Chapter 455: Unafraid to Offend

Shitou's hair-waving is so excellent.

Gu Xixi laughed heartily, "Mm, this broth is really delicious; I don't feel as dizzy and nauseous anymore!"

Lv Jing also laughed loudly, "Right, right, it's so tasty, really good!"

Everyone else present didn't care at all about Gu Er's embarrassment; instead, they followed along, laughing happily.

"My daughter-in-law remembers that our Boss Gu likes to drink broth, so she specially made a new batch!"

"It's not easy for Boss Gu to like drinking broth; when he goes back, he even takes the jar with him!"

"This little boy is indeed worthy of following Gu Xixi; he's much more clever than my own son of the same age!"

"Ah! This is called being influenced by what one hears and sees; those near vermilion become red!"

……

Gu Er's teeth were almost grinding apart, yet he still had to keep a smile.

At this moment, the clan elder was also secretly sizing up Mu Nan Zhao.

His aura really doesn't resemble that of an ordinary person.

Moreover, for an ordinary family, buying a single horse is already a stretch.

But he has two carriages each pulled by four horses, and the frames are made of the finest timber.

Could it be… he really is a big shot with great background?

The clan elder glanced again at Gu Xixi, who was chatting and laughing with someone, feeling puzzled.

It's no easy feat to know such a big shot; no wonder this girl refuses to introduce everyone to him.

It's that the big shot is unwilling to reveal his identity.

Or is it that Gu Xixi herself is selfish, fearing that the Gu clan will use her to climb higher?

Gu Xixi saw that the clan elder seemed displeased, but she didn't care.

She just wanted to quickly pierce the layer of paper in front of everyone.

So she actively steered the topic toward the tea garden.

"Recently the weather's hot, people are prone to laziness; unfortunately, the tea garden is still under construction."

"I can't help but run over every few days to keep an eye on the progress."

Upon hearing the words "tea garden," everyone's ears perked up.

Gu Er's eyes gleamed with a sly light as he hurriedly said, "I heard it's almost finished."

"When planting tea trees, we'll definitely need several big carts to haul saplings and fertilizer, right?"

Gu Xixi smiled faintly, "Yeah, we need them."

"I've already negotiated the price with a transport boss in the county seat."

"His fleet has several dozen vehicles, all the largest four-wheel carts, with twenty horses and ten camels."

"Besides the drivers, he also handles loading and unloading, employing over a dozen workers, all skilled hands."

Gu Er's face looked grim.

His private fleet compared to theirs is like the difference between a tiny weed and a towering tree.

Someone secretly mocked Gu Er for his greed, wanting to swallow the whole tea garden's transport business—now he's been humiliated, right?

He doesn't even consider whether he's worthy!

This person then laughed confidently, "Anyway, such a big tea garden surely lacks manpower."

"My two sons are strong and obedient; if Boss Gu assigns them a task, it won't be just any odd job, right?"

"Don't be like us farming folk, facing the soil with our backs to the sky; I think helping with bookkeeping and accounting would be quite good."

"Jobs involving money still need to be handled by our own kin to feel at ease!"

He spoke up, and others with the same idea hurriedly gathered around.

Afraid that if they came late, they'd miss out on the spoils.

"My daughter is no less than the girl beside you, Gu Xixi; you should also bring her and teach her!"

"My family has three sons; as long as they can get a job at the tea garden, they'll do any work!"

"Gu Xixi, my maternal nephew is in his twenties and still unmarried; he doesn't like farming, so if he works at the tea garden, the family can also find him a wife!"

The crowd at the clan meeting kept growing.

Gu Xixi, Mu Nan Zhao, Lv Jing, and Shitou were surrounded in the middle.

All around were chattering sounds, various kinds of desires.

After Gu Xixi finished her tasks, she went to the bathhouse for a soak; on her way back, she realized she had forgotten something.

It was clear she was about to be formally married, yet today upon returning home she actually forgot to inform Madam You of this.

Gu Xixi helplessly curled the corner of her mouth; it's already this late, she thought speaking now would be too late, so she can only wait until tomorrow when Madam Yan comes to the house to discuss the marriage again.

The next morning, Madam Bai brought several maids and grannies to the You household to discuss the young people's wedding.

Before the major rites, Madam Bai visited and brought only gifts like written silks and pastries.

Nevertheless, the various gifts still filled a table, most of them being high-end goods rarely seen in the market.

Madam You had never received so many gifts before, her eyes widened at the sight, yet this time she also maintained her composure, not examining those things closely.

"Madam Yan, please have a seat; fruit, and hurry up and serve tea to the lady!"

Having been in the capital for these two years, she had gained some insight and dared not casually address Madam Bai as "future in-law."

Madam Bai, however, warmly smiled and said, "Future mother-in-law, you're being too polite; I came this time to discuss the children's marriage."

She recounted in detail, from beginning to end, the emperor's edict bestowing the marriage and the Loyalty and Righteousness Marquis Manor's preparations for the wedding.

After hearing Madam Bai's words, Madam You stood dumbfounded for a while before blinking and squeezing out a sentence.

"Isn't it supposed to be taking a concubine? How did it become taking a wife? Madam Yan, are you joking with me?"

Madam Bai also had a cheerful disposition; hearing this, she burst out laughing with a pfft.

"My dear mother-in-law, this marriage is now an imperial edict bestowed by His Majesty—it cannot be false! After the wedding, Youzi will become the heir consort of the Marquis of Loyalty and Righteousness's manor, and our two families will thus be proper in-laws."

Madam Yu stared blankly at Madam Bai, then looked at Yu Guo, and said, "Guo, pinch me—see if I'm dreaming."

Yu Guo also heard Madam Bai's words clearly, but she did not have Madam Yu's disbelief.

In her view, her older sister and brother-in-law were very well matched; becoming the principal wife was appropriate, and there was nothing about marrying up.

Yu Guo put her arms around her mother's shoulders and laughed, "I assure you it's not a dream; I and Xiao Lan heard it clearly—Second Sister is going to remarry and become the wife of her brother-in-law, this is a great joy, Mother, why are you standing there dazed?"

Only then did Madam Yu gradually accept reality; she hesitated and asked, "Are you planning to elevate my second daughter from concubine to principal wife?"

Madam Bai laughed, "It's not about elevating a concubine, but about taking a wife. According to Yan Sheng's view, elevating a concubine would never be proper in name and substance, lest Youzi end up inferior later. So this counts as taking a wife, letting Youzi leave from the in-laws' side."

Having received confirmation, Madam Yu's heart also filled with joy; she never dared dream that her second daughter would one day become the heir consort of the Marquis's manor—what a great happiness this is!

"Taking a wife? I knew it—this girl Youzi really is blessed!" Madam Yu exclaimed, her face glowing with excitement.

She instantly felt her distance from Madam Bai shrink considerably, and she began chattering about the past.

"You parents-in-law probably don't know yet, but when Youzi was just three months old, a lame old Daoist came to our village, saw Youzi, and said this girl would have future blessings, that after marrying she would surely become rich and noble, destined to become an honorific lady! Back then I didn't believe it, never expecting it to actually come true."

In her elation, Madam Yu also forgot the reserve she had put on earlier, caring only to speak her mind, and before she knew it she was waving her arms and kicking her legs, with spittle flying everywhere.