Chapter 374: Bai Family
Chapter 374: Chapter 374: Bai Family
"So, what did you two talk about?" Mrs. Wu asked expectantly. "Did you properly ask him for advice on how to draw in crowds of customers?"
"How is that even possible?" Wu Wei was shocked. "Why would he share such commercial secrets with us? Besides, their shop is completely different from ours; we can’t just copy them."
"You really are a blockhead." Mrs. Wu shot him an exasperated glare before turning back to tend to their business.
Wu Wei hurriedly chased after her. "Wife, are you scolding me again? I might not be a genius, but I’m no fool either. Who in this entire county doesn’t want to get on Boss Gu’s good side right now? Today, I took the first step before any of them could."
Mrs. Wu saw off the customer she was serving. "I didn’t say we should copy him. But with such a rare opportunity, you could have at least asked if there’s anything we could improve about our grocery store! I heard Boss Gu has several other shops under renovation right now, though who knows what kind of businesses he’ll open."
"No matter what businesses he opens, he wouldn’t spare a second glance at our little grocery store."
"What did you just say? What’s wrong with our grocery store? This is the fruit of our shared labor, something we built up bit by bit from nothing!" Unable to hold back any longer, Mrs. Wu planted her hands on her hips. "I dare you to say that again!"
"Wife, can’t you tell when I’m just venting? It was just a passing comment. Besides, we only just met. How could I brazenly ask him for a favor right off the bat?"
Mrs. Wu waved her hand dismissively, shooing him away. "So after talking for all that time, you got absolutely nothing out of it, and you claim you ’only just met’? Do you think he’s as idle as you, with all the time in the world to just shoot the breeze?"
"That can’t be right, can it?"
"That shop belongs to his wife," Mrs. Wu rolled her eyes at him. "Enough. From now on, you work inside the store while I stand by the entrance. Who knows, I might just run into Mrs. Gu. I heard she’s the legitimate daughter of the Bai Mansion and has inherited Mr. Bai’s true business acumen. If she just gives us a little guidance, it would be enough to keep our family fed and worry-free."
Gu Kaiyuan had no idea that after he left, the couple had such a conversation, nor that Bai Suihe would become the town’s latest topic of gossip just because of that single shop.
After taking a stroll around and heading home, he needed to get back to share today’s fresh gossip with his wife and their gossip-loving youngest daughter.
Meanwhile, at the Bai Mansion.
Receiving a new letter sent from Lingnan, Mrs. Bai learned that Bai Suihe had safely given birth to a little granddaughter. She couldn’t help but press her palms together and pray, "Amitabha, the Bodhisattva has blessed us."
Ever since her daughter was exiled, she had been on tenterhooks. Between the arduous journey and the harsh conditions in Lingnan, she truly feared her daughter wouldn’t survive. Thank goodness the child was born safely; that was a profound blessing!
"Qingshui, go open the storehouse. I need to pick out some good things for my granddaughter."
Wu Qingshui hastily complied. Just as she turned to leave, Mr. Bai, Bai Jingwen, walked in, accompanied by their two sons.
"Why is my wife in such good spirits?"
"Mother!" The two sons bowed respectfully before swiftly stepping past Bai Jingwen to support Mrs. Bai on either side.
"It’s because we received a letter from our daughter. She has given us a little granddaughter." Mrs. Bai saw no need to hide the news; she fully intended to pick out plenty of fine items from the main storehouse for her daughter.
"Suihe gave birth?" Bai Jiannan said, pleasantly surprised. "I’m an uncle now."
Bai Jianbei nodded in agreement. The twin brothers looked exactly alike, the only difference being a red mole on Bai Jianbei’s ear. "This is wonderful news."
Having spoken, the brothers both looked at Bai Jingwen. "Father, aren’t you happy?"
Bai Jingwen flicked his sleeves and sat in the seat of honor. "Look at the two of you. It’s not as if you haven’t been uncles before."
"How is that the same?" Bai Jiannan pouted. "This is my true, legitimate niece." He couldn’t be bothered to spare a single glance at the children born of his father’s illegitimate daughters.
"What nonsense are you spouting?" Mrs. Bai scolded her son before Bai Jingwen could. "Although there is a difference, you must consider your father’s face. Even if those people are unpresentable, they are still your father’s own flesh and blood, aren’t they?"
Bai Jingwen was rendered speechless.
Bai Jianbei chimed in, "Mother is right. Even if I dislike them, I shouldn’t disparage them."
Seeing the mother and sons echoing each other so harmoniously, Bai Jingwen lost his temper. He and his wife were of equal social standing, whereas his concubines in the backyard were of low birth—women he had bought while traveling for business. Right now, their contracts of indenture were all firmly in his wife’s hands. He figured it was best not to anger her, lest someone mysteriously disappear from his backyard.
"Since she has given birth, just let her live her life well from now on. Later, pick out some more things from the main storehouse to send over," Bai Jingwen said.
This time, Mrs. Bai didn’t agree immediately. Instead, she pushed the letter she had been holding toward Bai Jingwen. "This is the letter our daughter sent. You should take a look."
Bai Jingwen found this slightly odd. In the past, his wife would never hand their daughter’s letters directly to him; at most, she would relay the contents. But when he finished reading, his face stiffened, and he cursed, "Isn’t this sheer absurdity?"
"How is it absurd? You gained another son for nothing. Is that not a good thing?"
The two Bai brothers craned their necks, both looking pleasantly surprised. "Suihe is truly capable! She should have just taken in a live-in son-in-law."
"What do you know?" Bai Jingwen slapped the table. "His Majesty has already issued a pardon. I imagine it won’t be long before the Gu Family makes a comeback. Our two families are in-laws. After she caused such a scene, how am I supposed to interact with them in the future?"
Mrs. Bai looked at him with disdain. "How will you interact with them? You won’t, of course! Ever since my daughter married into the Gu Mansion, she hasn’t had a single comfortable day. Now she’s lost all her dowry because of them. My precious, pampered daughter was exiled to Lingnan to suffer! I actually want to go to them and demand an explanation."
"That is the narrow view of a foolish woman! The Gu Family has long since latched onto the Third Prince. Otherwise, did you think they would be pardoned so easily just for the Empress Dowager’s birthday?" The Emperor was filial, sure, but not to that extent.
Although he was merely a merchant with no direct sources inside the palace, he had several influential in-laws. His information might be delayed, but it always arrived eventually. The actions of the Third Prince and Consort Liang couldn’t be kept entirely under wraps; people just didn’t speak of it openly, as the edict had ultimately been decreed by His Majesty.
"When the Gu Family was imprisoned, you didn’t even care about our daughter and completely ignored her. You offered no help in her darkest hour, so why are you preaching to me now?"
"You are Suihe’s mother. Didn’t you know to handle these matters? If you had been a bit more magnanimous back then and handed the silver over to Lord Gu, the relationship between our two families wouldn’t be this strained."
Mrs. Bai knew he was just shirking responsibility. If she had actually done as Bai Jingwen suggested back then, she still wouldn’t receive a shred of praise now. To him, the fault always lay with others.
"Say whatever you want now. Either way, our relationship with the Gu Family is already damaged beyond repair. My daughter has nothing to do with them anymore. From now on, don’t bring up the Gu Family’s affairs in front of me again."