After my luck was stolen, I led my whole family to defy fate and change our destiny.

The moon quietly climbed to the treetops...

Gu Yu'an quietly entered Gu Linglong's room, just as he was about to start studying, when he suddenly heard the door creak open.

Gu Ziming crouched down as he walked in. When he saw Gu Yu'an, he was startled for a moment and whispered, "Big brother, what are you doing here?"

Gu Yu'an: "I was about to ask you the same thing, what are you doing here in the middle of the night instead of sleeping?"

"Didn't you say during the day that reading to your little sister at night would help her get a good night's sleep and make her smarter? I want a smart little sister."

Gu Yu'an nodded: "Me too."

"squeak"

The window was opened.

Gu Liyao leaped down, but before he could even stand up, he was startled by the two figures in front of him and stumbled.

"Big brother, Gu Ziming, what are you doing here?"

Gu Yu'an looked at him and asked, "You didn't come here to tutor your little sister, did you?"

Gu Liyao's eyes widened: "Are you guys like that too?"

The two nodded in unison: "Yes"

"Hey, what a coincidence! How about we take turns having one of us come and read to the little sister every day?"

The two said in unison, "Okay!"

Gu Yu'an picked up the book: "I'm the eldest brother, I'll go first, you all go back first."

Gu Yu'an then looked at Gu Ziming: "You're the youngest, so you don't need to study yet. You should go to bed early, or you might mispronounce the words later."

Gu Ziming pouted: "But I..."

Gu Yu'an patted his head to comfort him: "Once you've learned all the characters, I'll let you read them."

Gu Ziming lowered his head in defeat: "Alright then."

After Gu Liyao and Gu Zimo left.

Gu Yu'an then began to read it softly.

In her dream, Gu Linglong was in the same place as before, meditating and cultivating in a quiet place rich in spiritual energy...

The fluorescence on its body was even more dazzling than before...

...

Gu Linglong lay in Chunhe's arms, nursing and sleeping intermittently. She was in a daze, feeling very tired lately...

But she hasn't been staying up late reading novels lately, has she?

Su Xiuran was writing a letter to Chen Boqing. She felt a little uneasy. Since he wrote the "Ode to a Beauty," he must be a talented and proud man.

Asking him to teach at the Gu residence would be fine for Gu Yu'an, as it would also be beneficial for his youngest son's early education. This letter will probably just disappear without a trace...

Su Xiuran packed the letter and handed it to the butler: "Go personally and deliver it to Mr. Chen."

"Yes, ma'am"

Xiao Si knocked on the door: "Madam, Madam Lin has arrived."

Su Xiuran took a while to react: "Gu Hanyue?"

"Yes"

Gu Hanyue? That aunt I've never met?

Gu Linglong instantly regained her senses.

Gu Hanyue was the youngest daughter of Gu Chenshi. She married Lin Shaozhong, a fourth-rank official and the Minister of the Court of State Ceremonial. The couple had only one daughter over the years.

Gu Hanyue hasn't sent a single letter in all this time, and Su Xiuran isn't sure if she's sided with Gu Er.

She glanced at her daughter, remembering her daughter's special qualities: "Bring the little lady along."

"Yes"

Gu Hanyue wore a phoenix butterfly hairpin with eight treasures, a pure gold flowing flower necklace, and a pair of emerald green bracelets on her wrists. When she drank tea, the bracelets gently clinked against the teacup, making a tinkling sound, which was obviously not an ordinary item.

"Sister-in-law"

Su Xiuran nodded slightly: "Hanyue's here? Please have a seat."

Gu Hanyue took a small box from the maid: "I accidentally obtained a stone that had been blessed by a high monk. It was hard to come by and cannot be bought with money, so I had it made into a safety amulet for my little niece."

Su Xiuran looked at Gu Hanyue dressed in gold and jade, and her heart sank a little: "Then thank you very much, Hanyue."

Chunhe took the box, gently rubbed its surface with her fingers, and silently rolled her eyes. She had never seen anything blessed by a high-ranking monk packaged in a woven wooden rattan box.

They can't even pretend to be serious!

"Is there something you need, Hanyue?"

Gu Hanyue smoothed her hair: "Isn't this a sum of money that my sister-in-law allocates to the charity every year? I'm here to collect it. It used to be five hundred taels, but this year it might be two thousand taels."

Su Xiuran's eyes widened slightly: "Two thousand taels? Why so much?"

The Gu family owns quite a few properties, so they can afford two thousand taels, but...

Gu Hanyue sighed: "As you know, sister-in-law, there's been a drought this year, many children have no food, and houses need repair..."

Su Xiuran pursed her lips and fell into deep thought.

Gu Liyao was in poor health when he was a child, and Su Xiuran often took care of him while barely clothed. In order to pray for Gu Liyao's well-being, she wanted to build a free charity hall in the old Gu family mansion in Gu Liyao's name.

The charity shelters homeless children and also has an early childhood education center.

But she had no time to take care of them, so Gu Hanyue volunteered to do it. As long as the children were fed, clothed, and had access to education, she stopped interfering in the long run.

This is why Gu Liyao aspired to become a doctor from a young age...

Gu Linglong gritted her teeth in anger. [Dream on! Two thousand taels for a worthless rock? Why don't you just rob someone? You make it sound so nice, why don't you give me that pure gold necklace you're wearing?]

[Mother, please don't give it to her! She's lying to you. All five hundred taels of silver go into her pocket every year; she hasn't used it to build the charity hall or the academy at all.]

Su Xiuran felt a chill run through her from head to toe. Gu Hanyue had actually lied to her for over ten years.

[They're probably here to grab so much money because they're afraid the Gu family will be ruined, so they're trying to make a quick buck.]

[Look at how glamorous she is dressed; her husband, Lin Shaozhong, simply couldn't afford all that jewelry on his salary.]

[Lin Shaozhong?]

Gu Linglong covered her head, thinking, "This feels so familiar."

Ah... I remember now, the business partner who cheated my uncle was a distant relative of Lin Shaozhong. He was the one who introduced him to Lin Xiaoxiao. I'm afraid he's also involved in the plot to harm my uncle and the others.

Su Xiuran's hands trembled slightly. She had been deceived for so many years and lost so much money, and now she had even been betrayed by Lin Xiaoxiao.

Su Xiuran broke out in a cold sweat. She treated her two sisters-in-law equally and did not discriminate against them because Gu Xinyi and Gu Mingtang were twins.

But why are these two so different? One tries every means to stuff money into the Gu family, while the other tries every means to empty the Gu family's pockets.

Su Xiuran composed herself, her fingers slightly curled: "Hanyue, you know the current situation of the Gu family. Let alone two thousand taels, I can't even come up with two hundred taels."

Gu Hanyue's almond-shaped eyes widened: "Sister-in-law, are you trying to trick me? The Gu family is so wealthy, how could they not even be able to come up with two thousand taels?"

"It's true, it costs money to bribe your older brother."

Gu Hanyue's eyes darted around, and she grabbed Su Xiuran's hand: "Sister-in-law, since brother needs money to make arrangements, we should hurry up and sell or pawn the family's assets as needed."

"Wouldn't that make two thousand taels? If you ask me, how can a woman like you manage to influence officials? My husband may only be a fourth-rank official, but he's well-liked and respected by everyone, both superiors and subordinates."

"Give this money to Shaozhong and let him help with the arrangements. As the son-in-law of the Gu family, he should do his part for the Gu family."

What do you think, sister-in-law?