From Hoarding to Time-Travel: My Supplies Saved Him

Chapter 776: Chapter 778: Not Good Enough

Zhang Guihong had spoken so convincingly earlier that she had even fooled herself, much less the startled Cen Gaosong.

"Your father should believe it. After all, we write to our family frequently; otherwise, he wouldn’t be so angry."

Cen Yueqin felt a wave of helplessness. "What do we do now? If Father finds out you lied to trick him, he’ll reprimand you again."

"He can’t stand the sight of the two of us anyway, so why should I swallow my pride and suffer in silence?

"Besides, the words are already out. At worst, I’ll just turn the lie into reality.

"In a moment, I’ll dispatch someone to ride back home with the utmost speed to deliver a letter. From now on, Ping’er will be the legitimate brother to you and your sister."

Finding this plan feasible, Zhang Guihong immediately sprang into action, picking up a pen and paper to write the letter.

However, her daughter was too sharp. "Mother, Father wanted me to stay behind earlier. What do you think he was going to say?" Cen Yueqin asked. She had lived in this estate for nearly a year, yet her father had never truly sat down to talk with her.

Zhang Guihong knew her daughter’s temperament; there was no way she could hide it today.

"It’s about your marriage. As your own father, he doesn’t know how to cherish his daughter. Just look at the kind of families he’s trying to set you up with."

Cen Yueqin hadn’t expected it to be about this. She had vaguely harbored some suspicions before, but hearing it confirmed was still hard to swallow.

"Which family did Father mention?"

"The Gu family," Zhang Guihong said through gritted teeth. "And it’s Mr. Gu’s nephew, no less.

"Previously, when Miss Hou married into their family as a legitimate daughter, the groom at least held the title of a Scholar.

"But look at the rest of them! They are either completely mismatched with your age, or they’re just working as small officials in the government office.

"Men like that will be stuck like that for the rest of their lives. What great prospects could they possibly have?

"Just to curry favor with Mr. Gu, your father actually wants to betroth you to his nephew.

"You don’t need to worry about this. As long as I’m here, I will never agree to it."

Cen Yueqin had entertained many fantasies about her own marriage. Previously, all the prospects discussed had been young masters from prominent, wealthy families. A sudden drop in status to this level was difficult for her to accept.

"Mother, what exactly is the situation with Mr. Gu’s nephews?"

"You don’t need to ask around about them. Regardless, I won’t agree to it.

"If I had known your father would pull a stunt like this, I wouldn’t have brought you here with me."

Looking at her daughter, who hadn’t even reached marriageable age yet, Zhang Guihong touched her head affectionately. "You’ve accompanied me on such a long journey and helped manage the entire inner courtyard. My dear daughter is so capable; I will definitely find you a good husband."

Cen Yueqin sighed. "Mother, there’s no rush for this matter. I’m still young, after all.

"However, about Ping’er... are you really certain about this?"

"What else can I do if I’m not certain?" Zhang Guihong took a sip of water before continuing. "We’ve been at this estate for so long, and your father has so many women serving him, yet none have managed to give birth to a son or daughter.

"I could wait longer, but some people are running out of patience.

"Haven’t you seen her stirring up trouble left and right lately? And your father is favoring her again.

"I would rather adopt Ping’er, a concubine’s son who is already nearly a grown man, under my name than take in either of her two children.

"Hmph, I guessed she would go throw a tantrum at your father, so I took the opportunity to expose how harshly she had been treating the household previously. Even if she wants to make a fuss now, she wouldn’t have the guts."

Zhang Guihong smiled at her daughter. "I’ve firmly gained the upper hand this time, and finally vented some of my frustrations.

"Oh, by the way, I’ve already had a few tables of banquets ordered. The two of us will enjoy a good meal today. I suspect your father won’t have any appetite left."

Cen Yueqin’s mind wasn’t on the food, but she felt relieved knowing Zhang Guihong hadn’t been put at a disadvantage.

However, her marriage really needed to be settled sooner rather than later. Her mother might have fended off this attempt, but there was no guarantee she could stop the next one.

She had heard of the young men in Mr. Gu’s estate before. Aside from Miss Hou’s husband, who had passed the exams to become a Scholar, the rest were mediocre in talent, all working under Mr. Gu as small officials. If she truly married into a family like that, she dreaded how the young ladies she knew would mock her.

Besides, Miss Hou was merely the legitimate daughter of a merchant family, whereas she was the legitimate daughter of an official family. She absolutely refused to marry worse than Miss Hou.

Seeing her precious daughter still sitting there in a daze, Zhang Guihong touched her head affectionately. "I actually think Prefect Wang’s legitimate son isn’t bad. Even though he failed the Scholar examinations this time, I heard his literary talent has been praised by his teachers. If he didn’t pass this time, he can always try again the next time, right?

"How about I arrange another meeting with Mrs. Wang someday?"

Cen Yueqin hesitated for a moment before slowly nodding. "I’ll listen to you, Mother."

「At the Wu family.」

Wu Kun sat dejectedly in the main hall, completely devoid of the high-spirited vigor he had possessed before the new year.

"If it’s truly unsalvageable, why don’t you just close down the restaurant?

"With so many Shopkeepers and staff, you can easily relocate and start over somewhere else," Old Sir Wu urged once more. He knew his son had invested heavily in Tianle Restaurant, but so what? They were merchants; if there was no profit in sight, the natural course of action was to cut their losses in time.

"But I just can’t accept it. We’re in the exact same location, and I’ve even had people develop many new dishes. Why does everyone still choose Tianfu Restaurant?"

Old Sir Wu’s tone grew sterner. "I refuse to believe you don’t know the reason. You just aren’t willing to admit it."

Their competitors sourced ingredients from far and wide and boasted several secret recipes, automatically placing them in an unbeatable position. Coupled with their impeccable management and service, anyone who dined there left with words of high praise.

Meanwhile, Wu Kun was too arrogant. He clearly knew his own shortcomings but refused to correct them or learn from others. How could he possibly run a successful business?

Old Sir Wu continued, "Your restaurants in the other commanderies are still operating decently. If worse comes to worst, you should shift your focus to those.

"Furthermore, you’re getting older. Your mother has already brought her complaints to me. It’s about time you finalize your marriage early and stop being so picky."

Old Sir Wu left one thing unsaid: what if Mrs. Gu decided to open new branches of Tianfu Restaurant in other locations? If that happened, their losses would be even more disastrous.

"Didn’t Mother say she was going to help mediate things for me? How did that go?"

"Lady Liang has changed her mind." Speaking of this, Old Sir Wu’s expression grew heavier. "She was merely proposing her maiden family’s niece anyway. If it weren’t out of respect for Governor Liang, the He Family’s status wouldn’t be worthy of our family at all.

"You shouldn’t be too picky either. If necessary, look among the aristocratic families. You’re bound to find a suitable match."

Wu Kun’s expression became somewhat conflicted. Lady Liang had previously been eager to arrange a marriage with his family, but the moment his restaurant encountered business issues, her attitude had turned cold. It was one thing for him to reject the offer, but being picked over and discarded like this was hard to swallow.

Yet, Governor Liang wasn’t someone their family could afford to offend. Wu Kun truly had no choice but to swallow this grievance.

"I’m not in a rush for that right now. But if the restaurant just ends like this, I truly can’t accept it."

Renting the storefront from Governor Liang, undertaking a massive renovation, and setting up the decor and staffing—the amount of energy and money he had poured into it was substantial.