Chapter 575: Disappointment
Chapter 575 -576: Disappointment
Gu Baijiang had hidden things himself in the past, so naturally, he knew what this meant. He told the laborers that it was getting late and asked them to come back in a couple of days once the materials were purchased, effectively sending them away.
“No, Dad, why wait a couple of days? The market isn’t far, and the timber is readily available,” Gu Kaichen said.
“You foolish boy, what do you know? This dirt was dug up not too long ago. There’s more to this house than meets the eye. Hurry up and look around to see if there are any other spots suitable for digging a cellar.”
Gu Kaichen’s eyes sparkled. “Dad, are you saying there’s treasure here?” He then shook his head. “Wait, that’s not right. If there were good things here, why would they sell the house to us?”
“It’s possible they didn’t find it, which means we still have a chance.” Greed flashed in Gu Baijiang’s eyes. Perhaps the Gu Family was about to make a comeback.
As if seeing a beacon of hope, the father and son began digging and prying all over the dilapidated house. They practically tore up every inch of the already crumbling structure, yet they found absolutely nothing.
“Dad,” Gu Kaichen said. Having dug for a whole day, he had lost his earlier enthusiasm and slumped onto the ground. “It looks like someone else took the stuff a long time ago; otherwise, they wouldn’t have sold the house. Look at this place now. We have no choice but to rebuild it. Let’s just get it over with in one go.”
Just as he finished speaking, a tottering wall suddenly collapsed with a loud CRASH. Terrified, the father and son scrambled out into the courtyard. They didn’t dare to dig any further, afraid they might be buried in the rubble.
“Forget it. It seems it was taken by someone else long ago.” Although he didn’t want to admit it, Gu Baijiang couldn’t keep going either. At his age, digging all day for nothing left him physically and mentally exhausted.
Gu Kaichen lay flat out in the courtyard. “Another day of labor wasted for nothing.”
Gu Baijiang shot him a glance. “It wasn’t entirely a waste. At least we demolished the house. Let’s rebuild it.”
“Dad, if we’re going to build, let’s build a large tile-roofed house,” Gu Kaichen suggested. “After all, we’ll be living here long-term.”
Gu Baijiang was in no mood to argue with him. Fine, they might as well do it right the first time. Even if they didn’t live there in the future, they could probably sell it for a good price.
The father and son reached an agreement. However, they were too scared to go back inside the house, so they booked a room at an inn to wash up properly. After a good night’s sleep, they got busy the next day. They had never managed such mundane matters before. They either overpaid for materials or bought too much, taking many unnecessary detours in the process.
Because the two households weren’t far apart, the visitors from the Bai Family arrived very quickly. This time, only Mrs. Bai and her two sons made the trip; Mr. Bai did not accompany them.
Mrs. Bai didn’t bother to cover for him. “Your father is an old man with wandering eyes. He took in another beautiful concubine and is currently toiling away for the unborn child in her belly.”
Bai Suihe wasn’t surprised to hear this news. She was already accustomed to it, and as a daughter, it wasn’t her place to meddle in her father’s private affairs. She just felt a bit sorry for Mrs. Bai. “Mother, you still have me and my two brothers.”
“I know that. As for that miserable old coot, I’d rather he not wander around in front of me anyway,” Mrs. Bai said, stroking her daughter’s face and noticing that she seemed to have gotten much tanner recently. “Even if there’s plenty of sunshine here, you need to be careful. For us women, aside from our natural beauty, skincare is essential. Look at how tan you’ve gotten. Getting your fair complexion back won’t be easy. From now on, let your husband handle the outside affairs. You just need to oversee the big picture.”
Mrs. Bai would never advise her daughter to relinquish her power. If a woman had no confidence or say in her household and simply locked herself away in the inner chambers, she would be courting her own ruin. Over the years, if she hadn’t kept a firm grip on her own dowry and maintained a deep understanding of the Bai Family’s businesses, her children would have suffered countless losses. Now that the family had divided its assets and her children hadn’t been shortchanged in the process, Bai Jingwen no longer mattered to her.
Ever since the separation, the various branches had moved out to live independently. Bai Jingwen took turns staying with them, leaving her with a lot more peace and quiet. As for whether he took concubines or had more children, it had absolutely nothing to do with her. At most, when the child was born, she would give a gift to show her goodwill as the legitimate principal wife.
“It makes me look a bit healthier,” Bai Suihe said. She knew she had gotten tanner, but she was confident her fair skin would return once she bundled up during the winter. After all, she had a good foundation, and she had been learning how to make facial masks recently. It was just that pearls were too precious these days; using pearl powder for facial treatments was still a bit of a luxury.
She did know a thing or two about cultivating pearls. Her former company had organized a tour in the past, so she understood the basics of farming pearl oysters. As long as she researched it thoroughly, she believed she could eventually build a pearl farm from scratch. After all, she would need to maintain her skin as she grew older. Natural pearls were hard to come by and exorbitant in price. She wasn’t extravagant enough to buy them, so cultivating them herself would be ideal.
“You,” Mrs. Bai said, tapping her forehead. “Nanny Pang still has a few skincare recipes on hand. Don’t just focus solely on studying medicine; you should look into this area as well.”
Her son-in-law seemed decent enough for now, but how many men could truly remain faithful to one woman for a lifetime? If such a man existed, it was only because the temptations he faced weren’t alluring enough.
“We just went to look at that ship; it’s very impressive,” Mrs. Bai continued. “But don’t venture too far at first. Just stick to the coastal waters. Have you prepared the sailing routes?”
Bai Suihe smiled and nodded. “When my father sent a letter over previously, he also included a few nautical charts. Kai Yuan has also recruited many experienced fishermen. They’ve spent their entire lives navigating these waters, so sticking to the coast won’t be a problem.”
“That’s good. You must be absolutely certain before setting sail,” Mrs. Bai said. “This time, your brothers specifically paid a high salary to hire a veteran captain who used to go out to sea frequently. He’s older now and has stepped down from commanding ocean-going vessels, but he’s willing to guide you for a few trips. You need to find a few sharp-witted men to properly learn from him.
“We’ve created the opportunity for you; the rest depends on your own abilities.”
Bai Suihe’s eyes lit up. An experienced helmsman was incredibly important for their current oceanic endeavors. She immediately hugged Mrs. Bai’s waist and swayed playfully. “Mother is the best to me.”
“Don’t say that. I can’t take the credit for this; your two brothers have been very invested in this matter too,” Mrs. Bai replied. “However, you don’t need to feel indebted to them. The recipes you gave them earlier allowed them to quickly establish a firm foothold in Quan Port. You have no idea. When your father saw those impressive results, he actually got some ideas of his own.”
Mrs. Bai curled her lips in disdain. “He even accused us of hoarding good things, claiming that if those recipes were in his hands, he could definitely generate much larger profits than your brothers. He didn’t even stop to consider who would benefit from his profits! Even if you siblings take the lion’s share, I still wouldn’t want those other people taking any advantage of us.”
Bai Suihe listened with a smile as Mrs. Bai continued to chatter. At this moment, she truly felt that she had roots here…