The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 1613 - 1608: Guidance

Not to mention others, let’s just talk about the second branch.

After Gu Zihang and his wife brought back Lady Quan and Gu Zimei to the second branch, they only ordered Gu Zimei to be locked in her room and not allowed to come out.

They tried to persuade Lady Quan a few times, but it was to no effect. Instead, Lady Lou got scolded thoroughly, so the couple could only return to their room in embarrassment.

They discussed how to handle compensation matters.

Over the years, aside from giving two thousand taels of silver to the Public Institution annually, the properties initially divided to the second branch in the Capital City have also yielded considerable profits each year.

However, all these were managed by Gu Changji. Only after Lady Lou gave birth to the first grandson of the second branch did they allocate two estates and shops to Gu Zihang and his wife, meant to be a supplement for their growing family.

Everyday expenses were covered by the main branch, so their expenditure was minimal, leaving the private treasury of Gu Zihang and his wife quite full.

But coming up with six thousand taels of pure silver all at once made Lady Lou’s heart ache.

These were all their private funds, necessary for the future weddings of their children.

Losing six thousand taels at once would be acceptable if it were for something else, but just to fill the vanity of the younger sister-in-law was infuriating to Lady Lou.

However, seeing Gu Zihang’s stance, along with the comments from the elder brother and sister-in-law today, Lady Lou knew she had to count out six thousand taels of silver notes and place them in a box to give to Old Granny Zhang later.

Gu Zihang reminded, "Pick two good items to send along as well—"

With a sigh, Lady Lou thought about it and selected two sets of jewelry, one with pearls the size of lotus seeds and the other set with thumb-sized tourmaline, showing considerable sincerity.

Before dinner, she personally delivered the box to Old Madam Gu’s courtyard. Since her return, Old Granny Zhang had been living with Old Madam Gu.

Upon hearing Lady Lou had come, Old Granny Zhang didn’t put on airs, knowing she was here to give silver, quickly letting her in.

With lowered eyes and a courteous demeanor, Lady Lou apologized before presenting the box.

Seeing the silver notes and the two pieces of jewelry, clearly intended for younger women like Wang Yongzhu, Old Granny Zhang felt a bit more at ease.

At least the second branch, particularly Gu Zihang and his young wife, understood what needed to be done.

Without hesitation, she accepted the box, and before Lady Lou left, she advised, "Second daughter-in-law, you’re a sensible woman, but your nature is too soft. Sometimes, one can’t care too much about face, as being overly considerate allows others to take advantage. Now that you have both a son and a daughter, you should manage the affairs of the second branch. If you are too soft, how will you run the household?"

Lady Quan makes her daughter uncomfortable, so she wants Lady Quan to feel equally uneasy.

If Lady Lou could be more assertive in the future, perhaps Lady Quan wouldn’t have such an easy time.

Lady Lou was taken aback, her eyes reddened, and after bowing to Old Granny Zhang, she retreated.

Returning to the second branch, dinner was ready, filled with their favorite dishes, yet the couple had no appetite.

Watching their children finish eating, they instructed the servants to take the children away.

The couple sat facing each other, worried.

After a long silence, Gu Zihang finally spoke, "Once the elder brother and sister-in-law finish amending the family rules tomorrow, I’ll write to Father to inform him of everything that’s happened—"

Lady Lou nodded, hesitating, "What about Mother and Little Sister in the meantime?"

Gu Zihang replied with annoyance, "Keep the Fourth Miss grounded! Wait for Father’s reply to see what he says. As for Mother, don’t worry about her. After Third Uncle’s wedding, she’ll be sent back to Father."

Lady Lou felt a sense of relief.

Cautiously, she said, "From what the elder brother and sister-in-law indicated, I guess after tomorrow, our second branch might indeed separate—"

She looked at Gu Zihang as she spoke.

Gu Zihang sighed and rubbed his face. Of course, he understood.

Third Uncle had already made it clear; even if the elder brother and sister-in-law didn’t bring it up, for the good of the second branch, they should propose separating the two branches for each to manage their own affairs.

Previously he had been complacent, never considering this; now it was stated plainly, and he had done some calculations in his mind.

The main branch has covered the second branch’s expenses for many years, likely amounting to tens of thousands of silver.

Not only should they separate and account for expenses with the main branch tomorrow, but if they don’t show some intention, he wouldn’t respect himself.

After contemplating, he looked at Lady Lou, "How much silver do we have on hand?"

Having been married to Gu Zihang for years, Lady Lou knew his intentions from his question and, gritting her teeth, said, "Including my dowry, we can gather twenty thousand in silver notes."

The rest were land deeds, jewelry, antiques, and calligraphy, though valuable, couldn’t be converted quickly into silver.

Estimating in his mind, Gu Zihang thought that taking out twenty thousand taels should suffice. If they were to calculate everything so meticulously with the main branch, it would be alienating.

They simply needed to show their attitude to make the main branch feel better; offering twenty thousand in silver notes seemed fitting.

Having made up their minds, they organized all the silver notes and placed them in a separate box.

After arranging everything, it was about time for their usual bedtime.

They washed and got into bed, but couldn’t fall asleep.

In the dark, Gu Zihang said, "From now on, you’ll need to manage the household more diligently. The silver may not be sufficient for a while, so we’ll have to be frugal. When Father learns, he’ll surely compensate us, and we’ll just have to endure a bit."

"If Mother does anything wrong or says unpleasant things, don’t take it to heart. After Third Uncle gets married, she’ll return to Father."

"On my behalf, please be patient with her. Just ensure her daily needs are met, and if she crosses the line, as a junior, it’s not appropriate for you to argue with her. You can always visit Grandmother’s room to chat—"

Lady Lou nodded, understanding that Gu Zihang had resolved for her to manage the affairs of the second branch, overseeing Lady Quan and Gu Zimei.

Gu Zihang also knew Lady Quan was foolish, only listening to his father, Gu Changji. He feared Lady Lou might struggle, so he advised her, if things worsened, to seek refuge with Old Lady Gu.

Lady Lou nodded on the surface, but internally, she pondered Old Granny Zhang’s words and fell asleep unwittingly.

In the Gu family’s mansion, nearly none of the masters could sleep at this moment.

Gu Changqing and the Eldest Lady were somewhat better; having been together for years, they understood each other well. They had already settled the main issues earlier, and what remained were minor details, not worth stressing over.

Thus, they managed to sleep early and soundly.

Upon returning to their courtyard, Lady An and Gu Zihuan dismissed all their servants. Lady An sighed with relief and exclaimed, "Finally, this day has come! Thanks to Third Uncle and Aunt for speaking up on our behalf, otherwise—"

"You’d better keep quiet! With so many people around today, everyone kept their composure, except you. At times you laughed like a fool, and at others, you were agape with astonishment. If Second Brother and his wife saw you, wouldn’t they be suspicious?" Gu Zihuan chided angrily.