Gu Chengyu walked along the village path and arrived at the courtyard at the foot of the mountain.
He had asked Sun Craftsman to tear down and rebuild this courtyard two months ago. This courtyard was built high by Gu Chengyu with bricks and tiles, about two and a half ters high. There were many buildings inside, which were for the servants making soap to live in.
He arrived at the front of the courtyard, pushed the gate, and found it was locked.
"Knock, knock, knock!"
"Who is it?" Gu Chengyu recognized it as Ming Yan’s voice.
"It’s ! Open the door!"
Ming Yan, upon hearing this, realized it was the young master’s voice. Thinking about it, the young master should indeed be back from the Prefecture. His heart surged with excitent, and he imdiately pulled open the door latch.
"Young Master! Is it really you? You’re back?"
Gu Chengyu entered the courtyard and found that the soap-making tools were directly facing the courtyard gate, with rows of soap drying on wooden boards in the yard.
"It’s ti for dinner now; Dumb Granny is here too! Did you eat yet, Young Master?" Ming Yan was pleased to see the young master, as he was getting bored staying here all day. Initially, he was supposed to have a chance to go to the Prefecture to gain experience, but soone cut him out. He was a bit impulsive and just liked to run around with Gu Chengyu.
"Not yet! I’ll go ho and eat later! How’s the workshop while I was away?"
The servants in the workshop were organized a work schedule by Gu Chengyu: four hours a day, and one rest day every six days, with a monthly salary of 300 wen. They could also go into the village during their rest days.
However, certain things couldn’t be said recklessly. Gu Chengyu had said from the beginning that if anyone spoke irresponsibly outside, they would be beaten to death. Of course, he said this to intimidate; his family was rely agrarian, and he worried these people would not obey orders.
"There are always a few people in the village who like to wander outside the courtyard, but I drove them away!" At first, when the workshop was just completed, there were even more people wandering outside, but as ti went on, they saw they really couldn’t see inside, so they gradually stopped coming.
"Hmph! Is it those sa few people again? Ignore them; the courtyard wall is so high, unless they can fly, they definitely can’t get in. I bought a few people in the Prefecture and will bring one over to be a steward!"
"Really? Young Master, you don’t know; I’ve been staying here all day and am about to grow mushrooms!" Ming Yan indeed felt relieved, finally able to leave here.
"Go get Dumb Granny out!" Dumb Granny had been cooking the als here. Among the people Gu Chengyu brought back this ti, there were also a few grannies, one of whom could be assigned to cooking.
Gu Chengyu always felt it was a waste to have Dumb Granny just cooking here. Dumb Granny was literate and should be assigned other duties.
"Sure!"
Gu Chengyu and Dumb Granny walked on the road ho, with Dumb Granny following behind Gu Chengyu, occasionally glancing at his back. She felt uneasy, always thinking the young master seed to know sothing.
Gu Chengyu brought Dumb Granny directly to the study, "Dumb Granny! Your voice was poisoned silent, wasn’t it?"
Dumb Granny froze, then nodded. Her heart was in a bit of a panic; the young master never asked about her affairs, and she didn’t know why he suddenly inquired today.
"I know you can read. You must have been a granny in a wealthy house or even an official household? I see you have good manners, so why not stay by my second sister’s side to take care of her. You know, my Gu Family is just a small household; the girls at ho lack discipline."
Though Dumb Granny normally kept a low profile, Gu Chengyu felt her manners should be even better than Nanny Liang’s. With her following his second sister, she should be able to offer so guidance. As for not being able to speak, he wanted to try the Detoxification Pill from his space to see if it had any effect. However, the Detoxification Pill couldn’t be given to her yet; he still needed to observe for a while longer.
The nieces at ho were being considered for instruction by moving Nanny Liang to teach them manners. But now that the family had split, it was uncertain whether his elder brother’s family would agree.
Upon hearing Gu Chengyu’s explanation, Dumb Granny was visibly shocked. She looked up at Gu Chengyu. She had long known this young master wasn’t easy to deceive, but she hadn’t expected him to have already uncovered her secret of literacy!
"The household affairs will be taken over by another granny. You just take care of my second sister. Also, be wary of a gentleman nad Huang, and don’t let him approach my second sister."
After giving instructions, Gu Chengyu strode into the inner courtyard.
In the tranquil governnt office’s inner residence, suddenly ca the crisp sound of porcelain falling to the ground.
"Oh dear! Madam! Be careful with your hands!" Mrs. Xi hadn’t even entered the main room when she heard the sound from inside.
"Nanny! Tell , how have I wronged him to warrant such treatnt? I am, after all, the legitimate daughter of the Minister’s family, and had it not been for father’s favor back then, would I have married beneath ?"
Yu Shi spoke with a face full of resentnt. Above her was an elder sister, who married the legitimate eldest son of Cheng’an Bo’s family, who was destined to inherit the title. And what about her? Her father made her marry down, saying her maternal family was powerful and could back her up. But what about now? How did her life turn out like this?
Mrs. Xi held Yu Shi’s hand, and although she inwardly criticized, wasn’t it back then that Madam herself was fond of him? However, her expression was one of heartfelt sympathy. Indeed, she truly felt sorry for Yu Shi, having watched her grow up. It’s just that Yu Shi was raised spoiled in her maternal ho and never heeded advice.
Alas! Mrs. Xi sighed and then advised, "Madam! n, you know, needs coaxing. If you keep acting tough all the ti, won’t he go against you? A woman needs to be soft when it’s ti to be soft, and lower herself when necessary, so as not to suffer."
She had advised this before, but Yu Shi just couldn’t take it in. In fact, Mrs. Xi thought, if you keep holding onto your title as the legitimate daughter of the Minister of Rites, unwilling to relent, any man would be displeased; n need face!
Yu Shi used a handkerchief to wipe away the tear marks on her face. Over the years, she’d co to regret it too. The lord only ca to her quarters on the first and fifteenth of each month; otherwise, he didn’t co at all. If she weren’t the first wife and had the maternal family’s backing, he probably wouldn’t co at all.
But then her thoughts suddenly turned to that vixen, and she gnashed her teeth in anger.
"What about that vile woman? Just letting her go like this? Whenever I think of the suffering I’ve endured over the years, I just can’t take it. And now, her son is about to take the exam to beco an official. If he really passes, wouldn’t that little vixen be an official’s wife in the future? And the lord even noted him as the top candidate; could it be the lord still cherishes those past ties?"
As she thought of this, Yu Shi’s expression turned ferocious.
"Oh dear! Madam! You mustn’t speak recklessly, examination fraud is a cri punishable by death! Their family is just a farming household; dealing with them is rely a trifle!"
"Does Nanny have any good ideas? That family is holed up in the countryside, rarely leaving, making it hard for us even if we want to sche against them!" Yu Shi pondered, and without venting her resentnt, she felt utterly uneasy, unable to eat or sleep!
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