Granny Gu, from within the mule cart, saw Gu Youlu assisting up ahead and hastily called out to Gu Youfu: "Go call your eldest brother over to help as well."
This way, Magistrate Lai would favor Youwen even more.
"Okay." Gu Youfu immediately ran to the mule cart where Gu Youwen was seated and relayed Granny Guās message to him.
Gu Youwen frowned and snorted coldly: "I am now a Lord Tutor, how could I engage in such sycophantic and flattering acts like my fourth brother? Tell our mother that Cheng Xian and I are diligently studying; heās to sit for the exam this year, and we mustnāt be distracted by trivial matters."
Gu Youwen wore a thick and warm satin jacket, sitting inside the mule cart with an air of "Iām a high official," not giving Gu Youfu so much as a glance when he spoke.
Though he was older than Gu Youfu, his privileged upbringing made him appear quite a bit younger than Gu Youfu.
Even more so, Gu Chengxian didnāt call out to Gu Youfu, but was leisurely reading a book... Magistrate Lai was eager for him to achieve an official position, and seeing him with his nose constantly in the books while inside the mule cart was sure to please Magistrate Lai even more.
Gu Youfu knew Gu Youwenās temperament; their mother doted on him the most and wouldnāt force him to do anything he was unwilling to do.
Gu Youfu had no choice but to relay the message back to Granny Gu.
After hearing the message, Granny Gu, as expected, didnāt say much: "Your eldest brother is correct, sitting for exams is a major event; we mustnāt let other things distract them."
After speaking, she waved her hand, dismissing Gu Youfu.
After Lai Yan was carried into the Tong Vice Magistrateās residence, the other people who were in the mule carts also disembarked.
The first to come down was Lady Lai.
Lady Lai, not yet thirty, was Magistrate Laiās remarried second wife, who had had a son, but he died on the road due to inadequate medical treatment during their escape from famine.
Since then, Lady Lai had grown indifferent to everything in the Lai Family, and she had ignored all the words from her maids and nanny suggesting Magistrate Lai shouldnāt be too generous to the Old Gu Family.
The Second Young Master Lai was born to Magistrate Laiās first wife, and because the family of four had no sons as of yet, it was precisely for this reason that Magistrate Lai was exceptionally good to Lai Yan.
The Second Young Master Lai did not favor the Old Gu Family, but due to not having sons and lacking an official position, he was not favored by Magistrate Lai. The few times he had suggested driving the Old Gu Family away, he was severely chastised and disciplined by Magistrate Lai.
He didnāt dare to trouble the Old Gu Family rashly anymore and could only endure, waiting until he had his own son.
"My lord, your concubine will enter first; I am too exhausted today, will skip dinner, and rest first," Lady Lai said with a tired expression on her face, completely indifferent to Magistrate Laiās words, and was assisted into the Tong Vice Magistrateās residence by her maid.
The Second Young Master Laiās family also entered the residence to settle in.
Qian Guangzong grew anxious seeing Lady Lai and the Second Young Master Laiās family enter the Tong Vice Magistrateās residence, and said to Gu Dagu: "Jinzhi, the Second Young Masterās family has entered, he does not like our family; once inside the Tong Vice Magistrateās residence, he will definitely occupy the best courtyard and leave us the ones meant for servants."
Gu Dagu laughed: "The Lai Family is not ruled by the Second Young Master; if he dares purposely put us in a dilapidated courtyard, we will simply go to Magistrate Lai, who will surely stand up for us."
Qian Guangzong smiled and massaged Gu Daguās shoulders: "Itās always you, Jinzhi, who has the good ideas. With Magistrate Lai backing us, Second Young Master Lai wouldnāt dare go too far."
Again he said: "It is because of Grandma and Grandpa Guās favor that weāre leading such good lives today. If they hadnāt saved Lord Lai back then, we wouldnāt have these happy days."
Because Jinzhiās grandparents had saved Lord Lai, not only the Old Gu Family but even his (Qian Guangzongās) Qian Family had prospered.
"Itās just a pity that Liāer and Cheng Gui canāt enjoy these good days," Gu Dagu still remembered Qian Liāer and Qian Chenggui and would mention them from time to time.
Qian Guangzong felt somewhat guilty. When Liāer and Cheng Gui were captured by the Evil Man, he actually heard Cheng Guiās terrible screams. But he was afraid of dying and didnāt dare to search for them, letting the Evil Man take Liāer and Cheng Gui away. Hearing this now, he hurriedly said, "Letās not talk about them during the New Yearās celebration, to avoid making mom and dad sad."
Gu Dagu nodded, "What you said is true. My mom adores Liāer the most. After our family became prosperous, she cried for Liāer the most. She always said if Liāer were still here, she would surely find a son from an official family for her to marry and become a young madam. Now we can only leave such a good match for Gu Ya."
Qian Guangzong, hearing this, advised: "Although Liāer and Cheng Gui met with ill fate, Chengcai is lucky. Lord Lai even found him a young lady from a wealthy family, and now they even have a son. Lord Lai is really fond of our Baoāer; when he was just born, Lord Lai even gifted him a whole set of longevity gold locks."
Baoāer is the son of Qian Chengcai, and though he is only six months old now, he is much loved by Lord Lai.
As they were talking about Qian Chengcai, he arrived, lifting the cart curtain and saying, "Dad, mom, hurry and come down. Letās go in and divide the houses, and after settling down, weāll have the feast. Iāve asked Steward Huang: the servant who went to the restaurant to book tables should be back soon. Iāve heard the meat dishes at Futai Building in this town are really delicious."
As Qian Chengcai spoke, he wiped his mouth with his sleeve, his mouth watering with anticipation.
Gu Dagu quickly reminded him, "Be careful of the people here, otherwise youāll be scolded as crude again."
Qian Chengcai spit and said, "Whatās crude? Now that we have money and power, who dares to call us crude?"
When their family had just sought refuge with Lord Lai, they were often laughed at for being crude, country bumpkins, and filthy lowlifes. And when Lord Lai arranged his marriage, those people mocked him the same way, laughing at him as a toad lusting after swan meat.
Heh, what was the result?
"No matter how crude, my son managed to sleep with the rich familyās young lady and even got her to bear you a grandson." Qian Chengcai was no good man. He had gotten Miss Zhou from the Zhou Family by force.
Back then, Miss Zhou looked down on him severely, also despising that his family relied on Lord Lai for their livelihood. But in the end? She was still acquired by force.
Eventually, the Zhou Family, for the sake of their reputation, earnestly begged him to marry Miss Zhou.
However, Mrs. Zhou, that stinky woman, always gave him sour faces, never serving him on her own initiative. But shrewdly, she gave him four maids, and his life is now quite comfortable.
He slept with whichever maid he wanted in turn, making his fourth uncle, third uncle, second uncle, and even his father enviously green with desire.
Qian Chengcai thought that Miss Zhou letting him sleep with maids meant that he had tamed her; he felt his authority as a husband was strong. But he didnāt know that it was just Miss Zhouās disdain for him, a tactic to avoid sharing a bed with him because she was unwilling.
Hearing this, Gu Dagu and her husband didnāt feel ashamed but took pride in it, praising Qian Chengcai: "My son is impressive. You need to work hard and make a few more sons. Lord Lai will treat you even better."
They also complained about Miss Zhou: "Your wife too, itās already been half a year since Baoāer was born, why hasnāt she gotten pregnant yet? Back in our old village, those who could bear children would get pregnant again right after their confinement."
Are these people pigs?