Chapter 90 - 91: Truly Foolish or Faking It
Gu Sanbu thought of the last emperor, the long-lived founder of the dynasty, and held similar hopes for his recent successor.
"The Da Rong Dynasty has only been at peace for a few decades, and many old officials from the previous dynasty have been reinstated. Even if things proceed as usual, new decrees should be issued soon." Wu Sanbu changed the subject. "I’m guessing the imperial examinations will be restored before long. If you want to advance your career, the entire clan will support you then."
Ancient Wenheng didn’t hide his intentions. "I do have that ambition, but I can only accept the clan’s sentiment in spirit. To be honest, my wife is quite well-off, enough to support my studies. Everyone’s life is difficult right now, so let’s not trouble them further."
Gu Shulin was speechless. ’Is it really okay to be so bold and shameless about living off his wife?’
"But that’s your wife’s dowry, after all. Aren’t you afraid she’ll have the upper hand over you in the future?" Gu Sanbu was surprised by the extent of Jin Qianqian’s wealth but still tried to persuade Ancient Wenheng to accept the clan’s kind offer.
Ancient Wenheng scratched his head and gave a goofy smile. "My wife isn’t like that. Besides, even if she did hold it over me, that would be our own private business behind closed doors."
Gu Sanbu was silent. ’Is this kid really that naive, or is he just playing dumb?’
Ancient Wenheng thought, ’I’m not the dumb one here. Living off my wife is a lot better than being shackled by a lifetime of obligation.’
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"That kid is as slippery as an eel. He seems to say everything, yet he reveals nothing," Gu Sanbu grumbled, but his eyes betrayed his satisfaction.
"So what do we do now?"
Gu Sanbu said, "Go notify all the villages to keep a low profile for a while. Even if they find something valuable, tell them not to show it off. It’s not the theft itself you fear, but being targeted. We need to find a way to enclose our entire settlement. We don’t know when this will all be over, so we must prepare for the worst."
Although he had spoken with optimism, he believed in preparing for the worst. If the situation wasn’t resolved before winter set in, their lives would become truly difficult.
"But how are we supposed to fence off the area? We don’t have any materials." Even if they did, they should probably focus on building proper houses first. For now, everyone was just living in simple grass lean-tos that only kept the dew off and wouldn’t withstand much of anything.
"Sigh. Go and have a word with the other villages first. Ask them to help us come up with some ideas."
Gu Shulin asked, "What about Gu Yuan Yu, then?"
"Let’s leave it for now." Gu Sanbu had already made several overtures that were rebuffed, so he decided to back off for a bit. "Just focus on staying on good terms with him."
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"Mother," Gu Yuanfeng said, wringing her hands. "I’ve been searching for so long. I’ve finally found you all."
"What are you looking for us for?" Li Cuicui asked. Seeing her daughter’s gaunt frame, a flash of heartache crossed her eyes.
"Mother, why would you say that? Our family has moved here too, so I just came over to say hello. Have you and Father been doing alright?"
"We’re not starving. No matter what happens, your brothers would never abandon us." The thought of the fish soup her Seventh Wife had brought over for lunch seemed to soften Li Cuicui’s expression a little.
"That’s good to hear. Mother, your complexions look much better. Are you able to find food around here?"
Li Cuicui shot her a look. "This is a huge forest. As long as you’re willing to work hard, you won’t starve.
We told you to come into the mountains with us back then, but you all refused. The areas nearby have already been scoured by those who got here first. If you want to find anything to eat now, you’ll have to venture much deeper.
Did your mother-in-law put you up to this?"
Gu Yuanfeng shook her head. She could have gotten this information from the members of the He Family who had arrived earlier.
"I heard Seventh Brother’s family has fishing hooks and line, but they’re all loaned out. I was wondering if he could lend them to us next."
Li Cuicui scoffed. "Our own clan members are still waiting their turn. How could we possibly lend them to you? Besides, didn’t your family just butcher that old ox? You can’t be short on meat, so don’t come here to fight with everyone else over mere scraps."
The mention of this filled Li Cuicui with resentment. As the girl’s own mother, she hadn’t seen so much as a single hair from that ox, which just went to show what a terrible match this marriage had been.
Gu Yuanfeng protested, "How is that the same? No matter how you look at it, Seventh and I are true siblings. Surely family is more important than outsiders."
Li Cuicui gave a cold laugh. "Enough. After what happened last time, you still haven’t learned your lesson. Stop trying to siphon things from your own family to help your in-laws.
If you had split from them and were running your own household, then I would swallow my pride and go ask on your behalf. But as it is, don’t say another word. Go back where you came from and stop being an eyesore."
"Father, listen to what Mother is saying! How am I supposed to face my in-laws after this?" Gu Yuanfeng turned her head to look at Gu Dashishi, who was still lying on his pallet.
Gu Dashishi turned his head to look at her. "Your mother is right. Never mind your uncles, even your own brothers have to wait their turn to borrow the hooks.
You may be our daughter, but you’re married out. You can’t expect us to alienate our fellow villagers and clan members for your sake, can you?"
Gu Yuanfeng was left speechless.
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"Brother Guo, you really kicked up a storm this time. A lot of people are looking for you. Are you sure it’s a good idea to be hiding out here with me?" Ouyang Bing sat down directly across from Guo Yurong, picked up a cup of tea from the table, and downed it in one go.
Guo Yurong swirled the teacup in his hands, his face a mask of disdain. "So what? I didn’t lay a hand on anyone, and I’m not the one who opened the city gates. Plenty of people saw it—it was those greedy officials who opened the gates to line their own pockets."
"You, you... you still can’t stand the slightest injustice, can you? But didn’t you say you were going to find a place to lie low for a while? How did you even hear about this? Don’t tell me you didn’t go deep into the mountains this time?"
"I did go. But I have my ways." Guo Yurong refilled his friend’s cup. "Why are you so free today? Shouldn’t you be out running your business?"
"Thanks to you," Ouyang Bing said, rolling his eyes. "Every household in the city is now barricaded shut. If I even try to open for business, I’ll risk being looted by refugees. I’d rather stay here and keep an eye on you, the main culprit, and demand compensation for my losses."
Guo Yurong retorted, "I think it’s because the food at your restaurant is terrible. Otherwise, people would come even if it was just for a bite, and it wouldn’t be this deserted.
That bland, watery stuff you serve? Even I wouldn’t eat it. How do you expect to attract any customers with that?"
Thinking of that irresistible hot pot from a few days ago, Guo Yirong couldn’t help but smack his lips. It was truly unforgettable. Too bad he didn’t know if he’d ever be fated to have it again.
"Are you kidding me? This is a case of the beggar complaining his rice is spoiled. I seem to recall you practically living at my restaurant before. You’ve gotten awfully arrogant. If you’re so skilled, why don’t you show me what you’ve got? Make me eat my words." Ouyang Bing refused to believe there was anything wrong with the restaurant he had painstakingly built.
Guo Yurong’s interest was piqued. He began to vividly describe his recent, eye-opening experience, only to be met with a skeptical look from his friend.