Chapter 786 - 788: Paying a Visit
Chapter 786: Chapter 788: Paying a Visit
He hadn’t harbored much hope to begin with, but this was still a letdown.
Huang Mu’en gave an awkward smile. "Things have been busy lately, so oversights are inevitable. But you know the Huang family has always kept in touch with yours. My heart is with you."
Hou Cunjin was left utterly speechless and could only scoff inwardly.
Huang Mu’en sized up his carriage. "You’re already in-laws with Mr. Gu, so how come they haven’t gotten you one of their custom carriages? Let me tell you, I traveled with their escort agency last time. Their carriages don’t bump at all and are incredibly comfortable to ride in..."
"It seems the Huang Family Master knows more about this than I do," Hou Cunjin replied. "I haven’t traveled with the Gu family’s escort team yet."
"Wasn’t it just a coincidence? I had to go to He Xi County a few days ago, and since I was short on manpower, I had to travel with the escort team.
"Let me tell you, that trip was far more relaxing than traveling on our own.
"The armed escorts have a great attitude and excellent service. With the smooth carriage ride, I didn’t feel any travel fatigue at all. It felt more like a sightseeing tour."
At this point, Huang Mu’en put on a flattering smile. "Our eldest niece is living in the Gu family now, so she must know the young men there quite well. I happen to have a few daughters born of concubines who are at marriageable age. I wonder if there’s any chance of a match."
"Then you’ve found the wrong person," Hou Cunjin said. "I only know how to do business, not how to be a matchmaker.
"You’ve beaten around the bush and talked so much, and now I finally understand what you’re getting at.
"But you really did look for the wrong guy. If you think it’s a good match, you can have your Madam handle the communications with the inner courtyard. How could grown men like us manage such things?
"I’m going back to rest for a bit, and then I have to make a trip to the Gu Mansion, so I won’t chat with you any longer."
He lifted the curtain and glanced at the street. "Your shop happens to be just up ahead. You can get off here!"
Without waiting for a response, he knocked on the carriage pillar. KNOCK KNOCK. The carriage slowly came to a halt.
"Don’t be so cold," Huang Mu’en said, not annoyed in the least. "I know you have important business later. I’ll invite you out for a get-together some other time.
"Given our decades of friendship, you have to give me at least this much face."
Hou Cunjin reached out and lifted the curtain for him. His intention to see the guest off was so blatantly obvious that Huang Mu’en had no choice but to stoop down and exit.
As soon as he found his footing, before he could even open his mouth, the Hou Family’s carriage had already driven away, leaving him with a face full of dust.
"Bah." Wiping the dust from the corner of his mouth, Huang Mu’en gave a scoffing laugh. "Finding a powerful backer really changes a person. His tone is much tougher than before."
Standing on the street, he paused for a long while before finally turning to enter his own shop.
Having promised the other Family Heads to make a trip to the Gu Mansion, Hou Cunjin had his servants prepare a carriage full of gifts after lunch and brought Old Mrs. Hou along for the visit. He actually wanted to bring his official wife, but knowing that his legitimate daughter didn’t get along with Mrs. Hou Li, he could only trouble the old matriarch to make the trip.
"Jin’er," Old Mrs. Hou reminded him once again as soon as they sat in the carriage. "Tian’er has only recently married into the Gu family and hasn’t firmly established herself yet. As her father, you shouldn’t make things too difficult for her."
"Mother, we are just going through the motions. How am I making things difficult for her?" Hou Cunjin couldn’t understand it. Whenever it involved his eldest daughter, his mother and sister always assumed he was trying to give her a hard time.
"You’ve been visiting the Gu Mansion too frequently these days, and this time you prepared a whole carriage of gifts. If nothing was going on, you wouldn’t suddenly be this generous." Thinking of her daughter-in-law’s dark expression just now, Old Mrs. Hou directed another round of accusations at her son. "Moreover, that wife of yours truly treats all the Hou Family’s assets as her personal belongings. Aren’t you afraid she’ll throw another fit when you get back?"
Thinking of the women at home, Hou Cunjin felt waves of a headache coming on. If they couldn’t live together peacefully, they should just keep their distance, yet they loved to meddle with each other. It made him not even want to return home anymore.
"Mother, we just need to ignore her." Having more important matters at hand, Hou Cunjin supported the old lady’s arm and said, "This time, I have a favor to ask of them..."
"I knew it was nothing good." Hearing her son’s words, Old Mrs. Hou wanted to turn right back around and head home, but the carriage had already stopped at the entrance of the Gu Mansion. "Those families have been giving us the cold shoulder all these years, so why do you care so much about them? Haven’t you suffered enough losses? Let’s just treat this trip as visiting relatives. It’s best if you don’t mention anything."
"Mother, you think too highly of your son. Our business has indeed improved a lot compared to before over this past year, but if we want to continue living in Yongchang County, we can’t afford to offend the other families.
"Don’t worry, I know my limits. I’ll ask what I should and definitely won’t utter a single extra word about what I shouldn’t.
"No matter what, we have to show the right attitude."
"Sigh," Old Mrs. Hou let out a heavy breath. "When your father was alive, he said long ago that these families were worsening with each passing generation. It seems the turning point has arrived."
Hou Cunjin’s expression turned slightly unnatural. When his old man said those words back then, he had included him in that assessment. If he hadn’t seized the opportunity, he would still be running himself ragged right now just to maintain the reputation of their century-old aristocratic family.
Having received the invitation, Hou Tian’er had been waiting early at the side gate. The moment she saw her family’s carriage, she hurriedly brought Gu Yi out to welcome them. This was the first time her grandmother had visited since she married into the family, so he naturally had to come out and greet her.
Gu Yi had actually long guessed the purpose of the Yue Family’s visit, and he courteously welcomed them into the estate. Gu Wenheng was not in the mansion. Besides, he no longer bothered with such worldly affairs, so Hou Cunjin naturally had to be hosted by Gu Yi.
Led by Hou Tian’er, Old Mrs. Hou met with Jin Qianqian briefly to exchange pleasantries, after which she finally brought her grandmother to her own courtyard. Seeing the spacious, independent courtyard and the well-disciplined servants, Old Mrs. Hou knew that her granddaughter was truly living as well as she had claimed.
"Seeing your life now, Grandmother can finally rest easy..."
Meanwhile, the father-in-law and son-in-law sat in the study. Looking at the various books stacked against three walls, Hou Cunjin felt a sense of reverence. He had studied for a few years when he was a child and had wanted to achieve scholarly honors, but unfortunately, his talent was limited, and he ultimately chose to go into commerce.
"Mr. Gu is indeed worthy of being the Top Scholar. With so many books, you must study hard, my son-in-law." His brother-in-law had also gone from being a poor scholar to where he was today. If his son-in-law was also talented, his future prospects might even surpass his brother-in-law’s.
Gu Yi said with some shame, "I am dull-witted. I have only read one or two out of ten of the books here. How have you been lately, father-in-law?"
"Sigh, still the same old. I’m destined for a life of toil, without a single day to stop and rest." Hou Cunjin took a sip of the tea a servant had just brought up before continuing. "You’ve probably guessed my purpose for coming today. We are all family here, so I won’t beat around the bush."
Truth be told, he had only met this son-in-law a few times and couldn’t really call them familiar. The only thing he could rely on was his status as the father-in-law. "I figure that since you’re by Mr. Gu’s side, you receive more comprehensive news. I won’t make things difficult for you; just pick out what you’re allowed to say and let me know."