Chapter 266: Chapter 102 Sun Family
Lv Yangâs days are quite difficult now. Ever since he was poisoned and made mute last time, his leg was beaten to the point of being somewhat crippled. He always struggled to find work when going out, and even porter jobs were rare. Now, he relies on the familyâs farmland to get by.
Gu Chengyu instructed Yu Tuanzi and Ming Mo to send some grain and silver coin to the two elders every now and then. This was a filial duty to Mrs. Lv, even though they had long since sold her off.
As for how it was distributed, that was not his concern.
Gu Chengyu made a list of items needed for the eighteenth and handed it to Yu Tuanzi, asking him to prepare in the next couple of days.
Just as he was about to leave, he suddenly remembered that Gu Xiâs shop hadnât been settled yet, which was a perfect task for Yu Tuanzi to handle.
"Find a shop to rent in town; it doesnât need to be large. My eldest sister will use it to sell soybean products. If later on, it comes with a small yard, even better. If you canât find a rental, then just buy it."
"Yes! Iâll check the brokerage. Itâs for tofu business, right? Then Iâll look for a spot around West Street near South Street." West Street is filled with commercial shops, and the south side is a residential area. From Yu Tuanziâs impression, the tofu business doesnât earn much; itâs cheap to sell, so that place should be decent enough.
"Itâs soybean products, not tofu, and is several times more expensive than tofu, so that place wonât do. Look for something in the western area! The average folks canât buy it frequently." Yu Tuanzi had never tasted soybean products before, but Gu Chengyu didnât blame him.
Whether rented or bought, Gu Chengyu wouldnât waive Gu Xiâs rent. A gift of a few measures of grain leads to an enemy for your gourmet grain. Giving away the recipe for soybean products was already generous, considering their blood relation.
After giving instructions, Gu Chengyu left the courtyard. He still needed to visit Manager Zhou, who had helped his family a lot before, and he felt that going personally would show sincerity. The other invitations were given to Ming Yan, who drove the carriage to deliver them to various households.
Gu Chengyu entered Manager Zhouâs fabric store, and coincidentally, Manager Zhou was there.
"Ah, Chengyu is here, come in and sit! Oh my! Nowadays, even inviting you over isnât easy, Scholar!" The two were acquainted and often joked around; there was no other implication in these words.
"Uncle Zhou, youâre teasing me. Howâs business lately at the fabric store?" Gu Chengyu, led into the inner room by Manager Zhou, was handed a cup of tea as Manager Zhou poured from the kettle.
"Itâs going well! Tell me, you must have a purpose for coming, right?" Manager Zhou didnât believe that Gu Chengyu would come for no reason; how could a scholar have so much free time?
"The family is holding a banquet; I came to deliver an invitation and request Uncle Zhouâs gracious presence." Gu Chengyu placed the invitation on the table before taking a sip of tea.
"What gracious or not gracious, this is a grand celebration. Of course, I want to attend and share in the joy. As long as nothing pressing comes up, Iâll definitely be there." Manager Zhou opened the invitation, glanced at the date and hour, and, after some thought, figured he should be free that day.
"Then Iâll be waiting for you at home!" Gu Chengyu chatted a bit more with Manager Zhou before leaving the fabric shop. When he left, he had two bolts of fabric in hand.
Ming Yan and Ming Mo were already waiting at the door. The three got into the carriage and headed towards Sun Xianâs home, stopping to pick up some pastries at First-class House along the way and buying some brown sugar midway.
In the Dayan Dynasty, brown sugar was an essential gift for rural visits, a prized food item that wasnât cheap.
Recalling Sunâs motherâs illness, Gu Chengyu took a decade-old ginseng from his space and placed it in a brocade box. In the space, ginseng was abundant; this one was of a short age, just suitable for supplementing Sunâs mother without overburdening her.
Sun Xianâs house was in Xiasang Village, which wasnât far from the town. As Gu Chengyu admired the roadside scenery, he thought of Manager Pan at the Xiwu Bookstore. Last time his mother mentioned that after four days, Gu Chenglian was to meet Manager Panâs second cousinâs daughter. If successful, Manager Pan would definitely be invited to the banquet.
The carriage soon arrived at Xiasang Village. The Sun family lived deeper in, so the carriage continued forward. Gu Chengyu had been there three times, and Ming Mo and the others often came to deliver goods, so they were quite familiar with the route.
Before the carriage even reached the Sun familyâs gate, curious children at the entrance were already calling out.
"Fifth Brother! You have guests, itâs that carriage again." Gu Chengyu found it amusing. Most of these children were from Sun familyâs clan, and calling him Fifth Brother referred to Sun Xianâs ranking in the clan.
Hearing the cries, Sun Xian hurried out of the house. Indeed, it was the Gu familyâs carriage; Sunâs mother followed him out of the house, too.
Gu Chengyu got off the carriage and skillfully pulled a small pack of pine nut candy from his pocket, giving it to a nearby child. The kids took the candy, thanked him, and then cheered as they dashed aside to divide it up.
"Chengyu! Itâs really you! Donât spoil them; they might throw a tantrum next time if you forget!"
Actually, the first time Gu Chengyu didnât know the way, he gave them candy as a thank-you for guiding him. He took a pack from his space, a habit inspired by Gu Wanhuaâs son, who often teased him with candies.
"Itâs just candy, and theyâre good kids. Theyâve never asked me for it and always traded something in exchange."
The children never took his candy for nothing. Sometimes they would give him grass-crafted crickets and such in return, seeing him as just another young kid to share sweets and fun with. Gu Chengyu liked those crafted items, finding them quite realistic, so it was a fair exchange.
"Oh! This must be the fifth of the Gu family? Come in quickly, Brother Xian, why arenât you inviting him in?" Sunâs mother, despite her poor eyesight, had to focus for a while to recognize Gu Chengyu.
"Auntie, Iâve come to see you. How have you been feeling lately?" Gu Chengyu signaled Ming Mo to bring in the gifts while entering the Sun family yard.
"Much better, come in and sit!" Sunâs mother always felt less confident when facing the Gu family.
The Sun familyâs courtyard wasnât large, and the house was made of mud bricks, but Gu Chengyu noticed that the thatched roof had been replaced with tiles.
Sun Xian noticed Gu Chengyuâs glance and quickly understood.
"The clan replaced it. They said since I passed the scholar exam, the house shouldnât be too shabby, so some funds were pooled together to replace the tiles." Sun Xian didnât feel embarrassed; Gu Chengyu already knew their situation, so there was no need to hide.
Hearing this, Gu Chengyu frowned. It seemed the Sun family needed to find a livelihood. Gu Wanâs dowry wouldnât be small, but it was hers and shouldnât always subsidize her husbandâs family.
In the Dayan Dynasty, a womanâs dowry was typically managed by herself. It was rare for a household to live off it, as relying on a wifeâs dowry would subject them to scorn.
"Brother Sun, Iâm here with an invitation for the banquet on the eighteenth. Iâll be coming to pick up you and Auntie. Will you be free that day?"
"Haha! If youâre hosting a banquet, Iâll definitely make time! Have you invited your classmates? Did you invite Ye Zhiqiu?" Sun Xian continued his regular concern for Gu Chengyu. Even though Gu Chengyu, at a young age, handled matters well, Sun Xian couldnât help but worry about him.
"Everyone is invited. I had Ming Yan deliver Ye Zhiqiuâs gift and the invitation as well." After speaking, Gu Chengyu pulled a pocket from his sleeve and placed it on the table.
"My second sister asked me to bring this for you. Please take it. I must be going now; the day isnât early. Will you stay at our house for a few days?" Gu Chengyu stood to take his leave.