Chapter 572: Hardship
Chapter 572 -573: Hardship
Gu Baijiang looked exhausted. He was equally dissatisfied with the courtyard, but at this point, he had no other ideas. He would just have to take things one step at a time.
“Stop arguing. Everyone pick a room and get some rest. I’ll see if I can buy a courtyard tomorrow,” he said.
He didn’t feel safe living in this dilapidated courtyard. Now that he had a sum of silver on hand, it was better to buy property early rather than wait for his two unfilial sons to scheme for it later.
Gu Kaiping didn’t show the slightest joy at the prospect of buying property. Instead, he looked somewhat troubled. “Dad, I’m afraid it won’t be that easy to buy a house here. Everyone in Lingnan is hoarding their properties now. There’s simply nowhere to start.”
“How is that possible?” Gu Kaichen asked. Having been locked up in the backyard every day, he naturally didn’t know how the world outside had changed, let alone the situation in Lingnan.
Seeing him ask such a stupid question, Gu Kaiping shot him a disdainful look. Before his brother could jump up in anger, he said, “You all saw the changes in Lingnan. Many aristocratic families and merchants have rushed over to hoard land and shops. Ordinary commoners don’t even dare compete with them.
“Because of this, a vast majority of the land has been pocketed by these people. There are places for rent, but if you want to buy, you’re likely out of luck.”
Even so, he had gone through a lot of trouble just to rent this small courtyard. Since they were so full of complaints now, he hoped they could maintain that same stubbornness tomorrow.
When they entered the house, however, they found it completely bare. It was empty. How were they supposed to live here?
Gu Kaiping looked a bit embarrassed. “I didn’t expect you all to arrive so soon. I was planning to buy some furniture and food tomorrow. Why don’t we just make do for tonight?”
It was getting late. Even if they went out to buy things now, they likely wouldn’t be able to get everything. It was better to just avoid the hassle.
Gu Baijiang glanced at Gu Kaiping and took a deep breath before saying, “Fine. It’s late anyway. Let’s make do for now. Go unload the luggage from the carriages and find a place to settle yourselves down.”
Since they had brought their own quilts, laying them on the floor to make do for a night was no big deal. It was still infinitely better than their last trip to Lingnan.
The living arrangements could be managed, but what about food?
The kitchen was completely empty, with only a stove. Let alone an iron wok, there wasn’t even a single bowl or a stick of firewood.
Gu Kaiping rubbed his nose. “I’ll figure something out tomorrow for sure.”
The crowd no longer had the energy to complain. Saying anything now would be useless anyway. It was better to save their strength and go to rest early.
Seeing everyone heading back to their rooms, Gu Anliang pointed at the carriages outside and asked, “What about the horses? We can’t just leave them without grass.”
“Just tie them up somewhere with grass and let them graze,” Gu Kaichen said. “Besides, they’re just beasts of burden. Being a little hungry won’t hurt them.”
Gu Anliang walked over and patted one of the horses on the head. These tall, sturdy steeds had been bought at a high price, but they had suffered greatly along the journey and grown noticeably thinner from hunger.
“Brother,” Gu Anwei said, having also stayed outside. “Let’s find them some water to drink first. They must be thirsty and starving.”
Seeing the two boys bustling about, Gu Baijiang’s heart ached for his grandsons. He stopped them, saying, “You two don’t need to busy yourselves. We’ll drive these carriages into the city and sell them tomorrow. Go get some rest. Whatever needs to be done can wait until tomorrow.”
The two boys were reluctant to part with the horses, but they knew they didn’t call the shots in the family now.
The rest of the Gu Family knew that given their current situation, they couldn’t afford to keep several horses. Raising a cow would be much more practical.
Afraid that she would be expected to serve that wretched old man, Xu Shuanghong simply grabbed her two daughters, picked a room, went inside, and slammed the door shut with a loud BANG.
Seeing her attitude, Gu Kaiping froze. What kind of drama was she pulling now?
Before, she had been desperately dying to marry into the Gu Family. Now, she actually dared to throw a tantrum.
Gu Baijiang didn’t care. She could throw a fit if she wanted, but leaving was impossible.
Setting everything else aside, it was high time for his two stepdaughters to make themselves useful.
The night passed in silence. The next morning, the entire Gu Family began to bustle about.
They ran around all day without a moment’s rest. Forget about buying a house, they couldn’t even find a suitable place to rent.
The places were either too small, or too big and expensive. After picking and choosing left and right, everyone eventually returned to the small courtyard Gu Kaiping had rented.
They bought some simple furniture, then purchased some vegetables and grain from the neighbors. Their first day finally concluded without any mishaps.
Only then did Gu Baijiang have the time to ask Gu Kaiping about his life here.
“Mr. He took good care of me in the beginning,” Gu Kaiping explained. “But his attitude has been very strange over the past few days. He’s been assigning me more tasks than before. Even if I do a flawless job, he still manages to find something to be dissatisfied with.”
“You still can’t see it?” Gu Baijiang said, frustrated by his son’s thickheadedness. “The Third Prince probably sent him a letter. This is a warning to put us in our place.”
“By the way, Dad, I haven’t even asked you all yet. Why did you suddenly come over? Did something happen over in the capital?”
Gu Baijiang recounted the recent events in the capital. Gu Kaiping couldn’t even process it all. Only then did he remember his first wife.
Liu Yun had collapsed into bed the moment she arrived yesterday, and she still hadn’t gotten up today.
“What’s wrong with your mother?” Gu Kaiping asked Gu Anliang.
Gu Anliang felt a surge of anger. This was the father he had always admired. His mother was sick, yet as her own husband, he only remembered her now.
“My mother is unwell. Her whole body is weak…”
Hearing the dissatisfaction in his son’s tone, Gu Kaiping didn’t pay it any mind. “Why is she so delicate?
“Did you send for a doctor?”
“We did. The doctor said her illness stems from anxiety. I know Mother is worried about my eldest sister. Dad, can you talk to Prince Ning and ask him to let my sister come back? Otherwise, she’ll lose her life…”
“You little troublemaker!” Gu Kaiping reached out and covered his mouth. “You can’t just spout nonsense like that! Your sister is married into the Prince Ning Mansion. Prince Ning now dictates her comings and goings.
“There’s nothing we can do about your eldest sister’s situation. If you want to protect her, then study hard. The sooner you earn a scholarly title, the sooner you can become her pillar of support.”
“But I’m afraid my sister won’t live to see that day,” Gu Anliang replied.
It was a deeply inauspicious thing to say, but Gu Anliang squeezed his eyes shut and yelled it out anyway, “The royal family will never tolerate a liability like her…”
At this moment, Gu Kaiping really wanted to sew his son’s mouth shut. However, since this was his one and only precious son, he could only coax him gently, “Rest assured. As long as you work hard, one day you will be able to back your sister up.”
He had kept the two boys behind to let them understand the family’s current predicament, so he still needed to explain things clearly.
“With our family’s current capabilities, we can’t even set foot inside the Prince Ning Mansion anymore. That is why your grandfather brought you all here, trekking thousands of miles.
“Our family is already teetering on the edge of ruin. We must be exceptionally careful with every step we take. In the future, never say such treasonous words outside again.
“Once we’re done with these couple of busy days, I’ll go find a good academy for you. You two brothers are the future of our entire Gu Family…”