The Country Maiden: Fields and Leisure-Chapter 1616 - 1611: The Eldest Lady’s Silent Loss

Chapter 1616: Chapter 1611: The Eldest Lady’s Silent Loss

She waited for one day, waited for so many years, and finally the wait was over.

As the Clan Matron, she had to be magnanimous, able to balance the various complex relationships between the women in the family and the clan.

She had to care for and support the old and young widows, suppress those who were unruly and troublesome, and for some small-mindedness, as long as it wasn’t too damaging, she had to turn a blind eye and let it go.

She couldn’t afford to make any mistakes; otherwise, not only outsiders would be watching, but even those sisters-in-law in the clan would be watching her, just waiting for her to make a mistake so they could hold it against her.

All these years, she endured for a good reputation, for a good marriage alliance for her children.

She originally planned that, after enduring until her youngest son got married, she wouldn’t need to endure anymore. By then, all the children in the family would be settled down, even Fourth Miss would have her own family.

At that time, no one could find fault with her, she would have done her duty completely, raising the children of the second household and bringing them up to marry and establish their careers, even their birth parents couldn’t have done better.

All these years, she endured because when she married into the family, the Gu Family hadn’t been divided yet.

The division in the Gu Family happened after the Gu Family’s Third Child married, and only then did the Old Master Gu pass away which led to the division.

Gu Changji wanted to marry Lady Quan, but the family didn’t agree. He had a sincere talk with Gu Changqing, and only after that, did Gu Changqing persuade the Old Lady Gu.

At that time, Old Master Gu’s mind was solely on making amends to Gu Changyin, while feeling guilty towards the Old Lady, so she relented, and he tacitly approved.

Back then, the Lady of the Gu Family also didn’t quite understand why Gu Changqing wanted to speak up for Gu Changji.

Gu Changqing then explained to her why the second brother wanted to marry Lady Quan. Firstly, because there were few people left in Lady Quan’s maternal family, no one from her family, and marrying above her status, Lady Quan naturally lacked confidence.

Moreover, it was said that Lady Quan’s personality was simple and she hadn’t formally learned to manage a household. The Old Lady Gu sent people to guide her, but they were sent back, and only one elderly aunt who came relying on Lady Quan was teaching her. Naturally, she didn’t understand the affairs of these high-status families. Once married, she posed no threat.

Even if she had the cunning, she didn’t have the ability.

Otherwise, had they really married a girl from a prestigious family back, who wouldn’t be cultivated to become the head mistress? If there was a real conflict, wouldn’t it damage brotherly harmony?

Previously, the family had barely settled down due to the troubles caused by the Old Master Gu’s generation.

Having someone like the third brother who wasn’t easy to handle, if he married a strong-willed woman, the family would likely be turbulent again.

Thus, Gu Changji stubbornly insisted on marrying Lady Quan.

At first, the Lady of the Gu Family was quite moved, thinking that the second brother was sacrificing so much for the family peace, marrying a Lady Quan who couldn’t hold her own, was truly sacrificing too much.

Thus, after Gu Changji’s marriage, even though Lady Quan had been spoiled by her aunt, unable to manage the most basic social gatherings and meetings among women, she didn’t harbor a single complaint.

Instead, she felt increasingly guilty, wholeheartedly considering Lady Quan, ensuring she wasn’t ridiculed.

Otherwise, why would she and Gu Changji come up with that method of writing out how to meet people when going out, what to say, and how not to make mistakes, completely in a booklet?

Then Gu Changji taught Lady Quan to memorize it, she rehearsed with Lady Quan countless times, ensuring there were no flaws, before taking Lady Quan out for socializing?

All of these took her a lot of effort! She hadn’t even put this much effort into her own children!

Later, after Lady Quan gave birth, Gu Changji said Lady Quan didn’t know how to care for children, if the child were left with Lady Quan, they would likely be ruined.

He implored her, as the elder sister-in-law, to sympathize with the child and help raise them.

She readily agreed.

She remembered Gu Changji’s kindness, so whenever she could lend a hand, she never refused.

Afterwards, all the children from the second household were left with her, under her name there were four children, plus four from the second household. Honestly, although there were servants, consulting about the children’s situations daily, having to comfort them one by one, if a child felt unwell, she had to watch over them at night.

Sometimes, when the children from the second household and her own children fell ill simultaneously, to avoid gossip, she had to suppress her own worry and prioritize the children from the second household.

As a mother, every time she had to make such choices, her heart felt like it was being sliced.

Until later, when the family split, she thought she could finally breathe a sigh of relief.

But the second brother applied for relocation, leaving the children with her, saying he trusted the elder brother and sister-in-law, then dusted off his hands and left with Lady Quan.

The Lady of the Gu Family was devastated!

Yet, she couldn’t say anything, especially in front of Gu Changqing.

If she complained, wouldn’t Gu Changqing think, his second brother sacrificed marrying someone from a high-status family for the family, now she didn’t want to help raise the children, even with the servants assisting, how could she be unwilling?

How could she fulfill her role as the elder sister-in-law?

What other choice did she have? She could only endure.

At first, the Silver Coin sent annually by the second brother was sufficient for the children’s regular expenses, and she, as the elder sister-in-law, wasn’t petty, wasn’t stingy.

But later, as the children grew, expenses increased.

Especially after Zihang got married and had children, then came the marriage of the Second Miss.

The allowances from the second household could hardly cover these.

But as the sister-in-law, could she really go to the second brother asking for Silver Coin? No, she couldn’t!

Moreover, she could not treat the children from the second household poorly, they had to be treated equally.

Over the years, the Silver Coin spent was bearable, but later, the more she thought about it, the more she felt like she took a silent loss.

Wouldn’t it have been better if the second brother had married a strong-willed high-status wife? What would it have mattered? The family discipline was in place, once divided, everyone tended to their own.

How did it happen that she sacrificed her later life worrying over raising someone else’s children?

Over the past few years, the Lady of the Gu Family increasingly felt something was wrong, but because Gu Zikai was not yet married, she had to endure; she couldn’t endure all this time only to have the last step fail and become fodder for gossip, could she?

But she had already hinted in front of Gu Changqing, the latest by the time Gu Zikai gets married, they had to completely separate from the second household.

Initially, Gu Changqing was hesitant, after all, the Old Lady Gu was still alive, if they just separated from the second household like that, he worried it wouldn’t sit well with her.

But in consideration of his wife, over the years she had worried about the eight children growing up, finding marriage prospects, seeing them marry and establish families, indeed exhausting.

Just because of the second brother’s words, his wife had been so dedicated and unwavering for so many years, it was enough!

Otherwise, where could you find an elder sister-in-law treating nephews and nieces like her own? It was unprecedented compared to others! Because of the wife’s sacrifices, who in Capital City didn’t praise the Gu Family’s good family values? The good marriage prospects for the children were also due to her reputation, all first-rate families connected.

These contributions belong to the wife! On account of this, it’s likely the mother wouldn’t blame her!

Additionally, because Niuniu and the real Laosi were found, with the children reunited, and the younger sister urging on her behalf, the mother also felt a sort of guilt towards the wife!

So Gu Changqing acquiesced to the Lady of the Gu Family’s intentions, they both being foresighted, once the idea emerged, naturally hoped to carry it out in the best way possible.

Drafts of their plan were mentally composed countless times.

Yet no one expected this day would arrive so suddenly, moreover proposed by Gu Changque this recently recognized younger brother! Followed by the younger sister revealing the matter concerning Fourth Miss.

This allowed Gu Changqing to immediately make up his mind.

Now that the dust has settled, how could the Lady of the Gu Family not feel at ease?

The hot potato of Fourth Miss should indeed be left for the second household to worry over! She’s done with it!