The wicked mother-in-law doesn't try to whitewash herself; she only abuses her awful children.

Chapter 801: Long Aotian is sold out

"Let him be," Gu Baishuang said.

His tone was rather disheartened.

Gu Baishuang has shops and businesses in Shengjing, and she has also bought a large house. Even if she doesn't return to Nie Xiaofeng's general's mansion, she still has a place to go and can live a good life.

If Nie Xiaofeng insists that she swallow her grievances and make peace with Nie Mingyuan and his two stepsons, then she might as well not have this son.

"We can't let Nie Mingyuan affect our mood."

Gu Baishuang quickly came to terms with it; since everyone was already there, worrying was pointless.

With her family around, Tong Huaqiong and others will support her no matter what she does; she will not be alone and helpless.

Thinking of this, Gu Baishuang's mood calmed down.

Tong Huaqiong said, "We'll talk about the Nie family later. Nie Mingyuan and his two sons have designs on you, so they'll be wary of you. You can't control them."

Everyone laughed at what he said.

Snow started falling again outside the window.

It added a festive atmosphere to the New Year celebrations.

A wintersweet tree under the window was coaxed into bloom by the wind and snow, and the shadow of the red plum tree swaying in the wind and snow was reflected on the window, making it exceptionally beautiful.

The table was laden with a sumptuous meal, and the opened jar of wine emitted an enticing aroma.

Everyone sat around the table and ate their first reunion dinner since Gu Dahan returned to Beijing.

After the meal, Tong Huaqiong ordered someone to cut open the honeydew melon that the Crown Prince had sent.

Everyone's eyes lit up; being able to eat honeydew melon in winter was like being in heaven.

It was still early after dinner.

Tong Huaqiong, considering that Gu Dahan, Gu Xiaoxue and the others had traveled a long way, urged them to go and rest.

Gu Dahan, in particular, has not seen his wife and daughter for several months and must miss them very much. He must have a lot to say to her.

Liu Yue'e also had things to say to her father and brother.

After the first and second wives returned to their rooms, Gu Xiaoxue was unwilling to go to sleep. Having been able to walk all the way north from Qinghe Bay, she did not feel tired at all; on the contrary, she was full of energy.

She couldn't wait to explore Shengjing.

Moreover, she had a lot to say to Tong Huaqiong.

Tong Huaqiong asked Gu Xiaoxue, "Did your parents and grandparents object to your coming to Shengjing this time?"

Gu Xiaoxue laughed and said, "Objection! Of course I object!"

Gu Xiaoxue earned a lot of money in the weaving workshop. Not only Gu Youtian, Jia Shi, and the old master and mistress of the Gu family coveted her money, but Gu Ruinian and Wu Na also coveted it.

Grandpa Gu and the others had witnessed Gu Xiaoxue's attempt to poison her entire family, so they only dared to think about it but not to take action.

Wu Na had never witnessed Gu Xiaoxue's madness and thought Gu Xiaoxue was the invisible person she remembered who would only shrink into a corner and work.

Wu Na, who had just given birth, desperately needed money and set her sights on Gu Xiaoxue.

Taking advantage of the fact that Gu Fengnian and Wei Shi were not at home, and that Gu Xiaoxue had gone to work, leaving only Gu Yao's family at home, he sneaked into Gu Xiaoxue's room.

They searched Gu Xiaoxue's room thoroughly but couldn't find any silver. Just as they were prying open the lock on the wooden box under Gu Xiaoxue's bed, Gu Xiaoxue caught them red-handed as she finished work.

Gu Xiaoxue showed Wu Na how terrifying it is to go mad.

Wu Na screamed in pain as Gu Xiaoxue tickled her, and from then on, she only dared to take a detour when she encountered Gu Xiaoxue.

Gu Xiaoxue said, "I exchanged all my silver into silver notes and deposited them in your Jufulai Money Shop, Aunt. I only have a few loose silver coins on me."

Gu Taohua said, "Wu Na's ransacking of your room was definitely not her idea alone; Ruinian's instigation was indispensable." Gu Xiaoxue nodded and said, "My good second brother is good at hiding in the shadows and stirring things up. He gets all the benefits, and when there are no benefits, he disappears. Either way, he benefits. This time, I didn't let him off the hook; I beat up my second brother too."

Gu Xiaoxue chased Wu Na and beat her until she reached the Gu family's old house.

Wu Na saw Gu Ruinian as if he were her savior and shouted for Gu Ruinian to teach Gu Xiaoxue a lesson.

Before Gu Ruinian could make a move, Gu Xiaoxue knocked him unconscious with a stick.

Because of this incident, Grandpa Gu punished Gu Xiaoxue by making her kneel in the ancestral hall, otherwise the Gu family would not have such an unfilial daughter as Gu Xiaoxue. Gu Xiaoxue declared that she would rather be expelled from the family than kneel in the ancestral hall.

What does the ancestral hall have to do with her?
She was not allowed to enter during ancestral worship or tomb sweeping, but was allowed to enter when it came to punishment.

In the end, Old Master Gu was so angry that he had no choice but to let the matter drop.

Grandma Gu slapped her thigh and berated Gu Xiaoxue, and in the process, she started cursing Tong Huaqiong.

Grandma Gu always believed that Gu Xiaoxue's current crazy behavior of disregarding her elders was all learned from Tong Huaqiong.

After being taught a lesson by Gu Xiaoxue, who took on both of them, Wu Na and Gu Ruinian were unwilling to accept defeat and began to secretly plot against Gu Xiaoxue's marriage.

Of all the girls in the village, only Gu Xiaoxue was not engaged.

Wu Na and Gu Ruinian encouraged Gu Youtian to arrange a marriage between Gu Xiaoxue and Gu Xiaoxue.

It was supposed to be an engagement, but in reality, it was a scheme to sell Gu Xiaoxue to the Gu family's old house for profit.

Therefore, the blind dates chosen for Gu Xiaoxue were either old widowers whose sons were about to get married, or playboys who indulged in drinking, gambling, and prostitution.

There wasn't a single normal family among them.

Upon learning the news, Gu Xiaoxue kicked the matchmaker out and had a big argument with Gu Youtian and Jia Shi.

Wu Na fanned the flames for her in-laws: "What are you afraid of! How can a girl like her compete with her parents? Arrange a marriage for her, tie her up in a bridal sedan chair and send her to the groom's house. After the wedding ceremony and entering the bridal chamber, she'll behave herself. If she still doesn't listen, let your brother-in-law beat her to death. After a year or two, when she gives birth to a son or daughter, she won't be able to run away even if she wants to."

After hearing this, Gu Xiaoxue discussed it with Li Mingxiu.

The agreed-upon dismissal involved the two of them selling out Gu Ruinian and Wu Na.

He wasn't sold to anyone else, but to a man named Qian from the same village to work as a servant.

Gu Xiaoxue found a matchmaker, gave her a tael of silver, and the matchmaker tricked the two of them into signing a contract of servitude in a daze.

The two didn't realize they had signed their own indenture until Mr. Qian's butler came to demand their release. Before that, they had always thought they had signed Gu Xiaoxue's indenture.

Gu Youtian and Jia were so angry that they spat out a mouthful of blood.

Old Master Gu shouted that he would report it to the authorities, but Boss Qian took out a contract of indenture with Gu Ruinian's signature and Wu Na's fingerprint on it. The contract between the two had already been filed with the government.

With two servants in the family, Old Master Gu felt ashamed before his ancestors and went to the ancestral hall to cry.

“They were sold for fifty taels of silver,” Gu Xiaoxue said. “They can’t deny it in black and white. My parents didn’t have the money to redeem them, so they had to become servants at Boss Qian’s house. They begged me for money to redeem them, but I told them I didn’t have any.”

Tong Huaqiong learned from Gu Xiaoxue that Gu Ruinian and Wu Na had no hope of redeeming themselves, so they had no choice but to ask Boss Qian to let them work at the restaurant in town, so that at least they could earn some money.

Mr. Qian refused, saying that the restaurant only employed staff, and that they had been sold to him as his personal servants, only able to work at his home.

Boss Qian was kind-hearted. Knowing that Gu Ruinian and Wu Na were determined to redeem themselves, he made an exception and said he would release them as long as they had the money to do so.

The Gu family's old house has lost its credibility among relatives and friends in Qinghe Bay, so it's impossible to borrow money from them. They can only watch helplessly as Gu Ruinian and Wu Na suffer at Boss Qian's house.

Now, Gu Ruinian and Wu Na have been sent to work in the fields by Old Qian.

Mr. Qian owns a lot of land, and the couple works hard in the fields every day without a break.

Tong Huaqiong sighed, saying that the couple deserved what they got for their crimes.

Gu Ruinian was the first time-travel male lead she encountered who was sold off by people from ancient times.