pertwk Page 134
Page 134
Gu Yu chuckled softly, pulling Feng Jie back to reality, and pointedly tilted her head to look outside:
"It's hard to find fault with Sister Feng in front of the Madam, but you can't worry about the feelings of other men..."
Wang Xifeng's eyes lit up. Liang looked out the window thoughtfully, and suddenly felt enlightened.
As expected, Yu-ge'er was educated, unlike her who kept a close watch on the Jia family all day. If she used the men of these old women to carry out rituals, she could make an example of them.
only……
"Brother Yu, you have to help me! I'm just a woman, what can I possibly do to control them?"
At this point, Gu Yu had completely become Wang Xifeng's strategist. Hearing her words, he didn't refuse anymore, stroked his chin, thought for a moment, and asked:
"I remember... the steward of the Jia family's treasury was surnamed Wu?"
"Yes! He's the steward of the mansion, and Wu Xindeng's wife is also the head wife in the backyard."
"I wonder who is in charge of the income from the estate in the manor?"
Wang Xifeng was somewhat stunned, and after thinking for a moment, she hesitated before saying:
"His name seems to be Dai Liang? He didn't have a wife to take care of things for him, so I'm not really sure."
Gu Yu had already investigated thoroughly, but still wanted to put on an act, so she smiled and asked another question:
"I heard that Lin Zhixiao's family has a daughter named Xiaohong, who is now working for you, sister?"
“Exactly! Xiao Hong is eloquent, organized, and quite pretty. She was originally intended to be Bao Yu’s maid, but he thought she wasn’t pretty enough and never took a liking to her. Not long ago, I needed a capable helper, so I took her in.”
Speaking of Xiao Hong, Wang Xifeng perked up a bit and said with a smile:
"I was even planning to adopt her as my daughter, but I never expected things to turn out this way. We're like family now, and her biological mother is my goddaughter!"
"If that's the case, then it's easy to handle. Wu Xindeng's family is quite influential, so it won't offend the ladies. The old lady has also given instructions. What do you think, Sister Feng?"
"I don't know...?"
Gu Yu leaned over and whispered:
"Have Xiao Hong go back to Lin Zhixiao and get a copy of the account books that Wu Xindeng and Dai Liang have. I'll check them later, and the problem will be solved."
"But why not just..."
Feng Jie finally realized what she was saying halfway through her sentence. She stared blankly at Gu Yu's handsome smiling face, completely shocked. How could he know so many tricks of the trade at such a young age?!
Sending Lin Zhixiao's family to handle it not only lowers their guard but also serves as a testament to his loyalty. It serves as a warning to Wang Shanbao's family and others, as well as to those like Lin Zhixiao's family who stand by indifferently. It's a brilliant move.
As for whether they could find anything out, she was most at ease about that. After all, she had long been aware of the filth in the mansion, but unfortunately, she was powerless to do anything about it. Moreover, such things were commonplace in such a large Jia family, so there was no need to waste her energy and suffer losses.
"Sister Feng, just have Lin Zhixiao come to me. That way, if anything happens, it won't involve you. But remember to hurry, because I'll be leaving in the next few days."
After giving instructions to the still-dazed Feng Jie, Gu Yu turned and walked into the hall, greeted her sisters, and started chatting and laughing without a care in the world.
After digesting all this, Sister Feng's expression returned to its usual calm and composed state, but her eyes shone brightly, revealing a confident demeanor.
"Brother Yu, you've really helped me a lot! I don't know how to thank you enough."
Seeing how happy Fengjie was, Daiyu couldn't help but look up at Gu Yu in confusion, wondering what exactly the little favor he had mentioned was, and why Fengjie had made him so excited.
As the saying goes, "I have nothing to repay you with, so I can only—"
Gu Yu was about to say something witty, but before she could even get started, she felt a chill run down her spine and her neck went cold. She quickly coughed twice and said:
"Sister Feng is so beautiful and graceful. I have long admired her. How about you give her to me as my wife?"
"..."
"Pfft—haha~"
"Hehehe~"
Upon hearing this, not only was Sister Feng stunned, but Daiyu and the others were also taken aback. Then they all burst out laughing, with Sister Feng bending over with laughter – her daughter was only two years old!
"Alright, alright~ It seems that Brother Yu dislikes my looks, so he reluctantly agreed to marry you, Sister Lin? Hahaha, what do you think of this marriage, Sister Lin? Huh~?"
Daiyu, blushing and suppressing a laugh, quickly retorted after being teased by Fengjie:
"My eldest sister's marriage naturally depends on Sister Feng's wishes. Why ask me, her aunt who is a distant relative? I just didn't expect Brother Yu to be so farsighted, thinking about things more than ten years from now!"
The women present all thought he was joking, and they all laughed and urged Sister Feng to agree. Sister Feng laughed heartily and said:
"Alright! If eldest sister knew she'd have a husband like Brother Yu in the future, she'd probably crawl over tonight to acknowledge him, hehehe~"
"I wonder if Ming'er will be able to say 'husband' by then? Hahaha—"
"..."
The group chatted and laughed for a while longer, but Sister Feng was too busy with other matters to sit for long, and with Gu Yu's scheme on her mind, she finally stopped laughing and took her leave.
As soon as she left, the atmosphere became much more relaxed. Xichun smiled, came over, tugged at Gu Yu's sleeve, winked, and said:
"What betrothal gifts is Brother Yu preparing for Eldest Sister? Logically, since the engagement is today, shouldn't preparations begin? Hehehe~"
Watching the lively scene of people laughing uproariously on the field, Gu Yu awkwardly touched her nose, her eyes wandering.
It might sound a bit twisted... but I'm serious when I say I'm asking you, big sister...
Chapter 101 Confession Leads to Leniency
If I remember correctly, later on, Sister Feng would name her eldest sister Qiao'er on Granny Liu's advice.
Gu Yu let his thoughts wander for a moment, then quickly stopped. This was one of the reasons why, although his relationship with Jia Lian's family was still acceptable, he rarely visited them. After all, he was afraid his conscience wouldn't allow it.
Wang Xifeng was already exceptionally beautiful, and Jia Lian was a notorious gigolo; it was obvious what their daughter would amount to. To avoid becoming an uncle himself, Gu Yu had decided to stay out of the way for the past few years.
Everyone was present. Gu Yu thought for a moment, coughed twice to draw everyone's attention, and decided to tell them that she would be leaving for a while, so as not to have to comfort them one by one later.
Just as she opened her mouth, Yingchun suddenly snapped out of her reverie and said thoughtfully:
"Sister Feng's daughter is two years old this year. When she's old enough to get married, Brother Yu will only be twenty-six or twenty-seven? That seems like a perfect match... Wait, where's Sister Feng?"
"..."
Gu Yu swallowed hard, noticing the growing suspicion and contemplation in Daiyu and the others' eyes. Her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly turned to Yingchun with a speechless expression:
"Sister Feng left a long time ago, and Second Sister is only just realizing it now? I'm afraid if we wait any longer, even I will be leaving soon."
Daiyu narrowed her eyes, staring intently at Gu Yu, sensing that he seemed a little nervous, and her expression grew increasingly suspicious.
After all, Yingchun's words made so much sense. At first, I thought it was just a joke, but now that she said that... those who are looking for a husband after the imperial examinations don't even mind if they are thirty or forty years old!
"Where is Brother Yu going? Could it be that he's going to see his newly adopted wife?"
Before Xichun could react, she chuckled and added another sentence.
Gu Yu mentally gave the little girl who saved the day a thumbs up, then composed herself and said with a serious expression:
"I need to go back to Jiangnan; I have some things to take care of."
"Brother Yu, are you really leaving? Are you going to find my father?"
Daiyu reacted the fastest; without even asking if it was true, she stood up from her chair, her face full of reluctance. Then, as if remembering something, her face paled, and she asked urgently:
"But what happened to my father?"
"Don't worry, sister. It's just that your uncle is overwhelmed with some things and needs help urgently, so I went to lend a hand."
Baochai stood up from behind, her brows furrowed. At this moment, Daiyu was worried about her father, but she had already noticed something was wrong.
What kind of thing could so many advisors and retainers not do? Why go to all this trouble to invite Gu Yu, a mere scholar?
"Brother Yu, you..."
Gu Yu turned around and happened to see Baochai looking hesitant. She gave her a reassuring look before waving her hand and smiling:
"It's nothing major, just a bit tedious. It'll only take a little time. I'll be right back once I'm done."
"Can you go back for the Mid-Autumn Festival?"
"..."
Gu Yu's face stiffened. Looking at Daiyu's expectant eyes, she opened her mouth, but finally couldn't help rolling her eyes and saying:
"Does Lin Daiyu still remember how long it took her to get to the capital? Even if I ride at full speed, it would be almost Mid-Autumn Festival by the time I make the round trip."
Tan Chun couldn't help but laugh out loud. She put her arm around Daiyu's shoulder and helped her sit down to talk. Then, turning back, she defended Daiyu, saying:
"Sister Lin is just worried and confused. What, Brother Yu thinks that's a stupid question?"
Gu Yu chuckled twice and waved her hands repeatedly in denial. She wanted to get everyone lively again, but after saying a few words, she saw that they were still listless and couldn't help but sigh.
How could he possibly want to leave them? He even planned to spend these last few nights with Miaoyu, comforting the wounded girl.
But life is often unsatisfactory. Even if he wanted to give up, he would have to have the means to do so. Otherwise, he would become a second Baoyu, forced to accept whatever fate befalls him.
"When will we set off?"
Seeing his troubled expression, Baochai felt a pang of sadness and could only suppress her reluctance to part with him, taking the initiative to start a conversation.
"Let's do it the day after tomorrow. We can't delay too long. It's better to go and come back sooner."
"Since we're going to run errands, there must be a lot to prepare. We've all been sitting here for so long, the old lady is probably going to start nagging again. Why don't we go ahead and go?"
Baochai forced a faint smile, raised her voice to greet the women, and Xiangyun slowly walked up to Gu Yu. After hesitating for a long time, she turned her face away and whispered:
"Remember to come back soon, don't—ah!"
Xiangyun touched the top of her head, took two steps back shyly, and couldn't help but glare at Gu Yu.
Gu Yu smiled and withdrew her hand from patting Xiangyun's head. She found Xiangyun's flustered appearance particularly amusing. It seemed that she was still too thin-skinned. Everyone was an old friend, yet she was still so sensitive. She needed to work on it!
"Thank you so much, Sister Yun!"
"Humph!"
Seeing that he still had the nerve to joke, Xiangyun couldn't help but stomp her foot, tugged at Baochai's sleeve, and was about to leave quickly. Her commotion actually eased the atmosphere a bit. The sisters reluctantly gave each other a few words of advice before turning and leaving.
Daiyu stood there hesitantly. Seeing that her sisters had almost all left, she took Gu Yu's hand and closed it with her own. Reluctantly, she looked up at him for a while, then rubbed her large hand that she had just grasped, and whispered:
"I'll come over after dinner..."
After saying that, she released Gu Yu and quickly caught up with her sisters who were waiting for her outside, and together they walked towards Grandmother Jia.
"This girl..."
Gu Yu walked out and watched their backs disappear around the corner. She raised her hand and looked at it. A surge of warmth rushed through her heart, and she suddenly felt much more at peace.
"It's time to prepare."
Shaking his head, Gu Yu turned and went into the study. He began grinding ink and picking up a brush to arrange personnel for Gu Yi, instructing him to quickly arrange a group of trained accountants to accompany him on his trip to Jiangnan.
"Why is being a mascot so tiring?"
Even though I'm just going to be a mascot and I don't need to lift a finger, why do I want to lie down before even setting off? I just want to snuggle up with my sisters!
"Qingwen—call a maid over and give this letter to the boy at the side gate so he can deliver it to the steward."
After drying and putting the letter away, Gu Yu called Qingwen in and handed her the letter. Then, thinking about the evidence of crimes committed by the Rong and Ning families that she had collected in the cabinet, she became somewhat absent-minded.
Qingwen and the others had served Fengjie briefly before slipping away, so they were unaware that Gu Yu was going to Jiangnan. They simply pouted and protested again:
"Why doesn't Master call Xiangling? If we don't find her something to do, she's going crazy these days! She's been muttering to herself about flowers, plants, and insects all day long, I don't even know what she's talking about!"
Gu Yu came to her senses and said with amusement:
"They're learning poetry, you know. If you find me annoying, why don't you go read a book yourself?"
Qingwen grinned, her face full of mischievousness:
"If I go to study poetry, won't there be no one to take care of Grandpa? I'm not going!"
Before he could even open his mouth, Qingwen, clutching the envelope, turned and strode out like a gust of wind, leaving Gu Yu shaking his head helplessly.
This woman's words sound nice, but isn't she just worried that Xiangling will lose her competitiveness? She has a great skill, but if Xiangling has nothing to do, she's afraid that she won't be fair to everyone if it goes on for too long. She's probably thinking about how to balance the workload of one person being a lady and the other doing odd jobs. It's really hard on her!
Chapter 102 Why Don't You Take Care of Your Love Rival?
After dinner, Daiyu indeed came over with Zijuan and Xueyan. She handed Zijuan and the others over to Qingwen for arrangements, and Daiyu, unusually, took Gu Yu's hand and led her into the study.
"Brother Yu..."
As soon as she entered the room, Daiyu turned around and threw herself into Gu Yu's arms, her slightly trembling little hands tightly wrapped around his waist, as if she was afraid that he would disappear from her sight in the next second.
Gu Yu gently stroked Daiyu's pink back, her heart filled with pity. However, she was also a little amused and exasperated. She was just going on a long trip, so why did it seem like a life-or-death separation?