novelraw Chapter 190 This girl won't sell for less than 52 taels of silver!
Chapter 190 This girl won't sell for less than 52 taels of silver!
Chapter 190 This girl won't sell herself for less than fifty taels of silver!
After settling the accounts, Gu Tang returned to the Feng family's place and impatiently waited for Old Master Gu and Gu Liansheng.
When Feng saw her return, she once again asked her about the adoption with a ferocious expression.
Gu Tang ignored her and acted as if she hadn't heard her shouts. She didn't even glance at her, which made Madam Feng so angry that she saw stars.
At the city gate, Old Master Gu finally met his daughter Gu Zhier and Madam Li.
The Wang family has an oxcart. After receiving the news yesterday, Gu Zhier and Li Shi had already discussed it and arranged for Gu Zhier's husband, Wang Dagui, to send them to Bei'an City.
Unexpectedly, just before setting off this morning, Wang Dagui suddenly had a stomachache and went to the toilet twice without getting better. Left with no other option, they had to ask Li's husband, Wang Dacheng, to drive them.
This whole ordeal wasted a lot of time, so they arrived later than the Gu family.
Li had met Old Master Gu before, and upon their meeting, she immediately asked, "The person has arrived?"
The question "The person has arrived" was directed at Old Master Gu, who knew perfectly well who it referred to. He smiled and nodded, "They've arrived! They're waiting at Qifu Inn!"
Hearing this, Li laughed and invited the father and son to get into the car.
Li, who frequently traveled to Bei'an City, knew about Qifu Inn. She pointed out the way, and they soon arrived at the inn's entrance.
Li Shunzi was still waiting for someone at the entrance of the inn when he saw Old Master Gu get off an oxcart. His eyes widened as if he had seen a ghost in broad daylight!
"Uncle Jin?! You...you weren't at the inn?!"
“I just came out to buy some things for your aunt, and you didn’t notice me coming out. I hadn’t gone far when I ran into your sister and her sister-in-law. When they saw me here, they knew I was here to pick up your aunt, and they insisted on coming over to see her.”
Li Shunzi breathed a sigh of relief; so that's how it is.
He said, "Of course, it's only right for a daughter to visit her mother!"
Grandpa Gu smiled and nodded, pointing to Wang Dacheng: "This is your sister's husband's brother, named 'Dacheng,' a few years younger than you. This is his wife, surnamed Li. Your sister came with them to buy some winter supplies, and it just so happened that we ran into each other."
Li Shunzi greeted everyone with a smile, and Wang Dacheng and Li Shi responded with smiles as well. Their words were friendly, and the couple appeared to be honest and kind people.
After getting to know each other, Wang Dacheng, like Li Shunzi, stayed outside to guard the oxcart, while Old Master Gu, along with Gu Zhier and Li Shi, went into the inn to look for Feng Shi.
Inside the inn, Madam Feng stopped shouting and yelling. She had been shouting for so long that her mouth was parched, but Gu Tang refused to pour her any water, telling her to stay thirsty and that she would only quiet down when she was too thirsty to speak.
Madam Feng was furious, but she had no choice but to endure it. She stared longingly at the warm water on the stove, swallowing repeatedly as she grew thirstier.
Therefore, when Old Master Gu and his party entered the house, Madam Feng almost teared up, and the first thing she did was to have someone pour her water.
Gu Zhier was still filial to Feng Shi. When she heard that Feng Shi wanted to drink water, she hurriedly took a bowl from the table, poured in more than half a bowl of hot water, carefully blew on it a few times, and then handed it to Feng Shi.
Feng took the bowl with trembling hands, ignoring the hot water burning her mouth, and drank while blowing on it. She drank several mouthfuls before she could barely quench her thirst.
Seeing her mother so thirsty, Gu Zhier's face darkened instantly. She turned to Gu Tang and began to berate her: "Are you blind or deaf? Don't you know your grandmother is thirsty?"
After she finished cursing, she finally looked at Gu Tang properly. When she saw Gu Tang's current appearance, she was immediately stunned. This was Si Ya?
It's been two or three months since I last saw Siya. How come that brat is getting more and more outstanding?!
Having quenched her thirst, Madam Feng glared fiercely at Gu Tang: "That brat did it on purpose! I asked her to pour me some water, but she ignored me completely, saying she'd rather I die of thirst! She's so vicious!"
Upon hearing this, Gu Zhier became enraged, quickly stepped forward, and raised her hand to strike Gu Tang: "You vicious, despicable wretch..."
"What are you doing?!"
Before Gu Zhier could even reach Gu Tang, Li Shi, who had been silent ever since entering the room and had been staring at Gu Tang, stopped Gu Zhier.
"Young girls are bound to be temperamental sometimes, why should you, as an elder, argue with her?"
She spoke softly, but her striking almond-shaped eyes held a hidden ferocity that instantly deflated Gu Zhier's arrogance.
Madam Li gently nudged her, signaling her to stay away from Gu Tang, then glanced at Old Master Gu and nodded subtly.
Grandpa Gu was overjoyed, knowing that Madam Li had taken a liking to Gu Tang. He quickly pretended to scold Gu Zhi: "Your sister-in-law is right. Siya is spoiled by your second brother and has become a bit arrogant. Why should you, as an elder, argue with her!"
At this point, Gu Zhier understood that her sister-in-law had really taken a liking to Siya and didn't want her to hit anyone, lest her appearance be damaged.
The initial anger immediately dissipated.
Her sister-in-law was no pushover; the more outstanding a girl's appearance, the less likely she was to find a good place to go!
Gu Zhier glanced at Gu Tang and felt very pleased.
You little whore! You won't be so arrogant for long!
Gu Tang wasn't stupid. Old Master Gu said he was going to fetch a doctor, but instead of a doctor, Gu Zhier and a strange woman came.
From the moment the woman entered the house, her gaze remained fixed on her, her eyes burning with desire as she scrutinized her from head to toe, as if appraising an object.
Remembering how Madam Feng had threatened to sell her, Gu Tang glanced around at everyone in the room with an unchanging expression.
Feng was still drinking water, so nothing could be discerned.
Grandpa Gu was relatively normal, except that he wouldn't look in her direction.
Gu Liansheng and Gu Zhier, however, gave themselves away. Their eyes gleamed, and they wore relieved smiles as they looked over, their gazes both smug and triumphant.
Gu Tang withdrew his gaze, understanding the situation somewhat. He glanced at the woman not far away and began to guess her identity.
Li did indeed take a liking to Gu Tang.
To be honest, she wasn't very concerned about seeing him before, otherwise she wouldn't have waited until now to finally meet him.
She had previously thought that no matter how outstanding a girl from a farming family could be, how outstanding could she be? Besides, given the appearance of the Gu family, it was unlikely that they would produce any outstanding daughters.
This can be seen from the two girls of the eldest branch of the Gu family. Gu Qing is barely good-looking, and can be considered a pretty girl, while Gu Lian is less so, and can only be described as "well-dressed". If she hadn't wanted to get close to the Cheng family and didn't have any other girls she could be proud of, she wouldn't have looked at those two sisters.
But this one is different!
Look at her appearance! It's been a long time since I've seen someone so outstanding!
And this figure, though youthful, is extremely slender, which is what those madams love most.
If we buy her and train her for a year or two, she'll definitely become the top courtesan, earning hundreds of taels of silver a night!
Li was increasingly delighted with the sight of him, and her mind kept recalling several madams she knew. Once she got her hands on him, she would have these madams bid against each other!
Judging by her appearance, she wouldn't make a move for less than fifty taels of silver!
Thinking of the piles of silver, Madam Li could no longer resist reaching out to touch Gu Tang's cheek.
"This little girl is truly stunning! It's only natural that she'd throw a little tantrum. If I had such a pretty girl, I'd spoil her rotten too..."
Just as her fingers were about to touch her cheek, Gu Tang took two steps back, avoiding Li's hand.
She frowned slightly, looking at Li with extreme disgust: "Talk is talk, but why are you hitting me?! You think you can touch my face like that?!"
Li paused, a hint of displeasure flashing in her eyes. "What? Is your little face some kind of precious treasure?"
At this point, she suddenly exclaimed "Oh!" as if she had just realized something, and then said, "Look at my mouth, and your little face, they really are precious things!"
Noticing Li's displeasure, Old Master Gu quickly scolded Gu Tang: "You worthless wretch! This is your aunt's sister-in-law. According to seniority, you should call her 'Auntie'! Hurry up and call someone to apologize to your auntie properly!"
Gu Zhier's sister-in-law?
Gu Tang pondered for a moment, and some impressions came to mind.
Gu Zhier had two sisters-in-law: Lu, the eldest daughter-in-law of the Wang family, and Li, the third daughter-in-law of the Wang family.
Neither of the two original owners had met them, nor had Gu Tang, but she had heard her father say that Madam Lu was too honest and simple-minded, and would never say a word even if you beat her. She was subjected to beatings and scoldings at the Wang family's home, and rarely went out.
Li was different. It was said that she secretly learned from her family and started a human trafficking business, tricking many families into selling their daughters and doing many immoral things.
Gu Tang looked at the woman in front of him again. Since Madam Lu was so quiet and rarely went out, this woman must be Madam Li.
Since it was the Li family, then the look in their eyes just now must have been directed at me... Thinking back to the gleeful and smug expressions on Gu Liansheng and Gu Zhier's faces, it all became clear now.
The Gu family wanted to sell her, so they summoned Madam Li to take a look at her.
It seems I've fallen into someone's trap.
Gu Tang burst out laughing. What audacity!
"Auntie? Whose auntie? What kind of auntie? I've been adopted away with my father now, so your relatives have nothing to do with me. Don't try to claim any connection. If word gets out, outsiders will say your whole family has no manners!"
"You!" Old Master Gu panicked and subconsciously glanced at Madam Li. Sure enough, Madam Li's face turned cold.
"Adoption?" Madam Li's gaze turned unfriendly as she glared at Old Master Gu.
Gu Zhier looked equally incredulous and asked in a shrill voice, "Father! My second brother's family has been adopted?!"
Old Master Gu was somewhat embarrassed.
The son he had raised for decades was suddenly given away along with a whole house of children. The reason was still due to the unequal division of the family property. It was a matter that was hard to talk about and hard to hear. He was ashamed and kept it a secret from his relatives.
Even their daughter was kept in the dark.
Under the gazes of his daughter and Li Shi, Old Master Gu nodded stiffly: "Previously, the second son caused trouble by dividing the family property. He felt that the share was too small, and in a fit of anger, he instigated the clan elders to have a branch of his family adopted into your third uncle's family..."
"Explain yourself!" Gu Tang shouted indignantly, "What do you mean my father thinks we're not getting enough? You're not willing to give my father anything at all, and you want him to pay for your whole family to continue supporting you!"
This method of division is unparalleled in the entire city of Bei'an! My father, desperate for a way to survive, begged the clan elders to allow our branch of the family to be adopted under my third great-uncle's name!
After saying this, Gu Tang turned and was about to leave the room.
"Where are you going!" Old Master Gu exclaimed in surprise, quickly calling out to stop him. He couldn't let him leave!
Gu Tang paused, then replied with feigned annoyance, "What do you think I should do? Do you want to settle the inn bill? And what about those two old women's wages? Why don't you go and settle them?"
Grandpa Gu breathed a sigh of relief: "I didn't bring any money with me today. Go and settle this money first, and I'll pay you back when we get back. Remember, come back quickly after you've settled the money; your Uncle Shunzi is getting impatient!"
Gu Tang sneered without giving him any face, which made Old Master Gu's face turn black!
In front of outsiders, that old geezer talks a good game but doesn't know the meaning of shame!
She flung her hand out of the room, and once she was far away from this place, Gu Tang took off running out of the inn.
As she was about to leave, she saw Li Shunzi chatting and laughing with a middle-aged man, and they seemed to know each other very well.
Thinking of Gu Zhili, this person must be either the eldest or the third son of the Wang family.
The second son of the Wang family, who is Gu Zhier's husband, was someone the original owner had met. This person was clearly not him, but his appearance was very similar to that of the second son of the Wang family, so it was obvious that they were brothers.
Before the two men noticed her, Gu Tang tiptoed back to the inn, called over a waiter, gave him a few copper coins, and asked him to go outside and call in a man named Li Shunzi.
The young shop assistant was overjoyed to receive the copper coin. He quickly ran out to call for help and soon brought Li Shunzi back in.
Upon seeing them enter, Gu Tang began to lie, half true and half false: "Uncle, I'm afraid I can't go back with you. I'll just hire an oxcart to take me back myself. You can wait outside for my grandfather and the others; they'll be out soon..."
Li Shunzi looked bewildered: "What happened? Why do we suddenly need to hire an oxcart?"
"As you know, my grandmother's medicine costs fifty copper coins. My father had already paid for a month's supply, but now he's suddenly forcing me to take out ten taels of silver to buy medicine. If I don't give it to him, he won't let me take the oxcart back."
"I brought five taels of silver today, and I gave it all to the inn! My grandmother has been feeding me chicken, duck, fish, and meat twice a day for the past few days! She's managed to eat five taels of silver in just a few days! I only have twenty copper coins left, just enough to hire an oxcart to go home. Where am I going to get ten taels of silver? I couldn't even get ten taels if I sold them!"
Li Shunzi felt dizzy: "Wait a minute! Your grandma has eaten five taels of silver these past few days?! What did she eat? Dragon liver and phoenix gall? And that medicine! What kind of medicine costs ten taels of silver?! Ginseng and lingzhi?!"
Gu Tang sighed, "We have chicken, duck, fish and meat every meal, and they even rounded down the price from five taels of silver! As for that medicine, I don't know what it is. When I asked him what it was, he wouldn't tell me, he just kept telling me to pay. To avoid making a scene in public and causing embarrassment, it's better if we go back separately."