leading the oxcart. This oxcart was borrowed, so he had to keep a close watch on it.
When the group arrived at the courtyard, their eyes reddened as they looked at the main hall and side rooms built with blue bricks and black tiles, the long corridors connecting the left and right sides, and the spacious courtyard paved with stone bricks.
Even Zhao was no exception. Putting everything else aside, just for this courtyard alone, if the Gu family didn't have a fortune of one or two hundred taels, Zhao would never act as a matchmaker again!
The Zhu family was even more straightforward: Gu Mei's dowry of two taels of silver was too little!
With such a substantial family fortune, the Gu family must provide an even larger dowry!
The Zhu family members continued to greedily survey the courtyard. In the east wing, inside Gu Lai'an's room, Gu Lianshan was beating Gu Lai'an violently with a club.
"Didn't you say your sister was angry and didn't want to eat? Why would the Zhu family say your sister is with them!"
Gu Lai'an covered his head and fled in panic, wearing only a thin undergarment and barefoot, hiding around the room, stubbornly refusing to admit his mistake.
"Dad! Dad! Please stop hitting her! Please stop hitting her! Yesterday, when my sister told me she didn't want to eat, she stayed in her room! I'm not lying to you!"
Gu Lianshan was so angry that his hands were trembling. He stepped forward, grabbed the man, and dragged him out of the house. Then he kicked open the door to the room where Gu Mei lived and pushed the man inside.
"Didn't you say your sister was inside? You go find her! If you can't find her, I'll break your legs!"
Gu Lai'an cried as he continued to look for a place to hide, no longer daring to be stubborn and talk nonsense.
The commotion caused by the fight startled not only the Zhu family and Zhao Shi, but also the rest of the Gu family.
On the west side, Gu Tang, who was awakened by Gu Lai'an's loud and shrill screams, sat up abruptly, thinking that a villain had broken into the house. The screams were too eerie.