Chapter 384: The Gu Family's First Woman at the Table

Jiang Lai looked around; the tables followed the hierarchy of scholar, farmer, artisan, and merchant, and within each table the same principle applied.

At the fourth table, the seat of honor belonged to Gu Kai's wife, with the wives of Gu Hai and Gu Sen seated to her left and right.

At the third table, Gu Sen sat in the seat of honor.

At the second table was a paternal uncle in manufacturing, and Gu Zhiyan was also at the second table.

Jiang Lai's gaze lingered a moment longer on the face of Gu Zhiyan, her own brother. They were eating, and Ke Zhongyu didn't explain anything. It wasn't until after lunch, when the old man finished telling everyone about the guests who would be arriving one after another in the afternoon, that he said to Jiang Lai: "Gu Zhiyan is preparing for a selection. If he gets into the judicial system, he'll have a seat at the main table."

"And you're seated near the front of the main table because the national projects you've done—actually, it's not just the Gu family. This scholar-farmer-artisan-merchant division is hidden in many places." Ke Zhongyu used Chi Ce as an example.

When Chi Ce attended his university alumni association, there was no shortage of big bosses who had left their original professions to go into medical devices. No matter how rich they were, at the table where professors sat, they still had to sit further back, and after the meal they still had to pay.

People doing national project pharmaceutical research sat near the professors, and those engaged in similar volunteer teaching and medical programs also had to sit further forward. Merchants, apart from those with exceptionally high influence and status, all had to sit further back. This was virtually an unwritten rule.

Jiang Lai belatedly recalled that when her mentor was still alive and his disciples invited the old man to meals, her mentor would bring her along. The seating arrangements back then had carried something of this meaning as well.

Only, as the youngest junior sister at the time, she sat beside her mentor, still inexperienced in the ways of the world, and had no concrete perception of it.

With a few pointers from Ke Zhongyu, everything became clear.

No wonder her mentor hadn't been very willing to attend such dinner gatherings, devoting himself solely to scientific research, and when not busy, living a quiet, comfortable life with his mentor's wife.

"Jiang Lai." Ke Zhongyu looked at her solemnly. "You are the first woman in the Gu family to sit at the table."

Jiang Lai had already noticed.

"Jiang Lai." A soft, gentle voice came over. Gu Jin walked over holding her daughter's hand, her face showing a faint apology as she said, "Sorry, we have to leave soon. Youyou seems to like you especially—she kept tugging me over, saying she wanted to say goodbye to you. I hope we haven't disturbed you and President Ke."

Youyou tilted her head back, her bright, dewy big eyes seeming to sparkle with stars.

Jiang Lai looked down at the little one and said to Gu Jin, "You haven't."

She crouched down and patted Youyou's head. Youyou promptly threw herself into her arms, smiling as she said, "Auntie, thank you for the chair. You're the first person to give Youyou a chair to sit on."

"Standing is tiring, isn't it?" Jiang Lai softened her voice.

Youyou: "So tiweding!"

A child's unclear enunciation is rather adorable.

Youyou: "Auntie, we're going now, going home."

Gu Jin couldn't help saying, "Youyou didn't talk this much before."

Youyou: "Nobody talks to me."

Gu Jin: "Mommy's fault."

Youyou didn't understand, shaking her head: "Mommy does talk to me, and Auntie talks to me too."

The child couldn't understand what Gu Jin meant, but the adults could.

Every time Youyou went back to her maternal grandparents' home, she always felt stuffy and bored. Fortunately, the visits were never very long, but this time it was way, way, way too short!

An auntie who would give her a chair to sit on!

A pretty auntie!

An auntie who would talk to her!

Youyou's little mouth chattered nonstop about this and that, then suddenly said, "Auntie, Mommy's wrong. Clearly, girls can sit way, way up front too."

Gu Jin paused for a moment, then murmured softly, "That's something Mommy didn't realize either. It's Mommy's first time seeing it too."

There were many outstanding women, but within the Gu family's gilded cage, only Jiang Lai had emerged.

Youyou: "Oh oh! Then we'll know from now on."

A child's pure words strike straight at the heart.

Jiang Lai stood up, holding Youyou's soft little hand, and asked Gu Jin, "Why the rush to go back?"

Gu Jin looked surprised, then on second thought, it was normal for Jiang Lai not to know the Gu family's situation since she had just returned. She explained, "The Gu family can't host banquets, so the morning is a family dinner, and the afternoon is your welcome-cleansing banquet. They're done in batches—if the numbers exceed a certain point, people will notice. After the family dinner, core family members gradually leave one after another, and the guest list and headcount are strictly controlled."

"You can relax a bit more in the afternoon. There'll be more young people." With such a rare opportunity, which invited political and business dignitary wouldn't want to bring their own children out for a chance?

Jiang Lai said, "Thank you."

Gu Jin smiled. "You're welcome."

She had her daughter wave goodbye to Auntie, then after a moment's hesitation said, "Jiang Lai, it may not be my place to say this, but—it's a good thing you didn't grow up in the Gu family."

With that, she left.

Watching the backs of the mother and daughter as they departed, Jiang Lai's mind echoed alternately with Youyou's words and Gu Jin's words. She suddenly called out to Ke Zhongyu.

"Ke Zhongyu."

"Mm, I'm here."

"I suddenly feel that my coming back might have other benefits too." Jiang Lai looked into Ke Zhongyu's eyes. She thought Ke Zhongyu should understand.

Ke Zhongyu did indeed understand: "You've let the women of the Gu family see another possibility. You've also torn open a crack in the Gu family's rigid system."

This is the power of a woman standing at the heights.

To be seen is to have influence.

"Jiang Lai, this isn't the first time you've been a trailblazer. As long as you want, I can accompany you to flip the table and build a new order at any time."

Jiang Lai's breathing paused slightly, as if something had reached straight to the depths of her soul.

She smiled at Ke Zhongyu.

Ke Zhongyu lightly tapped the bridge of her nose.

The tender moment lasted less than a minute before Gu Hai came over, leading Gu Jiashu by the hand. He smiled and said, "I just found out that Jiashu said something outrageous. This boy doesn't behave. I've brought him to apologize to you."

"Jiashu, call Auntie, and tell Auntie you're sorry."

Gu Jiashu was very afraid of Grandpa and obediently said, "I'm sorry, Auntie."

Jiang Lai hadn't intended to hold it against a child in the first place, and said it was fine.

Gu Jiashu didn't sense any anger from Jiang Lai, and weakly added, "New Auntie isn't gentle at all, doesn't even smile, not like Auntie who buys me candy."

"Gu Jiashu!" Gu Hai grew mildly angry.

Gu Jiashu shrank his neck.

Ke Zhongyu's eyes flickered, and he asked him, "Did your aunt buy you candy to eat yesterday or today?"

Gu Hai frowned and gave Ke Zhongyu a deep look.

Gu Jiashu: "Yesterday!"

Ke Zhongyu's mouth curled in a rich sneer as he told Gu Jiashu, "Go tell your aunt we know she bought you candy yesterday, and after I say that I'll give you candy too."

For the candy, Gu Jiashu turned and ran to find Gu Yinxue.

Gu Hai: "Boss Ke, why bother again?"

Ke Zhongyu: "In front of all these clansmen, you claim Jiang Lai's return will get Gu Yinxue kicked out—what's the point of that?"

Gu Hai had nothing to say.

Jiang Lai suddenly realized.

By now Gu Jiashu had run up to Gu Yinxue and obediently called out, "Gu Yinxue, Gu Zhiyan, Song Shiwei!"

Gu Sen wasn't there; he had sent the clansmen away.

Song Shiwei pinched Gu Jiashu's cheek and asked, "Little Jiashu, where did you just go?"

Gu Jiashu snapped, "Grandfather told me to apologize to the new aunt, and her uncle beside her told me to come tell the aunt that they know she bought me candy yesterday."

Gu Yinxue's heart sank.

Ke Zhongyu—what does this mean?

She thought she'd be facing Jiang Lai, so how could it be Ke Zhongyu?

Is that right?