Gu Chengzhi feared Ms. Zheng would hit him, quickly nodding and responding: "Mmm, mmm, I’ll be good, Mom, don’t hit . Give so at to eat and let have an official position."
A fool like you still wants to be an official?
Ms. Zheng looked at the drooling, foolish-looking Gu Chengzhi with great annoyance.
As for Gu Chengzhi’s issues, she wasn’t sure how long they could be concealed. She reckoned that if this continued for two more years, as Gu Chengzhi grew older, others would definitely realize there was sothing wrong with his mind.
However, since Gu Youlu had contracted venereal disease, he couldn’t find other won to have children with. For this life, he only had Brother Zhi as a son. Even if his mind was not sound, she couldn’t discard Brother Zhi. She believed she could still live a good life relying on Brother Zhi.
In the mansion, Elder Gu expressed satisfaction for the first ti, addressing those present: "Dashan’s family has beco successful. You all bear with it a bit longer. Once I return from Tianfu County, we can spend our family’s silver without having to endure the treatnt from the Lai family."
Elder Gu was nothing but a bully, afraid of those stronger than him. When Lord Lai was around, he didn’t dare utter a word. Now that Lord Lai had left, he assud an attitude of looking down on the Lai family.
"Pah!" Granny Gu spat at Elder Gu, showing disdain. Just who do you think you are to be despising the Lai family?
Elder Gu frowned, angrily saying: "Old woman, if you keep being unruly like this, don’t bla for showing you no respect!"
His eldest son had indeed struck gold, and his grandson had beco the top scorer in the county examination. As long as Gu Jin’an could beco an official in the future, he would be the official’s grandfather. If this dying wife dared show him any attitude, he would dismiss her.
Granny Gu, initially ignored by Lord Lai and then scolded by Elder Gu, was overwheld with sorrow and began to weep.
Elder Gu saw her crying miserably and comforted her, saying: "Alright, stop crying. Once I return from Tianfu County, our family will have endless money to spend. Dashan’s family’s business and Brother An’s connections will all bring benefits to our family."
He continued: "I heard Brother An knows noble sons from Jinling as well. Little Sister, Sister Ya, and Sister Rong are all reaching marriageable age. When the ti cos, let Brother An find a few noble sons to marry them off to, making them noble ladies even more glorious than the Lai family. You just wait to enjoy the good life."
Gu Rong laughed, thinking her grandfather has the wrong idea about noble sons. How could they want to marry the likes of Little Sister and Gu Ya, who were nothing but riffraff? Just find them two widowers to marry so that nobody finds out the truth and accuses the Old Gu Family of fraudulent marriage.
However, right now she had no ti to deal with Gu Ya; she just wanted to quickly follow her grandfather to Tianfu County and cozy up to her uncle’s family.
Gu Youfu and his wife were delighted, urging Elder Gu: "Father, it’s getting late, you should hurry back to your room to rest. You need to take us to Tianfu County for important business tomorrow, and being sleep-deprived condition is not good."
Elder Gu nodded, very pleased, and said: "You all truly care. Co, take your mother back."
Elder Gu instructed Gu Youfu’s family like an old patriarch, ordering them to carry the paralyzed Granny Gu back to her living quarters.
Gu Chengli, though limping, was also feeling a surge of excitent—haha, Gu Chengxian and Qian Chengcai had contracted venereal disease, and Gu Chengzhi was still young and appeared foolish. Once they acquired Dashan’s family’s business, it would surely fall into the hands of this grandson.
The more Gu Chengli thought about it, the more excited he beca, working diligently. After carrying Granny Gu back to the courtyard, he personally fetched water and attended to Elder Gu, washing his feet.
Having enjoyed the service from Gu Youfu’s family, Elder Gu then dismissed them.
...
Gu Chengxian, standing behind the door, listened to Lai Gao’s words, and was furious, smashing the arrangents in the room: "That bastard Gu Jin’an actually beca the county’s top scorer! Impossible, he must have cheated, definitely cheated!"
Gu Chengxian had always looked down on Gu Jin’an, but now the person he despised had beco the county’s top scorer, while he had contracted venereal disease and was unable to attend the county examination.
Furious, Gu Chengxian pulled at the door panel, shouting out to Lai Gao outside: "Go, go to the governnt office and beat the drum to report this, accuse Gu Jin’an of cheating in the exam!"
Lai Gao hesitantly replied: "Young Master Cheng Xian, Lai Zhuang’s housekeeper said that Gu Jin’an’s rit is genuine, and even Lord Magistrate praised his excellent scholarship, claiming his essay was a beneficial piece for the country and its people. Giving him the county’s top scorer was an injustice."
Bam bam bam!
Sounds of pounding on the door followed, as Gu Chengxian hit the door, roaring: "Shut up, shut up! Gu Jin’an only beca the county’s top scorer by cheating. A person who never attended a private school, what knowledge could he have? Go quickly to the governnt office to report him for cheating in the exam, hurry!"
Gu Chengxian was shouting so much his voice was about to break; he couldn’t bear the fact that Gu Jin’an, whom he bullied since childhood, was now more successful than him.
Lai Zhong was standing in the courtyard, hearing Gu Chengxian’s words, and signaled to Lai Gao.
Seeing the signal, Lai Gao said to Gu Chengxian: "Yes, Young Master Cheng Xian, rest assured, I will handle it right away."
Having said that, he hurriedly slipped away.
Lai Gao and Lai Zhong left the courtyard and quietly cursed: "Pfft, how dare a fool who contracted venereal disease act so arrogantly without any evidence to sue a county top scorer—where does his guts co from?"
Lai Zhong coldly laughed, where does his guts co from? Doesn’t it co from Lord Lai?
But he didn’t say this out loud; instead, he told Lai Gao: "In the future, don’t oppose him, just go along with what he says. If you don’t comply and he goes mad and runs out, or spits at us, we’ll end up contracting venereal disease."
Lai Zhong said this while rubbing his arm covered in goosebumps, secretly cursing their misfortune—truly unlucky to be assigned to serve Gu Chengxian.
The two servants muttered as they walked away.
Gu Chengxian, still insane in the room, raged on until midnight before sleeping, leaving the maids in the courtyard very upset—cursed brat, tomorrow they’d have to go in and clean up his room again.
Gu Ya didn’t have it easy either; she always looked down on Gu Jinxiu and spent the entire night worrying if Gu Jin’an, now the county’s top scorer, would find a noble son from Jiangnan for Gu Jinxiu.
No way, that vixen Gu Jinxiu absolutely cannot marry better than her!
That night, everyone in the Old Gu Family had their own thoughts.
The next day, as dawn broke, Elder Gu rose and after breakfast, dressed impressively, sat in the guest hall with Gu Youfu’s family, waiting for the Lai family’s mule carts to arrive.
The Lai family’s mule carts were punctual, arriving right at dawn. Four mule carts arrived, one loaded with various gifts, clearly showing that Lord Lai had invested heavily for the Old Gu Family to successfully acquire Dashan’s family’s business.
Zhu Wu was afraid that the Old Gu Family couldn’t reach Tianfu County safely, so he specially brought a mule cart full of protectors along, claiming it was to escort Elder Gu.
Elder Gu, feeling quite honored, instructed Gu Dagu, Mrs. Gu, and others in a scolding tone, then set out with Gu Youfu’s family, heading towards the city gate on the mule carts.
Daqing, along with Er Ping and San Ping, kept an eye on the Old Gu Family. Seeing them leave, they only smiled and didn’t chase them... You An, You Xi, and You Le had already divided into three teams, lying in wait along the road from He’an Prefecture to Tianfu County. Even with Zhu Wu’s escort, Elder Gu and his party wouldn’t reach Tianfu County; they’d return crestfallen.
Daqing instructed Er Ping: "Go notify the storytellers to keep spreading the gossip about the Old Gu Family these days. Talk about the evil deeds the Old Gu Family committed in their hotown, Capital, and Lai Mansion, and also include Lord Lai, particularly emphasizing his excessive favor toward Gu Youwen and his son, surpassing even his own son, Second Young Master Lai."
All these matters were entrusted by Young Master before leaving the Prefecture.
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