Chapter 1115: Regretful Remorse
The journey from Dayangshu Village to Xiang City takes only three to four days, so news travels quickly.
The Gu family in the village heard the news and felt a sense of pride, walking with their chests puffed out.
The villagers couldn’t fathom how much 300,000 taels of silver was, nor could they understand why it wasn’t kept for personal use instead of being donated.
In times of war, they had all donated some scrap silver or copper coins, but 300,000 taels was too much, as if donating the money accumulated over several generations.
Some busybodies rushed to the house of Zhou Ergui and told Mrs. Li.
Initially, Mrs. Li didn’t understand, so the person explained carefully, "Your daughter, your own daughter, Doctor Gu of the Renxin Hall, donated 300,000 taels of silver to the court for the war effort."
Once Mrs. Li understood, she cursed at the person, "She has nothing to do with me; she can donate her silver, you don’t have to specially inform me."
"Pah, what nonsense is this, ignoring her own mother while throwing mountains of silver away like water!"
Nowadays, Mrs. Li, worn down by life’s hardships, was no longer the delicate woman she once was and had become just like any other rural woman.
The busybody chuckled, "That’s why some people, having done things that anger both heaven and mankind, deserve it when their own daughter is willing to throw away piles of silver but wouldn’t spend a dime on her own mother. Serves them right for having no fortune!"
Mrs. Li picked up a stool, glaring, "Say that again, and I’ll beat you to death."
The busybody sneered as they walked away.
Once they were out of sight, Mrs. Li dropped her fierce demeanor, threw the stool, and squatted down, crying bitterly.
If someone could see inside her, they’d find her intestines turning blue.
Why blue?
Regretfully blue.
Qingshan Village had also received the news.
It was Zhao Lizheng who told Old Master Jiang.
Old Master Jiang had long realized, apart from the shock of Gu Yunjiao’s vast wealth, there was nothing else.
His former grandson, Saburo, became the Lord Chief Minister, his former granddaughter-in-law was conferred the title of National Lady and was also immensely wealthy, and his own grandson Liu Lang had become an official.
Yet what did any of this have to do with him?
The Jiang family was now simply a small landowner family in the countryside.
The people who knew them well enough sometimes snickered behind their backs, but they never dared offend them openly.
After all, Lord Chief Minister still had ties of incense with the Jiang family, and who would dare provoke them?
Not to mention the family also had a grandson who was an official.
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Proclamations against Da Jin were quickly posted nationwide, sparking a wave of voluntary donations among the populace.
At this time, donations in Xiang City, under the Emperor’s footstool, had essentially concluded.
The Xie family had already donated 20,000 taels.
Mrs. Ruan, who managed the Xie household, begrudgingly parted with the silver, cursing for days about the wastrels.
Old Madam Tian, upon hearing this, repeatedly sneered.
She knew Mrs. Ruan wasn’t just criticizing one person.
Grand Tutor Xie, who decided to donate, and Gu Yunjiao, who first gave 300,000 taels.
It seemed Mrs. Ruan worried that if Doctor Gu donated all her silver, Ruru’s dowry would be diminished.
She didn’t consider that even if the Dingjing Duke Mansion accumulated wealth over generations, not a bit would be spared if Dingjing City fell.
Nor would the Jiang men’s salaries exceed what her household’s elder could earn, probably just enough for the family to subsist.
One could only say, all this silver was accumulated by Doctor Gu herself through treating patients, running clinics, and opening workshops.
How much she chose to give her sister-in-law was an act of kindness; withholding it was something nobody had the right to criticize her for.