Chapter 156: Madam Li's Scheme

On the twelfth of September, Madam Li once again took Madam Xu to the county town. This time, they did not linger long in town and returned by the afternoon. Upon coming back, Madam Li joyfully announced that everything had been successfully arranged with the Yang family, and Gu Chenren would marry the He family's daughter in October.

"First sister-in-law, second sister-in-law, the two of you go to the county town bright and early tomorrow morning. Fifth brother is getting married, and we are still short of quite a few betrothal gifts. Tomorrow, go to the town and make purchases according to my instructions. This is a major event for our family, so I must trouble you both to put in extra effort. My legs haven't been feeling too well lately, and I simply cannot endure walking around the markets back and forth." That evening upon returning home, the old lady called all her sons and daughters-in-law together to discuss the matter.

Naturally, Madam Wu and Madam Feng would not shirk the responsibility; after all, this was a major family event, and they could not possibly refuse to help. "Alright, Mother can rest assured. We will surely handle everything properly."

"Second brother, you drive the cart along with your eldest sister-in-law and your wife. You are level-headed and experienced, which gives me more peace of mind," Madam Li said to Gu Chengyong.

Gu Chengyong nodded in agreement.

"This is also the most important matter for our Gu family. Although fifth brother failed to pass the county examination this time and fell ill, his marriage must be grand. We cannot let it look shabby just because of these setbacks. Besides, fifth brother hasn't been in good spirits lately; marrying quickly and letting the auspicious event wash away the bad luck will sweep the misfortune aside. All of you, please pay close attention to this," Madam Li urged repeatedly.

"Oh, and second brother, your mother and I were thinking of adding a few pelts to the betrothal gifts. Among our family, only you and your two boys have good hunting skills. How about this: tomorrow, let Wenziu and Wenci go into the forest and try their luck. Once you are done with your chores, you can take them with you. Our family's finances are indeed quite tight right now, and having some fine pelts added to the gifts will make them look better and save us from losing face," Elder Gu remembered this matter and discussed it with Gu Chengyong.

After a brief reflection, Gu Chengyong felt that the old man's words made sense. Given the status of the He family, it wouldn't look good if the betrothal gifts were too scant, yet the family truly could not afford an excessively lavish amount. "Very well, I will discuss this with Wenziu and the others. If we can run into some gray squirrels or the like in the mountains, that would be the best."

"Alright, then that's settled. Let's all work together to make this event a complete success. I also understand what you brothers have in mind. Here is what we'll do: after fifth brother gets married, we can discuss the family division," the old man nodded and said.

Gu Chenzhong and his two brothers were slightly stunned, never expecting that the old man would proactively bring up the matter of dividing the household. Since the old man already had a plan in mind, things would be much easier to handle from now on. "Father, rest assured, we will put our hearts into it," Chenzhong said with great joy.

The old man had given everyone something to look forward to, and everyone was quite pleased, so they dispersed. Smiles that could not be concealed hung on the faces of Chenzhong and Chenyi. "Ah, we've longed for these years, and finally the day has come," Gu Chenzhong sighed and said.

Hearing this, Gu Chengyong could not help but smile. "If this household continues to be mired in internal strife, it will only drive everyone further apart. Dividing the family sooner means brothers remain brothers, and father and son remain father and son. If we drag it out any further, the brothers will turn against each other and father and son will become enemies, bringing the Gu family to the brink of ruin before long. Although our father doesn't like to talk much, he is fully aware of everything in his heart."

In Gu Chengyong's eyes, his father was actually a wise man whose cleverness was simply concealed and kept hidden away. At such an advanced age and having experienced so much, how could the old man fail to see through things? It was just that he had always favored Madam Li and the children she bore. Now that fifth brother's lifelong settlement had a destination, the three brothers could be considered as having no further great uses to the family, which was why the old man was finally willing to divide the household and let them go.

"No matter what, it's good as long as we can divide the household. We aren't heartless people; even after the family is divided, won't we still take care of the two elders just the same? With the several of us brothers here, the old man will never have to suffer hardship," Gu Chenzhong was filled with joy, his eyes curving into smiles.

The three brothers each led their wives and children back to their rooms to rest. That night, none of the members of the Gu family could calm their minds. Chenzhong and Chenyi both chatted with their wives for a long time before finally falling asleep.

Early the next morning, Gu Chengyong drove the cart, carrying Madam Wu and Madam Feng to the county town. Wenziu and Wenci had also packed their bows, crossbows, and other gear, heading straight into the mountains. Although Wenqing's martial skills were not yet very good, he also wanted to go along and try, so the three brothers headed into the mountains together.

After tidying up the house, Jiayan planned to go to Miao Suwen's place. However, Madam Li blocked her at the doorway, claiming that everyone in the family had gone out and asking Jiayan to stay behind to help look after Gu Chenren.

"Grandma, my fifth uncle recovered long ago, what is there to look after? He's such a grown man about to take a wife, can't he even take care of himself?" Jiayan completely ignored Madam Li and walked straight out of the house.

Standing in the courtyard, Madam Li gnashed her teeth in anger. "You dead little wench, just you wait and see how I deal with you."

"Mother, what are you getting anxious for? We still have to make preparations. Keeping her at home might make her suspicious of something. Just have Wenjing call her back in a little while," Madam Xu said softly behind Madam Li.

Jiayan arrived at the Miao residence just as Miao Suwen was about to visit the Guo family. The master and apprentice left Shaoyuan to watch the house and headed to Willow Tree Gulch. No one from the Guo family came to pick them up, but fortunately, there were carts traveling back and forth along the road. Miao Suwen was well-liked in the surrounding area, and upon seeing the master and apprentice, people warmly hailed them onto their carts and gave them a ride straight to Willow Tree Gulch.

Upon arriving at the Guo residence, they found Guo's old matriarch feeding the pigs and chickens. Seeing Miao Suwen and her apprentice approach, the old woman promptly welcomed them into the house. Although September wasn't cold, it wasn't particularly warm either. Neither Miao Suwen nor Jiayan went straight into the new mother's room; instead, they sat in the outer room for a while before going in.

The room was kept very clean, with almost no peculiar odors. Yue Niang was half-reclining on the brick bed, propped up by large pillows behind her back, and was currently breastfeeding her baby. In just a few days, the little infant had changed completely, and the wrinkled appearance from birth was long gone.

"Doctor Miao, Little Jia Niang, you've come? Quickly, sit down," Yue Niang greeted them warmly upon seeing the pair.

Seeing that Yue Niang had a very healthy, rosy complexion—a sign that she was recovering well—Jiayan felt reassured. "Seeing Auntie looking like this puts our minds at ease. Auntie, how do you feel now? Does your stomach still hurt? Do you have any other unusual sensations?" Still somewhat worried, Jiayan asked carefully in detail.

"Everything is quite good. My stomach doesn't hurt anymore, it's just that the wound seems a bit itchy," Yue Niang smiled, deeply touched by how much Jiayan cared about her condition.

"That's just the wound healing and growing new flesh, it's nothing to worry about. Auntie, untie your clothes so we can check on the wound," Jiayan wanted to see it with her own eyes to be sure.

Yue Niang untied her clothes, revealing the somewhat terrifying scar across her abdomen. Both Jiayan and Miao Suwen stepped forward to inspect it closely. The wound was healing nicely, and there were no signs of redness, swelling, or deterioration around it. Only then did Jiayan finally relax. In an era without antibiotics, achieving this level of recovery was truly remarkable.

"Alright, it's very good. Just continue to recuperate like this, and don't overexert yourself even after the month of confinement is over. Also, within three months, husband and wife must not share a bed. Ideally, you shouldn't have another child for the next two to three years. Once you're fully recovered, come to my place and I'll prepare some medicine for you. Your physical constitution requires a complete recovery before you can conceive again," Miao Suwen earnestly instructed.

Yue Niang nodded in agreement. She was all the more aware of how narrowly she had escaped death and how precious her life was, so naturally, she would take good care of herself.

Having checked on Yue Niang, the master and apprentice felt completely at ease. They mentioned they would return in three to five days to check on her again, setting the minds of the Guo family mother and daughter-in-law at rest. Naturally, the old Guo woman was endlessly grateful and escorted the two all the way to the village entrance before turning back home.

The master and apprentice walked back. At this time, there were not many carts on the road, but the two did not mind; chatting and laughing along the way, their pace was not slow at all. Later, a passing carriage gave them a ride for a stretch of the road, so they were not very tired by the time they returned to the Miao residence.

As Jiayan and Miao Suwen were discussing Yue Niang's condition, Wenjing walked in from outside. "Auntie Miao, my grandma says there's something she wants Jia Niang to go home for."

Jiayan paused for a moment. What could Madam Li possibly want with her? "Alright, you go back first, I'll tidy things up here and return shortly." Was there something wrong with Fifth Uncle? Or was Madam Xu stirring up trouble again? Unable to guess, Jiayan simply told him to wait a moment.

"Our grandma said to let you go back immediately, there's something important at home," Wenjing emphasized his tone.

Hearing this, Jiayan had no choice but to nod. "Master, I'll go back and take a look. Besides, it's almost noon anyway, so I'll just go home for lunch and come back this afternoon if I have time." Jiayan had originally planned to stay for lunch at the Miao house; with her parents and brothers all away, eating alone at home was so dull. But since Madam Li had called her back, she had no alternative—she couldn't possibly run all the way back here afterward, could she?

"Come back to eat. It's not that far of a walk, and today Ah Xi and the others are all at home anyway, so we're making pancakes for lunch. Didn't you say you were craving Master's pancakes?" Miao Suwen insisted that Jiayan return for the meal. Miao Suwen possessed exceptional culinary skills, especially when it came to making flatbreads. Wherever she had learned it, the pancakes she made had flaky, crispy crusts while remaining soft inside with distinct layers—an absolute treat of savory crispness. Jiayan had tasted them twice before and had been talking about them constantly lately.

"Alright then, I'll come back to eat," Jiayan smiled and turned to walk out.

Shaoyuan quickly followed her. "Let's go, I'll walk you home."

"No need, I'll just go home with Jia Niang. It's such a short distance, why would you need to walk her?" Wenjing stepped forward to block Shaoyuan.