Chapter 433: Sent Over
Chapter 433: Chapter 433: Sent Over
Gu Kaiyuan really had absolutely no interest in other women. He was highly fastidious, both emotionally and physically. But he couldn’t say these things to his wife. Otherwise, she might think there was something wrong with him. What if she didn’t want him anymore?
Bai Suihe also knew that nobody was perfect. In the modern era, those men who appeared deeply affectionate and devoted to their wives and families on the surface still engaged in petty affairs behind closed doors. Between people, every act of trust was like a gamble. It was exactly the same here in ancient times. Even legal constraints couldn’t keep those men honest, let alone some written agreement.
"I don’t distrust you." What else could Bai Suihe do? She could only say, "Let’s just let nature take its course with these things. As for dividing the family properties, I’m not that hung up on it. In the future, we can register some businesses under our daughter’s name in advance. When she grows up, she can use them for practice."
Although Gu Kaiyuan felt a bit regretful about wasting such an opportunity, he took anything concerning his daughter seriously. "That works too. Next time we buy land, we’ll just register it directly under our daughter’s name."
He intended to spend his entire life making up for what he owed the mother and daughter. Regardless of whether other children were born in the future, Gu Xingyang would always be the most important girl in his heart.
Bai Suihe said, "Don’t go back on your word when the time comes."
Gu Kaiyuan chuckled. "I definitely won’t. Besides, all of our current properties are registered under your name. I’m still counting on you two to feed me."
"You really didn’t need to go that far." Bai Suihe genuinely felt that it made no difference whose name was on the deeds.
"This is what I owe you," Gu Kaiyuan said with a solemn expression, thinking, "I am here to atone for my sins."
The topic was becoming a bit heavy again. Bai Suihe sighed. "Haven’t we already been given a chance to start over? Let’s just live our lives well from now on."
Gu Kaiyuan eagerly seized the opening, grasping Bai Suihe’s hands. "Then it’s a deal. We’ll live our lives well from now on."
Bai Suihe was speechless.
Chen Dafu’s sons and grandsons arrived much faster than expected. The visitors were his two youngest sons and two eldest grandsons. The four of them stood awkwardly before the couple.
"This is a letter from my father. Please take a look first, Mr. Gu." The one who spoke was Chen Dafu’s sixth son, Chen Qingmu. Before coming, they had gone to see their father and learned the whole story.
Gu Kaiyuan was being forced to take them in, and on top of that, their father had added two extra people at the last minute. They were genuinely afraid that Gu Kaiyuan would simply shut them out.
After reading the letter, Gu Kaiyuan finally understood that when someone was rendered truly speechless, they would actually laugh. "Your father is as calculating as ever. Well, since you’re all here, you can stay for now. Just as your father said, whoever proves capable will remain. As for those who aren’t, I’m sorry, but I won’t be able to keep you here either."
Seeing his attitude, the descendants of the Chen Family felt a surge of dissatisfaction. Chen Dafu was currently an Imperial Envoy, but who was this Gu Kaiyuan? To put it nicely, he was nothing more than a merchant. And they were supposed to learn skills from him? However, they didn’t dare talk back, nor could they. They could only obediently pack their bags and bring the letter over.
"Mr. Gu," Chen Zihuan, the eldest grandson of the Chen Family, was ultimately more experienced in the ways of the world. Afraid that Uncle Qingmu and his seventh uncle might offend the man before them, he kept a very low profile. "My grandfather said we are to follow your every instruction. We are willing to do any dirty or heavy work."
Before they came, their grandfather had warned them: if they couldn’t gain approval and were sent back, he would simply give them some silver and separate them from the main household. If they caused any more trouble, striking their names from the clan registry wouldn’t be out of the question.
When Gu Kaiyuan had been struck from his clan, he simply turned around and married into the Bai Family, managing to live a prosperous life. But they couldn’t even dream of such a thing. None of them were married or had children yet. If they were kicked out of the house like that, who knew what rumors would spread about them outside? It would be nearly impossible for them to establish a foothold in society.
"Since your grandfather sent you to follow me," Gu Kaiyuan began. Since he had already agreed, he wouldn’t go back on his word, nor would he make things difficult for them. "You guys rest for today. Starting tomorrow, you’ll shadow me. I’ll observe you and see what tasks suit your personalities."
He happened to be short on manpower anyway, so he could easily order them to handle trivial matters. At the same time, he would let them understand the hardships of life. Since Chen Dafu wanted him to help train and discipline them, he shouldn’t blame Gu Kaiyuan for being ruthless.
Bai Suihe also brought their child over to greet them, leaving the rest of the matters to Gu Kaiyuan.
"What do you even call this?" As soon as the two were alone, Gu Kaiyuan couldn’t help but complain. "We agreed on two people, and he sends me four all at once. He’s making us raise his sons and grandsons for him."
"It’s a good thing you only agreed to two," Bai Suihe chuckled. "But are you really going to be harsh on them?"
"Of course. We agreed on this beforehand. Help me brainstorm—what should I have them do next?"
"Didn’t we buy a bunch of shops and estates? Especially with the estates, we need to send someone to put the original managers in their place. Otherwise, their loyalty won’t be very high."
As soon as Bai Suihe said this, Gu Kaiyuan understood what she meant. "You make a good point. Those four have Chen Dafu, an Imperial Envoy, as their backer. It’s time for us to borrow a bit of his prestige."
Bai Suihe replied, "Don’t be too flashy about it. Just subtly reveal their identities."
She wanted to leverage their influence, but she also knew when to stop. She wasn’t arrogant enough to claim they could rely solely on themselves. In this highly stratified world, if one didn’t have a solid backing, they would be devoured and divided up by others in a matter of minutes. Since these people had delivered themselves right to their doorstep, she might as well make good use of them. Besides, she wasn’t forcing them to commit any crimes, so Bai Suihe felt zero psychological burden.
Previously, she had considered building a good relationship with Xu Zitian and his circle. Even if they couldn’t gain their outright protection, creating the illusion of a close friendship would have been sufficient. Now that they had this ready-made alternative, they could afford to take their time schmoozing with County Magistrates like Xu Zitian, making their efforts seem less overly utilitarian.
Gu Kaiyuan made an immediate decision. Starting tomorrow, he would take the four of them to inspect the newly purchased estates. Once they encountered a couple of difficult situations, he would let them handle the problems personally. Since Chen Dafu wanted his descendants to become capable, he couldn’t blame Gu Kaiyuan for applying some strong medicine.
However, doing this meant he would have to separate from his wife and daughter again. "Why don’t you two come along to the estates with us?"
This time, Bai Suihe shook her head in refusal. "Let’s go together next time. I happen to be learning how to process medicinal herbs right now, and I’m planning to open a shop to purchase herbs. I really can’t get away at the moment."
What Bai Suihe didn’t mention was that Nanny Pang was preparing to teach her the four methods of traditional diagnosis. These required hands-on practice, making it even more impossible for her to leave.