Chapter 380: Punishment

Gu Yumei was overjoyed when she heard this, and hurriedly asked, "Third Grandma, are you serious? Our family doesn’t have to blend spices anymore?"

That’s great; she was tired of blending spices every day.

Mrs. Chen frowned at Gu Yumei’s smiling face and scolded, "What are you happy about?"

Where’s such a good deal where they don’t work but still get money? Third Aunt must have something else to say.

Sure enough, Third Grandma said, "However, you have to take over Ms. Xu Wang’s work and make fried tofu for the workshop."

Third Grandma looked at Gu Yumei and said, "Especially Sister Mei, you work slowly, our fried tofu sells well, so you need to get up early and start working, otherwise you won’t deliver the goods to the customers in time."

Gu Yumei’s smile stiffened, and after a moment, she reacted and cried out, "You want me to go to the workshop to make fried tofu?!"

Third Grandma nodded: "Mhm, from now on, this will be your family’s job. Your second aunt has to set up her stall every other day; you’ll have to work harder on your own, or nobody will be there to help you."

Gu Yumei started crying: "I don’t want to do it, I was perfectly content blending spices at home, why do I have to go to the workshop to fry tofu? What’s the weather like now? It’s hot enough to kill someone, and me, a daughter of the Dong Family, working with those workers, how would that look?"

As she wiped her tears, she continued, "I am already betrothed; I am a pampered guest in my own home now, how can I go to the workshop to work? I am to marry into a scholar’s family, if the Wan Family finds out I’m working in the workshop with a group of workers, what will they think of me?"

"And besides, wasn’t making fried tofu always Ms. Xu Wang’s job? Why on earth is she not doing it now? To come blend our family’s spices... Wuu wuu wuu, I won’t go!"

Third Grandma was most annoyed by Gu Yumei’s spoiled attitude. Hearing this, she said, "It was you who hit Ms. Xu Wang without understanding the situation, and you said those words that tarnished her reputation. Now she can’t go back to working at the workshop, you’ve caused this trouble, so you should bear it. There’s no such thing in this world as causing trouble and only letting your own family suffer while you face no punishment at all."

Gu Yumei was stunned, this... She thought everything was already over because her father and uncle had gone to apologize and their household had been fined silver, but it turned out that wasn’t the end of it.

Gu Yumei got angry, looked around the room, and furiously pointed at Gu Jinli, accusing, "Gu Xiaoyu, it was your rotten idea, wasn’t it? It must be you. You’re just jealous of me, seeing that I have an engagement with the Wan Family and am going to marry into the scholar’s family and become the young madam, you did this on purpose... Ah!"

She hadn’t finished speaking when Gu Jinli threw a stone at her hand, nearly breaking Gu Yumei’s fingers.

Gu Yumei covered her swollen fingers and cried out, "Third Grandpa, Third Grandma, you must stand up for me, Gu Xiaoyu hit me!"

Third Grandma, vexed by the noise, irritably said to Mrs. Chen, "That’s the situation. Starting tomorrow, your family will take on the fried tofu job. Our fried tofu is selling well, needing up to a thousand pounds a day, so you must go to the workshop early in the morning at the latest. You can’t be late."

Finally, she warned, "The trouble was caused by your own family, so you must do the job. If you don’t want to do it, that’s fine too; just withdraw from the workshop. Out of consideration for our clan relations, I will take out a few taels of silver from my own private money for you, and you can use it to start another business."

Gu Yumei, in the midst of her raging tears, was dumbfounded when she heard this. Not doing the tofu job meant having to quit the workshop?

Mrs. Chen shivered, realizing that Third Grandma was deliberately disciplining Gu Yumei, and quickly agreed, "Sure, Third Aunt, rest assured, we will do the fried tofu work well and will no longer cause the workshop any trouble."

After speaking, she dragged away Gu Yumei, who was still trying to make a scene, fearing that if she moved too slowly, the girl would make more trouble.

Third Grandma looked at the backs of Mrs. Chen and Gu Yumei, shaking her head and saying, "Sister Mei is still in need of a lesson. I hope after suffering this time, she’ll become wiser. Otherwise, she’ll suffer for the rest of her life."

It was also her family’s indulgence that made Sister Mei turn out this way.

The family not only consisted of Da Fu and his wife but also included Village Chief Gu and his wife.

Village Chief Gu, with numerous grandsons and fewer granddaughters, doted on Yu Mei, hoping to pamper her so that she could marry into a scholar’s family in the future.

Back in their old home, villagers also tried to ingratiate themselves with Village Chief Gu’s family. All the village girls, without exception, flattered Yu Mei, causing her to look down on people through her nostrils, truly believing she was some delicate young lady.

After talking about Yu Mei, Third Grandma looked towards Jinli and Jinxiu and nodded with satisfaction: "Our Xiao Yu and Sister Xiu are indeed the good ones."

Although Xiao Yu was somewhat fierce, you had to be tough on the journey to flee from famine; although Sister Xiu was a bit soft-tempered, she didn’t act out and knew to help the family.

...

After returning from Gu Jinli’s house, Yu Mei had cried for half a day, but no matter how much she cried, the next day before dawn, Mrs. Chen dragged her out of bed to work in the workshop.

Ms. Xu Wang came to teach them how to fry tofu, and she did so with great earnest: "The weather is hot, and tofu spoils easily. Making fried tofu in the workshop is to prevent the tofu from going bad. Therefore, the fried tofu must be fried until crisp, and one should not just fry it until light yellow and then take it out, as that tofu will not last long."

Yu Mei listened with such frustration that she wanted to strangle Ms. Xu Wang, but Mrs. Chen had a tight hold on her and prevented her from rushing up to strike anyone.

Frying tofu was very simple; Ms. Xu Wang only taught them for 30 minutes and after they fried two pots of tofu, Mrs. Chen had learned it.

Ms. Xu Wang then performed a curtsey and said, "Grandma Dong, Dong Family’s daughter, if there’s nothing else, this servant shall take her leave first."

Ms. Xu Wang, although a servant, was not one bought by Da Fu’s family, but her family was grateful that Gu Jinli’s house was willing to buy them, and so they addressed each household as ’Dong Family’.

Mrs. Chen smiled and said: "We’ve learned it, you’ve worked hard, go back and rest quickly."

At these words, Ms. Xu Wang turned and left.

Yu Mei glared at her departing figure and cursed, "What a vixen, always playing the pity card!"

Mrs. Chen yanked her hard and scolded angrily, "Stop yelling and get to work. Nowadays, you have to do this work for real, don’t even think about slacking off like when you were mixing spices."

Did she think Mrs. Chen didn’t know?

When she was away at the shop, seven-tenths of the spices at home were mixed by Brother Fa, and Yu Mei idled around every day, only to come out and help mix spices when she guessed that Mrs. Chen was almost returning from town.

Yu Mei had no choice but to fry the tofu, but the oil in the pan was scalding hot, looked frightening, and sometimes spattered, causing several blisters on her hands.

She cried saying she wouldn’t do it, but Mrs. Chen came with a stick. As soon as Yu Mei refused to work, Mrs. Chen would strike her with the stick. After being hit several times, Yu Mei became afraid, and also wary of other people in the workshop, not wanting to lose face, she resigned herself to frying tofu.

...

While Yu Mei was crying and working in the workshop, Ni Ruiniang was also weeping and complaining to Ms. Ni.