Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside-Chapter 181 Mo Family’s Trick

Following Village Chief He, there came He Wanli, He Laotian, He Dagu, He Dasu, and He Wazi’s family, each presenting their congratulatory gifts.

The wives from these families also accompanied them, even the widow of He Wazi came. Yesterday, under the escort of Village Chief He and their own men, these women went to Gu Jinli’s house to sign contracts and are now part of the Gu Family Workshop.

Besides them, the family of He Tieshu also arrived.

As he didn’t join He Guangcai and the others in seeking work, but instead went to inform Village Chief He, this was indirectly a favor to the Gu family, so Gu Jinli’s house recruited his wife to work in the workshop.

By now, just for grinding spices, there were fourteen women and children in the Gu Family Workshop.

Each person could grind two to three taels of spices a day; fourteen people would amount to around forty taels, still short of Gu Jinli’s fifty tael goal. But there was no rush; they could hire people gradually, to avoid any complications from hiring too many at once.

"Gu Family’s sister-in-law, congratulations on the opening of your family workshop." He Dagu’s mother came with her two daughters-in-law, followed by the two daughters-in-law from He Laotian’s family, the wife of He Wanli, He Tieshu’s wife, and the widow of He Wazi; a group of women entered the right wing room with Third Grandma.

Third Grandma exchanged a few words with them, then left with Mrs. Cui to attend to other matters.

As the auspicious time drew closer, more and more villagers came to offer their congratulations. Almost all were from the He family, with also three households from the Lu Family bringing congratulatory gifts.

Today was a day of great joy, and Third Grandpa didn’t want to make things look too unpleasant. He accepted their congratulatory gifts but gave them return gifts that were more substantial than what they had brought.

Feeling somewhat awkward, Lu Gen Sheng and others knew that Third Grandpa intended to distance himself from them, signaling that one gift wouldn’t be enough to wipe the slate clean regarding the Lu Family’s grievances against the Gu and other families in Luotian.

"Brother Gu, we’ll take our leave now. Please, no need to see us out." Knowing their place and that the feud couldn’t be resolved instantly, Lu Gen Sheng and the others took their return gifts and left the Gu Family Workshop.

Village Chief He watched the awkward and dejected backs of Lu Gen Sheng and his group, feeling quite relieved. Luckily, he had realized his mistake early; otherwise, the He family would be just like Lu Gen Sheng and his group, watching the Qin, Gu, and other families prosper and feeling anxious.

"Those who have come to congratulate us, hurry home!" Village Chief He barked at the He family members who came for the celebrations. These thoughtless people, wanting to work in the workshop, were loitering around after delivering their gifts, making a scene.

The He family people, hearing these words and seeing Village Chief He’s intimidating expression, rapidly bid their farewells and departed, recalling his stern warnings.

Not far away, behind the courtyard wall of an old mud house at the end of the village, Old Mrs. Mo peeked out. Startled by the sight of the villagers returning, she quickly withdrew her head, asking Elder Mo hiding at the foot of the wall, "Old man, all the villagers have left, has the Gu Family Workshop already unveiled their signboard? Are we still going to make a fuss?"

Elder Mo frowned upon hearing this, stretched out his head to look in the direction of the Gu Family Workshop, and said, "The signboard hanging on the courtyard gate is still covered with red cloth; they haven’t unveiled it. We don’t need to rush, let’s wait a bit longer."

"Wait some more? All the villagers have left, who are we going to make a fuss for?"

"Of course, it’s to make a scene for Scholar Shang to see," Elder Mo said. "Today the Gu Family Workshop opens, and the Gu Family’s daughter saved Scholar Shang’s daughter. Scholar Shang’s family will surely come. Once they arrive, we will make our move. By then, for the sake of face, the Gu Family will surely compensate us with silver."

They would hide here precisely to cause trouble and demand money during the opening of the Gu Family Workshop.

"Humph, does Chunyue think that just because she sold herself to the Gu Family, we can’t do anything to her? Since she’s now part of the Gu Family, we’ll go to the Gu Family and demand the indenture silver. If they don’t give it to us, we’ll make a fuss!"

On the second day of the third month, they heard that Mo Chunyue and He Sanlai had sold themselves to the Gu Family, and received six taels of indenture silver, which made them green with envy. He immediately sent Da Li to He Sanlai’s house to demand money, but He Sanlai not only refused to give them any, but he also beat Da Li.

That cheap wench Chunyue didn’t help Da Li either and let He Sanlai beat her own father.

On the third day of the third month, he had his wife and two daughters-in-law visit Chunyue to cry about the hardships at home, but the wretch remained indifferent, and He Sanlai even chased them out with a firewood knife.

Having been put at a disadvantage twice, they knew it was impossible to get any money from He Sanlai and Mo Chunyue. They could only turn to the Gu Family.

But the Gu Family was also a tough nut to crack, and that brat Gu Xiaoyu even dared to pull a knife on him, giving no face to him as her elder. freёnovelkiss.com

After much thought, Elder Mo came up with a plan. On the day the Gu Family Workshop opened, he would bring his entire family to weep and wail at their doorstep. Considering the shop’s opening and the presence of many guests, the Gu Family would swallow the loss to avoid a scene, handing over a bag of silver to settle the matter.

"Wife, later you take Dongyue and Brother Bei first, you don’t have to enter the Gu Family Workshop, just crying at the entrance will do."

Dongyue and Brother Bei were the youngest grandchildren. An old woman crying with two children was sure to garner sympathy. Especially from the scholars—they hate to see women and children suffer. If Scholar Shang saw his wife crying miserably, he might even give her a few ingots of silver, and then their family would profit.

"Qiuyue, follow after your grandma and them, don’t cry loudly, you must cry prettily. When Jin’an comes out, pretend to stumble and throw yourself at him, cling to him in front of everyone. As long as you hold on to him, Jin’an will have no choice but to marry you!"

"The Gu Family now is not only rich, but Jin’an also studies with Scholar Shang. He is a pupil of the scholar, and he will surely be one himself in the future. If you marry him, you will be a scholar’s wife, and you won’t have to worry for the rest of your life," Elder Mo said excitedly.

Mo Qiuyue was only twelve this year, not yet of marriageable age, but having escaped famine on the road, she understood it all. Hearing this, thinking of Jin’an’s clean and handsome face, her cheeks flushed red as she nodded and whispered, "Yes, Grandpa, Qiuyue will not disappoint you."

"Ah, my Qiuyue, you’re going to be someone important, a scholar’s wife in the future; your mother’s second half of life will depend on you," Mo Dakui’s wife, holding Mo Qiuyue’s hand, was so elated she couldn’t stop smiling, convinced that her father-in-law’s idea was excellent, and it immediately found such a good match for her darling Qiuyue.

"Mother~" Mo Qiuyue, her face red as dawn, timidly bowed her head, overflowing with shyness, already dreaming of marrying Jin’an and becoming a scholar’s wife, even a Mrs. Scholar, imagining the scenes where she’d accompany Jin’an to various officials’ mansions.

Mo Dayong’s wife looked at the barely eight-year-old Mo Dongyue, feeling unsatisfied; if only her Dongyue were a few years older.

"Mom and Dad, stop talking, there’s a mule cart coming, it looks like it’s from Scholar Shang’s Family." Mo Dakui was on look-out duty, spotting a line of mule carts approaching the end of the village, he hurried over to inform Elder Mo.

"Everyone get down, don’t make a sound. When Scholar Shang and his family get out to move the gifts, wife, you take the two kids out," Elder Mo ordered. The thirteen Mo family members all crouched down by the courtyard wall, waiting for Scholar Shang’s family’s mule cart to pass by.