Reborn as the Blissful Wife in the countryside

"Old Master, take a look, even Mrs. Chen despises Gu Yumei, can Gu Yumei still be married into our household? I think, this marriage should be hastily called off..."

"Shut up!" Scholar Wan pointed at Ms. Ni and angrily exclaimed, "Call off the marriage, call off the marriage, every day you're just hoping to call off the marriage, are you that eager to slap my face?"

Pointing at Old Ni he said, "It was your order to send the Old Ni family to probe the truth about Gu Dafu's family, wasn't it? Whose servants are they after all? Who is in charge of this household? Ms. Ni, do you think I am dead?"

Ms. Ni quickly responded, "Old Master, I was just speaking off the cuff, I really didn't mean to call off the marriage with the Gu Family. Calling off a marriage is a serious matter, we are a scholar's household, if we call off the marriage just because the in-laws are poor, we would be seen as contemptible, I understand this and would not act in such a manner."

Ms. Ni knew that Scholar Wan cared about his reputation and wouldn't allow others to slander him for despising the poor and favoring the rich.

Scholar Wan snorted coldly, "Good that you understand."

He added, "I will reconsider this marriage, if it's not suitable, we'll find a reason to call it off that is beneficial to our household."

Truly an ill-fated disaster—originally I thought that Gu Dafu's family was wealthy, but to my surprise, they were paupers living on borrowed money; what about Brother Fang's path to secure an official position?

Without money, how can one pursue an official position?

Damn Gu Dafu, cursed Gu Yumei, they actually dared to deceive my family; Scholar Wan wished he could tear apart Gu Dafu's family.

Feeling that he had lost face, Scholar Wan commanded Ms. Ni, "What are you still sitting there for? Hurry and prepare the festival gifts; we must get them ready to send to the county before the tenth, can't let the county officials laugh at us."

He also instructed, "County Magistrate Zou's Family has had many issues lately, they've become the joke of the county, reduce their festival gift by thirty percent."

"Yes, I will get it done," Ms. Ni complied, but inwardly she was disdainful as she returned to the back courtyard with Ni Ruiniang and Mrs. Ni.

...

In the backyard of the Wan Family.

Mrs. Ni asked, "Madam, are you really going to call off the marriage with the Gu Family?"

She lowered her voice to Ms. Ni, "Gu's Workshop has moved locations, they've relocated to the Lu Mansion; I accompanied them today and saw it myself, a grand estate with five courtyards, all built with green brick tiles, goes beyond the reach of sight... To buy such a big property for a workshop, those families who fled the famine must surely not be poor."

Ms. Ni said, "You don't have to tell me that. That Gu's Restaurant gets so many customers every day, how could they earn little silver? Gu Dafu's family needed to borrow silver coin to get by because they were fined. Didn't they say they would receive dividends by the end of this month? By the time Gu Yumei marries into our family, Gu Dafu's family should have saved a considerable sum of silver coin."

"I crafted this act today not to call off the marriage but to make Old Master and Brother Fang despise Gu Yumei. You also know how the Old Master is, he loves face the most and is the easiest to believe others' words, we just need to keep denigrating Gu Dafu's family, so he will side with the Ni Family."

Ni Ruiniang seized the chance to flatter Ms. Ni, "Nanny Ni, you don't need to worry about these things; my aunt is so intelligent, she has already strategized brilliantly. Aunt is simmering the meat on a slow fire, making Uncle and cousin gradually loathe Gu Yumei's family."

Mrs. Ni quickly praised, "So it is, it's my stupidity that made me worry unnecessarily."

Ms. Ni said, "This marriage cannot be called off, we must marry Gu Yumei into our household no matter what, first suck the blood of Gu Dafu's family for a few years, after their dividends are drained, then find a reason to divorce Gu Yumei. Hah, becoming a concubine? She wishes. Does she think keeping a concubine doesn't cost money?"

Ms. Ni's objective was achieved: Scholar Wan had thoroughly come to despise the Gu Dafu family.

Wan Lifang also harbored discontent towards the Gu Dafu family, but he did not want to break off the engagement... Gu Yumei was good-looking, and he couldn't bear to retract the proposal without having even laid a hand on her yet.

Originally, Wan Lifang was not a good person. Because of this matter, he began to look down on Gu Yumei,

believing that such a girl who caused trouble everywhere must be restless and could be taken advantage of

before bringing her home. He should seize an opportunity to take advantage of her.

Hence, Wan Lifang did not distance himself from the Gu Dafu family. Instead, he frequented Gu's Restaurant

even more, hoping to stage several 'chance encounters' with Gu Yumei and, on the night of the Mid-Autumn Festival,

coax her out and sleep with her then discuss matters.

Gu Yumei was unaware of Wan Lifang's shamelessness. When she went to deliver bean dregs to the shop and bumped into Wan Lifang, she was actually delighted, thinking they were fated to be together.

Qi Kang Le stood inside her family's shop, observing Gu Yumei being sweet-talked and giggling incessantly with Wan Lifang, and couldn't help frowning, but she didn't say anything. Instead, she picked up a basket and went to the empty space beside the shop to start moving green bricks from the cart into the basket.

Chang Errui had just carried a load of green bricks into the shop and felt quite embarrassed to see Qi Kang Le coming to help move bricks. He quickly offered, "Miss Qi, the green bricks are too heavy, I can handle them myself."

Qi Kang Le continued her task without pause, loading the green bricks into the basket: "It's fine, there's just one cart of green bricks left. Get them moved so you can go home."

These bricks had been delivered for well construction at her family's shop, totalling five carts. After moving four carts, Chang Errui didn't want to delay the worker's other tasks and let them go back first, choosing to move the last cart himself.

The Brick Kiln workers were paid by the cart, so sending them back early meant they could make an extra trip and earn more money.

After hearing this, Chang Errui didn't insist further. He helped Qi Kang Le place the green bricks into the basket, and after filling most of the basket, he said, "That's enough, it'll be too heavy and difficult to carry if there's more."

"Mhm," Qi Kang Le nodded and picked up a load of green bricks to carry back into the shop.

As she left, Gu Yumei snorted disdainfully in their direction, "Hmph!"

Pretending not to hear, Chang Errui quickly loaded the green bricks into the baskets, filling both baskets to the brim.

Seeing Chang Errui ignore her, Gu Yumei grew angry. Watching Wan Lifang settle inside the shop, she spat in Chang Errui's direction: "Pah, shameless creature, no sense of decency!"

Chang Errui, carrying a shoulder pole into the marinated meats shop, heard her comment, glanced over, then set the pole down, approached with a serious face, and strode over.

Gu Yumei, seeing Chang Errui looking like he was about to settle the score with her, was scared and tried to run into the shop. Chang Errui sternly commanded, "Stop right there."

Terrified, Gu Yumei's legs gave way, and she couldn't move, glaring at Chang Errui, "What, what do you want to do? I'm, I'm warning you, if you dare to lay a finger on me, our eight families won't let you off."

Chang Errui ignored her warning, speaking coldly, "You're already betrothed, our two families have no relations anymore. Take care of your own life, and keep your mouth shut. If you dare to damage Miss Qi's reputation, I'll tell the Wan Family all about how our families have regarded each other."

Chang Errui continued, "I'm a man, it doesn't matter to me. But it's different for a young lady like you, and the Wan Family cares about their face."

Gu Yumei trembled with rage, pointing at him, "You, you're threatening me for Qi Kang Le? Chang Errui, are you even a man?"

Chang Errui spared no mercy, "You asked for it, no one else to blame."

Gu Yumei wanted to scold him or tarnish his reputation, but she couldn't involve the innocent.