Free Web NovelChapter 664: Chapter 664: Will He Become Another Chen Shimei?
Mr. Gu and Mrs. Gu stood among the crowd, their faces beaming with pride.
Dashi was their grandson, and Nie Xiaofeng was their great-grandson, just mentioning this made them glow with joy.
The two elders stood with straight backs, eagerly anticipating flattery from everyone.
However, the spotlight was stolen by their eldest daughter-in-law, Tong Huaqiong, and no one paid attention to them.
Except for the brief moment Mrs. Gu asserted her presence to the older lady from the Huang family, once Tong Huaqiong arrived, the two became like transparent background props.
Mr. and Mrs. Gu were so angry they gritted their teeth and tried several times to sidle up to Tong Huaqiong, but she ignored them.
The lively crowd soon dispersed.
Tong Huaqiong, taking advantage of Dashi’s achievements, decided to add two extra dishes for the clerks at Weaving Workshop, Jufu, Taohua Dessert, and other major stores, and gave each clerk two extra strings of coins to celebrate.
The shopkeepers and clerks of all the stores were as excited as if they were celebrating the New Year right after the New Year celebrations.
The Nie Family made a grand celebration because Nie Xiaofeng became a Deputy General.
Nie Mingyuan hosted a banquet, widely inviting friends and family. If it were another matter, Gu Baishuang might refuse Nie Mingyuan’s proposal, but since it was a family banquet celebrating her son, Gu Baishuang gladly agreed.
She just wanted everyone to know her son had achieved great success.
She also wanted the Nie Family’s two stepsons and the clan to realize that Nie Xiaofeng had become an unshakeable presence, and anyone who thought about targeting her and her son needed to think twice.
Tong Huaqiong and others naturally went to the Nie Family to celebrate.
Nie Mingyuan wanted to take the opportunity to reconcile with Gu Baishuang, but Gu Baishuang’s indifferent demeanor clearly showed she was not willing to restore their thin-spread marital bond.
The Nie Family’s Clan Leader had been bought off with a large sum of silver by the stepson, and he publicly hinted that Gu Baishuang should hand over her business, subtly mentioning that now that Nie Xiaofeng was a Deputy General, he would either be stationed at the border or stay in the Capital, where the Emperor would decide his fate.
As the most accomplished person in the Nie Family, to balance the relationships among the Nie Family’s three sons, the Clan Leader suggested that the Nie Family’s meager fortunes be left to the two stepsons, assuming Nie Xiaofeng would agree with this suggestion.
Gu Baishuang slammed her chopsticks down and immediately retorted to the Clan Leader.
"You want me to give up my business? Do you not realize who Nie Mingyuan and those two useless ones rely on to make big money? It’s me! Even if my son earns a fortune on his own, not a single cent of what the Nie Family owes him should be cheapened by others."
As soon as she said this, the faces of everyone in the Nie Family, including Nie Mingyuan and the two stepsons, turned pale.
Nie Mingyuan looked at Gu Baishuang, then at Tong Huaqiong, who was clearly there to back her, and he regretted underestimating Tong Huaqiong back then, assuming a woman could do nothing, and thus confidently handed the silver to Gu Baishuang, allowing Tong Huaqiong to connect with the Lu Family for overseas business.
Now the business deal was made, but the Nie Family’s financial lifeline was in Gu Baishuang’s hands.
He truly didn’t expect that one day he would be breathing under the influence of his partner.
Gu Baishuang showed no consideration for everyone’s face, pointing at the older of the two stepsons and demanding, "Tell me, how much silver did you give the Clan Leader for him to speak up for you like this? Clan Leader, you really are confused, Xiao Feng just brought prosperity to the Nie Family’s ancestral graves, and you’re trying to work with his brothers to extinguish it. When my son returns, I’ll tell him that the Clan Leader is senile and should be replaced by a younger person."
Everyone was dumbfounded.
Since marrying into the Nie Family, Gu Baishuang had always left the impression of being gentle and proper. Many people were seeing this sharp side of her for the first time.
Quite a few were whispering that her demeanor was stirred by the stepmother.
Who wasn’t aware of Tong Huaqiong’s infamous reputation?
The Clan Leader lost face, his lips trembled as if he wanted to curse a few times in frustration but couldn’t utter a word.
For a Deputy General like Nie Xiaofeng, replacing a Clan Leader really wasn’t a big deal.
Tong Huaqiong watched Nie Mingyuan and the others with a smile on her lips, wondering how the Nie family would react if they learned that Gu Baishuang planned to leave the Nie Family, move to Shengjing, and start a separate family registry with Nie Xiaofeng.
...
The feat of Dashi and others sparked a wave of discussion throughout Yan Guan Town.
In particular, Qinghe Bay discussed it even more fervently.
Liu Yueer and Mrs. Hong became objects of envy in the village.
Everyone said the Emperor had rewarded the two, and Liu Yueer and Mrs. Hong would bask in their husbands’ glory, possibly becoming noble ladies.
The villagers didn’t understand the concept of a noble lady, but since that’s how it was portrayed in the theater, everyone believed that those who accomplished deeds would elevate the status of their wives and sons. Liu Yueer and Mrs. Hong, benefiting from their husbands, would see their status rise accordingly.
If that were the case, their status would be different from the other women in the village.
They could compare themselves to Tong Huaqiong.
Liu Yueer was at Pingchuan Jufu Restaurant and naturally wasn’t aware of the villagers’ envy toward her.
Mrs. Hong, however, felt it quite genuinely. Some older women complimented her to her face for choosing a good man and having good fortune, and Mrs. Hong just smiled it off.
She had waited for two years, anxious and fearful, and now all Mrs. Hong wanted was to reunite with Manager He as soon as possible.
As the villagers continued their discussions, the topic veered off track.
From envying Liu Yueer and Mrs. Hong, they began to worry about them, and then jealousy set in.
Some people quietly grumbled that once their accomplished men reached Shengjing, they might be dazzled by the allure of the city and abandon their wives who shared their hardships.
During holidays, theater performances often portrayed such plots, and these stories were widely circulated in Dasheng’s rural areas. Everyone took them seriously, believing anyone would tell a tale of a wife waiting bitterly in a cold kiln for eighteen years, only for her husband to finally succeed and abandon her when she thought she was about to enjoy better days.
This inevitably led people to consider the potential fate awaiting Liu Yueer and Mrs. Hong’s husbands after their merits had been recognized.
"Dashi is lively and charms women. How else did he, penniless, manage to make Yue Er break ties with her parents to marry him? Now that he’s achieved merit and the family has money, arriving in Shengjing and receiving rewards, it wouldn’t be surprising if he really did divorce his wife and remarry. Given the many beauties in Shengjing, even if he doesn’t want to, what if the Emperor bestows a marriage?"
"It’s possible. When men have money and power, they might become a Chen Shimei. The men of Qinghe Bay don’t have multiple wives because they’re too poor for it. If someone became wealthy, you’d see them taking concubines. I doubt Dashi would divorce and remarry, but he might take a few beautiful concubines."
Some wives who were friends with Liu Yueer were genuinely worried about her.
While those wives who had clashes with Liu Yueer secretly hoped Dashi would divorce and remarry or take concubines.
Even the participating men in discussions envied Dashi. In front of their own wives, they were too embarrassed to admit it, but if they achieved merit and were rewarded by the Emperor like Dashi, they would definitely take several beautiful concubines.
Mrs. Zhao overheard this and scolded those gossiping harshly.
"You’re looking down on Dashi, and don’t underestimate his mother. If he dares to have wandering thoughts, my in-law would be the first to break his legs."
Regarding the contents of the gossip, Mrs. Zhao initially found it ridiculous but couldn’t help worrying over time.
Mrs. Zhao privately conveyed the village gossip to Tong Huaqiong. Tong Huaqiong assured Mrs. Zhao that if Dashi really dared to stray, she’d be the first not to let him off the hook.
With Tong Huaqiong’s assurance, Mrs. Zhao felt relieved.
After Mrs. Zhao left, Tong Huaqiong’s thoughts grew heavier.
She’d been so happy about Dashi’s achievements that she forgot his past experiences after rising to prominence.
