Chapter 692 - 694: Attending a Banquet
Chapter 692: Chapter 694: Attending a Banquet
Gu Le Kai said, "Seventh Uncle, do we really need to be in such a hurry?
Besides, our older brothers are still in line. It’ll be ages before it’s our turn."
Gu Wenheng said, "We don’t stand on ceremony when we’re away from home. Besides, the families have already split off, so the order doesn’t affect you.
All of you, hurry up. If you don’t list out your requirements, I’ll have your Seventh Aunt pick someone for you at random. It’ll be too late for regrets then."
’It would be best to get all these boys’ marriages settled at once. That way, my wife won’t have to worry about them all day.’
"This is too rushed. We’re not prepared at all." Gu Le Kai squeezed in behind his older brothers and, feeling he was standing in a safe position, finally dared to speak.
"You little rascal, what is there for you to prepare? If you had the ability to go out and find a wife for yourself, it would save us the trouble."
After speaking, Gu Wenheng frowned and then contradicted himself. "On second thought, forget it. Your taste really makes me worry for your parents’ sake."
"I’ll have Ming Feng come over later and give you a few lessons, lest you get schemed against while you’re out and about."
’At that moment, he really wanted to slap his forehead. These young men were coming and going without anyone accompanying them. If someone set their mind to scheming against them, they would likely fall for it.’
’It seemed that teaching them how to avoid these schemes was the top priority.’
The family already had cautionary tales. Gu Yuanlei had been willing to be expelled from the clan for a woman, and Gu Lejia had found that woman from the Song family on his own, turning the whole house upside down.
This time, Gu Lejia had actually wanted to come along, but Gu Wenheng refused him point-blank.
Under Gu Wenheng’s intense gaze, the young men of the Gu family all blushed, furtively writing down their requirements before covering their faces and running out.
Gu Wenheng, "..."
&
Gu Le Ping had spent the whole morning listening to Ming Feng explain various methods for dealing with schemes, and his head was completely fuzzy.
Walking down the street with Minghai, his head was still swimming with all kinds of imagined scenarios.
Suddenly, he felt someone approaching. He jumped and immediately pressed close to Minghai.
Minghai was startled and looked at him, bewildered. "What are you doing?"
Gu Le Ping looked nervously at the spot where he had just been standing. It was just an old man carrying a shoulder pole, and one of his baskets had almost hit him.
He looked at Minghai, a bit guiltily. "I was afraid his basket would hit me, so I dodged."
Minghai laughed and said, "If it hits you, it hits you. If you get dirty, you can just go back and wash up. You’re so jumpy, you scared the daylights out of me."
Gu Le Ping chuckled foolishly. "Manager Hai, we’ve already walked around this street a few times. Is today going to be the same as always?"
"What? Are you tired of walking?"
Gu Le Ping shook his head. "A little walk like this is nothing. Back home, I used to traverse the streets and alleys with my dad, walking much more than this."
"It’s just, us just watching like this every day, isn’t it a bit of a waste of time?"
He had wanted to ask this question for a long time. Every day they just looked and did nothing, and Seventh Aunt always had the same instructions.
Minghai said, "I was wondering when you’d ask."
Gu Le Ping, "..."
"To use our master’s words, I’m ’understanding the market’," Minghai said, leading the way as he explained.
"Don’t be fooled by the fact that I just wander the streets all day. I’m keeping a running tally in my head."
"Which streets have the most pedestrians? What kinds of shops are on each one?"
"Look at that wine shop up ahead. In my opinion, its business is the most stable. It has a steady customer base every day."
"Now look at that pastry shop on the right. Business is only a little better during market days. Today, at the same time of day, it’s completely empty."
"If you want to do business here, you have to understand the people in each area."
"You have to see what their needs are. That’s how you decide what kind of business to run in a shop."
"You have to see which location is suitable for which business, not just pick a place at random."
"But it’s been many days now, and there’s been no movement at all."
Minghai said, "You can’t rush a good thing. Watch with intent. If you have a suitable idea, you can report it directly to the Madam."
"Me? Can I do that?" Gu Le Ping was a bit incredulous. After all, he was just an apprentice following Minghai around.
"Of course," Minghai encouraged him. "As long as your idea is suitable, the Madam will consider adopting it."
From then on, without even needing Minghai’s prompting, Gu Le Ping shed his previous carelessness and began observing every shop with exceptional detail.
&
Jin Qianqian was currently seated at a banquet. It was only then that she noticed many of the ladies had arrived with several pretty young women at their sides.
In comparison, her own side seemed a bit sparse.
"Mrs. Gu, why don’t we go to the front and watch those young ladies paint?" The Lady Wu seated beside her had brought three young women this time, and they were all at the front with other young ladies, performing their talents.
Jin Qianqian asked, "Won’t we disturb them if we go over?"
’Some of the girls are quite timid. If we go over to watch, we might frighten them.’
"What’s the harm in that?" Lady Wu said, unconcerned. "We just won’t speak. Besides, it’s not like we’re scary-looking."
As she spoke, she covered her mouth and chuckled. "And it’s better to move around a little than to just sit here."
Jin Qianqian noticed the other ladies were all in groups of three or five, so she graciously complied and stood up. "I remember you brought three young women with you, didn’t you? What are they all performing?"
Lady Wu replied, "Two are my husband’s daughters by a concubine. They’re over there with a few other girls looking at the fish. The other one over there is my niece from my maiden family; she’s the one painting right now. I brought them out this time to let them see the world."
Jin Qianqian knew this was just a polite way of saying they were here to be seen by potential suitors.
"The young ladies should indeed get out and gather more often. Seeing so many pretty girls really lifts one’s spirits."
"It’s just a pity the Gu family has an overabundance of boys and a scarcity of girls. It’s hard to find even one pleasant young lady for company."
"What’s the problem with that? There are so many young ladies here. If you see one you like, just whisk her away home. You’d have no shortage of companions then, would you?"
Mrs. Wu Jianshi had stuck close to Jin Qianqian from the moment she entered the banquet, and now she was so eagerly introducing her charges. A realization dawned on Jin Qianqian.
She went along with her line of conversation. "I’d love to, but I’m afraid their parents would be unwilling to let them go."
"It’s a pity my own boys are still too young, otherwise I’d really be tempted to grab one for my household."
"I heard Mr. Gu brought several nephews from his own clan this time. If their ages are suitable, they could also be considered."
Jin Qianqian hadn’t expected her to be so direct. She turned her head and blinked at her.
Lady Wu blinked back twice, an unspoken understanding forming between them.
Jin Qianqian took the opening and began to talk about Gu Yi and the others. "They’re all good lads. My husband brought them here because he wants them to have bright futures."
"It’s just that they are currently starting from the bottom. But as long as they are honest and willing to work hard, supporting a family should be no problem."