Chapter 462: Lin Family
Chapter 462: Chapter 462: Lin Family
Just as they had guessed, no sooner had they returned home than Gu Yeshi sent his steward to visit each household to apologize on his behalf. Although they were only given some pastries, at least the gesture was there. That day, he had truly lost all face and dignity, making a public spectacle for everyone to enjoy.
As for why he didn’t visit in person, it came down to his deep-seated pride. Having to clean up a woman’s mess like this already made him feel utterly disgraced. Furthermore, he didn’t believe these merchants were worth a personal visit.
The next day, at the invitation of a few other ladies, Bai Suihe met them at a teahouse to listen to storytelling. Bai Suihe listened to the cliché stories, which were merely being read straight from a script. She had initially felt a bit of novelty, but within fifteen minutes, she found it utterly dull. However, seeing the other ladies listening with great relish and occasionally voicing their praises, she felt a bit out of place.
"What’s wrong? Is today’s story not to your liking?" Mrs. Qian was a bit puzzled, thinking the storyteller was doing quite well.
"I’ve read this type of script before." Bai Suihe naturally didn’t want to be a spoilsport. "So I knew the ending right from the start. Want me to spoil it for you right now?"
Mrs. Qian quickly waved her hands. "Never mind! I’d rather listen to the storyteller. The journey is quite important, after all."
"Reading a book and listening to a story are two different things," Mrs. Jiang chimed in. "I picked up some fresh news while I was out today. Do you want to hear it?"
Since the storyteller’s plots were all largely the same anyway, they figured they could pause to gossip a bit.
"Stop keeping us in suspense. Just tell us."
"Do you all remember Mrs. Lin, the one who fainted yesterday?" Mrs. Jiang asked.
"What about her?"
"She developed a high fever last night, and I heard it hasn’t broken yet."
Bai Suihe couldn’t help but prick up her ears. "Could it be from the severe shock?"
"Probably. But she’s far too timid. She went into convulsions from fright on the spot, and then came down with a fever. I never figured her for someone so fragile." Mrs. Qian tried hard to recall; Mrs. Lin had always been somewhat invisible, but not to the point of being so easily rattled.
"While half of it might be from the fright, the other half is due to the absolute mess in her household," Mrs. Jiang said with a touch of sympathy. "My house isn’t far from theirs, so I know a bit more than you do.
"The Lin Family isn’t really considered prominent in the county town. They just own two farmsteads and rely on that small bit of property to support their life here.
"However, Mr. Lin does have some foresight. He pays for the education of any descendant capable of studying. And Mrs. Lin is quite fertile—she gave birth to three sons and three daughters.
"Her eldest son passed the county exam the year before last and is preparing to take the Scholar exam this year. The younger children are also quite obedient. By all accounts, she has a rather complete and happy family.
"But these good days took a drastic turn this year. Since she was staying in the county town to accompany her sons, Mr. Lin stayed in the countryside to manage the two farmsteads. As it turns out, right after the New Year, he got tangled up with a pretty widow in the village. Now, men being lustful isn’t anything new, but this pretty widow has grand ambitions. She refused to be a concubine and proposed a co-wife arrangement."
Seeing Bai Suihe and the others staring at her with a thirst for knowledge, Mrs. Jiang felt very satisfied. Today’s news was juicy enough. She even asked and answered her own question: "You must be wondering what a co-wife arrangement means, right?
"Let me tell you. It means the widow suggested that Mrs. Lin can manage everything here in the county town, while she would ’graciously compromise’ and stay with Mr. Lin in the village to manage the two farmsteads."
"Is this widow a breath-taking beauty?" Mrs. Qian was highly curious. "Have you seen her?"
"Where would I even see her?" Mrs. Jiang admitted her own curiosity. "The whole affair only blew up when Mrs. Lin went back for the New Year and noticed something was off.
"But that Mr. Lin is a real piece of work. He’s completely blinded by lust and listens exclusively to that pretty widow. He even thinks her proposal makes perfect sense!
"He claims it’s to let Mrs. Lin and the children enjoy a comfortable life in the county town while they handle the matters of the farmsteads.
"Pfft! I can’t believe they had the nerve to say that. The entire Lin Family’s livelihood depends entirely on those two farmsteads! How is Mrs. Lin supposed to survive in the county town with several children?
"Besides, her three sons are still studying at the academy. With their financial lifeline in someone else’s hands, she might have to cater to that pretty widow’s whims in the future. No wonder she’s been so depressed."
Bai Suihe rested her chin in her hand. "If that’s the case, I actually think Madam Gu’s offer to buy their farmsteads yesterday was a good way out. Once the farmsteads are sold, if Mr. Lin wants to live in the village with that pretty widow, just let them be."
Mrs. Qian and the others stared intently at Bai Suihe. Madam Li even slammed the table. "Exactly! That’s a brilliant idea. If she can’t have it, then no one should have it."
Mrs. Qian nodded in agreement. If she were Mrs. Lin, she might have just gone with the flow and agreed on the spot. Mr. Lin might act tough at home, but would he dare to challenge the Duke Mansion?
Mrs. Jiang sighed. "While that sounds incredibly satisfying, it’s really not a good solution.
"Even if the farmsteads are sold and they receive a sum of Silver, that money definitely wouldn’t end up in Mrs. Lin’s hands.
"When that happens, she and her children will be left with absolutely no means of survival.
"Tell me, what is the point of a woman’s life? She works tirelessly to bear children and expand the Lin Family, but the moment she gets older and loses her youth, someone else swoops in to reap the rewards of her labor."
Except for Bai Suihe, whose household among those present didn’t have concubines and illegitimate children? Asking themselves honestly, if they were to encounter such a malicious widow, they would probably fall ill from anger too.
As for the ancient societal norms that elevated men and suppressed women, Bai Suihe had no way to change them. She could only silently remind herself that no matter what, she had to hold on to her absolute bottom line. If Gu Kaiyuan ever had a change of heart, she could just take her child and live on her own. However, just the thought of it inevitably made her feel a bit uncomfortable.
"Suihe, you’re different from us. You have the Bai Family to rely on. Mr. Gu definitely wouldn’t..." Seeing Bai Suihe lost in thought with a slightly pale expression, Mrs. Qian tried to comfort her.
Bai Suihe smiled bitterly and shook her head. "Who can say for sure what the future holds? If that moment truly comes, I’m afraid I’d just step aside and let them be."
"Are you foolish? How can you say such nonsense? Even if it truly comes to that, you must keep their indentured servant contracts firmly in your grasp. As long as you hold their lifeline, no matter how capable they are, they’ll have to submit obediently."
"But what if you run into someone like that pretty widow you mentioned earlier?" Bai Suihe asked. "How do you think one should deal with her?"
Bai Suihe wanted to take this opportunity to see if they had any brilliant solutions. After all, this was an era where mistresses were perfectly legal and justified. If you dared to jump out and criticize them, you would only be labeled as jealous.
If they could come up with a good countermeasure, perhaps she could even help Mrs. Lin. It would be a way to repay the favor of her unintentionally acting as a shield during yesterday’s disaster.