The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 1611 - 1606: Pay Up!

"It’s not me saying this, Fourth Miss, you’re not as pretty as your sisters, yet you dream big! No Silver, yet where did you get your tea leaves worth one hundred taels of silver per tael? No Silver Coin, yet how come your seasonal clothes include seven or eight sets, each costing dozens of taels? Were they blown to you by the wind? And those headpieces and jewelry, were they handed to you for free without cost?"

"And those cosmetics you’re using, the top-quality items from Hongxiu Tianxiang, each costing dozens of taels of silver, are hard for ordinary people to get. Yet you go to Hongxiu Tianxiang and take away several sets at once. Oh, that’s right, these indeed didn’t cost Silver."

"But why is that, don’t you have some awareness? It’s because Hongxiu Tianxiang is partly owned by my daughter, who discussed with Ninth Master Lee that everyone in the Gu Family, including the elders, sisters-in-law, and sisters, won’t be charged, the amount will be deducted from her year-end profit."

"Some things, if I don’t say, if you don’t say, we can tacitly understand! But you insist on pretending ignorance, right? Today, Aunt will clear it for you!"

"Over the years, aside from others, you alone have taken cosmetics worth no less than one thousand taels from Hongxiu Tianxiang Shop every year. My daughter Yongzhu considers us relatives, never mentions it, thinking it’s trivial among sisters, it’s unnecessary to fuss."

"Honestly, I wouldn’t fuss either, but there’s no one as shameless as you in this world! Annually using the best cosmetics from my daughter’s shop, while receiving all kinds of gifts meticulously sent by her. Yet, you don’t even appreciate, but gossip behind her back!"

"I’ve lived for decades and haven’t seen a girl as thick-skinned as you, no wonder others use two sets of cosmetics annually but you need seven or eight sets. Your face is too big to cover the ugliness without using extra cosmetics, isn’t it?"

The remarks caused not just Old Lady Gu and Eldest Lady to change expressions, but everyone to glance at each other.

Especially Lady An and Lady Lou, who exchanged astonished looks.

Regarding the Hongxiu Tianxiang cosmetics, Wang Yongzhu had instructed before leaving, telling them to just use them, with her investment in it being minor.

Besides, they certainly liked the cosmetics from the shop and thus went there.

But they were measured, visiting the shop only once or twice a year, taking a couple of things, and then asking their close friends to bring a few items back for use.

After a few visits, Hongxiu Tianxiang must have gotten the hint, not requiring their visit, and sent them new releases annually. Unable to decline, they accepted.

But who would’ve thought that Gu Zimei secretly went to Hongxiu Tianxiang every year, taking away seven or eight sets worth thousands of taels.

This, this is too extravagant, isn’t it—

Gu Zihang looked at Gu Zimei with disbelief, could this sister indeed be so shameless?

Spending an annual thousand taels on cosmetics! Even in the palace, the ladies wouldn’t dare be so wasteful, right?

Gu Zimei, whose face was peeled away by Old Granny Zhang in public, was both embarrassed and angry, covering her face with a handkerchief and crying ceaselessly.

Gu Zihang asked in a bitter tone, "Fourth sister, is Aunt telling the truth?"

Gu Zimei just cried without speaking, secretly annoyed, who could resist Hongxiu Tianxiang’s cosmetics being so sought after?

Especially the sets released in recent years, complete with colors, requiring two hundred taels per set.

Such high prices, people fought tooth and nail for them.

Plus, Hongxiu Tianxiang was limiting purchases, offering only a few sets monthly, making buyers scarce.

And she had all new full sets every month, wasn’t that enviable?

Some close friends, knowing she had a connection, asked her to help buy sets.

Previously, Gu Zimei was unimpressive among these friends.

This time being sought by everyone, she became somewhat conceited.

Eagerly, she agreed.

Upon returning, she felt some regret, but for the sake of face, she gritted her teeth and instructed her maid to buy two sets under her name.

Hongxiu Tianxiang saw her name and with Wang Yongzhu’s instructions, naturally gave it without charging her.

Gu Zimei obtained them easily, unaware of the difficulties, and generously gifted them to her friends without charging them, gaining a good reputation for being generous with someone else’s assets.

People fought over the cosmetics and saw how easily she got the sought-after sets, guessing she had a good relationship with Wang Yongzhu, and flattered her more.

Yet Gu Zimei was unaware, smug for a while.

Later, she accidentally overheard those friends gossiping, mocking her careless spending and frivolity with Wang Yongzhu’s items, as well as envying her for having a good cousin, otherwise where would she have her current status, with people praising her.

Others upon hearing this might feel ashamed or inwardly grateful to Wang Yongzhu.

But Gu Zimei didn’t inherit anything else but inherited some of Lady Quan’s peculiar temperament, thus ended up obsessed.

She grew increasingly resentful towards Wang Yongzhu, feeling that since her arrival, people only talked about Wang Yongzhu, saying everything good was thanks to Wang Yongzhu.

Just a country girl, even if her mother was from the Gu family, her father was just a country farmer, what’s there to brag about? Yet she overshadowed her, a real Miss Gu!

Over time, the resentment accumulated.

While using Hongxiu Tianxiang sets to build goodwill and reputation.

Yet growing increasingly displeased with Wang Yongzhu.

At this moment, being questioned by Gu Zihang in front of so many people, even being foolish she dared not reveal her thoughts, only covering her face and crying.

Lady Quan felt heartache and anger, being publicly reprimanded by Old Granny Zhang for her daughter, standing up and wanting to put on the airs of an older sister-in-law.

At home, if Lady Lou did something unsatisfactory, she’d already began teaching her with the airs of a mother-in-law, quite practiced.

Promptly stating, "Little sister, you’re too unruly! You’re a married woman, standing on our Gu Family’s ground, how dare you interfere in family affairs—"

Before finishing her sentence, Old Lady Gu and Gu Changqing’s brothers grew angry.

Old Lady Gu scolded, "You, shut up!"

Carefully she looked at Old Granny Zhang, explaining, "Niuniu, don’t listen to your second sister-in-law’s nonsense! This is your home! As long as I am alive, this is your home! Anyone who has any objections, griping, will be thrown out of the Gu Family by this old woman!"

Lady Quan was stunned, looking at Old Lady Gu, "Mother, I am your daughter-in-law, and Mei’er is your granddaughter! No matter how filial sister is to you, she’s still married out, she’s part of another family. How come for an outsider, you’re driving away your family?"

The words caused everyone, except the mother and daughter, to frown.

Before others could speak, Old Granny Zhang interjected, "Since I am an outsider, and my daughter even more so, that’s perfect, is it not? You should be too ashamed to keep accepting things from us outsiders then, right? Never mind other things, let’s calculate the cosmetics debts from the past four years! A set of cosmetics costing two hundred taels, your daughter uses seven or eight sets annually, mindful of the face of my brother whom I haven’t met, I’ll give you a discount, let’s count it as fifteen hundred taels a year."

"Which over four years adds up to six thousand taels! Pay up!" Old Granny Zhang reached out towards Lady Quan.

Lady Quan was dumbfounded.

She doesn’t handle the money at all! Over all these years, she hasn’t managed or cared about finances, everything is handled by Gu Changji, who oversaw inside and outside affairs.

Even if she doesn’t manage such trivial family matters, she knows that six thousand taels isn’t a small amount.

Instantly dumbstruck!