Carrying the little lucky star, leading the villain on the road to exile

Chapter 156. Independence
Gu Kaiyuan remained silent, standing quietly to the side and waiting.

After about half an incense stick's time, Gu Li finally spoke, "I can't directly get involved in this matter. I can provide you with a few households here, but I can't help you with the others."

"Grandpa, you misunderstood me. I want to ask if my branch of the family can stand alone?" Gu Kaiyuan didn't want to bring back another group of ancestors for himself.

"You want to start your own sect?" That's quite a bold idea, but putting it into practice won't be so easy.

After all, Gu Kaiyuan was not a rootless person. If he really did that, it would be betraying his master and forgetting his lineage. How would that be any different from Gu Baijiang?

Gu Kaiyuan said, "I wouldn't dare to have such thoughts. I just want to establish another branch within our clan, and I don't want to be adopted."

"Well... I need to think about it and see if there's any precedent."

"But can you tell me how you plan to persuade Gu Baijiang and the others to agree?"

Gu Kaiyuan said, "These things can only be done gradually. I will look for another opportunity."

The opportunity has been seized today. The Gu clan no longer harbors the same ill will towards him as before, nor do they hold a grudge against him because of Gu Baijiang. This is already a significant step forward.

Gu Li didn't say anything more, telling Gu Kaiyuan to go back first and that he would have someone notify him once he had some progress on his end.

☆

After listening to Gu Kaiyuan's vivid account, Bai Suihe enthusiastically served tea and water. Once he finished speaking, she said, "Now the Gu family will definitely dislike you even more."

Gu Kaiyuan didn't care. "I've been through the same thing before. No matter how much I do for them, they don't seem to like me any more. And it doesn't matter anymore."

“They didn’t understand at first, but they’ve probably figured it out by now. I guess it won’t be long before they call you over again.”

As soon as Bai Suihe finished speaking, Gu Anliang arrived. Unlike his father and uncle, this child was quite polite.

"Third Uncle, Third Aunt, Grandfather wants you to come over for a moment."

"You go back first, I'll be there in a bit." Gu Kaiyuan nodded, Bai Suihe was right after all.

After Gu Anliang left, Gu Kaiyuan straightened his clothes and was about to go meet the Gu family when Bai Suihe unexpectedly followed him.

"We should at least show our faces," Bai Suihe said virtuously. It's never as satisfying to watch the excitement as it is to be there in person; hearing about it from others just isn't as exciting.

“I haven’t seen my father for a few days, so as his daughter-in-law, I should go and pay my respects.”

Gu Kaiyuan smiled and shook his head, but this time he did not refuse.

Not letting Chunmei and the others follow, Gu Kaiyuan helped Bai Suihe slowly walk towards the Gu family's direction.

Taking care of family is a hot topic these days, and naturally attracts attention wherever he goes.

Chen Dafu tried to go over and say hello again, but his wife grabbed him.

"Don't go there now; they probably don't care about you right now."

"I just went to say hello..."

Madam Chen looked at him quietly. "Do you believe that?" she asked. "I certainly don't."

Watching the person leave, Chen Dafu could only sit down again in disappointment. "Do you think I should find a merchant as a relative for our child?"

"You're not putting on airs anymore?" Madam Chen had mentioned it before, but these scholars were very aloof. Back then, they even pointed their fingers at her and scolded her, saying she was unbearably vulgar. "When have I ever put on airs? At that time, I didn't think that merchants were profit-driven and I was afraid they would use me to seek their own benefits."

"So you're not afraid anymore?"

"Isn't it because the Bai family is a role model? Look at Gu Kaiyuan, with the Bai family backing him up, he can live a good life even during exile."

“But Bai is outrageous. The Bai family has given so much help, yet she hasn’t taken care of Gu Jia at all.” After all, Madam Chen is the mother-in-law, and she felt that Bai Suihe was a very unfilial daughter-in-law.

"So, people say long hair means short wit. If you were in Bai's position, what would you do?"

"I……"

“Think it through before you speak,” Chen Dafu interrupted her, “I also have several brothers…”

Madam Chen pursed her lips, "...But over the years, we've helped your brother and your family quite a bit, unlike Lord Gu and his family..."

"Don't get carried away. Anyway, it won't be long before you see my brothers. Judging from everyone's circumstances, our family is definitely better off than theirs. Would you be willing to take out all the money in our family to help everyone?"

After Chen Dafu finished speaking, he slapped his thigh again, "I misspoke. And don't take all of it, just take a portion."

Madam Chen remained silent. If she didn't know her husband's stingy nature, she would have suspected that Chen Dafu was deliberately waiting for her there.

"So you women, when you are daughters-in-law, you think about how your husbands-in-law will do everything for you, but when you become mothers-in-law, you expect your daughters-in-law to obey your orders."

Although I'm frugal, I know that effort has its rewards.

My family helped me back then, and my brothers supported me. I will help them in any way I can, but I will also consider any unreasonable demands.

Mrs. Chen could not refute him, because everything Chen Dafu said was true.

She too had gone from being a daughter-in-law to a mother-in-law. Although her mother-in-law outwardly treated everyone equally, she inevitably had her own preferences. Even after Chen Dafu became an official, he didn't give her much of a friendly look. She had resented and hated him. Now that she was the mother-in-law, she was actually doing a worse job than her mother-in-law.

Chen Dafu hummed a tune, thinking to himself, "Little brat, I'll have this family completely under my control."

However, Bai's situation really reminded him that what scholars call nobility is nothing but self-righteousness. In this world, who is not busy with material things?

After I finish this business trip, I'll go back and find some good matches for my older sons. I don't need them to be rich or powerful; I'd be grateful if they could help these rascals out.

Neither high nor low is acceptable; it's better to have some money in hand.

He wouldn't touch his daughter-in-law's dowry anyway, but that dowry would eventually become part of the Chen family's assets, to be inherited by his grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

☆

Meanwhile, when Gu Kaiyuan brought Bai Suihe to the Gu family home, they found everyone gathered around the fire, lost in thought.

The atmosphere became a bit awkward. Although everyone saw them arrive, no one took the initiative to greet them.

Bai Suihe didn't care about any of that, and smiled as she curtsied to Gu Baijiang, saying, "Greetings, Father."

She stood up and greeted Gu Baiping and the others, but didn't even give a second glance to the younger generation.

Gu Baijiang could be cold to Gu Kaiyuan, but even if he disliked his daughter-in-law, he wouldn't say much, since it was a matter for the inner quarters of the household...

Yes, now that the old woman is gone, who will discipline these daughters-in-law?
“If you’re heavily pregnant, you don’t need to come along,” Gu Baijiang said stiffly. Why come now when you should have come, just to laugh at them?