From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Gu Kaishan simply put the fish aside, rolled up his trouser legs, and got right into the field to help pull weeds.

Liu Heizi followed his lead. "Sister-in-law, we’ll help with the work in the field. You should go home and rest."

Jin Qianqian didn’t know what they were up to, but she smiled, thanked them, gathered her things, and went straight home.

"If you have something to say, just say it." Gu Wenheng’s hands didn’t slow down.

"You just got back today. Have you heard about the trouble your younger brother has been stirring up?"

Gu Wenheng was silent. ’Is life in the countryside so easy that everyone has become such a gossip?’

"Your parents definitely don’t know yet. There’s more to it," Gu Kaishan said mysteriously. "I’m only telling you this secretly because we’re still close relatives."

Gu Wenheng looked at Gu Kaishan. "Isn’t it just that he wants money to get a wife?"

"That’s all nonsense," Gu Kaishan scoffed, curling his lip. "Let me tell you, I only found this out yesterday.

I went into town early yesterday morning to sell some fish, hoping to trade for some oil and salt. Who would’ve thought I’d run into your little brother acting all sneaky? Thinking about all the trouble he’s been causing lately, we got curious and secretly followed him.

And guess what?"

Gu Wenheng shook his head, remaining silent.

Gu Kaishan continued, "We saw that kid from the Lan Family—the one who was beaten and driven out, Lan Yun.

That kid is something else now. He was dressed to the nines and even had servants with him.

Your youngest brother was bowing and scraping in front of him. He was acting like such a lackey, I could hardly watch."

Gu Wenheng said, "Uncle, stop beating around the bush. Get to the point."

"What’s the rush?" Gu Kaishan was just getting animated. "We were secretly following them. Guess what they were talking about?"

Gu Wenheng said nothing.

"Gu Yuanlei was calling him ’brother’ so affectionately. We overheard the other guy ask him how getting the household registration sorted out was going.

Gu Yuanlei actually said his parents wouldn’t agree and that he was still trying to figure out a way.

Lan Yun’s face turned black right then. He laid into Gu Yuanlei, saying that we Gu Family people are too greedy. He said they had already given so much Silver Tael, yet we still wouldn’t release the household registration.

He even said that if Gu Yuanlei didn’t want to marry into their family, they could just send his sister to the countryside for a few days. When she came back, they could just say she was a widow returning to her maiden home."

At this point, Gu Kaishan looked at Gu Wenheng. "Now do you get it?"

Gu Wenheng was silent. ’I’m not an idiot.’

He still nodded. "And then?"

"There was no ’and then’. It was just Gu Yuanlei groveling and saying all sorts of nice things." Gu Kaishan cleared his throat. "But that youngest brother of yours is a real piece of work. He’s the one desperately trying to marry into their family, but he comes back here pretending to be a big shot, trying to get your parents to sell everything they own to pay for his betrothal gifts. Isn’t he getting it all backward?"

"You haven’t mentioned this to my parents?"

Gu Kaishan shook his head. "It’s not really our place to say. You know we’re not the most reliable bunch. If people asked where we heard it, what would we say? That we were eavesdropping?"

Besides, while they might have been scoundrels in the past, they would never go so far as to scheme against their own family. Gu Yuanlei’s incredible scheme instantly made them feel like saints in comparison.

"We’re telling you this so you can be on your guard. You’re probably a fat prize in Gu Yuanlei’s eyes right now. Since he can’t convince your parents to buy a house and scrape together Silver for him, he’ll probably set his sights on you. You should think about whether you need to lie low for a bit." After that long detour, Gu Kaishan finally revealed the purpose of their visit.

Liu Heizi chimed in, "What Kai Shan said is all true. I was there too. These days, Old Gu has been bragging to everyone he meets that he’s going to live in the Prefecture City in the future.

But what do you even call his situation? Is he marrying out, or is she marrying in?"

Gu Wenheng was speechless.

"Seventh?" Gu Kaishan called out with some concern. "You’re not stunned by the news, are you? No need to be so shocked. Your family has plenty of sons, so you won’t miss one. At worst, just pretend you’ve married off a daughter."

"...," Gu Wenheng said, "I just... hadn’t expected it."

"What’s there not to expect?" Gu Kaishan snorted. "That kid is ambitious. He wants to have his cake and eat it too.

From what I’ve seen, he hasn’t done a lick of work since he got back to the village. He just stares at that little bit of compensation money the family got. He’s been to each of his brothers’ houses, supposedly calculating and counting how much each one can support him.

At first, we could understand it. After all, we’re men. Sometimes we get a little girl-crazy and do stupid things. That’s normal.

But after what happened yesterday, I know now that youngest brother of yours is a lost cause. Your family should just hurry up and throw him out to be someone else’s problem!"

Gu Wenheng deeply agreed. He suddenly felt that letting him marry into another family was actually a good way out.

Speak of the devil.

Just as they were still clearing weeds, Gu Yuanlei appeared like a phantom on the edge of the field.

"Brother Qi, your connections are really something. You just got home, and people are already here helping you with farm work."

Gu Kaishan said, "I say, nephew Yuanlei, your uncle, a senior elder, is busy working here, and you don’t even know to say hello? Or are your eyes so fixed on the sky that you can’t be bothered with small-timers like us?"

"Look at what you’re saying, Uncle Kai Shan. I was just marveling at my Brother Qi’s good connections. I was just about to greet you, old sir."

"So clueless. I may be your uncle and of a higher generation, but I’m not much older than you. Where does this ’old’ business come from?"

Gu Yuanlei was silent. ’Generational seniority is the worst. He’s using it to make a point again.’

Gu Wenheng said, "Youngest, don’t just stand there. Other people are helping your brother work. It doesn’t look good for you to just watch from the sidelines."

Gu Yuanlei brushed off his robes. "Brother Qi, it’s not that I, your younger brother, am unwilling to help. My future sister-in-law made this robe for me before I left. If it gets dirty, it’ll be hard to explain when I go back.

Besides, for a small plot like this, the three of you are more than enough."

Gu Wenheng cut straight to the chase. "Then what did you come here for?"

"Dad has something to discuss with you, so he sent me to call you. You should probably head over now. Don’t keep Dad waiting."

Gu Wenheng looked bewildered. "But I was just at the house. Dad didn’t say he needed to talk about anything. Look, I can’t just dump my work on others, can I? I’ll go to the house once I’m done with this."

Gu Yuanlei’s expression changed. "Are you disobeying Dad now?"

Gu Kaishan interjected, "I say, Old Gu, you can’t possibly have missed that we’re working, can you? It’s bad enough you won’t come down and help, but now you’re bossing your brother around? Is that any way to treat your elder brother?

Besides, I’m an elder, and I’m still here. Would it really be right for your brother to just leave us here?"

"..." Gu Yuanlei said, "Well, you’d better be quick about it then. Oh, and my sister-in-law. Dad wants her to come too. Don’t forget to bring her later."

After speaking, he disgustedly wiped the mud from the soles of his feet on the grass at the edge of the field.