Chapter 70: Chapter 68: Initial Discussion on Family Separation
"Really? Is our Xiao Bao a child in front of the Immortals? Otherwise, why do the Immortals always come looking for Xiao Bao? Daughter, you must not let this spread outside." Mrs. Lv was a bit worried that Gu Wan might speak carelessly outside and let it slip.
"Mom, I know whatâs important and whatâs not, of course, I wonât go around saying it! But Xiao Bao is so young, who knows if he might show off outside!" Gu Wan was somewhat displeased by her momâs lack of trust in her, always reminding and advising repeatedly.
"Second Sister, if you keep talking nonsense, you wonât get any good stuff." Gu Chengyuzi took out the jewelry he had just put away from the space and placed it on the table.
Gu Wanâs attention had already been drawn to the item wrapped in red cloth.
"Mom, take a look at this! Dad bought it for you!" Gu Chengyu picked up the wooden box that held the hairpin. The exterior of the wooden box was simply coated in a layer of brown lacquer. Upon opening, it revealed a lining of cotton fabric inside, where the hairpin lay quietly.
"Hehe! Itâs something Xiao Bao and I bought together for you, why not try it on? Itâs sure to look good." Mr. Gu wasnât foolish enough to say it was picked by Xiao Bao.
"What are you spending all that Silver for? Didnât that cost quite a bit?" Mrs. Lv said it was a waste, but her eyes were brimming with joy as she hadnât worn a silver hairpin in years. Xiao Bao, ever so capable, slanted it in her hair, "Does it look good?"
"It wasnât expensive, just four ounces of silver, and you look quite good wearing it." Mr. Gu looked at Mrs. Lv with the hairpin on, feeling a mix of emotions flooding him. The youthful girl dressed in satin with her hair adorned in jewels that he once knew flashed before his eyes. Time really flies; in the blink of an eye, fifteen years had passed, and Mrs. Lv still looks so beautiful, not aging a bit, but he had aged.
"So expensive?"
"Oh! Itâs really pretty, is this really for me?" Over there, Gu Wan was looking at the shrimp饻bracelet within the red cloth, her eyes filled with joy. Finally having a piece of silver jewelry, she eagerly put the bracelet on her wrist, glancing left and right, loving it more and more.
Mr. Gu was brought back by Gu Wanâs exclamation. Mrs. Lv also removed the hairpin from her head and placed it back into the box.
"Mom, why take it off? Just keep wearing it!" Gu Chengyu found it a bit strange.
"Itâs not the time yet. Daughter, give me the bracelet, Iâll keep it for you and you can wear it a few days later." Mrs. Lv said as she stepped forward to retrieve Gu Wanâs bracelet.
"Mom! Why canât I wear it now? I just wonât, itâs mine since it was given to me." Gu Wan finally got a pair of silver bracelets, and her mom wouldnât let her wear them, what were they going to do, sit and collect dust?
"Mom, forget it! Since Second Sister likes it, let her wear it!" His Second Sister still has a childlike nature!
"By the way, Mom, I also have four pearl flowers and five red ribbons, all for the nieces. Second Sister already has a pair of bracelets, so just take a red ribbon, and Iâll get better ones for you later. The others are gifts from me, their Little Uncle, to the nieces."
"Do they even need these things? Youâre just wasting money. You must have spent quite a bit this time, didnât get a chance to count." Mrs. Lv was a bit displeased when she heard those girls were getting things too.
"Mom, actually they were gifts with the purchase of the bracelets and hairpin, didnât cost money. Besides, in the future, there will be more money-earning ventures at home, no need to worry about such small amounts." Gu Chengyu felt a bit helpless, it was hard for Mrs. Lv to care for the grandchildren born from the woman before him, let alone all being girls, which made it even harder for her to look favorably upon them. It was something he needed to find ways to make up for.
"Look, Mom, you and Second Sister have jewelry, if they have nothing, wonât it cause trouble? Moreover, these didnât cost anything!"
"Humph! Whatâs this? Am I even afraid of them? Giving them is just a waste, as if theyâd appreciate what weâd done for them? Iâm not their real grandmother, who knows how much they resent me in their hearts! Just a bunch of ungrateful wretches." Mrs. Lv got angry at the mention of this, years ago, she was also a youthful beauty, yet ended up with a widower with children, something she never wanted.
"Mom, no matter how you phrase it, Iâm at least an elder, gotta keep up appearances, right? Mom, whenâs dinner? Iâm starving." Gu Chengyu didnât want to continue this topic, as his motherâs thoughts werenât something that would change overnight.
"Oh dear! I forgot, but we havenât even had lunch, let me go check in the kitchen." Mrs. Lv put the silver hairpin she removed back into the box, and placed the box into a small cabinet on the couch.
"Wanwan, since you wonât let Mom keep the bracelet, you have to hide it well yourself. Anyway, youâre not allowed to wear it tonight so that those shallow-eyed people wonât get envious. After everythingâs settled today, you can wear it tomorrow and I wonât care." Mrs. Lv thought for a moment and turned back to tell Gu Wan.
"Got it, Mom!" Seeing that the bracelet wouldnât be confiscated, Gu Wan was happy, holding the bracelet ready to go back to her room.
"You silly girl, this was your brother who specifically picked it for you! He wouldnât have settled for less, this bracelet was under three ounces but cost three ounces of silver anyway! Your momâs was just heavier because of the design, this bracelet is no small thing. If it were Dad, he probably wouldnât have been so willing." Mr. Gu spoke some truth, knowing that even if he worried about his daughter, sheâd eventually be someone elseâs, so making sure she eats and dresses nicely, preparing a decent dowry, and getting her married off was the plan; there was no talk of dividing the family wealth here, they werenât a wealthy family that could afford to raise girls like that, with any available silver, it was better to buy more land, all of which would be left to the son to carry on the family line in the future.
Gu Chengyu saw Gu Wan stop mid-step to the door, turned around to look at him, her eyes a bit misty but with a sudden grin, "Thank you what? Anyway, itâs all Second Sisterâs dowry."
"Oh my! What do you, little kid, know about dowries? So embarrassing!" Stomping her foot in embarrassment, Gu Wan dashed back inside.
Sitting on the bed by the window, she rubbed the silver bracelet in her hands, stared at it for a while before picking up the red cloth again, wrapping it up, and placing it at the back of the wooden box meant for clothes.
"Dad, what are you planning? Are you really not planning to tell Second Brother?" With no one left in the main house, Gu Chengyu saw it was a good opportunity to ask his dad.
Mr. Gu didnât say anything, picked up the smoking pipe from around his waist, took a puff, his brows furrowing.
After hesitating for a moment, Mr. Gu spoke up: "Xiao Bao, Dad knows youâre bright and understand everything. As for your Second Brotherâs character, youâre clear on that too. Dad isnât worried about him being devious, just worried he might stray in the future, holding you back, and dragging down the whole Gu Family. Tonightâs dinner, Dad just wants to test him, see what heâs thinking. If he wants to live his own life, Dad wonât stop him, the money thatâs due to him wonât be withheld."
"Dad means Second Brother wants to separate from the family?" Gu Chengyu had actually long surmised Second Brotherâs intentions. To say nothing else, just from Second Brother wanting to join them in selling honeysuckles in the county town, itâs clear he didnât trust Dad. When rejected by Dad, Second Brotherâs attitude turned sour, probably feeling Dad was suspicious of him. In short, the two are now mutually suspicious of one another.