Chapter 411: As Agreed
Chapter 411: Chapter 411: As Agreed
Gu Kaiyuan was still thinking about his wife and daughter in the private room next door. Since their business had concluded, he prepared to stand up and take his leave.
Chen Dafu hesitated for a moment but still said, "You’re purchasing land completely above board. There’s no need to trail behind and scout locations in secret. Why don’t you travel with me?"
"Thank you for your kindness, Mr. Chen, but I think our previous arrangement was fine," Gu Kaiyuan replied. "We rely on our own abilities and buy at fair market prices. We wouldn’t dare put you in a difficult position."
He was not about to joke around. He had finally earned a favor, and he naturally had to use it where it mattered most. His current land purchases weren’t just about accumulating property; more importantly, he wanted to take his wife and daughter out to enjoy the surrounding area. Traveling alongside Chen Dafu would ruin the mood entirely. Besides, if a seller gave them a discount, Chen Dafu might feel uncomfortable and suspect Gu Kaiyuan of throwing his weight around.
Actually, Chen Dafu regretted his offer the moment it left his lips. If Gu Kaiyuan really tagged along, who knew how the Emperor’s envoys might interpret it? They would probably suspect him of colluding with merchants.
Gu Kaiyuan cupped his hands in farewell and left immediately. He returned to the adjacent private room to find his wife leisurely sipping tea and watching the pedestrians below. If she had someone singing a tune for her right now, it would be even more enjoyable.
"Would you like to listen to a little tune?" Gu Kaiyuan asked, recalling the young busker girl he had seen at the entrance earlier.
Bai Suihe glanced at her daughter, who was sound asleep in Zisu’s arms. "The baby is still sleeping."
In truth, she had already considered it. She naturally wanted to experience such a rare ancient pastime, but her lazy little kitten of a daughter forced her to restrain herself. Sipping tea in a teahouse while listening to a melody—she might even stumble upon some classic dramatic plotlines. That feeling would be incredible. She couldn’t dwell on it though; if she thought about it any longer, she wouldn’t be able to resist shaking the baby awake.
"Is everything settled over there?" Bai Suihe asked, deciding to shift her attention.
"It’s all taken care of, but we’ll be having two more people joining our side in a while," Gu Kaiyuan said.
Bai Suihe understood immediately. "It seems Mr. Chen truly refuses to give up. What could we possibly teach them if they follow us? I just hope it doesn’t turn into a thankless task."
Gu Kaiyuan had thought the same thing earlier. "He cornered us, and given his current status, there’s no need to make another enemy for ourselves. As an Imperial Minister, there are countless ways he could ruin someone, often without even having to lift a finger himself."
"It looks like we need to speed up the shipbuilding project. How did the search for craftsmen go?" Bai Suihe felt they needed to secure their backup plan as soon as possible. Otherwise, once their businesses grew, they would become nothing more than fat pigs waiting to be slaughtered in the eyes of others.
"I haven’t received any news these past few days. There are plenty of craftsmen, but good ones are hard to find." Gu Kaiyuan was also troubled by this issue. The true master craftsmen were already monopolized by the aristocratic families. Those families relied on the shipbuilding business for substantial annual revenues, so there was no way they would let such skilled workers roam free. There were a few among the common folk, but due to various reasons, tracking them down was incredibly difficult and would take time.
"Then do you think we should prepare the raw materials first?" Bai Suihe suggested. "Let’s not second-guess ourselves now. Even if it fails, we can afford the loss." Right now, the one thing they didn’t lack was Silver, and their manpower was constantly increasing. If push came to shove, they could always switch businesses and change their path completely.
"I’ll have someone arrange it later," Gu Kaiyuan said. "Since we aren’t listening to tunes, let’s head to the inn first."
They had already sent someone ahead to prepare the inn, so they could just go straight there and check in. Because of Chen Dafu, they had been delayed for quite some time. Otherwise, they would have already freshened up and been resting comfortably by now.
While they were feeling quite relaxed, Chen Dafu returned to the government office and immediately began writing a letter. He needed his family to send two boys over as soon as possible. However, when deciding on the candidates, he hesitated. Should he give the boys a chance to choose for themselves?
He sighed and ultimately picked a few names himself. It wasn’t that he didn’t want the children to make their own decisions, but he worried they would just push the responsibility onto each other and end up delaying things. He decided to call over a few extra boys. If Gu Kaiyuan was willing to take them all, everyone would be happy. If not, he planned to keep two of them by his side to run errands as servants and temper their characters.
The guard sent by the Emperor glanced at the letter but didn’t say anything. He simply took it and went to deliver the message without a word.
"There are too many unfilial descendants in my family," Chen Dafu said. "At my age, I always have endless things to worry about. I hope you brothers will bear with me."
Those by his side were all the Emperor’s trusted aides. No matter how straightforward his temper was, Chen Dafu wouldn’t dare act arrogantly. The other man just smiled without speaking. They were only responsible for keeping an eye on things and wouldn’t offer any opinions.
Having served by the Emperor’s side for a long time, they had their own survival methods. They played deaf and dumb to things they shouldn’t know. This was Mr. Chen’s private affair, so why should they wag their tongues? However, they would still report on Gu Kaiyuan and his wife in their reply letter. After all, the couple was connected to the Third Prince and the former Mr. Gu.
Meanwhile, Gu Baijiang was currently very distressed. The family’s household funds were running out, and his eldest daughter-in-law had already come crying to him about it. The family’s expenses for food and clothing were quite substantial, let alone living in the capital city of Shangjing.
Ever since arriving in the capital, Xu Shuanghong no longer hid her true nature. Flaunting the title of Mrs. Gu, she had mingled with all the neighbors but ended up making a fool of herself on numerous occasions. Who knew how the families they were acquainted with in Shangjing were secretly mocking them behind their backs.
Initially, the Third Prince had shown them goodwill outside the palace gates, prompting some merchants to send over goods and easing their financial burden. However, these spendthrift women blew it all on clothes and jewelry. Now, they were strapped for cash once again.
What infuriated him even more was the arrival of Gu Kaichen and his group. They showed up at the front door dressed in rags. Tomorrow, their family would undoubtedly be the talk of the town again.
"Dad, I finally found you!" Gu Kaichen cried, rushing forward to hug Gu Baijiang. Frightened, Gu Baijiang dodged with unprecedented agility.
"Stand right there and speak properly," Gu Baijiang demanded, his tone dripping with disgust. Did they have no self-awareness? Before they had even gotten close, the entire courtyard was already filled with their stench. Furthermore, it would have been one thing if this stupid couple had come alone, but they had brought along so many clansmen. Did they think his life was too easy right now?
"Oh, Dad, you have no idea how hard my life has been since you left! You and my eldest brother didn’t even send anyone to fetch us. We had no travel funds for the journey. We walked all the way here on our own two feet!"
Although the journey had been much safer, walking the entire way was even more grueling than their initial exile. During their exile, they could at least ride an ox cart occasionally for some relief. But this time coming back, they had measured every single step with their own legs.