Free Web NovelChapter 283: Chapter 283: Torment
Xu Shuanghong felt a pang of sympathy when she saw her daughter’s hands covered in frostbite. "Did they throw all the clothes at you again for washing?"
"Yes," said Mei Bao, feeling hopeless for her future. "They don’t treat me as a person; they shove everything onto me. I’m human, not a beast of burden."
"My child, bear with it a little longer. We’ve come so far, we cannot give up now."
"But how long do I have to endure?" Mei Bao raised her hands, "Why won’t you and sister help me?"
She had already sacrificed so much, why was she expected to sacrifice even more?
"Your sister and I have more important matters," Xu Shuanghong’s eyes were evasive. "You know our previous objective."
"But I can’t stand it anymore. If this continues, I’m afraid I won’t be able to stop myself from spilling everything." Mei Bao had realized that she had been abandoned by her mother and sister, but why should she suffer this?
Threatened by her daughter, Xu Shuanghong’s expression changed slightly; if this foolish girl really blurted everything out, they would all be finished. "Leave the work for now, I’ll speak to Baijiang later."
"Mother, don’t deceive me. You’re ready to abandon me completely for sister’s future now; I refuse to be Gu Kaichen’s concubine. I’d rather find a nunnery and become a nun..."
"What nonsense are you talking about? You’ve already been taken by him..."
"I was forced by you, if you had disagreed..."
"What’s the use of saying those things now?" Xu Shuanghong was somewhat impatient, she wouldn’t want to ruin her daughter if there were an alternative.
"Mother, I ask you, please send me to Grandma’s house, I just need a place to shelter."
If she remembered correctly, Grandma’s house was not far away, reachable within a day’s walk.
"But how would you go with your current identity?" Xu Shuangfeng was very distressed. "Endure for a short while longer, Mother will not let you remain a concubine."
"But..."
Mei Bao wanted to say more, but Xu Shuanghong quickly whispered in her ear.
"Mother, will it really work this way?" Mei Bao was hesitant. "What if it fails..."
"That’s why you need to endure well these days, the grievances you suffer, Mother will get justice for you."
After finally persuading Mei Bao away, Mei Lin came over, "Mother, I don’t want to stay beside Gu Antong; she isn’t teaching me any manners and keeps playing tricks on me."
"What’s wrong with you sisters? Didn’t we already make a plan?" Xu Shuanghong’s headache worsened. These two girls thought they were the only ones sacrificed? Didn’t they see my greater sacrifice?
They had been spoiled too much before; now just doing a bit of work brought complaints.
"But she treats me like a servant..."
"To endure hardships is to rise above others, don’t you want a future?"
"But we’ve been here so long, and I haven’t seen any letters from the Third Prince delivered to her, is the news genuine?"
"Rest assured, Gu Antong has only one path now; she wouldn’t find anyone else to marry even if she wanted to.
If you can’t endure such sufferings, how will you survive in the inner chambers in the future?"
After a bout more of lecturing, Xu Shuanghong managed to send Mei Lin away. She tidied her clothes and gracefully walked toward Gu Baijiang...
☆
Ming Peifeng finally emerged from the cell, not because Xu Zitian feared offending the Third Prince, but rather because his time for offending the County Magistrate had ended.
"What’s wrong with you guys? Didn’t come to rescue me." Seeing his subordinates meeting him, Ming Peifeng couldn’t hold back.
He endured unknown days inside, now his appearance probably matched the beggars at the city gate exactly.
"Sir, we tried, but Xu County Magistrate wouldn’t see us, and those government officials at the door chased us away the moment we approached." The subordinates felt wronged, aside from planning to rescue Ming Peifeng, they also had to leave some behind in Tian Village to protect the Gu Family.
"Didn’t anyone think of breaking me out of jail..."
"..."
Seeing all his subordinates silent, Ming Peifeng realized he misspoke, "I was joking."
Breaking out of jail is a capital crime; even this petty matter wouldn’t justify it.
"How is the Gu Family doing?"
"Earlier, Gu Sir came to the town to find you, but we diverted him with excuses. Their family is now building a house, visiting the county town quite frequently these days."
Thinking of Gu Family’s second son’s antics, people barely knew how to criticize, never seen anyone so useless.
Just last night, those building workers ran away again, only leaving a foundation; now likely no one wants to take over the mess.
☆
At this moment, Gu Baijiang really wanted to beat this rebellious son to death; how was this handled? He found several groups of people and still got nowhere.
While the Gu Family is building their house with their own hands, here they barely have the foundation started.
"Dad, why don’t we ask the villagers for help too?" Gu Kaiping couldn’t stand it, today seemed even colder than yesterday, and the day turned gloomy; if they didn’t hurry to build the house, they might end up soaked in rain.
Kai Yuan had already covered the roofs and was now doing final adjustments.
"Then you go get the village chief over," Gu Baijiang, still maintaining his high and mighty stance, previously looked down on these muddy peasants, thinking they couldn’t build a house, but now he wouldn’t wait, nor choose.
But especially didn’t want the rebellious son to take charge, couldn’t trust him with the easiest tasks.
As for the eldest son, Gu Baijiang was now observing with a suspicious eye, could he really achieve nothing once he left his shelter?
Hearing the Gu Family had work available, the villagers were not dismissive.
Though, opinions about their household were dim, others built their houses, but they still hadn’t hurriedly laid the foundation, which then turned into such a mess the builders fled mid-way.
"Chief, we have no problem working, but they’ll need to pay us daily."
"Yes, who knows if they’ll be stingy, don’t want to work and then no pay later."
No one understood why workers left mid-way, obviously fostering suspicion among them.
Zhu Ziqiang had helped villagers earn some silver, gaining praises, feeling prideful now; he immediately agreed wholeheartedly, "Rest assured, they’re part of our village now, as long as they plan to stay, they wouldn’t dare default on payments."
But negotiations must happen, especially when talk of daily wage came up, the Gu family’s father and son’s faces changed.
This made Zhu Ziqiang suspect, could they actually plan not to pay? Though seemingly decent, would they do such despicable things...
Fortunately, without further ado, this Gu family agreed to the terms.
